Toy

Sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, casting a warm glow on the floor. Xixi sat cross-legged on the bed, a Pocky stick in her mouth, dangling her feet idly. Suddenly, she used her uninjured foot to gently kick Gu Tinglan, who was watching a tablet next to her.

Although she survived, she suffered some skin injuries. Since she had become a human and had no healing skills, she just rested in bed. For fear that she would be bored, Gu Tinglan always gave her some fun things and delicious snacks.

But she felt her injured leg was much better now, so there was no need to keep her confined to bed like a prisoner.

"Gu Tinglan," she said vaguely, her cheeks slightly puffed up by the chocolate bar, "Can you take me to see them?"

Gu Tinglan raised his eyes from the screen and looked at her, "Who?"

"Just... my people." Xixi bit off the biscuit with a crunch and moved closer to him, her eyes sparkling with a bit of cunning and curiosity. "I have to check with my own eyes whether they are doing well and whether they can adapt to human life. Anyway, you promised me that you would give them a good home. If you can't do it, I will eat you." She deliberately bared her teeth and acted fiercely, but it had no deterrent effect.

"You don't seem to blame them at all." Gu Tinglan said with amusement, looking at her aggressive appearance.

"Blame them? What's there to blame? Is it because they hate me?" Xixi tilted her head. The moment she learned the truth, she felt sad, unbelievable, shocked and blamed herself, but she never complained.

"But it's all because of me that they became like that," Xixi said calmly, as if it was a matter of course. "It's normal for them to hate me, right?"

"Actually, no one really hates you." A trace of heartache flashed in Gu Tinglan's eyes.

However, Xixi didn't really care. She just said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter. I just hope they can live a normal life. I won't have any contact with them in the future anyway."

They had never met when she was a succubus, and she didn't have any deep feelings for them. She just hoped that after all the disasters she had brought about were over, they could return to their own ways.

Gu Tinglan looked at her rejuvenated appearance, a barely perceptible tenderness flashed across his eyes, and he closed the tablet. "Let's go now?"

"Of course! I'm full of energy now! My legs don't hurt anymore, but I'm almost bored to death." Xixi jumped out of bed so quickly that Gu Tinglan frowned and quickly reached out to support her to avoid hurting her unhealed injury.

As the car drove into the quiet yet heavily guarded park on the outskirts of the city, Xixi curiously peeked out the window. "Wow, this place looks so expensive! As expected of Young Master Gu."

Seeing her mention this unwelcome title again, Gu Tinglan glanced at her helplessly and retorted lightly, "Then you are Miss Gu."

"Huh?" Xixi said with a little surprise, her mind still confused. "Are there lovers who eventually become siblings?"

Gu Tinglan: “…”

"You're quite humorous." He shook his head helplessly. "You learn strange things quite quickly."

"Why don't you say that we are both Narcissus?" Gu Tinglan raised an eyebrow and imitated her words to fight back, "After all, we share the same heart."

However, Xixi didn't feel attacked. Instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of taboo in her heart. She felt very excited, so she nodded excitedly, "Alright, okay?"

Seeing that she seemed very happy, Gu Tinglan glanced at her and said nothing.

Entering the small white building, Xixi immediately fell silent. Through the glass, she gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar faces inside. They were no longer the enchanting succubi, but a group of "human girls" clumsily wielding pens, tapping on their phone screens, and even frustrating themselves over not being able to tie their shoelaces.

Some of them, under the guidance of the teacher, carefully tried to eat a piece of cake, with expressions as if they had discovered a new world; some practiced how to smile naturally in front of the mirror, instead of the seductive smile they used to have; and a few gathered together, seemingly discussing newly bought skirts, with the excitement and shyness of ordinary girls in their eyes.

The ignorance and hard work on their faces, as if they were just starting out in the world, made Xixi feel a little sad.

Gu Tinglan stood beside her, explaining in a low voice, "What they learned before... weren't normal survival skills. Now that they've lost their magic, they even need to learn how to take the bus and go to the supermarket to buy groceries from scratch. This world has never been very friendly to beautiful women who have no ability to protect themselves."

His tone was calm, but Xixi keenly caught a faint, almost perfectly concealed emotion. She turned her head and saw that Gu Tinglan's jawline was indeed a little tense, and his eyes fell on the girls, but it seemed as if he saw something else through them.

Suddenly, he took a very light breath, and lowered his voice even more, with an indescribable stagnation, "...None of this should have happened to you in the first place."

Xixi tilted her head and looked at him in confusion.

Gu Tinglan's fingertips curled up unconsciously, and his eyes dropped, avoiding her gaze. "If... if the Gu family hadn't lost the Demon-Suppressing Bell back then... the Lin family wouldn't have gotten it... and you wouldn't have..." His voice choked, and the rest of the words were almost difficult to say, "...you wouldn't have been turned into a succubus, wouldn't have lost your heart, wouldn't have suffered for so many years... and they wouldn't have..."

Although he often felt depressed since he learned that his parents might have trained him as the "savior" of the Gu family since he was a child, he was ultimately a member of the Gu family.

The intense remorse was like an invisible shackle, strangling him so hard that he could barely breathe. He had always believed that the Gu family was the source of all these tragedies. And as the heir of this generation of the Gu family, he naturally bore a share of this sin.

Xixi was stunned. She looked at Gu Tinglan's downcast eyebrows and the tightly pursed lips that revealed not his usual coldness but a heavy, almost painful sense of guilt.

She blinked, and suddenly stretched out her hand, not to hug him, but to pinch Gu Tinglan's cheeks hard and pull them outwards!

"Hmm?" Gu Tinglan was caught off guard and forced to look up, looking at her blankly. His usually expressionless face was distorted by her, and it actually looked a little... funny.

"Gu Tinglan," Xixi leaned in very close, her amber eyes fixed on him. Her tone was more serious than ever, even carrying a hint of disappointment. "What kind of nonsense are you thinking about all day long?"

She loosened her hands, put her hands on her hips, and looked like a pissed off little fox. "The Gu family lost a bell, that's the Gu family's business! Those bastards from the Lin family took the bell and didn't do anything about it. That's how evil the Lin family is! What does it have to do with you? Huh? How old are you? Are you going to be held responsible for a mess from hundreds of years ago?"

She grew angrier as she spoke, her finger nearly poking his nose. "So, should I go after the first person who made the knife? Because he made the knife, someone later used it to kill someone?"

Gu Tinglan was stunned by her series of crackling questions, and the heavy sense of self-blame in his heart was actually dispelled a little by her unreasonable logic.

Xixi looked at him in a daze, and suddenly stood on tiptoe. She didn't give him a gentle kiss, but bit his lips lightly with a hint of venting, then quickly backed away.

"Hiss..." Gu Tinglan felt pain and subconsciously pursed his lips.

"This is a punishment!" Xixi glared at him, her cheeks puffed up. "I'm punishing you for blindly taking responsibility for yourself! I'm punishing you for letting your imagination run wild!"

She paused, her tone suddenly softened. She stretched out her finger and gently touched the place where he had been bitten, her eyes flickering, "And... if I hadn't turned into a succubus, how could I have met you? Although the process was a bit unlucky... but the result..." Her voice became smaller and smaller, her ears turned slightly red, and she was too embarrassed to continue the rest of the words.

Gu Tinglan grabbed her hand that was about to retract and held it in his palm. Looking at her awkward appearance but trying hard to comfort herself, the frozen self-blame in his heart finally melted completely and was replaced by a hot, sour and warm emotion.

He sighed, gently pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, "...making excuses."

Xixi hummed proudly in his arms, leaned against him quietly for a while, then raised her head, her face regaining her lively expression. "I've seen them, they're pretty good! Let's go, let's go home! I'm hungry! I want to eat hot pot! The super spicy kind!"

She took his hand and walked out, as if she was just here for a simple inspection. Once the inspection was passed, she would have no worries.

Gu Tinglan was dragged away by her, looking at her excited back, the sunlight dancing on the tips of her hair.

Yeah, it's all over.

Those heavy sins and past may not be truly erased, but what is important is that they grasp the present and the future.

"Okay," he held her slightly cold fingers with his backhand, a clear arc at the corner of his lips, "Let's go home and eat hot pot."

Back at the apartment, the warm yellow light dispelled the chill outside. Xixi hung on Gu Tinglan's back like a koala, watching him wash vegetables, slice lamb, and mix the dipping sauce. From time to time, she'd mess around, stealing a piece of cut fruit or suddenly shoving her cold hand into the back of his neck, causing him to wince helplessly.

"Gu Tinglan, please give me more shrimp paste!"

"Gu Tinglan, where's the beef roll? My favorite beef roll!"

"Wow! This tripe looks so fresh!"

The kitchen was filled with her chattering and the spicy aroma of boiling hot pot base, a strong sense of homeliness that dissipated the previously heavy atmosphere. Gu Tinglan indulged her noise, a slight but real smile on his lips.

Finally, all the ingredients were laid out on the table, the red oil bubbling and bubbling in the pot, emitting tempting steam. Xixi couldn't wait to sit down, her eyes shining as she stared at the nearly cooked beef in the pot, her chopsticks already raised in the air.

Just then, "Ding Dong——" the doorbell rang.

They were both stunned. Who could it be at this hour?

Gu Tinglan wiped his hands and said, "I'll go take a look."

He walked to the door and looked out through the peephole, his brows slightly raised, as if he was a little surprised. He opened the door and saw Xi Yin standing outside.

She had changed out of her sharp battle attire for a well-cut off-white trench coat. Her long hair was tied up, revealing her elegant neck. She was holding two exquisite gift bags. If it weren't for the hard-to-disguise succubus-like gleam in her eyes, she would have looked like a stylish, sophisticated urban woman.

"Xi Yin?" Xixi also poked her head out from the dining table and exclaimed in surprise.

"Excuse me for disturbing your meal?" Xi Yin smiled slightly, his eyes sweeping across the room, landing on the table full of hot pot ingredients. His eyes revealed just the right amount of nostalgia and a hint of teasing, "What a feast."

"No, no! Come in!" Xixi greeted her quickly, looking at the bag in her hand curiously. "Xiyin, why are you here? And you brought something with you? It seems like you've adapted well."

Xi Yin walked in and handed one of the more delicate and compact velvet bags to Xixi, and placed the other one casually on the cabinet in the hallway.

"I came to see how you're recovering. By the way... I brought you a small gift." She glanced at Xixi meaningfully and added, "However, I suggest you wait until I'm gone before opening it."

"Ah? Why?" Xixi became even more curious. She took the small bag and weighed it. It felt light.

"Be good." Xi Yin smiled and walked towards the dining table without any explanation. "It's been a long time since I tasted such authentic human hot pot. Do you mind if I eat for free?"

"Of course I don't mind!" Xixi's attention was immediately diverted, and she enthusiastically brought her the dishes and chopsticks.

Gu Tinglan glanced at Xi Yin and said nothing. He just went to the kitchen silently and got another set of tableware.

The meal was quite lively. Xi Yin had clearly adapted much better to the human world than the newly transformed succubi. Her speech and demeanor were natural and appropriate, and she even managed to chat with Gu Tinglan about the current economic situation. However, when she occasionally glanced at Xi Xi, a subtle, complex emotion would flicker across her eyes: love, relief, and perhaps even a hint of... mischievous anticipation?

After the meal, Xi Yin didn't stay any longer. He wiped his mouth gracefully and stood up to say goodbye. Before leaving, he reminded Xi Xi meaningfully, "Remember to look at the gift alone."

As soon as Xi Yin left, Xixi felt like her heart was being scratched by a kitten's claws. The "mysterious gift" made her feel uneasy.

"What is it? So mysterious..." She muttered, grabbed the small velvet bag, ran into the bedroom barefoot, and closed the door.

Gu Tinglan was cleaning up the dishes in the living room. He shook his head and let her go.

In the bedroom, Xixi sat cross-legged on the bed and eagerly opened the velvet bag. Inside was not the jewelry or cosmetics she had imagined, but several small objects with very strange shapes and soft textures.

There were pink balls with tiny bumps that vibrated slightly; there were long-handled soft brushes with feathery textures that felt wonderful in the hand; and there were also several silicone products with indescribable shapes and an ambiguous sheen...

Xixi picked up the pink ball and pressed the button on it curiously.

"Buzz——" The small ball immediately vibrated at high speed in her palm, making a slight sound.

"Huh?" She felt an itch on her palm, and the vibration seemed familiar. She tilted her head, a look of pure curiosity on her face, and picked up the feather brush again. She swept the tip of the feathers across her arm, the touch gentle. "Is this... for tickling?"

She picked them up one by one, examining them carefully, trying to understand their purpose, her expression as serious as if she were studying some profound magical instrument. She was completely unaware of the true purpose of these "toys".

Just as she picked up a ring-shaped object and tried to put it around her wrist, the bedroom door was pushed open.

Gu Tinglan finished cleaning the kitchen and was about to ask her if she wanted some fruit, but when he pushed the door open, he saw his little succubus—no, now his little human—sitting among a pile of brightly colored, ambiguous sex toys. In her hand, she was holding an extremely familiar object that definitely shouldn't be there, and she was innocently trying to move it towards her slender wrist...

Gu Tinglan: “…”

His footsteps instantly stopped at the door, and his expression froze. His gaze slowly shifted from Xixi's blank and innocent face to the ring in her hand, and then to the pile of "greeting gifts" Xiyin had given him on the bed...

The air seemed to be completely still at this moment.

When Xixi saw him, she happily raised the thing in her hand and shared her discovery, "Tinglan, look! The gift my sister gave me is so strange. What is this ring for? Is it for wearing on your wrist? It seems a bit loose..."

"And this furry soft brush, is it for scratching?" As she said this, she was about to put it on the back of her neck, but was stopped by Gu Tinglan.

Gu Tinglan took a deep breath, feeling the veins on his forehead throbbing. He closed the bedroom door behind him and walked towards the bed, his eyes dark and terrifying.

"Xi, Yin." He squeezed out these two words from between his teeth.

Then, he looked at Sissi, who was still holding the "circle" and completely unaware of the danger, and spoke slowly and meaningfully:

"These...are not used like this."

"I'll... teach you slowly."