chapter 46

Chapter 46

He slept deeply, his dreams dark and sweet. Ning Qiuyan ended up sleeping for an entire day, only waking from hunger at three o’clock in the morning the next day.

The servants worked in shifts around the clock, so there was always someone awake in the mansion. Ning Qiuyan put on his shoes, intending to find something to eat in the kitchen, but was stopped in the dining room. He was told that Uncle Kang had given instructions to have food specially prepared for him, so he could eat whenever he woke.

Ning Qiuyan sat alone at the large table, and as he had done many times before, quietly finished the food on his plate.

A servant suddenly said to him, “Mr. Guan is waiting for you at the door.”

Ning Qiuyan remembered that before he fell asleep, Guan Heng had said he would take him to watch the sunrise.

He washed his face with cold water in the washroom next to the dining room. When he came to the entrance, Guan Heng was indeed already standing there.

The sky was dark, the porch was lit by wall lamps, and the lights from the fountain outside shone in as well.

Guan Heng stood with his long hair loose, backlit. He wore a black coat, blending perfectly into the night, like a mysterious, striking shadow.

Ning Qiuyan approached. Guan Heng’s gaze swept over him, and seeing he was only wearing thin clothes, he instructed a servant to bring a coat, then personally draped it over Ning Qiuyan’s shoulders.

This coat belonged to Guan Heng; Ning Qiuyan had seen him wear it before.

In the past, Ning Qiuyan would have chosen to return to his own room for a coat-after all, he lived on the first floor. But this time, he didn’t refuse. Once Guan Heng put it on him, he slipped his arms into the sleeves and wrapped himself up in Guan Heng’s coat.

Without much small talk, the two of them walked out the door in silence.

“Sir.”

The car was parked beside the fountain. The driver, impeccably dressed, respectfully opened the car door.

“No need,” Guan Heng said. “It’s still early. We’ll walk.”

The driver politely withdrew.

Guan Heng turned to Ning Qiuyan. “Let’s go.”

Ning Qiuyan stood two steps behind him, his hair tousled by the early morning wind, looking half-awake, and nodded dumbly.

Above the treetops, the moon hung among the clouds.

They left the mansion and headed down a path, passing by the lake Ning Qiuyan most often admired from his window. From the forest came the occasional call of a night owl, mingling with their footsteps and Ning Qiuyan’s breathing, making the night feel even deeper and more tranquil than the day.

Moonlight spilled over the forest, the lake, and Guan Heng’s figure ahead.

Ning Qiuyan followed behind Guan Heng, soon leaving the path and stepping into the forest.

Inside, tree roots twisted and weeds grew thick, and with the light almost entirely blocked, it was hard to walk.

But Guan Heng moved with ease.

The night posed no obstacle for him.

Human vision was limited, and Ning Qiuyan found it difficult to walk, while Guan Heng never once looked back. Eventually, Ning Qiuyan tripped over something and fell.

Guan Heng turned around and reached out a hand to him. “Hold on to me.”

Ning Qiuyan got up and shook his head. “It’s fine, I can walk by myself.”

What had tripped him was a tree root.

At first, he thought it was a dead branch and tried to pick it up as a walking stick, groping around for a while.

With a crack, Guan Heng reached out and, with a bit of force, broke off a branch as thick as a child’s arm and handed it to Ning Qiuyan.

A shaft of moonlight filtered through the treetops, illuminating the side of Guan Heng’s face, cold and luminous like jade.

Ning Qiuyan couldn’t see his expression clearly, but from those deep features, he could tell that Guan Heng was full of patience toward him.

The strange awkwardness in his heart suddenly vanished.

Ning Qiuyan took the branch and said softly, “Thank you.”

“Mm,” Guan Heng replied. “Follow me.”

Whether it was because he now had the branch for support, or because Guan Heng chose a path more suitable for humans, the walk became much easier.

They weren’t taking the route Ning Qiuyan usually walked; clearly, this was the one Guan Heng often used-shorter and quicker. After about forty minutes, the air grew salty and damp with the scent of the sea, and the sound of waves crashing on rocks could be faintly heard-they had reached the shore.

The lighthouse stood quietly not far away, like a silent guardian.

It was cold by the sea. Ning Qiuyan, who had worked up a sweat from walking, was chilled by the sea breeze and quickly wrapped the coat tighter around himself.

Ahead, Guan Heng remained upright and elegant.

His stride was unaffected by the wind or the rocky, gravelly ground. The wind lifted his long hair and stirred his coat, making his tall figure seem full of solitude, so natural that it felt as if the outsider following behind was the one out of place.

They entered the lighthouse without turning on the lights.

By now, dawn was near. The moonlight had faded, and the world was at its darkest. With Guan Heng leading the way, Ning Qiuyan, though slower, didn’t bump into anything at all.

Passing through a rusty little door, they reached the top of the lighthouse and leaned against the railing.

“Mr. Guan,” Ning Qiuyan asked, “the last time you watched the sunrise-was it the scene in that painting?”

Guan Heng: “Yes.”

The sea breeze blew gently. Ning Qiuyan shivered, hugging his arms. “When was it?”

They stood side by side.

In the darkness, Guan Heng said, “The first time you came to the island.”

Ning Qiuyan’s eyelashes trembled violently-he’d guessed right.

But that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Waiting for the sunrise always felt especially long, yet fleeting; the appearance of the first ray of dawn was always unpredictable.

After a moment of silence, Ning Qiuyan asked again, “Then, what about the time before that?”

He was wondering if, in those thousand years, Guan Heng had ever met another ‘special’ blood donor-after all, anything was possible.
Guan Heng seemed to be searching his memory for a long time. “I don’t remember. I think I was still human back then.”

Ning Qiuyan lowered his head, gripping the railing and looking at the blurred ground beneath his feet.

Guan Heng: “Why are you laughing?”

Ning Qiuyan looked up at Guan Heng, his smile widening and his eyes shining. “I feel very honored.”

Guan Heng’s expression deepened.

In the distance, the sky began to lighten.

A few beams of light shone from the forest-the headlights of cars.

Two cars stopped one after the other below the Lighthouse. Dr. Ling got out of the car in the back and stood by the door, waiting.

It was Monday, the second time the guests came to the island, and the last day Guan Heng needed to make an appearance.

It was also the day Ning Qiuyan was about to leave the island.

In two hours, Ning Qiuyan would take all his belongings, ride in the car to Du Island Pier, and board Uncle Ping’s boat.

Another gust of wind blew by. Ning Qiuyan shrank into himself and said to Guan Heng, “When I went to Sujing, you said you’d give me a reward. Can I still claim it now?”

Guan Heng: “Mm. What do you want?”

Ning Qiuyan unconsciously bit his lip, gathering his courage to ask, “Anything I want?”

Of course.

Guan Heng gave silent consent.

Ning Qiuyan looked out into the distance again. He must have been very nervous; his voice trembled uncontrollably as he spoke. “This is my last time on the island. Actually, I really hate to leave…”

Anyone could see Ning Qiuyan’s reluctance-whether for Du Island or for Guan Heng, he was terrible at hiding it.

Lu Qianque was right: as long as Guan Heng spoke, Ning Qiuyan would definitely stay.

If he didn’t get that chance, then at this moment, when he could claim his reward, taking the initiative would make everything fall into place.

But he changed the subject: “So, after this is over… could you stay with me for a while?”

Casually, he asked for his reward.

Even if it wasn’t what he truly wanted.

Guan Heng didn’t answer right away. Ning Qiuyan guessed his request might be too dangerous. For two people affected by the toxin to be together brought Ning Qiuyan no benefit at all. If Dr. Ling heard, he would surely stop it sternly and take him away immediately.

Clearly, Guan Heng understood this too.

He lowered his eyes to look at Ning Qiuyan. After a long moment, he spoke coolly, “Ning Qiuyan.”

Ning Qiuyan: “Mm?”

Guan Heng reached out and gripped the back of his neck. The cool palm pressed against Ning Qiuyan’s warm skin, instantly raising goosebumps and sending a tingling sensation from his back down to his tailbone.

“Turn around.” Guan Heng gave him a gentle push and simply said, “The sun is rising.”

Golden light flashed across the sea.

There was no fog that day. The sea and sky merged into a single line, as if gilded with gold leaf, suddenly dazzling Ning Qiuyan so much that his soul trembled.

A few seconds later, he belatedly cried out in alarm, “Mr. Guan, the sunlight-”

Guan Heng was behind him, both hands braced on the railing at his sides, trapping him in an embrace.

In the golden light, those pale, slender hands visibly hardened into stone, like exquisite jade carvings, the transformation spreading upward. At the same moment Ning Qiuyan spoke, a sharp pain came from the right side of his neck-Guan Heng had bitten him.

This position allowed Guan Heng’s teeth to pierce deeply. Blood surged from the veins, and Guan Heng’s swallowing grew urgent. The toxin instantly numbed his senses, and Ning Qiuyan couldn’t help but start to slide down, but his waist was suddenly gripped tightly-Guan Heng’s left arm encircled him.

A drop of moisture slid down his neck, soaking into his clothes and dampening the front of his shirt.

Huff, huff.

This time, Ning Qiuyan clearly heard Guan Heng’s breathing in his ear, just as ragged as his own.

The sun broke through the clouds, more than half risen above the horizon, gilding both their figures in gold.

Deep red filled Guan Heng’s pupils. The stone on his arms and cheeks faded, returning to softness, but the railing beneath his hand creaked-hard metal was easily crushed flat by his fingers, leaving deep marks.

The feeding seemed to be forcibly stopped.

Ning Qiuyan heard Guan Heng’s low, hoarse voice in his ear, asking if it hurt.

He wasn’t sure if he answered.

He only knew Guan Heng said again, “It’s supposed to hurt.”

That was Ning Qiuyan’s last memory of that sunrise.

When he regained consciousness, he was already in the back seat of the car, slumped against the leather seat, wrapped in Guan Heng’s coat, with Dr. Ling beside him disinfecting the wound. Guan Heng was not in the car.

Daylight had fully arrived. The car drove along the path, cold fir trees flashing past the window.

The sun had completely left the horizon.

Did Guan Heng fulfill his promise and keep him company?

Ning Qiuyan felt it no longer mattered.

The two cars stopped one after another outside the mansion, in a patch of brilliant sunlight.

Guan Heng got out first. Uncle Kang immediately came up and said something to him, and Guan Heng frowned slightly.

All the windows on the mansion’s first floor were open.

The fountain splashed loudly.

Birds pecked at food on the steps, chirping noisily.

Ning Qiuyan got out of the car too.

Guan Heng seemed to sense something and turned to look at him.

Ning Qiuyan didn’t stop walking, but as he passed Guan Heng, he paused deliberately and said, “Mr. Guan, goodbye.”

Then he let Dr. Ling help him into the foyer.

They didn’t make a more formal farewell.