Luo Ling’s face was packed with shame, regret, guilt, and every other ugly feeling in between. He wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.

“What the hell did I even do? I actually teased and messed with my own deskmate like that without even blushing?! Is there something seriously wrong with my brain?!”

Why did Ling Luo’s personality change so drastically after using her disguise? That took a bit of explaining.

Ever since that day, when Ling Luo returned to her true Succubus form, she had mostly stayed in that form. The only time she turned back into a boy was when practicing disguise magic. After all, keeping up a disguise consumed magic power. Before she could obtain essence through a demon contract, she didn’t want to waste mana casually. Otherwise, once her stomach was empty and she couldn’t do anything, her mom would definitely force her into feeding play. She was strongly resistant to that. In her mind, human ethics still held the upper hand.

For all these days, she had kept this loli form the entire time. That sped up the Succubus bloodline’s influence over her habits, behavior, and way of thinking. She had gradually drifted from lawful neutral toward chaotic evil. Yet she herself found it hard to notice any signs of it. The change was subtle, creeping in little by little. That was also the main reason she had just now been able to prank her own deskmate so recklessly.

But when she used disguise magic and returned to her former male identity, human ways of thinking and human values took the high ground again. Shame and guilt over what she had done came crashing back like a tide, erupting all at once in that instant. That was why his temperament had changed so suddenly.

Luo Ling stood there drowning in self-denial for a long while. It wasn’t until Yi Xiao called him that he finally put those thoughts aside for the moment and hurried off to meet him. As a good kid, he really couldn’t bring himself to stand someone up, especially when that person was his deskmate and good bro.

The moment he entered the milk tea shop, he spotted their old seat with one glance. Yi Xiao’s height made him stand out from the crowd like a crane among chickens. It was hard not to notice him.

“Sorry, sorry. The trip took longer than I expected. Really, I’m so sorry for making you wait so long.”

The moment he saw him, Luo Ling started apologizing over and over. Part of it was for being late. Part of it was also an apology for the prank from earlier.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just don’t ditch me.”

Yi Xiao waved it off, clearly not bothered. He was a pretty easygoing person to begin with.

He knew Luo Ling was always punctual, so he had expected him to apologize for being late. And sure enough, he did. It was just that the apology felt a little too intense. Still, Yi Xiao didn’t think much of it. He just assumed his deskmate was making a bigger deal out of it than necessary.

Luo Ling didn’t plan to stop at a verbal apology, so he said, “As compensation, I’ll treat today.”

“No need, no need. You just got here, sit down first. What do you want? I’m heading over to line up anyway, so I’ll order it together.”

Yi Xiao stood up, ready to get in line.

“No, I should go!”

Luo Ling stood up too.

“You don’t have to be so polite with me. If you really feel that bad about it, then when we talk things over later, help me come up with a perfect plan, okay?”

Yi Xiao had asked Luo Ling out because he needed his help. So he might as well raise the bar a little and ease the awkward mood.

“Then... okay. But just so we’re clear, I can only do my best.”

Only then did Luo Ling slowly sit back down.

“Got it. Do I not know you by now? You’d never promise something you can’t do.” Yi Xiao smiled. “Alright, tell me what you want to drink.”

“Milk tea, then. Mm... strawberry flavor. Large.”

The answer came out of Luo Ling’s mouth without a second thought.

That flavor felt kind of girly, didn’t it? Yi Xiao froze for a moment. But after thinking about it, personal taste wasn’t really something worth commenting on. Besides, he didn’t actually know what kind of flavors his deskmate liked. High school life was just that dull, especially in a top class. This was the first time the two of them had ever gone out for drinks together.

“Then I’m going to line up.”

“Sorry to trouble you.”

By the time Yi Xiao came back after ordering, more than ten minutes had passed.

The moment he sat down, he said, “Whew, there are seriously a lot of people today. I was in line forever.”

“Well, obviously. It’s the weekend and summer vacation. It’d be weird if there weren’t a lot of people,” Luo Ling agreed.

“But that clerk was pretty nice. She was clearly swamped, and she still stayed enthusiastic with customers.”

“Then your luck must be pretty good.”

Luo Ling hadn’t expected that clerk to keep it up for so long. He had only wanted her to give his deskmate a pleasant attitude. But that enthusiasm had lasted until now. So cute really was justice, huh?

“That’s true. My luck’s been pretty decent today. I thought I wouldn’t find a seat, but this little girl happened to be leaving and gave me her spot,” Yi Xiao added.

“Your luck today is good enough to make people jealous.”

“Maybe...”

Yi Xiao scratched his head awkwardly, while Luo Ling secretly snickered to himself. He even considered teasing him a little more, like asking what his deskmate thought of that “little girl,” or whether he had any interest in her. Once a little devil had escaped, it wasn’t so easy to shove it back in. Thankfully, the rationality that came with his male identity finally reined in that wild horse, stopping him from actually doing it.

“Come to think of it, I bet that little girl was exactly your type.”

“How did this suddenly turn into me? And why are you so sure I’d like her?”

“Twin-tail loli, obviously. Isn’t that your thing?” Yi Xiao said without the slightest restraint.

“Wait a second. I’m pretty sure I never told you what my type is. How do you know that?”

His deskmate had suddenly exposed his XP, and Luo Ling panicked on the spot.

“The pictures you post are all twin-tail lolis. Anyone could figure it out with a little thought.”

“I feel like my life is over...”

Luo Ling collapsed face-first onto the table, looking utterly dead inside. Though in a certain sense, his life really was over already.

“Alright, alright. Pull yourself together. We still have serious business to talk about.”

“Go ahead. I’m listening...”

Luo Ling stayed sprawled on the table while listening, clearly not recovered from that blow yet.

“Then... I’m going to say it...”

But when it came time to actually speak, Yi Xiao got nervous again. No next sentence came for a long while.

What a pure-hearted boy. Though to be fair, he’d probably look just as pathetic when his own turn came, so he wasn’t really in any position to mock him.

Luo Ling closed his eyes, let out a sigh, then sat back up.

“It’s fine. We’re not in a rush,” Luo Ling comforted him.

Yi Xiao nodded and quietly apologized.

“Here are your milk teas. Please enjoy.”

Luo Ling didn’t stand on ceremony. He picked up the straw and stabbed it straight into his cup.

“Take a sip first. Maybe that’ll help you relax.”

“Okay...”

After taking a drink, Yi Xiao barely managed to steady himself. He pushed up his glasses and finally began explaining why he had asked him out.

“Luo Ling, what do you think I should do about me and her?”

“By ‘her,’ you mean Xiao Yue?”

Yi Xiao nodded.

Xiao Yue was a girl in their class, surname Lin. She was the one Yi Xiao liked. Her looks were only average, but she could definitely be called talented. She had beautiful handwriting, had performed at the New Year’s gala, and had even received an admission letter from a prestigious university in the capital thanks to her excellent grades. Yi Xiao had also pushed himself with everything he had and gotten into a university in the capital too. Not the same one, but apparently not far away. It could be said that his deskmate had paid a lot for this.

“You’re still classmates right now. The next step is obviously becoming a couple.”

“I know, but what exactly am I supposed to do...?”

“What else is there to do? Confess. Ask her out. Isn’t that how tons of stories go?”

Luo Ling made it sound easy, but deep down he knew that if they really had to act, introverts like them definitely wouldn’t find it easy. If anything, he might be even more cowardly than his deskmate.

“But if I confess... will it work? What do you think my chances are if I do it now?”

Yi Xiao unconsciously pushed his glasses again.

“Fifty-fifty. Either you succeed or you fail. That’s all there is to it.”

“That feels like you said nothing at all...” Yi Xiao complained.

But in truth, Luo Ling felt Yi Xiao’s chances of success were probably around eighty percent, because he knew Xiao Yue had feelings for Yi Xiao too.

One time, when Luo Ling had gone to the cafeteria alone, Lin Xiao Yue and a few girls happened to sit behind him. So he overheard this conversation—

“Xiao Yue, do you like that Liu Yi Xiao guy?”

“What are you even saying...?”

“With that reaction, I get it now—”

“What do you get? Stop talking and eat.”

“Yes, yes. But seriously, after the college entrance exams are over, aren’t you thinking about getting together with him?”

“That kind of thing... I’ll think about it after the exams are over. Besides, I’m so short. I might not be his type...”

After that, the other girls kept trying to persuade her and chatted about random things. But since they were in their senior year, it was mostly just teasing. No one pushed too hard.

Even though Luo Ling knew all this, he had no intention of telling Yi Xiao. It wasn’t because he wanted to prank him again. He simply felt that this time, he shouldn’t lower the difficulty for him. If Yi Xiao could really overcome this hurdle and confess to Xiao Yue, it would definitely be a huge help to his future life.

Still, speaking of it, both of them liked each other. As long as either one of them made the first move, it would probably work out. Yet both sides kept hesitating. Even Luo Ling, just watching from the sidelines, felt anxious for them.

Back in the present, seeing that Yi Xiao still clearly hadn’t made up his mind, Luo Ling mocked him.

“So what, you’re chickening out? If that’s really the case, then I won’t hold back. I’ll go after her myself.”

“Oh, please. Xiao Yue isn’t even your type. You’re just trying to provoke me. Don’t think I can’t tell.”

Tch, he saw right through me.

A little annoyed, Luo Ling took a sip of milk tea.

“So what’s your attitude, then?”

“I know I should confess. I’m just scared she’ll reject me...”

“So that’s enough to stop you? Look, whether she rejects you or accepts you, you still have to take that step. If you don’t do it, how will you ever know the result?”

“I know... but I’m just scared of that moment happening. If there were some way to make a confession succeed one hundred percent, I’d do it without hesitation.”

As if a method like that existed. If it did, there wouldn’t be so many single guys in the world.

Luo Ling was just about to say that when he suddenly remembered his Demon Eye.

Uh... a method like that actually did exist.

But did he really want to use the Demon Eye?

Right now, as Luo Ling in his male identity, his human way of thinking made him hesitate. But the mild hunger that had appeared early, caused by the increased mana drain from using disguise magic, forced him to seriously consider it. After all, the person in front of him was a potential contract target.

Faced with the temptation of signing a demon contract, Luo Ling ultimately gave in.

Who would’ve thought the first contract target he found would be his own deskmate? Fate really had a twisted sense of humor.

Even though he had made up his mind, a new problem appeared. How was he supposed to get his deskmate into contact with him as a Succubus? And what kind of excuse was he supposed to use to trick—ah, no, guide him into signing the contract? That became another difficult question.

Luo Ling bit down on his straw, closed his eyes, and began to think.

In Yi Xiao’s eyes, though, Luo Ling now seemed to be racking his brains over his problem, seriously thinking of a way to help him. Just as reliable as ever.

But for some reason, he suddenly found the sight of Luo Ling biting his straw and thinking hard kind of cute. Of course, the other party was a guy, so it was probably better not to say something like that out loud. He still remembered Luo Ling once complaining to him, saying, “My mom said my hands are long and slender like a girl’s. Who says that about their own son? I’m obviously a macho man!” He had sulked over that for quite a while.

Still, Luo Ling’s hands really were a little slender. They did look somewhat like a girl’s hands. Yi Xiao just didn’t dare say it.

Hm?

Come to think of it, why did the headphones hanging around Luo Ling’s neck look kind of familiar? Ah, weren’t they pretty much the same as the pair that little girl who gave him the seat had been wearing?

Come to think of it, the two of them were wearing almost the same style of T-shirt. The only real difference was the size. Standing together, they somehow gave off that matching-couple-outfit vibe. And she just so happened to be exactly his type.

If it weren't for the fact that the little girl seemed way too young, he might've actually tried to set the two of them up. Then again, who knew? What if she was a legal loli, like Luo Ling's mom? Damn, wouldn't that mean he'd missed the chance to introduce his bro to his future sister-in-law?! Yi Xiao suddenly regretted not finding out more about her.

Sometimes people are just like that. When it comes to their own feelings, they're hopelessly timid, hesitating forever without even daring to confess. But when it's a friend's love life, they turn into a total worrywart, fussing over every little thing, even more nervous than the person involved. Humans really are a weird species.

Luo Ling sat there brooding for a long while. Then he suddenly opened his eyes and said in a mysterious tone, "Yi Xiao, have you ever heard of an urban legend?"