Chapter 23: Sowing Discord

This time, Tang Yao was the one who fell silent.

After a moment, she said thoughtfully, “Do you think she’s figured out you’re someone important, so she wants to stick with you?”

Vaniel blinked.

“Maybe.”

Tang Yao narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of agreeing.”

“Of course not…”

Vaniel answered quickly.

But after she spoke, an inexplicable restlessness stirred in her.

She shouldn’t agree.

Humans were short-lived, fragile, and troublesome. They could become a weakness.

But Lin Zhihan had begged her not to go…

Elsewhere, as soon as class ended, Lin Zhihan was about to go meet Vaniel. Wen Qiao suddenly stopped her and asked in a low voice, “Are you going with them again tonight?”

Lin Zhihan nodded. “Yeah.”

Wen Qiao’s expression was troubled. “Zhihan, I know I may not be able to help much, but I’m really worried about you. Tang Yao and Vaniel are clearly not ordinary people. Getting involved with them is dangerous, and you might not gain anything from it.”

Lin Zhihan fell silent.

She knew it was dangerous.

But she had no way out.

“I know what I’m doing,” she said quietly.

Wen Qiao still didn’t look reassured.

Lin Zhihan smiled and was about to comfort her when she looked up and saw Vaniel and Tang Yao standing at the stairwell.

Vaniel’s long silver-white hair stood out in the crowd.

Lin Zhihan knew they were leaving. She said to Wen Qiao, “Go home first. Don’t worry. I’ll contact you.”

Wen Qiao hesitated, but finally nodded.

Lin Zhihan went over to Vaniel.

Vaniel had seen her standing close to Wen Qiao, talking with her. She pressed her lips together and spoke coolly.

“If you want to go home with her, you only have to take off the collar around my neck.”

Lin Zhihan stopped.

She looked at Vaniel for a moment and said quietly, “I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

“If I take it off, I might never see you again.”

Lin Zhihan lowered her eyes. Real worry and fear showed in them.

“I can’t accept that.”

Vaniel’s breath caught. She almost regretted saying what she had.

She knew this human wanted to stay with her. Why had she deliberately provoked her?

And now Lin Zhihan looked like a puppy.

Vaniel turned her face away and simply took Lin Zhihan’s hand, letting her know she could come along.

Lin Zhihan got into Tang Yao’s car with Vaniel.

Tang Yao was already inside and gave Lin Zhihan several interested glances.

Lin Zhihan ignored her.

Most of her attention was on Vaniel.

After they got back to Tang Yao’s villa, Tang Yao and Vaniel soon went out into the garden.

They seemed to have something to discuss.

Lin Zhihan had the sense not to follow. She found a seat in the living room where she could see them from a distance and sat down quietly.

For now, she couldn’t go to work or leave. In the end, the only reason she was here was to make sure Vaniel could move freely around the villa.

Lin Zhihan sighed and took a workbook out of her bag.

Doing problems would help her stay calm better than letting herself spiral.

Night deepened. The only sounds in the living room were pages turning and her pen moving over paper.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when a shadow fell over her desk.

Lin Zhihan looked up and saw Tang Yao standing in front of her. She leaned back a little.

Tang Yao smiled. “What? Are you afraid of me?”

Lin Zhihan said nothing.

Tang Yao’s eyes curved. “Oh, you figured it out? I was the one who had you locked in the warehouse.”

Lin Zhihan barely reacted. It seemed she’d guessed already.

Tang Yao found her calm amusing. She bent down slowly, leaning close to Lin Zhihan’s ear.

“But do you know why I did it?”

Lin Zhihan looked at her coldly.

Tang Yao lowered her voice. Her smile was sweet, almost devilishly seductive.

“Of course I asked Vaniel first.”

“She said she didn’t need you. All she wants now is to get away from you. You know that, don’t you?”

The living room fell quiet.

Lin Zhihan lowered her eyes. She didn’t answer at once.

She already knew what Tang Yao was saying, but it still pressed on her heart, leaving a dull ache.

After a moment, she said, “But she came to save me.”

Tang Yao smiled. “Yes. Maybe she didn’t want you to die. But that’s all.”

She went around Lin Zhihan and sat on the desk.

“Vaniel isn’t like other succubi. She’s a pure-blood devil. She doesn’t need humans, and she can’t stay with one forever. There’s no point in following her.”

Lin Zhihan looked up. “And?”

Tang Yao smiled, sweet and dangerous.

“So you could consider me instead.”

“All you have to do is tell me what you want. Money? Power? Fame? To become someone everyone has to look up to?”

She reached out as if to lift Lin Zhihan’s chin.

Lin Zhihan turned her head away.

Tang Yao didn’t mind. Her smile only widened.

“Whatever you want, I can promise it to you.”

Lin Zhihan didn’t react.

Tang Yao said softly, “I mean it.”

“Your soul is exquisite. I like it. If you’re willing, I’ll make a contract with you. I’ll be your devil, and you’ll be my human.”

“Your soul will make me stronger, and you’ll get whatever you want from me.”

She looked at Lin Zhihan as if she were a valuable treasure.

“An exchange of benefits is the most stable relationship. A contract with a human would do Vaniel no good. It could only hurt her.

You’re clever. You understand what I mean.”

“So tell me.”

Tang Yao’s voice dropped to a coaxing whisper.

“What do you want?”

Lin Zhihan found it a little funny.

If she had to put it that way, her soul had probably already been sold to the System. She had no choice but to risk her life completing the plot.

She was quiet for a moment, then said, “Other than staying by Vaniel’s side, there’s nothing I want.”

Tang Yao froze.

Lin Zhihan went on. “I never said I had to stay with her forever.”

Her voice was quiet, edged with bitterness and helplessness.

“I just want this period of time with her. That’s enough. I only hope you won’t take her away.”

Lin Zhihan was sad because, as a human, she was still far too weak. Aside from pleading with Vaniel—and even Tang Yao, the devil standing before her—she had almost no other way to complete the plot.

Tang Yao was stunned.

This human had actually refused her. She hadn’t hesitated at all, or even given Tang Yao’s offers a second thought.

All she wanted was Vaniel?

As Tang Yao stood there, Lin Zhihan suddenly remembered that if Tang Yao was here, where was Vaniel?

She glanced outside. It was dark, and Vaniel was nowhere to be seen.

Lin Zhihan stood up at once. “Where’s Vaniel?”

Tang Yao hesitated. “…Maybe upstairs.”

“Then I’m leaving.”

Lin Zhihan packed up her homework and headed for the stairs. Tang Yao didn’t stop her.

Once Lin Zhihan disappeared, Tang Yao frowned and walked to the other side of the hall.

Vaniel was standing around the corner on the other side of the wall. She lowered her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to sound casual.

“…What did she say?”

“Oh, don’t pretend.” Tang Yao nearly rolled her eyes.

Vaniel’s blush told her she’d heard those last few lines.

“People haven’t refused me in over a hundred years. What have you done to her?”

Vaniel didn’t answer.

Seeing her like that made Tang Yao’s heart sink. She’d wanted Vaniel to see how unreliable humans were: greedy, short-sighted, easily swayed by profit.

Offer them enough, and they’d betray anyone at once.

But the trick had failed.

Worse, it seemed to have backfired.

Tang Yao’s expression turned wary. “Don’t you dare agree to anything with her.”

“You’re a pure-blood devil. Pure-blood devils don’t get involved with humans. What if people get hurt in a fight? You’ll have to go home and placate your wife, maybe even end up sleeping on the couch. How would that look?”

More importantly, if Vaniel had a weakness like that, Tang Yao was sure she’d abandon her the moment things got dangerous and whisk her precious human to safety.

Then what would Tang Yao have left to rely on?

Vaniel heard her and replied instead, “What? Wife? Stop making things up…”

Tang Yao: “That’s not the point!”

Oh no, oh no. It’s all over.

She stood and changed tack at once. “No. Maybe she was only acting in front of us just now.”

“Maybe you gave her too much hope. She thinks you might take her with you, so she refused me.”

“You need to explain things to her. Tell her you’ll leave as soon as I find the humans you’re looking for. Then ask what she wants—money, a wish, whatever—and give her something in return.”

Tang Yao stared at Vaniel, but Vaniel seemed lost in thought. At last, she said only, “Mm. I’m going to rest.”

Then she turned and headed upstairs.

Tang Yao called after her in frustration, “You have to tell her!”

Lin Zhihan searched the second floor but couldn’t find Vaniel. Her heart jumped into her throat.

She was about to go back downstairs when she saw Vaniel slowly climbing the stairs, looking preoccupied.

Their eyes met. Vaniel stopped.

Lin Zhihan smiled. “There you are.”

Vaniel couldn’t stand seeing her look that way. She turned her face aside. “Why were you looking for me?”

Lin Zhihan hesitated. “Can we still stay in the same room tonight?”

Vaniel looked at her for a while, then lowered her voice.

“Didn’t you say we should have less contact? Otherwise… how will this ever stop?”

Lin Zhihan said, “But…”

“I’m worried you’ll feel unwell during the night.”

Vaniel’s face reddened further. “If I feel unwell, I can handle it myself.”

When Vaniel turned to leave, Lin Zhihan hurriedly caught her.

“I’m also worried you’ll sneak away in the night. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find you gone. I won’t know where to look for you.”

There was a hint of pleading in Lin Zhihan’s voice.

“And I want to be with you.”

Vaniel couldn’t understand how a human could say things like that. Her ears were red all the way to the tips.

“But you said you only wanted to stay with me for a while. Once I’m better, you’ll let me go, won’t you?”

Lin Zhihan hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”

Vaniel pursed her lips. She seemed dissatisfied, though it was hard to tell why. She pushed open the bedroom door and went inside.

She didn’t invite Lin Zhihan in.

But she didn’t close the door, either.

Lin Zhihan stood there for a moment, then went in.

Vaniel didn’t send her away.

After washing up, Vaniel changed into a soft nightgown. The villa’s warm, extravagant light fell over her silver hair like flecks of moonlight.

She was beautiful, and without the distance she’d worn during the day, she seemed unusually soft.

Lin Zhihan found herself staring.

Vaniel noticed. Her ears turned pink.

“You said we should have less contact. Don’t touch me tonight.”

Lin Zhihan paused, then nodded. “Okay.”

She didn’t understand. If that was all Vaniel wanted to say, why had she changed into a nightgown like this?

Vaniel pulled back the covers and lay down.

The room fell quiet.

At first, they lay on opposite sides of the bed, leaving a space between them.

But in the latter half of the night, once Vaniel was asleep, she rolled over unconsciously and slowly edged closer.

She nearly burrowed into Lin Zhihan’s arms, then wrapped both arms around her waist.

In the darkness, Lin Zhihan slowly opened her eyes and looked down at the succubus in her arms, bemused.

Vaniel had started sleeping beside her a while ago. Later, she’d even begun hugging her.

Vaniel was so strong that Lin Zhihan couldn’t move at all. She often woke up squeezed tight in Vaniel’s arms.

She wondered whether Vaniel knew she did it.

Lin Zhihan turned her head to look. Vaniel was peaceful in her sleep, her lashes resting against her cheeks and her silver hair scattered over the pillow. She was beautiful enough to make Lin Zhihan’s heart soften.

After a long hesitation, Lin Zhihan reached out and gently stroked her hair.

It was soft.

So were her cheeks.

Never mind. I’ll sleep like this.

Lin Zhihan closed her eyes again.