The Little Succubus's Hypnosis Manual - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Big Brother

“When Big Brother comes home, he should give me a hug…”

After Zhou Qiyue had left for a while, Xie Nanxing finally returned to the living room. The housekeeper brought over a glass of water, along with Xie Nanxing’s medicine in her hand.

“You need to take your medicine properly, or you won’t get better.” She unwrapped the capsules and placed them in Xie Nanxing’s palm.

He looked hesitant. The housekeeper thought he was afraid of the bitterness and comforted him, “Don’t worry, these capsules aren’t bitter at all. Just drink some water and swallow them down.”

“Oh.” He nodded, but it wasn’t because he was afraid of the taste that he didn’t want to take the medicine.

Zhou Qiyue’s words echoed in his mind: once he got better, he would have to leave. So he could only delay getting better—slower and slower.

He picked up the water glass and placed the pill in his mouth, taking a few sips of water.

His face had the kind of innocent look that made people drop their guard—he looked exactly like a well-behaved schoolboy. The housekeeper didn’t think much of it, not realizing that the moment her back was turned, Xie Nanxing spit the pill into the trash.

While the housekeeper cleaned the room, Xie Nanxing followed her closely, mimicking her every move.

Afraid he would get bored, she handed him a towel so they could wipe down the kitchen together.

Xie Nanxing asked, “He… likes… what?”

Feeling sorry for him, the housekeeper didn’t hold back at all and told him everything she knew. “Mr. Zhou is very impressive. He was still in college when he and his classmates developed some kind of app, and now he’s started his own company. If my son could be half as capable as him, I’d thank the ancestors!”

Xie Nanxing’s eyes sparkled—he already knew Zhou Qiyue was amazing. After all, he had chosen an absolute top-tier human.

The housekeeper continued, “But Mr. Zhou is hopeless when it comes to daily life. He can’t do laundry—he once ruined his clothes trying to wash them. And cooking? Completely clueless. One time I went back to visit my grandson and left him some food to just reheat, and he almost blew up the kitchen!”

Xie Nanxing’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t expected Zhou Qiyue to have this kind of side.

Then maybe he could learn how to cook. Humans had a saying, didn’t they? “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Maybe if he could cook, Zhou Qiyue wouldn’t want to send him away!

With that thought, Xie Nanxing started working even more eagerly.

He even stayed by the housekeeper’s side while she cooked lunch, pleading with her to teach him.

Kitchen work looked easy, but it was full of hazards. Sharp knives could easily cut fingers, splattering oil could burn the skin, and the steam from lifting a pot lid could scald hands and arms.

By the time lunch was ready, Xie Nanxing’s life bar had dropped by half.

He slumped at the dining table, looking defeated. The housekeeper took a picture to report back to Zhou Qiyue. Xie Nanxing leaned in to peek at her phone, but Zhou Qiyue hadn’t replied yet.

He suddenly remembered how yesterday there had been a sound from Zhou Qiyue in the house, and they had even talked.

He pointed to the phone and asked, “Voice?”

The housekeeper guessed what he meant. “You want to call Mr. Zhou?”

Xie Nanxing nodded hard.

She normally wouldn’t call Zhou Qiyue during the day, but since Xie Nanxing wanted to, she dialed for him.

The dial tone rang for a while. Xie Nanxing gripped the phone tightly, nervously waiting.

Then came a soft “Hello” on the other end. His spine straightened instantly, and he clutched the phone like it was his lifeline.

He needed to call someone by their name, but calling Zhou Qiyue by his full name felt too distant.

So, Xie Nanxing hesitated and softly said, “Gege… (Big Brother).”

The other end went silent for a moment, and he wondered if Zhou Qiyue had hung up.

He tried again, “Gege.”

The phone pressed to his ear, his soft, delicate voice seemed to whisper directly into Zhou Qiyue’s ear.

Zhou Qiyue cleared his throat before asking, “What is it?”

“Lunch.” Xie Nanxing didn’t even know why he called—he just wanted Zhou Qiyue to remember he existed.

“I told you this morning I wouldn’t be coming home for lunch. Have you eaten?” Zhou Qiyue asked.

“No.” Xie Nanxing continued the empty exchange.

“Then hurry and eat. If you don’t know how to use chopsticks, ask the housekeeper to feed you,” Zhou Qiyue said, while eating his own lunch—takeout from a highly rated restaurant. But eating alone suddenly felt a little flavorless.

Still gripping the phone, Xie Nanxing murmured, “Want… you… to feed me.”

Zhou Qiyue’s hand froze mid-bite. Those words, light as feathers, tickled straight across his heart, making it itch.

“You’re not a kid anymore—why do you need someone to feed you?”

Xie Nanxing pouted. “You… fed… housekeeper.”

He struggled to string those words together, mixing things up so badly they barely made sense.

But Zhou Qiyue understood him anyway and snorted, “Feeling proud of yourself, huh? Did you read the initials and finals chart yet?”

Xie Nanxing immediately deflated. He had spent all morning doing chores and learning to cook, completely forgetting about the chart.

His silence was answer enough.

“If you can’t read it by the time I get back tonight, you’re not allowed in my room.”

“Ugh…” Xie Nanxing let out a pitiful groan. The housekeeper came over to help explain, “Mr. Zhou, the young master was helping me with housework this morning. I’ll make sure he reads this afternoon.”

Xie Nanxing nodded at the phone, hoping for some praise.

But all Zhou Qiyue said was, “He’s still sick. Don’t let him overexert himself.”

“Of course,” the housekeeper replied.

Just then, Zhou Qiyue’s assistant called to interrupt, and he hung up. The housekeeper comforted Xie Nanxing, “There, you called him—now eat, okay?”

Xie Nanxing didn’t ask to be fed. He picked up his special chopsticks and ate on his own.

After the meal, the housekeeper handed him his medicine like usual. He waited for her to turn her back and tossed the pills in the trash again.

That afternoon, he curled up on the tatami mat with the tablet. The video was still on yesterday’s lesson. He followed along, repeating the letters half-heartedly.

But all he could think about was how to skip studying and still get into Zhou Qiyue’s room.

If nothing else worked, he could just hypnotize him.

After yesterday, he had recovered about ten percent of his energy. Modifying basic cognition was still difficult, but ordinary hypnosis should be fine—although it could only be used on the same person once a day.

He sighed deeply. If only his ability were charm instead of hypnosis.

Still, to win Zhou Qiyue’s favor, he forced himself to study those strange symbols.

He had no idea that while he was pretending to study, the housekeeper had found the pills in the trash.

Zhou Qiyue was nearly done with work. The housekeeper hesitated, then sent him a picture of the pills lying in the bin.

Zhou Qiyue stared at it—Xie Nanxing hadn’t taken a single dose of medicine all day.

During the meeting, his expression visibly darkened. The subordinate giving the report felt a chill down his spine. One look at Zhou Qiyue’s icy face, and he couldn’t help but wonder—was our proposal really that bad?

“President Zhou, what do you think of this plan?” the presenter asked nervously, terrified it would be rejected.

“It’s fine,” Zhou Qiyue said through clenched teeth.

Thinking about the little brat at home refusing to take his medicine, he wanted to teleport home right now.

But there was still work to finish.

The presenter glanced at the assistant behind Zhou Qiyue, who gave him a reassuring look.

“From now on, just focus on the most important parts,” Zhou Qiyue said, glancing at his watch. Half an hour till the end of the workday.

The meeting was fast-tracked. Zhou Qiyue concisely pointed out the issues, and when the clock struck six, he stood up. “That’s it. You’re dismissed.”

Everyone rushed out of the room like fish fleeing a net, terrified of being dragged into overtime.

Zhou Qiyue had a reputation as a workaholic. Though he never forced his employees to stay late, tight deadlines meant staying behind was often unavoidable.

Even his assistant was stunned as Zhou Qiyue slipped on his coat and returned to his office to pack up.

Casting a glance at the assistant, he said, “Don’t schedule anything for me after six from now on.”

“Yes, sir.”

The last rays of sunlight were swallowed by the night. The housekeeper turned on the lights and told Xie Nanxing she was going to make dinner. He shuffled in his slippers to the front entryway, still unaware that Zhou Qiyue already knew he had thrown away the pills.

All he could think about was waiting at the door for Zhou Qiyue to come home.

The housekeeper, hearing footsteps, peeked out of the kitchen. “Mr. Zhou won’t be home for over an hour. Why don’t you wait on the sofa?”

“No,” Xie Nanxing shook his head and stubbornly stayed by the door.

She finally understood why the relationship between Zhou Qiyue and this “little brother” had softened. This clingy child was the perfect match for a soft-hearted man like Zhou Qiyue, who was all bark and no bite.

Zhou Qiyue drove into the underground garage and pressed the elevator button. Seeing it was still stuck a dozen floors up, a flicker of impatience crossed his eyes.

Every second of waiting felt longer than the last. For the first time, he realized—why is this elevator so slow?

When he was just about to lose his patience, the elevator finally arrived. He stepped in quickly. As he pressed the floor number, he thought about the troublesome, impossible little brat waiting at home, and his lips involuntarily curved upward.

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the elevator doors—he was actually smiling.

He quickly straightened his lips with his fingers. It’s just going home. Why am I this happy?

But when the elevator doors opened, he picked up his pace, practically rushing to the front door.

The smart lock recognized his face and clicked open. By the time he stepped inside, his expression had already returned to its usual calm and composed mask.

All the lights in the house were on. The moment the door opened, someone rushed toward him—Zhou Qiyue reflexively reached out a hand to block Xie Nanxing by the forehead.

But Xie Nanxing wasn’t upset. He looked up at him with a goofy, adoring grin.

“Idiot,” Zhou Qiyue muttered, ruffling his hair until it was a mess.

Xie Nanxing tried to protect his head, but it was no use.

“Hmph!” he grumbled, protesting both the rough treatment and being called an idiot.

But to Zhou Qiyue, that grumbling sounded more like affectionate whining.

Xie Nanxing rubbed his head, staring at Zhou Qiyue, who had just come back, tired and dusty from work.

As Zhou Qiyue took off his coat, Xie Nanxing clenched his fists. He hadn’t gotten the hug he wanted, and his heart itched with longing.

He moved closer, and his hypnotic ability activated with his voice:

“When Big Brother comes home, he should give me a hug.”