Chapter 30
“Xiaobao, are you still in manager Xing’s office?”
Qiao Linchuan’s knock interrupted Ye Xiyao’s brief immersion. His eyes snapped open.
That sudden, overwhelmingly passionate kiss was too much for Ye Xiyao, leaving him momentarily stunned, unsure of what to do—
Push him away! He should push him away immediately!
Are you kidding? Is this even a kiss?
This is murder!
Kissing an incubus is no different from sacrificing your own life.
Even though Ye Xiyao didn’t mean to, the moment their fluids exchanged, his body instinctively began to absorb Xing Xu’s energy.
At this point, Ye Xiyao wasn’t even thinking about why Xing Xu kissed him, but more about how if this kiss continued any longer, Xing Xu would either die or lose half his life. With both hands, he firmly pressed against Xing Xu’s chest, trying to stop him.
“Xing… wait, stop!” Ye Xiyao turned his head aside, using the gap between their lips to mutter in a suppressed voice. But Xing Xu quickly pursued his lips and bit down again.
In a panic, Ye Xiyao balled his fists and hit Xing Xu’s shoulder, but it was useless.
The little bit of strength he had was like a massage to Xing Xu. It didn’t hurt, and Xing Xu might’ve even felt like it wasn’t enough.
Xing Xu’s tongue once again aggressively pushed forward, leaving Ye Xiyao unable to speak, trying his best to resist taking any more energy through their exchanged fluids. But it was so difficult.
It was like putting someone’s favorite food right in front of them, letting them smell it and maybe lick it, but forbidding them from swallowing. It was pure torture.
In the end, Ye Xiyao bit down on Xing Xu’s tongue—the strongest act of resistance he could think of.
The problem was, his little sharp teeth broke the tip of Xing Xu’s tongue, and the moment that metallic, sweet blood burst into his mouth, mingling with the saliva that incubi crave, it created an overwhelming double sensation.
How could anyone resist that?
Ye Xiyao ultimately couldn’t escape the temptation of that ‘delicious’ taste. Instead of retreating, he instinctively leaned in.
Qiao Linchuan, not getting a response, thought Ye Xiyao hadn’t heard him. He knocked louder and spoke up, “Xiaobao! Didn’t you just say you were hungry? Come on, it’s time to eat. If you don’t come out soon, Xu Xingyang will finish off all the meat!”
Immediately after, Xu Xingyang’s voice piped up in protest: “Hey! Who’s finishing it? I’ve only had five pieces!”
Qiao Linchuan: “I only brought ten pieces, and you’re acting like you’re the victim after eating half of them.”
While the people outside joked around, inside the office, an awkward silence had fallen between Ye Xiyao and Xing Xu.
Upon hearing Qiao Linchuan’s words, Xing Xu finally stopped his aggressive advances. He released Ye Xiyao’s soft tongue but still stayed close to his lips, his expression awkward as he asked, “…You’re meeting Qiao Linchuan just to eat?”
“What else would I be eating…” Ye Xiyao began to respond, but then, all of a sudden, images rushed into his mind. “Oh my god…!”
He finally remembered a memory that had been buried.
That night, after using his powers to attack the stalker in his home, Ye Xiyao had fallen into a state of mental and physical exhaustion. His energy imbalance left him feeling hungry again.
Later, Xing Xu kicked down the door, and Ye Xiyao latched onto his finger, sucking his blood. Tasting the blood, Ye Xiyao found it delicious and wanted more, so he grabbed Xing Xu’s neck and kissed him…
At the time, Ye Xiyao thought he was dreaming.
He couldn’t distinguish between reality and dreams, and in his daze, he thought he was indulging in a lavish feast, when in reality, he was kissing Xing Xu.
After absorbing a large amount of Xing Xu’s soul energy, Ye Xiyao had fallen asleep, completely content. He didn’t care who filled the void inside him—as an incubus, they were known for being heartless, taking what they need and leaving once they were satisfied. Although Ye Xiyao hadn’t done it on purpose, his body had made the decision for him.
And now, at this very moment, Ye Xiyao had once again absorbed Xing Xu’s fluids while fully conscious.
His body, perhaps triggered by a sense of familiarity, had pulled that almost-forgotten memory back to the surface.
Now, Ye Xiyao found himself caught in an impossible situation.
Just a few minutes ago, he had wanted to question why Xing Xu had kissed him. But now, he feared that Xing Xu might be the one questioning him instead.
Both of them were left speechless in the awkward silence.
Outside, Qiao Linchuan continued knocking on the door, growing more uncertain. He hesitated and asked the people next to him, “Why isn’t anyone responding? Are they still in there? Did anyone see them leave? Could Xing Xu have taken him away?”
Lu Kou’s voice chimed in, “No way would Xiaobao leave us hanging without saying anything.”
Xu Xingyang added, “Yeah, plus, I’ve been testing products at the door the whole time, and I didn’t see anyone go out.”
“What a hassle. Just push the door open and see,” Qin Zai, who had somehow joined the group outside, said casually. As he spoke, he began turning the door handle.
The door wasn’t locked.
As soon as Qin Zai pushed the door open, there was a loud “thud” from inside the office.
“What just happened? Did they start fighting? Damn, it felt like the floor shook,” someone exclaimed, startling everyone outside. They all rushed in together.
Finally, they saw the situation inside—
Ye Xiyao was sitting primly on the sofa, giving them a polite smile. Aside from his unusually flushed cheeks and slightly rapid breathing, there was nothing strange about him. It certainly didn’t seem like the sound had come from him.
Everyone’s gaze drifted further into the room, and their jaws collectively dropped.
Xing Xu was standing three meters away, casually rubbing his shoulder. Behind him, the glass door of the wall cabinet had a visible crack in it.
Qiao Linchuan ventured cautiously, “You… couldn’t have been…”
Xing Xu avoided Qiao Linchuan’s scrutinizing gaze, his voice flat as he said, “Who let you all in?”
“My deepest apologies, but I’m really curious, so…,” Qiao Linchuan, ever sincere, blurted out, “Were you just… hit?”
Xing Xu: “…”
Qiao Linchuan continued, “Otherwise, I can’t understand why you’d be in that position over there.”
Xing Xu’s mouth twitched, and with a blank expression, he shot back, “What do you think?”
“No way,” Lu Kou chimed in, cutting in quickly, “Our little baby is so tiny, there’s no way he has that much strength.”
Xing Xu’s gaze swept toward Ye Xiyao, who nervously shrank his neck and said nothing.
Xing Xu almost wanted to laugh, but considering that Ye Xiyao had kicked him three meters across the room just minutes earlier, he didn’t. Instead, he went along with Lu Kou’s comment, saying ambiguously, “Yeah, no way he’s that strong.”
“Haha.” Ye Xiyao laughed awkwardly.
Of course, he didn’t have that much strength, but that kick had a bit of magic behind it.
Ye Xiyao hadn’t kicked Xing Xu to hurt him—it had been a reflex because, at that moment, he had completely panicked.
And how did Ye Xiyao feel now…?
He was mostly overwhelmed by a mix of shame, embarrassment, and a hint of despair.
The shame came from having absorbed so much of Xing Xu’s energy and then, in his nervousness, reflexively kicking him.
The embarrassment came from remembering some things he had previously forgotten, and now, just looking at Xing Xu made his scalp tingle.
And the despair? It was from realizing that Xing Xu didn’t seem ready to let him go.
Even with Qiao Linchuan and the others in the room now, Xing Xu’s gaze still lingered on Ye Xiyao, burning with an intensity that made Ye Xiyao break out in a sweat. Unlike Ye Xiyao’s tension, Xing Xu’s eyes were blatant and possessive, with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, as if he wasn’t going to let this go anytime soon.
Ye Xiyao’s back was instantly drenched with sweat.
“Manager Xing, you don’t have anything else for us, do you?” Qiao Linchuan, sensing the odd atmosphere between the two, assumed they had just been arguing. Trying to break the silence, he forced a smile and said, “We’ll just take Xiaobao out to eat, okay?”
Xing Xu continued to look at Ye Xiyao without responding.
As the others began to escort Ye Xiyao out of the room, Xing Xu suddenly called after him in a tone only Ye Xiyao could understand, speaking cryptically, “Not tired this time?”
Ye Xiyao didn’t even dare look at Xing Xu. He rubbed his earlobe and feigned ignorance, asking, “…What?”
Xing Xu replied, “Do I need to remind you—about before?”
Ye Xiyao immediately waved his hands, “No, no need.”
“Got it.” Xing Xu’s lips curled into a smile. He looked completely relaxed, but the arrogance in his eyes still sent chills down Ye Xiyao’s spine. “So this time you didn’t forget.”
Ye Xiyao cautiously glanced up at him, suddenly feeling like Xing Xu was… somehow different.
The Xing Xu from before always gave him a sense of gentleness, attentiveness, stability, and security.
But this Xing Xu, at the moment, felt like danger itself.
The way he looked at Ye Xiyao made it clear he was ready to stir up trouble.
Ye Xiyao quickly averted his gaze, pretending he hadn’t heard anything, and hid behind Qiao Linchuan. Shielded by the group, he successfully escaped Xing Xu’s line of sight.
—
That meal was anything but enjoyable for Ye Xiyao.
He was feeling quite conflicted inside.
On one hand, he really wanted to find Xing Xu because he was afraid that by excessively absorbing Xing Xu’s energy, he had caused irreversible damage to his soul—though, judging from Xing Xu’s behavior, he didn’t seem particularly injured. Still, Ye Xiyao couldn’t help but worry.
On the other hand, Ye Xiyao didn’t dare face Xing Xu. Otherwise, Xing Xu would definitely ask why Ye Xiyao kissed him before and then denied it.
Ye Xiyao was curious about that himself.
Xing Xu didn’t know he was a succubus, so what exactly was Xing Xu’s mindset when he kissed him?
It just didn’t make sense.
No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t add up.
Perhaps it was all in his head, but Ye Xiyao kept feeling an odd, faint itch on his body. Maybe Xing Xu’s bodily fluids had reawakened his magic marks, causing them to grow again.
But Ye Xiyao couldn’t just pull up his clothes to check. Lost in his thoughts, he chewed the food in his mouth without tasting anything.
“Xiaobao, you’re eating so seriously. Is it tasty?” Lu Kou’s voice suddenly rang beside his ear.
Ye Xiyao, completely unaware of what he was eating, replied automatically, “Delicious.”
Lu Kou said, “But that’s a piece of ginger.”
Ye Xiyao: “…”
No wonder he had been chewing it for so long without being able to break it down, and his mouth was tingling with a strange taste.
He had thought it was Xing Xu’s saliva still attacking him!
“Try this.” Lu Kou placed another piece of food on his plate. “I made it myself.”
Ye Xiyao obediently took a bite and said, “Mmm, delicious.”
Lu Kou added, “But that’s ginger too.”
Ye Xiyao spat it out, his face scrunched up in frustration.
Qiao Linchuan laughed, “Stop teasing him. You’ve made the poor kid go pale.”
Qin Zai joined the fun by offering more food to Ye Xiyao, saying, “Come on, eat your big brother’s dish.”
This time, Ye Xiyao finally snapped out of his thoughts about Xing Xu. He carefully inspected the piece of eggplant Qin Zai had given him, flipping it over and over. Once he confirmed it was safe, he took a small bite and said, “Ah, it’s really good.”
Everyone laughed, “Ten minutes, and you’ve finally eaten a proper bite of food.”
Ye Xiyao smiled sheepishly, too embarrassed to daydream anymore.
Seeing him start to eat properly, Qiao Linchuan returned to the conversation they had been having earlier. “I got a message from A Wen. He’ll probably be back at work next week.”
“That’s great. Once he’s back, things will be a lot easier for us,” Xu Xingyang said, then asked, “What illness did he have that took the hospital so long to diagnose?”
“To be honest, I’m not sure. At first, he just said he was having trouble with his memory—like he’d blink and forget what he was doing.”
“That’s pretty normal, though. I get brain fog when I’m busy too.”
Qiao Linchuan shook his head. “It seems more complicated than that. One day he told me he was resting peacefully in the hospital, but when he woke up, he found himself standing in the middle of the street. He had no memory of how he got there. He went back to the hospital for tests, and the doctors said there was nothing physically wrong with him.”
“Yikes, that’s creepy,” Xu Xingyang said with a shudder. “Like he was possessed or something.”
Lu Kou shrugged, “I think he was just too stressed. Staying in the hospital probably gave him the chance to relax.”
“When he’s back, let’s make sure to help share some of his workload.”
“No problem at all.”
“Xiaobao hasn’t met A Wen yet,” Qiao Linchuan said to Ye Xiyao. “Turns out he’s also an alumnus from your school.”
Ye Xiyao didn’t really feel any special connection to the idea of alumni. After all, he wasn’t even familiar with many of his classmates from the same year, let alone an upperclassman who graduated several years ahead of him.
But he couldn’t say that, so he nodded along with Qiao Linchuan and said, “That’s a coincidence.”
“Exactly, once he’s here, I’ll introduce you two properly,” Qiao Linchuan continued.
“Mm, sure.”
With someone to talk to, Ye Xiyao quickly shifted his focus and forced himself not to think about Xing Xu.
But deep down, he knew this issue wasn’t over.
After lunch, everyone cleaned up and went off to take their afternoon naps. Standing at the office door, Ye Xiyao mentally rehearsed what he wanted to say for a long time before cautiously opening the door and walking in.
Xing Xu was sitting behind the large office desk, playing with a new product—this was originally Ye Xiyao’s spot, as it had become his workstation.
“Full?” Xing Xu raised his eyes slightly, smiling at him.
Ye Xiyao’s smile was stiff.
He didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Xing Xu’s question had a hidden meaning.
Trying to act calm, Ye Xiyao replied, “Yeah, full.”
Xing Xu: “Taking a nap?”
“I’ll rest a bit.” Ye Xiyao wasn’t actually sleepy, but he desperately needed an excuse to avoid any confrontation.
“Okay.” Xing Xu put down what he was holding, stood up, and walked to the door of the break room. He opened it and smiled slightly at Ye Xiyao, “Come, I’ll nap with you.”
Ye Xiyao: “… Then maybe I won’t nap.”
Xing Xu nodded, like he was agreeable to anything, and took a step closer to Ye Xiyao. “Good. Then let’s have a little chat.”
“Ugh,” Ye Xiyao pouted.
Xing Xu said, “Fake crying won’t work.”
Ye Xiyao replied, “What about real crying?”
Xing Xu pretended to think it over, then said, “You can cry first, then we’ll talk.”
“…” Fine, there’s no avoiding this.
Summoning his courage, Ye Xiyao looked up at Xing Xu and said through gritted teeth, “Let’s just… take a nap.”
Fine, he was a coward. He was terrified of this “chat.”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t come up with an excuse to brush off Xing Xu, but he was afraid that if Xing Xu asked why they kissed, Ye Xiyao might end up telling him everything.
Yes, exactly.
Ye Xiyao was just that kind of fool who was desperate to spill his secrets.
The truth was, he had kept his mouth shut all these years not because he was good at keeping secrets, but because no one had ever bothered to listen to him.
But now, Xing Xu was so close, staring at him with those intense, burning eyes. He always seemed so willing to listen to whatever Ye Xiyao had to say…
Forget it. Maybe a nap first would help.
Ye Xiyao dove into the break room and flopped onto the small single bed that was just big enough for one person.
Xing Xu stood in the doorway, his tall figure almost blocking out the light from outside. In the darkened room, Ye Xiyao snuck a glance at him out of the corner of his eye. “You… how are you going to nap with me?”
Xing Xu didn’t move for a long time.
Under Xing Xu’s gaze, any trace of sleepiness vanished from Ye Xiyao. He quietly sat back up and said, “I’ll give you the bed. I’ll nap outside.”
Only then did Xing Xu slowly approach, and as he did, he closed the door behind him with a click.
The sound of the lock snapping into place sent Ye Xiyao’s nerves into overdrive.
What is this? What’s going on?
Is he about to interrogate me?!
Ye Xiyao wasn’t going to confess!
Sure, the last time he had been so hungry that he kissed Xing Xu out of desperation, but this time, it wasn’t entirely his fault. Xing Xu had to take at least half the blame. Besides, there was no way Ye Xiyao could admit to anything, or he’d have to reveal his true identity.
Xing Xu would definitely be scared to death.
Ye Xiyao swallowed nervously, trying to appear calm, though his throat was already dry: “About this, actually you…”
“It’s my fault,” Xing Xu interrupted, standing in front of him, their toes almost touching. Though he was towering over Ye Xiyao, his voice was soft. “Tell me, how can I make it up to you?”
Ye Xiyao was momentarily stunned. “There’s no need, we’re friends. No need to talk about this.”
“Oh, maybe it’s a cultural difference,” Xing Xu said, leaning down with a half-smile. “Where I’m from, friends don’t usually kiss.”
Ye Xiyao: “…”
Exactly.
Xing Xu tilted Ye Xiyao’s chin up, forcing him to meet his gaze. At that moment, Ye Xiyao felt like his secret was on the verge of spilling out.
Just then, Xing Xu’s phone buzzed.
Ye Xiyao felt like fate had just saved him. Taking advantage of the distraction, he pulled back, successfully avoiding further confrontation!
Oddly enough, he sensed that Xing Xu still had something to say but chose to hold back. With his phone in hand, Xing Xu stared at Ye Xiyao for a while before finally saying, “Rest well. We’ll talk after you wake up.”
“Okay.” Ye Xiyao blinked, relieved but also a little curious.
It seemed that Xing Xu’s mood always shifted subtly after receiving certain phone calls. Ye Xiyao couldn’t quite tell if the change was good or bad, but he could clearly sense that Xing Xu was restraining his expressions.
He watched as Xing Xu left the room, softly closing the door behind him.
Ye Xiyao pulled a thin blanket over himself but had no sleep in him, staring at the ceiling with wide-open eyes.
—
Xing Xu hadn’t received a phone call; it was an ambiguous text message.
Though the message had no content, he could understand the implication.
[Tonight, we act.]
Sitting in his chair, Xing Xu, expressionless, turned off his phone. His gaze instinctively shifted back toward Ye Xiyao’s direction.
The thin door blocked Ye Xiyao from sight, but Xing Xu stared as though he could see through it, his eyes unblinking.
Soon, there would be an answer.
Although the outcome was uncertain, whether good or bad, it would at least clarify the danger posed by Ye Xiyao, this demon.
If his demonic energy truly carried the so-called purifying power, then their exorcism plan for Ye Xiyao would need to be revised.
Xing Xu’s mission of infiltration would no longer be about executing the demon.
He tried to remain objective. After all, he shared the same stance as Luo Yiji and the entire Bureau of Safety. No matter what the result of the demonic energy test was, Xing Xu would accept it.
But he couldn’t deny that, in this moment, he was scared.
Scared that the final outcome would be a fight to the death.
He wasn’t afraid of dying, but he was afraid that he would have to kill Ye Xiyao.
Xing Xu kept thinking about Ye Xiyao’s eyes.
Demons could take on any form—seductive and beautiful, or innocent and cute—but their eyes would always be filled with violence and greed.
Ye Xiyao wasn’t like that.
Of course, Xing Xu couldn’t justify sparing a demon based on such an abstract feeling, but he was undeniably wavering.
So, he needed a legitimate reason to look into those eyes again, and a convincing explanation to tell himself not to kill Ye Xiyao.
Would the demonic energy test be a good start?
He rarely got lost in thought like this, silently staring in the direction of the break room for a long time.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Xing Xu froze for a moment, thinking his imagination had run wild.
But soon, he realized it wasn’t a mistake—Ye Xiyao had actually come out of the break room.
Ye Xiyao’s steps were unsteady, his body swaying as he leaned against the doorframe, taking shallow breaths. When he saw Xing Xu, he opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he slowly made his way toward Xing Xu’s direction.
Xing Xu noticed that something was off with Ye Xiyao but didn’t move away, letting Ye Xiyao slowly approach him step by step.
Ye Xiyao stopped about half a meter away from him, twisting his fingers around the hem of his shirt, seemingly hesitant. Xing Xu asked what was wrong, but Ye Xiyao didn’t answer, keeping his head down. His breathing was clearly irregular, and his body trembled slightly.
“Can’t sleep?” Xing Xu reached out cautiously, thinking Ye Xiyao might have fallen into one of his confusing, hazy states again.
But Ye Xiyao was fully conscious this time.
He didn’t take Xing Xu’s hand. Instead, he just stood there for a while, took a couple of deep breaths, and mumbled, “I’m… fine.”
Then, he turned to leave.
Xing Xu, slightly exasperated, leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ye Xiyao’s slender waist from behind. “You don’t seem fine. What’s wrong?”
The moment they made contact, Ye Xiyao let out a soft whimper that even he couldn’t suppress. Finally, he gave in, collapsing into Xing Xu’s arms, holding onto his arm and resignedly saying, “It hurts… Xing Xu, help me. My body hurts.”
His voice was soft and gentle, with an unmistakable hint of tears, making Xing Xu’s chest tighten. His tone softened instinctively. “Okay, I’ll help you, like last time?”
Xing Xu’s warm, rough palm pressed against Ye Xiyao’s lower abdomen, but the fabric of Ye Xiyao’s clothes was too stiff to let the warmth through.
Ye Xiyao’s eyes were misty with pain. Using the last bit of his strength, he guided Xing Xu’s fingers under his shirt. The direct contact of skin on skin was immensely soothing, but Ye Xiyao couldn’t fully relax, terrified that Xing Xu might catch a glimpse of the demonic markings on his body.
His conflicted and awkward state made Xing Xu sigh. His hand began to explore other areas, taking matters into his own hands.
“Relax a bit. I can’t help you like this.” When Ye Xiyao didn’t listen, Xing Xu sighed again, coaxing him gently, “Be good, unbutton your shirt.”
“No…” Ye Xiyao pressed down on the back of Xing Xu’s hand, his voice anxious. “Don’t look.”
Xing Xu’s hand paused, but he didn’t ask why. After a moment, he scooped Ye Xiyao up and carried him back to the break room. “Let’s go inside. I won’t be able to see in there.”
—
Translator Note:
Hi guys! Thank you for your support till now, I really appreciate it XD
Just a quick announcement, so starting from Chapter 31, the posting schedule will change from everyday posts to Friday and Saturday every week
For those who prefer not to wait, you can head over to my Ko-fi store and purchase the rest of the translated novel for early access.
Thank you so much for your support and understanding, and I hope you enjoy the journey ahead!
