Chapter 17
The light was a dim, crimson red.
Pei Wang was much stronger than Fu Xia. In a situation like this, where he was being choked, it would have been easy for him to turn the tables.
…Of course, perhaps he wanted to experience the feeling of being defied, because Fu Xia’s actions were met with no resistance.
Am I still dreaming?
The thought couldn’t help but surface in her mind as she pressed down on Pei Wang, her hands wrapped around his neck.
Pei Wang had probably never been treated like this before. A few buttons on his collar were undone. Fu Xia looked down into the eyes behind the mask, her thumb instinctively stroking his Adam’s apple. “…Can you sign a liability waiver?”
It tickled.
Pei Wang’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “If you insist on saying such buzzkill things at a time like this… I don’t mind making your fears a reality.”
Fine then, Fu Xia thought.
She took a deep breath, tightened her grip, and shifted her weight forward, practically sinking into the soft sofa with him.
“When this happens to you, what are you supposed to do?” she asked.
“Break his hands,” Pei Wang said.
Fu Xia’s palms slid up the line of his neck. “…No, you don’t have the strength for that right now.”
For some reason, Pei Wang tilted his head back in response. As he did, the lines of his neck stretched out, his pale skin dyed crimson by the ambient light.
Fu Xia could feel her heart racing, a strange mixture of excitement, thrill, and fear swirling within her.
Pei Wang was a completely different experience from Xie Rin. Perhaps because their status was so similar, and some of their behaviors and mindsets were alike, Fu Xia realized she was subconsciously comparing the two.
Unlike Xie Rin, who liked to make noise, Pei Wang’s lips remained pressed together. Even with his throat constricted and his breathing restricted, he remained perfectly calm, as if everything was still under his control.
Fu Xia suddenly felt a little annoyed.
The next thing she knew, she had already bent down, her grip tightening with all her might. Her kiss landed on Pei Wang’s chin, and she clearly felt the body beneath her tense up in an instant.
The unexpected move had revealed a crack in his armor.
Fu Xia’s kiss traveled upward. Still gripping his neck, her lips found his, and with a light, practiced movement, she pried them open.
She couldn’t reach him by standing on her tiptoes, Fu Xia thought, but she could if she was sitting on him.
Even as she kissed him, she didn’t forget to maintain the pressure of her hands. As expected, Pei Wang didn’t push her away.
Fu Xia ended the kiss and pushed herself up, still sitting on his lap. “See? Was I right or was I right?”
He hadn’t resisted at all; she had met no obstruction when she kissed him.
Pei Wang’s voice was a little hoarse. “Is this the extent of your seduction?”
Fu Xia braced her hands behind her and shifted her position slightly. “But it seems like this isn’t ‘just the extent of it.'”
Her heart was still racing. In moments of intense emotion, the blood flowed faster through her veins. Without even needing to pierce her skin, the keen-sensed vampire could already imagine the delicious taste of it flowing down his throat.
Pei Wang’s hand came to rest on her waist. He considered for a moment, his patience wearing thin, and was just about to push himself up and seize control.
But the next second, he heard a click.
At some point, Fu Xia had produced a pair of handcuffs. She had fastened one cuff around his wrist and the other to a specially designed rail on the back of the sofa.
Pei Wang: “…”
Fu Xia rolled off him.
She pretended not to notice his arousal and said, almost deliberately, “Well, since you’re not interested, Young Master, I guess we’ll just leave it at that for today.”
Pei Wang glanced sideways at the handcuff clasped around his wrist.
Fu Xia blinked, her eyes curving into a smile. “We’ll start with these handcuffs. Tomorrow, we can use ropes. I’ve learned a few things from the president of this club; maybe I can find a way to satisfy you.”
Fu Xia didn’t know what possessed her. The next thing she knew, she had given his excited, engorged member a light pat before getting up and leaving the room.
It wasn’t until she had bolted from the club and the cold wind hit her face that she realized just how audacious she had been.
“Phew…” Fu Xia exhaled.
If Pei Wang decided to tear Chen Wang’s club apart… well, that was a problem for the two of them to solve. Otherwise, she would be getting all the reward with none of the risk. Where else in the world could you find a deal that good?
The feeling of being looked up to was exhilarating. If she were the heir to a top-tier family like Pei Wang or Xie Rin, Fu Xia was certain she would forget her roots in a heartbeat, probably becoming even more outrageous than Chen Wang.
At that thought, Fu Xia casually took off her mask and started walking in the direction of the dorms.
Just as she turned a corner, someone else rounded it from the other side.
Most of Lorenz’s clubs were open to visitors, and new students who were interested could come and have a look after school.
Zhu Ye saw Fu Xia emerge and was about to go and say hello, but when he saw the person who came out after her, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Zhu Ye stood frozen. “Hm…?”
There wasn’t a single vampire who didn’t know the name Pei Wang.
A young and arrogant Prince, a lone wolf who operated outside the Progenitor’s control. The two of them, one after the other, looked as if they had just been doing something inside.
Curious, Zhu Ye waited for them to walk away before following the path down, finally stopping at the club’s entrance. He thought for a moment, then a brilliant smile spread across his face. “Perfect. So that’s his kink.”
..
The dorm room was spotless. The moment she pushed the door open, Fu Xia knew Yan Zhu had been there.
Her gaze locked onto the young man sitting on the windowsill. “You came by yourself? How’s Xie Rin?”
Today, he was wearing a full-face mask, again with no eyeholes. Fu Xia had always wondered why Xie Rin’s bodyguard, who was so handsome, insisted on wearing a mask every day. And how could he see anything without eyeholes?
As she thought about it, a strange feeling crept in. Why hadn’t she asked about this from the very beginning?
Yan Zhu was still not used to her familiar tone, and his own was a bit stiff. “…Xie Rin is still at home, throwing a tantrum.”
After returning to the villa, Xie Rin had basically barricaded himself in the library. Since no one dared to disturb him, it was unclear what he was doing in there.
Fu Xia quickly forgot about the strange feeling and breathed a sigh of relief. If Xie Rin wasn’t here, she wouldn’t have to be so secretive with Yan Zhu.
There was no boiled water in the dorm. Fu Xia bent down and picked up the water bottle from the floor. It was the one the first-year had given her yesterday afternoon; it should still be drinkable.
Yan Zhu watched as she unscrewed the cap. He moved from the window to Xie Rin’s bed and watched as she took several large gulps, finishing the water and tossing the bottle into the trash.
He found it difficult to tear his eyes away from her. The human girl’s figure wasn’t perfect; perhaps because she ate so little, she seemed even more slender than some of the blood bags in the vampire families. She should eat more, or she’ll get anemic and faint easily, Yan Zhu thought. And if she were to undergo the Embrace, a frail human would be more prone to accidents.
…Should I start bringing her meals tomorrow?
Yan Zhu’s thoughts drifted, his gaze unconsciously following her movements.
Under his watch, Fu Xia let out a breath and, like a koala, climbed into his arms.
Yan Zhu: “…?”
Yan Zhu: “…!”
The normally agile vampire froze on the spot. His brain had completely shut down. Only the rich, sweet fragrance in the air reminded him that this was another’s territory.
The person in his arms wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed her face against his chest. “Hmph… don’t move, let me hug you for a bit.”
After he had altered her perception, Fu Xia subconsciously revealed another side of herself to him. She had been through a major life upheaval in just a few short days, yet she usually appeared calm and composed, her breakdowns only fleeting.
It was only then that the vampire realized she was under immense pressure, with no one to share the burden.
“Sigh,” Fu Xia sighed.
Of course, she had no idea what her “close friend” was thinking. Yan Zhu didn’t have a boyish frame; his build was somewhere between a young man and a mature adult. He didn’t have Xie Rin’s overwhelming incense scent, and his body was cool and comfortable to hug.
“I’m dead tired. Money really is hard to earn,” Fu Xia said. “I feel like I’m living in the old days, facing a tyrant every day.” And not just one tyrant, but several, all with bizarre tempers. She never knew what they liked and had to figure everything out on her own.
Fu Xia empathized with him. “It’s just like how you have to listen to Xie Rin. It’s so hard. Can’t a hundred million just fall from the sky and hit us?” That way, the daily interest alone would be enough for her to slack off for the rest of her life.
Yan Zhu’s hand twitched. He knew she needed money. After learning of the Progenitor’s chosen one, all the vampires had looked into her background. Her family life was terrible, her grades were decent, and for years she had survived on subsidies and scholarships.
A hundred million was nothing to an immortal race; he could produce it easily. But he knew that in his current capacity, he absolutely could not give it to her. The vampires had reached a silent consensus: a happy human was the most difficult to conquer. She had to be made to feel fear, terror, and uncertainty. Only then could they become the light in her heart and easily win her genuine love.
That was why Pei Wang and Xie Rin, who had approached her first, had not taken the gentle route.
Yan Zhu offered a clumsy attempt at comfort. “It’s okay. After a while… once the young masters and misses lose interest, things should get better.” He paused. “After the Full Moon Ball, the Night Division students should be going back.”
Anyway, Xie Rin’s time is only until the Full Moon Ball. But how do I make my own entrance? Maybe I should ask her to elope?
Fu Xia was so tired she wanted to close her eyes. “But I have to get the invitation first…” That way, even if Pei Wang left, she could continue her studies. With any luck, Chen Wang would protect her for a while.
They fell silent.
Fu Xia yawned.
This is nice, Yan Zhu thought. The scholarship student dorm was a small, enclosed space. With the curtains drawn and the door closed, it was a little world for just the two of them. The vampire had completely forgotten how much he had despised this room the first time he’d seen it.
Behind the mask, he looked down at her face. One hand supported her to keep her from slipping, while the other rose, about to lift his mask.
—Just then, the phone on her bedside table lit up.
Yan Zhu glanced over. With his excellent night vision, he read the message on the screen.
Zhu Ye: Senior, are you free after school tomorrow?
Where did this guy come from?
Yan Zhu was just about to reach over and turn off the screen when he suddenly realized that the girl in his arms was breathing rapidly, and her whole body was burning up.