Chapter 49
To understand Xie Yan, Fu Xia had spent the past few days poring over information about him.
In human society, Xie Yan frequently appeared in financial news reports—a decisive leader who managed his corporation with impeccable order.
In the eyes of most vampires, this Prince was cold, but at least his actions were predictable, unlike Pei Wang or Xie Rin, who could fly into a rage at any moment.
However, Fu Xia discovered that Xie Yan was, in fact, a very lazy vampire.
When there were no outsiders around, he always looked listless and drowsy. At first, he had tried to hide it, but now he was at the point where he could fall asleep instantly if you gave him a bed.
“Don’t you vampires not need much sleep?”
“Excessive fatigue is no different from being injured,” Xie Yan said listlessly.
Fu Xia: “…”
Okay, I think I understand why he hates trouble.
But Xie Yan had a strange obsession with gaming. Even when he looked dead tired, he had to open his computer and play a few rounds before collapsing.
Witnessing all this, Fu Xia couldn’t help but sigh. With a shut-in and a cross-dresser in the family, the future of this lineage was clear.
But one thing Fu Xia had to say was that Xie Yan was terrible at games.
She never would have dreamed that the impeccably dressed financial tycoon would sit at a computer and engage in a series of thrilling yet utterly clumsy maneuvers. He was a keen-sensed vampire, yet he had no reaction time in games. And he almost never spoke while playing; sometimes, his character would be dead for a long time before Fu Xia even noticed.
After carrying him to victory for the umpteenth time, Fu Xia pulled her hand back and silently looked at the expressionless Xie Yan beside her.
“You…”
Xie Yan turned his head, refusing to make eye contact with Fu Xia.
Fu Xia took a deep breath.
At first, she told herself it was fine. Compared to achieving her goal, what was the big deal about carrying a newbie through a game?
On the third day, after leading him into the third round of the playoffs, Fu Xia felt she shouldn’t be in school; she should go pro.
“That’s it for ranked today. Do you want to…”
Xie Yan’s fingers on the keyboard curled slightly. He pursed his lips. “I’m not sleepy.” Nighttime was, after all, a vampire’s active period.
“I need to sleep.”
“But if you were turned into a vampire, you wouldn’t have to.”
He’s wavering… that expression is definitely wavering!
But Xie Yan still had a sliver of rationality left and didn’t agree immediately.
It wasn’t just in shooters; Xie Yan’s performance in non-competitive co-op games was also embarrassingly bad.
The tournament lasted for three days. Fu Xia became more and more adept at carrying him, treating Xie Yan exactly as she would a client. He, in turn, finally broke his habit of silence and would occasionally pass on some information. As a corporate president and a Vampire Prince, Xie Yan’s communication skills were not weak.
Xie Yan hadn’t even realized that he was unconsciously showing Fu Xia a side of himself that he never revealed to others. It was too unguarded.
“After tomorrow’s playoff match,” Fu Xia said, “give me an answer.”
…
Xie Rin was agitated.
His Lighthouse was just upstairs, but he was still grounded. And every night, Fu Xia would enter his dream and ask about that guy!!
He couldn’t stop biting his nails, his beautiful face twisted in frustration.
…Playing games together?
Why are they doing something so intimate?
Isn’t the turning a simple matter of drinking blood and then being fed blood?
Soon, another question flooded Xie Rin’s mind.
—Will sparks fly when they’re together?
That guy’s personality was terrible, but as a vampire, his face was definitely not bad. And there were plenty of humans who only liked the mature type, not the younger ones.
…Are the other Princes just sitting around doing nothing? Are they just going to let their feelings heat up?
When Xie Rin got anxious, his emotions were hard to control. He desperately needed to make contact with Fu Xia to confirm whether she had fallen in love with Xie Yan, whether she would just forget about him.
So, the next time he entered Fu Xia’s dream, Xie Rin couldn’t help but say sourly, “Hey, how’s your progress?”
“He’s very difficult,” Fu Xia said heavily.
Which clearly meant she hadn’t succeeded yet.
Xie Rin wasn’t happy for more than two seconds before he realized that Fu Xia was the one constantly seeking Xie Yan out, and the sour feeling returned.
“Hey,” the young man continued sourly, “do you like him?”
“…He’s alright, I guess.” He was quiet when they played games and had a strong sense of personal boundaries. If Fu Xia weren’t in such a hurry to ask for his help, she would have quite enjoyed his company.
Xie Rin’s lips drooped. “What about me?”
Fu Xia was silent for a moment, then gave him a strange look. She glanced at Xie Rin’s beautiful face and exposed pale skin. “Actually, I prefer a more masculine appearance.”
He was beautiful, but too delicate. The long hair, the dresses—it all made Fu Xia feel like he was one of her girlfriends. But even if Xie Rin were a handsome stud, Fu Xia was in no mood for love right now.
The expression on Xie Rin’s face turned ugly. The next second, he had left her dream.
His emotional volatility was nothing new. The self-centered young master, upon hearing that he wasn’t the one she liked, throwing a fit was perfectly normal.
Fu Xia was also anxious. Tomorrow was the final match of the first stage of the tournament. This wasn’t difficult for Fu Xia; she had carried Xie Yan to victory with relative ease. But she was running out of time. She was also worried that the heart’s blood in the freezer would go bad; after all, a Prince’s blood wasn’t easy to come by.
Whatever it took, she had to get Xie Yan to agree to her request.
In today’s battle, Fu Xia’s performance was even more refined. She even had the leisure to toy with their opponents, letting Xie Yan get the final kill.
It wasn’t until the words [Congratulations on Advancing] appeared on the screen that Fu Xia finally relaxed.
Xie Yan had clearly never achieved something like this before. The usually composed or weary expression on his face changed slightly, the corners of his lips even turning up in a smile.
Xie Yan turned his head. “You…”
But he found that Fu Xia was staring at him. Her gaze was fixed, like a predator that had locked onto its prey, unwilling to let go.
Realizing Xie Yan was tentatively extending his feelers, Fu Xia retracted her aggressive gaze and held up a hand. “Congratulations! The next round is in three days. It’s just that by then…”
The game required teammates to be bound. Fu Xia was planning a strategic retreat, saying she didn’t intend to continue.
She had just pushed her chair back when Xie Yan also moved back—whether to stop her or for some other reason, she didn’t know. In any case, their chairs collided, their knees touched. Xie Yan instinctively tried to pull away, but his foot got tangled in the wires on the floor.
The chair slid back, and Fu Xia lost her balance. She instinctively grabbed Xie Yan’s hand. He flinched as if electrocuted, and with another pull, they both tumbled to the floor.
A chaotic mess.
Fu Xia had landed on top of him.
Xie Yan’s reaction was much bigger than hers. He was like a fish out of water, flailing about, nearly hitting her in the waist.
“…Calm down!”
Xie Yan’s chest heaved. “I… get off me!” He had cultivated a germaphobic image precisely to minimize contact with others, and now, because of a moment of impulse, he was rolling around on the floor with Fu Xia. He felt his perpetually cold skin begin to burn.
Fu Xia wanted to get up, but Xie Yan’s struggles tripped her again, and they continued to roll around in a messy heap.
Fu Xia: “…”
Fu Xia pinned Xie Yan’s shoulders to the floor. “I said, calm down. It’s not like I’m going to eat you.”
“…Not ‘like’ or not ‘going to’?”
A vein throbbed in Fu Xia’s forehead. Is this really the time to be worrying about that?
She took a deep breath. “Since this stage of the tournament is over, it’s about time we talked about the favor I need to ask of you.”
Xie Yan bent his legs and propped himself up on his elbows, trying to scoot back, but Fu Xia held him fast.
“…You’re not going to use me and then toss me aside, are you, Chairman Xie?”
Xie Yan suppressed the panic in his eyes and said in a calm voice, “I won’t… but this matter is special. What leverage do you have to make me agree?” He was trying to bring the conversation back to the negotiating table, away from this intimate proximity.
“I can’t guarantee it 100%,” Fu Xia said, “but the leash to several vampires is in my hands.”
Xie Yan couldn’t stand this position. He felt like his entire being, from his facial expressions to his psyche, was under her scrutiny. The feeling made Xie Yan extremely uneasy.
So he calmed down, and with a slight exertion of force, he reversed their positions.
The man’s hair was a complete mess. Because of the change in position, his bangs fell forward, casting a shadow that completely hid the emotion in his eyes.
He didn’t speak.
When dealing with unfamiliar people, Fu Xia usually analyzed their state of mind through their expressions. So, she raised her hand.
She brushed the black hair from his forehead. Xie Yan’s eyelashes trembled. He looked at Fu Xia and saw a storm brewing in her eyes.
This was a very bold, very hard-to-kill human.
Xie Yan suddenly thought of Fu Xia when she was playing the game. It was the look of a hunter, similar to many vampires he had seen. Perhaps her affinity with the vampire race was very good.
Xie Yan’s thoughts almost ground to a halt. The warmth of her palm on his forehead made Xie Yan want to jump up, but for some reason, he couldn’t move.
“If you’re willing to help me with the turning,” Fu Xia said, “I can be responsible for handling the troublesome things you find annoying.”
Compared to letting this sword of Damocles hang over his head, it was better to take it down sooner.
“After playing games with me for a few days, you should know that I’m a good, rational partner.”
“So, want to give it a try?”