Chapter 16: Familiar cute little Loli

“Junior Su Qi, you’re here! Over here, over here~~”

After surviving the elevator incident and politely dodging a few strangers’ attempts to hit on him, Su Qi arrived at the entrance of Lin Yin Mansion just before the appointed time.

Having messaged Lin Xue on Tengxin, he spotted her waiting under a parasol.

As always, Lin Xue was stunning. But with evening approaching, her outfit was less conservative than her usual school attire.

She wore summer hot pants, showcasing her long, fair legs brimming with youthful energy.

Her upper body sported a cute Pikachu crop top, the character’s cheerful grin stretched by her… generous figure.

Su Qi couldn’t help but notice… ‘Lin Xue-jie seems pretty well-endowed.’

‘Though, compared to Wen Yin-jie, she might be a tad smaller?’

While Su Qi observed her, Lin Xue was sizing him up.

Though his Crisp Wife form today differed from his “Boss Su” bento persona—hair color and style altered, with a livelier, less mature aura—most wouldn’t recognize him.

But as a vampire, Lin Xue had an edge: she could identify people by their blood’s scent.

As Su Qi approached, she twitched her nose, catching the faint, sweet fragrance of his blood.

Gulp~

She swallowed, her tongue subtly licking her red lips, her cute fangs in her pink mouth lengthening slightly.

‘Junior Su Qi’s blood smells even sweeter in this form!’

‘I really want to taste it right now!’

Slurp~

Despite her excitement, with Su Qi now at her side, Lin Xue suppressed her urges.

Though she alone knew his “ability identity” and could probably coerce a taste of his blood, she was an adult who valued long-term gains over short-term gratification.

Building a good relationship with Su Qi was smarter than pushing him away with threats.

Besides, she genuinely liked this shy, non-aggressive, low-key, and deliciously sweet boy.

‘Dating a junior like him… wouldn’t be a bad choice!’

Unaware of Lin Xue’s whirlwind of thoughts, Su Qi felt an odd sensation standing beside her.

It was hard to describe—like a mouse being eyed by a cat.

‘Does Lin Xue-jie have a thing for me?’

The thought barely formed before he dismissed it.

‘As the campus beauty, how could she like a guy like me?’

‘Especially since she knows my secret. No way.’

‘Must be interview nerves.’

“Lin Xue-jie, thanks for meeting me,” Su Qi said, waving politely to shake off his jumbled thoughts.

As he lowered his hand to ask about the Cangyou Wildcat Team, a soft, silky touch interrupted him.

“Wow, Junior Su Qi, your hands are smaller in this form! So soft and smooth—cuter than mine!” Lin Xue teased, playfully holding and rubbing his hand against her cheek.

Though Su Qi knew Lin Xue was bold and outgoing from past encounters, this caught him off guard.

As a lifelong single guy, having a beautiful girl hold his hand so intimately—rubbing it against her face—was overwhelming.

After a brief daze, he yanked his hand back like he’d been shocked, hiding it behind him and staring at her with confused peach-blossom eyes.

Facing his startled gaze, Lin Xue shook her head, adopting a serious tone. “Junior Su Qi, that was a test.”

“Test? What test?” Su Qi asked, thrown by the sudden shift.

With a playful twirl of her parasol, Lin Xue stepped behind him, grabbing his hand again—tighter this time to prevent escape.

Guiding him toward the apartment, she leaned in, whispering, “Junior Su Qi, I know you’re a shy, self-respecting boy. But you’re missing a detail: in this form, you’re a girl. If you act too shy around other girls, people might notice something off. You don’t want your secret exposed, right?”

Her reasoning made Su Qi pause, though it felt off.

Reflecting, he realized he was still acting like a boy in his transformed state, which could indeed raise suspicions.

As he pondered how to mimic his female classmates’ interactions, a warm breath with a faint jasmine scent brushed his ear.

Slurp~

A soft, warm sensation grazed his earlobe.

Under the JK outfit’s agility boost, Su Qi shivered, his breath quickening, letting out a cute squeak.

His delicate earlobe, now faintly flushed like a half-ripe cherry, looked adorably sweet.

“Giggle, Junior Su Qi, your reaction’s too big! As a girl, that’s a failing grade,” Lin Xue teased, savoring the “appetizer” of his earlobe.

Facing his mildly annoyed glare, she offered a flippant excuse and leaned closer again.

Hearing “failing grade” and seeing her act like nothing happened, Su Qi’s frustration grew.

He’d been teased since they met.

‘Girl talk is fine, but… licking?!’

‘That’s not normal!’

Using his high agility, he yanked his hand free and stepped a meter away.

Feeling the empty air and seeing Su Qi’s swift dodge, Lin Xue felt a mix of disappointment and surprise.

Surprise, because his agility—likely over 25—was higher than expected.

Disappointment, because it was clear Su Qi was miffed.

Truthfully, she knew her actions were a bit much.

They’d only met a few times; licking was too forward.

But Su Qi’s blood was so tantalizingly sweet!

Facing his irritation, Lin Xue had a plan ready.

Clearing her throat to get his attention, she spoke calmly. “Junior Su Qi, I went too far. My bad. But there’s a reason. You’ve researched the Cangyou Wildcat Team, right?”

Hearing her admit fault and shift to business, Su Qi’s anger eased, though he was still wary of her teasing.

With the apartment nearing, he compromised.

‘No choice, I’m here for the interview.’

‘As they say, women and villains are tough to handle. A good man doesn’t fight girls.’

After some mental pep talk, he listed, “From my research, the Cangyou Wildcat Team has five members: you, Lin Xue-jie, Elf Miss, Sleep Master, River Hero, and Shield Mountain.”

Lin Xue clapped, impressed. “Not bad, Junior Su Qi. You did your homework. But did you notice you used nicknames, not real names?”

Her comment made him pause.

New to abilities, he hadn’t paid much attention to names.

Stopping before Building 3 of Lin Yin Mansion, Lin Xue’s playful demeanor faded, her tone serious. “Junior Su Qi, you’re new to this. In a world where names can hint at abilities, using real names risks exposing your powers. In society, it’s fine, but in the lawless Sacred Ruins, revealing your ability is like showing your cards. You could get robbed or worse.”

She paused, then smirked. “Though, looking as pretty as you do, you probably wouldn’t be killed—just… other things. Tsk tsk. So, for safety, pick a fake name. It’ll keep your real identity safe too. You don’t want your boy side exposed, right?”

Her words, though teasing at the end, rang true.

If someone traced his real name, he’d dread another “you don’t want X exposed” scenario.

As he pondered a pseudonym, a lively, cute loli voice called out.

“Lin Xue-jie, you brought Boss Su! Wow, Boss Su, you’re so pretty today!”

Looking up, Su Qi saw a twin-tailed, white-stockinged elf-like loli with clear, aqua eyes gazing at him, her mischievous charm oddly familiar.

‘Where have I seen her?’

Glancing down, he noticed her white sneakers.

Hiss~

‘Those shoes… didn’t they step on me this morning?!’

‘No way, it can’t be that coincidental!!!’