The Little Succubus's Hypnosis Manual - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Gemstone

“It’s not expensive—if you like it, buy it.”

Hearing the sound of the study door being locked from the inside, Xie Nanxing knew that Zhou Qiyue was really mad this time. He squatted at the door, clutching the sheet of paper in his hand, and let out a sigh.

Succubi language was different from that of humans.

Xie Nanxing thought all the letters looked the same and had no idea how Zhou Qiyue could tell them apart, let alone pronounce them so clearly and pleasantly.

If he could read them like Zhou Qiyue, maybe Zhou Qiyue wouldn’t be angry with him.

Thinking this, he opened his mouth wide and began reciting the letters.

But after just two, he already forgot how Zhou Qiyue had taught him.
“‘Bo,’ this one is ‘po,’ this one’s ‘mo’… ‘fu’…”

“Stop!” The door swung open from the inside, and since Xie Nanxing had been leaning against it, he fell straight backward. In that moment of weightlessness, he instinctively latched onto Zhou Qiyue’s leg.

“Hehe.” Xie Nanxing let out a sheepish giggle and even rubbed his fluffy head against Zhou Qiyue’s leg.

A thick black line formed on Zhou Qiyue’s forehead. If Xie Nanxing weren’t someone he’d picked up, he’d suspect this little troublemaker was sent by his older brother to torment him.

He shook his leg. Xie Nanxing’s butt was squashing his foot. “Idiot, why aren’t you getting up?”

Reluctantly, Xie Nanxing let go of Zhou Qiyue’s leg and scrambled to his feet, blinking his eyes innocently like a clueless little kitten.

Zhou Qiyue cleared his throat and said sternly, “Was that how I taught you?”

Xie Nanxing’s eyes flicked around guiltily. Truthfully, he’d already forgotten how Zhou Qiyue had taught him. Every time he got close to Zhou Qiyue, his brain went completely blank.

He lowered his head, putting on a look of humble acceptance.

Even as mad as Zhou Qiyue was, he couldn’t bear to scold him further when the little guy looked like he was about to cry. “Fine. I’ll teach you again, but you can’t keep clinging to me.”

Xie Nanxing understood, but refused to reply, turning his head away sullenly.

“You’re pouting just because I said you can’t cling to me?” Zhou Qiyue rubbed his forehead in frustration. “You’re not a kid anymore. We’re two grown men—this kind of behavior isn’t appropriate.”

Xie Nanxing didn’t get it. Succubi didn’t care about gender. If they liked someone, they liked them—what’s this nonsense about men not being able to cling to each other?

“Mm…” He dropped his gaze.

“Forget it. I’ll teach you again.” Zhou Qiyue dragged him back into the study and taught him again. This time, Xie Nanxing behaved much more obediently.

But by bedtime, his true nature came out again.

He followed Zhou Qiyue into the bedroom, clearly planning to sleep there too.

Hugging his own pillow and blanket, Xie Nanxing looked up at Zhou Qiyue with big pleading eyes, making it obvious that if Zhou Qiyue didn’t let him in, he was going to make a bed on the floor right outside the door.

Zhou Qiyue felt a headache forming.

“I read… the chart,” Xie Nanxing shuffled forward in tiny steps, quietly clutching Zhou Qiyue’s sleeve.

Zhou Qiyue was about to say “But…” when Xie Nanxing’s expression instantly turned pitiful.

“But… I read it,” he repeated softly. His round almond-shaped eyes didn’t blink as he stared at Zhou Qiyue, pupils clean and bright, voice soft and full of grievance.

Zhou Qiyue swallowed his words and stepped aside, letting him in.

He walked to the bed but maintained his stern tone: “Just this once.”

Xie Nanxing smirked mischievously. As expected, Zhou Qiyue responded better to soft tactics than hard ones.

In the middle of the night, he pulled his old trick again—sneaking into Zhou Qiyue’s bed. But this time, Zhou Qiyue seemed unfazed. Before Xie Nanxing could even touch him, Zhou Qiyue reached out and pulled him into his arms.

“Sleep. I’m off tomorrow. I’ll take you shopping for clothes.”

Xie Nanxing buried his head into Zhou Qiyue’s chest, taking in his scent with delight. His heart felt like it had been drenched in honey.

Sure enough, the next morning, Zhou Qiyue didn’t get up early. On the wide bed, the two of them were tangled together. Xie Nanxing’s sleeping posture was chaotic, clinging to Zhou Qiyue like an octopus.

He woke up first and, seeing how outrageously he was wrapped around Zhou Qiyue, carefully started to untangle himself. He didn’t want to be scolded again.

But they were pressed so close together that Zhou Qiyue stirred the moment he moved.

“Morning, gege.” Xie Nanxing greeted sheepishly, quickly pulling his leg away.

But Zhou Qiyue caught him easily. “You’ve been clinging to me all night, and now you’re trying to run?”

“You’re the one who—” Xie Nanxing was pulled tightly into Zhou Qiyue’s chest, inhaling the morning energy radiating from him.

Fine. If they were already hugging, he’d just stick close and enjoy it.

But Zhou Qiyue didn’t hold him for long before releasing him. “Go wash up. After breakfast, we’ll go shopping.”

“!” Xie Nanxing sat up like a fish springing from water, eyes sparkling with surprise.

At breakfast, his smile was so bright that even the housekeeper couldn’t help asking, “Why is young master so happy this morning?”

Xie Nanxing stuffed his cheeks with steamed buns and grinned, “Gege… take me… out, hehe.”

Zhou Qiyue handed him a napkin. “That happy, huh?”

Xie Nanxing nodded vigorously.

Zhou Qiyue’s gaze darkened slightly. The kid had been cooped up at home for two or three days. At his age, he should be outside playing, not stuck indoors. No wonder he was so excited about going out.

After rummaging through the closet, Zhou Qiyue found something that barely fit. He cuffed the pants for Xie Nanxing, then took him outside.

The driver was already waiting downstairs. As the door opened automatically, Xie Nanxing climbed in first.

The car was different from the one Zhou Qiyue had used before—larger. Xie Nanxing leaned on the window, curiously watching the outside world.

The car parked in the mall’s basement. Zhou Qiyue led him inside. He originally planned to go straight to the men’s section, but Xie Nanxing kept getting distracted, wanting to stop and look at everything.

Zhou Qiyue rarely went shopping himself and ended up following along behind him.

The first floor was mostly cosmetics and jewelry. Xie Nanxing couldn’t take his eyes off the glittering displays, almost glued to the windows.

Nearby customers were originally looking at diamonds, but when they saw Xie Nanxing’s awestruck expression, they stepped away as if he were contagious.

“Can just anyone get into Chengqian nowadays? Even bumpkins like this?” one woman said loudly, just enough for Xie Nanxing to hear.

He froze awkwardly, not understanding why looking at a shop window warranted such insults.

The sales attendant saw her customer about to leave and quickly said, “No worries, I’ll bring this gem over here for you to look at.”

She opened the display and removed the gemstone Xie Nanxing had been admiring, bringing it to the other counter—clearly not intending to serve Xie Nanxing.

People who worked here were sharp. Xie Nanxing looked young and was wearing designer clothes, but they didn’t fit. Probably stolen from someone else.

“Wait.” Zhou Qiyue had been keeping a slight distance, but now he stepped forward and rested a hand on Xie Nanxing’s shoulder, giving a comforting pat.

Zhou Qiyue wasn’t in a suit today, just casual clothes, but the luxury watch on his wrist stood out.

Another attendant immediately came over. “Is there anything in particular you’re looking for? These are all new arrivals.”

“Do you like it? If you like it, we’ll buy it,” Zhou Qiyue said to Xie Nanxing.

Xie Nanxing, feeling awkward, tugged at his sleeve and shook his head. “No.”

Seeing how reliant Xie Nanxing was on him, Zhou Qiyue frowned slightly and pointed to the gems Xie Nanxing had admired. “Wrap up these for me.”

Xie Nanxing anxiously clutched his sleeve and shook his head. “Expensive.”

“It’s not. Just a few little trinkets. If you like them, we’ll buy them.” To Zhou Qiyue, they really weren’t expensive. This was someone he had taken in—how could he let others insult him in front of his face? People would laugh at him, saying he was so stingy he couldn’t even win over a wife.

“All of them, wrap them up,” Zhou Qiyue said again to the clerk.

The other customer stormed off with a sour face, while the previously smug clerk glared at the one now making the sale and begrudgingly smiled at her customer. “Do you like this piece?”

“Hmph, forget it.”

Xie Nanxing watched the angry woman leave and tugged Zhou Qiyue’s sleeve. “Don’t want.”

He was used to being looked down on. Back in the other world, his own kind mocked him for being a half-blooded dumb succubus.

“But you like these gems, right? You can just play with them like marbles.” Zhou Qiyue comforted him, casually taking out his card and paying.

The clerk handed the bag of gems to Xie Nanxing. “Thank you for your purchase. We look forward to serving you again.”

Xie Nanxing held the bag, thinking the gems resembled his mission stone.

A red gemstone materialized in his palm—his headmaster had personally given it to him during his coming-of-age ceremony. Each succubus only got one, and it was their mission:

Get a human to crush this gemstone and fall in love with them to return home.

Because they only got one, succubi chose their targets carefully, only offering the stone at the final moment.

But Zhou Qiyue had given him so many gems. Xie Nanxing had nothing to repay him with.

After some thought, he gently took Zhou Qiyue’s hand and solemnly placed the red gem in it. “For you.”

Zhou Qiyue studied the gem. It didn’t seem to be one of the ones they’d just bought.

Under the mall lights, a droplet of bl00d in the gem’s center glowed conspicuously—probably just some cheap trinket.

Zhou Qiyue didn’t think much of it and was about to tuck it into his pocket—when the unexpected happened.

The gem shattered in his hand.

Xie Nanxing stared at him in shock—not because the gem was crushed, but because a thermometer suddenly appeared over Zhou Qiyue’s head.