Lin Cheng swore that his initial reason for meeting Jiang Lingxue had absolutely nothing to do with any improper thoughts about her.
The reason he sent her flowers every day was that he had noticed something off about her ability. There was an Abyss Will lurking inside her body. The day she lost all hope and no longer wanted to live, the Abyss would seize her body and use it as a vessel to descend upon the world.
And that Abyss Will constantly eroded her human side as well.
Jiang Lingxue’s eyes were always dull and gray, as if she held little hope for the world.
“Why my place?” Lin Cheng asked, looking into her eyes.
“You spent all that money on flowers… not to sleep with me? Or do you want to fake another confession?”
“It’s not like that. I just wanted to be friends.”
“You’re sick,” Jiang Lingxue muttered under her breath.
“No, really—it’s because… there’s something wrong with your body. I wanted to see if I could figure out a way to help you fix it.”
“How do you know?”
“I can tell.” Lin Cheng scratched his head. “You’re pretty depressed, with intense desires, but a weird physical aversion to both men and women? You can’t satisfy those urges on your own no matter how hard you try. You’ve got immense strength, endless energy, and you can’t sleep. When you do manage to nod off, you dream of all sorts of monsters from the Abyss and wake up in a panic?”
“Who are you?”
“Forget that. I can help you.”
“I guess I don’t mind your scent. I really want to… do something with you. Why?”
“Because my Ability Rank is higher than yours. The Abyss Will inside you instinctively looks down on anything with a lower Tier, deeming those species unworthy of mating with you. But the Abyss parasite has an overwhelming mating drive—that’s the source of your sex addiction. Most Abyss creatures experience punishment-like heats… it must be pretty painful for you.”
“Oh, so that’s it.” Back then, Jiang Lingxue wasn’t quite as tall and statuesque as she would become. She tiptoed slightly, cupping his face in her hands, her dark eyes smoldering with a seductive gaze. “Then let’s do it?”
“…Are you even legal?”
“I’ll be eighteen after tonight.”
“This feels like I’m taking advantage of you…”
“Then come up with a better solution if you have one.”
“I haven’t thought of anything yet…”
“Up to you. You have ten seconds to decide. If not, I’m going home.”
She really meant ten seconds—exactly ten. Lin Cheng later vaguely heard her mention that day. She had already been prepared to climb some remote high-rise and jump. That hot pot meal was supposed to be her last supper.
But he had shown up right in front of her.
After that, Jiang Lingxue moved into Lin Cheng’s home.
Since he hadn’t found a proper way to suppress her Abyss Will yet, they had to take the long route. Jiang Lingxue had a strange personality—proud and hot-tempered, yet often as indifferent as a doll that didn’t care about anything. As long as she had food, she was content. She became like a pet he kept at home, rarely stepping out. She played games and watched videos on the computer he bought her. When she was in a bad mood, she’d pick fights with him for all sorts of nonsensical reasons.
The food too salty today? Fight. The cat too noisy? Fight. She slipped while bathing? Fight with him. Cut her finger while trying to cook? Fight. Woke up from a nightmare? Fight. It was always his fault for not taking better care of her.
Lin Cheng didn’t mind. Most of their “fights” consisted of him quietly listening to her curses, then coaxing her softly until she calmed down.
He didn’t think it was her fault. After bringing her home, he had Litchi investigate Jiang Lingxue’s background. Her parents had both died suddenly from cardiac arrest when she was young. Then she ended up in an orphanage, where the other kids around her gradually developed all sorts of health issues. Eventually, the orphanage kicked her out. She figured out the pattern of her ability on her own: staying in contact with anyone for more than three months infected them with Abyss power, causing physical problems. So she wandered from place to place, picking up odd jobs for food money. She even ran an online account, occasionally dancing in skirts without showing her face. Her great figure earned her some fans and a trickle of income.
Her irritability came from the negative effects of her ability, and the unrelievable heats brought her immense suffering. Lin Cheng figured that if he’d gone through the same, he might have ended up suicidal by now.
So he was patient. He cooked for her every day, taught her games, took photos of her now and then, bought her new clothes… They settled into a cozy homebody life together.
Lin Cheng had always lived alone before, and at first he felt a bit awkward. But he gradually got used to it—it wasn’t so bad. At least at night, they could hold each other while sleeping. It was warm.
Two months later, Lin Cheng cured the side effects of her ability. Jiang Lingxue sat on the edge of the bed, peeling off her slightly soiled White Silk Leg Socks and lighting a cigarette. “So, are you kicking me out now?”
“Honestly, I’d miss you a bit.”
“You put up with me cursing you out every day. Men really are masochists.”
“No helping it—your figure’s amazing.”
“Do you want me to stay?”
“Up to you. If you want to stick around, fine. If you want to leave, I’ll give you some money. No hard feelings.”
“You’re such a softie.” Jiang Lingxue leaned in, pushing him down beneath her. “I’ll leave when you finally get fed up with me someday.”
“Sure.”
And so she stayed in Lin Cheng’s home for another full year.
The side effects of her ability—irritability, suicidal tendencies, and raging desires—were cured, but the habits lingered. Her temper and dark moods improved a lot that year. As for the desires, well, he never refused when she wanted it.
Her personality did soften quite a bit over that year, but she still hated going out or socializing. She hunkered down in Lin Cheng’s place all day, sometimes too lazy to even get dressed. Cigarette butts littered the floor. After drinking too much, she’d cling to him sobbing, or rip bedsheets and smash keyboards. Sometimes he’d come home to the place trashed. He never got mad—just cleaned up quietly, then pinched her cheeks. She’d hook her leg around his waist, lick her lips with her pink tongue, and whisper that she wanted him.
They did it so many, many, many times that year—Lin Cheng lost count. Thank goodness his remaining Energy reinforced his constitution, or Big Succubus Jiang would’ve drained him dry.
That year, Jiang Lingxue barely left the house at all. Her only hobbies were strumming the guitar and singing, or dancing at home to boost her short-video account’s fans. Lin Cheng didn’t mind it much… After all, his routine was just cooking, cleaning, and having a stunning big-sis type beauty at his beck and call, up for any position or play.
…She’d even cosplay as his favorite 2D waifu.
But he always felt it wasn’t good for her.
“Why don’t you… find something to do?”
“You’re taking care of me. Why should I?”
“Nesting at home all day isn’t great.”
“If I’m annoying you, I can leave.”
“That’s not it. I mean… maybe go downstairs and get some sun now and then?”
“Don’t wanna. Buzz off.”
“…”
It was only then that Lin Cheng reflected on whether he’d spoiled her over the past year. But he’d promised her she could stay as long as she wanted. Later, he tried all sorts of ways to coax her out or get her into some activity, but nothing piqued her interest. She could order anything online—even groceries. No need for him to fetch packages or teach her cooking if she didn’t want to learn.
Rotting away was a vicious cycle—the more you rotted, the more you wanted to. Lin Cheng knew it couldn’t go on… or Jiang Lingxue would turn into a little lost puppy, unfit for society.
He didn’t need a little dog. He’d always seen her as a good friend… They’d lived together a year without ever mentioning love. They’d cuddle up watching romance movies, and even in the tearjerkers, they’d just glance at each other—whoever cried first got mocked mercilessly.
He started reviewing everything, searching for something that might interest her. One afternoon, inspiration struck. He thought of her short-video fan account and approached her… She was fiddling with a new Cute Rabbit Tail she’d bought.
“Want to be a big star?” Lin Cheng asked, meeting her eyes.
“You can just say you want me gone. You’ve hinted at it nearly twenty times these past two months.” Jiang Lingxue looked at him calmly, a hint of disdain in her serene gaze. “I get it—you’re bored of me. Just tell me to leave, and I’ll pack up and go right now.”
“No, can’t you just talk normally? You haven’t left the house in over a year.”
“So?”
“You planning to live like this forever?”
“Never thought about tomorrow. Depends on when you get sick of me and kick me out.”
“I really think you should find something to do.”
“It’s messing up your life, right?” A mocking smirk tugged at Jiang Lingxue’s lips.
“Why do you always assume the worst of me?”
“What else? Or do you think you’re so noble, doing all this ‘for my own good’? I think life now is fine—no need to change. But you’re clearly getting impatient. Fine, fine—I’ll pack tomorrow and get out, okay?”
“I’m telling you again, I’m not kicking you out. I just think…”
“What right do you have to decide what’s good for me? What are you to me?”
Lin Cheng fell silent.
“Cat got your tongue? Master? Boyfriend? Best friend? Daddy? Husband?” Jiang Lingxue scoffed. “Self-righteous kindness, self-righteous righteousness, self-righteous self-deception. Hypocrite.”
“Is that how you see me?”
“No, I’m grateful to you, Lin Cheng.” The disdain in her eyes gradually faded. “You’re even stranger than me—more pessimistic, yet you fool yourself into thinking that if you’re just kind to the world, everything will turn out hopeful. Fooling yourself is fine, I guess… I probably should leave. If I stay longer, I’ll just keep annoying you at home.”
“I’ve never once been annoyed by you…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know—you’re the nice guy, right?” Jiang Lingxue reached out and pinched his cheeks. “If you think I should try being a big star, sure, I’ll give it a shot.”
She leaned in closer, straddling him, her fingertip tracing his chest as she tilted her head and smiled.
“Then we should cherish our last night together.”
“It’s my fault your life’s a mess this past year… So if you ever want me again, just come find me. I won’t let anyone else touch me but you—that’s my way of making it up to you.”
After that, they didn’t see each other for a long time.
They didn’t even chat online anymore.
