Chapter 16: The Vampire’s Prey (16)
In that single moment, a thousand thoughts raced through Yu Jiao’s mind.
Logically, the twins had never seen her in the men’s school uniform. Furthermore, her demeanor in that persona was completely different. Even someone as clever as Xue Zhu, despite possessing key clues, hadn’t been able to see through her disguise.
But… when dealing with Xie Yanchuan, a man with more schemes than seeds in a dragon fruit, one could never rely on logic.
Yu Jiao decided to test the waters first.
“You think I’d dare to go out tonight?”
Her tone was flat, tinged with sarcasm. “Father has settled Xue Zhu in our home. What would I go out for? To serve myself up on a platter for him to strangle?”
As she said this, a strange feeling washed over her—she had, in fact, just served herself up and had nearly been strangled by that very man.
Outside the door, Xie Yanchuan was silent for a moment.
After a long pause.
Just as Yu Jiao thought he had stormed off, a slightly husky, cool voice spoke up. “Yu Jiao, I…”
He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Yu Jiao’s heart settled.
If Xie Yanchuan were truly certain she was the one who set the fire, he wouldn’t be standing at her door speaking so gently.
His suspicion was likely just a beast-like intuition. In that case, she would nip that suspicion in the bud right now—
“There’s no need to say any more.”
The young woman’s voice was calm, but upon closer listening, one could hear a restrained tremor, like a dewdrop trembling on a leaf, making one’s heart tremble along with it.
“I don’t want to see you. Please leave.”
Wei Changlin crossed his arms, watching with amusement as Yu Jiao delivered her pitiful lines with an indifferent expression.
Yu Jiao snatched the notebook from his hand. While verbally dealing with Xie Yanchuan, she flipped to a blank page and scribbled:
[He might suspect me.]
Wei Changlin raised an eyebrow.
[Can’t you shapeshift? Help me. Disguise yourself as someone with a similar build to me, show your face to Xie Yanchuan, and dispel his suspicion.]
Seeing him remain unmoved, Yu Jiao lowered her head and wrote again: [Tonight, I discovered the Xie family plans to use ordinary humans as sacrifices.]
Wei Changlin, who had been slouching, straightened his back slightly.
Yu Jiao slowly turned the page:
[But I destroyed the ritual site.]
[So, you have to help me.]
Yu Jiao looked directly at him.
Wei Changlin’s gaze was scrutinizing. After a moment, he condescendingly lifted his chin in agreement.
…
Meanwhile, outside the room.
Xie Yanchuan leaned lightly against the wall, the dim chandelier obscuring his expression.
He rubbed his brow, then paused. “I’m leaving then. You—”
Before he could finish, the door was suddenly pulled open.
The young woman gripped the doorknob tightly, silent, looking at him with a quiet intensity. Her eyes were heavy with sorrow, a faint light flickering within them, like a silent, hopeful, and cautious plea.
Xie Yanchuan was on the verge of yielding.
He opened his lips, about to say something, but in an instant, the color drained from his radiant face. He frowned and took a deep breath.
Seeing him endure the intense pain, Yu Jiao understood: the method their father used to control the brothers was likely similar to a blood curse. The cursed person couldn’t have a single thought of defiance, and would even be punished for trying to confess the curse to others.
Yu Jiao didn’t believe the twins were willing to be controlled. It was only a matter of time before they eliminated their father and broke free.
Various speculations flashed through her mind, but on her face, she feigned a look of worry. “Are… are you alright?”
Xie Yanchuan coughed lightly. “I’m fine.”
His face was pale, his eyes downcast. The young man, who was usually as distant and cold as solid ice, now looked strangely pitiful.
Yu Jiao hesitated before stepping forward to support him.
Seeing the softened look on her face, Xie Yanchuan took the opportunity to clutch the corner of her clothes. He lowered his stance and slowly rested his forehead on her shoulder, his long eyelashes half-closed, hiding the dark glint in his eyes.
He was tall and slender with broad shoulders, but now, hunched over, he looked like a proud, haughty cat deigning to show a rare moment of affection.
“Yu Jiao, I’m sorry.”
His voice was soft and low.
Why do both brothers apologize the same way?
As if swayed, Yu Jiao patted his back and sighed indulgently.
Xie Yanchuan tentatively reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her more snugly into his embrace. His cool breath ghosted over her collarbone.
The back of Yu Jiao’s neck tingled. She could almost feel Wei Changlin’s mocking gaze on her from his post outside the window… The feeling of having a clandestine affair grew stronger.
She put one hand behind her back and made a silent, urging gesture.
Finally, a soft sound came from outside the window.
Xie Yanchuan’s eyes narrowed.
There, outside, a familiar figure flashed past in the night—it was the person who had destroyed the ritual.
Xie Yanchuan immediately moved to give chase. He paused as he brushed past her, his fingertips gently caressing her cheek. He looked at her deeply and instructed in a heavy voice, “Stay in the room, lock the doors and windows, and be careful.”
With that, he vaulted through the window in pursuit, his movements agile, showing none of his earlier weakness.
Yu Jiao raised an eyebrow.
After the two figures disappeared, she quickly locked the door and windows, clapped her hands, and leisurely washed up for bed.
As for how Wei Changlin would escape, that was no longer her concern.
…
The next day.
Early in the morning, after respectfully seeing off the “great Buddha” Xue Zhu, the Xie family head left with Xie Ning.
As Xie Zhenye yawned and came downstairs, Xie Yanchuan was already sitting at the dining table, impeccably dressed, drinking coffee.
“Went to see her last night? Got the door slammed in your face, didn’t you?”
Xie Zhenye pulled out a chair and sat down, his tone tinged with schadenfreude. “It’s obvious. A clam like you can’t squeeze out a single nice word.”
The “clam” ignored him, calmly reading the newspaper.
“If you ask me,” Xie Zhenye said, pointing with a piece of bread as if he were a grand strategist, “at a time like this, you should give her enough time and space. Wait for her to cool down, then present a well-prepared surprise and offer a sincere apology.”
Xie Zhenye was still pontificating when he heard footsteps from upstairs. His eyes lit up, and he feigned a casual glance back.
He saw the young woman dressed in her school uniform, her silk-like hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing knee-high white socks and black leather shoes. She was youthful, beautiful, elegant, and poised, making it impossible to remember her once gloomy, quiet demeanor.
“Good morning.”
Xie Zhenye dropped his bread, stood up, and gallantly pulled out a chair for her, but she walked right past him without a second glance.
Dejected, Xie Zhenye watched the young woman, her face tense, head straight for the main door. But then, he heard that bastard Xie Yanchuan suddenly call out to her, “Yu Jiao.”
Her steps slowed, and she turned back.
Xie Yanchuan slowly pushed a glass of hot milk towards her. “I had the kitchen prepare this especially for you.”
Before he could finish, his face suddenly went pale. He turned his head and coughed lightly. Finally, he gracefully looked up, his pale blue eyes quietly gazing at her.
What an act.
Xie Zhenye scoffed. He was just waiting for Yu Jiao to mercilessly storm off, but instead, she paused. With a tense expression, she took the milk and began to drink it in small sips.
After gulping it all down, she turned and left with a blank face.
Xie Zhenye: “.”
Xie Yanchuan, his complexion back to normal, slowly turned a page of his newspaper. Without looking up, he said coolly, “Slammed in the face? A clam? Prepare a surprise? Apologize? Tch.”
Xie Zhenye: “…”
The attack wasn’t fatal, but the humiliation was extreme.
Rage welled up in Xie Zhenye. He sullenly picked up a baguette and began to gnaw on it.
…
Meanwhile, Yu Jiao arrived at the academy.
The car slowed to a stop. She opened her eyes to the sight of a tall, ornate, vintage iron gate. The morning sun was gentle, and students in uniform walked in groups of two or three, looking no different from ordinary people.
Due to the thinning of the bloodline, the descendants of the blood race had not only lost their powerful abilities but also the various weaknesses that came with their lineage, such as the fear of sunlight.
But the noble students and the specially-admitted students were a world apart. Besides their clothes and demeanor, the noble students, as descendants of vampire families, all had a hidden malice in their eyes when they looked at the specially-admitted students.
The academy was built in a remote suburban area, surrounded by the manors of numerous vampire families. The specially-admitted students had no choice but to board. Once they entered the academy, their cries for help would go unanswered.
Saint Hua Noble Academy—a hunting ground where the blood race raised humans.
Yu Jiao pushed open the car door.
After the dramatic events of last night’s banquet, she had leaped from being a nobody to a “person of interest” in the school’s gossip columns.
All along the way, she was met with appraising gazes and the buzzing of rumors, as annoying as a swarm of flies.
Yu Jiao paid them no mind. She walked into the teaching building, looking for her classroom. Suddenly, she stopped.
In a remote corner of the staircase.
A young man was being shoved and pushed against a wall by a group of people.
“Heard you played the hero saving the damsel in distress yesterday?”
“Where are your friends, hero? The ones who are just as useless as you?”
“Oh, look, he’s getting angry.”
“Lin Wei, come and teach your little brother a lesson.”
The man called Lin Wei had a dark expression. He had a cigarette dangling from his lips, and his tone was sinister.
“Lin Qiuzhe, didn’t I warn you? As a young master of the Lin family, are you trying to get yourself killed by getting so close to the Xie family?”
Lin Qiuzhe’s expression was indifferent. “It’s not your place to tell me who I can and can’t associate with.”
Someone shoved him. “What are you acting so tough for, you waste? Brother Wei is the one with the strongest bloodline in this generation of the Lin family. The Lin family’s main assets will be his sooner or later.”
Lin Qiuzhe’s fists clenched, veins popping. He lowered his head, his gaze gradually darkening.
Lin Wei dropped his cigarette butt and ground it out with the sole of his shoe. He cracked his knuckles. “Looks like I have to teach you a lesson.”
Just as the conflict was about to escalate, as the group surrounded Lin Qiuzhe with menacing sneers, the piercing wail of the smoke alarm suddenly blared. The next second, a cloud of dry powder foam filled the air.
“Cough, cough! What the hell is going on?!”
In the white haze, a soft hand suddenly grabbed Lin Qiuzhe’s wrist. At the same time, a familiar voice said, “Come with me.”
Lin Qiuzhe looked surprised, but he obediently let himself be pulled into a run. The young woman before him was slender, her hair flying, like a fairy descending from the heavens to pull him out of the mire of his predicament.
The young man’s expression was dazed, his heart pounding.
They ran through the white mist, leaving Lin Wei and his cronies cursing far behind, finally taking refuge in the first-floor lobby.
The two of them were panting, and they exchanged a smile.
“Thank you,” Lin Qiuzhe said, his eyes shining. He bit his lip, embarrassed. “You had to see me in such an embarrassing situation…”
“Don’t thank me. You’ve helped me so many times,” Yu Jiao said, patting his shoulder. She didn’t pry into his private affairs, only saying, “They’re the ones who are embarrassing.”
Her expression was serious. After the exertion, her pale cheeks were flushed pink. Once she had caught her breath, her hand, which was patting his, paused, and she looked past him.
There, a “Campus Stars” honor wall took up an entire side of the lobby. Neat rows of formal photos were displayed, the boys and girls in them smiling shyly yet brightly.
Lin Qiuzhe followed her gaze, his expression complicated. “They are all specially-admitted students. They are also… the past victims of the Secret Society.”
A glint flashed in Yu Jiao’s eyes. Remembering that her game mission was to [Successfully get selected as prey by the Secret Society, and survive for one week], she seized the opportunity to gather information.
She repeated softly, “Victims of the Secret Society?”
Lin Qiuzhe nodded slowly.
As a direct heir of a major family, he knew many secrets. He explained in a low voice, “Over a decade ago, the various families jointly passed the Lamb Project. The academy officially began recruiting from outside. After a rigorous screening process, the specially-admitted students were all from poor families with simple social connections, people on the fringes of society.”
Yu Jiao understood. “Because if people like that disappear or die, it won’t cause much of a stir.”
Lin Qiuzhe nodded. “The heads of the families hoped to stimulate the awakening of powerful bloodlines by arousing the bloodlust of their descendants. It was during that period that the Secret Society and the Campus Stars were established at the same time.”
On the honor wall, the young men and women all wore smiles full of hope for the future, completely unaware.
Their lives had stopped at that moment.
“They display it so openly?”
Yu Jiao couldn’t help but think of mounted bull horns, deer heads, and tiger skins… the trophies of a hunter.
“Yes,” Lin Qiuzhe said, his eyes filled with pity. He sighed. “After being selected as a Campus Star, the specially-admitted students first receive a hefty scholarship. And just as they are overjoyed, the hunt begins…”
The two of them stared silently at the so-called honor wall.
A list written in blood.
【Main Quest: Successfully get selected as prey by the Secret Society, and survive for one week. (Progress: 35%)】
Suddenly, Yu Jiao’s gaze narrowed. One of the photos had caught her attention. The girl in the picture was biting her lip, her expression timid, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes slightly curved.
A somewhat familiar face…
Yu Jiao frowned, searching her memory, but the school bell interrupted her thoughts.
“We should go.”
Lin Qiuzhe reminded her gently. Seeing that she seemed lost in the bloody, cruel truth, his expression was a little worried.
Yu Jiao gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m fine.”
The two of them walked side by side, the heavy mood gradually left behind.
Just before they parted ways, Lin Qiuzhe took a deep breath and asked cautiously and politely, “Miss Yu, c-can I wait for you to have lunch together?”
The young man looked at her anxiously, his gaze as clear as a pristine lake.
Yu Jiao smiled. “Of course.”
As if a stone had been tossed into that lake, the young man broke into a brilliant smile. “See you at lunch!”
…
Yu Jiao propped her chin on her hand, listening to the teacher drone on at the front of the class.
Several of the young masters and ladies in the class frequently shot daggers at her with their eyes. They were all Xie Ning’s close friends, lackeys, and admirers.
Xie Ning had taken the day off, and for some reason, they had blamed it on Yu Jiao, thinking that this illegitimate daughter must have been the one to upset her.
The moment the break between classes began.
The group surrounded her with arrogant airs.
Lackey: “Hey, don’t covet what doesn’t belong to you. You hear me?”
Yu Jiao: “I hear you.”
“How dare you—wait, what did you say?” The admirer was stunned. He hadn’t expected her to go off-script, and the lines he had prepared were stuck in his throat.
Yu Jiao, as if no one else were there, took out a carton of sweet milk, pierced it, and said indistinctly around the straw, “I said I won’t covet what doesn’t belong to me. Is there anything else you need to instruct me on?”
Instruct her my ass.
The group’s faces darkened.
The close friend rallied and put her hands on her hips. “You’re just an illegitimate daughter. Xie Ning is the only true young lady of the Xie family. Don’t think you can soar to the heavens just by latching onto the two Xie young masters. They have to listen to Xie Ning, too. They won’t care about you at all!”
“Who said she’s latched onto them? The two Xie young masters don’t care if she lives or dies,” the admirer sneered.
“Exactly!” the lackey chimed in. “Speaking of which, last night I saw Xue Zhu ask her to dance. I thought the sun had risen in the west. Now I see, she’s probably just ‘prey’.”
As the illegitimate daughter of the Xie family head and a non-vampire woman, in the eyes of these nobles who prided themselves on their bloodline, Yu Jiao was no different from the specially-admitted students at the bottom of the food chain.
“What are you doing?”
The teacher, wearing black-framed glasses, walked into the classroom holding a sealed bag.
“Mr. Song, we’re just getting to know our new classmate.”
Mr. Song pushed up his glasses and smiled. “Oh, you have a lot of energy, I see.” He tore open the sealed bag and said leisurely, “In that case, let’s spend the next two periods doing a test.”
The troublemakers sullenly returned to their seats.
While handing out the test papers, Mr. Song ambled over to Yu Jiao’s desk.
“Miss, no eating during the exam,” he said with a smile, holding out his hand.
Yu Jiao frowned, took one last, hard slurp, and dropped the flattened milk carton into his palm.
…
Thanks to Mr. Song, Yu Jiao passed a dull morning in peace.
Soon, it was lunchtime.
As the bell rang, Lin Qiuzhe appeared right on time. He stood tall and straight like a young poplar tree, standing out in the sunlight. His demeanor was calm and graceful, and he stood composed in the center of everyone’s attention. Only the way he was rubbing his fingertips together betrayed his nervousness and anticipation.
Yu Jiao waved at him. As she passed the teacher’s desk, a mood-ruining voice drawled:
“Is Miss Yu in a puppy love relationship?”
Yu Jiao turned her head, her grey pupils reflecting a cool light. “Is Mr. Song prying into a student’s private life?”
A smile played on Mr. Song’s lips. “Of course not. I’m just concerned about my students’ physical and mental well-being.”
Yu Jiao didn’t look back. “Don’t trouble yourself.”
The peach-blossom eyes behind Mr. Song’s glasses curved into a smile as he watched her walk away.
.
Seeing Yu Jiao approach, all of Lin Qiuzhe’s nervousness, anticipation, and planned conversation starters vanished. A natural smile bloomed on his face as he walked to meet her.
At that moment, by the entrance of the building.
The students coming and going were all instinctively avoiding a certain spot, stealing glances as they passed.
There, Xie Yanchuan stood with his arms crossed, his fingertips tapping lightly. Xie Zhenye was leaning lazily against the railing.
They were clearly waiting for someone.
“Young Masters Xie, are you looking for Xie Ning? She took the day off today.”
One of Xie Ning’s lackeys mustered up the courage to approach them.
After a long moment with no reply, the pressure in the air only grew heavier. The twins were silent, their cold gazes fixed on a certain spot.
The lackey followed their line of sight.
…What the hell.
Why is it that illegitimate daughter?
She was walking with the young master of the Lin family, laughing and talking. They were both easy on the eyes, looking like they were acting in a school idol drama. They actually looked quite good together.
The lackey felt the air around him grow even colder. He fled with a look of shock and suspicion.
“…”
Two scorching, penetrating gazes were fixed on Yu Jiao. As if sensing them, she looked up.
Yu Jiao: Oh, crap.