Chapter 39
Ye Xiyao rubbed his eyes, repeatedly making sure he wasn’t mistaken.
It really was as Qiao Linchuan had said—completely inappropriate!
But… why would Xing Xu hide in his office to look at such things?
Trying to steady his nerves and confirm that there wasn’t some misunderstanding, Ye Xiyao glanced under the table and found the box where Xing Xu had received his delivery.
Qiao Linchuan, who was standing at the door keeping watch, turned around and was startled to find Ye Xiyao missing. “Where are you, Little Bao?”
A pale arm rose from beneath the table, and Ye Xiyao raised his hand in response, “Here.”
“You scared me! I thought Xing Xu’s desk had swallowed you whole.” Qiao Linchuan patted his chest and leaned against the doorframe, straining his eyes. “Did you check the computer?”
“I did.” Ye Xiyao’s voice came from beneath the desk, sounding muffled and hard to read. “The computer’s off.”
“Then did you go down there to look for that delivery box?”
Qiao Linchuan’s curiosity was killing him, but he didn’t dare check for himself. He knew full well that only Ye Xiyao could pull this off.
If he peeked at Xing Xu’s computer himself, he’d probably end up in pieces. So he could only rely on Ye Xiyao to gather intel. “What did he buy?”
Ye Xiyao’s voice was calm and steady. “It’s… books.”
Qiao Linchuan asked, “What kind of books? Is it that kind of—”
Before he could finish, Ye Xiyao quickly interrupted, “Just reference books.”
He wasn’t sure when he’d become such a good liar, but he calmly made something up without breaking a sweat. “Like ‘How to Be a Good Leader’ or ‘100 Ways to Manage Subordinates,’ stuff like that.”
Qiao Linchuan: “?”
Qiao Linchuan: “That doesn’t seem right. Let me see.”
Ye Xiyao: “No—”
Thud! The sound of a head bumping against the desk. After a brief moment, Ye Xiyao’s shaky voice came from underneath, “No way…”
Qiao Linchuan jumped at the sound. “Okay, okay, I won’t look. Don’t panic. Just be careful not to damage his books, or we’ll be caught.”
“Caught doing what?”
The moment Xing Xu’s voice appeared behind him, Qiao Linchuan’s hair stood on end. His neck stiffened, and his entire body twitched, as if he had died on the spot.
The two of them were caught in a face-off right at the office door.
Qiao Linchuan reacted quickly, flashing a bright smile. “Boss Xing, what a coincidence. I was just coming to see you. Haha.”
Xing Xu, with a blank expression, said, “Doesn’t seem like much of a coincidence. Your pathetic attempt to lure me away has failed. Are you happy?”
Hearing this, Qiao Linchuan wished he could just drop dead.
Turns out, he thought their clever scheme was foolproof, but Xing Xu had seen through it from the start.
Xing Xu had intentionally stepped out just to catch him in the act.
However, from the looks of it, Xing Xu hadn’t noticed Ye Xiyao hiding in the office.
An idea flashed through Qiao Linchuan’s mind, and he decided to stick with the diversion plan.
“Well, to be honest, I really did have something to talk to you about. Since we’ve bumped into each other, how about…?” Qiao Linchuan glanced toward the table, thinking about Ye Xiyao, who was still rummaging through the box under the desk. Luckily, Ye Xiyao was sharp enough not to show himself, so he continued, “How about we go sit down somewhere and chat?”
However, Xing Xu saw right through him. “Your eyes are darting around quite a bit. What, did you plant a bomb under my desk?”
“Haha, of course not.”
Qiao Linchuan thought, “It’s not a bomb, but it might as well be.”
Excuses raced through his mind, but before he could speak, he felt a firm grip on the back of his neck as Xing Xu dragged him outside.
Qiao Linchuan struggled, “No, wait—”
Xing Xu shut the door behind him without mercy.
With Qiao Linchuan gone, the office finally fell silent.
At that moment, Ye Xiyao, still hiding under the desk, belatedly realized that he probably didn’t need to hide at all.
After all, the office wasn’t that big—Xing Xu was going to find him no matter what.
Hiding so clumsily only made him seem guilty. But what did he have to feel guilty about?
Xing Xu, who was reading those strange comics in the company, was the one who should feel guilty!
Logically speaking, that was true, but Ye Xiyao still didn’t reveal himself immediately.
He couldn’t face Xing Xu right now, especially not in front of that box of comics.
When Xing Xu slowly strolled over to the desk, Ye Xiyao clung to a bit of hope, thinking: Maybe Xing Xu hadn’t noticed him yet, and since it was already after work hours, he might just grab what he needed and leave, then Ye Xiyao could sneak out.
That would be perfect.
But in the next moment, a pair of strong arms suddenly appeared in front of him. Before Ye Xiyao could react, Xing Xu scooped him up from under the desk by his armpits with ease.
“Kneeling is tiring,” Xing Xu said thoughtfully. “Next time, just sit in the chair, and I’ll hand you whatever you want to see.”
Given their size difference, the scene looked unmistakably like Xing Xu was holding a child.
Ye Xiyao blushed, flailing in midair. “Put me down!”
“Alright.” Xing Xu obligingly set him on the desk and, with a light kick, pushed the box of comics from under the table out into the open. “You and Qiao Linchuan teamed up to find this, huh? Curious about why I bought them?”
Ye Xiyao quickly shook his head. “Not curious.”
Xing Xu replied, “Oh? Then I’ll just keep reading.”
“… You’re really going to keep reading?” Ye Xiyao was dumbfounded by how nonchalant Xing Xu was and blurted out, “How can you look at that kind of stuff?”
Xing Xu raised an eyebrow. “I bought it. Why wouldn’t I read it?”
Ye Xiyao mulled it over and still couldn’t wrap his head around it. He had so many questions but, remembering that he was still upset with Xing Xu, he changed the subject forcefully. “When are you going to report my situation to the Security Bureau? I don’t want to stay like this anymore.”
Xing Xu leaned closer and asked softly, “Stay like what?”
Ye Xiyao said, “Weren’t you sent to observe me? Now that you’ve seen enough and finished your task, I don’t have any more significance to you. Can’t you hurry up and report my situation so we can get this over with? And then you…”
—Then you can leave the company and go back to being an exorcist. You don’t need to pretend we’re on good terms just to investigate me anymore.
Ye Xiyao swallowed the second half of his sentence, but he knew Xing Xu understood what he meant.
In the past, Ye Xiyao had valued Xing Xu and enjoyed this sudden friendship, but that was because he didn’t know Xing Xu’s true identity.
Now that everything was out in the open—it was clear: one was a succubus, and the other an exorcist.
Put them together, and it was like a game where one of them had to go.
Xing Xu was silent for a moment.
Finally, without any argument or comfort, he spoke, following Ye Xiyao’s words. “I should report it to the Security Bureau, but it’s not the right time yet.”
Ye Xiyao was confused. He thought he had made everything clear—Xing Xu now knew he was a succubus and that he meant no harm to humans. Wasn’t that enough?
…Could it be that Xing Xu didn’t believe him and wanted to continue observing him?
Even the things Xing Xu said in the break room—were those just to test him?
If Ye Xiyao ever attacked Xing Xu, would Xing Xu immediately fight back and kill him?
Startled by his own wild thoughts, Ye Xiyao looked up to find Xing Xu smiling.
“The fact that I revealed my identity to you was my own decision. The Security Bureau doesn’t know,” Xing Xu said. “So technically, I’m in serious violation of the organization’s rules, disrupting the normal execution of the mission.”
Ye Xiyao stayed silent, watching him, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth.
Xing Xu continued, “In this situation, if I simply report, ‘Ye Xiyao is a succubus, but he’s harmless to humans,’ do you think they’d believe me?”
Ye Xiyao cautiously pointed out a flaw: “They sent you here. Why wouldn’t they trust you?”
“They used to trust me,” Xing Xu didn’t beat around the bush and quickly leaned in, planting a kiss on Ye Xiyao’s lips.
As Ye Xiyao stared at him in shock, Xing Xu added, “But now, with things like this between us, they might not believe me. They might even think I’ve betrayed humanity and teamed up with you, giving false reports to mislead the government… and then arrest us both.”
Ye Xiyao’s pupils shrank, his tension rising. He even forgot to confront Xing Xu about the kiss and instead asked nervously, “If they arrest us, will they execute us?”
Xing Xu: “Arrested and forced to marry.”
Ye Xiyao: “?”
Xing Xu: “Just kidding.”
Ye Xiyao was so mad he kicked him. “Can you be serious? This is really important!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll be serious,” Xing Xu raised his hands in surrender. “Actually, it’s not that difficult. The key issue is that my report has to be thorough, with no gaps or mistakes in the details. It has to be objective, impartial, and well-reasoned, without showing too much personal bias. Simply put, how the government handles this situation depends on my attitude.”
Ye Xiyao nodded. “Then make sure your attitude is good.”
Xing Xu: “Yeah, my attitude is great, which is why I bought these comics.”
“Huh?” Ye Xiyao was utterly baffled by Xing Xu’s random subject change. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Xing Xu replied with confidence, “A lot, actually. First, I need to understand what a succubus is, what its habits are. Then, I’ll combine that with what I’ve observed about you to make my report more convincing. Otherwise, when they ask me things like ‘What’s the difference between a succubus and a demon?’ or ‘How can you guarantee that he’s harmless to humans?’, how would I answer?”
Xing Xu’s words were half true.
It was true that he needed to understand what a succubus was and whether it counted as a demon so he could reassure the Security Bureau and ensure they would stop viewing Ye Xiyao as a threat.
But the false part was, even if Xing Xu didn’t file a report, he could barge into the Security Bureau, kick the door open, and shout, “Ye Xiyao is under my protection. Whether he’s a demon or not, no one touches him!” and no one would dare do anything to him.
At most, it would mean he and Ye Xiyao would have to live on the run, constantly hunted by the government.
Xing Xu didn’t care much about that, but he knew Ye Xiyao would hate such a life.
Ye Xiyao wanted to continue living as a human, and Xing Xu didn’t want to mess that up for him.
So, how Xing Xu “reported” the situation would be crucial.
He had to pave a smooth path for Ye Xiyao within the system, ensuring no gaps or unanswered questions that could cause trouble later.
However…
Xing Xu’s method of understanding succubi by reading comics—well, that made no sense to Ye Xiyao.
“But those comics are indecent,” Ye Xiyao tried to persuade him. “You probably won’t learn anything useful from them. You should just stop reading.”
“Indecent?” Xing Xu leaned in with a teasing smile. “What did you see?”
Ye Xiyao pretended not to hear and changed the topic again. “Comics and reality are obviously different. How can you use them as a reference?”
Xing Xu didn’t reply right away. He bent down, rummaged through the box, and carefully pulled out a comic titled [Beginner’s Guide to Raising a Succubus]. Right in front of Ye Xiyao, he opened it.
Skimming the pages, he began to read aloud, “It says here that succubi draw power from human bodily fluids, and it even shows a mark that looks like the one on your body. It calls it the ‘yin mark.’ Oh, and it also says that if a succubus isn’t fully fed, they’ll keep kissing humans and—”
“Ah!” Ye Xiyao screamed, completely losing his composure, and quickly snatched the book from Xing Xu’s hands, slamming it shut. “What are you doing?!”
Oh no, even though eight out of ten things in the comic were nonsense, two or three were actually true.
Hearing this made Ye Xiyao’s heart race in fear. He couldn’t face it.
He figured that at some point, humans who had survived after being drained by a succubus must have spread these once-secret details.
Xing Xu, however, was unfazed. “You need to tell me if what’s in here is accurate. If it is, I’ll keep reading. If not…”
Ye Xiyao immediately said, “It’s definitely not accurate.”
“I see,” Xing Xu suddenly smiled, tossing the comic aside. One arm slipped around Ye Xiyao’s waist while the other pressed against his thigh, slowly sliding upward. In a low voice, he whispered, “Then if it’s wrong, you’ll just have to teach me yourself.”
Ye Xiyao’s eyelashes fluttered, hiding his panicked gaze. “Teach you what?”
“Teach me…” Xing Xu, nibbling on his earlobe, enunciated each word clearly, “how to raise a cute little succubus.”
Ye Xiyao’s teeth clenched as he shuddered, suddenly feeling like a trapped bird with no escape.
It dawned on him… maybe Xing Xu didn’t buy those comics to learn about succubi at all.
He might’ve bought them just to lure in someone like Ye Xiyao—a curious, foolish little rabbit!
“Succubi don’t attack humans when they have enough power, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Even if a succubus drains a human’s life force, it won’t kill them, right?”
“Yes… Mm!”
“A succubus is a beautiful and fragile creature, easily weakened by hunger. If it goes too long without feeding, it will die, so it constantly needs to absorb human bodily fluids. Is that right?”
“Hah…”
“Sweetheart, answer me.”
“…I-I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know?”
“I just… don’t!”
Ye Xiyao hadn’t ever experienced long-term hunger, so he had no way to answer.
Xing Xu lowered his voice, speaking close to his ear: “Have you ever fed on anyone else besides me?”
“…”
Ye Xiyao bit his lip, refusing to speak, as if sulking.
Xing Xu showed no emotion on his face, but his hands moved more daringly. He pressed his calloused fingers in circles at a sensitive spot. “It’s okay if you have. What’s past is past. I know you didn’t want to turn to someone else. You had no choice but to grab anyone to feed on when you were hungry. Do you still keep in touch with them? Never mind, I won’t ask. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me for coming too late. From now on, if you’re hungry, come to me, only me, alright?”
He spoke continuously without pausing for breath, leaving Ye Xiyao no chance to respond, while Xing Xu’s words buzzed in his ear.
As sharp, tingling sensations and waves of sweetness surged through him, Ye Xiyao had to clamp his hand over his mouth to stop any sounds from escaping.
After a long time, he collapsed weakly into Xing Xu’s arms, panting, “There’s no one else… only you.”
“Really?” Xing Xu didn’t let go, only tightened his hold. “You’re not lying? It’s really only me?”
Ye Xiyao’s delicate, already overwhelmed body could no longer endure the persistent teasing. As he arched his back, trying to push Xing Xu’s hand away, Xing Xu remained motionless. In frustration, Ye Xiyao muttered, “You… jerk…”
His voice was soft, almost tearful, without any strength to back it up.
Xing Xu’s voice deepened. “Sweetheart, if you’re going to insult someone, you should choose harsher words. When you say it like that, so soft and sweet, I might want to hear you say a few more.”
“If you don’t take your hand away right now, I… I’ll never forgive you!”
Ye Xiyao blurted out the most threatening thing he could think of, struggling to find something that might affect Xing Xu.
He had probably lost the ability to think clearly, and “not forgiving” was the only thing that came to mind—because he knew that Xing Xu wanted his forgiveness.
But even this didn’t scare Xing Xu.
“Okay, then don’t forgive me,” Xing Xu’s fingers began to move again, triggering another round of trembling from Ye Xiyao. “Honestly, I’m more afraid you’ll forgive me too easily. Not hating me or disliking me, but just ignoring me, as if you don’t care whether I exist. I’d rather die than face that.”
Ye Xiyao’s hands went limp, and his tense body suddenly relaxed. In a dazed state, he turned his head to look back at Xing Xu, sitting on his lap.
Xing Xu caught his fleeting glance and lightly bit Ye Xiyao’s lips, his tongue effortlessly parting the soft lips and slipping inside.
The kiss lingered, slow and intimate. Ye Xiyao felt dizzy, even though he had already absorbed plenty of energy from Xing Xu, he still wanted more. That intoxicating scent surrounded him, impossible to resist.
Ye Xiyao remained silent. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak—he simply couldn’t.
His attention was focused entirely on one spot, his mind spinning, unable to form a single coherent word.
By around seven o’clock, darkness had fallen.
The office was long empty.
Xing Xu wiped his hands with a wet tissue, pulling Ye Xiyao securely into his arms. He chuckled, “Looks like the comic was right: a succubus releasing energy is equivalent to burning through magic power.”
Ye Xiyao, barely conscious, lifted a trembling finger in protest, “You knew that and still…”
“Whatever you waste, you can take back from me.” Xing Xu kissed his flushed nose and continued before Ye Xiyao could respond. “If you’re not going to get mad at me, and we can’t go back to how things were before, then just treat me as your food from now on. When you’re hungry, eat me. When you’re full, push me aside. Just make sure you’re comfortable. How about that?”
