A kiss on the cheek increased his Life Value by the same amount as the last time he had licked Xiu Jixin’s finger.
Yet the feeling was somehow different.
As for exactly how it was different, Xue Zhao couldn’t explain.
Perhaps it was because Xiu Jixin’s affection level had risen again.
The increase left him with a strange but pleasant sense of satisfaction.
The fingers pinching his face weren’t applying much force.
Xue Zhao didn’t struggle.
He appeared extremely obedient.
Yet a hint of eager anticipation gleamed in his eyes.
If Xiu Jixin released him now, he would probably try to kiss him again immediately.
At that moment, a faint light suddenly appeared in the distance.
Someone was approaching with a lantern.
Judging by the direction, it was likely one of the assistants assigned to night patrol.
Xiu Jixin reacted instantly.
Pulling Xue Zhao with him, he stepped to the right and raised his outer robe, shielding him from view.
The black cat also slipped behind a nearby pillar.
Its golden eyes remained fixed on the pair, filled with confusion.
Xue Zhao froze briefly.
Then he lowered his head and buried himself against Xiu Jixin’s chest, tightening his embrace around him.
Only then did he remember.
Priests possessed a special status and unique responsibilities.
Romantic relationships were apparently forbidden.
Which meant…
If he wanted to seduce Xiu Jixin, other people absolutely couldn’t find out.
The corner beside the wall remained swallowed by darkness.
Footsteps drew nearer.
Then gradually faded away again.
The patrolling assistant discovered nothing.
Only after a long while did Xiu Jixin finally lower the robe.
Xue Zhao cautiously peeked out from Xiu Jixin’s embrace.
The assistant who had been patrolling earlier was already long gone and the surroundings had fallen completely silent once more.
Xiu Jixin remained standing where he was. Raising a hand, he gently stroked Xue Zhao’s dark hair and said softly,
“You should head back.”
He made no mention of what had just happened.
Nor did he deny Xue Zhao’s question about whether he liked him.
Xue Zhao glanced at his status panel.
The kiss, combined with the hug, had increased his Life Value by a full five points.
The gnawing hunger that had plagued him for days was temporarily eased.
Feeling considerably calmer now, he obediently loosened his grip and stepped out of Xiu Jixin’s arms.
The black cat was still nearby.
It sat stiffly in place, no longer displaying the fierce hostility it had shown earlier.
“It will escort you back,” Xiu Jixin said.
As he spoke, he seemingly casually took hold of Xue Zhao’s hand and brushed his fingers lightly across his fingertips.
“Has your injury healed?”
The question instantly made Xue Zhao nervous.
After all, he had secretly touched the red boundary paint around the restricted area.
“Y-Yes…”
He answered guiltily.
He wasn’t sure whether the burn marks had completely disappeared.
Fortunately, the shadows near the wall were deep and dark.
It should have been impossible to see clearly.
Xue Zhao had also completely forgotten everything that happened after he was poisoned by Demon Grass.
As a result, he felt no particular familiarity with Xiu Jixin’s actions.
“Good.”
Xiu Jixin responded simply before calling out,
“Ying Jie.”
The black cat immediately rose to its feet.
After giving its fur a shake, it trotted over and stopped in front of Xue Zhao.
It had reverted to being the same “little cat” as before.
Xue Zhao no longer resisted its presence.
Still reluctant to leave, he looked at Xiu Jixin.
“Then… I’m going now…”
Accompanied by the black cat, he departed along a different pathway.
When he finally exited the church grounds, one of the assistants assigned to night watch spotted him.
The man frowned and looked ready to question him.
Then he noticed the black cat walking beside Xue Zhao.
His expression changed instantly.
He closed his mouth and said nothing.
After returning to the residence, Xue Zhao found that everyone else had already gone to sleep.
Carefully pushing open the courtyard gate, he did his best not to make any noise.
The black cat followed him the entire way.
Only after escorting him to the door of his room did it softly meow.
“Meow.”
Xue Zhao looked down at it.
After hesitating briefly, he crouched.
“So your name is Ying Jie.”
His voice was quiet.
Then, somewhat nervously, he asked,
“You’re not angry at me anymore?”
The tip of the black cat’s tail flicked.
It raised a hind leg and scratched at its neck before standing up and pacing in circles.
It looked strangely conflicted.
As though it wanted to explain something but didn’t know how.
A moment later, it stepped closer.
Lowering its head, it rubbed against Xue Zhao’s hand.
Xue Zhao gently petted it once.
He decided to treat that gesture as a sign of reconciliation.
Only after the black cat departed did Xue Zhao finally return to his room alone.
So much time had passed that by the time he finished washing up and prepared for bed, it was already quite late.
Lifting the blanket, he climbed into bed.
The system, which had remained silent for a long while, finally appeared again.
[System]: I honestly feel like my heart can’t take this anymore…
Xue Zhao jumped in surprise.
He thought something had happened.
“Your heart?”
The system fell silent for several seconds before responding.
[System]: You scared me half to death.
It had been working tirelessly on the sidelines, trying to formulate plans and strategies.
Everything it did was based on one fundamental principle:
Xue Zhao’s safety came first.
Yet the moment Xue Zhao made his move, he had gone straight for the most direct approach imaginable.
[System]: You’re way too bold!
[System]: What if it had gone wrong?!
Xue Zhao blinked innocently.
“But wasn’t that what we agreed on before?”
[System]: Agreed on what?
Gripping the corner of his blanket, Xue Zhao mumbled awkwardly,
“Seduction…”
[System]: That’s not seduction!
[System]: You’re one step away from dragging him straight into bed!
According to the system’s carefully designed plan, tonight’s events were nowhere near supposed to happen yet.
At the very least, they should have spent more time understanding Xiu Jixin first.
The system’s criticism was brutally direct.
Xue Zhao’s face immediately turned red.
He pulled the blanket over his head and buried himself beneath it.
After a while, however, he slowly lowered the blanket again.
“But…”
His voice was small.
“The affection level increased.”
No matter how one looked at it, the affection level had risen.
That meant he had succeeded.
In other words…
This was exactly what Xiu Jixin liked.
[System]: Honestly, this Xiu Jixin is impossible to understand. One moment he won’t let you kiss him, the next he’s holding your hand…
Completely contradictory.
Utterly unpredictable.
Xue Zhao didn’t think that deeply about it.
After all, affection points didn’t lie.
He had no experience whatsoever with matters like this and couldn’t think very far ahead.
For him, every interaction with Xiu Jixin revolved around one thing.
Food.
Nothing more.
[System]: At least nothing unexpected happened.
[System]: It’s a shame the mission wasn’t completed. We’ll have to find another opportunity to investigate.
Xiu Jixin was still relatively young.
His affection level toward Xue Zhao was high.
If he hadn’t appeared in time tonight, the black cat might genuinely have attacked him.
And despite Xue Zhao appearing alone near the restricted area late at night, Xiu Jixin didn’t seem particularly suspicious.
The system continued offering reminders and warnings.
Xue Zhao responded obediently to each one.
Eventually, exhaustion overcame him.
His eyes slowly closed.
The following morning, Xue Zhao got up on schedule.
He collected breakfast from the dining hall in the courtyard before heading to the pharmacy to retrieve the herbs.
By coincidence, he encountered the assistant who had been on night duty the previous evening.
The assistant asked,
“Why did you return so late yesterday?”
Xue Zhao could only explain honestly,
“I went to check the fire in the medicine furnace. By the time I left, it was already dark and I accidentally got lost.”
“The spirit cat…”
The assistant hesitated.
“It realized I didn’t know the way,” Xue Zhao explained.
He deliberately omitted any mention of Xiu Jixin.
“So it led me out.”
The assistant nodded thoughtfully.
Yet he couldn’t help studying Xue Zhao for several extra moments.
“It’s nothing. Go ahead.”
“Mm.”
Xue Zhao responded and quickly departed.
Only after leaving did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
Carrying the herbs, he headed toward the elderly priest’s residence.
The process of brewing medicine was simple but incredibly monotonous.
Xue Zhao focused on adding the herbs to the furnace.
He didn’t dare look at the figure lying on the bed very often.
He still couldn’t fully understand this method of keeping someone alive solely through medicinal smoke and magical formations.
The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it felt.
Once the fire had been lit, he immediately prepared to leave.
Suddenly, a sound came from the bed.
A low, brief groan.
Xue Zhao nearly jumped out of his skin.
Even in broad daylight, the unexpected noise startled him.
He quickly looked up.
Yet the elderly priest remained exactly as before.
Motionless.
Silent.
Lying peacefully upon the bed.
[System]: Did he wake up?
[System]: Should we ask someone?
A mission was a mission.
Work was work.
At present, the elderly priest had no direct connection to Xue Zhao’s tasks.
But there was no harm in checking.
Looking around, Xue Zhao realized there was nobody else nearby.
After thinking briefly, he turned and headed toward the library and confession hall.
When he arrived, he immediately spotted Xiu Jixin inside the confessional hall.
The tail wrapped around his arm seemed to sense his presence too.
It twitched restlessly beneath the fabric.
There were other people in the hall.
Pressing his arm discreetly, Xue Zhao entered through a side door.
By the time he reached the main chamber, the resident who had been making confession had already emerged from one of the confession rooms.
“Father, please!”
The resident’s voice trembled with desperation.
He clearly didn’t care whether others overheard.
“Xiao Xi is still just a child! Please let him return to school! I promise I will, “
“He has already turned thirteen.”
Xiu Jixin interrupted him calmly.
“If he has committed a wrongdoing, then punishment is necessary.”
His tone remained even.
“And not only him. You and your wife must also sincerely repent.”
The resident’s face was filled with anxiety.
He looked exhausted, as though he hadn’t slept in days.
Hurriedly, he began making one promise after another.
All he wanted was a lighter punishment for his child.
If possible, he looked ready to accept the punishment in the boy’s place.
Yet Xiu Jixin remained unmoved.
Seeing no reaction, the resident eventually broke into tears.
He spoke about how much suffering the entire family had endured because of the incident.
How difficult everything had become.
How miserable they were.
And countless other grievances.
Throughout it all, Xiu Jixin’s expression never changed.
There wasn’t the slightest indication that he intended to compromise.
Left with no other option, the resident was eventually escorted away by another assistant.
At last, the hall became quiet again.
Xiu Jixin raised his eyes.
His gaze landed precisely on the spot where Xue Zhao stood.
Xue Zhao stepped out voluntarily.
At the same time, he glanced back toward the departing resident.
Setting down the Bible in his hand, Xiu Jixin asked,
“Is there something you need?”
“Mm.”
Xue Zhao walked closer.
He explained that the elderly priest might have awakened.
He had heard a sound.
Though he wasn’t entirely sure.
“Understood.”
Xiu Jixin showed little reaction.
“I’ll send someone to check.”
Xue Zhao remained standing there.
Once again, he glanced toward the hall entrance.
Unable to stop himself, he asked,
“What happened to that man just now?”
“Nothing important.”
Xiu Jixin’s gaze swept over him.
Then he paused.
“You sympathize with him?”
Hearing that, Xue Zhao nodded.
“Mm.”
He didn’t know what had happened to the resident.
He only knew the man had cried so desperately.
It was difficult not to care at all.
Part of him also wondered whether demons might somehow be involved.
Then Xiu Jixin asked another question.
“Do you also think the punishment is too severe?”
Xue Zhao thought seriously for a moment.
Then he answered honestly.
“I don’t know.”
His expression was innocent and sincere.
It didn’t seem like he was avoiding the question.
He genuinely didn’t know.
Xiu Jixin watched him quietly for several moments.
He said nothing.
Yet Xue Zhao vaguely sensed that his aura had softened.
Bit by bit, he edged closer.
The confession hall door remained half closed.
Outside, everything was quiet.
At that moment, there was no one else inside except the two of them.
Xue Zhao suddenly remembered something the system had said the night before.
One moment he wouldn’t allow a kiss.
The next moment he wanted to hold hands.
After hesitating briefly, Xue Zhao shuffled even closer.
Then, gathering his courage, he extended a hand.
His cool fingertips approached slowly.
Finally, they wrapped around Xiu Jixin’s palm.
In a small voice, he asked,
“Can I keep you company for a while?”
Xiu Jixin remained silent.
Those deep, dark eyes fixed upon him.
Without a notification from the system, Xue Zhao couldn’t accurately judge what he was feeling.
At that moment, footsteps sounded from the entrance.
Startled, Xue Zhao immediately released his hand and stepped back.
A moment later, an assistant hurried inside.
Addressing Xiu Jixin, he asked,
“All the silver blocks have been delivered. Should they be stored in the warehouse first?”
“No.”
Xiu Jixin answered calmly.
“Take them directly to the dungeon.”
Having received his instructions, the assistant departed immediately.
The hall fell silent once more.
Xiu Jixin turned his gaze toward Xue Zhao.
Then he raised his right hand.
The meaning could not have been more obvious.
Xue Zhao’s eyes instantly lit up.
Delighted, he hurried forward and took his hand again.
The system silently watched everything unfold.
Then it reminded him:
“Ask what the silver is for while you’re at it.”
Breathing in the familiar scent surrounding Xiu Jixin, standing very close to him, Xue Zhao voiced the system’s question.
Xiu Jixin lowered his eyes.
His fingers gently traced the pale, soft tips of Xue Zhao’s fingers.
“To make cages.”
Xue Zhao froze.
His eyes widened slightly.
“…Cages?”
Cages made from silver.
Then wouldn’t they be…
Just like the ones he had seen in the dungeon before?
Xiu Jixin bent closer.
His fingers lightly pinched Xue Zhao’s cheek.
As though completely unaware of the tension suddenly filling his body, he spoke casually.
“That’s right.”
His voice remained calm and unhurried.
“Cages used to lock up demons.”
Author’s Note:
Xue Zhao: But I’m not a demon… so it definitely isn’t being made for me. (T ^ T)
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Somewhere, a translator stares dramatically into an empty coffee cup. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · [Mission Identity]: SuccubusChapter 2 · Let him copy the scriptures fifty more timesChapter 3 · Can I seduce him?Chapter 4 · Can I have a bite?Chapter 5 · I wasn’t full at allChapter 6 · This is its original formChapter 7 · Xue Zhao slowly licked it againChapter 8 · If something is discoveredChapter 9 · Because he is… a succubusChapter 10 · Are you trying to seduce me?Chapter 11 · That’s right, a cage to lock up the devilChapter 12 · Can I keep you company for a while?Chapter 13 · Only one kiss a dayChapter 14 · Uncomfortable?Chapter 15 · Day of RepentanceChapter 16 · It’s the last bit left, silver halideChapter 17 · Current Form: SuccubusChapter 18 · This is your… original form?Chapter 19 · What would you like to eat?Chapter 20 · I’ll show you my tail… okay?Chapter 21 · The premise is that he didn’t lieChapter 22 · It has a light, pleasant fragranceChapter 23 · Demons typically have a limited dietChapter 24 · Don’t touch me…Chapter 25 · MaturityChapter 26 · Touch What?Chapter 27 · I never imaginedChapter 28 · “I’ll feed you until you’re fullChapter 29 · You’d better keep having this kind of luckChapter 30 · Anyway, I’ve already touched it onceChapter 31 · Like a kitten begging for extra food.Chapter 32 · [Skill “Charm” in effect]Chapter 33 · [You have entered the “Mature Stage”]Chapter 34 · He wanted Xiu Jixin to feed him….Chapter 35 · You’re trying to seduce me againChapter 36 · He seems… even more off now.Chapter 37 · Xue Zhao blushedChapter 38 · The fallen Holy SpiritChapter 39 · [Health points have reached maximum]Chapter 40 · [Corruption Value]: 63%Chapter 41 · Besides seducing me, what else can you do?Chapter 42 · Can we take the NPC with us?Chapter 43 · Horror Comics: The Murder DollChapter 44 · [Task Details]: Find a new owner for your itemsChapter 45 · The skill “Entering Dreams”Chapter 46 · The thought of making him cryChapter 47 · With a rather wicked interest.Chapter 48 · I’ll buy you new clothes, little bunnyChapter 49 · I should say, thank you, MasterChapter 50 · Do toy bunnies go into heat?