Chapter 59 · When We Reunited
Duan Ke’s consciousness was trapped inside the little ball, quietly observing this distant memory.
His consciousness was blurry, and the scenes before him were somewhat disjointed.
Although he knew this was a past he had forgotten, this memory had been detached from Duan Ke’s brain for far too long. Duan Ke lacked a sense of immersion; it felt like he was watching a movie, unable to fully connect these past events with his childhood self.
However, when the memory shifted to the dense forest—the area where Qin Huai was forced to undergo military drills—Duan Ke finally felt a tangible sense of recovering something that had been lost.
He had forgotten almost everything about his infancy; his conscious memories only began from the time he started wandering in City A.
But Duan Ke had always vaguely remembered that he had once been very seriously ill. He had been picked up by a cold, taciturn person who took care of him for a while.
When Duan Ke felt himself clinging tightly to the back of Qin Huai’s neck, refusing to let go, being carried like a koala toward a cave, he finally confirmed it.
…The person who raised him for those few months was Qin Huai.
It was hard for Duan Ke to describe his current mood. He seemed to cry quite often, but most of those times he was bullied to tears by Qin Huai in bed. Feeling so sour and sad that he wanted to cry was actually a rare occurrence.
Unfortunately, the Duan Ke-ball in the memory was completely unaware of his other self’s feelings.
He had just been snatched back from the Dream Demon by Qin Huai, but the Dream Demon had already consumed most of his magic power and charm abilities. Duan Ke couldn’t yet feel the reality that his body was completely hollowed out; he only felt weak, his heart racing, using all his strength just to cling to the person beside him.
“Sir, it’s a good thing you picked me up just now… otherwise I would have been eaten.”
The faint smell of sweat on the man, mixed with the unique scent of grass juice from the forest, formed a peculiar sensation. Accompanied by Qin Huai’s slightly elevated body temperature, it enveloped him in warmth.
Duan Ke-ball hugged Qin Huai, rubbing against his cargo vest, feeling as if he were rolling around on a large, freshly baked, fragrant cake.
Although Duan Ke could sense that this person’s mood was currently not good—in fact, it could be said to be very bad.
But the moment Duan Ke smelled this scent, he recognized it. This was the person he had clung to over a decade ago; he absolutely couldn’t be mistaken.
Even in a situation where both his physical and mental states were terrible, the smell of this human still far surpassed all the food Duan Ke had smelled over the years.
Duan Ke tried hard to hold back the drool that was about to flow out, pressing his forehead hard against the back of Qin Huai’s neck, silently telling himself in his heart that he couldn’t be a bad succubus who bit people secretly.
Qin Huai gave a simple “Mhm,” acknowledging Duan Ke’s words.
He stood at the foot of the mountain, sizing up the cave above. The young soldier’s abdomen and shoulders were covered in deep cuts from fighting monsters, and his lips were slightly blue from blood loss, but it didn’t affect his reaction time in the slightest.
Qin Huai silently calculated the simplest and fastest climbing route, then began to climb the slope bare-handed.
Wearing military camouflage gloves, his movements were astonishingly agile. Such strenuous activity didn’t affect the man’s breathing in the slightest. Duan Ke inexplicably felt that he was even more tired than Qin Huai, his eyelids so heavy he could barely keep them open.
Duan Ke hugged his tail, clinging quietly to Qin Huai’s back. Even the warm sunlight didn’t cheer him up; his round beady eyes turned into slightly drooping beady eyes.
…Compared to when he was a child, he has changed so much.
The boy in his memories wasn’t this cold.
Back then, when Duan Ke burrowed into his blankets or his collar, he would get angry out of embarrassment. He would be unhappy when soldiers came to the door. When he ate the unpalatable nutrient solution, he would even scrunch up his face like a child, revealing very vivid emotions in front of Duan Ke.
Not like now.
Although his face was more chiseled and he smelled even better, he looked as if he didn’t remember or care about Duan Ke at all. Duan Ke-ball thought about it: this person now seemed like the cold machines in the military academy training room, only following procedures, as if he wouldn’t react to him anymore.
Thinking about this, Duan Ke stopped chattering.
He felt his body becoming more uncomfortable, a bit hot. He still clung to the back of Qin Huai’s neck like a koala, but his tail drooped, and his round amber eyes dimmed.
A few minutes later, Qin Huai climbed up to the cave and quickly, skillfully checked it with the device on his wrist.
Only after confirming there were no monsters did Qin Huai reach back and pluck the little thing off his neck.
The person who had been entangled the whole way wiped the blood off his face, controlled his strength, and cupped Duan Ke in his palm. He fell silent, turning the confused little ball over and over to look at him.
Qin Huai didn’t speak the entire time; all his attention was focused on controlling his strength.
A month ago, just before the military drill began, the higher-ups arranged for him to undergo three consecutive “Level I Sensitivity Reduction Adjustment Trials.”
This kind of trial could minimize a soldier’s pain nerves to the greatest extent, allowing them to remain unaffected by irrelevant factors during combat.
But because of this, it became difficult for Qin Huai to perceive his own emotions and the intensity of his movements. He had no idea if his strength would hurt the little soft ball in his hand, so his movements became hesitant, as if he were unfamiliar with his own fingers.
There was no strange expression on Qin Huai’s face, but the scene from ten minutes ago was indeed looping over and over in his subconscious.
After more than a decade of sensory regulation, his memory had been forced to reach the level of hyperthymesia to some extent. Even though his mind was about to be crushed by this overly extreme focus, he was always forced to remember overly detailed images.
Ten minutes ago, that monster, reeking of rotting corpses and full of sharp teeth, was less than a second away from devouring this soft little ball.
When Qin Huai saw that scene, he was nearly twenty meters away from the incident, but he remembered it clearly.
Duan Ke’s scream, his crying, and the broken whimper after being bitten hard.
Qin Huai didn’t quite remember his own reaction at the time. When he came to his senses, the bullets in his pistol were empty, and his knife was covered in rotten, fishy flesh and blood.
…
It had been too long since Qin Huai had generated emotions.
Having killed countless monsters and survived inhuman experiments, he was now at a loss on how to handle this violent reaction called “lingering fear.”
Qin Huai’s bangs, which hadn’t been trimmed in too long, hung down slightly, preventing Duan Ke from seeing the man’s expression clearly.
But he could smell the faint scent on this person; it was almost bitter, like too much lemon juice had been squeezed.
“…Sir.”
The little ball spoke awkwardly. He really didn’t understand why he had to be turned over and over like clothes in a washing machine, and occasionally picked up by his tail.
This gave the teenage succubus the feeling that his butt was exposed. He reached out his claws to cover his butt, and Qin Huai silently put his tail down.
Duan Ke successfully protected his butt, but his heart still felt heavy.
His physical discomfort was becoming more obvious, but Duan Ke was concerned with other things and didn’t pay much attention to this abnormality.
“Do you not like me…”
Duan Ke’s voice grew lower as he spoke, the last few words almost inaudible. “Do you want to kill me like those soldiers?”
Duan Ke really trusted this person; he had always wanted to find him to be his keeper.
The little ball couldn’t hold it back; biting his lower lip, he let out two low whimpers like a small animal.
The person holding him barely heard what Duan Ke said. Before he could ask, he felt a wetness on his hand.
Qin Huai froze on the spot, unable to squeeze out any comforting words. His heart hurt like it was being stabbed by a knife. Finally, Qin Huai bit his own finger open and carefully offered it to Duan Ke’s mouth, wanting to distract the little guy with food.
“…Like.”
He paused, then added, “I missed you very much.”
I wanted to go back and find you. I tried many times but failed, and was eventually caught and brought back.
I interrogated many monsters behind the superiors’ backs, but there was never any news of you, so I thought you were dead, or no longer here.
But Qin Huai didn’t say these words. He just remained silent, offering his fresh blood again after so many years.
The warm, soft sucking sensation from his fingertips felt like a lifetime ago. The young soldier moved his lips slightly, pulling a smile that was almost invisible, and pushed his fingertip forward a little more.
Duan Ke had a full meal just from one of Qin Huai’s fingers. He felt his body wasn’t so uncomfortable anymore, but he was a little sleepy.
“Sir,” Duan Ke-ball said lazily, “…You really taste good.”
“Then can I eat your **?”
Translator’s Note: The text implies a naive reference to sexual essence/s*men, censored in the source.
Duan Ke-ball used the most innocent, non-lustful words to say something earth-shattering.
“Oh right, I didn’t explain clearly before, I’m actually a succubus!”
“Blood is the least tasty part of you; it’s practically a waste of heavenly gifts! Can I eat from other places? Can I? Can I?”
Qin Huai stood frozen in place, stiff as a board. His breathing rate, which even intense combat hadn’t altered, instantly became heavy.
Obviously, Duan Ke-ball spoke human language much more fluently than ten years ago. But his thinking was still completely non-human, more like an animal or a nature spirit—acting entirely on instinct, without etiquette, justice, integrity, or shame.
Duan Ke-ball was in his teens, a succubus with subjective initiative and flexible wings.
He took Qin Huai’s silence as permission. With a whoosh, he jumped off Qin Huai’s palm and landed steadily on the belt buckle of Qin Huai’s uniform at his waist.
Qin Huai’s tense abdominal muscles were touched by the soft, warm sensation of the little ball. Although separated by clothes, he still let out a wretched muffled groan, looking down, his reaction almost panicked.
The feeling from when he was eight years old, of being unable to control his emotions, returned. The lines of Qin Huai’s lower abdomen became very tight, almost scalding hot.
He moved quickly to pick the ball up, but dared not use force, so he could only hold him away, his thin lips pressed tight.
“…You are still a minor.”
Qin Huai held it in for a long time before squeezing out a sentence, “Minors cannot eat things indiscriminately.”
If you want to eat, you have to wait until you’re an adult.
Before Qin Huai could petrify over the second half of the sentence his mind automatically supplied, Duan Ke actually utilized his succubus talent and extremely smoothly interpreted Qin Huai’s subtext.
“So I can eat when I’m an adult?”
Duan Ke-ball wagged his tail. “Sir, when can I become an adult? Can I be an adult this afternoon?”
“…No.”
“What about tomorrow? Tomorrow should be fine, right?”
He simply didn’t know the concept of “adulthood”…
Qin Huai pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled heavily. “No. It will take several years.”
Probably five or six years.
Duan Ke was simply deflated. Splat, he flopped down, rolling around on the ground in great dissatisfaction.
Qin Huai looked at the hard rock on the ground and, without much hesitation, picked the ball up, letting him roll around on his shoulder instead.
The faint smell of blood on the man made Duan Ke very excited; after all, he was a succubus.
But Duan Ke always felt that the fresh, pleasant woody scent on Qin Huai made him feel more at ease.
Duan Ke-ball rubbed against Qin Huai’s neck and whispered, “Sir, I like you so much.”
Qin Huai heard it but didn’t show the expected reaction.
He said, “Over these years, you’ve drunk a lot of other people’s blood and said ‘I like you’ many times, haven’t you?”
It was a declarative sentence.
Duan Ke-ball expressed dissatisfaction.
He said that all these years he had eaten indirectly using charm magic. And that the first meal Qin Huai fed him in his life made him a picky eater immediately. Qin Huai had really done a very bad thing, worse than a succubus.
Only after Duan Ke finished speaking did he suddenly realize.
He had just confessed his crimes in front of a monster-killing soldier! He was too familiar with the uniform Qin Huai was wearing; it was hard for Duan Ke not to guess his true identity.
Just as he was trembling and wanting to hide, he was wrapped in Qin Huai’s palm and rubbed as a reward.
“Don’t call me Sir.”
Qin Huai warmed the ball in his palm. “I don’t like this title… change it.”
After speaking, Qin Huai waited quietly, giving no guidance.
Duan Ke pondered hard in his heart. Since Qin Huai left, he had been wandering around the military academy but couldn’t get in, almost getting caught several times.
The sample size was too small; Duan Ke simply didn’t know what to call a human of this age.
“Then, call you Commander?”
“Change it.”
“Hmm… Commando? This sounds good.”
“…Doesn’t sound good, don’t like them. Change again.”
Duan Ke shouted almost every title he had collected, but Qin Huai said they were wrong. Finally, he asked if he could call him by his name directly, but that was also rejected by Qin Huai.
Duan Ke really had no moves left. He searched his gut one last time and said with some hesitation: “…Daddy?”
This taboo-laden word was spoken naturally by Duan Ke in the softest voice.
A wave of hot air brushed past his earlobe; Qin Huai’s fingertips went numb at this address. He turned his head and looked straight at Duan Ke.
Seeing that he didn’t refute, Duan Ke thought he had finally guessed it.
This time he didn’t hesitate, calling out again with a soft voice, “Daddy.”
Qin Huai could guess where he learned it from.
There was no shortage of foreign military instructors in the academy, and most of them were open-minded. Field battles outside the academy walls, overheard by a passing little succubus picking up bits and pieces—it was indeed possible.
Duan Ke was very proud of his intelligence and wanted to call it again, but the moment he met Qin Huai’s gaze, all sound stuck in his throat.
It was hard to describe the feeling of a chill running down his spine; he trembled slightly.
A pair of large hands wearing camouflage gloves reached over. Two sweaty fingers pressed against Duan Ke’s forehead, the force heavier than the examination and stroking just now.
“Don’t call me that randomly.”
Qin Huai’s voice was low and hoarse, making it impossible for Duan Ke to discern his emotions.
“…Wait until you’re an adult to call me that too.”
“Call me,” Qin Huai paused before continuing, “Call me Brother.”
“I am older than you, so this title is appropriate.”
The explanation that followed seemed superfluous, a legitimate reason given to who knows whom.
Duan Ke didn’t dwell on it and immediately called him that a few times. Qin Huai’s brows, which had been furrowed, finally relaxed a bit, and his expression became soothing.
So male humans of this age should be called Brother? Learned something.
Duan Ke really didn’t know what kind of bad thing “adulthood” was, but anyway, he sincerely hated it now.
He decided to demand compensation from Qin Huai.
In fact, the condition of both creatures in the cave was terrible. Qin Huai was covered in deep wounds that needed stitches, while Duan Ke had been drained of magic power and was about to develop a high fever.
But they were both unaware, simply and purely rejoicing in this reunion.
“I want to bite the back of your neck.”
Duan Ke said, “Let me have a taste, okay?”
〓 Author’s Note 〓
Next chapter ends the flashback.
- I don’t know if anyone noticed, but many of Little Ke and Qin’s small habits after they reunited were actually given to each other a long time ago!
Even if forgotten, life is still full of your traces, and the subconscious still remembers loving this person. I think it’s especially romantic, I personally like it very much~
“Daddy” is Qin’s favorite title. Telling Little Ke to wait until adulthood is the beast’s last shred of morality…
After adulthood, Little Ke gets done thoroughly, brought into the interrogation room, crying while trembling, shouting for Daddy to hug… completely broken hehe [Pitiful]
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