Chapter 84: A Demon’s Allure and a Midnight Call

With the weekend’s first day on the horizon, people across the city were feeling rather jubilant on Friday night. However, Lin Qing was not among them.

Despite the fact that Lin Qing was not an early riser, his circadian rhythm, disrupted over the past decade, had turned him into a night owl. Compounded by the relentless harassment of nightmares, he often struggled to fall asleep until very late.

Yet, promptly at ten every evening, he would dutifully settle into bed. Even if sleep eluded him, he would close his eyes, feigning slumber, clinging to the hope that one day, his routine would finally normalize.

‘Buzz, buzz.’

Just as Lin Qing had closed his eyes, his phone suddenly vibrated. He initially had no intention of answering, but the persistent buzzing wouldn’t cease. It felt as though the vibrations would continue all night if he didn’t pick up.

Lin Qing opened his eyes, gazing at the familiar ceiling. The small crack on the wall, which he had long noticed, truly seemed to have expanded. With a sigh, he immediately answered the call without even glancing at the screen.

“Lin Qing, it’s already ten. Are you asleep?”

“I am.”

Aside from the police department and his school teachers, the only other person who had Lin Qing’s number was Su Yao, who had added his contact information without his explicit permission. Thus, Lin Qing knew instantly who was calling, without a moment’s thought.

“But I can’t sleep. Do you want to chat for a bit?”

Perhaps it was the allure of the night, but Su Yao’s voice had grown slightly deeper, resonating by his ear. It was as if a captivating enchantress was slowly whispering to him, gradually beginning to bewitch his heart.

“Go on then. It’s not like I can refuse anyway.”

“Clever.”

Upon hearing Lin Qing’s words, Su Yao couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. In the quiet room, her melodious laughter rang clear, sweeping away the solitude that filled the space.

“Tomorrow is just about apprehending Wang Fanran. You’re not so excited you can’t sleep, are you?”

“I just wanted to hear your voice. We only parted ways this evening… If this keeps up, I really might just move into your house!”

As she listened to Lin Qing’s inquiry, Su Yao lay stretched out on her plush, spacious bed. Her gaze drifted upwards to the intricately carved ceiling, where an angelic statue offered a sacred smile. Yet, to her eyes, it appeared profoundly ironic.

She preferred demons to pure angels. Unfortunately, still in her developing stage, she was no match for a fully grown beast, and not everything could proceed as she wished.

Thus, she needed to endure, to bide her time, in order to achieve great things. Having waited for so many years, a few more would make no difference.

Sometimes, Su Yao wondered if the overly strict family atmosphere was what fueled her urge to kill…

However, Su Yao had not neglected to undergo relevant examinations. Whether using her current identity or impersonating others, the results of her physical and psychological assessments were consistently the same: everything was normal.

With her murderous impulses perfectly concealed, her emotional cognition was deemed normal, showing no abnormalities compared to others.

She harbored no thoughts of societal revenge, and even her genetic DNA was without issue.

Furthermore, her psychological resilience was exceptionally strong, far surpassing that of the average person. Her rationality could overpower her desires, allowing her to proceed cautiously, meticulously planning every step.

Yet, her inexplicable craving for slaughter remained utterly unexplainable. Su Yao knew she had to keep this aspect of herself deeply hidden.

In essence, Su Yao was both perfect and contradictory.

Fortunately, all aspects of her examination reports were normal and satisfactory. Otherwise, the succession rights to the Comet Group would have faced numerous twists and turns, rather than being firmly grasped in her hands as they were now.

If she could maintain this facade, the power of the Comet Group would gradually fall into her hands once she reached adulthood. She would become the future master of the Comet Group.

For this day to come, she had to continue maintaining her perfect image, becoming the flawless Su Yao, rather than the contradictory one.

“Su Yao, why are you so fixated on me?”

Lin Qing listened to Su Yao’s teasing. Perhaps it was the lack of face-to-face interaction that made him bolder than usual, prompting him to voice the question that had long lingered in his heart.

Aside from his tragic experience of being imprisoned for ten years, Lin Qing felt he had nothing to attract Su Yao. Yet, Su Yao clung to him as if she were determined to hang herself from his tree, refusing to let go no matter what.

Such persistence was simply pathological.

Literally pathological.

A psychological illness.

“I don’t know.”

After hearing Lin Qing’s question, Su Yao considered it seriously for a moment before replying.

She truly didn’t know. She had initially thought it was mere interest in Lin Qing, but as time went on, she realized her feelings for him ran deeper than that. There were other, underlying reasons.

It was precisely because she wanted to understand these true reasons that Su Yao would not loosen her grip on Lin Qing.

“Are you a demon?”

“Not yet, but I’ll become one eventually~ Be careful with your soul; I’ll claim all of it, leaving no escape for you.”

Lin Qing slowly closed his eyes, and as he listened to Su Yao’s threats, a smile involuntarily tugged at the corners of his lips.

“I’ll tell you a secret.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve already become a demon.”

Perhaps it was his excellent mood, but Lin Qing’s voice was tinged with amusement. Hearing the playful remark from the other end of the line, Su Yao unexpectedly raised an eyebrow.

In her eyes, Lin Qing was merely an adorable kitten, playfully clawing to mask his loneliness.

A demon?

Don’t be ridiculous.

That was a term reserved for her alone.

“Too bad, I’m one step ahead. Check your phone messages before you sleep~ Good night, and sweet dreams!”

Immediately after Su Yao unilaterally ended the call, Lin Qing did not keep his eyes closed.

Curiously, he picked up his phone, lit up the screen, and then, as Su Yao had instructed, opened his message inbox. There, a photograph of a seductive nightgown, without a visible face, immediately caught his eye. Black lace contrasted starkly against pale skin, outlining every curve of a figure with undeniable clarity.

Gazing at the photograph, Lin Qing’s usually composed face instantly flushed crimson.

‘Tonight, sleep will surely evade me.’

‘Su Yao, you little demon!’

****

“Morning. Did you sleep well last night?”

Bright and early the next morning, Su Yao arrived punctually for their meeting. As Lin Qing opened the door, she greeted him with a radiant, flower-like smile, her expression carrying a hint of mischievous teasing.

However, her feigned innocence, asking something she clearly knew, left Lin Qing speechless.

Thanks to the photo Su Yao had sent last night, Lin Qing, who already struggled with sleep, had tossed and turned restlessly, unable to find slumber.

Though the photo Su Yao sent was undeniably sensual, Lin Qing had resolutely deleted it.

Su Yao should not have sent him such explicit and suggestive pictures. If someone with malicious intent were to use that photo against her, even if the chances of success were slim, it would still undoubtedly have an impact.

Regardless of whether Su Yao trusted him implicitly or possessed sufficient confidence to handle any repercussions, such an action could not be repeated in the future.

“Don’t send photos like that again.”

These thoughts ran through Lin Qing’s mind as he spoke, without a moment’s hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Su Yao’s smile became even more dazzling. Yet, she managed to feign a thoughtful expression before finally speaking to Lin Qing.

“Indeed, I shouldn’t send them again. Next time, it would be better if you saw them in person.”

“…”

Lin Qing felt he needed to grow accustomed to Su Yao’s teasing as soon as possible. Fortunately, they had important matters to attend to today, so there was no need to prolong this particular conversation.

Before Su Yao arrived, she had sent a message. Wang Fanran had already reached the vicinity of the residential area.