Chapter 47
Yan Zhu’s contact with humans was pitifully rare. He was a loner; his blood bags were picked up on a regular schedule and stored in his fridge.
Xie Rin looked down on even his own kind. His personality was so spoiled that he probably felt no human was worthy of his blood.
And Pei Wang was supremely arrogant. Before meeting Fu Xia, his definition of a human was an “insignificant bug.” If not for special circumstances, these three would either ignore humans or kill them on sight, with absolute coldness.
As for the currently unconscious Song Yingxi, he did have some experience. But it involved draining his fledgling’s blood completely and then bestowing a small amount of his own, waiting for the human’s own will to overcome the rest. Song Yingxi treated it as an experiment, but after a few tries, he had lost interest. This method of turning wasn’t always successful—it would fail roughly three out of five times—and was not suitable for Fu Xia.
But having them drain Fu Xia’s blood by drinking it was also not a good option. As a Lighthouse, her blood held a stronger attraction for them than any other food source. If one of them accidentally bit too hard, she might just die.
“I can hold back,” Yan Zhu said. “Trust me, okay? After you’re turned, you might feel a little strange, but I’ll teach you.”
Fu Xia didn’t think that was a problem.
“…Ha.” Pei Wang gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You want to become her first Embrace while she knows nothing? You’re dreaming a little too beautifully.”
Fu Xia: “…”
Just listening to them was giving her a headache.
“What if you’re both present at the same time?” she asked. Maybe they would keep an eye on each other, at least to make sure she wasn’t drained dry in one go.
“It would be even faster,” Pei Wang said, his tone mocking, as if Fu Xia had asked a ridiculous question. “The worst-case scenario is that we’d beat each other bloody fighting over you first.”
Vampires were inherently possessive creatures. The fact that Yan Zhu and Pei Wang could tolerate each other to this extent, with Fu Xia as their shared goal, was already astonishing.
Fu Xia fell silent.
But perhaps this was a case of high risk, high reward. After careful consideration, she felt she couldn’t delay any longer. The longer she waited, the closer the Full Moon Ball got, and the more dangerous things would become.
Who gave Fu Xia the First Embrace didn’t matter to her. “If there are no other options, can’t the two of you just pick one?” she suggested.
“I’ll do it,” Yan Zhu said. “Pei Wang has no sense of restraint.”
“If I recall correctly,” Pei Wang retorted, “I was the one who was seriously injured and still managed to resist the urge to drink.”
The two vampires, who were already on bad terms, glared at each other. If Fu Xia hadn’t been there, they would have already started fighting.
Just as the atmosphere between them reached a stalemate, they both suddenly fell silent and turned their attention to the door.
Three rhythmic knocks sounded.
Fu Xia instinctively looked toward the sound. This was the Xie family’s villa; most of the vampires here belonged to that faction. They were on someone else’s turf, after all.
Yan Zhu stood up straight. “Please come in.”
The door opened, and a strange man walked in.
He had deep-set eyes under a heavy brow and was dressed in a high-quality black trench coat, his frame tall and imposing. Compared to Xie Rin, this Prince exuded a powerful sense of pressure.
His gaze swept around the room. When he saw Pei Wang and Yan Zhu, he frowned with a subtle, almost disgusted expression, his eyes finally landing on Fu Xia.
“Hello,” he said, walking over and extending a hand, greeting Fu Xia with impeccable manners. “I am Xie Yan, Xie Rin’s older brother, and the current head of the Xie Corporation.”
Black leather gloves covered his long, broad hands. From head to toe, this man radiated the unapproachable air of a superior.
The vampires Fu Xia had met so far had all been boyish. Fu Xia could still treat them as peers, but facing this man, she felt a little awkward.
She looked at Xie Yan’s face for a few seconds, then reached out and shook his hand.
“Hello, sir. I’m Fu Xia.” She had unconsciously used a formal address.
“There’s no need for honorifics,” Xie Yan said.
Yan Zhu subtly moved between Fu Xia and Xie Yan. “That’s not important. How is Xie Rin now?”
Xie Yan calmly withdrew his hand, unconcerned by Yan Zhu’s faint hostility.
“His emotional state is still unstable,” Xie Yan said. “Until we’ve dealt with the potential trouble, I’m not letting a major problem like that out.” He had unhesitatingly classified his own brother as a “major problem.”
His way of handling things is very adult, Fu Xia marveled.
Pei Wang noticed her expression and let out a soft sneer. “He’s three hundred years older than Xie Rin.”
It was a rare comment from the arrogant loner. Xie Yan suppressed an urge to raise an eyebrow and met the cold green eyes.
Xie Yan sighed. “Yes, but we all know a vampire’s age isn’t counted in human years.” His gaze passed over Yan Zhu and landed on Fu Xia. He made a harmless joke. “Otherwise, I’d be Xie Rin’s late brother.”
Fu Xia: “…”
Fu Xia let out a few awkward but polite laughs.
Sensing her mood, Xie Yan paused, then said, “You can stay here for now. If you need anything, you can find me.”
Just then, the phone in Xie Yan’s pocket rang. He was clearly very busy. He answered the call and left.
Fu Xia stared at Xie Yan’s back until he disappeared from sight.
Such a normal vampire. If she had met him in real life, she probably wouldn’t have thought he was a non-human creature.
She turned and saw Yan Zhu, his hands clasped in front of him, unconsciously fiddling, as if he were nervous.
…Don’t tell me she likes that type of person?
Just as Yan Zhu was thinking this, he heard Fu Xia ask, “What’s his attitude about me taking the heart’s blood?”
“Neutral,” Yan Zhu said. “As long as it maintains stability, he can accept it.”
Xie Yan liked a peaceful life. Unlike his extreme brother, Xie Yan had been calm and composed since birth. After taking on the power of a Prince, he had steadily developed and expanded the entire family. He had no intention of participating in the game started by the malicious Progenitor. But just because he wasn’t competing didn’t mean he wanted the internal stability of the vampire race to collapse.
Whether the legacy fell into the hands of a few Princes, or Fu Xia died and the unrestrained half-breeds started wreaking havoc—all of it gave Xie Yan a headache.
“No wonder I thought he seemed like a normal person…” Fu Xia remarked. Compared to the overly perfect Song Yingxi, Xie Yan had a grounded, realistic feel. He was so… human. It was a shock to her after everything she’d been through.
Yan Zhu & Pei Wang: “…”
Fu Xia quickly asked another question. “So, what’s his ability?”
Neither of the young Vampire Princes answered her right away.
“…Why is no one talking to me?”
Yan Zhu was stubbornly silent, his face hidden behind his mask. Fu Xia took a step closer, trying to meet his gaze through the mask, but Yan Zhu instinctively took a step back. It was a clear gesture of resistance.
“Why don’t you want to say?”
Yan Zhu turned his face away, his voice a little stiff. “I don’t.”
Fu Xia took a step back, her tone growing colder. “In that case, I’ll go ask Pei Wang.”
She had chosen to communicate with Yan Zhu first because he was easier to talk to, but his refusal to speak was starting to annoy her. The chill in her voice was so obvious that Yan Zhu instantly panicked and quickly grabbed her wrist.
Ignoring the cold glare from Pei Wang, who was leaning against the wall, Yan Zhu spinelessly blurted it out.
“…It’s Empathy.”
“He can share all pleasure and pain with a chosen target,” Yan Zhu said.
The ability wasn’t actually that strong. After all, when the chosen target felt pain, Xie Yan would feel it too, but he could retract the ability at any time. If there were a ranking of “who you’d least want to fight,” Pei Wang would be first, and Xie Yan would be second. Death was one thing; disgust was another. No vampire would fight Xie Yan to the death. Even the other Princes didn’t want to get into a major conflict with him. It was like neighboring beasts, each turning a blind eye to the other.
“Oh,” Fu Xia said.
No wonder Yan Zhu was so reluctant to talk about it.
Wasn’t this ability the best choice for turning her into a vampire?
Fu Xia’s eyes lit up. She asked, “Is there any way to get him to do it?”
Yan Zhu’s voice was a little strange. “…That would be difficult.”
“Don’t tell me you’re just making excuses because you want to drink my blood?” Fu Xia said coolly.
Pei Wang, who had been watching them the whole time, finally spoke. “His personality is very strange.”
Fu Xia was shocked. “Is there anyone stranger than you guys?”
Pei Wang: “…”
The black-haired, green-eyed young man stared at her sinisterly. Fu Xia felt a chill creep up the back of her neck and rubbed her arms. Why are you like this when I’m just telling the truth?
“He doesn’t like to be in contact with others. It’s an instinctive aversion,” Yan Zhu said. “Or rather, it’s very difficult to even see him.”
Xie Yan’s visit today was just a formality, to see if Fu Xia was a dangerous factor. If she was, he would have ruthlessly expelled her. If not, then for the sake of long-term stability, Xie Yan could endure it for a while.
“Forcing him into intimate contact is worse than death for him… You’ll understand if you get to know him a little better.”
“…I see,” Fu Xia said. He sounded like a major introvert.
Yan Zhu was sure that if Fu Xia didn’t actively seek him out… but Xie Yan was indeed the most suitable choice to turn her. Although Yan Zhu didn’t want to admit it, he knew that both he and Pei Wang could put her in a dangerous situation.
Pei Wang tilted his head. “Do you need me to hold him down?”
“This isn’t something that can be solved with violence,” Yan Zhu retorted.
Fu Xia lowered her eyes and thought for a few seconds.
“If what he wants is stability, then turning me is the best choice,” she said, her hand on her chin. “After all, if I die, the agreement he made with you becomes meaningless.”
“Does he live here?” Fu Xia asked.
After getting an affirmative answer from Yan Zhu, Fu Xia slapped her fist into her other palm.
“…I’ll go and find a way to convince him.”