Ensnared by My Vampire Roommate

11

After walking a bit further, Ying Tiao said his goodbyes and left, while Jiang Banxu and Ding Song went to grab lunch. They had lost some time, and since they still needed to rush to the library to grab seats, they ended up jogging to the cafeteria with their backpacks.

"But he looked at you with a smile, and it was definitely flirtatious!" Ding Song panted, still convinced that his gut feeling was spot on.

Running on a hot day was a real test of stamina. Jiang Banxu, equally out of breath, raised his hand and swore, "I swear, that smile didn’t have any flirtatious meaning at all."

Jiang Banxu still couldn't figure out why Ying Tiao, as a vampire, suddenly wasn’t afraid of sunlight anymore. Earlier, Jiang had specifically invited Ying Tiao to the park to watch a performance, intending to use the sunlight as a way to confirm his suspicions about Ying Tiao's identity. The way Ying had smiled just now, so smugly, made it obvious he remembered that too and was mocking him.

...

For families like the Wu clan, who are descendants of both vampires and humans, they bear the responsibility of helping vampires adapt to life in human society. While their records hold a great deal of information about vampires, in reality, their understanding of the vampire culture is still very limited.

Even basic formulas for artificial blood and human blood supplements initially had to be provided by vampires, as humans couldn’t develop or source certain rare ingredients on their own. Wu Xiangting's role mostly involved handling the final processing steps.

That afternoon, Wu Xiangting met Ying Tiao at their scheduled time and was informed that there was no need to provide more blood supplements. Instead, the vampire handed him a thin new booklet.

Wu Xiangting took it and saw that it was a substitute for the blood supplements. The modified formula had more benefits for the human body and required more complex ingredients. However, the final product wouldn’t be as thick, and the taste wouldn’t have that unpleasant metallic liver flavor anymore. In fact, it could even be made with a milk flavor to appeal to human preferences.

“Did you develop this?” Wu Xiangting was surprised. He hadn’t realized the blood supplements had progressed to this level—it was more like a nutritional supplement.

Ying Tiao didn’t answer but simply said, “Let me know which ingredients you can’t find. I’ll be heading back to the castle in three days.”

Wu Xiangting nodded. He knew that every high-ranking noble vampire owned their own castle, symbolizing their power. When vampires were still flourishing, many weaker vampire descendants would take refuge in these castles, which provided them with a safe, hidden place to live. In return, they were bound to absolute obedience to the castle’s master, even serving as their slaves if necessary.

But Wu Xiangting had no idea what things were like now. He only knew from old records that vampires built their castles in extremely remote and dangerous places, hidden from human detection. These locations were usually damp, dark, and cold, with constant rain—perfect conditions for vampires who hated sunlight and heat.

As for how large these castles really were, and whether they were filled with legendary treasures, Wu Xiangting didn’t dare to speculate. After all, any human who entered such a place would only end up as food.

"Prepare two weeks' worth of the formula each month," Ying Tiao said as he sat elegantly on the sofa, seeming deep in thought. "I’ve noticed he’s thinner than most humans, so some extra nutrition won’t hurt him."

"..."

By "he," Wu Xiangting obviously knew who Ying Tiao was referring to.

Living in the same city, Wu Xiangting had occasionally seen that young man a few times. He had a good appearance and a clean, striking presence that made him stand out in a crowd. It was easy to see why people would feel drawn to him.

Wu Xiangting had noticed that ever since Ying Tiao drank the blood of his awakener, he had been acting increasingly strange—less intimidating than before.

“Are you going to fall in love with him?” Wu Xiangting couldn’t help but ask, feigning casualness.

Up until now, whenever the topic of desires awakened by drinking his awakener’s blood was brought up, Ying Tiao would fall silent, refusing to discuss it. Wu Xiangting’s curiosity only grew stronger.

It was a rather blunt question, and the vampire, lost in thought, frowned in confusion. “Why do you ask?”

“You’re very considerate of him,” Wu Xiangting pointed out, motioning to the booklet in his hand.

Caring about the flavor preferences of his awakener, paying attention to his physique and overall health—this level of attentiveness was rare, at least compared to the usual aloof attitude of other vampires.

Ying Tiao's expression didn’t change, though he did find Wu Xiangting’s recent comments to be rather odd.

Ying Tiao couldn’t understand the theory Wu had mentioned earlier about an awakener’s blood awakening latent desires in vampires, and he doubted its validity.

As for being considerate... Jiang Banxu was his awakener, and Ying Tiao believed it was his duty to take care of him. After all, humans were fragile creatures.

“I’m not capable of feeling complex emotions toward humans,” the vampire replied coolly.

Wu Xiangting raised an eyebrow. “Alright, if you say so.”

...

Summer rains came suddenly. When Jiang Banxu boarded the bus, the weather had still been clear, but by the time he was getting off at his stop, rainwater was already streaming down the windows.

The rain came fast and heavy, with no sign of letting up. Jiang Banxu got off the bus and decided to run home with his backpack as a shield.

By the time he got inside, he was soaked through, even his shoes splashing with water.

He didn’t rush inside but instead took a moment to reorganize his dripping wet backpack at the entryway after changing his shoes.

It was at this moment that Ying Tiao emerged from the bedroom. The room was dim, with only the warm light of the hallway lamp casting a glow.

Jiang Banxu was focused on pulling books out of his bag, water droplets still clinging to his hair and cheeks. His wet white t-shirt clung tightly to his body, outlining the contours of his chest and waist.

Standing in the shadows, Ying Tiao's brow furrowed slightly, his gaze shifting to the side.

After a brief pause, he turned on the main light in the living room and went to the bathroom to fetch a dry towel.

Jiang Banxu noticed the light turning on and realized Ying Tiao was home. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he smiled awkwardly and explained, “I actually brought an umbrella, but I accidentally left it at the library.”

“I’ll probably have to go to the lost and found tomorrow,” he said, taking the towel Ying Tiao handed him. “Thanks.”

His hair hadn’t gotten too wet, thanks to his backpack, but his face was still damp.

Jiang Banxu wiped himself off a bit haphazardly and was about to head back to his room to change when he suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, right, I meant to ask you earlier,” he looked over at Ying Tiao, curious, “Why can you stand in the sunlight now?”

Ying Tiao didn’t meet his gaze, keeping his eyes elsewhere. His voice was calm. “Your blood doesn’t just have a special taste; it also temporarily makes me stronger, including the ability to resist sunlight.”

“I see,” Jiang Banxu nodded, then furrowed his brows slightly. “But when I invited you to the park that day, you hadn’t drunk my blood yet.”

Ying Tiao had agreed without hesitation at the time.

“I was planning to reveal my identity to you eventually,” Ying Tiao replied, sounding somewhat distracted, his voice hoarser than usual.

Jiang Banxu had no more questions. He neatly folded the towel and picked up his soaking wet backpack.

As he moved, his damp and wrinkled shirt accidentally rode up, revealing a section of his slender, toned waist.

His pale skin and the faint bruises still lingering on his waist made the sight both intimate and suggestive.

“I’ll wash the towel before...” Jiang Banxu began, but before he could finish his sentence, he heard the sound of a door slamming shut from the direction of the guest room.

Startled, he turned around, only to find that Ying Tiao had disappeared.