Stop touching

Late at night in the living room, the TV screen had long gone dark. Xixi curled up in the corner of the sofa, her fingertips unconsciously tugging at the tassels of her pillow. She should have gotten up and gone back to her room, but her feet seemed rooted to the floor, unable to move.

Having been rejected again, she hadn't intended to continue the fight. At worst, she'd shrink again after a nap. And this time, Xixi didn't think Gu Tinglan would help her. She assumed she'd be like before, unconcerned about whether her spiritual energy would run out and she'd dissipate again. She thought she could just stand up and walk away.

But at this moment, her body seemed to be fixed by an invisible force.

Gu Tinglan lazily leaned against the other end of the sofa, his slender fingers swiping the screen of his phone, the blue light reflected on his well-defined profile. Xixi stole a glance, then quickly averted her gaze.

"Aren't you sleeping yet?" he suddenly spoke, his voice particularly clear in the silent living room.

The tip of Xixi's tail suddenly straightened: "I'll go right away." She stood up slowly, and her slippers made a small sound as they rubbed against the carpet.

When she reached the stairs, she couldn't help but look back. Gu Tinglan remained in that position, not even raising his head. Xixi bit her lower lip, and her usually bright red eyes dimmed.

In fact, she was not afraid of dissipating, she did not like being a succubus, and she did not want to be forced into "eternal life". In her long memory, she seemed to have tried many methods, but still could not break this damn curse, so she finally accepted it.

But this time, it seemed different. Xixi didn't really want to just disappear and reincarnate. This would mean losing everything she had: strawberries, snacks, a pretty dress, her own room, and more importantly...

Xixi swallowed nervously and looked up. The young man on the sofa had his delicate eyebrows slightly frowned, as if he was troubled by the things in his hands. His lips were tightly pursed and his jawline was tense.

He had a cold face. Usually Xixi hated his cold face the most, but at this moment she thought it was quite handsome.

It might take several hundred years for her to be reincarnated again. By then, Gu Tinglan would definitely not be around anymore. Human lifespan is very short.

Before she knew it, she had reached the door of her room.

Xixi stared at the nameplate on the doorknob. It had her name engraved on it, the only proof that she had ever been in the world. The moment her fingertips touched the doorknob, footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.

"Stand there and don't move." Gu Tinglan's voice was filled with impatience. "You're so far away from me, are you not going to absorb spiritual energy?"

While Xixi was stunned, he had already taken three or two steps towards her, brushed his arm across her shoulder and locked the half-loose door handle in her hand.

"I..." Xixi opened her mouth, suddenly not knowing what to say.

Gu Tinglan lowered his eyes to look at the tuft of hair sticking up from the top of her head, and suddenly sighed: "Go to my room."

Xixi looked up suddenly, her red eyes lit up instantly: "Really?"

"It's fake." Gu Tinglan threw down these words and walked towards the room with his long legs. Xixi did not delay and immediately followed him.

Looking at the broad shoulders and tall figure of the young man in front of her, Xixi's mouth curled up into a huge arc and she laughed out loud.

She said that Gu Tinglan was a person who was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and he would never let her fend for herself.

However, she still thought things were too simple.

"You promised!" Xixi emphasized, staring at Gu Tinglan's big bed, afraid that he would go back on his word. "You said we could sleep together!"

Gu Tinglan leaned against the door slowly, with a hint of teasing in his eyes and a slight glint in his eyes: "Well, I agree."

Xixi cheered and immediately threw herself onto his bed, rolling around in the quilt twice, rubbing her cheek against the soft pillow, her nose filled with his scent.

This was the first time she slept in his bed with his permission. Xixi took two deep breaths uncontrollably, absorbing all the breath left on the bed.

Strangely enough, there was always a scent about Gu Tinglan that particularly attracted her. Once he got close to her, Xixi would become extremely obsessed with him, even wanting to "eat" him. But she didn't dare show it, because with his personality, what if he got angry again and didn't let her get close?

Little did she know that her perverted behavior was completely seen by Gu Tinglan. His eyes gradually darkened, but he did not say anything to stop her. He just felt more and more dry in his mouth and his ears seemed to be burning again.

But Xixi was immersed in great joy at the moment and did not notice the subtle change in his expression.

Seeing Gu Tinglan still standing at the door, Xixi patted the seat beside her and looked at him expectantly: "Why are you standing there? Come up!"

Gu Tinglan glanced at the place where she patted her hand gently, and his eyebrows twitched. "You are very generous to leave so much space for me." After saying that, he finally walked forward, but not in the direction of Xixi. He just took out a quilt from the closet and spread it on the floor beside the bed.

Xixi: “……?”

"You sleep on the bed and I'll sleep on the floor." He said calmly, as if discussing tomorrow's weather.

Xixi's eyes widened, and her tail instantly straightened: "You are cheating!"

"I agreed to sleep together, but I didn't say how." He raised the corners of his lips slightly, with a bit of triumph in his eyes. "Why, are you not satisfied?"

Xixi glared at him angrily, but she couldn't refute him. She could only shrink into the quilt unwillingly, leaving only her eyes exposed, and said sullenly: "...Liar."

"But this won't help me at all. I need to touch you in order to absorb the spiritual power from you." Xixi felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke, not understanding why he hated physical contact with her so much.

Suddenly remembering something, she huddled back into the quilt and sniffed gently.

She doesn't smell!

Gu Tinglan ignored her, turned off the lights and lay down. The only light left in the room was the faint moonlight outside the window.

After a few seconds of silence, Xixi turned over with a rustling sound and lay on the edge of the bed, looking down. Gu Tinglan had his eyes closed, breathing steadily, as if he had fallen asleep.

She bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but reach out her hand, gently touching his wrist with her fingertips.

"...Gu Tinglan." She called him softly.

He didn't open his eyes, but just said "hmm" lightly.

Then, he interlocked his fingers with hers and said, "This will also help you recover your spiritual power."

Xixi was frightened by his sudden action and let out a "嘤~" sound inadvertently.

Time seemed to stop for two seconds. She gently moved her hand and saw the large hand clenched in the moonlight. Both hands were very white, but the difference was that under the skin on the back of his hand, there were blue veins that made her blood boil, and the veins were clearly visible.

Xixi couldn't help but bend her fingers and gently stroke along the blue veins. The more she touched, the more excited she became. She found it very fun.

"...Stop touching me." His voice was hoarse in the darkness.

"Oh." Xixi obediently stopped what she was doing and carefully placed their hands on the edge of the bed where she had the best view and would not make him feel too tired.

At this moment she wanted to be a succubus again. Her night vision was good and she could see the scene clearly.

Gu Tinglan didn't say anything, but he didn't pull his hand back either.

The silence didn't last long before Xixi's voice was heard again in the air, "Are you really not going to come up and sleep?"

"Why? Can't I just sleep?"

"No." Gu Tinglan answered her firmly, but did not explain why.

Xixi got a little advantage and wanted to push it even further. She said unhappily, "I think it's you who can't do it."

"Xixi!" These two words seemed to be forced out of his mouth, and the tone was extremely unfriendly.

Xixi was startled and immediately held his hand, palms touching. The warm touch made her squint her eyes in satisfaction.

After a while, the room was so quiet that one could hear the ticking of the second hand on the wall clock. Xixi held her breath and carefully crouched on the edge of the bed. The moonlight illuminated Gu Tinglan's sleeping face—his usually furrowed brows relaxed, his eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under his eyes, and even his breathing was much lighter than usual.

"You're so good when you sleep." She moved her lips silently, and her tail stretched out uncontrollably.

The heart-shaped tip of its tail first touched his wrist tentatively, but seeing no reaction, it immediately wrapped itself around him. One circle, two circles, three circles... Finally, it didn't forget to use the most sensitive tip of its tail to draw circles on the back of his hand.

Gu Tinglan's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.

Xixi narrowed her eyes, suddenly remembering the idol drama she'd watched a few days ago. She quietly lowered her legs down the bed, and as her toes touched the hem of his bathrobe, she flinched as if struck by electricity. After a moment's hesitation, she finally mustered the courage to rub against him.

The cotton bathrobe was softer than she'd imagined. Her toes carefully traced the contours of his thighs, then, with a wicked urge, she hooked the edge of the fabric and lifted it up, bit by bit.

Just as her bathrobe was about to be lifted to the dangerous area, a warm hand suddenly clamped her ankle. Before Xixi could react, she was suddenly pulled off the bed.

"ah--"

The world spun around, and she fell hard onto Gu Tinglan. The tip of her nose hit his hard chest, and the pain was so severe that tears came out.

"Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night?" a gnashing voice came from above. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Xixi looked up, meeting Gu Tinglan's deep eyes. In the moonlight, the collar of his pajamas was wide open, revealing a wide expanse of alluring skin and delicate collarbone. The wrist, which had been harassed by her tail moments earlier, was now firmly clasped around her waist.

"I, I don't have enough spiritual power..." She looked away guiltily, but her tail was dishonestly wrapped around his calf.

Gu Tinglan sneered and suddenly turned over, pressing her down on the mat. Xixi's scream was cut off in her throat before it could even come out—his nose was almost touching hers, and his warm breath smelled of minty toothpaste.

"You want spiritual power so badly?" He said in a low voice, his fingers gently stroking the tip of her burning ear. "I'll teach you a better way."

Xixi held her breath, watching him get closer and closer. Just as their lips were about to touch, Gu Tinglan suddenly turned his face away and whispered in her ear:

"Finish the 'Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation' to ensure you have plenty of spiritual energy."

Xixi: ...? What's the meaning? Where's the spiritual power?

While she was stunned, Gu Tinglan had already stood up swiftly, picked her up and threw her back on the bed: "Go to sleep. If you make trouble again, don't even think about entering my room next time."

Xixi hugged the quilt in her arms, stunned, until she heard the even breathing sound coming from the floor, then she realized - she had been fooled!

"Gu Tinglan!" She kicked the mattress angrily.

The only response she got was a lazy, nasal, "Hmm?"

"..." Xixi held it in for a long time, and finally uttered: "You wait!"

In the darkness, the corners of Gu Tinglan's mouth rose quietly.