Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It took every ounce of Xue Zhao’s courage to even consider this approach.

The system had warned him: with Xiu Jixin’s favorability already so high, "seducing" him again would be about more than just a simple increase in affection.

He needed to leverage that favorability to achieve other goals, like getting Xiu Jixin to let him out sooner.

It was just a quick peek at his tail… nothing bad would happen.

But Xue Zhao wasn’t sure if Xiu Jixin would agree.

He waited anxiously, but Xiu Jixin remained silent, his dark pupils slightly dimmed, seemingly unmoved.

…Was that a no?

Xue Zhao felt a pang of disappointment. Last night, when Xiu Jixin had wanted to see his Demonic Mark, he had thought…

Just as he was about to retreat, Xiu Jixin spoke: “Alright.”

Xue Zhao’s eyes instantly brightened, and he cautiously confirmed, “You agreed?”

Xiu Jixin hummed in affirmation, pulled him into his embrace, gently stroked his side with his palm, and whispered, “When would you like to see the tail? Now?”

They were so close that Xue Zhao could inhale his scent, a mix of joy and nervousness bubbling within him.

“Hold on a second,” he stammered, “I need to turn back into a human before I show you.”

This was a contingency Xue Zhao had planned. In his human form, his tail would detach and wrap around his arm like a bracelet.

He had already accumulated 9 life points, and transforming himself would consume far less energy.

So, when the time came, he’d simply show Xiu Jixin his arm…

However, Xiu Jixin seemed to sense something, his eyes narrowing slightly. “No.”

This was completely off-script, and Xue Zhao was instantly stunned.

Xiu Jixin smiled. “Trying to trick me, are we?”

He wasn’t angry. He raised a hand to gently pinch Xue Zhao’s cheek, saying slowly, “You are not allowed to turn human. After I see your tail, I will accompany you to the medical clinic to search for clues.”

Xue Zhao was at a loss, his flushed cheeks growing hotter by the second.

If he remained in his demon form… how could he just casually show his tail, hidden beneath his clothes, to someone else?

But Xiu Jixin had already agreed. If he missed this chance, who knew when he’d get another opportunity to complete his task?

Xue Zhao lowered his head, remaining silent, pondering in distress for a long time.

The system stayed quiet, letting him make his own decision.

Xiu Jixin was incredibly patient, stroking the stray hairs on Xue Zhao’s cheek as he waited quietly.

After a moment, Xue Zhao whispered, “Just one look… you promised, so you can’t go back on your word.”

“Okay,” Xiu Jixin replied, “Just one look.”

Xue Zhao then asked, “Then will you accompany me tomorrow morning, please?”

Xiu Jixin agreed just as quickly: “Yes.”

Xue Zhao relaxed slightly; the task he’d been preoccupied with for most of the day finally saw progress.

And with Xiu Jixin accompanying him, his trip to the medical clinic would likely be smoother.

After all, they were just looking for clues. He simply needed to be careful not to reveal what he was *truly* searching for.

But the first step now…

Xue Zhao’s cheeks were still burning hot, and his thick eyelashes drooped. “Let’s wait a bit first, I… I need to prepare myself.”

At least… let him mentally prepare. He couldn’t just show it now.

“Okay,” Xiu Jixin said softly, “Let’s eat first.”

Lunch had already been delivered, but in his demon form, Xue Zhao didn’t really feel like eating human food.

Yet, he couldn’t rashly tell Xiu Jixin what his “food” *actually* was.

Xue Zhao nestled into Xiu Jixin’s arms for a while before following him to the study.

As they passed through the outer corridor, the system sent him a message.

[System]: Black cat on the roof.

The system’s scan was active, and the black cat must have known Xue Zhao and Xiu Jixin were in the corridor.

Xue Zhao looked up but didn’t see it, as if it were deliberately hiding.

Once they were in the study, Xue Zhao couldn’t help but ask, “Is the little cat… mad at me?”

“Perhaps,” Xiu Jixin said, lowering his gaze. “Don’t be afraid, it won’t hurt you.”

Xue Zhao hesitated, then nodded. “Mm.”

The system’s scan occasionally activated, and the black cat lay motionless on the roof, as if asleep.

Xiu Jixin didn’t intend to disturb it, waiting until after a short nap to hand Xue Zhao the scriptures to be copied that afternoon.

He left the courtyard for the church, but the black cat didn’t follow, remaining on the roof.

Xue Zhao buried his head and wrote for a bit, then looked up and out the window.

The afternoon scriptures only needed to be copied twice; it wouldn’t take too much time.

While no one was outside, Xue Zhao returned to his small room and found a few pieces of dried meat snacks.

He returned to the window, pushed it open halfway, and whispered, “Kitty?”

It was quiet outside, with only the faint rustle of leaves being blown by the wind.

Xue Zhao called out twice more, but the black cat still didn’t appear.

He pursed his lips, placed a few pieces of dried meat on the outer windowsill, then closed the window and returned to his desk to continue copying the scriptures.

He’d only written two lines when Xue Zhao heard a movement by the window.

Outside the glass, a black shadow silently jumped down and lowered its head to eat the dried meat.

Xue Zhao was overjoyed and was about to get up to open the window when he saw the black cat jump off the windowsill and return to the roof.

[System]: Never mind, no rush.

[System]: It still likes you.

If the black cat also had a favorability rating, it probably wouldn’t be much lower than Xiu Jixin’s.

This was also because Xue Zhao, though a demon, hadn’t caused any serious trouble.

Xue Zhao held the pen, resting his arm, and waited for a while, making sure the black cat wouldn’t come back, before continuing to copy the scriptures.

—

Before dark, Xiu Jixin returned to the courtyard.

Xue Zhao handed him the copied scriptures, then returned to his small room alone.

The assistant brought dinner, but he only ate a little. After returning to the bedroom, he stayed in his small room and didn’t come out.

The sky outside quickly darkened completely, and the black cat squatted on the roof, surveying its surroundings.

No one would come over at this time, so it agilely jumped off the eaves, deciding to patrol elsewhere.

In the bedroom, Xiu Jixin was on the sofa, flipping through a book.

Xue Zhao finally emerged from his small room and sat beside him.

Xiu Jixin put down the book, pulled him into his arms, and asked, “Did you forget something?”

Xue Zhao’s cheeks were slightly red. “I didn’t forget…”

He was going to the medical clinic tomorrow morning, and he hadn’t fulfilled his promise yet.

Xue Zhao looked up, his beautiful red eyes meeting Xiu Jixin’s, and said shyly, “I can show you my tail now.”

Xiu Jixin’s eyes moved slightly, and he responded in a coaxing tone, “Okay.”

But even though he had made full preparations last night, Xue Zhao was still nervous.

He burrowed into Xiu Jixin’s arms, burying his head and not daring to look at him. After a long while of hesitation, he finally mustered up his courage.

He sat on the sofa with his knees bent, lowered his head, grabbed one side of his pajama leg, and slowly pulled it up.

Xue Zhao was wearing his own pajamas, but they still didn’t fit quite right; Aunt Huai had found them for him before.

The pajamas were loose and could be easily pulled up, revealing a section of his fair calf.

Xue Zhao didn’t stop, his movements slow, continuing to pull up his pajama leg until it was almost entirely bunched up at the top of his thigh.

Under the warm yellow light, a slender tail was quietly wrapped around his leg.

The tail slid down from the coccyx, clinging to the skin of his leg, wrapping almost a full circle. Its end was a triangular shape, and its jet-black color made his skin appear even fairer and more delicate.

Perhaps because it was suddenly exposed, or perhaps sensing its owner’s nervousness, the tail moved slightly, tightening its grip on his thigh.

Xiu Jixin watched this scene, his breathing deepening slightly.

[Character Favorability Changed]

“There… it’s done…”

After doing all this, Xue Zhao immediately pulled down his pajama leg and turned, intending to go back to his small room.

But Xiu Jixin wouldn’t let him leave, holding him tightly in his arms and asking in a low voice, “That’s it?”

Xue Zhao thought he wanted to go back on his word and felt a little wronged. “Didn’t you agree this morning…”

They had agreed it was only for one look, and he had already shown him.

Xiu Jixin stared at him for a moment, then smiled. “Okay.”

Taking advantage of his softened attitude, Xue Zhao pushed him away forcefully and quickly left.

He fled back to his small room, burrowed into the covers, and wrapped himself up tightly.

The system, which had been briefly shielded, regained its signal and quickly asked, “How was it? Was it smooth?”

Xue Zhao hummed, touching his hot cheeks.

It should have been smooth… right?

Xiu Jixin didn’t say anything in the end.

And he had promised, he wouldn’t go back on his word.

Xue Zhao rolled over in bed, couldn’t help but secretly reach out, and felt for the tail wrapped around his leg.

He soothingly stroked the tip of his tail and opened the panel.

Last time he saw the Demonic Mark, his favorability increased by 1 point. This time he saw his tail, and it increased by another 2 points…

Xue Zhao rolled over again, breathing deeply.

The door to the small room was always open, and Xue Zhao stayed wrapped in the covers for a long time.

Only when he confirmed that it was very quiet outside did he slowly reveal a small part of his face.

The light in the bedroom was still on, and Xiu Jixin was doing something.

Xue Zhao waited for a while longer, then quietly sat up, turned off the light, burrowed back into the covers, and closed his eyes.

Outside the small room, Xiu Jixin stood in front of the bookshelf.

He opened a book, and inside was a yellowed piece of paper.

Printed on it was the Demonic Mark of a Succubus.

Because some content was missing, the food source of the Succubus still couldn’t be confirmed, but there were a few lines of other information recorded on it, about the “Maturity stage of a Succubus.”

Xue Zhao wanted to go out so much, and the reason he told Xiu Jixin was that he would experience an important stage of a demon recently, which happened to match the records on the page.

But the premise was that he wasn’t lying.

Xiu Jixin closed the book and put it back on the bookshelf.

—

The next day, Xue Zhao got up early, waiting for Xiu Jixin to take him to the medical clinic.

Xiu Jixin told him to continue wearing the church assistant’s clothes and said, “You are still my assistant to the outside world, and you will continue to serve in the church.”

The system felt very subtle when it heard this.

A demon, staying by the priest’s side as an assistant… When it first came to this plane, it never imagined it would develop into this.

Xue Zhao nodded obediently and yawned.

He had been a little sleepless last night and hadn’t slept well, and he hadn’t eaten much for breakfast.

And yesterday afternoon, when he copied the scriptures, his life value dropped by another 1 point…

Later, he didn’t spend much time with Xiu Jixin in the evening, so his life value didn’t increase again, leaving only 8 points.

Xiu Jixin stood in front of Xue Zhao, raised his hand, and stroked his moist, light-colored eyelashes: “You can turn into a human now.”

Xue Zhao hugged Xiu Jixin and whispered, “Kiss me first…”

His expression clearly showed some fatigue, both like a request and a spoiled plea.

Xue Zhao thought, one kiss a day is simply not enough.

Author’s note:

Xue Zhao baby: (T ^ T) (not full) (unhappy)

Xue Zhao baby: (thinking) (deciding) (continuing to seduce) (///▽///)