Chapter 18: Succubus

Xiao Yao clearly saw the message Gu Liuguang sent and thought she had misread it.

After seeing “typing” appear and disappear several times, Xiao Yao finally sent a message.

【Xiao Yao: You can just chat with them. No need to send photos.】

That was a different price.

The work group chat before going live had made it clear that they could just do homework streams normally. As for anything else, aside from the explicit instruction not to accept transfers from big spenders, they were basically expected to use their own judgment on how to keep fans engaged—everyone knew that unspoken rule.

Gu Liuguang’s popularity was visibly high. Without her topping the fan list herself, plenty of others would do it for her. Apart from those few regular big sisters, new bosses showed up almost every day to shower her with gifts.

【Xiao Yao: Are those regular bosses who gift you asking for photos?】

【Little Light: It’s an exchange. They sent me theirs too.】

Gu Liuguang did not want to seem like she was getting the short end of the stick, so she subtly rephrased it—though it was all true—and added a guilty emphasis at the end: 【Not sending to just anyone.】

Xiao Yao did not reply for a while. Gu Liuguang thought about other things first and switched to her everyday WeChat account.

The last message she sent to Lin Shixia had gone unanswered until three in the morning on the third day. Lin Shixia said she was too busy filming and really could not make time.

Gu Liuguang figured no one was too busy to check their phone. Her gut told her Lin Shixia was not being honest, but the very next moment, the other woman offered to send her a gift or order some takeout. Follow-up messages rarely went unanswered after that.

Even during filming or variety shows—or even while sleeping—Lin Shixia would reply to her.

It was somewhat similar to what happened with Account One…

Lin Shixia was too good to her. Gu Liuguang had almost given in and let her order takeout, but the System reminded her that she was supposed to end up with Lin Shixia later. If their addresses turned out to be the same, it would be awkward.

Gu Liuguang did not think it would be a big deal if they found out, but the System asked if she wanted a body.

Of course Gu Liuguang wanted one.

System: 【In the plot, you’re approaching Lin Shixia purely to mooch off her. If she finds out you like her, it changes your motives. That could derail the mission. Like, she might think you love her and that you two breaking up was due to some tragic reason…】

Gu Liuguang, who had not seen the issue with Lin Shixia discovering both accounts belonged to the same person: ……

Gu Liuguang hesitated: 【No normal person would buy that nonsense, right? After treating her like that, she’d still think I had some hidden hardship?】

The System sounded like an old hand at this, its tone world-weary: 【You never know. Better to play it safe.】

Gu Liuguang stared at Lin Shixia’s WeChat for a long time but ultimately could not bring herself to delete her Weibo account. Instead, she tapped into her chat with Zhang Xibai.

She had no habit of deleting chat logs, so opening it showed the conversation still stuck on the day before her stream started. Zhang Xibai had asked if she planned to switch platforms and offered to help her find another one.

Gu Liuguang skimmed it once. She felt no guilt over not replying for days and sent a message right away.

【Little Light: Zhang Xibai, don’t you know Lin Shixia?】

She did not expect Zhang Xibai to reply immediately—after all, Gu Liuguang had ignored her for days—but before she could even switch out of the chat, Zhang Xibai’s response popped up. It was a voice message.

Zhang Xibai: “What, finally remembered to reply to me?”

Perhaps obsessed with sorting accounts, this was the first time Gu Liuguang really looked at Zhang Xibai’s profile picture. It was a black-and-white comic-style avatar of a slender woman.

Zhang Xibai’s voice matched her face perfectly: a strong sense of aloof detachment, like she kept people at arm’s length, with a hint of fragility. Her tone carried the lazy drawl of someone fresh out of a shower—or the weary relaxation after tension—like it tickled the ears.

【Little Light: Didn’t you say last time you could help me meet Lin Shixia?】

Zhang Xibai leaned back in her recliner, long legs stretched out. She wore only a silk shirt, unbuttoned and hanging open, her damp hair scattered behind her head. Water droplets darkened the collar and shoulders, adding a chill. She glanced down at the screen, pondering the deeper meaning behind the words.

After a long pause, she pressed the key and sent a voice message: “I did say that.”

【Little Light: So when can you let me meet Lin Shixia? [Cute][Shy]】

Zhang Xibai’s gaze darkened slightly. She called Gu Liuguang for a video chat, which was rejected almost instantly.

Zhang Xibai: “Once you’re with me, I’ll take you to meet Lin Shixia anytime.”

Gu Liuguang thought she had misheard. She replayed it three times and checked with the System before believing it: 【Is Zhang Xibai really okay?】

【Didn’t you say last time you’d report to the Main System? No reply yet?】

The System sounded exasperated: 【The Main System replied that this world’s plot has excised the parts involving Zhang Xibai. They’ll review specifics later.】

Seeing no reply from Gu Liuguang, Zhang Xibai sent another voice message:

“I’m kidding. Wanna grab dinner?”

Gu Liuguang did not agree right away and planned to stall: 【Let me think about it.】

【Zhang Xibai: Miss this village, no more shops like it. Take your time.】

While Gu Liuguang mulled it over, the System analyzed for her: 【Better not go down the Zhang Xibai route. If you can’t reach Lin Shixia, you can still use the “Flowing Light One Summer” fan account to connect with her.】

The System made sense, but judging by Zhang Xibai’s behavior, Lin Shixia probably was not one of those three accounts either.

System: 【So, still sending the photo?】

She definitely had to send one. With no reply yet from Xiao Yao, Gu Liuguang had the System help her search online for ideas before deciding what kind to send.

After much careful selection, she decided on a leg photo. She put a lot of thought into the outfit, the setting, and even the lighting angle.

Her stream outfits were all short skirts, so she always wore safety shorts underneath to avoid flashing.

At home now, putting on a fussy short skirt would seem too deliberate, and matching the stream style lacked novelty. So she went for something loose, like loungewear skirt.

Stream aesthetics were inconsistent anyway—either her own buys or company-provided—and the only common thread was short skirts that highlighted her alluring figure.

Ever since arriving in A City, Gu Liuguang had only bought short-sleeved tops and long pants a few times. Later, others gifted her clothes.

Then Lin Zhenshuang started buying her outfits at random—always the latest hot styles online. Gu Liuguang said her room could not hold any more clothes, so Lin Zhenshuang stopped sending garments and offered to buy her a house instead.

Out of plot concerns, Gu Liuguang had to painfully decline.

In the end, from the pile of clothes Lin Zhenshuang gave her, she picked a black sequined high-slit slip dress—the smallest size, surprisingly form-fitting. It cinched her waist tight, feeling like it might burst with any movement. Up top, it cradled a bountiful pair of white bunnies.

“The neckline’s so low, it almost reaches my belly…” Gu Liuguang slipped her hand into the front opening. Her taut waist only allowed two fingers. She tugged uncomfortably at the thin straps, feeling like they could not contain her bunnies.

Even alone in the house, she dared not bend over, keeping one hand loosely over her chest.

Streams had many restrictions; streamers wore fitted but modest skirts. Gu Liuguang had never worn anything like this and grumbled: “Why would Lin Zhenshuang buy me a skirt like this? Too lewd…”

She had never seen one like it and found it indecent. The System reassured her that many skirts were like this nowadays—totally normal.

Her face flushed as she kept one hand supporting them. Before, she had not minded much, but with so little fabric and such dark color, her bunnies looked even whiter and bigger. The necklace gem kept slipping into the cleavage; she fished it out repeatedly, warm from her skin when she clutched it.

To distract herself, she lifted a leg. Her long, pale limb emerged from the high slit, teasingly half-hidden, dazzlingly white, drawing the eye from sole to where it vanished.

What embarrassed her most: the back exposed a huge swath, with the waistline sitting so low it felt like her peach cleft was on display.

She suspected Lin Zhenshuang had been fooled by the front view and unaware of the back.

On the System’s suggestion, she only took photos on the sofa and bed.

The System got carried away and wanted balcony shots too, but Gu Liuguang shot it down without mercy.

Finally, she selected a few. One showed her lying on the bed, hair tousled and half-covering her breathtakingly beautiful face. Her lovely fox eyes gazed dazedly at the lens, full lips soft and rosy. She lounged lazily on the pillow, like waiting to be plucked—or freshly ravished—stirring the soul.

Below was the skirt that made her blush: soft bunnies pressed together, a deep valley hidden in the dim light amid her hair. The pale blue gem half-buried in it, the rest angled toward the camera, as if swallowed deep.

Further down, her gorgeous curves snaked like mountains, peaking and forking to reveal a snow-white ridge vanishing into the black sequined skirt—like pristine white bursting from dark soil.

Utterly erotic.

If not seen with one’s own eyes, it might pass for AI.

Even the System marveled at its photography skills—divine craftsmanship, perfectly refined. If it handled outfits and locations, it could make Gu Liuguang look like a descended goddess.

These shots made her too much like a succubus. Those three were bound to drool over them.

A few similar sofa shots, plus a bathroom one with long straight black hair—classic dark siren vibe, eyes full of intensity.

Any would be perfect. Once sent, the System was sure it would hook Lin Shixia.