TAISS – Chapter 8

Lin Jianheng took a second to register who was on the other end.

The call quality in the interstellar era was exceptionally good, with no distortion in the voice.

Lin Jianheng searched through the original owner’s memories and found a suitable candidate.

The person borrowing Jian Lingxuan’s phone to call her was likely Si Yixing, the original owner’s closest hedonistic friend.

The Si family was a medium-sized family that depended on the Jian family, but they weren’t considered nobility.

Si Yixing had probably been taught from a young age to maintain a good relationship with the Jians.

As it happened, she and the original owner were two peas in a pod, both enjoying a bit of wild fun.

Lin Jianheng had memories of the original owner going with her to an entertainment planet near the Capital Star for an all-nighter.

Blocking her was satisfying for a moment. But thinking about the relationship between their two families, the intricate web of interests between powerful corporations and the nobility, gave Lin Jianheng a headache.

Especially since Si Yixing had a connection to Yan Su—it was Si Yixing who had provided the information that a succubus was available for contract on the black market.

And on the day the original owner brought the succubus home, she had pinned the beautiful woman under her foot for two hours.

During those two hours, the original owner had been on the phone with Si Yixing, spouting all sorts of depraved ideas and vulgarities, completely disregarding the life and dignity of the person beside her.

If Lin Jianheng were Yan Su, she would be traumatized.

Lin Jianheng quietly lowered the volume, not wanting Yan Su to misunderstand.

Yan Su squeezed her wrist, the storm brewing in her eyes growing colder.

“I’ve thought about it carefully, and the things we used to do were pretty boring. If you’re calling me about that, then there’s no need to call again in the future.”

Lin Jianheng replied after a moment’s thought.

She didn’t make it a definitive break, but the statement was essentially equivalent to ending their friendship.

Si Yixing was more than a little surprised. “But Heng Heng, you just promised me the day before yesterday that you’d let me come over and play with the succubus with you.”

“You said you were determined to get her, that you’d definitely succeed in training her this time, and that it would be a lot of fun if we played together…”

“Who said that to you!” Lin Jianheng’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

That part wasn’t in the memories the original owner had given her! She knew it, the original owner was playing tricks on her, giving her incomplete and incorrect information.

“It absolutely wasn’t me, and I have no intention of inviting you over!” Lin Jianheng covered the receiver and looked at Yan Su in a panic.

Yan Su seemed not to have heard, slowly and methodically peeling the tape off the seal.

Her movements were very slow, as if she were moving in an animation with only one frame per second.

Only her nimble eyelashes trembled slightly, hiding a multitude of thoughts.

Lin Jianheng was breaking out in a cold sweat. The process of earning goodwill was so difficult. Just when she’d managed to gain a little, someone else had to show up and cause trouble.

“In any case, my Succubus Sister is not for you to covet! You’d better not even think about bullying her, or else…”

Lin Jianheng tried her best to put on a good show for Yan Su, wanting to add a few more threatening words, but she couldn’t find the right level of severity.

The relationships between major families were too complex. She was afraid that such a threat would affect the Jian family.

She didn’t really care how the family business developed.

But the money that came into her hands couldn’t be reduced. She was a shareholder, after all.

“We’re all adults now, you should grow up a little. Stop thinking about those filthy, dirty things all day. There are so many proper things you could be doing…”

Lin Jianheng simply launched into a rambling lecture.

Si Yixing, who had been friends with Jian Heng for twenty years, was already dumbfounded by the first sentence of Lin Jianheng’s criticism.

“But, but—” Si Yixing tried to say something else.

The voice on the other end changed.

“Alright, that’s how it is. My Xiao Heng doesn’t want to play with you anymore. You can go find someone else.” Jian Lingxuan took the phone from Si Yixing’s hand and spun it around.

A smile played on her lips, but her eyes held a sharp glint.

“Sister…” Lin Jianheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Her sister was testing her, wasn’t she? Deliberately allowing her hedonistic friend to borrow the phone, only to intervene at the critical moment.

Was she trying to see if she had truly turned over a new leaf, or… had she noticed something was off about her?

But Lin Jianheng truly had no intention of continuing to associate with that bad crowd.

Birds of a feather flock together. She simply couldn’t find common ground with them and was even afraid they would corrupt her.

“I won’t see you out.” Jian Lingxuan sent Si Yixing away.

Hearing the dial tone, Lin Jianheng quickly put the phone away.

By now, Yan Su had finished applying the seal and was standing blankly in front of the door, lost in thought.

Her heart-shaped tail was motionless, still as death.

“Sister Yan…” Lin Jianheng hesitated for a moment, then decisively took Yan Su’s arm.

Yan Su seemed to snap back to reality, turning her head to look at her. “Do you have any orders, Master?”

Her voice was as indifferent as it had been that morning, as if nothing had happened.

“That Si Yixing, I’ve already broken off with her.” Lin Jianheng pulled Yan Su’s hand into her own embrace.

“Don’t be angry…” She swayed her arm, as if trying to coax her.

Yan Su was startled by her own perception.

Her master, her moody and unpredictable master.

Was actually acting cute with her, as if trying to win her favor, to beg for her forgiveness.

It must be her imagination, right?

This person had so many rotten friends. What difference did cutting off one make?

Perhaps it was just a show for her benefit.

Once she fell for it, this person would surely send recordings of her behavior to that group of friends for them all to laugh at.

Or worse, just as this person had said on the first night she was brought home.

She would be well-trained and then given to them all to play with.

“It is your decision, Master. As long as you are happy. You do not need to seek my consent.”

Yan Su was as obedient as ever, like a top graduate from the most elite housekeeping academy.

But at that moment, an improper thought arose within her.

She wanted to pull her arm out of Lin Jianheng’s embrace.

The point of contact was burning hot, making her feel the urge to cry.

Yan Su lowered her eyes, suppressing her emotions, only to hear Lin Jianheng sigh.

She released her hold on Yan Su, causing the succubus to startle and look up into Lin Jianheng’s eyes.

There was only gentleness there, her gaze like the warm sun that had soothed her spiritual space.

“You clearly do care,” Lin Jianheng poked Yan Su’s arm, which was covered in goosebumps.

“I’m serious. I’ve blocked and cut ties with all those friends. I never wanted to hang out with them anyway; they were Jian Heng’s friends.”

“And there’s no way I’d do something like that, something against your will, something to humiliate you.” Lin Jianheng was too embarrassed to spell out what the original owner had planned to do.

“Try to trust me, okay?” She bent down slightly as she spoke, to maintain eye contact with Yan Su.

Now, with such a sentence, it sounded very much like she was pleading.

As if she were begging Yan Su to believe her, or else she would start throwing a tantrum.

Her voice was also very soft, completely different from Jian Heng’s.

Yan Su turned her face away slightly, saying neither yes nor no.

But Lin Jianheng wasn’t annoyed. She chuckled and took a step back, pulling Yan Su with her.

“You still put the seal on properly.”

“Because it was the master’s command.” Her tone was no longer so cold.

“Alright, alright, it was all my command, I’m the bad guy.” Lin Jianheng took her arm, and since she didn’t object this time, led her to the door.

In the month she had been in this room, this was the first time Yan Su had been so close to the door.

In the past, she would have immediately started planning how to escape when Jian Heng wasn’t looking, how to hide where Jian Heng couldn’t find her.

How to survive after escaping, and when to go get the contract washed away.

Today, standing at the door, she hesitated for a moment before starting to imagine the outside world.

Having been locked up for a month and with no memories from before she entered the black market, Yan Su no longer knew what the outside world looked like.

It seemed that no matter where she looked, all she saw was Jian Heng’s face.

Yan Su’s fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

Lin Jianheng’s grip wasn’t heavy, but she held her tight, her expression excited.

“Our bed is arriving!” Lin Jianheng explained to Yan Su when the doorbell rang.

As the door opened, Yan Su’s heart settled slightly.

Her fingertips relaxed.

She couldn’t leave, for now.

But… maybe that was okay.

Lin Jianheng hugged her, her eyes shining as she looked at the two small, folded squares.

“This is the first time I’ve seen them install a new bed.” She truly treated Yan Su like a good roommate, whispering to her.

Yan Su didn’t know how to respond, so she simply remained silent.

“What about you? Have you seen it before?” But Lin Jianheng was a naturally friendly person and had to poke Yan Su to ask.

“…No.” Yan Su restrained her succubus tail, trying to tuck it away.

“That’s perfect. Today is the first time we’ll see how to install such a big bed,” Lin Jianheng paused, then added, “Together, too.”

Yan Su was a little unused to this. She had spent nearly her entire life as someone’s pet and had never just chatted with anyone.

But hearing the word “together,” she couldn’t help but respond with a hum.

Fortunately, Lin Jianheng was a chatterbox. For the next fifteen minutes, it was all Lin Jianheng’s rambling exclamations.

“It can actually be folded up. Technology is so advanced now.”

“In my time, it was almost impossible to change a bed this big. You’d have to take the door off its hinges, notify property management, maybe even take off the door of the apartment downstairs…”

“They’re giving me several more later. We can switch them out together when we get tired of this one.”

Yan Su fanned her tail, feeling a flush of heat.

Jian Heng actually didn’t talk much. When punishing her, the humiliation came in just one or two phrases, but they were bone-deep and unforgettable.

This new master was so talkative, yet it wasn’t annoying.

Perhaps… they really were two different people.

Yan Su’s mind wandered, but she suddenly felt a warmth on her back.

“Sister Yan, you smell so good.” Lin Jianheng was leaning on Yan Su’s back, the two of them very close.

Yan Su’s tail went rigid, and she should have moved away.

But remembering her status, she forced herself to suppress the impulse, and the tips of her ears instantly began to turn red.

“Are you using my body wash? Why can’t I get this scent when I use it?” Lin Jianheng rested her head on Yan Su’s shoulder, her arms wrapped around Yan Su’s waist.

Her whole body was relaxed, as if she had completely entrusted herself to Yan Su.

Her weight, her mood… and a string of compliments.

“It really smells so good, so warm…” Lin Jianheng pressed against Yan Su, her gaze slowly darkening.

She had transmigrated for a day and encountered so many things.

The scent on Yan Su was like her favorite laundry detergent from her past life, a brand her mother often used.

That brand had only been around for ten years. Later, when Lin Jianheng grew up, she could never find that same scent again.

“…Pheromones.” Yan Su’s face was crimson, her tail trembling slightly, a hint of pink becoming visible.

Not far away, the installation workers were still adjusting the bed’s position.

The two of them were sitting on the sofa, with Lin Jianheng so close to her.

“I see…” Lin Jianheng nuzzled Yan Su’s neck.

Like a little kitten.

“I don’t really get it. Are pheromones kind of like perfume?” Although they were used to attract a mate.

But on second thought, perfume in her past life was also sometimes used to attract a partner.

“How could they be?” Yan Su’s head was getting hot too.

She shouldn’t be reacting this much.

It wasn’t as if Jian Heng had never touched her.

When applying medicine, or on occasional lonely nights.

Jian Heng would hold her just like this, silently watching the moon.

But not once had it made Yan Su’s heart pound like this.

At first, she truly thought she was afraid.

“Pheromones can’t be released casually. They can affect other Alphas or Omegas, or other races that also have heat periods.”

Yan Su lowered her voice, as if she really were afraid.

Only, she was afraid of waking Lin Jianheng, afraid of scaring Lin Jianheng away.

“Then why don’t I feel anything?” She was an Alpha, right? How was she not affected by Yan Su’s pheromones?

“…Perhaps it is because Master does not like me.” Yan Su didn’t understand either.

Logically, the lower an Alpha’s grade, the weaker their resistance to a high-grade Omega’s pheromones, and vice versa.

Lin Jianheng, or rather Jian Heng, had a pitifully low B-grade pheromone level.

This level was average among the general population, but for someone born into the nobility, it was far too low. In the thousand-year history of the Jian Corporation, aside from the many Betas, the lowest Alpha had at least A-grade pheromones.

As for Yan Su, she knew her own grade. Last night’s loss of control should have caused Lin Jianheng to lose control as well, to sink into depravity with her.

If not a night of wild passion, she at least shouldn’t have been so completely unresponsive.

But Lin Jianheng truly hadn’t been affected, and her marking had been completely haphazard.

“How could that be? You’re so beautiful and cute, I like you a lot.” This was the honest truth.

In her original world, Lin Jianheng had been very popular in school, though she was a romance-repellent, with mostly friends of the same sex.

After starting work, she became an exhausted corporate drone and lost her former vitality, but even so, she had a good relationship with her colleagues.

There was probably no one of her own gender in the world she didn’t like; the original owner and her hedonistic friends were the first.

“…” It was the first time Yan Su had heard such a direct confession.

She couldn’t help but flick her tail as she looked at Lin Jianheng, meeting her sparkling eyes.

The halo of light nearly filled her entire pupils, turning the caramel brown into a brilliant amber.

Her lively eyes were filled with so many beautiful emotions, they nearly burned through Yan Su, who had been trampled into the mud.

Did Master really like her?

Was it because she liked her that she was suddenly being so nice to her?

Would Master’s affection last for a long time? And when would this kindness disappear?

Yan Su lowered her head, her tail wagging so fast it was almost a spinning top.

She felt that something was wrong with her.

She should be completely wary and fearful of this person.

Yet, after the other person had helped sort out her spiritual space and mend the cracks, she had quietly relaxed.

She’s going to be eaten up and left with nothing.

As Yan Su’s thoughts ran wild, she was suddenly pulled into an embrace by Lin Jianheng.

Colliding with Lin Jianheng’s softness, Yan Su was instantly dazed.

“Sister Yan.” Lin Jianheng’s hand rested on Yan Su’s shoulder.

A ray of slanted light fell on Yan Su’s face. Like the warm sun.

“They’re done. Let’s go try it out.” Lin Jianheng was very curious about what the newly installed bed was like.

The one from last night was already the best bed she had ever slept on.

Today’s was apparently 20% more expensive; she hoped it would be worth the money.

Lin Jianheng led Yan Su by the hand, the nimble succubus falling in behind her, following her every step.

Yan Su watched as Lin Jianheng talked with the installation crew, exchanged contact information, and was shown how to install it herself.

Lin Jianheng seemed to be very good with words, quickly making the burly Alphas roar with laughter and clap her on the shoulder, telling her to call them again next time.

After the two workers left, Lin Jianheng opened the window to air out the room and found some incense to light.

Seeing the incense, Yan Su froze.

“Master, the bedsheets…” She opened her mouth but didn’t stop her.

Once again, Yan Su felt she was being very strange.

She didn’t feel a deep-seated hatred for Lin Jianheng’s actions.

This wasn’t right. Yan Su cleared her mind, only to be pulled to Lin Jianheng’s side.

As expected…

“Whatever, I’ll wash them tonight. Let me lie down for a bit.”

She had been using her spiritual power all morning and had helped Yan Su sort out her spiritual space in the afternoon.

Lin Jianheng was dead tired and wanted to take a nap.

The expensive new bed was expensive for a reason.

It was perfectly firm, and the matching pillows were just the right height.

The new sheets should be washed, but Lin Jianheng figured she wasn’t clean either, and it was just for a nap.

She decisively closed her eyes.

Yan Su paused.

She didn’t want to… with her?

Then why light the incense?

Pressed onto the bed by Lin Jianheng, she felt no desire to escape for the moment. She lay quietly, contemplating her own strangeness, sorting through her feelings.

She thought perhaps she was being affected by the drugs. With her spiritual power, her emotions shouldn’t be so easily swayed by external factors.

It was all this master’s fault.

So, don’t think she’s a good person. Everything she does has an ulterior motive.

Yan Su placated herself, ignoring the aromatherapy Lin Jianheng had just lit. Suddenly, she felt a warmth on her back.

“Sister Yan…” Lin Jianheng pressed against her back, just as she had when she complimented her scent.

Only this time, she was even closer.

“You’re so soft, too…” Lin Jianheng was already half-asleep, her voice drowsy.

It was different from any other time.

…Completely different from Jian Heng.

Jian Heng had always been mocking, never seeing her as a person, not even as a living pet, but merely as a plaything.

She was hard and cold, a knife that could cut skin.

But the person holding her now was warm and soft. Her voice was like candy, and even more like the pheromones from last night.

Orange blossoms brewed into soft candy, wrapped in circles of caramel, and dotted with toasted walnuts.

Were they really two different people?

Yan Su was also drowsy, thinking in a haze.

She was sweating a little, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

The place where they touched was hot, the place where she was held was clammy.

And the faint, aphrodisiac scent of incense wafted to her nose.

The rationality she had managed to maintain instantly collapsed.

Yan Su couldn’t ignore it, couldn’t hold on any longer. She turned over and hugged Lin Jianheng.

The culprit, the bad master who had lit the incense and then snuggled up to tease her.

Was sleeping soundly, her breathing even.

What on earth did this mean?

Yan Su finally steeled herself and broke free from Lin Jianheng’s embrace.

She sat on the soft mattress, staring down at Lin Jianheng without blinking.

With the fragrant, soft woman gone from her arms, Lin Jianheng had to resort to hugging the new sheets that should have been washed.

Yan Su’s breathing was slightly ragged, her tail turning red for the umpteenth time.

She could control it.

She should control it.

Both her status and the vigilance she shouldn’t let down told her not to be bewitched by this person’s temporary kindness.

It had only been two days. What could that possibly prove?

Could it erase a month of suffering?

But Yan Su closed her eyes.

She lay back down in Lin Jianheng’s arms, guiding her hands to show her how to hold her better.

Her arms should rest on her waist, where the curve fit perfectly.

Her shoulder should nestle into the hollow of her collarbone.

Their legs could press together, or intertwine.

The temperature gradually rose.

Yan Su wrapped herself layer by layer into Lin Jianheng’s embrace, dutifully fulfilling her role.

To serve as her master’s most perfect pillow.

But she was also greedy. She quietly pressed her face against Lin Jianheng’s shoulder.

The moment her waist was brushed, Yan Su thought.

So, she could accept being someone’s pillow.

As long as that person wasn’t Jian Heng.

Silent breathing. Yan Su was about to drown in her master’s embrace.

Her master’s lips inadvertently brushed against her forehead.