Around noon, Ling Luo got a call from Yi Xiao.

“I was just about to eat. Why’re you calling out of nowhere?” Ling Luo said in a boyish voice, deliberately sounding a little impatient. If nothing unexpected had happened, her deskmate had probably gotten a girlfriend already.

“Sorry, sorry. I just had to tell you some good news. Xiao Yue said yes—she agreed to date me!”

“Oh.”

“Why are you reacting so flatly? I worked really hard to make that confession succeed, you know! Shouldn’t you be congratulating me properly?”

Worked really hard, my ass. If he’d just been a little more proactive and gone straight for it, it would’ve been over ages ago. In the end, didn’t it only take so much effort because he was scared stiff...? Though from a certain angle, it really wasn’t easy for him either.

“So what, you want a single dog like me to beam with joy and congratulate you on escaping singlehood? That’s just rubbing salt in my own wound, isn’t it? I’m not that self-destructive.”

“Sorry. I was too happy and didn’t think about how you’d feel.”

“It’s fine. I was just joking. Congrats on officially becoming a couple. I wish you two an early child, then!”

“Hey, hey, isn’t that way too fast? But when the time comes, I’ll definitely invite you to the wedding banquet, so don’t worry.”

“Then I’ll be waiting. That’s enough for now. Go spend time with your girlfriend and build up your relationship. Don’t keep her waiting too long.”

“Alright, then I’m hanging up first. Bye.”

“Bye.”

After hanging up, Ling Luo lay back down on the sofa.

She’d just told Yi Xiao she was about to eat, but her mom had fed her not long ago, so she had no appetite at all. Besides, as a Succubus, she didn’t really need human food anyway. That excuse had just been something to brush him off.

“Ah... my deskmate really got a girlfriend just like that. I kept saying I’d stay single forever, but honestly, I’m still so jealous... When will I ever meet the girl of my dreams?”

...

In the blink of an eye, July was over, and the final month of the vacation had arrived.

After experiencing what it felt like to collapse from hunger once, even someone as lazy by nature as Ling Luo had no choice but to take contracts seriously.

After running all over the place for a week, Ling Luo finally completed two contracts. The problem was, the contents of those two contracts were... hard to describe.

One was from a middle school student who wanted help winning the lottery jackpot once. And the reason he wanted that wish granted was because his allowance wasn’t enough?!

Come on, bro, that’s a lottery jackpot. That’s not “allowance money,” that’s a fortune, okay?!

Ling Luo had been speechless on the spot. Apparently, that student got a four-digit monthly allowance. She couldn’t help sighing over how spoiled kids were these days...

And yet all Ling Luo could do was listen to him show off his wealth while sourly stewing in jealousy.

Even her yearly allowance added together didn’t come close to that. On top of that, her family had no relatives, so during New Year, only her mom gave her red envelope money. Her biggest yearly income had shrunk hard because of that. As a result, Ling Luo’s little stash of savings had never had much weight to it, though it had also taught her to be frugal.

As for the other contract, “ridiculous” was the only word Ling Luo could use to describe it.

The contractor was a frustrated middle-aged man, and his wish was for her to help him commit suicide. What kind of insane wish was that? If the guy was dead, how was she supposed to collect payment? Ling Luo had wanted to start cursing right then and there.

If her social skills weren’t so terrible, and if she hadn’t spent days running around just to find one or two suitable targets, she would’ve ditched those two long ago and moved on to the next ones.

Left with no choice, Ling Luo had to appeal to them with both emotion and reason. She even used the Demon Eye to give them a round of dream-based educational therapy. Only then did the two of them come to a great awakening and grasp the true meaning of life. No matter what, she was still a fine young person of the new era, after all.

Of course, Ling Luo had no intention of working for free this time. In the end, she talked the two of them into setting more appropriate wishes and made contracts with them instead. So all in all, she still came out ahead. (At the end of the day, she was still after their spiritual essence.)

Thinking back on what she’d done, even Ling Luo couldn’t help wondering if she’d somehow turned into some neighborhood committee auntie...

The last day of August was the day Ling Luo headed off to university.

“My precious daughter, have you packed everything?” her mom asked after getting dressed and coming out of her room.

“All ready. We can leave anytime!” Ling Luo said excitedly. She was obviously full of anticipation for college life ahead. She’d heard ages ago how free and fun university life was. Now that she was finally about to experience it herself, of course she was excited.

Ling Luo hadn’t expected her mom to personally drive her to school. Leaving aside the fact that the drive from Lanxi City to Changkong City would take five or six hours, with her mom’s figure, Ling Luo had honestly doubted whether she could even reach the gas pedal.

But reality proved that not only could her mom drive, she was an experienced driver too. A few days ago, she’d already given Ling Luo a taste of speed and passion. If Ling Luo hadn’t been brave enough, she probably would’ve been traumatized by it.

“Looks like you’re pretty excited. Oh right, that classmate of yours—Yi Xiao, was it? Aren’t you going to say goodbye to him?”

“I already did yesterday. And he left yesterday too, since he’s going to college in the Imperial Capital. The trip takes two days. But he’s going with his girlfriend. What a winner in life...”

“Then why don’t you hurry up and find your other half too? Your mom here would really like to hold a grandchild.”

“Mom, what nonsense are you talking about?! We’re Succubi. We can’t end up with humans. Enough about that, let’s get going.”

Ling Luo pushed her mom toward the door.

————

Inside a home in a residential complex somewhere in Changkong City, a family of three was bustling about, because today was the day their daughter was leaving to report to a university in the city.

Once everything was ready, the three of them gathered in the entryway, prepared to head out.

The woman who looked to be the mother said to the girl beside her, “Xiao You, you’re an adult now. You should understand most things already, but your mom still has a few words to nag you with.”

The girl called Xiao You couldn’t help frowning.

Though she was already eighteen, she looked only a little over one and a half meters tall, on the shorter side. Her face matched her height too—a baby-faced look that gave off a loli vibe. And she was pretty cute as well. Maybe not enough to compete for campus belle, but definitely enough to be pleasing to the eye.

She also seemed fairly particular about how she dressed. Her neat single ponytail and white summer sportswear made her look youthful and energetic, while keeping her from seeming too childish. After all, today involved a lot of carrying and moving things around, so practical clothes made more sense.

“After you get to school, don’t say those strange things anymore. Don’t go talking about seeing weird stuff. If you do, you’ll end up with no friends again, just like before. Got it?” her mother said earnestly.

“Got it...” Xiao You replied absentmindedly.

“Good. It’s getting late. Dad, take the things and let’s go. We might hit traffic.”

With her luggage in tow, Xiao You followed her parents out of the house.

(End of Volume)