28. That person and the little succubus  

The CEO didn’t go on a business trip, and the student didn’t have exams. Finally, they had a rare leisurely weekend, and both of them instinctively put their worries aside and slept comfortably for the whole day.

It felt as if they could recharge just by embracing each other, sticking closely together, almost forgetting about dinner.

At midnight, the bedroom was filled with a warm and ambiguous atmosphere. The air conditioner, which had been cooling the room, automatically stopped running at the set time.

The high body temperature of a certain Werewolf cub made him sweat and roll around the bed. He hugged the only source of coolness, touching and rubbing against it, relieving the heat of the summer night.

…

“Young Master, that’s a Werewolf.”

“No, it’s a dog.”

“But it really is a Werewolf.”

“I said it’s a dog, so it’s a dog.”

“…”

Silence.

“I want to keep it.”

“…”

An even longer silence.

Enduring the pain, Qiu Rong reluctantly opened one eye and said in a childish voice, “Woof.”

“You see, I told you it’s a dog.”

“…”

The other person sighed almost imperceptibly and finally gave up trying to persuade him. He said, “Okay, I understand.”

And so, Qiu Rong found himself in a gentle embrace. Before being engulfed by darkness, he only had time to see a fair wrist and a tiny red mole on the inside of that wrist.

…

The conversation beside his ear gradually faded, and the dim room became quiet.

Qiu Rong half-opened his eyes, and it took him a while for his brain to realize where he was.

The person beside him moved slightly, so Qiu Rong shifted back. He looked down and saw Yan Ling leaning against his shoulder defenselessly, with slightly parted lips and rosy cheeks from sleeping, showing a rare innocence and looking adorable.

Stealing a kiss on Yan Ling’s cheek, Qiu Rong carefully tucked his own pillow into Yan Ling’s embrace and got up from bed.

When his large palm rested on Yan Ling’s slender wrist, his fingertips instinctively traced the red mole hidden on the inside of his wrist.

Qiu Rong paused for a moment, released Yan Ling’s wrist, and turned to enter the bathroom.

It had been a long time since he last dreamed of that person.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Qiu Rong brushed his teeth while using his other hand to lift the bangs that partially covered his eyebrows.

If you looked closely, there was a faint scar hidden within his thick and straight eyebrows. It slanted from the end of his brow, passing just above his eye.

Originally, there should have been a scar on his eyelid as well, but it made him look too much like a dangerous individual, so Qiu Rong used his healing ability to erase the prominent scar, leaving only the one within his eyebrow.

That was the injury left on Qiu Rong’s body by his uncle Meng Jiadong, who intended to kill him and silence him. It wasn’t just these two scars; there were many more.

At that time, Meng Jiadong searched everywhere for Qiu Rong’s whereabouts. It was too easy to be detected in human form, so eight-year-old Qiu Rong reverted to his original form. His appearance as a young Werewolf cub, if not closely examined, resembled a small stray dog. Qiu Rong managed to escape by blending in with a stray dog’s den.

The injured little Werewolf cub didn’t know who he could trust. He didn’t dare to go anywhere or seek help from anyone. But it wasn’t easy to get along with the stray dogs either. Eight-year-old Qiu Rong was too kind and too naive, even fierce dogs could bully him.

The little Werewolf cub roamed and hid, going hungry at times and eating his fill at others, until he eventually found refuge in A University.

With the students’ feeding, the little Werewolf cub could finally satisfy his hunger, but his body wounds gradually became infected and worsened due to lack of treatment. Some kind-hearted students wanted to take him to a pet hospital, but he didn’t dare to go.

He was a Werewolf, a dangerous species in the eyes of humans. If he went to a pet hospital, Qiu Rong wasn’t sure where he would end up.

The dirty little Werewolf wandered around the school, and there were always sharp-eyed people who could tell he wasn’t a dog. Once again, he was chased by someone trying to catch him and find out the truth. The young Werewolf cub ran desperately, feeling pain and exhaustion.

While running, the little Werewolf cub spotted a hole in the grassy corner of a wall. He crawled through the hole and ended up on the other side of the wall, in the small garden of A University’s affiliated hospital.

The little Werewolf cub’s body was burning hot, and he ran until he was completely exhausted, collapsing on the lawn, thinking that he was about to die.

At that moment, someone picked him up and saved him from his last breath.

Due to the injury on his eye, when the little Werewolf cub woke up again, his eyes were covered with gauze.

Qiu Rong didn’t know who the person who saved him was, but he remembered the red mole on that person’s wrist.

It was also because of the red mole on the wrist that Qiu Rong met Yan Ling that year, causing him to freeze in place for a long time and successfully attracting the attention of the CEO.

However, Qiu Rong was certain that the person who saved him back then was not Yan Ling.

Five years ago, when he returned to City A, Qiu Rong immediately went to the affiliated hospital of A University. Based on the information he overheard with his Werewolf ears that year and through numerous inquiries, he learned that the young man who had saved him had already passed away due to a heart disease.

Qiu Rong could distinguish between gratitude and affection.

Perhaps it was indeed because of that mole that he and Yan Ling had the opportunity to meet and get to know each other, but Qiu Rong never confused Yan Ling with his lifesaver, nor did he attach any feelings of gratitude to Yan Ling.

That would be disrespectful to Yan Ling.

However… this matter happened a long time ago, so why did he suddenly dream about that young man?

Especially the mole on that person’s wrist.

A blood-red mole, contrasting against the snow-white skin.

A hand reached out from in front of him, taking the rinsing cup and toothbrush placed on Qiu Rong’s left side.

His gaze followed the red mole on Yan Ling’s wrist, and Qiu Rong snapped back to reality, lowering his head to spit out the foam in his mouth and rinse with water.

“What are you staring at?” Yan Ling squeezed out some toothpaste, rinsing his mouth while speaking vaguely, “There’s something I need to do at the company. I have to go.”

Qiu Rong collected his thoughts and quickly washed his face, making room for Yan Ling. “Shall I drive you there?”

Yan Ling shook his head. “No need. Someone is coming to pick me up.”

After applying facial cream, Qiu Rong stepped out of the bathroom and said, “Then I’ll go make breakfast. We’ll eat before you leave.”

The sound of running water came from the bathroom, and Yan Ling responded with a sound.

Qiu Rong went back to retrieve his phone from the bedside table and saw two missed calls on it.

Last night, Huo Ye’s messages kept coming in, so he put his phone on silent but forgot to turn it back on.

One of the missed calls was from Zhong Lishu.

After their conversation a couple of days ago, Zhong Lishu had saved Qiu Rong’s phone number, saying that he would contact Qiu Rong if he found any information.

Qiu Rong thought that the events of that year wouldn’t be clarified so quickly. He was about to call back when Zhong Lishu called again.

Qiu Rong quickly answered the call.

“Clan Leader Gu, the center has discovered another deceased person related to the recent cases. Are you interested in coming to the scene?” Zhong Lishu’s voice was calm, but Qiu Rong couldn’t help but frown.

The frequency of recent cases occurring seemed too high.

He glanced at the bathroom and whispered, “Give me the address. I’ll be there right away.”

Both of them were in a hurry, so Qiu Rong didn’t waste any more time. He grabbed some bread and jam from the refrigerator, opened two boxes of yogurt, and quickly filled his stomach.

Vincent was already downstairs, and when Yan Ling saw Qiu Rong following him into the bedroom to change clothes, he asked, “Are you going out too?”

Qiu Rong nodded and replied naturally, “You’re not at home, so I’m going to the laboratory.”

The two husbands left together. Qiu Rong waved to Yan Ling as he watched his car drive away, then he got into his own SUV, activated the in-car navigation, and headed straight to the address Zhong Lishu had sent.

The victim this time lived in an upscale residential area and was a single resident. The property management discovered the situation and called the police. The person who reported it protected the crime scene right away, not allowing anyone to enter.

Even the person who reported it didn’t enter the house.

“…The property management received a complaint from a neighbor and came. They knocked on the door but it was never opened, and no one answered the phone. They were afraid of some accident, so they found a locksmith to unlock the door. The result was a large pool of blood and…”

The crime scene was too gruesome, leaving the assisting police officers at a loss for words.

“And limbs scattered all over the floor,” Zhong Lishu continued.

Qiu Rong put on shoe covers and entered the house. The windows were open, allowing some fresh air to circulate and reducing the intensity of the blood smell. However, just looking at the blood-splattered scene was impactful enough.

A large pool of blood and scattered limbs were right in the center of the living room, directly in front of the entrance. Not even a complete human form could be pieced together.

“You mentioned that the property management received a complaint?” With forensic and criminal investigators still busy in the house, Qiu Rong didn’t move and first asked the young officer who was with Zhong Lishu about the situation.

The young officer said, “Yes, the property management received multiple complaints.”

“Starting from last week, the resident’s garbage has been piling up in the elevator lobby without being taken down, and it started to smell. Some neighbors came to knock on the door, but no one responded. The property management also came, but again, no one opened the door. Finally, the property management had the cleaning staff throw away the garbage, but soon new piles of garbage appeared at the door.”

“Last night, in the early hours of the morning, someone heard very strange noises. It intermittently sounded throughout the night, and it became unbearable. That’s why they called the property management early this morning to complain.”

Qiu Rong asked, “What kind of noises?”

The young officer explained, “My colleague asked the neighbors, but because it was late at night, some people were already asleep and didn’t hear the noises. Some people heard it, but couldn’t recall the specific sound. Only one student who lives downstairs, who stays up late, said that they heard the sound of a dog moving around in the middle of the night.”

“A dog?”

“More precisely, it sounded like the clicking of a dog’s nails on the ceramic tiles—’click clack’ kind of sound,” the young officer said. “The person who called the property management in the morning went to work at the company, and we also asked her, but she couldn’t describe the sound clearly. All she could say was that it was sporadic and frequent, and it annoyed her so much that she eventually put on headphones and fell asleep listening to music.”

Qiu Rong looked at the tiles beneath his feet and the ceiling above, wondering what kind of “dog” it would take to make the noise audible to people downstairs.

The victim was an adult male, a middle-level manager in the finance industry. The police checked his file, and the company stated that he suddenly resigned over ten days ago and had not been in contact since then.

It seemed that the victim had started secluding himself and piling up garbage in the hallway around that time.

Qiu Rong stood at the entrance of the hallway. With his good eyesight, he roughly judged that the remaining human tissues in the living room were perhaps leftovers from something consumed.

He remembered the bite marks on the abusive man Dong Dazhi.

In this series of cases in City A, the victims initially died from blood loss, then the bodies were torn apart. Now, only limbs remained… would there be another crime scene in the future?

When Qiu Rong finished talking to the young officer, Zhong Lishu said, “After the police took control of the scene and realized something was amiss, they immediately contacted the Supernatural Control Center. People from the Special Management Bureau should be in a meeting right now.”

It was typical for them to hold meetings in such situations.

Qiu Rong looked at Zhong Lishu and asked, “And you?”

Zhong Lishu smiled, “I’m an expert sent down from higher up to assist in the investigation. I have a little autonomy, so I came to the scene first.”

Someone who could ride in an unmarked car and possessed various credentials couldn’t just be a mere assisting expert. Qiu Rong didn’t ask further and accepted the identity that Zhong Lishu had given him.

Zhong Lishu continued, “The police have already investigated. Before the victim resigned, he attended a gathering with colleagues on Chunhe Road.”

Chunhe Road was involved again.

Qiu Rong asked, “Was it the same shop that Dong Dazhi went to?”

Zhong Lishu shook his head, “It was a regular KTV. The victim shouldn’t have been involved in any gambling activities.”

“However, the garbage he left in the hallway over the past few days is quite interesting,” Zhong Lishu said. “When the police arrived, there were still several bags of garbage at the door. Upon inspection, they found that all the bags were filled with food packaging.”

“All of them?” Qiu Rong asked.

“All of them. Including but not limited to takeout boxes, instant noodle containers, snack wrappers, and frozen food packaging… From the last time the property management helped dispose of the garbage until now, in three days, he accumulated enough food waste for ten people.”

“Could it be binge eating… It sounds a bit like the behavior of a Taotie,” Qiu Rong speculated.

Zhong Lishu decisively denied, “It wouldn’t be a Taotie.”

“Why?” Qiu Rong asked.

Zhong Lishu thought for a moment and said, “You’ll know when you meet her. This current Taotie is a delicate little girl who disdains consuming humans. The scene of the crime… doesn’t match her aesthetic.”

Unlike other species, Taoties do not have communities. They are passed down individually, and the next Taotie can only be born when the previous one is near death.

The current Taotie had existed for several hundred years at the very least. Zhong Lishu described her as a “delicate little girl.”

How many years had Zhong Lishu lived then?

Qiu Rong couldn’t guess Zhong Lishu’s true form. He sounded like an old monster who had lived for thousands of years.

Naturally, Zhong Lishu couldn’t hear Qiu Rong’s silent musings. He coughed weakly and continued, “The Taotie has already established her own family. Her husband is a human, so she probably doesn’t want to get involved in the supernatural world anymore. However, regarding this ability that incites the desire for binge eating, perhaps she knows something.”

Seeing his weak state, Qiu Rong couldn’t guess anything more.

The on-site investigation and evidence collection have been completed. In cases related to anomalies, it is difficult for the police to make a definitive judgment. However, they did find a claw print.

A bloodstained claw print similar to that of a canine.

“Is it really a ‘dog’?” Qiu Rong put on gloves and entered the living room with Zhong Lishu.

This time, Qiu Rong didn’t need to carefully discern anything. As soon as he stepped into the living room, he felt a wave of energy fluctuations.

“Can you track it?” Zhong Lishu asked.

Qiu Rong didn’t speak. He followed the strongest energy fluctuation.

It led to the bedroom once again.

Last time, the place with the most residual abilities in Dong Dazhi’s house was the bedroom, and now the “dog” claw print found by the police was also in the bedroom.

Without disturbing the scene, Zhong Lishu stayed silent as Qiu Rong entered the bedroom. After surveying the area, he pressed his index and middle fingers together and drew a symbol on the bedside table.

This was a simplified version of the array that Qiu Rong’s father had developed. Initially, it was taught to Qiu Rong to help him find his lost toys.

Qiu Rong couldn’t learn it well and always sought his older brother’s help to find things for him.

Gu Zheng had held Qiu Rong’s small hand and drawn many symbols, but Qiu Rong never managed to learn. However, when no one had the patience to teach him repeatedly, Qiu Rong unexpectedly learned it himself. Even for the symbols he couldn’t use, he memorized them all.

Due to his limited talent, Qiu Rong wasn’t sure if he could sense the culprit, but he had to give it his best shot.

As his fingers came together, a faint golden rune slowly lit up. At the same time, an identical symbol appeared on the wardrobe on the other side of the bedroom.

Upon seeing this, Zhong Lishu’s gaze turned cold, and he stepped forward to open the wardrobe.

Inside, a semi-transparent figure gradually emerged, hidden among the clothes.

As the tracking symbol extinguished, the contents of the wardrobe also transformed from semi-transparent to solid.

Facing the vigilant gazes of Qiu Rong and Zhong Lishu, the succubus  with small wings in the wardrobe let out a cry of “Waaah” and burst into loud sobs.

Huddled amidst the pile of clothes, clutching its peach-shaped tail, the succubus  wiped away its tears and said, “Waaah, big brother~ Please don’t kill me~ I really don’t know anything, waaah!”

Author’s Note:

Succubus: Waaah~ I’m really not a bad person anymore, QwQ~