Chapter 103

Chapter 103

The next time Ning Qiuyan came to the club, it was late the following night.

It was raining in Sujing again that day. The roads were slick, and everywhere carried the raw, muddy smell of rainwater and earth.

Ning Qiuyan climbed the club steps one at a time and pushed open the door, stepping into the dim interior. Because his face was far too pale, he drew attention this time.

Several curious, probing gazes landed on him, but no one stopped him.

Following his memory, Ning Qiuyan entered the private room. Sure enough, Qin Weizhi was inside, holding some vessel whose purpose was impossible to discern as he exhaled a mouthful of white smoke.

Vampires always had certain inventions tailored specifically to them. Most of their origins were unfit for polite conversation, the stories behind them horrifying. Ning Qiuyan had no desire to investigate.

“…”

Ning Qiuyan did not address Qin Weizhi. He simply stood in the doorway, just like last time.

Qin Weizhi looked surprised as well. He slowly lowered the vessel. “You actually came.”

Ning Qiuyan said, “Mm.”

Qin Weizhi noticed the bruises and bite marks along the side of his neck and said mildly, “How did you end up looking worse than blood slaves?”

Ning Qiuyan made no sound. After a moment, he said, “Can I go wash my face?”

The rain had lightened at night. Ning Qiuyan had not brought an umbrella, and his damp hair clung miserably to his face. He looked fragile and pitiful.

Qin Weizhi agreed.

After Ning Qiuyan finished washing up, he came out looking neat and put together, though the blood loss left him pale and haggard. Qin Weizhi could practically smell Guan Heng’s toxin on him. It seemed that after returning, he had already been punished by Guan Heng-something Qin Weizhi had expected.

However, Qin Weizhi had not expected him to still be able to get out.

“Looks like you and Guan Heng had a very unpleasant time,” Qin Weizhi said. “What, did you run away from home?”

Ning Qiuyan did not answer. He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Qin Weizhi.

It was a phone.

Qin Weizhi did not take it. He waited for Ning Qiuyan to explain.

“Mr. Guan’s phone.” Ning Qiuyan’s lips were bloodless. “Didn’t you want information on the gray-robed figure? This is all I can offer you.”

Qin Weizhi laughed. “You don’t actually think Guan Heng would keep information in his phone, do you?”

Silvery-white light shone on Ning Qiuyan’s young face. His lashes were half-lowered as he said flatly, “I overheard Mr. Guan talking about the gray-robed figure with Deshan and the others. Deshan and Joshua have been in the Arctic Circle for over a hundred years, and the gray-robed figure is around there too. They must be connected somehow. Also, all of Mr. Guan’s contacts are in his phone. He’s meticulous, so he definitely didn’t only arrange for Deshan to help. Since they’ve had so much contact, as long as you screen and visit every one of his contacts active near the Arctic Circle, you’ll find some clues, more or less.”

After saying so much in one breath, Ning Qiuyan paused, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m only human. This is all I can do.”

Qin Weizhi slowly put away his smile and took the phone.

He was especially suspicious by nature and did not believe things could be this simple.

But after turning on the phone, an indescribable emotion rose in him. His expression did not change, yet in an instant his eyes sharpened like a hawk’s.

A lock screen full of everyday warmth entered his sight: the Sujing Tower at night.

Guan Heng seemed to be enjoying life very much, with plenty of leisure and refined interests.

Ning Qiuyan provided the passcode.

After unlocking the phone with the passcode Ning Qiuyan gave him, Qin Weizhi let out a soft scoff and looked at Ning Qiuyan. He had not expected Guan Heng to have this kind of style nowadays.

The wallpaper on the home screen was a photo of this human and Guan Heng.

Beneath a snow mountain, Guan Heng sat behind the human, loosely holding him in his arms. His hand pinched the other’s jaw, his fingers possessively invading the human’s mouth. There were many ways to interpret such a photo. This human might be deeply cherished, the scene in the photo merely a little private play between the two of them. Or perhaps he had almost no dignity at all, nothing more than Guan Heng’s captive plaything, taken however Guan Heng pleased.

Ning Qiuyan saw the wallpaper too, and his lashes trembled.

He reminded Qin Weizhi, “He’ll discover the phone is missing very soon. If you’re interested, you should check it now.”

Qin Weizhi turned off the phone. His long hair was tucked behind his ear. He was in no hurry to look. Instead, he said rather heartlessly to Ning Qiuyan, “You can leave.”

Ning Qiuyan did not move. In a low voice, he asked, “Can I stay?”

Qin Weizhi asked in return, “If you don’t go back, aren’t you afraid Guan Heng will punish you again?”

“It’s already come to this. Do you think I can still go back now?” Ning Qiuyan grew somewhat anxious. “And I’ve already shown my sincerity. You can’t treat me like this.”

Stealing a phone was, in truth, not of much use to Qin Weizhi.

But humans were foolish and fragile. This was probably the most direct method they could think of after racking their brains.

Besides, Qin Weizhi had just remembered that Guan Heng disliked being defied.

He remained seated, one leg crossed over the other, and asked Ning Qiuyan, “Then what do you want?”

Ning Qiuyan said, “…”

More than ten seconds passed before he said, with great difficulty, “Help me.”

Qin Weizhi looked at him for a while, then patted the sofa beside him. At last, he said, “Sit.”
Ning Qiuyan was just about to sit down.

Qin Weizhi spoke again. “Stay farther away from me. You reek of Guan Heng.”

So Ning Qiuyan chose a seat even farther away and sat down.

In the shadows, he counted the passing time. This was his first night away.
—
Guan Heng’s Blood Contract Partner had run away from home, shown up at the club, and left with Qin Weizhi near dawn. Within certain circles, the news exploded like a bomb.

Ning Qiuyan received two calls from Li Tang. The first time, Li Tang scolded him for having lost his mind. The second time, he tried earnestly and patiently to talk him around. Ning Qiuyan had always felt that, of all the Vampires, Li Tang was the one who possessed the most human warmth. They had not known each other for long, yet Li Tang still treated him as a friend.

But right now, Ning Qiuyan had grievances he could not explain. Even if he did, Li Tang would probably only point out his ignorance and scold him even more harshly. He might even find a way to persuade Guan Heng to come get him.

So Ning Qiuyan barely responded. He only listened in silence until Li Tang finished, then silently hung up.

The next day at school, Ning Qiuyan ran into Professor Yu and Sheng Huan.

Clearly, they had heard about it too.

When Sheng Huan saw him, her expression was complicated, as if she were wondering whether she had said the wrong thing that day and made him so fixated on immortality. Professor Yu, on the other hand, was more gracious. From a distance, he even nodded at him.

Fortunately, when Ning Qiuyan went to the club again on the second night, Qin Weizhi did not drive him away.

Perhaps the phone really had been of some use. Or perhaps he enjoyed the feeling of having Guan Heng’s person following him around. Qin Weizhi was much more pleasant toward Ning Qiuyan and asked him some questions about the contacts in the phone.

Ning Qiuyan behaved very obediently.

In truth, he had nothing else to do. The only thing he needed to do was follow Qin Weizhi. He did not even have to make anything up anymore. Whatever Qin Weizhi asked, he answered honestly.

That night, he still slept at the club.

As usual, Qin Weizhi called over blood slaves.

Ning Qiuyan curled up on a sofa nearby. Qin Weizhi thought he had fallen asleep, and only after pushing the blood slaves away did he realize Ning Qiuyan had been lying there with his eyes open the entire time.

Those eyes were dark and clear, as if filled with curiosity.

He asked Qin Weizhi, “After I’m turning, will I have to drink blood like that too?”

As if he were brimming with anticipation for his future.

Qin Weizhi wiped the corner of his mouth. “What? You can’t bear it?”

Ning Qiuyan shook his head. He looked at the blood slaves lying unconscious on the floor, his expression unchanged. “I just think blood smells very fishy.” As if something had occurred to him, he added, “Human tastes vary, so surely not every Vampire likes drinking blood, right?”

Qin Weizhi smiled. “Like it or not, drinking blood is instinct. If you don’t drink, all you can do is wait to dry out.”

Ning Qiuyan said, “I can drink animal blood.”

Animal blood?

There were only a handful of such bizarre vegetarians in the world.

Without even thinking, Qin Weizhi could guess which one of the Vampires had influenced Ning Qiuyan so thoroughly.

“How can animal blood compare to human blood? Once you’ve tasted even one mouthful of human blood, it becomes almost impossible to swallow the blood of those beasts.” Qin Weizhi did not mention Guan Heng and continued, “Besides, how do you know you won’t like it? You simply haven’t tasted how sweet warm human blood can be… And again, drinking blood is instinct. If you don’t have powerful self-control, you don’t get to choose what kind of blood you live on.”

Ning Qiuyan’s face turned a little pale, and he said nothing more.

Qin Weizhi reached into the arms of the Vampire beside him and pulled over another of the blood slaves. The other party had already drunk his fill and was closing his eyes in satisfaction, offering no objection to sharing the blood slaves.

Qin Weizhi used his long fingernail to cut open the blood slaves’ wrist, letting fresh blood gush out, wetting his hand and dripping onto the floor.

“Young human blood tastes even better.”

He tossed the blood slaves aside and smeared the blood on Ning Qiuyan’s fair cheek.

“Just like Golden Blood like yours.”

Ning Qiuyan’s entire body went rigid in an instant. His breathing stopped.

The Mark that belonged to Guan Heng was still on his earlobe. He had already run away from home, yet he still could not bear to take it off.

Qin Weizhi, however, merely wanted to hurt him. “Otherwise, with a personality like Guan Heng’s, why do you think he would keep you by his side?”

After saying that, he stepped back and said at last, “Whether blood is delicious or not, you can judge after you’re turning.”

Ning Qiuyan turned over and lay there motionless for a very long time.

Near dawn, Qin Weizhi woke him. “Get up.”

Ning Qiuyan sat up groggily, bloodstains clinging to the clothes he had not changed in two days.

Qin Weizhi looked somewhat disgusted. Then, in a burst of mercy, he said, “I’ll take you to change into another set of clothes.”
—
After getting into Qin Weizhi’s car, Ning Qiuyan spent more than ten minutes feeling utterly disoriented.

Looking at Sujing’s familiar streets and the pedestrians hurrying by, he thought that Guan Heng was right. This should not be his life. Naturally, he also began to doubt the thoughts he had been having lately.

But very soon, he forced those emerging thoughts back down. He would not allow himself to retreat.

Sujing was huge, and Qin Weizhi’s residence was in a very famous wealthy district.

As long as one lived long enough, wealth was very easy to accumulate. Ning Qiuyan neither envied it nor had much interest in money.
Qin Weizhi had chosen this place simply because it was secluded.

Ning Qiuyan was probably the first human to enter it without being one of the blood slaves.

Not long after they stepped inside, dawn was already close.

Qin Weizhi walked to a corner of the room and pressed the raised smart switch on the wall.

Technology had brought the Vampires enormous convenience, drastically reducing their need for human service. This vast house was home to Qin Weizhi alone.

“Go over there and find some clothes to change into,” Qin Weizhi said.

“Don’t touch the cabinet on the left.”

Outside the window, the sky had turned a grayish blue with almost no saturation. The window shutters were slowly lowering.

Unlike a public place like the club, there were only the two of them in the room now. Belatedly, Ning Qiuyan felt a trace of tension.

When he turned around, he could feel Qin Weizhi’s gaze on his back.

The place was just as dim, but unlike the mansion on Du Island, every corner of this house gave off a cold, lifeless chill, probably because no humans lived here.

Like… a coffin cast from cement and steel.

Ning Qiuyan couldn’t think of a better way to describe it.

This was probably the norm.

If the Guan Family weren’t around him, perhaps even Guan Heng’s residence would be like this.

Ning Qiuyan went into the walk-in closet and opened a row of cabinets.

He didn’t want to wear Qin Weizhi’s clothes, but his own dirty clothes had been on him for two days and were stained with nauseating blood. After searching through the wardrobe for a while, Ning Qiuyan found a stack of garments that still had their tags attached.

Someone probably arranged clothing for Qin Weizhi on a regular basis, the way Guan Heng had a working relationship with Li Tang.

Ning Qiuyan chose an outfit and put it on. When he turned around, he saw the row of cabinets behind him-the ones Qin Weizhi had told him not to touch. Inside, sets of clothing were hung neatly, ironed so smoothly that not a single wrinkle could be seen.

Their styles varied widely: ancient round-collared robes, beizi jackets, wide-sleeved cloaks, modern long gowns, suits… Matched with different shoes and hats, clothing from different eras was displayed lifelessly behind the glass.

These were not mere exhibits or collectibles. They had truly been worn. The pieces at the very front could even be called genuine cultural relics.

Their owner seemed to take pleasure in the passage of time, looking down upon the human world from a lofty height. It was eerie.

This was far more frightening than Wagner Jones’s collection.

Ning Qiuyan looked along the row until his gaze landed on the far left side of the cabinet.

No clothing hung there. Instead, an intricately carved wooden box was displayed, and inside the box lay a long saber.

The blade was long, a full seventy to eighty centimeters.

The hilt was plain and antique, and it looked well preserved, but the blade itself was dull and lusterless, its edge chipped.

Ning Qiuyan jolted in shock. Before he could react, Qin Weizhi’s voice sounded behind him. “What are you looking at?”

Ning Qiuyan had no room left even for fear. He turned and asked Qin Weizhi, “Is this-”

“Guan Heng’s saber.” Qin Weizhi revealed the answer without the slightest concern.

Ning Qiuyan felt his body tremble faintly.

As if bewitched, he looked at the saber again, his fingers pressed against the cold glass, as though he had touched the rust-mottled edge of the blade.

Guan Heng had once spoken of the scenes of war.

He had said, “The blade curled from cutting. Even with my eyes closed, I could hear the dead wailing. Horses’ hooves trampled through bloody mud, and the stench of blood on my body couldn’t be washed clean for an entire year. After the war ended that year, more than half the people in the border counties were gone. They became empty cities overnight.”

Looking at it, Ning Qiuyan seemed to hear the piercing hum of a blade from over a thousand years ago.

What a twist of fate.

If he hadn’t insisted on his own way and fallen into such a situation, Ning Qiuyan probably would never have seen it.

He asked Qin Weizhi, “Why do you keep his saber?”

Qin Weizhi did not answer.

Ning Qiuyan keenly noticed that after he asked this question, the already cold atmosphere in the room instantly froze to its lowest point.

Chills crawled up his back.

Ning Qiuyan moved his hand away from the glass and took a few steps back, knowing he should not ask any more.

But Qin Weizhi, half-hidden in the shadows, suddenly spoke. “Because I have to keep this saber and help Guan Heng remember his precious past.”

Ning Qiuyan: “…”

Qin Weizhi walked up to the glass cabinet. The lights inside were on, and his sinister eyes were reflected in the glass.

Perhaps it had been too long since he had mentioned the past to anyone, but for once, he seemed to have the desire to talk. Besides, the person listening to him was someone closer to Guan Heng than anyone else.

“Has Guan Heng ever told you why the Guan Family still keeps sending people to the island, even now?”

Ning Qiuyan said, “Because they have an agreement.”

Qin Weizhi looked over in surprise. “And the contents of that agreement?”

Ning Qiuyan paused, but still answered, “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me.”

Only then did Qin Weizhi let out a cold laugh, his expression saying, Just as expected. “I thought Guan Heng couldn’t possibly have told you. That’s right. It was indeed because of an agreement-an agreement that would never have come about without me.”