Chapter 13: The Vampire’s Prey (13)
Xie Yanchuan’s lips were as cold as he was, but surprisingly soft. It was like a lofty, pristine cloud descending from a mountain peak, circling and tangling until it melted into a pool of cloying, snowy slush.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Yu Jiao’s lips—that bastard Xie Yanchuan had bitten her, and he hadn’t held back.
He released her. His deep, dark gaze fell upon her swollen lips. He gently brushed his thumb over them, as if stamping a seal on a prized creation.
After the kiss, Xie Yanchuan’s pale lips were also tinged with a faint red, giving the cold, desireless deity a touch of mortal humanity.
“It’s not safe outside right now. Be good and stay here. Don’t move.”
This played right into Yu Jiao’s hands. Her mind was already racing, planning where to start her search. On the surface, however, she showed nothing. She nodded obediently, her lips like ripe cherries, her eyes shining. She looked impossibly soft and pliant.
Xie Yanchuan’s eyes darkened. The mood-ruining knock sounded at the door again. He gave her another fleeting, dragonfly-like kiss and then turned to leave. He paused at the door and commanded, “Look after the Second Miss.”
011: “Yes, sir.”
The moment the door closed, Yu Jiao crossed her arms and stared blankly at the human surveillance camera.
011 gave her a respectful bow. As he straightened up, his gaze seemed to linger for a fraction of a second on her crimson lips.
Yu Jiao: “Turn around.”
The tall blood servant didn’t ask why, simply turning obediently.
Yu Jiao walked towards Xie Yanchuan’s desk. “I’m going to change. You’re not allowed to turn back.”
Hearing this, 011 glanced at the mannequin and the pile of clothes on the floor nearby and decided not to expose the Second Miss’s flimsy excuse. “Yes, Miss.”
Staring at the complex mess of documents on the desk, Yu Jiao finally understood Xie Yanchuan’s confidence in leaving her in his study. Just as a headache was starting to form, a glowing arrow materialized out of thin air, pointing directly at a letter tucked inside a book.
Yu Jiao’s expression turned peculiar.
[Law of Causality]: As the female lead of an otome game, you are the favorite of fate.
Slightly suspicious, Yu Jiao followed the clue and pulled out the seemingly ordinary letter. After a quick scan, her expression grew grave.
【Main Quest: Successfully get selected as prey by the Secret Society, and survive for one week. (Progress: 20%)】
Just then, the study door was abruptly thrown open. A strange blood servant stood coldly in the doorway. “Second Miss, please come downstairs with me.”
He said “please,” but his posture was more like that of someone apprehending a criminal.
011 took a step forward. “The First Young Master ordered the Second Miss to stay here,” he said in a deep voice.
The strange blood servant replied coldly, “I am acting on the orders of the family head. The First Young Master naturally has no objections.”
Neither of them would back down, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Yu Jiao calmly returned the letter to its original place. Understanding the situation, she said coolly, “Since it is my father’s request, I will go down with you. But for now, please both of you leave. I need to tidy up my clothes and appearance.”
011 paused, gave a bow, and then dragged the reluctant blood servant out.
The door closed. Yu Jiao frowned and touched her chest.
It’s too risky to go downstairs like this. Anyone could easily see this fatal symbol.
Her pensive gaze shifted to the inkwell on the desk. An idea came to her.
…
First floor, the banquet hall.
The atmosphere was somewhat frigid. Everyone was silent, as if cicadas in winter.
As a newly risen power among the vampire clans, one that had been making meteoric progress in the last two years, the Xie family had gathered the support of most of the small and medium-sized families, creating a subtle standoff with the oldest, most established clans.
Most of the guests at tonight’s birthday banquet were from families with friendly or neutral stances towards the Xies. Naturally, the Xie family had also sent invitations to a few of the old clans. Normally, they would just send someone to make a token appearance, but to everyone’s surprise, the leader of the younger generation of the old clans, the new head of the Xue family, Xue Zhu, had actually accepted the invitation.
The only question was whether he was here to celebrate or to cause trouble.
Numerous gazes, both subtle and direct, were focused on Xue Zhu. He was slouched lazily on a sofa, his eyes closed, swaying his head as if no one else were there, completely lost in the melodious orchestral music.
“…Why is he here?”
“I heard he’s looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“Seems to be one of the Xie family’s young masters.”
The whispering group instinctively turned to look at the two Xie family young masters. One was sitting, the other standing. Both faced Xue Zhu, their similar faces equally expressionless.
The friendship between these three looked flimsy at best.
“That’s not right. I just heard the Xie family head send someone to invite… some Second Miss…”
“Where is she?”
As the piece of music ended, Xue Zhu opened his eyes and idly twirled a strand of his long hair around his finger.
The Xie family head wiped away some sweat. “Soon, soon. Girls, you know, they need time to get ready.” He repeatedly sent people to hurry her along.
Although the Xie family had developed well in recent years, its foundations weren’t completely stable. In front of Xue Zhu, even the head of the Xie family had to swallow his pride and put on a smile.
A new piece began to play. Amidst the flowing, graceful notes, the sound of high heels approached, stepping in time with the music.
Someone looked up.
There, standing at the second-floor railing, was a slender, unfamiliar beauty.
Her voluminous black skirt, in the bright, magnificent light, looked as if it were woven from the night sky and stars, making the young woman seem like a celestial being.
Her beauty was indeed otherworldly, but what made everyone hold their breath was the tangle of thorns drawn in fine red lines across her exposed chest. It was chaotic yet artful. A single flower stem wound its way up from the thorns, blooming into a trembling, crimson rose on the side of her neck.
Although the line drawing covered her chest, it was devoid of any vulgar sensuality. Instead, it was bold and striking, perfectly complementing her stunning features and attire.
“Is she…?” Murmurs of inquiry rose and fell.
Just then, the Xie family head quickly called out, “Jiao’er, come quickly.”
Only then did everyone realize that this alluring young woman was the Xie family’s unpresentable illegitimate daughter.
Some expressions turned peculiar, some began to plot, and others’ gazes shifted, weighing the relationship between the Xue family head and this illegitimate daughter, wondering if the balance of power among the clans was about to be reshuffled.
Yu Jiao rested a hand on the wooden banister and, under the scrutiny of the calculating crowd, descended the stairs.
Xue Zhu rose gracefully. His ink-black eyes locked onto her, his gaze as sharp as whetted fangs.
He wore a vintage tailcoat, his semi-long, curly hair tied back in a low ponytail. A few stray strands curled across his pale face, forming an irregular, demonic totem.
Xue Zhu looked up at her, like a prince from the Middle Ages, and extended a well-defined hand with a smile.
“May I have the honor of a dance with this… Lady of Thorns and Roses?”
His voice was soft and husky, as if he were holding a mouthful of sweet poison.
.
Yu Jiao stood on the stairs, looking down at Xue Zhu.
His face was delicate and demonic, his gaze like a dense, impenetrable fog. Even from a lower position, he radiated an overwhelming sense of aggression.
He tilted his head with a smile, his palm facing up in a gesture that was both a subtle urging and an unhurried command.
“Jiao’er, what are you waiting for?”
The Xie family head was as anxious as a pimp trying to force a match.
Yu Jiao’s gaze shifted lightly towards the twins not far away. Her clear, watery eyes were filled with a panicked, pleading light, helpless and imploring.
However, one of the twins lowered his eyes, and the other frowned and turned away. Both of them avoided her gaze.
The young woman seemed to be in disbelief. She froze for a moment, the light in her eyes slowly extinguishing. At her father’s repeated urging, she woodenly lifted her hand and placed it in Xue Zhu’s palm, as if being clamped into a pair of cold, hard handcuffs.
Satisfied, Xue Zhu led her onto the dance floor, as glorious as a victorious general leading away a captured enemy princess.
The light, ethereal music began.
Xue Zhu’s arm went around Yu Jiao’s waist. His fingers were long and cold, like a slippery, cold-blooded snake, seeping through the thin layer of her dress and into her very bones.
Their figures intertwined, swaying gracefully to the music.
“I heard the Second Miss was seen entering and leaving the boys’ dormitory last night, wearing a boy’s school uniform?” Xue Zhu said nonchalantly.
Yu Jiao’s long eyelashes trembled. “That’s just a rumor.”
Xue Zhu narrowed his eyes. “Is it now?”
He leaned in close to her ear. “We can find out if it’s a rumor with a simple investigation. Evidence is always left behind… Hmm? Should I call you the mysterious vampire hunter? Or the despicable blood traitor?”