IPC Chapter 35: Succubus

Interstellar Power Couple

Translator: Lala

Quality Check: Linn

Editor: Chesh

First Published on Chaleuria

Chapter 35: Succubus

The lion’s body was huge and looked exceptionally cramped in Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue’s aircraft, so Zuo Zhihuan told Zuo Qiu to take the Zuo family’s aircraft and give Lei Jue and Xiao Lingyu a ride back. 

Out of politeness, when they arrived at their destination, Lei Jue and Xiao Lingyu invited Zuo Qiu to stay at Bulacca city for two days before going back, but Zuo Qiu, similarly politely, refused them. Zuo Qiu greeted Grandmother and Luo Yuling with the gifts he brought from the Southern Clearwater District, and told Lei Jue and Xiao Lingyu before he left, “Thank you guys for making the trip today, truly. You guys will likely face many troubles in the future, so while I can’t help in other areas, if you come to the Southern Clearwater District again, please allow me to fulfill my duties as the host. Also, as my second younger brother has always been a head above the rest and has been spoiled since he was a child, the way he acts in many situations is a little inappropriate. I hope you guys won’t fault him for this.”

Xiao Lingyu recalled the way Zuo Feng had looked like he was about to burst into angry tears when they left and spent much effort in pushing down his laughter. “You’re being too formal with us, Elder Brother Zuo. If Uncle Zuo has any other problems, feel free to get in touch with us anytime.”

Lei Jue chimed in, “I just couldn’t stand seeing Zuo Feng being a bully. But if the lion really can’t get used to the environment here, I’ll bring him back. Thank you for giving us a lift home too, Elder Brother Zuo.”

Zuo Qiu nodded. “Then I’ll take my leave first. Goodbye.” 

Xiao Lingyu and Lei Jue waved. After Zuo Qiu Left, Xiao Lingyu asked Lei Jue, “Are you really going to give the lion back?”

“We’ll see,” Lei Jue said. “There’s too big of a temperature difference between here and the Southern Clearwater district. I don’t know whether the lion will be able to adapt to it. Also, it’s not like I can hold a grudge against a bratty child anyway.” Moreover, since he was playing the part of a ‘white lotus’, the more someone was insolent towards him, the more kind and forgiving he had to be to them; that way, the entire world would think that they were the bad guy and that Lei Jue was the polite and reasonable one. 

“Pfft!” Xiao Lingyu laughed. “Honey, mind telling me how old you were in your past life? Zuo Feng’s one year older than even me, yet you called him a bratty child.”

“Guess.” Lei Jue lightly scratched Xiao Lingyu’s chin. 

“The same age as me?” His chin felt a little itchy, so Xiao Lingyu rubbed it. 

Lei Jue playfully raised his arms as he walked forward, positioning his left forefinger horizontally, and his right one vertically. 

Xiao Lingyu thought, So he was one year younger than me. He caught up to Lei Jue in two quick steps and pulled him into his arms. “How do you feel about the three brothers of the Zuo family?”

Lei Jue recalled the situation in the Zuo family. “The eldest is an intelligent man, the second kid is an idiot with a halo of blessing over him, and the third is reclusive but has sharp eyes—you could say he’s down-to-earth.”

Seeing that Lei Jue’s opinions were mostly the same as his own, Xiao Lingyu’s smile subconsciously grew wider. But when his gaze landed on the lion lying on the windowsill of their bedroom, his smile faded a little and a new plan flashed by in his mind after. 

After Lei Jue returned home, the first thing he did was to enter the bedroom and check on the little sprout they had planted before. Because Carrera hadn’t been able to find out just what the plant was called and there was no relevant information online, they gave it the temporary name of ‘Little Odd Flower’. Little Odd Flower grew incredibly fast; according to their observations, it had no trouble growing two centimeters a day. Moreover, this was while he wasn’t providing it with any life energy. If he got bored again and decided to touch it, it might even grow three to four centimeters a day. 

It grew so fast it was as if it was trying to point its middle finger at logic. Lei Jue was a little stressed over where to put it after it grew a bit more, because if this speed was kept up it would probably make a hole in the house by the start of spring. But he couldn’t bring himself to give up on raising it, either. 

When it came to Little Odd Flower, he couldn’t name the emotion that he felt towards it. It was a feeling of longing and love that came from the depths of his heart, making him unable to do anything that would hurt it. Otherwise, without these emotions, he would’ve given it a trim with a pair of scissors whenever he got bored, like in the past. 

Xiao Lingyu had also discovered that Lei Jue held strange emotions toward Little Odd Flower. Not only that, but they even shared the same scent. It was almost as though there was some sort of natural connection between them. Because of this, he was even more sure of his plan. 

The next morning, Xiao Lingyu told Lei Jue that he needed to return to work, so he needed to go out. Lei Jue did not ask for details, and since the lion would feel bored trapped inside, he planned on taking the lion out for a walk. 

Xiao Zhicheng asked about how Zuo Zhihuan was doing after breakfast and Lei Jue replied, “It looks pretty serious, but as long as he undergoes continuous treatment, it shouldn’t affect him too much for now.”

Xiao Zhicheng nodded. “Zuo Zhihuan even gave me a call yesterday just to heap praise on you, telling me that you’re kind and smart. It looks like you’ll still need to run back and forth in order to treat him in the future, however.”

Lei Jue didn’t look like he felt that it was much trouble for him and smiled. “That’s a good arrangement. In a sense, isn’t it just right for showing my worth? Otherwise, I would be stressed if I were to stay at home all day with nothing to do.” Most importantly, he received a lot of wisdom energy from healing big issues like this one. If he hadn’t, he actually might not have been able to tame the lion back then. “So if there really is anyone in the future who asks for your help, so long as they are your friend, feel free to say yes and I will do my best to heal them.”

Xiao Zhicheng laughed and shook his head. ‘You really are a godsend.”

Lei Jue laughed too. “Dad, you’re being too honest! Hahaha, then I’ll leave you to it, I’m going to take the lion out for a walk.”

Luo Yuling asked, “Little Jue, will you be alright on your own? How about I go with you?”

Lei Jue patted the lion. “With him here, ordinary people definitely won’t dare to come near me. I’ll be fine. I’m only going to take him to the pet store and see if I can order a set of clothes for him so I can take him out to play often.”

Luo Yuling also felt that it would be too cruel to force the little guy to stay indoors when he had grown used to running around in the wild, so she said, “Sounds like a plan. Be careful, then.”

Xiao Lingyu came down the stairs and handed Lei Jue’s outer coat to him. “I’ve watered Little Odd Flower already. Let’s go, I’ll drop you off first.”

Lei Jue’s aircraft wasn’t as big as Xiao Lingyu’s. When he bought it, he thought that it was dashing with how delicate it looked, and hadn’t considered it too much. However, now he could see the benefits of having a big aircraft—a small aircraft couldn’t fit lions, after all. 

Xiao Lingyu dropped Lei Jue off at the entrance to the pet store. The two stuck out like sore thumbs on their own, but now that they had a crimson flame lion with them it attracted the gazes of even the non-gossip mongers. 

“Oh my god, it’s a crimson flame lion! It looks so cool and dashing ahhhhh!”

“It looks so obedient, it’s not even running around anyway. Wow, I want one too.”

“But crimson flame lions aren’t used to the climate here, right? Doesn’t it look a little cold?”

“Uh, the two gentleman over there—” a staff member, having heard the commotion, couldn’t resist gulping upon seeing the lion by Lei Jue’s side. “May I, may I ask what kind of service your pet requires?”

“I want him to have a bath, and I’d like to order a set of clothing for him too. Is that possible?” Lei Jue stroked the lion’s fur. “If it’s possible then please give him a bath first.”

“If he will cooperate, yes.”

“He will. Come on, lion.” Lei Jue patted the lion, then turned his head to Xiao Lingyu. “You go finish your business first, then come back and pick me up when you’re done.”

“Mm, I might be a bit late. After you’ve finished up over here, remember to give me a call.” Xiao Lingyu kissed Lei Jue’s forehead, then gently swiped his nose with a finger before leaving. The doting way he was acting quickly dyed the atmosphere of the pet center a rosy hue, making a wave of sharp squeals erupt from the surrounding area.

My god, pretending like you’re so cool, Lei Jue inwardly complained. 

After complaining, he thought again, But he was indeed very cool. Also, Xiao Lingyu, did you know beforehand that I like this kind of stuff or something?! Tsk!

Lei Jue rubbed his nose. After taking the lion in, he told him to cooperate with the workers so that they could give it a comfortable bath with warm water. After that, they went and got the measurements for the custom-made clothing. When the designer asked him if he had any special requirements, he told him that he wanted the clothes to have a lightning symbol on it. 

The designer was very fast, since the basic design of the clothes was premade. It just needed a little modification and for the color to be chosen. After he chose the color, she just needed to calculate the size of each piece of cloth on the software she was using according to the lion’s measurements, and the robot tailors would cut the fabric and sew them into complete articles of clothing. 

This process was a bit slower than it would normally take, as the lion was too big, so the clothes were very big as well. Thus, Lei Jue took the lion to the VIP area and used his communicator to scroll through his feed and play a few games. 

There were very few people in the VIP section, and no one dared to disturb Lei Jue. Lei Jue had been playing for about half an hour when they finally finished making the clothes. A crimson article of clothing with a golden lightning symbol was delivered to Lei Jue by the workers. Lei Jue picked it up and examined it, discovering that, despite its size, it was very light and convenient to move in, as well as considerably warm. He ‘discussed’ it with the lion then helped the workers put it on the lion. The lion wasn’t very happy about it in the beginning, but after going outside and realizing that he didn’t feel cold anymore, he immediately changed his mind and no longer wanted to take the clothes off. 

After he confirmed that the lion could wear it, he ordered three more sets of clothes in other colors, telling the workers that he would pick them up in two days. Afterwards, he sent a message to Xiao Lingyu. 

Xiao Lingyu would usually reply quite quickly, but this time it took several minutes for him to send a message back: ‘The financial power of our family will become yours tonight.’

Lei Jue recalled how Xiao Lingyu had asked for his help in maintaining his image of a ‘repentant manwh*re’ back then and replied, ‘No problem. Do I need to dress to impress?’

Embroidery Needle: ‘The He family’s eldest is holding a birthday party. Everyone’s of the same generation, so you don’t need to wear formal clothing.’

Lei Jue indicated that he understood, and Xiao Lingyu sent Carrera over to pick them up. Lei Jue and the lion made a trip back home, and after some thought, he asked Luo Yuling, “Mom, could you recommend a reliable stylist?”

Luo Yuling looked Lei Jue up and down. “Do you want to change your style, Lei Jue? It looks good right now, though. Very ‘Mr. Fresh and Innocent’.”

Lei Jue glanced at himself. “Lingyu said we’re going to the He family, so I can’t be ‘Mr. Fresh and Innocent’ tonight.”

There were benefits to being a ‘Mr. Fresh and Innocent’, but it wasn’t suitable for every occasion. 

So just after Lei Jue finished lunch, a stylist arrived at their home. The stylist was someone Xiao Linghua hired and was a big name in the stylist world. He had been conveniently close by, so when Xiao Linghua received his mother’s message he sent the person straight over.

“Young master Lei, you can call me Rodin. May I ask what requests you have?” Rodin was a male-to-female transgender about forty years old. She had a head of long wavy hair and a full, curvy behind. She looked bewitching, although her voice was quite androgynous. 

Lei Jue looked at her and said two words with a smile. 

Hearing those words, Rodin paused. “Are you sure?”

Lei Jue replied without a second thought, “I’m sure.”

Seeing that Lei Jue’s eyes didn’t hold even a hint of playfulness, Rodin nodded and began picking clothes for Lei Jue, then had her assistant send a few things over. 

Thus, Lei Jue spent his afternoon sitting by the entrance watching the lion chase birds around in the snow in his new clothes while he let Rodin work her magic. 

On his side, Xiao Lingyu was wholly unaware that Lei Jue had made special preparations and was still hurrying to organize tasks for Qi Yu and Si Qing. It was because they had discovered Wei Li might have left Lin City and hid in the He family that they needed to make the trip today, otherwise Xiao Lingyu genuinely didn’t want to go to the He house. 

The matter with Wei Li didn’t really affect Lei Jue’s ‘Plan A3’ anymore, but it may very well have had links to the cause behind Lei Jianwei’s death back then. Therefore, Xiao Zhicheng currently placed much importance on this and had specially arranged for Xiao Lingyu to do the investigation. 

Xiao Lingyu took an outfit out from the spare wardrobe and changed into it. When he walked out, he saw that Si Qing and Qi Yu were mostly finished with their preparations and gestured with his chin, saying, “Let’s go.”

Qi Yu jokingly asked, “You’re not going back first to wear a matching couple’s outfit with Lei Jue?”

Xiao Lingyu looked at the time and realized he wouldn’t be able to make it, because they couldn’t allow anyone to discover this place, nor could they take the direct path back. For this reason, he said, “No, our feelings for each other no longer need a couple’s outfit as proof.”

Qi Yu made a gagging noise. At this moment, Che Heng, who was next to them, asked, “That’s right—why were you so late this morning?”

Xiao Lingyu said, “I asked an old friend out to discuss something. It’s almost time for the festival, so I wanted to prepare a surprise for Lei Jue.”

By now, the people of Squad 5 had already completely discovered Xiao Lingyu’s true nature as a wife-crazy maniac and no longer felt surprise at his words. They had not expected, however, that even if Xiao Lingyu couldn’t surprise them any more, there was still someone who could. 

Lei Jue casually ran a hand through his hair. “Come on lion, let’s go.”

The lion nimbly leapt up into Xiao Lingyu’s aircraft. Right then, Luo Yuling stood at the entrance and asked, “Little Jue, are you really not going to bring a bottle over?”

Lei Jue was confused. “What would I bring a bottle for?”

Luo Yuling couldn’t hide her smile. “To hold all the blood that’ll come from Little Fifth’s nose.”

Lei Jue reached out a hand and wiggled his fingers. “No need, mom, I’m a practitioner of the One-fingered Meditation [1] and will heal everything that I poke. Healing him won’t take more than a second.”

Luo Yuling waved her hand. After Lei Jue got in the aircraft, he told Carrera to fly to the appointed meeting place. 

At this time, Xiao Lingyu was also flying to the meeting place after taking a detour. Using the couples’ tracking app, he saw Lei Jue getting closer to him and his mood rose in a way that he couldn’t describe. After all, ever since they were together, they had never separated for a whole day before like this. 

“I will probably arrive before you and will wait by the door,” Xiao Lingyu messaged to Lei Jue. 

“Okay.” After replying, Lei Jue laid face down on the lion’s back.

“Hmm? Lingyu, didn’t you say that you would come with your partner? How come it’s just you?” The He family’s eldest, He Jie, said in a disappointed tone when he saw that there was no Lei Jue by Xiao Lingyu’s side.

“He’ll be here soon.” Xiao Lingyu smiled, and, seeing that his aircraft had arrived, raised his hand and spoke into the communicator, “Babe, I see you.”

“Mm, I’ll be there shortly.” Lei Jue told Carrera to open the door, sat on the lion’s back, and leapt directly off from there, ten meters above the ground. 

With a loud ‘boom’ from his weight, the lion landed. The surrounding area quieted immediately. 

Lei Jue patted the lion’s back and told him to walk over to where Xiao Lingyu was, then leapt from the lion’s back and came to stand in front of Xiao Lingyu. “I’m not late, am I?”

‘No…” Xiao Lingyu was a little stunned. He had never thought that with only a day of not seeing each other, his other half would dye his hair light purple. On top of that, he wore white skinny jeans and a loose button-up shirt of the same color. The collar of the shirt was open quite wide and the only thing he wore over it was a black jacket, which he had draped over his shoulders without putting his arms through or buttoning it up. He looked casual, but when he smiled he was incomparably seductive. His face was already devastatingly beautiful, and now that he was in this get-up….

Xiao Lingyu coughed. “Let me introduce you,” Xiao Lingyu turned around, an arm around Lei Jue, “Babe, meet He Jie, the birthday boy. He Jie, meet the apple of my eye, Lei Jue.”

“Happy birthday.” Lei Jue nodded his head at He Jie, hugging Xiao Lingyu’s waist. “My dear, how do I look?”

“Very good.” Xiao Lingyu had only just finished speaking when Lei Jue pulled him in for a deep kiss. The people behind them, with He Jie in the lead, were all stunned into silence. 

So who was it that said Xiao Lingyu’s wife was a gentle, obedient, sensible, and shy… model wife?? What the f*ck, he was clearly a succubus!

 

 

[1] 一指禅: Yi Zhi Chan: One-fingered Meditation: A type of martial arts in which the user fights with a single finger.