Chapter 1

Ever since awakening as an incubus, I can’t stop clinging to Zhou Yewang.

He carries a thermos, has shoulders like a double-door fridge and legs that go on forever—yet somehow seems immune to romance.

I need close contact to absorb energy, but he keeps dodging my hugs.

Out of options, I turn to someone else.

“Can I have a hug?”

Before I can get one, I’m hauled away by the collar.

Zhou Yewang’s lightly callused hand settles on my waist. There’s a dangerous look in his eyes.

“When you said you wanted to get closer to me… how close did you mean?”

It began with the strange bouts of weakness I had been having lately.

I had always liked physical contact. Ever since moving in with my childhood friend, I wanted to turn myself into an accessory permanently attached to him.

Twenty-four hours a day.

“What’s wrong?”

He didn’t push me away. He only looked puzzled.

“Just recharging,” I said with a beaming smile.

Then I hugged him tighter.

He let me hang off him like a long-suffering mother kangaroo.

He spoiled me.

Knowing that only encouraged me.

Gradually, though, I discovered that going a whole day without a hug from him set off warning signals in my body.

Dizziness.

Near-fainting.

Exactly like low blood sugar.

Getting close to Zhou Yewang made me feel better.

As though I really were recharging.

But it was too absurd.

And embarrassing to explain.

So I behaved as usual.

If anything had changed, it was only that I clung to him more.

We had known each other for over a decade.

Surely a hug wasn’t too much to ask.

He worked out regularly. The veins in his arms were incredibly attractive.

I liked tracing them.

Imagining them as little dark blue rivers running beneath his skin, interrupted by my fingers.

They branched along their uneven paths, then met again.

It was rather entertaining.

After a while, I climbed onto him.

Our arms tangled too, like two vines growing together.

“Stop touching.”

His lips were naturally pale. Pressed together, they seemed almost bloodless.

“Oh… Sorry.”

I raised a hand to my forehead in surrender.

“Am I distracting you?”

I looked down.

His game stats were a disaster.

Oops.

“Play another round. I’ll be quiet this time.”

Aware I was at fault, I sheepishly climbed off him.

But he stood and walked away, stiff as a robot.

“It’s fine. I’m taking a shower.”

He bent forward slightly, as though hiding something.

I obediently moved aside.

Then it struck me.

He had just showered.

His hair was still wet.

After that, he began acting strangely.

He found excuse after excuse to avoid me.

It got worse. Unless he had to, he barely left his room.

Today, I finally caught him.

I came out of the bathroom just as he got home.

We looked at each other for a few seconds.

Delighted, I rushed toward him.

He neatly stepped aside.

“Why won’t you let me hug you?”

I was annoyed.

He had always indulged me. Never refused so openly.

“It’s hot… And you’re not wearing anything on top.”

He looked away.

“Are you disgusted with me? But I just showered. I’m clean.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

In that moment of hesitation, I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I nuzzled him furiously to vent my irritation.

“Good. Oh, I ran out of body wash. I used yours.”

I knew he was a gym addict.

But honestly.

Had his shoulders grown even wider?

“Wangwang, what exactly are you trying to turn into?”

Muttering, I squeezed his muscles.

“Keep this up and our fridge will lose its job. We’ve already got you. A double-door model.”

I poked here and stroked there, completely missing his reddening ears.

His phone rang while I was tormenting him.

He sighed and nudged my forehead away with a fingertip.

“Let go. I need to get the food.”

“Wait. I’m coming!”

But by the time I finished tying my shoes, he was gone.

Bastard.

In the changing room, I complained, “Wangwang’s been so cold lately…”

Jiang Liang looked puzzled.

“You had a fight with the captain? That’s strange.”

“Right? You’ve noticed his bad mood too?”

At last, someone who understood.

“No. What’s strange is that you managed to fight with him.”

He adjusted his collar.

“It’s hard for a human to argue with a block of ice.”

“Don’t call Wangwang a block of ice!”

I bristled.

“He’s just quiet, looks cold, and can’t remember faces. Apart from that, he’s perfect!”

Everyone in the changing room looked up.

One second of silence.

Then, in chorus:

“You’ve got it bad.”

What a thoroughly useless display of teamwork.

I spread my arms and ran over, intending to test whether hugging someone else would work.

“Can I have a hug?”

“What are you doing? That’s so sappy.”

Despite the complaints, no one avoided me.

Before I could hug anyone, I was hauled away by the collar.

“Time for practice.”

Zhou Yewang’s voice was unusually cold.

During a break, I lay exhausted on the rehearsal-room floor.

Suddenly, a bottle of water touched my cheek.

Zhou Yewang blinked at me.

As sparing with words as ever.

Calls of “Thanks, Captain!” filled the room.

After he finished handing out water and left, I said smugly, “See? Wangwang’s considerate.”

Everyone looked as though they had something to say but were holding it back.

Jiang Liang broke the silence.

“First you complain he’s cold. Then you can’t stand anyone criticizing him. Now you’re showing him off.

“Am I just a prop in your romance?”

“You misunderstood!”

I searched the room for an ally.

They all sided with Jiang Liang.

Complete defeat.

Flustered and embarrassed, I punched the air.

“You’re all awful!”

They burst out laughing and ruffled my hair.

“Our youngest is so cute.”

“Look at those angry little dumpling cheeks!”

I went home in a huff.

As I tried to open the door, dizziness hit me.

My steps faltered.

I occasionally had low blood sugar. It wasn’t unfamiliar.

“Did I overdo practice? But I had breakfast…”

My vision blurred.

My hands shook.

I couldn’t get the key into the lock.

I hurriedly took out some chocolate.

Before I could eat it, my knees gave way.

The door opened.

Zhou Yewang caught me in his arms.

“Cancan. Stay with me!”

I hadn’t seen him panic like that in a long time.

All his life, very little had mattered enough to disturb him.

Only I could make his emotions shift.

My thoughts melted like butter, drifting toward old memories.

But this time, I didn’t faint.

Instead, I felt stronger.

What was happening?

Was Zhou Yewang a living charging station?

Then I remembered.

I hadn’t touched him in more than twenty-four hours.

Oh my god.

My ridiculous theory was true.

He had no idea.

Still anxious, he tried to put a sweet in my mouth.

I clutched his hand like a drowning man catching a lifeline.

“I don’t want candy.

“Hug me.”

He paused, then carried me to bed.

Bracing a knee on the mattress, he leaned over, brushed aside my hair, and pressed his forehead to mine.

So close.

I could clearly see the mole on the bridge of his nose.

His lowered lashes.

The eyes that usually looked so cold were full of worry.

“You are a little warm.”

He covered me with a blanket.

“You’ve got a fever. I’ll get some medicine.”

“Wait, Wangwang. Listen…”

I tried to sit up.

It was difficult to say, but I said it.

“All I need is a hug. No medicine.”

He stared.

Then his expression turned pitying.

“Now you’re talking nonsense. Must be a high fever.”

He wrapped me in the blanket like a rice ball.

“Stay warm.”

Then he brought medicine and hurried into the kitchen to make soup.

Clearly, he trusted his own judgment more than my absurd explanation.

He was very good at looking after people.

I had little to complain about.

The gentle sweetness of pear mingled with the slightly toasted scent of red dates.

The pot lid rattled softly.

So warm.

Exhausted, I drifted into sleep.

6

Worried about me, Zhou Yewang began following me everywhere.

Whenever practice ended, he hurried over to ask whether I felt ill.

Even if we had seen each other less than five minutes earlier.

Opening the door to find me collapsed on my knees had evidently left quite a scar.

As for hugging him to recharge…

It was too hard to believe.

I decided not to explain again.

As long as we stayed together, it would be fine.

The company held a dinner so we could meet senior performers and learn from them.

But Zhou Yewang spent the whole evening circling me.

“Made up with the captain?”

Jiang Liang smiled knowingly and stole the piece of cake in front of me.

Zhou Yewang said nothing.

He simply brought me another piece.

Like a supply robot on an assembly line.

The expressionless edition.

“Looks like you have. Congratulations.”

Jiang Liang’s smile widened.

Another member leaned in and set down a glass, looking eager.

“Baby of the group. Try this.”

Pale pink liquid swayed inside the glass, catching the light.

I thought it was a soft drink.

I downed it.

Accepting food and drink without a second thought was, as it turned out, a mistake.

A little flame immediately sprang up in my stomach.

The world began to spin.

Oh no.

Alcohol.

I had no tolerance at all.

“Wangwang… Take me home.”

Before the dizziness swallowed me, I managed to catch his arm.