“Jian Heng! Hiss… this girl, why is she acting so strange today?” Jian Lingxuan felt as if her sister had shot out like the wind.
When did Jian Heng get so fit? Did her gland differentiation improve her physique too?
“My roommate is sick! I have to go back and take care of her. Thanks for the car, Sis!”
Lin Jianheng didn’t miss the chance to take advantage of her sister, hopping directly into the car they had arrived in.
“Not you! Hey! When did you get a roommate? Is it that succubus you bought?”
Jian Lingxuan sped up, but of course, she couldn’t outrun a car.
Her voice didn’t reach Lin Jianheng’s ears.
Jian Lingxuan slammed her fist into a nearby mascot statue. The entire thing cracked and instantly crumbled to dust.
Unfazed, Lu Yuanchen found someone to clean up the mess and wrapped an arm around Jian Lingxuan’s shoulders.
“Calm down.” She sent over her own double S-rank spiritual power, managing to quell Jian Lingxuan’s agitation.
“You think she’s acting strange today too?” Jian Lingxuan asked out of the blue, letting out a breath.
“It’s about time,” Lu Yuanchen replied, just as cryptically.
It went without saying that Lu Yuanchen’s car was top-of-the-line and incredibly fast.
It got Lin Jianheng home in just a quarter of an hour.
Lin Jianheng rushed into the elevator, frantically pressing the button for her floor while mentally complaining about the original owner.
Why buy the top floor of all places? Waiting for the elevator took forever and wasted precious time.
She waited anxiously for the elevator doors to open. There were only two apartments on the top floor, and according to the original owner’s memories, the other one was vacant year-round, so she didn’t have to worry about disturbing any neighbors.
After the retinal scan, Lin Jianheng entered the apartment and was immediately hit by a wave of spiritual power.
The other person’s spiritual power was overwhelming, crashing down on her like a mountain range, leaving her breathless.
It was a perfect manifestation of aggressive spiritual power.
Under the crushing weight of Yan Su’s domineering spiritual power, Lin Jianheng struggled to take even a single step.
Sweat poured down her face. Lin Jianheng felt like a mere mortal trying to withstand the wrath of a god.
The sky seemed to fall, crashing heavily into her mind and making her legs give out.
No one had told her what was wrong with Yan Su.
At that moment, one term came to Lin Jianheng’s mind: spiritual power collapse.
Though she didn’t know the cause, Lin Jianheng guessed it had something to do with the terrible things the original owner had done to Yan Su.
What am I going to do? If I can’t get to her, can she recover on her own? Should I call for help?
Lin Jianheng was completely unskilled in controlling her spiritual power. In her confusion, she released her own, which only made the situation worse.
Her barely A-rank spiritual power against Yan Su’s, which was at least S-rank, was like a tiny stream confronting a vast ocean.
It was swallowed in an instant, triggering a headache and intensifying the other’s resistance.
That domineering spiritual power was like a beast whose territory had been violated, on the verge of going berserk.
Lin Jianheng gritted her teeth, forced to her knees. She braced herself with her hands to keep from collapsing completely as her consciousness began to fade.
She slowly sank into the spiritual space she had seen in her dreams.
It was warm and damp, like returning to a mother’s embrace, to the womb of life itself.
Lin Jianheng drifted on waves of unintelligible calls. She opened her eyes and saw a halo of light in the distance.
She swam toward the light, her body growing heavier and heavier.
The figure of the original owner, Jian Heng, appeared beside her, clinging to her like a shadow.
“Why waste so much effort? Just call someone to bring a strong inhibitor. Oh, right, you have some. It’s in the medicine cabinet, right next to the ointment you used on her this morning.”
Her mocking laughter grated on Lin Jianheng’s nerves, nearly drowning out the gentle whispers.
“I used to have to give her a shot every week. Otherwise, with her level of spiritual power, she could kill you whenever she wanted. Don’t thank me; I gave her a month’s dose right before you showed up.”
“Tsk, it must be awful for her. The weekly dose used to make her cry in pain.”
“…Shut up!” Lin Jianheng threw a punch at Jian Heng’s ghostly image, shattering it.
“You piece of scum! What gives you the right to hurt people like that? Why are you still bothering me even after you’re dead? Are you the reason she’s like this today?!”
Does someone just have a spiritual power collapse for no reason?
Lin Jianheng had no experience with this, so she didn’t know the answer.
But she imagined a spiritual power collapse was similar to the emotional breakdowns she’d had in her past life.
Without some external interference and internal hormonal chaos, it was impossible to just break down for no reason.
Could it really be Jian Heng’s ghost that was tormenting Yan Su?
Lin Jianheng’s eyes snapped open. As if surfacing from underwater, she gasped for air and wiped the sweat from her brow.
She had somehow acclimated to the intensity of Yan Su’s spiritual power.
Looking inward, she found that a good portion of her own spiritual power had recovered as well.
Lin Jianheng adjusted her breathing and projected her spiritual power again, but with a different approach.
So what if she was just a small stream?
Her goal wasn’t to overwhelm Yan Su, but to soothe her.
…
Pain. Humiliation.
Yan Su had endured this for a month.
Every morning, she woke up to a choice between the dog kennel and the dark room.
She couldn’t express herself in the slightest; just opening her mouth would lead to punishment.
In the beginning, Jian Heng had shown some restraint.
The abuse was minor, and she would even apply medicine to the wounds afterward.
She sat in the halo of light obscured by Jian Heng, unable to understand.
Why were people so cruel, so unpredictable?
Why hurt her, only to tend to her wounds?
The wounds hurt. But the medicine stinging in the raw flesh hurt even more.
This month-long nightmare had crushed Yan Su.
Every night, she relived the day’s suffering in her dreams.
There was never a day of respite.
Today’s nightmare was darker, deeper. Yan Su felt like she was being crushed, unable to breathe.
But a gentle light tore through the edge of the dreamscape.
It was like a mother’s hand.
It gently caressed the fissure, softly tearing it open.
Or rather, it peeled it back. There was no harm, no pain.
Only a warm light, like amniotic fluid, spreading through the darkness and dissolving everything.
The nightmare was gradually consumed. Yan Su couldn’t resist drawing closer to the light.
She opened her eyes to find herself in an embrace.
“…Jian… Heng?” Yan Su hesitated for a long time before saying the name.
“No.” Lin Jianheng breathed a sigh of relief, using the last of her spiritual power to help mend the fissures in Yan Su’s spiritual space.
“It’s Lin Jianheng.” She hadn’t been in this strange new world for long, but she had been constantly plagued by anxiety.
She couldn’t tell anyone the truth, terrified of her identity being discovered.
Yet, she had told her real name only to Yan Su.
“Lin Jianheng…” Yan Su recalled what Lin Jianheng had said that morning.
Her name is Lin Jianheng. An eternal cocoon in the forest. It doesn’t have a good meaning, but she’s used to it.
Why get used to something with a bad meaning? Was Lin Jianheng, like her, enduring some unspeakable suffering?
“That’s right. I’m Lin Jianheng. You’re Yan Su.” Lin Jianheng was half-kneeling, holding Yan Su in her arms.
She gently rubbed her back, like a mother comforting her child.
Gentle and soft.
There wasn’t a trace of amorous intent.
It made Yan Su feel incredibly safe.
She subtly tightened her grip on Lin Jianheng’s clothes, burying her face in her chest.
“Lin Jianheng,” she repeated softly.
So, she really won’t get angry if I don’t call her Master.
“I’m here.” Lin Jianheng sat down as well, tentatively stroking Yan Su’s hair.
After the storm they had just weathered, neither of them was feeling well.
Yet Lin Jianheng remained gentle, offering her last bit of comfort to Yan Su.
Yan Su closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into the feeling.
After a long moment.
Yan Su, half shy and half nervous, pulled away from Lin Jianheng’s embrace.
Lin Jianheng was intrigued. She hadn’t realized her Succubus Sister could be shy, and she felt an urge to tease her.
But then she saw Yan Su’s expression revert to its usual indifference. She sat up straight, preparing to kneel and apologize.
Lin Jianheng quickly stopped her.
“You don’t need to apologize.” Lin Jianheng poked Yan Su’s shoulder.
“It’s my fault too for not noticing you were in distress.”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing to you,” Lin Jianheng said, thinking about what the original owner had said in the spiritual space.
“Um, I just found out she used some kind of drug on you… was it to suppress your spiritual power?”
Lin Jianheng felt awkward. She hadn’t gotten the details from the original owner; she had just started yelling the moment she saw her.
On second thought, it was a bit strange. She shouldn’t have been so emotionally volatile.
The original owner was dead, a ghost. She couldn’t affect her.
Yan Su had already pulled herself out of her emotional state. Hearing Lin Jianheng’s words, she subconsciously refused to believe them.
At least she paused this time, not immediately retorting with cold sarcasm as she had that morning.
“I don’t know,” she said, which was a half-truth.
The drug had taken effect on her, so of course she knew what it suppressed.
Spiritual power, pheromones… On the days she was drugged, she was usually in a stupor, unable to think clearly or distinguish reality from illusion.
“In any case, it won’t happen again,” Lin Jianheng said, bowing in apology.
Yan Su stared blankly, unwilling to believe her.
Logic told her that the scene just now could have been deliberately orchestrated by Lin Jianheng.
All to make her lower her guard before humiliating her.
What’s more, Lin Jianheng had entered her spiritual space and mended it. In the future, she could potentially use that to control her.
That’s right. She had used this opportunity to enter a place as private as her spiritual space.
If not for this spiritual collapse, how would this person have ever gotten the chance?
Controlling her through her spiritual space was far easier than injecting her with drugs every so often, and it came with no side effects.
Yet she still found herself asking, “Aren’t you… afraid I’ll run away?”
Lin Jianheng looked at Yan Su and actually considered the question.
Logically, she was afraid of Yan Su running away.
If she ran, the plot would likely advance ahead of schedule. And if the plot advanced before she had raised Yan Su’s affection level enough, she would be ground to dust by either Yan Su or Yan Su’s destined partner.
—Lin Jianheng had thought about this when she was spacing out that morning.
If her own lover had been bullied by such a scumbag, she would definitely help them get revenge if she had the power.
There was more than one way for her to die an unseen death. It was a rare chance to be reborn into a wealthy family; survival was the top priority.
But emotionally, Lin Jianheng actually wanted Yan Su to escape.
If she could escape, it would mean her body had recovered. She wouldn’t have to stay in this cage, constantly tormented by her memories.
“If you’re ever healthy enough and want to leave, I’ll let you go,” Lin Jianheng finally answered, choosing the latter sentiment after a moment’s thought.
She needed to raise Yan Su’s affection level right now; she couldn’t afford to say the wrong thing.
Yan Su’s brow furrowed slightly.
What did that one second of silence mean?
Was she overthinking things, or did Lin Jianheng actually… feel the same way?
“Let’s not talk about that. Why are you sitting here?” Lin Jianheng understood perfectly. Instead of offering a hand, she wrapped her arms directly around Yan Su’s waist.
Yan Su’s heart leaped, pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest.
The feeling of being lifted lasted only a moment. She nervously clutched Lin Jianheng’s collar, then, fearing she was being presumptuous, tried to let go.
Lin Jianheng managed to hold her steady and set her on her feet, completely oblivious to her momentary conflict.
She then casually straightened her collar, put an arm around Yan Su’s waist, and led her out of the room.
Perhaps it was only a second.
It doesn’t mean anything.
Yan Su fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, feeling a heat spread from her waist.
It… tickled.
She was a succubus. She knew her race’s characteristics very well.
Sensitive, passionate, and easily aroused in every sense of the word.
Yan Su lowered her head, suppressing an inappropriate desire.
Master hasn’t said she wants to…
She didn’t give me anything last night, nor did she make any promises.
I can’t just assume…
But Lin Jianheng went even further, picking her up and sitting her down on the dining table.
“Out with it,” Lin Jianheng said, feigning anger.
Yan Su, still fidgeting in her lap, turned her head at the sound of her voice. A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes, and her heart, true to form, began to race.
Is it fear?
Yan Su’s breathing quickened. Each shallow inhale and exhale left her feeling dizzy and light-headed.
“Was my cooking that bad?” Lin Jianheng sighed.
“I knew my cooking was terrible. I can’t believe even transmigrating didn’t fix it…”
She took a bite of the food on the table. She’d had the AI butler warm it up before she got home. It was still lukewarm, but it tasted decidedly average.
Sister Yan was so beautiful, and she’d been through so much; she deserved to eat something good.
“Can we order takeout for dinner? If you’re hungry, have a little of this for now. If you don’t have the strength, I’ll feed you.” Lin Jianheng’s hand rested on Yan Su’s back.
This hopelessly straight girl still didn’t see anything wrong with her actions, completely unaware that Yan Su’s discomfort stemmed from something… unspeakable.
After all, her previous roommate, a kind and beautiful young woman, used to feed her dinner just like this.
“I… I… M-Master, I can do it myself, but…” A bead of sweat trickled down Yan Su’s temple.
She kept her head down, clutching her skirt. Her full, pale thighs were dazzling.
…but they failed to dazzle Lin Jianheng.
“I get it. You didn’t eat because you were afraid I’d drugged the food. Ah, my fault again. I wasn’t considerate enough to think of that.” Lin Jianheng slapped her own cheek lightly.
“How about this? I’ll taste it first, then feed it to you. If it’s drugged, I’ll be affected too.” As she spoke, Lin Jianheng scooped up a spoonful of rice and other dishes.
“I’ll work on my cooking. For now, you’ll just have to bear with it for one meal.” She opened her mouth and ate half the spoonful.
To be fair, it was fine—just tasted like a simple, home-cooked meal.
Her cooking skills from her past life had been honed by years of working overtime.
She’d get home late every day, too tired to order takeout, and she lived too far from the city center for delivery anyway. So she’d just whip up something simple to keep herself alive.
Yan Su truly wanted to refuse.
Even if it was drugged, she would have accepted her fate.
With that mindset, she was about to suppress her trembling hands—shaking with arousal—and take the chopsticks from Lin Jianheng.
But seeing Lin Jianheng’s straightforward manner, Yan Su bit her tongue, stopping the words that were about to come out.
She needed her contractor’s bodily fluids.
This was a… very discreet opportunity.
Yan Su swallowed, a blush creeping up her neck to her earlobes.
Her succubus tail flicked back and forth restlessly, the base of it quietly turning pink.
She knew the tips of her ears were also turning a suggestive shade of pink, and that her eyes held an unusual glint.
Her breathing was ragged, her heart pounding wildly.
Lin Jianheng… must have noticed, right?
Is she deliberately teasing me? Is that why she’s feeding me with the same spoon?
The succubus didn’t dare to overthink it. Her tail slapped against the chair with a loud thwack, but she didn’t even feel the pain.
If she kept thinking about it, her wings and ears would unfurl.
“Are you a germaphobe?” Lin Jianheng had misunderstood.
As if coming to a sudden realization, she pulled her hand back, about to get a different spoon.
But unexpectedly, Yan Su, who had been frozen for two minutes, finally moved.
She quickly ducked her head and took the half-full spoon from Lin Jianheng’s hand into her mouth.
Ignoring the strands of hair that fell across her face, she swallowed it in one gulp.
Seeing her act like this, Lin Jianheng assumed she was just hungry and chuckled softly.
This only made Yan Su even more embarrassed.
“Eat slowly, there’s no rush.” Taking care of this beautiful woman was so satisfying.
It wasn’t just satisfaction. Yan Su was, of course, stunningly beautiful. Watching her eat was the very definition of a feast for the eyes.
“A-Aren’t you eating?” Yan Su was so nervous she forgot to call her Master.
“Right.” Lin Jianheng had expended a lot of energy in that spiritual battle and hadn’t eaten breakfast. She was indeed hungry.
And so, the two of them began a little game, feeding each other one bite at a time.
They fed the succubus until her tail turned completely pink.
She felt dizzy, a little drunk on the bodily fluids.
When the meal was over, Lin Jianheng finally let Yan Su go, helping her over to the sofa.
Fearing she might go back to the dog kennel, Lin Jianheng simply tossed it into the storage room.
Then, with a very serious expression, she took Yan Su’s arm and led her to the door of the room where she had been locked up.
As I thought…
The pink on Yan Su’s tail vanished in an instant.
The frantic pounding of her heart slowed, and a chill washed over her.
She should have known.
Maybe… my racing heart just now was really just fear.
Lin Jianheng, Jian Heng. What was the difference, really?
Weren’t they both her master?
It must be because I didn’t call her Master just now. She’s angry.
It must be because I refused to eat her food. She wants to punish me.
But Lin Jianheng only stopped at the door; she didn’t push Yan Su inside.
Lin Jianheng took out some sealing tape she’d had the AI butler prepare and stuck it across the door in a rather childish fashion.
“There! From this day forward, this room is sealed!” The red and black strips of tape bore the warning: 【Entry Prohibited】.
In that instant…
As Lin Jianheng applied the tape, it felt as if she were tearing away the cries that echoed from the corners of that dark room.
Sealing away the bloodshed.
Sealing away the pain.
Sealing away all the humiliation.
Lin Jianheng had one last strip of tape, but she handed it to Yan Su, whose pupils had constricted.
“Do you want to put this one on yourself?” She needed to act.
More actions to show Yan Su.
She wasn’t Jian Heng.
That she could be trusted.
Yan Su’s hand trembled visibly for a moment.
Lin Jianheng noticed the scars on her arm—the bloody scratches she’d made during her spiritual power collapse. Thanks to a succubus’s powerful self-healing abilities, the bleeding had already stopped.
Lin Jianheng closed her eyes, resolving to carefully apply ointment to the wounds again later.
She pressed the tape into Yan Su’s hand, her mind drifting for a moment.
The AI butler is so convenient. Without it, I wouldn’t have known about Yan Su’s strange behavior today, and I would have missed this great opportunity to raise her affection level.
Yan Su finally took the tape.
Lin Jianheng’s phone rang.
Yan Su glanced over.
Lin Jianheng irritably answered her phone. When she saw it was her sister, her expression changed to an awkward smile.
“Hello, Sis—” She didn’t get to finish.
“Heng Heng, why’d you block me?” It was one of her degenerate friends.
Yan Su heard the voice on the other end of the line.
Fear and nausea welled up instinctively.
