The evening settled over the small house like a heavy blanket. Outside, the crickets began their nightly chorus, but inside, the air was thick with a quiet, domestic warmth.
Kai sat at the small wooden dining table, his chin resting in his palm, watching Ye Rou move around the kitchen. The oil lamp cast flickering shadows against the walls, dancing over her figure as she stirred a pot of vegetable broth.
She was humming—a soft, contented sound. It was the sound of a woman who felt safe.
Kai's eyes, however, held no safety. They tracked her every movement with the precision of a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. He watched the way her hips shifted as she reached for the salt. He watched the way her dress pulled tight against the curve of her ass—the same ass he had oiled and kneaded just twenty-four hours ago.
"Dinner is almost ready," Ye Rou said, turning to smile at him. Her face was flushed from the heat of the stove, strands of hair sticking to her temples. "Just a few more minutes, Kai."
"Take your time, Mom," Kai replied, his voice smooth and low. "I'm just enjoying the view."
Ye Rou paused, the ladle hovering over the pot. She blinked, then laughed softly, shaking her head. "You and your jokes. The view of an old kitchen and a tired woman? You need to get out more, son."
She brought the pot to the table and ladled the soup into his bowl. As she leaned over, the neckline of her dress dipped. Kai didn't hide his gaze. He looked straight down into the shadow of her cleavage.
They began to eat. The soup was savory, but Kai barely tasted it. His mind was focused on the small black box in his inventory.
"You seem distracted tonight," Ye Rou noted, breaking a piece of bread. "Are you worried about the Academy mission?"
"A little," Kai lied, reaching across the table to brush a crumb from her hand. His fingers lingered on her skin. "But mostly I'm worried about you."
Ye Rou stiffened slightly at the touch, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Me? Why?"
"You work too hard," Kai murmured, locking eyes with her. "I can see the fatigue in your face. Even after the massage... the stress is coming back. You need to rest, Mom. You need to let go."
Ye Rou's heart fluttered. To her, this was the concern of a dutiful stepson. But deep down, in the reptilian part of her brain, the intensity of his gaze triggered a different kind of heat.
"I... I am fine, Kai," she stammered, pulling her hand back slowly. "You are such a good boy. Always worrying about your stepmother. I don't deserve such care."
"You deserve everything," Kai said, his voice dropping an octave. "You deserve to feel good. Every night."
The double meaning hung in the air, heavy and intoxicating. Ye Rou swallowed hard, burying her face in her soup bowl to hide her confusion.
They finished eating in a comfortable silence. When Ye Rou stood up to clear the dishes, Kai stood up too. He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down.
"Leave it," Kai commanded softly. "I'll do the dishes tomorrow morning. Tonight, you sleep."
"But—"
"No buts," Kai smiled, but his eyes were firm. "Go to your room. Lie down. Close your eyes. You need your strength."
Ye Rou looked at him, overwhelmed by his dominance and care. "Okay... okay, Kai. You win."
She stood up, patting his cheek affectionately. "Goodnight, my son. Thank you."
"Goodnight, Mom."
Kai watched her walk into her bedroom. He listened. The rustle of clothes. The creak of the bedsprings. The silence.
He waited five minutes. Then ten.
When the rhythm of her breathing evened out, audible through the thin walls, Kai moved.
He went to his own room and locked the door. He sat on the edge of his bed, the darkness wrapping around him.
"System," he whispered. "Inventory."
[Ding!][Inventory Accessed.]
A grid of light appeared. Kai selected the single item sitting in the first slot.
[Item Selected: Dream Walker Incense (1/3)]
A stick of deep purple incense materialized in his hand. It was cold to the touch and smelled of opium and musk. It didn't need a flame. It needed intent.
"Activate," Kai commanded.
[Targeting System Active.][Scan Range: 50 Meters.][Detected Targets:]
Ye Rou (Step-Mother) - State: Deep Sleep
Mrs. Lin (Neighbor) - State: Awake/Pacing
Kai selected Ye Rou.
[Target Locked: Ye Rou.][Connection Established.]
The tip of the incense stick began to glow with a ghostly, violet light. A thin wisp of purple smoke curled upward, defying the physics of the room. It didn't disperse; it moved with purpose, snake-like, drifting toward the wall that separated his room from hers. It seeped through the cracks in the wood, hunting for her mind.
[Select Mode:]
Manual Control (Direct Intervention)
Subconscious Amplification (Auto-Generate based on Target's Desire)
Kai smirked in the darkness. He could go in there. He could force her to dream of him ravaging her. But that felt... forced. He wanted to know what was already there. He wanted to know what the massage had done to her psyche.
"Subconscious Amplification," Kai whispered. "I don't have to do anything. I just want to see the reaction tomorrow morning."
[Mode Selected: Subconscious Amplification.][The incense will draw upon the Target's repressed memories, recent stimuli (Massage), and hidden Affection levels to construct the dreamscape.][Duration: 6 Hours.]
Kai placed the glowing stick in a small crack in the floorboards. He watched the purple smoke drift through the wall, invading his stepmother's dreams.
"Sweet dreams, Mom," Kai chuckled darkly. "Let's see just how dirty your mind really is."
He lay back on his pillow, clasping his hands behind his head. He didn't need to see the dream. The result would be written all over her face at breakfast.
He closed his eyes, the faint scent of the forbidden incense lulling him into a predator's sleep.