After the Straight Male Incubus Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 1

“How did I turn into this?”

Ye Lin stared at his reflection in the mirror.

Black, spiraled horns grew from his head, and a black tail hung behind him, ending in a distinct heart shape. There were strange red patterns etched across his abdomen. It looked bizarre.

A moment later, the horns and tail vanished as if they had never existed.

[The Succubus System is at your service. Congratulations, Host, on obtaining a Charm Boost!]

A Succubus System? A charm boost? What was all this?

Ye Lin remembered that before falling asleep, he had been in his factory dormitory, wearing headphones and listening to his favorite “god-level tycoon” web novel. When he woke up, he was in this cramped studio apartment, transformed into this strange creature.

[Memory transmission in progress. Host, please stand by to receive.]

As soon as the words fell, a flood of memories flashed by.

It took Ye Lin a while to process that he had transmigrated into a book, specifically his favorite novel, The Charming Tycoon. The protagonist of the novel shared his name; both were hardworking, struggling laborers. He had felt a strong sense of kinship with the character, which was why he loved the story so much.

He never expected to actually enter the book.

Ye Lin recalled that the protagonist was an unloved, illegitimate son of the Ye family who lived in perpetual poverty. Later, he obtained a “Tycoon System” and easily crushed a crowd of wealthy heirs, slapped the Ye family’s reputation aside, and became the richest man in the world.

Transmigrating was amazing! He no longer had to endure the painful daily grind of working in an electronics factory. He felt like he was about to strike it rich, become the world’s wealthiest man, and finally enjoy the good life.

With an expression of intense excitement, Ye Lin asked the system, “What are my current assets?”

[The Host is currently 1 million yuan in debt.]

“What? I’m in debt? How did this happen? You’re a Tycoon System, hurry up and help me pay it off!”

[I must correct the Host. I am not a Tycoon System; I am a Succubus System.]

“Is there a difference? Aren’t they both about making money?”

[There is a significant difference. The Succubus System requires the Host to have contact with males to obtain money.]

Ye Lin had spent a few years drifting through society after middle school before heading to the electronics factory. He had no concept of what a “succubus” or “incubus” was. He simply loved tycoon novels and assumed all “Golden Fingers” were more or less the same: tools for making money.

“I’ve never heard of this system, but it should still be a ‘cheat,’ right? Keep talking.”

[Males are categorized into three tiers: High, Medium, and Low quality. Different qualities correspond to different amounts of money.] [Interaction methods are divided by distance. The closer the distance, the higher the amount of money earned.]

“So you’re saying as long as I get close to guys, I get money?”

[Yes. The Host needs to seek out high-quality males to earn more money.]

“The streets are full of guys; I should be able to pay off the debt soon. I like this cheat; it’s quite simple and direct!”

[By the way, the Host’s succubus form will appear when you are extremely hungry. You need to absorb essence to maintain your sanity. Please pay close attention to your hunger levels!]

“Got it! I’m going out to make money right now!”

Ye Lin only listened to the simple parts and didn’t bother to overthink the succubus form. His mind was filled with the thought of finding men to earn cash.

Luckily, right below his rented apartment was a busy street with plenty of men passing by. The weather was scorching. A few middle-aged men in sleeveless undershirts were gathered in the shade, talking loudly as if they were professors of politics or history. Their looks were greasy, and they occasionally made crude comments about the appearance of women walking by.

Ye Lin approached them and greeted them: “Hey brothers, where have you been making money lately?”

The middle-aged men noticed the young man in a white short-sleeved shirt and black jeans. He had fair skin and delicate features. Their gazes turned strange.

Seeing that they weren’t responding, Ye Lin muttered a curse, “Stop pretending, you’re all just broke.”

Strangely, the men acted as if they hadn’t heard the insult. They stared at him with obsessed eyes, neither arguing back nor rushing forward to hit him.

[The Host’s money growth rate is 0.01 yuan per hour. It is recommended that the Host find high-quality males.]

Only a penny an hour? That was way too low!

Ye Lin cursed in annoyance, “What a bunch of losers,” and quickly ran away, afraid of getting any “dirt” on him.

Moving away from the middle-aged men, Ye Lin spotted four stylish male college students in a shopping mall and ran toward them. The air conditioning in the mall instantly chased away the heat. The four students all had clean-cut short hair and wore cool-toned clothes. They looked decent enough.

They noticed Ye Lin and stopped to say hello. Ye Lin chatted with them, babbling about random things.

[The Host’s money growth rate is 20 yuan per hour. It is recommended that the Host continue searching for high-quality males.]

Ye Lin was shocked: “That’s still not high quality enough!”

One of the boys asked with a smile, “What ‘high quality’ are you talking about?”

Since the boy was being polite, Ye Lin didn’t want to be blunt. He explained vaguely, “You misheard. I didn’t say high quality, I just said I’m hungry.”

Two of the other students immediately treated him to a high-end Wagyu beef feast. Ye Lin ate while thanking them, feeling heartfelt gratitude: “College students are truly kind!”

One boy looked at him curiously: “Aren’t you from the nearby university? You look a bit familiar, like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Ye Lin shook his head and began to make things up: “I’ve already started working. I’m just based around here.”

The boy took out his phone and handed it over: “Let’s add each other on WeChat. I’d really like to be friends with you.”

The other three boys joined in, demanding to add Ye Lin to their dormitory group chat. For the sake of the free meal, Ye Lin added all of them.

They then coaxed Ye Lin into going to a bar. The environment was noisy, and the colorful lights were dizzying. A few of the boys bought Ye Lin drinks, put their arms around him while singing, and praised his looks.

“You’re so good-looking. Your skin is so white, and you smell so sweet!”

“Thanks for the compliment, but you can’t describe me like that!”

Ye Lin always felt that “white” and “sweet” were for girls. How could they be used to describe a grown man like him? He had to speak up and correct them.

Hearing this, the boy couldn’t help but laugh and leaned in: “Then will you let me kiss you?”

Ye Lin looked at him in confusion: “Why would we kiss? We’re friends, not a couple. That’s weird.”

The boy wanted to tease him more, but he had drunk too much. He slumped to one side and passed out. His roommates were also wasted and unconscious. The mixture of perfume and alcohol made Ye Lin want to vomit.

Feeling uncomfortable, Ye Lin left the booth and headed for the restroom. He realized that this bar was indeed a place of wealth; even the restroom decor was high-end. The floor tiles featured gold-grouted seams, the faucets were intricately carved with beautiful patterns, and an elaborate, exaggerated chandelier hung overhead.

Ye Lin leaned in to take a closer look when he suddenly heard shouting nearby. It sounded like two men.

“Shen Shao, you clearly know I like you. Why won’t you come to my birthday party!”

“Because I don’t like you.”

Two men, telling each other they liked one another?

Maybe it was a man and a woman; after all, some girls had neutral voices. Ye Lin perked up his ears like a rabbit and moved a few steps closer to hear more clearly.

“Do you have to be so blunt? I’ve had a crush on you for over ten years, but you’ve never spared me a second glance!”

“Liang Wenle, if our families didn’t have a relationship, you wouldn’t even be able to see me once.”

“Shen Shao!”

That roar was filled with intense anger. Ye Lin shook his head helplessly, whispering a complaint about how this “Shen Shao” guy had a poisonous tongue and didn’t know what was good for him. If he were confessed to by a girl, he would be thrilled. How could he refuse?

“I hate you! You always have to go against me!”

“Everyone has to go along with you for you to be happy, right, Liang Wenle? Move!”

“I won’t. Unless you tell me today that you have someone you like, then I’ll give up!”

“Tch. I have someone I like. Now move.”

“I don’t believe you. You must be lying. He didn’t even show up tonight!”

“He’s right here.”

The more Ye Lin listened, the more things felt off. He finally realized these were indeed two men. His world began to crumble, and his footsteps felt unsteady. How could this be? Can men like men?

Ye Lin instinctively reached out to steady himself against the sink, but he accidentally hit the soap dispenser, making a slight noise. That small sound immediately attracted the two people in front of him.

Liang Wenle was the first to run over. When he saw the flustered Ye Lin, his eyes widened. Shen Shao followed and froze on the spot.

Liang Wenle pointed at Ye Lin and questioned: “What? Your so-called sweetheart is this kind of shameful illegitimate son?!”

Shen Shao remained silent. He had seen this illegitimate son once, three years ago. Back then, a dusty and disheveled Ye Lin had run to the Ye family seeking protection, only for the family to humiliate him publicly and have bodyguards throw him out. There had been no news of him since. He hadn’t expected to see him here.

Ye Lin didn’t want to be misunderstood as someone who liked men. He waved his hands frantically: “Um, I… I’m not his sweetheart. Don’t misunderstand. I was just passing by. I’m leaving now.”

If it were an ordinary passerby, Liang Wenle wouldn’t have been suspicious. But because it was the infamous illegitimate son of the Ye family, it couldn’t be a coincidence; it had to be a calculated scheme.

Liang Wenle quickly grabbed Ye Lin’s wrist to stop him from escaping: “You want to enter the Ye family so badly, but they won’t recognize you, so you’re trying to hook up with Shen Shao!”

Just as Ye Lin was about to argue back, he heard the system notification.

[The Host’s money growth rate is 100 yuan per hour. Congratulations on finding a high-quality male!]

A high-quality male!

Ye Lin grabbed Liang Wenle’s hand back, staring at his face with excitement: “I finally found one!”

Liang Wenle was stunned by the sudden move. He quickly shook off the hand, his eyes full of disgust: “I would never like someone like you. Stop dreaming!”

Ye Lin sized Liang Wenle up and realized he only reached the man’s chin. This guy had sharp, refined features, a tear-drop mole under his left eye, and a sapphire necklace around his neck. He was handsome and wealthy.

After a brief thought, Ye Lin nodded and summarized: “I see. Being rich and handsome means you’re a high-quality male.”

Liang Wenle suspected that Ye Lin had suffered a mental breakdown after being humiliated by the Ye family: “If you’re sick, go get treated. Stop wandering around here. Besides, Shen Shao wouldn’t like an idiot like you.”

As he spoke, he turned around, only to find that Shen Shao had disappeared.

Ye Lin kindly reminded him: “He quietly slipped away while you were distracted.”

Liang Wenle was nearly driven mad with rage and ran out, cursing under his breath. However, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head and saw Ye Lin following him sneakily.

Ye Lin felt a bit embarrassed but waved his hand in explanation: “Hey, um, I want to follow you. Hope you don’t mind!”

Liang Wenle exploded: “You really are sick!”