Lin Jianheng’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed herself down.
If it were her, having been hurt so badly that she couldn’t even sleep at night, she would certainly be just as wary.
“Sister Yan, I’m coming in.” Lin Jianheng brazenly entered the room, closing the door behind her.
After all, she had to go all out to raise Yan Su’s favorability score.
She couldn’t let up for a single moment.
Tonight, Yan Su had taken the initiative to be close to her. She had to seize the momentum and improve Yan Su’s impression of her even further.
Yan Su said nothing, and of course, she didn’t try to stop her.
She even shifted to the side, as if to make room for her master.
Lin Jianheng didn’t hesitate, patting her clothes before sitting on Yan Su’s bed and leaning straight back.
“This is pretty comfortable.” She didn’t ask Yan Su if she had remembered anything.
If it were true, asking repeatedly would only hurt Yan Su more.
If it weren’t, bringing up bad memories for Yan Su would be even worse.
She just needed to be with Yan Su and help erase those unpleasant memories.
They say companionship is the best comfort, and Lin Jianheng couldn’t agree more.
When her best friend went through a breakup in her past life, she had done the same thing, and it had worked very well.
“Master…” Yan Su finally moved. She seemed to fidget, shrinking down as if wanting to press close to Lin Jianheng.
Yet she seemed conflicted, maintaining a certain distance, her movements tentative, only her gaze remained fixed on Lin Jianheng.
Lin Jianheng pulled Yan Su down in one motion.
“If you want to lie down, just lie down. Let’s sleep together.” Her arm hooked around Yan Su’s neck.
Her hair was smooth and silky. Yan Su washed and dried it every day, and the scent was still rich—a pleasant fragrance of butterfly rose, which suited her red hair perfectly.
The butterfly rose was a special species from the interstellar age, cultivated on only a few small planets, making its yield low.
Lin Jianheng had never touched one, but she had smelled its fragrance in her shampoo time and again.
The logo on the bottle was beautiful: fiery red petals layered to resemble a butterfly, yet possessing the elegance of a rose and the passion of a China rose. It was very distinctive.
But at this moment, Lin Jianheng couldn’t recall its image. Her eyes were filled with nothing but Yan Su’s red hair.
That splash of red was like a sunset, and those azure eyes were the most beautiful sea.
So much so that when Lin Jianheng compared her to the sunsets she had seen, she found that even they paled in comparison.
Yan Su was beautiful.
Lin Jianheng stared, unblinking, as the realization struck her.
Yan Su was propped up over her.
Her diamond-blue eyes held no trace of affection, as placid as a windless sea, yet they were intensely focused, seeing only Lin Jianheng.
The surging sea of fire before her was contained and gentle.
Lin Jianheng heard her own heartbeat.
It was in sync with the pulsing veins of the sea of fire.
She suddenly pulled Yan Su into her arms.
Her fingertips brushed against Yan Su’s sensitive gland.
Yan Su didn’t resist, using her hands to cushion the fall. She settled obediently into Lin Jianheng’s embrace.
The gland on the back of her neck throbbed.
It ached and itched.
Unconsciously, it resonated with Lin Jianheng’s heartbeat.
Neither of them could hear the other’s pulse.
Yan Su found it hard to suppress the fluttering in her heart.
Lin Jianheng slowly closed her eyes.
The embrace felt very secure.
It was deeply satisfying, like the feeling from childhood after finishing an exam, waiting a long time, and finally being led by the hand to get ice cream.
A half-hour walk that felt as long and anxious as two days and two nights, culminating in that first, utterly gratifying bite.
How strange.
Lin Jianheng thought to herself as she inhaled the unique scent of shower gel mixed with a hint of pheromones.
She had never felt so much from a simple hug before.
Was it because Yan Su was her Succubus Sister?
Lin Jianheng’s mind raced with a thousand thoughts.
Yan Su had already turned as red as a butterfly rose, the tips of her ears nearly the same color as her hair.
Lin Jianheng had touched her gland again.
The touch was as gentle as a fine rain, never unpleasant—if only Lin Jianheng and Jian Heng were truly not the same person.
“Master, thank you.” She tried to pull away in a hurry, bumping her head in the process.
“Ouch,” Lin Jianheng cried out for her, reaching up to rub her head.
“Don’t be in such a hurry. Let’s sleep together.”
She was determined to hold Yan Su.
Lin Jianheng firmly pulled her into an embrace.
Yan Su looked at her closed eyes and sighed to herself.
At least she didn’t see me blush.
Yan Su obediently settled down. In truth, she hadn’t been thinking about anything in particular tonight.
She was now sleeping in a very soft bed. The blankets smelled wonderful, carrying Lin Jianheng’s scent; they must have used the same laundry detergent.
The room was large and had a private bathroom, so there was no need for embarrassment or holding back.
The lights worked, and she could adjust the brightness as she pleased—her master had given her permission to use this room. She was free.
Everything from the past seemed to be fading, speeding away behind her at a pace she couldn’t grasp.
It was like driving through the rain, where the world outside dissolves into long, continuous streaks, blurring everything into oblivion.
If the AI Butler hadn’t been loitering outside her door, she wouldn’t have been too on edge to sleep.
But now that Lin Jianheng was here, the threat from the AI Butler had diminished.
She was holding her, gently stroking her hair, as if she genuinely liked it.
The Empire was home to many races with a wide variety of hair colors. While red hair wasn’t discriminated against, it wasn’t particularly popular either—far less striking than gold or white, less versatile than cool tones, and less common than black or brown.
Perhaps Lin Jianheng was the only one who liked her hair.
Yan Su thought peacefully, feeling a genuine drowsiness creep in.
Before her consciousness faded, Yan Su felt the lights in the room slowly dim.
The person beside her was still there.
In her sleep, she turned over and rolled into Lin Jianheng’s arms.
Nothing happened for the following week.
It was so peaceful that Lin Jianheng started to feel a bit lazy.
She remembered her wish from before she transmigrated: to be a rich heir who could just coast through life.
Was this wish finally coming true? Oh, thank the heavens above!
Lin Jianheng was lounging in her office, a projection of her video call with Yan Su displayed before her.
Tea, snacks, and her study notes were laid out beside her.
Lin Jianheng was studying the common knowledge of the Empire, trying to seem less like a primitive.
“Sister Yan, what do you want for dinner tonight?” On second thought, it wasn’t that nothing had happened this week.
At the very least, Si Yixing had come looking for her once. That group of hedonistic friends had also shown up, but she had been quick to hide, jumping into her car and completely shutting them out.
Lin Jianheng had even considered the possibility that those people were all just part of the original owner’s romantic entanglements.
If the original was a player, anything was possible. In any case, she wasn’t taking over that mess. They could all get lost.
“Anything is fine…” Yan Su’s voice was quiet. She sat primly in front of the projection.
“Alright, let me see if I can find a restaurant called ‘Anything is Fine’ then,” Lin Jianheng teased, pulling up another screen to search.
Yan Su wanted to stop her, but then the tips of her ears turned red.
“You can decide, Master.” She forced herself to remain calm, though her eyes were still darting about.
Just as Lin Jianheng was about to say more, someone knocked on her door.
“Little Miss, Chairman Jian wants to see you.”
Lin Jianheng had no choice but to say goodbye to Yan Su, turn off the projection, and reluctantly leave her office.
A week had passed since she had submitted that proposal.
Lin Jianheng strongly suspected her sister was simply too lazy to read what she’d written, which was why it had taken so long for her to be summoned.
Or perhaps she’d been so appalled by her shockingly low intelligence that she couldn’t bear to see her.
Either way was fine with her. She was happy to have the free time to tease Yan Su and chat with Li Zhaoge every day. It was a blissful existence.
Unfortunately, she still had to face her sister.
When she entered the office, Jian Lingxuan was in another meeting.
As expected of the chairman of a major corporation. Even a noble couldn’t escape the fate of endless meetings and overtime.
Lin Jianheng clicked her tongue in sympathy. In her past life, she had been an ordinary person from a humble background, but just like Jian Lingxuan, she’d had to endure dreadfully inefficient meetings every day.
Lin Jianheng felt a pang of anxiety. What if Jian Lingxuan had actually submitted the nonsense proposal she’d written to the shareholders? How would she explain herself?
After listening for a moment, she relaxed. Jian Lingxuan was busy with another project, one completely unrelated to her proposal.
“You took your time.” The argument—oh, right, the meeting—was finally over. Jian Lingxuan shot Lin Jianheng a dark look.
“Well, I figured you were busy, Sister. There’d be no point in coming early, right?” Lin Jianheng had already helped herself to a cup of afternoon tea.
She had even eaten the snacks from Jian Lingxuan’s desk.
She suspected Jian Lingxuan couldn’t stand seeing her laze around all day and just had to bother her.
And sure enough, she was handed another proposal.
“…Sister, me again?” Lin Jianheng swore she had just scribbled nonsense last time.
“See for yourself how simple this one is. If you don’t do it properly, I’ll kick you out, and you can forget about next month’s allowance,” Jian Lingxuan said irritably.
Her temper hasn’t changed a bit after all this time.
Still so wary, and she still loves to talk back to me.
“Don’t dock my allowance, Sister! Please, good sister. I have a Succubus Sister to support…”
Lin Jianheng was immediately displeased and vowed to “properly” complete this beginner-level proposal.
“What about your fiancée?” Jian Lingxuan rolled her eyes.
“Uh, shouldn’t she be the one supporting me?” The interstellar pop queen’s assets had to be in the high digits. Why would she, a poor thing who had to beg for scraps from her hot-tempered sister every month, need to spend money?
“You’re quite… discerning. Good that you know your place.” Jian Lingxuan waved her hand, shooing Lin Jianheng out.
Lin Jianheng finished the proposal in five minutes, then set it aside, planning to hand it in at the last possible moment to avoid being given more work.
On her way home, Lin Jianheng heard a clatter from the apartment next door. There was finally some activity.
Was someone finally moving in after all this time? Lin Jianheng was curious what kind of woman her new neighbor would be.
She hoped they would be quiet. If her privacy couldn’t be guaranteed, she’d just have to move, especially with Yan Su, to one of Jian Heng’s other properties.
“You’re my neighbor?” Just as she was thinking this, the door to the next apartment opened.
The woman had a wolf cut, her black hair streaked with blue. She had tattoos on her arms and was wearing a floral dress.
What a contrast… Lin Jianheng nodded. “Just call me Jian Heng.”
“Meng Qinyi.”
They didn’t exchange any more words, and Lin Jianheng opened her door.
Yan Su was waiting at the door and was surprised to see the person from next door.
Their gazes met for barely half a second.
Yan Su frowned slightly and looked at Lin Jianheng.
“Our new neighbor. Maybe we can hang out with her after she’s finished moving in.” Anyone who takes the initiative to say hello is a good neighbor, Lin Jianheng thought. If she and Yan Su got along, Sister Yan would have some company during the day while she was at work.
“Come on, I brought you your favorite, ‘Whatever’,” Lin Jianheng said, hooking an arm around Yan Su’s neck and leading her inside.
The AI Butler, its presence faint, took the food container from Lin Jianheng’s hands and set it on the table.
Lin Jianheng even said thank you to it.
Yan Su kept her head down, avoiding its gaze.
If it doesn’t cause any more trouble, should I just pretend what happened before never occurred?
Lin Jianheng had been kind to her for a week, and she was starting to get greedy.
Yan Su ate in silence, her mind racing.
But what if it acts up again? My spiritual power is still suppressed…
As Yan Su wavered, a drink suddenly appeared in front of her.
She looked up to see Lin Jianheng wink at her.
The timidity and unease from seeing the stranger, the tension and anxiety from thinking about the AI Butler—it all vanished in an instant.
“Thank you, Master… You have something on the corner of your mouth. Would you like me to wipe it away?” In the past, this had always been the AI Butler’s job.
But Yan Su no longer wanted to yield to it.
“Hm?” Lin Jianheng hummed, closing her eyes and leaning her face forward.
In the two seconds of silence, she felt Yan Su’s warmth and smelled the sweet scent of butterfly rose mixed with Yan Su’s unique pheromones.
It was followed by a wet sensation.
Lin Jianheng opened her eyes and saw that Yan Su was…
Licking the corner of her mouth.
