Aside from a small minority, the private lives of most succubi are notoriously chaotic—so much so that every crackdown usually nets a few repeat offenders.
They switch partners like changing clothes, join in all sorts of activities, and don’t exactly uphold a stellar reputation. Men usually don't have the highest opinion of succubi, but given the chance to get close, few would refuse.
Yet, here in a classroom, two "disgraces to succubi" were making quite the odd sight.
Ning Chu could feel Zhang Shaoqing and Wang Jie's eyes ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) lingering on her, but there wasn’t much she could do. All she could do was pray they'd understand to keep their hands off her.
She slumped over her desk, sniffling now and then, feeling her body growing increasingly sore and weak, and an unexplainable chill creeping over her.
Each breath brushed against her upper lip, carrying a slight hint of feverish heat.
Thankfully, there was no COVID in this world, or she might have suspected she'd caught it.
"Finally, class is over!" Yan Xinya stretched, hopping up with a cheerful shout. "What’s next? Lily, let’s hit the cafeteria for a bite first, shall we?"
"Mhm."
Lily rose gracefully, holding her skirt as she followed behind Yan Xinya, looking somewhat absent-minded as she left the classroom.
“Ning Chu?”
Only then did Wen Yang gently nudge Ning Chu, who was still slumped over her desk. “Don’t just lie there; class is over.”
"Wen Yang... I don’t feel so well."
“Not feeling well?”
Her usually charming, delicate face rose slightly, but her lovely eyes were half-closed, a look of fatigue lingering in her expression. Her cheeks were flushed with an unusual redness, a vulnerable, sickly appearance that was almost endearing.
He paused, instinctively using the back of his hand to check her forehead. “You’ve got a fever. You were just sniffling earlier, weren’t you?”
“Mmm...” Ning Chu continued to lie weakly on the desk, sneezing softly before murmuring, “A little cold...”
Without hesitation, Wen Yang took off his jacket and draped it over Ning Chu’s shoulders. “I’ll take you to the nurse’s office.”
“That’s not necessary, is it?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
Clearly, she’d caught a cold after getting drenched in last night’s downpour.
He carefully helped her up, fastening his coat around her. “How does that feel? Still cold?”
“I’m not sure~”
Her legs wobbled slightly as she leaned her head on his shoulder, clutching at his jacket.
“What’s going on? You were full of energy earlier,” Zhang Shaoqing leaned over with a curious look.
“She’s got a bit of a fever, so I’m taking her to the nurse’s office.”
“Need help?”
“No need.”
Even though she felt weak all over, her fever wasn’t so bad that she needed someone to help her walk. But seeing Wen Yang so attentive, Ning Chu couldn’t bring herself to act perfectly fine.
Besides, she didn’t really want to put on a strong front in front of Wen Yang.
Comfortably nestled in Wen Yang’s arms, she took her time as he helped her to the nurse’s office.
The same nurse from last semester was there, and seeing the two familiar figures, he couldn’t resist teasing, “How many times is this now? The semester just started, and you’re back again.”
Since fainting during training last year, Ning Chu had been here a few times, each time with the same nurse.
He’d practically watched this couple go from awkward strangers to familiar acquaintances, and then to a close-knit pair.
Each visit seemed to reflect a new stage in their relationship.
“Sir, she seems to have a fever,” Wen Yang said.
“Alright, let’s take your temperature.” The nurse pulled a thermometer from the pen holder and handed it over. “Place it under your arm and hold it in place. I’ll tell you when it’s done.”
“Mhm.”
Wen Yang gently unbuttoned Ning Chu’s coat and outer jacket, slipping the thermometer under her arm.
Looking weary, Ning Chu let him take care of her without complaint.
“What symptoms does she have?”
“Fever, sniffles, a stuffy nose—she probably got a bit of rain last night.”
“Let her speak.”
Ning Chu lifted her head, taking a moment to assess how she felt before continuing, “Just low energy and a bit of a sore throat.”
She could clearly see the teasing glint in the nurse’s eyes, making her sit up straighter, feeling slightly awkward.
“The thermometer, please.”
Obediently, she handed the thermometer over.
“No serious issue, I’ll give you some medicine to take after eating,” the nurse said as he handed over the medication, casually teasing Wen Yang, “You’ve got such a beautiful girlfriend, yet you couldn’t keep her from getting sick in the rain?”
“When I first met her, she was practically a tomboy, and look at her now, blossoming beautifully—you got lucky, didn’t you?”
The nurse, quite a chatterbox, seemed to have stored up conversation from his usually slow days.
Wen Yang smiled, slightly embarrassed, nodding in agreement.
Not only had she become increasingly charming, but back then, who’d have guessed she was a succubus?
With the medicine in hand, they had already missed almost ten minutes of class.
As they left the nurse’s office, Ning Chu couldn’t help but complain, “That nurse sure likes to talk...”
Though she hadn’t been teased directly, she still felt embarrassed as the one being fussed over.
“He means no harm.” Wen Yang shivered slightly in just a thin sweater as the cold wind hit him. “Why don’t you take the morning off to rest?”
“I’d rather sleep in the classroom~ It’s cozier during the day.”
The rain still hadn’t stopped, and the air was chilly and damp. But wrapped in Wen Yang’s jacket, nestled in his arms, Ning Chu didn’t feel the cold at all.
She even felt a bit warm.
They made their way back to the classroom slowly, only to find the teacher absent, replaced by a noisy group of students.
Lily had taken out her pet octopus, placing it in a clear cup, drawing the admiring gazes of several girls.
“Where did you get that? It’s adorable!”
“Why doesn’t it move much?”
“Can we take it out and play with it?”
Lily maintained her usual cool demeanor, though the pride in her eyes was hard to miss.
Hearing approaching footsteps, she turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the crowd gathered around her octopus before landing on Ning Chu and Wen Yang, who were walking toward her.
“No,” she refused, hastily tucking the cup back into her coat pocket, as if protecting some precious treasure.
“What’s all the fuss about?” Wen Yang asked curiously.
“Lily has an ultra-cute octopus!”
The excited girls around her scrambled to express their admiration, but the sight of Ning Chu’s narrowed glare quickly sent them scattering back to their seats with playful giggles.
“Where did you two go?” Yan Xinya asked, intrigued.
“I went to get some medicine for Ning Chu; she’s not feeling well.”
“Oh~ You wouldn’t think that from the jealous look she just gave!” Yan Xinya teased.
Ning Chu’s mouth twitched as she pretended not to hear, settling herself at her desk. “Where’s the teacher? Class should’ve started by now, right?”
“No idea...” Yan Xinya glanced at her phone, where a message from their class monitor popped up. “An’an just said the teacher’s busy, so this class is rescheduled to Saturday morning at eight.”
“Only telling us now...”
She muttered, glancing over at Lily, surprised to see her so attached to the little octopus, carrying it everywhere with her.
Who knows if that sneaky black cat had chosen a magical girl yet. If not, maybe she’d have to take matters into her own hands.
She’d better verify that octopus’s true identity soon! Otherwise, if Lily ended up getting ambushed by her own pet someday, caught in some tentacle fiasco, it would be a disaster!
