Early on a weekend morning, Ning Chu pushed open the door to Yan Xinya’s dorm room.
She peeked inside, spotting Lin Li, who was rummaging through her closet in just her underwear.
Startled by the door opening, the fox spirit instinctively covered her chest with both hands and turned toward the door.
“Oh, it’s just you, Ning Chu... Could you try knocking first?” Lin Li relaxed her tense posture, rolling her eyes. “You practically treat this place like your own dorm, coming by all the time.”
“Where are Lily and Xinya?”
“Still asleep.”
Comfortable in front of her friends, Lin Li wasn’t the least bit self-conscious as she continued picking out clothes, despite being dressed in just black lace lingerie.
Ning Chu casually took a seat, her face slightly flushed as she couldn’t help sneaking glances at Lin Li’s figure before awkwardly shifting her gaze to the ceiling.
She had to admit, Lin Li had a perfectly balanced figure.
Thanks to years of dancing and dieting, Lin Li’s body was toned and lean, with a flat stomach and muscular calves. She was tall, slender, and had long, graceful legs.
Looking at the former female antagonist who had once lusted after Wen Yang, Ning Chu couldn’t resist comparing herself to Lin Li.
In most areas, she felt she measured up, but as her gaze drifted to her own thighs and stomach...
She glanced down at her legs, noticing how the flesh spread slightly over the seat of the chair. Instinctively, she lifted her legs and sucked in her stomach, hiding her envy deep within her eyes.
"Heading out so early?"
“Going for a run. I have dance practice later, with the holiday approaching.”
Noticing Ning Chu’s little pang of self-doubt, Lin Li flicked her fiery red tail with pride, taking her time as she fussed with small details, purposefully strutting back and forth in front of Ning Chu.
“Achoo!”
“If you don’t get dressed, you’ll definitely catch a cold.”
With a light scoff, Lin Li swiftly dressed in casual clothes. “I’m heading out. Don’t touch my stuff.”
She closed the door behind her, letting out a long breath as she finally relaxed her stomach.
Being a girl, it was nearly impossible to have no belly at all.
With the fox spirit gone, Ning Chu felt much more at ease.
She stood on her tiptoes, glancing over at the beds.
Yan Xinya was sprawled across her pillow in thick cotton pajamas, her blanket kicked to the corner of the bed and drool glistening at the corner of her mouth, completely lacking any ladylike sleep posture.
Lily, on the other hand, was much more composed, lying neatly on her back with her blanket perfectly in place.
Both of them looked like they’d be asleep for a while.
Ning Chu turned her attention to the transparent cup on Lily’s desk beside her laptop.
The tiny octopus inside looked sluggish, lying at the bottom with ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ two tiny shrimp floating in the water. After just a few days, the poor creature seemed nearly on the verge of death from neglect.
Having discussed the habits of demonic creatures with Qian Qian, Ning Chu knew that newly spawned demons were weak, easily squashed, and without any real intellect. They merely acted on instinct, seeking to parasitize a male host until they reached maturity, at which point they would take over the host’s body and mind, driven by the primal urge to hunt.
She still didn’t quite understand why tentacle demons could only possess men and prey exclusively on women.
After all, in the tentacle-themed fiction she’d read, some of them also targeted men.
“Ning Chu?”
A soft, sleepy voice came from above. Ning Chu looked up to see Lily leaning over the edge of her bed, watching her curiously.
“When did you get here?”
“Not long ago. Wen Yang went out to work again,” Ning Chu sighed. “That guy can’t sit still unless he’s earning some money on weekends.”
They’d planned to celebrate Wen Yang’s birthday today, but he had left early to take on a part-time job.
With nothing to do, Ning Chu had decided to come here to pass the time.
“Oh...” Lily’s gaze held a hint of unease.
"Is it just me, or do you look even prettier?” Ning Chu eyed her with admiration. “In class, I thought you were wearing makeup.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Really! Your features look more refined, your skin’s flawless, and it even looks like your chest has grown a bit!”
“Does it?”
A hint of pride appeared on Lily’s usually composed face.
Ning Chu looked at her expectantly. “How did you manage it?”
“I got a new skincare product,” she paused briefly, “an imported one. It costs over ten thousand a bottle—my mom bought it for me.”
"Never mind, then!"
So that’s what it’s like to have rich parents!
If only her own brother had the motivation. But he’d been snatched up by another woman before he even had a chance with Lily!
Not that she thought her unimpressive brother could have won Lily’s heart anyway. With Lily’s advantages, she could practically pick anyone she wanted.
Ning Chu glanced down at the octopus on the desk and asked, “That octopus is about to die, isn’t it?”
“It doesn’t eat anything.”
Lily crept out of bed, careful not to wake Yan Xinya.
Dressed in just a thin nightgown, she quickly slipped on a thick robe as soon as her feet hit the floor, which brought Ning Chu’s shy gaze back to her.
They were both succubi, both women, with all the same "parts," yet Ning Chu still got embarrassed over the strangest things.
“Maybe it doesn’t eat meat?”
“Herbivorous?”
“Who knows? Have you tried taking it out?” Ning Chu gently tapped the side of the cup, but the octopus remained completely still. “Is it dead?”
“No.”
Lily pulled up a chair and sat down, resting her chin on her hands as she stared at the little octopus, lost in thought.
“Hey, Lily! I want to surprise Wen Yang tonight!”
Finally bringing up the reason for her visit, Ning Chu leaned closer to Lily and asked quietly, “What kind of surprise would make Wen Yang really happy?”
Without hesitation, Lily replied, “Wash up and present yourself in bed.”
“No.”
“Too shy?”
Ning Chu shook her head. “Not that. Any other ideas?”
They’d done similar things too many times already. She’d even gone as far as tying herself up with rope, positioning herself provocatively to greet him when he came home.
For Wen Yang, it probably wouldn’t be much of a surprise by now.
“Preferably nothing too... risqué. Something warm and meaningful.”
If it really came down to needing some creative play, she could always borrow ideas from some of the more suggestive fiction she’d read. At least that way, she could eliminate a potential rival character from the scene.
Lily was about to suggest something else, but upon hearing Ning Chu’s request, she looked completely stumped.
Ning Chu rolled her eyes. “Is everything you know just... that?”
“Well, you’re the same...” Lily muttered, “How about cooking for him?”
“I can’t cook~” Ning Chu sighed, frustrated.
She knew a home-cooked meal with candlelight would make a lovely surprise, but her cooking skills were barely at beginner level.
She’d tried learning from Lily and her mom, but cooking just didn’t seem to click with her.
“Then, what does Wen Yang need most?”
“What he needs most... money?”
