Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Perhaps Guan Heng did not want Ning Qiuyan to see. His large hand reached over and pressed down on his head again, all five fingers tightening as he buried Ning Qiuyan’s face back into the pillow.

Because even Guan Heng had things he could not control with absolute certainty.

Guan Heng had weaknesses too.

Most of the desire that had been stirred up faded away. Even though his muscles and bones were still steeped in it, Ning Qiuyan sensed a faint current of danger flowing beneath the surface.

Before they began, Guan Heng had told him that “the method and process are different from ordinary people.” Only now did Ning Qiuyan understand what that meant in concrete terms.

They were not the same species. To Guan Heng, bloodlust and desire were both instincts, tangled together and nearly impossible to separate.

It was not a mask, nor was it anything like the things Ning Qiuyan had wildly imagined.

It was only something Guan Heng used to restrain himself.

A cold bite restraint that belonged to the Vampires.

Even the air seemed to grow colder.

A fine layer of goose bumps rose over Ning Qiuyan’s skin.

Yet the scene he had just glimpsed would not leave his mind: Guan Heng’s long hair spilling loose, half of that handsome face hidden, and those eyes whose emotions he could never quite read.

A different kind of heat spread outward from Ning Qiuyan’s chest.

For some reason, he thought of that moonlit spring night, beneath the Lighthouse on the coast, of Guan Heng’s tall, straight back as he walked ahead alone.

If he could return to that night…

He would not stubbornly follow behind Guan Heng anymore.

He would bravely draw close and give Guan Heng a hug.

There was no sound in the vast bedroom, only the ceaseless heavy snow beyond the window, spinning down like feathers. Pressed against the fluffy pillow, the soft flesh of Ning Qiuyan’s cheek bulged slightly. He could feel the fabric beneath his eyes gradually growing damp.

Guan Heng’s other arm tightened around his waist again.

It hurt.

Ning Qiuyan cooperatively bit his lip. His fingers clenched hard, digging fiercely into the pillow.

Silent.

Quiet, torturous, and endless.

His tears seemed rather beyond his control.

When he was lifted up, Ning Qiuyan’s face was wet, even the tip of his nose flushed red. He breathed in small gasps, enduring it, his eyes half-open as he hazily saw the gloomy sky outside and the snow that would not stop falling.

Guan Heng could not speak behind him. Ning Qiuyan was drawn back, trembling, and leaned against Guan Heng’s body with the movement.

A cool, broad hand came up and clasped his throat from behind, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

The prey was docile, showing no intention of fleeing at all.

Their silhouettes rose and fell slowly.

Guan Heng tilted his head. Strands of his long hair shifted, brushing over Ning Qiuyan’s shoulder.

The cold leather on his cheek touched the side of Ning Qiuyan’s neck. He could hear, beneath that fragile layer of skin, the fatally tempting blood accelerating through the vessels.

… … … … … … … … … … (omitted)

For their first time together, Ning Qiuyan was never able to turn around.

And Guan Heng never embraced him either.
That afternoon, Ning Qiuyan wrapped himself in Guan Heng’s sleeping robe and curled up on the black velvet sofa to read a book.

Guan Heng had disappeared for a while.

It was only after Ning Qiuyan had lain there long enough that he got up on his own, legs weak, and went to take a shower.

The bathroom mirror was covered in steam, and he could only vaguely make out colors. After drying himself off, he went to the dressing room and stared for a while at the person reflected in the full-length mirror.

(… … … … … … omitted)

Because every preparation had been made thoroughly, Guan Heng had not let him get hurt from beginning to end.

Thinking of last night’s punishment, waves of heat rose through Ning Qiuyan’s whole body. But when he remembered Guan Heng’s condition when it ended, he covered his face again.

Guan Heng seemed like he still hadn’t…

Was it that Vampires simply did not have that sort of moment, or was it that Guan Heng knew humans were too fragile to continue, and had forced himself to stop?

If it was the latter, then Ning Qiuyan finally understood just how strong the extraordinary self-control Dr. Ling had mentioned before really was.

The book was called The Minds of Billy Milligan, written by Daniel Keyes. It was said that Fight Club, the movie Ning Qiuyan and Guan Heng had watched together before, had been inspired by it. Guan Heng had already read half of the book. Ning Qiuyan was drawn in after only a few pages; he simply had not expected Guan Heng to be interested in works with this kind of subject matter, just like him.
When Guan Heng returned, he carried the chill from outside with him. He was still wearing only his robe, but the ends of his hair and the hem of his clothes were faintly damp. He didn’t tell Ning Qiuyan where he had gone, nor did he say anything else. He merely lifted a hand and tossed an apple over.

Ning Qiuyan caught it neatly.

The apple had probably been grabbed from some storeroom. It had been washed, and it smelled very sweet.

“Thank you,” he said.

He didn’t ask where Guan Heng had been.

… (omitted)

Guan Heng seemed to be in a good mood. He laughed softly.

Ning Qiuyan’s breathing quickened. He smelled the faintest trace of blood on Guan Heng, along with the lingering scent of the Forest after snow-the scent that clung to him after a hunt.

Guan Heng had just… gone to feed.

That was what he thought.

Once the examination was over, his robe was closed again.

Guan Heng tied Ning Qiuyan’s sash for him, then easily lifted him onto his lap.

“How much have you read?” Guan Heng asked, picking up the book.

“A little over twenty pages.” Ning Qiuyan pulled his gaze away from Guan Heng’s face, held the apple properly again, and took a bite. He looked toward the book. “It’s a bit dark.”

The curtains had long since been drawn.

He could no longer see the scenery outside.

The light in the room truly wasn’t very friendly to a human who needed to read. Guan Heng closed the book and said, “Then don’t read.”

Ning Qiuyan obediently went, “Oh.”

The apple put something in Ning Qiuyan’s stomach, and soon other food was brought up. Guan Heng still went to fetch it himself. To Ning Qiuyan’s surprise, they had even prepared a serving of ice cream for him.

At the most heated moment, the thought might have flashed hazily through his mind, but if he hadn’t seen it, he probably wouldn’t have remembered. Still, in such a warm atmosphere, getting to eat something cold and sweet was always a kind of happiness. Ning Qiuyan felt so comfortable his eyes narrowed.

Noticing that Guan Heng was watching him, Ning Qiuyan grew a little embarrassed.

But Guan Heng only reached out and stroked his head.

As if soothing a small animal.

Ning Qiuyan guessed that Guan Heng had definitely never eaten ice cream, which was why he couldn’t understand humanity’s fondness for it. After all, more than a thousand years ago, aside from a few seasonal ice-based treats, something like ice cream hadn’t existed.

Ning Qiuyan thought that was a bit of a pity.

Aside from ice cream, there were countless delicacies in the world, yet Guan Heng couldn’t taste any of them.

“What are you thinking about now?” Guan Heng lay sideways on the chaise, lazily propping up his head with his eyes closed. “Ning Qiuyan.”

He always seemed able to see through the strange, random thoughts in Ning Qiuyan’s head.

Ning Qiuyan blinked. “Can I ask questions today?”

Guan Heng said, “One.”

Ning Qiuyan hurriedly organized his thoughts and asked, “What happens if you eat human food?”

“Nothing,” Guan Heng answered.

Ning Qiuyan made a soft sound of surprise. He tapped the bowl with his finger and thought aloud, “You won’t feel uncomfortable? Or have trouble digesting it?”

Guan Heng said, “It won’t digest as quickly, but it won’t cause discomfort.”

Ning Qiuyan grew even more curious. “Then can you rely on human food to maintain your energy?”

“No.” Guan Heng’s tone was flat. “It won’t cause discomfort, but it can’t sustain energy consumption, and it has no taste at all. It’s like chewing a piece of paper that’s been bleached countless times.”

Ning Qiuyan nodded.

Strictly speaking, he had already asked more than one question, yet Guan Heng had actually answered them all.

Guan Heng opened his eyes and suddenly said, “I can taste cold things.”

Then he bent his head.

They shared an icy kiss.

Ning Qiuyan tilted his head up. Guan Heng held his face from above, hooked his tongue with his own, and gently tasted every inch of his mouth, inside and out.

Ning Qiuyan grew hot from the kiss, but Guan Heng seemed to have no intention of going further.

They spent a peaceful night together.

Ning Qiuyan thought it was over.

But for the next two days, he still wasn’t able to leave the third floor.