I raised a Vampire！

Chapter 2

"What did you say?" Cheng Cheng was momentarily stunned. Just as he intended to take a closer look at Chen Tiao, someone suddenly burst through the door.

"Cheng Cheng! What are you trying to do? Mutiny?" The legendary captain of the Criminal Investigation Unit, the ultimate boss, Lu Yitong, stormed in. The other officers, previously busy with miscellaneous tasks, vanished instantly, fearing they’d be caught and made to write self-reflection reports.

"Captain Lu, please give me some time. There are too many doubts surrounding Chen Tiao; he cannot be taken away so easily." Cheng Cheng stood protectively beside the suspect, clearly unwilling to move an inch.

Lu Yitong scrutinized the two of them before turning to Ye Ye. "You say he’s not the killer?"

Ye Ye looked up at the bear-like man blocking her path, her gaze steady despite his skeptical eyes. "Captain, please allow me to treat him first. I guarantee I carry no suspicious substances. However, if the suspect’s condition continues to deteriorate, it will hinder your investigation."

Caught off guard, Lu Yitong hesitated, though he had mentally prepared himself for the unexpected. With a wave of his hand, he ordered Chen Tiao’s handcuffs removed and had him lifted onto a stretcher. "Well…" He glanced between the two adversaries.

"Cheng Cheng, the case can be sorted out gradually. Let me introduce you to… um… what department was it again?"

"This is a special envoy dispatched from the provincial headquarters to handle the case. Given Chen Tiao’s unique status, all follow-ups on his case will be managed by her."

"And you are…?" Lu Yitong asked, directing his attention to the young woman.

She raised her gaze to the men in front of her. "My name is Ye Ye—like the night."

The once quiet lounge was now uncharacteristically crowded. Most of those gathered were bystanders from earlier in the morning, eager to catch a glimpse of the suspect whose case had broken countless precedents. Even the captain had arranged for a private recovery room for him.

"Captain, you’re here!" Cheng Cheng’s subordinate, Officer Zhou Dingtian, squeezed through the throng. "I knew you’d be here."

Cheng Cheng sat on the steps outside the door, clutching a bottle of water, his brows tightly furrowed. He tilted his head back and took a long swig. The crystalline liquid traced a path down his throat before disappearing into his collar. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he ordered, "Xiao Zhou, keep a close watch. Pay attention to any movement inside."

"Understood." Zhou Dingtian knew better than to bother Cheng Cheng when he was deep in thought. Instead, he quietly noted that their investigation into Chen Tiao’s medical history revealed no records at any hospital. Still, there was something unusual about him, prompting Zhou to report it. Unexpectedly, the medical examination results had been intercepted, and an investigator assigned.

"Until I get to the bottom of this case, let him do whatever he wants. As long as he doesn’t leave, I don’t care." Cheng Cheng stood and leaned against the doorframe of the lounge, gazing at the pale, frail figure lying inside. Due to his condition, Chen Tiao was only cuffed on his right wrist to the bed frame.

Chen Tiao’s face was ghostly pale, yet he hadn’t asked for any medication—not even a glucose drip. He merely lay there under a blanket.

"What exactly is wrong with him? Can we trust that envoy?" Zhou Dingtian tilted his head in speculation. Receiving no reply, he turned back and saw a petite figure approaching from a distance.

Her strides were unhurried, her head slightly bowed. One hand was tucked into her pocket, the other carrying a small leather case. She paid no heed to the stares that followed her, but as she passed, it seemed the world’s colors subtly shifted. The typically austere police station appeared to be draped in a soft filter.

A premium beauty filter.

Cheng Cheng watched her approach, yet unlike the other men, his attention wasn’t on her face. He noticed her scarf was a vivid crimson, not the orange-red he had initially thought.

When Ye Ye reached the lounge, she was met with a chorus of stares.

"Miss Special Envoy, hello! I’m Xiao Zhou!" Zhou Dingtian blurted awkwardly, extending his hand, only to have Cheng Cheng smack the back of his head.

"You blockhead! How can you be a cop if you can’t even talk properly?"

Clearing his throat, Cheng Cheng tried to appear composed as he adjusted his jacket. "I didn’t introduce myself earlier. Just call me Cheng—Cheng Cheng."

The crowd: "..."

Ye Ye glanced at him. His dark complexion made it impossible to tell if he was blushing. His intense gaze briefly met hers before darting away, as though he couldn’t sit still.

Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.

It was just the faintest curve of her lips—barely a smile—but Cheng Cheng inexplicably felt numerous hostile glares aimed at him, sharp as daggers, making him shiver involuntarily.

What are you all looking at? Sure, I’m a bit dashing, but this is ridiculous!

Once Ye Ye entered the lounge and the door slammed shut, her petite figure disappeared from sight. Only then did the crowd gradually disperse.

"Do you think she’ll be okay in there alone? He might be a patient, but he’s also a suspect," Zhou Dingtian whispered.

"Ha! Do you think someone assigned by a special department would be just anyone?" Cheng Cheng’s face was as dark as a storm cloud. Zhou’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Could she be some kind of superhuman? A genetically enhanced agent?"

"Ha," Cheng Cheng scoffed. "Do you think a frail-looking girl like her fits that description? At best, she might have a water-based ability."

"Wait, you know about abilities too?"

"Yeah, I read it in that book I found under your desk last week."

"Wha—what book?"

"‘The Supreme Young Master.’"

Inside the lounge, the windows faced south, offering a clear view of the courtyard outside. From the crack in the curtains, Ye Ye watched Zhou bowing and jokingly pushing shoulders with Cheng Cheng.

She turned back to the bedridden Chen Tiao. "Have you finished eating yet?"

The man propped himself up, sucking on the remnants of a jelly packet. Hearing her question, he lazily flicked his eyes open and flung the packet onto the ground.

"Get lost!"

Ye Ye looked down at the half-deflated packet. A trickle of red liquid had seeped from the opening, staining the pristine tiled floor.

"A dog of the humans, a traitor to the blood clan. So, is this what they feed you as a reward?" Chen Tiao’s crimson eyes burned with contempt as he sneered at the petite woman before him.

Ye Ye crouched, picked up the discarded packet, and wiped the floor with a tissue. "Do you know that in a city of five million, there are roughly a hundred blood clan members?"

She carefully cleaned her fingers before continuing. "For every blood clan, there must be humans supplying the blood they need to survive. While violence and death can be reduced, there will always be fools who can't suppress their instincts, living like beasts. It's no wonder humans call us vampires."

Some blood clan members align with humans, gaining legal status, while others continue to roam and kill, creating the so-called ‘White’ and ‘Black’ factions."

"Why are you telling me this?" Chen Tiao arched a brow. "I won’t sell out to humans for some disgusting blood packets. And this dead woman has nothing to do with me, so why arrest me?"

"You seem to lack self-awareness," Ye Ye replied with a shrug, holding up the discarded blood packet. "All the evidence and witnesses point to you. If the special department hadn’t stepped in, you’d already be executed."

She spoke with biting sarcasm. *"And tomorrow’s news would read: ‘Shocking! Bullets Fail to Kill Criminal—Sentenced to Life Imprisonment.’ Or worse, if sunlight scorched you to ashes: ‘Vampire Caught! Witness the First Burned-Alive Corpse of Its Kind.’