My Succubus Health Bar Runs on Girl-Crushes

A new day always began with the sound of Tessa’s muscles screaming.

She dragged herself out of bed, feeling as though last night’s dreams had drained every last drop of energy from her body.

In one dream, Seraphina had pinned her against a bookshelf in the library and repeatedly overwhelmed her with that cool gardenia fragrance. In another, the mysterious wealthy top donor had chased her around with an endless barrage of Rockets, forcing her to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” all night.

“At this rate, I’m going to have a nervous breakdown...”

With faint dark circles beneath her eyes, Tessa changed into her workout clothes while wearing the expression of someone who had already given up on life.

Sure enough, Riley was already waiting at the athletic field.

She seemed to be in a good mood today. She wore a bright yellow sports bra with matching shorts, making her look like a tiny sun overflowing with energy. Even the air around her seemed warmer.

“Not bad. You weren’t late today.”

Riley merely glanced at Tessa, though the corner of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

Then she continued watching in silence. A faintly assessing look lingered in her bright eyes, as though her gaze itself were urging Tessa along.

What are you waiting for? Get started. Don’t waste time.

The entire morning workout passed amid Riley’s occasional wordless signals and Tessa’s tearful struggle to survive.

After a quick shower, Tessa went downstairs as usual. Molly first examined her from head to toe with those eyes overflowing with maternal concern, then stuffed her with a breakfast so generous it nearly brought tears to her eyes.

That morning, Molly had specially prepared a sweet date-and-longan porridge meant to restore energy, along with several delicate steamed pastries. She also secretly slipped Tessa a small pouch full of dried fruit for between classes.

The tender look in Molly’s eyes practically said, You poor thing. You’ve suffered so much.

Tessa quickly finished the breakfast Molly had prepared and hurried to class.

The morning lectures were the usual sleep-inducing general education courses. Tessa forced herself to stay awake while the professor’s voice droned on like a lullaby, all the while planning out her grand shopping mission for later that day.

When afternoon classes finally ended, her roommates began packing up to head to the gym or their clubs.

Tessa took a deep breath and tried to arrange her face into the expression of a student consumed by academic ambition.

“Um... I’m going to the library to study this afternoon,” she said haltingly to Vanessa and the others.

Her gaze drifted toward the window as she spoke, terrified that these human lie detectors would see through her immediately.

“Oh? Our little Tessa is suddenly so hardworking?”

Vanessa lounged against her chair, one long pale leg casually crossed over the other. Her seductive eyes curved with amusement as though she could see straight through every secret Tessa had.

“Could it be that you’ve finally come to your senses and decided to ‘accidentally’ run into a certain gentle upperclasswoman at the library? Maybe get a little more intimate contact while you’re there and warm up that lovely little mark again?”

Tessa’s face turned red instantly.

Her entire body seemed to bristle. “Vanessa! What are you talking about? I-I’m just going there to study!”

“Oh, why are you getting so worked up?” Vanessa giggled, her voice sweet enough to make anyone’s bones soften. “I didn’t accuse you of anything. Look at you, acting all innocent.”

Chloe was already doubled over with laughter.

Iris Lane simply gave Tessa a quiet look. Something knowing seemed to flash behind her glasses, but she said nothing and continued packing her things for dance practice.

Under the weight of her roommates’ meaningful stares, Tessa fled the dorm in a panic, her ears burning red.

She did not go to the library.

Instead, she headed straight for the busiest shopping district in Seabrook City.

Tessa had visited the Starlight District once before during the dorm outing, and the luxury stores there had left a lasting impression. She walked through one glittering boutique after another, each filled with dazzling merchandise that seemed to radiate the same message.

I am extremely expensive.

She picked up a costly limited-edition silk scarf, then put it down.

She examined a beautifully designed bottle of perfume, then returned it to the display.

The sparkling jewelry, elegant designer handbags, and decorative pieces that looked like works of art all seemed to be missing something.

Seraphina’s cool, moonlit elegance and lotus-like grace felt completely at odds with luxury goods weighed down by money and status.

Tessa wanted a gift that represented her own feelings while also matching Seraphina’s unique taste.

Something measured not by its price, but by the thought behind it.

Just as she was about to give up, a small, unassuming shop on the corner caught her attention.

It specialized in handmade custom music boxes.

The store was not large, but its interior felt warm and welcoming. All kinds of delicate music boxes filled the display window. Beneath the soft golden lights, each one seemed to carry a tiny fairy tale of its own.

Almost without thinking, Tessa walked inside.

The shopkeeper was a kind elderly woman. She explained that every music box in the store could be customized according to the customer’s wishes, including both its design and the melody inside.

“The music can be customized too?” Tessa’s eyes lit up.

The little tune she had sung during her stream for the mysterious patron immediately surfaced in her mind.

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

In this world, she had accidentally become the “creator” of that simple but pure and moving melody.

Wasn’t this the perfect choice?

Until now, only she and the mysterious patron had heard it. Soon, Seraphina would become the third person.

It was a special gift that carried one of Tessa’s secrets as a streamer. More than that, it would become a melody meant only for Seraphina.

“Ma’am, I’d like to order a custom music box.” Tessa quickly made up her mind. She took out her phone and played a recording of herself humming the tune. “Could you use this as the music?”

The simple, delicate melody of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” flowed softly through the quiet shop.

When the elderly woman finished listening, she smiled kindly.

“Of course. Your voice is very pure, dear. It will work beautifully in a music box.” Her eyes twinkled. “This is for someone very important to you, isn’t it?”

“Yes!”

Tessa nodded firmly, her cheeks turning faintly pink as she placed the order with eager anticipation.

When she stepped out of the store, she felt as though a weight had lifted from her shoulders.

At that moment, her phone began vibrating repeatedly. The notifications informed her that all the gifts she had ordered the night before had arrived at the package pickup station beneath the residence hall.

Some time later, the residents of Room 407 watched as Tessa appeared at the door looking like a refugee, clutching seven or eight boxes of various sizes while gasping for breath.

“Oh my God, Tessa!” Chloe cried dramatically. “Did your packages mug you on the way home?!”

That evening, after everyone had finished washing up and was lying in bed with facial masks on while chatting, Tessa finally gathered the greatest amount of courage she had ever needed in her life.

Like someone presenting priceless treasures, she pulled the gifts out from beneath her bed one by one. She had removed the shipping boxes but left the gift packaging untouched.

“Th-These are for all of you...” Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito. “Thank you for... for always taking care of me.”

Her cheeks turned as red as ripe tomatoes from nervousness and embarrassment.

The dorm fell silent for three full seconds.

“AAAAAAAH!”

Chloe was the first to break the silence with a prairie-dog shriek loud enough to lift the roof.

She grabbed the largest box and opened it with trembling hands. The moment she saw the discontinued limited-edition game figure inside, the one she had talked about for three straight months but never bought because it was too expensive, she completely lost her mind.

“It’s the discontinued figure! Ahhh! Tessa, I love you! You’re my goddess!”

Chloe threw herself at Tessa and planted kiss after kiss all over her face, leaving behind several damp marks mixed with tears and happiness.

Iris Lane quietly opened the long box meant for her.

Inside was the newest pair of professional dance shoes from her usual brand, along with a training outfit that clearly offered excellent breathability and stretch.

For once, a genuine, gentle smile appeared on Iris Lane’s usually expressionless face.

She lifted the shoes and ran her fingertips carefully over them. Then she raised her head and looked directly at Tessa.

“Thank you,” she said, each word sincere. “I really like them.”

Vanessa opened the most beautifully wrapped gift box at an unhurried pace.

She picked up a small bottle of essential oil and held it beneath her nose. The moment she caught the fragrance, her seductive eyes curved into two elegant crescents.

“Well, well. Look at our little Tessa, all grown up and already trying to corrupt me with money.”

Her words were teasing, but the tenderness in her eyes nearly overflowed.

“What a good girl. You even remembered I haven’t been sleeping well lately. This gift...” She smiled softly. “You couldn’t have chosen anything better.”

For a while, the entire dorm filled with warmth and laughter.

All the usual teasing and suggestive jokes faded away, leaving only pure joy and gratitude.

As Tessa looked at the sincere smiles on their faces, her heart filled with a happiness and satisfaction greater than anything she had ever experienced.

Using money she had earned herself to bring joy to people she cared about felt better than receiving any reward.

Late that night, her roommates’ excitement finally faded, and the dorm gradually grew quiet.

Tessa lay beneath her blankets in complete satisfaction, ready to carry that warmth into her dreams.

Then the mattress behind her dipped slightly.

A familiar warm body, carrying a rich rose fragrance, silently pressed against her back.

“Sweetheart, are you asleep?”

It was Vanessa.

Her voice was barely more than a whisper. It brushed over Tessa’s ear like a feather, saturated with unbearable intimacy.

“R-Vanessa? What... what are you doing?”

Tessa’s entire body went rigid, and her brain crashed on the spot.

“Shh...”

Before Tessa could react, Vanessa wrapped her arms gently around her from behind.

That warm, soft embrace surrounded her completely. Even through their thin sleepwear, the closeness made Tessa’s heart race out of control.

Vanessa’s warm breath carried a sweet rose scent as it drifted past her ear, making every muscle in Tessa’s body tense.

“You gave me such an expensive gift,” Vanessa murmured. “It would be terribly unfair if I didn’t give you a special little present in return.”

“A... return gift?”

“That’s right.”

Vanessa’s lips were almost touching Tessa’s earlobe. She spoke in an unbearably seductive, breathy voice, each word sending a tingling sensation straight through Tessa’s body.

“I’m going to teach you an advanced technique every ASMR streamer should know.”

“How to whisper so sweetly that your biggest donors feel it all the way down to their bones.”

Before Tessa could even process that dangerously suggestive sentence, an intimate lesson that was called “teaching” but was clearly just an excuse to tease her began by force.

Vanessa’s enchanting voice sounded directly beside her ear. Using a soft, textured whisper capable of making the soul tremble, she slowly recited an unbelievably embarrassing good-night poem, one word at a time.

...

Tessa’s whole body seemed to buzz.

Every drop of blood rushed to her head. From her neck to her cheeks and all the way to the tips of her ears, she turned completely pink with heat.

She tried to struggle, but Vanessa held her too tightly. Her body had gone so weak that she could not summon even a trace of strength.

All Tessa could do was curl up like a boiled shrimp while that seductive voice and warm rose fragrance swallowed her inch by inch.

Just as she grew so embarrassed that she was about to faint, the system’s gleefully malicious voice sounded inside her mind.

[Ding! Detected a sharp increase in [Indulgent Affection] from Vanessa! Affection Points +10!]

That night, surrounded by Vanessa’s rich rose fragrance, Tessa dreamed a strange, blushing dream about a little rabbit and a very hungry wolf.