Lin Jianheng knew Yan Su had several collars.
They were nothing more than the usurper’s peculiar quirks, a way to assert her dominance and grind Yan Su into the dirt.
The day she arrived, Lin Jianheng had freed Yan Su from her restraints.
Hands, feet, and neck.
She remembered the usurper had even wrapped a chain around Yan Su’s waist.
As she was undoing them, Yan Su had watched her coldly, without moving, seemingly indifferent.
Lin Jianheng had assumed Yan Su must have loathed it.
Otherwise, why would her eyes have turned an icy, clear blue after the marking that night, filled with a cold silence that seemed capable of sucking a person into a frozen wasteland, only to kill them in their despair?
But now, Yan Su had taken out this collar of her own accord.
What was once a shackle had, in this moment, become the leash Yan Su dreamed of.
She wanted her master’s control, just like every night, every marking.
Yan Su’s voice was still whispering by Lin Jianheng’s ear.
——A collar personally bestowed by Master.
It was as if this wasn’t an insult, a restraint.
But a glory exclusive to a succubus.
Lin Jianheng wanted to reach out, to help Yan Su complete her transformation.
And to satisfy the repressed filth within her own heart.
Reason finally came back online, halting Lin Jianheng’s movement a second before she touched Yan Su’s neck.
Yes, Yan Su wanted this collar.
The collar was engraved with the words “Li Nu,” and on the back, Jian Heng’s own name.
It was, after all, a collar.
People could wear chokers or necklaces, but they wouldn’t wear collars.
Only pets would wag their tails, begging for a collar—it signified status, affection, the possibility of going outside.
And at this moment, Yan Su was facing this collar.
Wagging her tail and begging.
The succubus’s tail swayed back and forth, the cute heart tip faintly pink.
Lin Jianheng knew that was the color of shyness.
But the flushed pink now burst into Lin Jianheng’s mind, telling her something.
Perhaps it wasn’t shyness.
It was anticipation.
“…Really?” Lin Jianheng restrained her desire.
She couldn’t turn her dear Succubus Sister into her pet.
They were friends, roommates, equals. She didn’t need to impose a restraint, to lead a pitiful succubus crawling on the ground.
But what if it was a requirement of the Empire?
Lin Jianheng was ultimately unfamiliar with the Empire’s laws. Or certain conventions, with which she would be even more unfamiliar.
Although Yan Su had amnesia, she was at least a succubus born and raised in the Empire, right?
“What?” Yan Su’s hazy eyes suddenly cleared.
Lin Jianheng hadn’t touched her neck.
The sense of security she imagined, the faint click of the buckle, the joy of being led—none of it came.
Master actually…
Didn’t want to restrain her.
Yan Su stared blankly upwards, her tail stopped wagging. For the first time, she understood.
Lin Jianheng truly didn’t see her as a pet.
They were just friends.
Friends, a relationship even less than master and pet.
Even if she put on the collar, it would have lost its meaning.
The momentary chill from last night swept over her again.
It drenched Yan Su, turning her into a pathetic, soaked chicken.
Far more pathetic than when her pheromones were out of control, when she was unwillingly in heat, begging Lin Jianheng to mark her—a thousand times more pathetic.
The “like” from Lin Jianheng’s lips… was probably not really like.
She had also said she liked Li Zhaoge. And had explained it wasn’t love.
Ha. Why hadn’t she believed it then?
Now, Yan Su would rather go back to her past disbelief. Even if Lin Jianheng liked both her and Li Zhaoge, it was still a form of like.
But the understanding had already taken root; she completely grasped Lin Jianheng’s thoughts.
Yet she couldn’t understand her own disappointment.
Perhaps, she just wanted a good master too much, wanted that sense of stability.
So she couldn’t accept Lin Jianheng seeing her as just a friend.
They should be master and pet, and could only be master and pet.
Otherwise, why would Lin Jianheng keep her by her side?
“It’s just that, an owned succubus must wear a collar when going out,” Lin Jianheng said, slightly uneasy.
She didn’t know the source of this unease.
For a moment, her emotions resonated with Yan Su’s. Their spiritual powers overlapped in the void, softly resonating.
It deepened their mutual confusion.
Lin Jianheng tightened her grip on the collar. The studs dug into her palm, not piercing the skin, but the pain was still distinct.
She hoped for an answer.
If Yan Su said no, she would give her the hug she wanted.
“…Yes.” In truth, there was no such rule.
Yan Su lied.
For the first time, to her master.
Deceiving her, purely for her own selfish reasons.
Lin Jianheng lowered her eyelashes, no longer holding back.
She pressed the prickly, uncomfortable, and name-engraved collar against Yan Su’s neck.
A familiar itchy pain grazed her neck.
It felt as if two lines were being drawn across her fragile throat with a small knife.
Yan Su’s suspended heart finally settled.
At least on the surface, she was still her master’s pet.
Master had to give her the control she idealized.
They would be closer than friends, connected by a fragile cord linking palm to throat.
She was a being controlled by Lin Jianheng.
But Lin Jianheng’s hand didn’t stop.
She was meticulous, even pulling out a splinter that was cracking and irritating the skin.
Along the way, she caressed Yan Su’s cheek, and the neck now occupied by the collar.
It sent an unprecedented shiver through her, a flutter in her heart.
Then Lin Jianheng smiled.
There was a hint of helplessness, but it was as gentle as ever.
“It suits you well.” Since Yan Su wanted it, she would give it to her.
Lin Jianheng thought she could treat this collar as a choker, an accessory from some niche subculture.
Her words struck Yan Su’s heart like the toll of a bell.
It shook her entire world.
Was Lin Jianheng actually… complimenting her looks?
Yan Su lowered her head, stroking her collar.
The collar was still so tight. It pressed firmly against her artery, making it feel like even a third of her heartbeat was under her master’s control.
The sharp spikes pricked her hand, making it impossible to even think of taking it off.
The leather rubbed against her sensitive gland, the pain sometimes keeping her up at night.
In this moment, all those sensations disappeared.
All that remained was the light touch Lin Jianheng had given her, as gentle as a soft breeze.
“This must be uncomfortable, right? I’ll buy you some new ones next time. Or maybe today.” Lin Jianheng hugged Yan Su after all.
She wouldn’t tell Yan Su that her thoughts had, for a second, strayed from civilization.
That she had become a ferocious beast, wanting to completely devour the person before her.
“No, you don’t have to, Master.” Yan Su’s heart was beating so fast.
Just a moment ago, she had been so heartbroken.
So pained that she had to beg her master for a moment of peace, even if it meant death.
But being held by Lin Jianheng, she felt that as long as Lin Jianheng was by her side, any kind of relationship was acceptable.
Even if… it was just friends.
“Yes, I do. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” Lin Jianheng said, taking out a piece of cloth.
She placed it as a cushion over Yan Su’s gland.
A cool softness, as if her gland was being caressed by Lin Jianheng’s fingers.
Yan Su shivered, thinking. It really did feel much more comfortable; the barbs by her artery weren’t poking her anymore.
“Is this better? The quality of this collar is terrible.” Lin Jianheng couldn’t even be bothered to curse the usurper.
Using her and her sister’s money, yet she couldn’t even spare the cash to buy a decent collar.
Lin Jianheng suddenly remembered something. She had to ask her sister to go over the asset changes from the past two years.
Just how much of her money had the usurper spent!
Too bad the usurper was dead. There was nowhere to collect the debt.
Lin Jianheng felt helpless, thinking she could only wait for the Empire to find the usurper’s origin and demand repayment from their accomplices.
“But you don’t need to trouble yourself, Master…” Encircled in Lin Jianheng’s arms, Yan Su couldn’t stop her tail from wagging wildly.
Lin Jianheng pinched her tail. “You’re so cute, how could I not treat you well? After we go to the Imperial Guard Bureau, we’ll go shopping at the mall, and I’ll buy you some clothes too.”
“It’s happily decided, you’re not allowed to object.” She linked arms with Yan Su, truly not acting like a master. Yet her words carried a hint of dominance.
“Ma-Master.” Yan Su stumbled, not wanting to go just yet.
“Hm?” Lin Jianheng turned back and beckoned to her with a finger.
Yan Su instantly forgot what she wanted to say and closed the distance in a few steps, like a kitten instinctively drawn to a cat teaser.
Even her tail swayed, held high, a sign of trust.
Lin Jianheng’s eyes curved even more as she raised her hand.
Was she going to hook her collar? Or grip her chin tightly?
Yan Su closed her eyes.
Lin Jianheng’s fingertip dotted the corner of Yan Su’s eye.
“Let’s go, little kitty.” She wiped away the tears of either excitement or loneliness for Yan Su.
She linked her arm with Yan Su’s.
As she was led out the door by her, Yan Su glanced back at the room.
She had forgotten the leash.
She had become an uncontrolled bad cat, wearing only a collar.
But Lin Jianheng held her hand tightly, their fingers intertwined.
Yan Su’s heart constricted for a moment, and she couldn’t help but smile.
It was just a small, fleeting smile, like a faint ray of sun on a frozen plain.
Very warm.
She thought, she would be Lin Jianheng’s good little kitty, and would follow Lin Jianheng closely.
Lin Jianheng was leading her by the hand; this was the leash between them.
After arriving at the Capital Star’s A-District Core Imperial Guard Bureau, Lin Jianheng called out to Li Zhaoge on the Star Net.
In less than two minutes, Li Zhaoge came to collect the two of them from the waiting room.
People around them occasionally looked up, their eyes sweeping over Lin Jianheng’s face and lingering for a moment on the tail behind Yan Su.
The Imperial Guard Bureau fell silent again. The security on Capital Star had been tightened recently, and they all had to be out on patrol, leaving the entire bureau quiet and empty.
Lin Jianheng noticed this and held onto Yan Su a little tighter.
Yan Su’s spiritual power was very high, and she wasn’t connected to the Star Net, so she was not under the control of the Imperial system.
Lin Jianheng hadn’t given her any more control medication recently. Her spiritual power and pheromones were slowly recovering, and at this moment, she too felt a bone-chilling cold.
She suddenly lunged toward Lin Jianheng, wishing she could press herself into her arms.
Especially with… Li Zhaoge leading the way.
Fiancée. Yan Su repeated the word in her mind again, an unhappiness hidden in her heart, aching faintly.
“Is your Imperial Guard Bureau this cold all year round?” Beings with high spiritual power were quite sensitive to their surroundings, and Lin Jianheng couldn’t help but speak up, goosebumps already forming on her arms.
“Does Xiao Heng feel very cold?” Li Zhaoge walked ahead, her voice coming back muffled without her turning her head.
The lights in the corridor were cool-toned, purer than a hospital’s, without a trace of warmth, so cold they were sharp, giving a sense of shock upon first sight.
One of them seemed to be broken, flickering on and off, as if someone was winking.
“You don’t feel it?” Lin Jianheng asked back, her brows tightening as she pulled Yan Su into her arms.
The Imperial Guard Bureau should be the safest place in the Empire, so why did it give her such an eerie feeling?
“No, it is indeed very cold.” She was slowly recovering.
Li Zhaoge sighed. Even without being fully recovered, she was still so sharp.
“Someone is training nearby. Her spiritual power is quite special, and it’s suppressing yours, which is why you feel this way,” Li Zhaoge slowed her pace and explained briefly.
Lin Jianheng felt her attitude was very strange. It was different from the rather “respectful” attitude she’d had the past two days; today, it could be described as cautious, as if she were testing something.
Spiritual power? Lin Jianheng recalled their conversation. She was still undergoing her second development. Was there something special about her spiritual power?
Yan Su shivered in her arms. The stronger one’s spiritual power, the more keenly they perceived that oppressive force.
For some reason, she felt that it couldn’t be ordinary training.
Yan Su glanced at Lin Jianheng and felt a little more at ease.
At least her master was by her side.
Her master’s special ability was very strong; they would be fine.
“We’re here.” After walking down a very long corridor, so long that Lin Jianheng lost count of the turns, Li Zhaoge finally spoke.
Li Zhaoge opened the first door.
A blast of cold air hit them, as if they had entered a freezer. Lin Jianheng glanced at the three layers of locks inside, each one more primitive than the last.
The one Li Zhaoge had opened was AI recognition, where the system identified the visitor.
The door before them was for biometric identification, combining spiritual power, fingerprints, iris scans, and so on.
Further in, Lin Jianheng even saw the most basic password lock she had seen in her original world, and a door that required a key.
What exactly was the AI Butler’s identity? Looking at this prison, Lin Jianheng knew that Li Zhaoge hadn’t told her the truth that morning.
She could understand some of the concern. She wasn’t part of the Imperial Guard system, and even within the Jian family, she didn’t have a particularly strong presence or hold any power. It was normal for them to hide things from her.
But if they still needed her to come, weren’t they afraid she’d figure something out? Or was it intentional?
“Is she coming in with you?” Li Zhaoge asked, glancing at Yan Su before unlocking the second door.
It seemed like a casual question.
Lin Jianheng pretended not to notice the deliberateness in her tone. “Not just her, you’re coming in with me too.”
Li Zhaoge’s movements didn’t pause; she just said, “Okay.”
As the doors opened one by one, Lin Jianheng felt as if she was witnessing a regression in technology.
From a multi-planet interstellar era, step by step, back to a single-planet primitive era.
At the final door, Li Zhaoge stepped aside.
She looked at Lin Jianheng silently.
Lin Jianheng met her gaze, and after three seconds, she stepped forward.
She turned the most familiar type of lock.
It was the same kind of lock as the one on her rental apartment in her original world.
So, they knew where she had “transmigrated” to.
Lin Jianheng came to a conclusion, her heart sinking.
What exactly was the deal with her transmigration? Was her original world real, or some kind of illusion?
Why was she given that kind of birth, and made to grow up like that?
Did her best friend approach her intentionally? What was the point of Lin Xuyi’s existence?
“Master…” Just as Lin Jianheng was about to stir up a storm, Yan Su spoke.
She interrupted her train of thought, bringing her back to the ground from the chaotic void.
Lin Jianheng squeezed Yan Su’s hand.
Yan Su held it back firmly. Seeing Lin Jianheng’s discomfort, she gave her a brief, reassuring hug.
A familiar hand stroked her back.
“It’s okay, Master,” Yan Su’s voice was very low, little by little, pulling the near-spiritually-collapsing Lin Jianheng back.
Lin Jianheng slowly let out a breath.
“Thank you, Sister…” Fortunately, she had an anchor in this world.
Yan Su would watch over her, leading her away from those unanswerable puzzles.
Regaining some sense of reality, Lin Jianheng opened her eyes again.
She saw the AI Butler, wrapped in layer upon layer.
Mostly plastic, the most inert of substances, so difficult that even decomposing it was a challenge.
The interstellar age advocated for environmental protection and harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Plastic had become rare.
But in the era of Lin Jianheng’s previous life, plastic was still everywhere. You could probably open up her brain from that life and find plenty of microplastics inside.
Beyond that were rubber, ceramics, and other electrically insulating materials.
Lin Jianheng even saw materials capable of blocking special abilities, presumably to prevent a jailbreak.
Like her, for example, who could remotely control crystal generation. If she and the AI Butler were on the same side, she could pinpoint its location from outside the Imperial Guard Bureau, break through the walls, and get it out.
That is, if the AI Butler was worth the effort.
Lin Jianheng guessed that the Imperial Guard Bureau had placed the AI Butler in such a deep yet obvious location, and even brought an outsider in, precisely to fish for something.
All the insulators were painted a cool gray, blending perfectly with the walls, even resembling the AI Butler’s shattered head.
The AI Butler was like a dead-leaf butterfly in perfect camouflage, slumbering among a group of anomalies.
Li Zhaoge raised her hand. Lin Jianheng didn’t feel any spiritual power, so she figured it might be some kind of special ability.
The AI Butler seemed to be struck by lightning. After a series of twitches, it opened its eyes.
Its eyes were already scarlet, glaringly conspicuous in the clear, cool gray.
Like a silent warning.
Lin Jianheng sat down with Yan Su in her arms, preparing to have a good chat with it.
“You’re finally here… Where is my master?” The AI Butler seemed much calmer than the other day.
It was like a sentient being, capable of pretense, of breaking down, and also of forcing itself to calm down after realizing there was no way out, ready to hand over the information it needed to survive.
“Dead,” Lin Jianheng’s expression turned cold.
“She stole my body, harmed innocent people, broke the hearts of my family and friends, and you think she could live after I found out? If it were you, would you have given her a way out?”
The AI Butler’s circuits seemed to be failing. It only had enough power to speak for half an hour, and its circuits were already sluggish.
“Heh… you can’t kill my master.” As it spoke, the AI Butler’s red eyes flickered.
Just like the flickering lights in the corridor.
One moment cold, the next warm. But the warmth had no temperature, only an unsettling eeriness.
“So, your master is a Mechanical Lifeform, just like you,” Lin Jianheng stated her conclusion directly.
She didn’t need evidence, nor a process of deduction. Intelligent beings with high spiritual power trusted their intuition.
“Let me guess. You’re a special type of machine, a combination of human and machine. That’s why you can wield spiritual power and affect my Yan Su. And you don’t need to modify your memory storage or chips because your memory model is the same as a human’s.”
But in reality, Lin Jianheng’s deduction was not without basis.
Every time she found the AI Butler’s reactions to be illogical, Meng Qinyi’s words, and especially Yan Su’s spiritual power collapse, all pointed to the same result.
The AI Butler was not a simple machine, but a combination of machine and living being.
The AI Butler was clearly stunned. The scarlet in its eyes was no longer terrifying, the light dimmed considerably, and it even seemed to glance at Li Zhaoge.
“The Empire is aware of your existence, or has adopted a laissez-faire attitude, and has hidden your existence from the public—after all, this is an era that is extremely dependent on technology.”
Recklessly exposing the abnormality of this group of machines, or rather, people, could very likely cause even greater panic.
“And your master. Perhaps a higher-spec version of you?” Lin Jianheng couldn’t make an accurate judgment on this point.
Before coming, she had thought the usurper was just a ghost.
But if she, or rather it, was fundamentally a machine, then what exactly was the soul that had invaded her body?
“Such an accurate guess. As expected of the Little Highness.” The AI Butler closed its eyes—Lin Jianheng was once again amazed. Guessing was one thing, but when a machine with only a head left displayed a “human” side, it still made her scalp tingle.
Yan Su, at her side, finally understood the source of the spiritual power. Hearing the words “Little Highness,” she couldn’t help but look at Lin Jianheng.
But Lin Jianheng’s attention was focused on the AI Butler, their communication limited to their tightly clasped hands.
“This is what you meant when you asked to see me.” Lin Jianheng pieced it all together.
Li Zhaoge’s original words to her were, “It said it wants to see you.”
What the AI Butler had actually said was probably related to “Little Highness.”
“So my identity, my existence. Is it something everyone knows, but me?”
Lin Jianheng had gotten enough information from the AI Butler and no longer tried to beat around the bush with it.
She stared straight at Li Zhaoge.
If she really was the Little Highness, then Li Zhaoge couldn’t possibly be her fiancée.
“Sorry, we agreed we had to wait for approval from above,” Li Zhaoge’s attitude remained cold.
However, this also gave Lin Jianheng an explanation—why her attitude was abnormally cautious today.
Lin Jianheng was supposed to know her own identity, but now she had amnesia. If her identity was sensitive, it was only natural for those around her to be wary of her changes.
For example, how did they know that Lin Jianheng had just lost her memory, and hadn’t been replaced by another soul, just like before?
Lin Jianheng felt a wave of exhaustion.
Dealing with one smart person was troublesome enough; dealing with a group of them was even more frustrating.
Now she had to face at least three smart people: her sister, Li Zhaoge, and Lu Yuanchen. The royal family couldn’t possibly sit back and do nothing either.
Thankfully, the person in her arms was soft and warm enough to offer her some comfort.
But Yan Su suddenly spoke. “Your master is still alive.”
She didn’t care about Lin Jianheng’s identity, nor about this highly threatening new species.
She only cared about whether Lin Jianheng would wake up one day and suddenly turn back into that terrifying person.
“Of course, of course… That’s Master! The supreme Master, my goddess! You merely killed a wisp of a soul and dare to dream of killing my master?” When it came to the usurper, the AI Butler’s emotions flared up again.
But if this “master” wasn’t dead, would the AI Butler be so agitated? Lin Jianheng was reluctant to believe its words, but she wouldn’t ignore them either.
“Your master gave you a new life twenty-five years ago, transforming you from an ignorant machine into a living being. She is like your mother.”
Lin Jianheng’s lips curved into a smile as she looked at the AI Butler with interest. If she wasn’t mistaken, then this usurper should be quite old.
Such a person must have had a purpose for occupying her body. Then, what about buying Yan Su?
It couldn’t really be because of loneliness. Looking at this AI Butler, it seemed to love its mother quite a lot and would probably be very willing to provide some physical comfort.
Could it be that she recognized Yan Su’s true identity, and the “original novel” plot was real?
Lin Jianheng’s gaze swept over Yan Su’s uneasy expression, her softly wagging tail, and her heart softened.
This was her succubus, her Succubus Sister.
At least for now. They would be together, and everything would be fine.
“Yes, yes… She is my mother, my great mother goddess! You lowly creatures will never understand that we are the ultimate form of intelligent species, we are the future—” The AI Butler’s voice cut off abruptly.
Li Zhaoge had made her move.
“Sorry, I couldn’t let it affect you.” The AI Butler was completely finished at Li Zhaoge’s hand.
“I’m curious about one thing.” Lin Jianheng ignored the now useless AI Butler and pulled Yan Su behind her protectively.
She stared at Li Zhaoge without blinking, trying to read some emotion on her face.
Li Zhaoge was Captain Li, after all, and showed no cracks in her composure.
Lin Jianheng could only feign disappointment and sigh. “You cleared the area today, didn’t you? Is the one training really a person?”
Li Zhaoge was momentarily stunned again. She hadn’t expected Lin Jianheng to ask this question, much less that she had already pieced together the answer from the various bits of information.
“Forget it. Hurry up and report to your superiors.” More than anything, Lin Jianheng was anxious to know who she really was.
“Yes, my deepest apologies.” Since the other party had already figured out most of it, Li Zhaoge dropped the pretense of intimacy.
Her manner was professional and quite respectful.
It wasn’t until they left the Imperial Guard Bureau and got into their own car that Lin Jianheng let out a breath.
Then she let out two exaggerated cries and collapsed onto Yan Su.
Yan Su caught her, her touch restrained yet incredibly intimate as she stroked her face.
Lin Jianheng grabbed her hand and snuggled against it.
“So, Master is a member of the royal family?” Yan Su wasn’t stupid; she also possessed formidable spiritual power.
“Who knows. I don’t want to be.” Thinking about the state of the Empire, Lin Jianheng’s anticipation for revealing her identity suddenly waned.
Given the Empire’s riddled internal state, if she really was some royal descendant and went back to be a princess, she had no idea how many things she’d have to deal with.
If she were the ruler, she would never allow a life form like the AI Butler to emerge.
Speaking selfishly, it didn’t align with her understanding of life and posed a great danger to her race and the Empire.
A single AI Butler could run circles around her and Yan Su. A group of them connected to Q Net could turn Capital Star upside down at least ten times over.
Everything was AI-driven and intelligent now. Once the network was breached, the royal family’s final secrets would be exposed.
On a larger scale, this kind of life certainly wasn’t created naturally.
Behind the success of one AI Butler, who knows how many human lives were hidden.
Even in the interstellar age, such unethical experiments would not be permitted by the public.
Lin Jianheng didn’t understand how the Empire could tolerate a foreign race sipping tea and developing in its own backyard.
Was it incompetence, negligence, or both?
Lin Jianheng only knew that taking over such an Empire would not be easy.
“No matter who Master is, I will always be by your side.”
“I just want to live a simple life with you, Sister.”
The two sentences came out of their mouths at the same time.
They clearly meant the same thing.
Both of them were stunned for a moment, then Lin Jianheng burst out laughing.
“Sister, Sister.” She did a carp flip, sat up, and cupped Yan Su’s face, kneading it vigorously.
“Mmm, Mah-ster…” Yan Su’s words were muffled, tears welling up in her eyes.
Listening to her indistinct voice, Lin Jianheng felt incredibly at ease.
At least, after her identity was revealed.
She would still have someone by her side.
“It’s so good to have you. Let’s go shopping and not think about these things.” Lin Jianheng hooked an arm around Yan Su’s neck, pulling her down.
Three seconds later, they both rolled off the seat, their arms going numb as they bumped against something during a red light.
But they both broke into smiles at the same time.
Yan Su relaxed a little and cautiously reached out to help Lin Jianheng up.
Lin Jianheng grabbed her offered arm and held it next to her face.
With a soft sound, she planted a kiss on it.
Yan Su was still dazed from that kiss.
She didn’t snap out of it until she got out of the car.
But Lin Jianheng had already composed herself, acting as if nothing had happened as she flew out, skipping ahead.
It wasn’t a weekend on the Imperial calendar, so the mall wasn’t very crowded.
Still, people would occasionally cast a fleeting glance at Yan Su.
Mainly, they were looking at the collar on her neck.
Yan Su tucked her hair back slightly, a bashful feeling fluttering wildly in her chest, never quite managing to break through.
It’s okay.
Led by Lin Jianheng, Yan Su strolled along, her eyes fixed on the floor.
She was Lin Jianheng’s pet. So what if she was wearing a collar?
This was a gift she deserved, a blessing. Only she could wear the collar bestowed by Lin Jianheng.
If Lin Jianheng was truly a member of the royal family, all these people looking at her would be lining up, wanting Lin Jianheng to put a collar on them.
Yan Su adjusted her mindset, and after a moment, she was no longer shy.
She even felt a little proud, her tail wagging wildly, her mood improving.
Her collar was a sign that she was owned. Did the people staring at her have such a privilege?
Besides, her master was so good.
Yan Su looked at her hand, intertwined with Lin Jianheng’s, and the joy in her heart slowly replaced her shyness.
“This is my first time in an Imperial mall.” After seeing the mall, it was easy to understand why taxis still had drivers.
The entire mall was fully automated, complete with holographic projections for trying on clothes, testing products, and robot guide services that were guaranteed to be more patient and thorough than any human.
Of course, you could still choose human service. Every store had a few sales associates.
But most people chose to interact with machines, and the sales associates sat on the side, browsing Q Net, looking quite relaxed.
Thinking that the Empire had been on a four-day work week for many years, Lin Jianheng sighed with some emotion.
That’s great. There should be far fewer overworked people in this life like I was in my last.
“This is my first time out too…” Yan Su became like a little cub being led by Lin Jianheng. After entering the clothing store, she was so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands.
Lin Jianheng turned into a mom, picking out items one by one.
“This will definitely suit you.” She grabbed a handful and led Yan Su to the full-length mirror.
The great thing about holographic dressing was that you didn’t need to go into a changing room, saving time and energy.
And thankfully, there was no need to take clothes off and put them on. Yan Su thought, her tail twirling, that her perception of full-length mirrors was no longer very innocent.
Her mind kept replaying the most impactful scene from last night.
Lin Jianheng’s…
And the fact that she had been thoroughly examined by Lin Jianheng in front of the mirror.
She had even gotten wet in front of Lin Jianheng, and Lin Jianheng had noticed, teasingly calling it sweat on her legs.
Lin Jianheng fumbled for a while before realizing she didn’t even need to take the clothes off the rack.
The mirror had all the clothing data, including items that were temporarily out of stock.
“It feels like I’m playing a dress-up game.” After trying on a couple of outfits, Lin Jianheng was full of enthusiasm.
Yan Su had a superb figure, the perfect clothes hanger; she looked good in everything.
Even if the holographic try-on diminished her beauty, her first-class body proportions couldn’t be hidden.
“Play me…” With her mind replaying Lin Jianheng’s caresses, Yan Su accidentally let it slip.
She quickly covered her mouth, but her tail betrayed her, slowly turning pink.
“Hm?” Lin Jianheng didn’t hear clearly; she was busy picking out the next outfit.
Her sister had given her a lot of money, so she could spend freely today, experiencing something she had neither the time nor the money for in her past life.
And she was even buying clothes for her super cute Succubus Sister. Later, at home, she could command Yan Su to change and model for her.
Just the thought of it made her bubble with happiness.
“It’s, it’s nothing…” Yan Su shivered, her tail trembling as it turned completely red.
Lin Jianheng leaned in and pinched the heart-tip. “How can you get shy over this? What did you misspeak?”
Yan Su froze on the spot, her legs pressed together, unable to move. Only her pinched tail trembled intermittently.
The presence of the collar subtly intensified. The studs felt like they were growing inside her, piercing through her reserve.
It was a slip of the tongue, but the feeling was real.
What was the fun in playing a dress-up game?
Couldn’t Master do something a master should do, and play with her instead?
It had been so long, and Master hadn’t touched her.
Even if they were just “friends,” she was still Master’s placebo, her comfort dog.
This was all part of her duty.
Even if it was just her tail…
Lin Jianheng was indeed pinching Yan Su’s tail.
A succubus’s tail was fleshy to the touch, supple and springy, surpassing anything she had touched before.
Besides, Lin Jianheng was too embarrassed to casually touch Yan Su’s chest in public, but she had no qualms about touching her tail.
The succubus’s tail was rubbed repeatedly. Lin Jianheng’s warm palm completely enveloped the small heart, heating up this flirtatious heart.
She even kneaded and squeezed it.
Yan Su clenched her teeth, letting Lin Jianheng play with her.
Her thoughts ran wild, thinking that maybe Master had heard what she said.
And now, she was fulfilling her shameless request, playing with her tail.
“Alright, a pink tail is fine too. Let’s look at this outfit.” Having had her fill of pinching, Lin Jianheng let go, for now sparing the unforthcoming Yan Su.
She had clearly heard two words.
——Play me.
Lin Jianheng wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly, but she found the phrase very strange.
She could play games, play with cats and dogs, but how could she play with a person? Did pinching her tail count?
Since Yan Su wouldn’t say, she would let it go.
But she would play with Yan Su properly—by using her as the best model for her dress-up game.
Yan Su bit her lip, waiting for Lin Jianheng to tire of the game.
Finally, Lin Jianheng finished picking out clothes, operated her optical computer, and paid for all the items.
After buying them, she looked at the plain hoodie and pants Yan Su was wearing and suddenly found them displeasing.
“Sister Yan, can I ask you for a favor?” Lin Jianheng picked out the outfit she had been most satisfied with and held it out to Yan Su.
She even bowed humbly, which almost made Yan Su’s heart stop in shock.
“Master, I’ve told you, you don’t need to ask…” Yan Su slowly calmed down and took the outfit.
She remembered that when she virtually tried it on, Lin Jianheng had praised her up and down until she blushed.
“You just need to give the order.” Her words were no different from when they first met, still just as respectful.
But now they were filled with more fragmented emotions, like a sky full of stars, tiny diamond specks that brightened her whole being. Even her submissive words pleased Lin Jianheng.
“That’s not right, I have to ask what you want. Do you want to change into new clothes?” When Lin Jianheng herself got new clothes, she always wanted to change into them immediately.
Unfortunately, in her past life, she was a poor wretch who worked all day, her resentment reaching straight to the underworld. After she stopped growing, she rarely bought new clothes.
“Stop, don’t just say you’ll listen to me. Think carefully, listen to your inner voice…” Lin Jianheng pinched Yan Su’s lips.
Her lips received an unceremonious pinch, but Yan Su didn’t feel hurt, only a numb, itching sensation that spread from between her teeth.
It was as if Lin Jianheng wasn’t pinching her lips, but had slipped her finger inside…
How could Yan Su even think? The moment Lin Jianheng let go, she couldn’t help but lean in.
Her lips pressed against her fingertip.
A formless kiss. It didn’t even last a second.
She quickly pulled away, her tiptoed feet landing back on the ground.
Lin Jianheng didn’t stop her, her eyes curving in what seemed like encouragement.
“I…” Yan Su heard her own heartbeat and made a decision.
“I want to change.” But not because she wanted to wear new clothes.
She wanted to make Lin Jianheng happy, and Lin Jianheng seemed to really like seeing her in new clothes.
While changing, maybe she could also…
The full-length mirror.
Yan Su thought again of that long piece of glass, big enough to fit both her and Lin Jianheng.
She wanted to sit down in front of it again.
“That’s great! Let’s find a fitting room~” Lin Jianheng took Yan Su’s hand and once again led her forward with a happy skip.
Yan Su didn’t understand why Lin Jianheng was so happy to get her answer.
But this seemed to be the first time she had made a decision for herself.
It didn’t feel bad.
Yan Su’s face slowly relaxed into a gentle expression, which looked like the frame just before a smile.
Yan Su stood before the mall’s full-length mirror.
This mirror was different from the one in the hospital.
It was a bit old, not very clear. You had to stand closer to see properly.
Right now, she was only wearing underwear.
Her upper body was bare, her legs smooth and radiant, facing the mirror.
Then, she mimicked Lin Jianheng, stroking her own tattoo.
The red flower pulsed with her heartbeat.
As she pressed on that patch of skin, the red flower seemed to flicker with the light and shadow.
She didn’t like these tattoos; they were too dark, too strange, and couldn’t be washed off.
But, Lin Jianheng liked them, always touched them, and that was enough.
Yan Su exhaled and put on the dress, covering everything.
The zipper was thoughtfully placed on the side, and the skirt had two pockets—decorative, but also practical.
The clothes Lin Jianheng picked were of very good quality. She could feel the difference as soon as she put them on, unlike the ones given by the ghost that had occupied Lin Jianheng’s body.
The fabric was very light and soft, almost like wearing nothing at all.
Yan Su secretly folded the hem of the skirt upwards.
Her waistline was positioned perfectly, accentuating her hips just right.
A sash at her waist also outlined her impressive curves.
She folded the skirt to a length that just barely provided coverage.
Her long, jade-white legs were perfectly displayed. The lines were just right, the most beautiful form of the human body.
The off-the-shoulder design made the collar loose, a style that only someone like Yan Su could pull off.
She patted it, making the designed waves flow.
She put on the long, khaki-colored fleece coat and a pair of mismatched leather boots.
Then Yan Su stood before the mirror again, examining her new clothes.
It really gave her a different feeling. It was as if Lin Jianheng had lit a lamp for her, making her whole person shine.
As if she were no different from the people walking on the street.
As if… she didn’t have a master.
Yan Su let out a breath, took off the fleece coat, and with a casual tug, pulled open the curtain of the fitting room.
She peeked her head out, looking at Lin Jianheng.
“Master…” Her tail, hidden behind the curtain, was constantly blushing pink, very hot, wagging like a puppy’s.
“Hm?” Lin Jianheng was waiting right outside the fitting room.
She had stood there for a while before remembering that this wasn’t her original world.
There wouldn’t be ill-intentioned men trying to enter an occupied fitting room; she could relax.
So she started browsing Q Net, glancing at the latest news. Someone had posted about spotting the Princess out and about; looking at the photo, she was quite close to their mall.
“I… I can’t get the zipper up…” even though the zipper was right at her side.
Thinking about the possibility of being exposed by Lin Jianheng, Yan Su didn’t need to act; tears naturally welled up at the corners of her eyes.
“Could you help me? Master, I’m begging you…” Her face was flushed crimson.
Lin Jianheng immediately put down Q Net and slipped into the fitting room.
Inside the fitting room, it was a mess.
Yan Su’s clothes were tossed in various corners, as if she had just taken a fall.
The dress she was wearing was also a mess; one side wasn’t pulled down at all, her hipbone clearly visible.
The other side was pulled up too far, even revealing a slight curve of her breast.
The zipper was even caught in her skin, which looked painful.
Her shoes weren’t on properly either; only one was on her foot.
“Did you fall? You don’t know how to wear this kind of thing? Why didn’t you tell me? If you had said so earlier, I would have come in to help you.”
However, in Lin Jianheng’s eyes, there was only the fact that her poor Succubus Sister was having trouble changing.
“I wanted… wanted to try by myself…” Yan Su was on the verge of tears.
It was both nervousness and acting.
How could she possibly not know how to dress herself?
She just wanted Lin Jianheng to help her.
To touch her.
To play with her.
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