These words seemed to ease his worries.
Honestly, he was pretty self-aware—he knew his limits clear as day. Brother Hao Nan’s words weren’t meant to put him down. After all, as someone utterly ordinary, there was truly nothing about him worth the Xia Clan’s attention.
Earlier, he’d fallen into paranoia from jumping to conclusions. But Brother Hao Nan’s reminder snapped him back to reality.
He *was* painfully average—even when he mentioned it to Brother Hao Nan, the guy joked about his organs without blinking. Because aside from those? Nothing else about him could possibly interest the Xia Clan.
Even if we stretched it—say the Xia Clan *did* need a matching organ—they’d never use Xia Xinyan as bait for a greenhorn. Just throw him a few million? He’d probably agree (as long as it wasn’t fatal). To him, millions were life-changing. To the Xia Group? Pocket change—maybe a few hours’ work.
Minutes, even.
Why would a massive empire risk their young mistress for an organ? Unless they’d lost their minds.
So… ruling that out, only one possibility remained: Xia Xinyan’s own feelings.
Could she… genuinely like him?
Memories from the dungeon surfaced—her gentle guidance, their easy rapport. She never once acted like a pampered miss around him. She’d accepted him… as a companion. Or… a boyfriend?
Every time that word crossed his mind, Ling Mo felt a strange flutter.
Maybe it was because he’d barely interacted with girls in twenty years. Now a young mistress was suddenly pursuing him? No wonder he felt off-balance.
Oh right—the final kiss…
So *this* was what a kiss felt like…
“…Ling! Ling! Damn it, stop grinning! Ugh, you’re giving me goosebumps!” Brother Hao Nan’s voice crackled through the headset, yanking him back. “Dude, you’re not even playing. Screw this—I’m out. You’re tanking all my hard-earned points.”
“…Sorry, sorry. My bad. Good night, Brother Hao Nan,” Ling Mo stammered, watching him log out in a flash. He tried to wipe the smile off his face.
Failed miserably.
Once clarity hit, the whole world felt brighter.
He logged out, muted the mic, glanced around his room—then his eyes landed on the wall.
Behind it: Xia Xinyan’s bedroom.
His earlier suspicions must’ve hurt her…
Was she… already asleep?
Time to rest.
First night cohabiting with Xia Xinyan—he couldn’t afford a bad impression.
He’d fix his in-game blunders tomorrow.
—That night, Ling Mo slept soundly.
Even dreamed sweetly.
Coincidentally, Xia Xinyan dreamed too.
Only difference: *she* was the dream-version of herself—transformed into a succubus, pinned to the bed by Ling Mo. He kept tugging her tail, leaving her powerless as he had his way.
She jolted awake.
[Host’s emotional fluctuations critical. Nightmare detected?]
“Shut up.”
She lay still, calmed her breath, checked the clock.
3 a.m.
Perfect sleeping hour… yet sleep fled.
Dream images clung stubbornly. Ling Mo—dominant, ignoring her protests, her pleas. A true nightmare.
But why? Because of yesterday’s kiss?
No way. It was just game data. .JPG
She hadn’t overthought it then. *Because* it was in-game, she could kiss freely. Even reborn, she’d never dare IRL.
…Wait. Could that dream scene *actually* happen someday?
No no no—impossible. She knew Ling Mo. All talk, no action.
Unless… he *did* have a controlling side. Like how she planned to keep *him* under her thumb. Once he realized his power… would *he* flip the script?
But he wouldn’t cross lines… He’d always seen himself as a gentleman… Wait, *she*?
No no no—flip it. If *she* had power over Xia Xinyan? She’d absolutely push further. She’s his girlfriend—who plays saint then?
…
Yeah. Wide awake now.
She’d oversimplified this. Posing as Ling Mo’s girlfriend? He might weaponize that identity later. If she *actually* liked him, fine. But this was just a trust-building ploy!
Was she really risking herself? No way.
Gotta fix this *before* it blows up.
—That night, Xia Xinyan’s sleep was anything but peaceful.
She didn’t recall falling back asleep. Woke past 8 a.m.
Sleeping in felt oddly unfamiliar—reborn only days ago.
She stretched, smoothed her messy hair, stepped out of her room—
And nearly collided with Ling Mo, coming to wake her.
He froze.
Xia Xinyan wore only a loose top—panties hidden beneath the hem, the silhouette intensely suggestive.
As the saying goes: the unseen tempts most.
This sight hit Ling Mo harder than her in-game bikini.
And… she was *stunning*.
Bedhead hair aside, she looked flawless. Maybe an illusion—but her beauty, her allure, felt sharper, deeper.
—Thanks to the system’s eternal peak-appearance buff layered with succubus passive traits. A stacked allure no one could resist.
Especially not Ling Mo.
Only sheer willpower stopped him from acting recklessly.
Still, his heart hammered; his cheeks burned.
“Ah… sorry,” he stammered, tearing his gaze away. “B-breakfast is ready. Come eat… after you’re dressed…”
“…Oh.”
