TAISS – Chapter 13

The mechanical voice lacked its usual coldness, possessing only an excitement indistinguishable from a human’s.

It was as if it were a person, a “she” and not an “it.”

The AI Butler in the house was not right.

Yan Su had realized this from the very first day she came to this place.

When she was locked up, she had heard the AI Butler and Jian Heng communicating.

When she was being bullied, the AI Butler would be on the side, fanning the flames.

Occasionally, Jian Heng would whisper secrets with the AI Butler.

Behind everyone’s backs, in the study.

Yan Su didn’t dare get close, and even with her superhuman hearing, she couldn’t manage to eavesdrop.

Instead, during a confrontation, the AI Butler had discovered her spiritual power.

The AI Butler could manipulate spiritual power.

This was a conclusion Yan Su had recently reached.

But those words…

Did Lin Jianheng know about the AI Butler? Could they be in it together?

Was this a good cop, bad cop routine, trying to make her lower her guard to plot something against her, just like before?

In the end, Yan Su held back and didn’t hug Lin Jianheng.

“You are my master. I cannot offend you.” Her tone was its usual indifference.

It wasn’t too cold; Yan Su couldn’t control her emotions well, and the fluctuations were still visible in her eyes.

She herself didn’t even know that she was longing for this hug.

Lin Jianheng’s embrace was safe. There was no sharp humiliation, no thoughtless reprimands.

Just warmth, like the spiritual power she had left in her spiritual space—gentle, carrying her through the afternoon’s ordeal.

In the afternoon, Lin Jianheng had tried to find her through the AI Butler, and the AI Butler had gone berserk because of it, yet again.

There were still residual drugs in Yan Su’s system, suppressing her already unstable spiritual power. Induced like this, she had nearly collapsed again.

The moment before she fell into darkness, the spiritual power Lin Jianheng had left in her spiritual space fell with her.

It embraced her before she could crash, cushioning her fall.

It lifted her up, delivering her into conscious reality.

From that moment on, Yan Su had been missing Lin Jianheng’s embrace.

“Why are there so many rules?” Lin Jianheng didn’t try to force the hug either.

She could vaguely tell that Yan Su wasn’t in a good state.

Poor Succubus Sister, she must be trapped in the original owner’s nightmare again. I have to take even better care of Succubus Sister.

“Did you forget what I said? I’m not your master, not your superior. We’re equals. If you want to hug me, just hug me. I want to hug you too.”

Lin Jianheng pressed close to Yan Su and gently poked her cheek.

A flicker of forbearance crossed Yan Su’s brow.

She really didn’t dare… offend her master again.

She was afraid Lin Jianheng’s kindness was a pretense. She was afraid Lin Jianheng was just like Jian Heng, in cahoots with the AI Butler.

She was afraid that warm spiritual power would turn into ropes that imprisoned her.

“Have you had dinner? Are you hungry? How about we have a late-night snack together later?” Lin Jianheng was still holding her hand.

Fingers intertwined, so intimate.

Yan Su remembered what Lin Jianheng had said yesterday, that she liked her.

So, was intertwining their fingers proof of affection, or a shackle of control?

“Hmm? Are you going to eat?” The voice suddenly drew near.

It was as if it acted directly on her spiritual space, exploding.

Yan Su stopped walking, left behind by Lin Jianheng, and a crimson blush slowly crept up from the back of her ears.

The corners of her eyes too.

Lin Jianheng should know, right? For a succubus, “eating” meant…

Asking her if she wanted to eat like this, yet looking at her with such an innocent gaze.

Was this also a deliberate attempt to embarrass her?

Yan Su was truly embarrassed. Lin Jianheng’s scent lingered around the nape of her neck, making it grow hot.

“Master.” Meeting Lin Jianheng’s doe-like eyes, Yan Su’s throat felt tight, the sorrow in her voice hard to suppress.

“Are you asking me to eat?” Are you asking to… with me?

Yan Su didn’t think she was looking forward to it.

She was merely responding to her master’s wish.

Just that.

“Okay.” Lin Jianheng smiled again.

She always smiled like that, as if nothing in the world could trouble her. Anyone who saw her smile would feel happy.

Yan Su bit her lip tightly.

Finally?

Last time, even when she was drugged, they hadn’t done it. Master had said she wasn’t Jian Heng, but Lin Jianheng.

Now, would she reveal the similarities between them?

Lin Jianheng took out her phone and projected a food delivery app.

“Come on, good roommates always have late-night snacks together. See what you want to eat.”

Yan Su fell silent. She had thought Lin Jianheng would show her an adult toy store.

But it turned out… it was really just restaurants.

Barbecue, fried chicken, rice noodles…

Yan Su was in a daze.

“Whatever Master decides is fine. I’ll eat whatever Master likes.” She… wasn’t very hungry.

Or rather, she didn’t really want to eat this kind of food.

“That won’t do~ I’ll order half, you order half, and then we can eat while watching our show. We didn’t finish yesterday’s episode.” Lin Jianheng nudged Yan Su to order.

“Quick, tell me what you like to eat.” She moved the projection over.

After Lin Jianheng came home, all the lights in the house were on—under the AI Butler’s control, everything was very warm and considerate.

Only Yan Su could occasionally see a purple light emanating from the dark corners.

Like a knife hanging over her head.

But now, Lin Jianheng was shielding her from it.

In this small space, there was only her and Lin Jianheng.

There would be no one else.

Yan Su lowered her head and randomly ordered a combo meal.

“…Thank you, Master.” Her thanks were tinged with conflict.

She should think the worst of her, because that’s how she had been for the past month.

She shouldn’t think the worst of her; after all, she had said she wasn’t Jian Heng, and she had acted differently.

Yan Su didn’t understand anymore.

But Lin Jianheng just put an arm around her shoulder.

She led her to watch the show while waiting for their late-night snack, as if it were one of countless ordinary days and nights, as if they could go on like this forever.

While watching the show, Yan Su secretly glanced at the corner.

There was no terrifying purple light, no whip that could descend at any moment, no endless darkness.

Only strands of Lin Jianheng’s hair, floating before her, obscuring her vision.

Carrying the warm fragrance of a winter sun.

Yan Su lowered her gaze, quietly.

And moved an inch closer to Lin Jianheng.

Lin Jianheng reached out and hugged her without a hint of hesitation.

---

Yan Su got her own phone.

Lin Jianheng registered an account for her—using her own secondary card. Unfortunately, without an optical computer, Yan Su was still unregistered.

“I connected to the Q Net, it should be □□. It can connect to that… quantum entanglement base station.”

In the interstellar era, many things that were only theories in Lin Jianheng’s time had all become reality.

The Empire’s territory spanned a total of five star systems and hundreds of planets. They were very advanced in these technologies, and tech companies of all sizes had royal investment.

“From now on, I’ll message you during the day when I’m thinking of you. Remember to reply, okay?” She wanted to personally check on Yan Su’s eating habits.

And she would also find some games, shows, and novels to share with Yan Su, to keep her from getting bored staying at home all day.

“I will definitely reply to Master’s messages.” Yan Su held the phone, familiarizing herself with its operation, but it felt like she was pressing on a beating heart.

Was she… very happy?

It must be because she was one step closer to freedom.

Yan Su composed herself, having basically figured out how to operate the new phone.

Lin Jianheng silently grumbled to herself. She was the only primitive one here; Sister Yan got the hang of it much faster than she did. When she first transmigrated, she had struggled with it for a long time.

“Little Miss, would you like to connect Miss Yan Su to our family’s network?” a voice suddenly piped up.

Lin Jianheng’s reaction was even bigger than Yan Su’s. She jumped, grabbing onto Yan Su and gulping down her wheat juice with a gurgle.

“Sister Butler, why do you always scare people like that?” Lin Jianheng breathed a sigh of relief.

She almost thought a burglar had broken in.

Yan Su looked at the AI Butler, her eyes slightly lowered, her expression unreadable.

“It was not my intention.” The AI Butler apologized to Lin Jianheng, its tone exactly the same as before.

The same cold, mechanical feel, the same emotionless tone, the same wooden face.

Yan Su averted her gaze. At least when Lin Jianheng was around, the AI Butler wouldn’t go crazy at will.

“Connecting to the network is a hassle.” Lin Jianheng rejected the AI Butler’s suggestion and flopped backward.

She knew the AI Butler was talking about the Jian Corporation’s internal network, which had higher security and access to more information.

But the problem was, conversely, everyone inside Jian Corporation would also be able to see that she had an extra secondary card.

It would be fine if no one asked. But if they did, how was she supposed to explain Sister Yan?

Should she admit that she was despicable and lecherous, that she coveted someone’s beauty and forcibly brought them back under a contract?

But she wasn’t the one who did it!

Lin Jianheng didn’t want to get into trouble. She wasn’t the heir and would be forced into a political marriage. She felt she had very little status in the Jian family, probably about the same as a vase on Jian Lingxuan’s desk.

The only difference was that Jian Lingxuan wouldn’t pick on a vase for fun, but she would pick on her.

“No, thanks. I set up □□ for Sister Yan. It’s enough.” Lin Jianheng fell into Yan Su’s arms, giggling as she played with Yan Su’s hair.

“Sister Yan, your hair is so nice, and the color is beautiful too. Is it naturally red, or did you dye it?” She was no longer paying any attention to the AI Butler.

After all, in Lin Jianheng’s eyes, it was just an AI. It didn’t have things like feelings, so she didn’t need to consider its sentiments.

Yan Su glanced at the AI Butler, then lowered her head.

An unconscious light gleamed in her eyes.

“It’s natural. As long as Master likes it.” Lin Jianheng had chosen her, not the AI Butler.

Yan Su hid a secret thrill, her tone becoming much softer.

The two of them chatted casually until it was time to go back to their rooms to sleep.

The AI Butler was the one who cleaned up the mess on the table.

Tonight, they also slept in separate rooms. Yan Su didn’t lock her door.

In the middle of the night, Lin Jianheng, having drunk too much wheat juice, got out of bed with a dizzy head.

After flushing, she vaguely heard a sound outside.

A rustling sound, and also something like an electronic noise from a sci-fi movie.

Whoosh, whoosh.

The sound made Lin Jianheng’s hair stand on end, and she was instantly wide awake.

She tiptoed, barefoot, keeping as quiet as possible, and grabbed the neural relaxation device from her nightstand, slowly approaching the door.

When she opened the door, she didn’t see anything unusual, only a purple, saucer-shaped object flashing past her eyes.

Oh, it was just the AI Butler on patrol.

Lin Jianheng sighed in relief. Looking in the direction the AI Butler had come from, she thought for a moment and walked over.

She gently pushed open Yan Su’s door, leaving just a small crack.

But she saw Yan Su huddled at the edge of the bed, not asleep.

“Sister Yan?” Lin Jianheng pushed the door open.

“Can’t sleep? Want me to stay with you?”

She was met with Yan Su’s glare, which was filled with a blade-like vigilance.