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1871 Words
Jiang Banxu spent the whole night dreaming, and without exception, his roommate appeared in every dream.
In some, Ying Tiao smiled gently, polite and composed. In others, he stood silently in the shadows, staring at Jiang without saying a word.
But then there were dreams where Ying’s lips were blood-red, fangs extended in a terrifying display. Every time that version of Ying drew close, Jiang shuddered in his sleep and jolted awake.
His eyes felt swollen, likely from crying. Jiang frowned and rubbed them for a while before finally opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings.
This was clearly not his room.
It was summer, yet everything around him felt cold and damp. However, a small amount of sunlight managed to peek through the partly drawn curtains.
Still groggy, Jiang huddled under the blanket, searching for his clothes. As he moved, the discomfort in his body became more noticeable, and the events of the previous day rushed back into his mind.
He froze mid-motion, his brain going blank for two full seconds.
In one night, his entire life had turned surreal.
First, his new roommate was actually a vampire.
Second, not only had this vampire bitten him, but they’d also done something far more outrageous.
Jiang sat there, stunned. Both of these realizations were equally hard to digest.
He desperately wished it was all just a dream, but the marks on his body were undeniable proof. Jiang was utterly overwhelmed, almost on the verge of tears.
At that moment, the door to the bedroom creaked open, and a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
Ying stood there, backlit by the hallway, tall and imposing, with that same cold aura he always carried.
Now, whenever Jiang looked at him, the image of Ying’s blood-red eyes and sharp fangs came rushing back, filling his mind.
Instinctively, Jiang flinched, pulling back and eyeing Ying warily.
Ying approached and placed a set of pajamas on the bed. “Your clothes—they were drying on the balcony.”
“...”
Jiang cautiously reached out from under the blanket, pulling the clothes in. He muttered a quiet, “...Thank you.”
Quickly, he dressed beneath the covers, emerging only once fully clothed. When he looked up, he saw that Ying had turned his back and was standing at the foot of the bed, waiting patiently.
Now that he was dressed, Jiang felt a little more at ease. He exhaled quietly, trying to calm himself, while Ying made no sudden movements, as if waiting for him to speak.
After a few moments, Jiang gathered enough courage to ask the question that had been gnawing at him: “...You really are a vampire, aren’t you?”
He just needed to hear it confirmed.
Ying turned around, his expression calm. “Yes.”
There was no hint of discomfort at the fear and wariness in Jiang’s eyes. Ying continued, “I hope you’ll agree to help me with something.”
He was still as polite as ever, maintaining that air of elegance.
Jiang followed Ying out of the bedroom and into the dining room.
As they walked, Jiang found himself reevaluating everything he thought he knew. He had once mistaken Ying for a polite and introverted person, possibly even socially anxious. But now, having seen the terrifying way Ying fed on blood, Jiang realized how wrong he had been.
They sat across from each other at the dining table, and Ying handed him a document.
Still not fully recovered from the shock, Jiang absentmindedly opened the document. As his eyes scanned the paper, seeing both his and Ying’s names, an odd thought popped into his mind—*Does a contract between a human and a vampire even hold up in court?*
His mind was a jumble of random thoughts, none of them coherent.
The contract was simple enough, and Jiang saw that Ying was requesting two things from him:
First, Jiang was to help keep Ying’s identity as a vampire a secret.
Second, Jiang was to provide fresh blood on a regular basis, once a month.
Just as he read the second request, Jiang blurted out, “Providing fresh blood regularly... does that mean we’ll also have to... do that again?”
The events of the previous night were still vivid in Jiang’s mind, though his embarrassment kept him from recalling them in too much detail. He remembered how, after Ying had bitten his wrist, he had felt inexplicably entranced and had done things completely out of his control.
If Ying had lost control, Jiang had certainly made it worse, pushing the vampire further. The memory of every detail was enough to make Jiang want to crawl into a hole from embarrassment.
He couldn’t even lift his head after asking the question.
Ying, sitting across from him, watched the way Jiang’s ears turned a deep red, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “Yes,” he replied.
Jiang’s head dropped even lower, his entire body heating up with embarrassment.
The idea of doing that with a vampire was hard for him to accept.
Even if Ying weren’t a vampire, he was still just a roommate Jiang had barely gotten to know.
A sudden question popped into Jiang’s head.
“I have a question,” Jiang muttered quietly, raising his hand like a student in class.
Ying arched a brow, looking at him.
“Is this... normal for vampires?” Jiang asked, forcing himself to sound casual. “I mean, biting someone’s neck and then having to, uh... do that with them?”
The whole idea seemed ridiculous to him—more like a s*x fiend than a vampire.
Ying’s expression shifted slightly, and his gaze sharpened as he looked at Jiang.
When the vampire grew serious, the oppressive aura he usually kept hidden came rushing to the surface, making Jiang instinctively shrink back.
Ying glanced away, his expression troubled. After a moment of silence, he spoke, “No. You’re special to me.”
“Five years ago in Fulan Mountain, your blood brought me back to life.”
Jiang froze.
Five years ago, that was when he had been kidn*pped.
When Jiang was fifteen, he and his grandfather had moved to Jing City. Before that, he had lived in C City. His parents had married young and impulsively, and after Jiang was born, they had quickly grown tired of each other and divorced.
Both of his parents saw Jiang as a burden, constantly pushing him between each other until he ended up with his grandfather, Jiang Weirong.
Jiang had grown up believing he had no parents.
His grandfather, a well-read and scholarly man, provided Jiang with everything he needed, both materially and emotionally. Jiang always felt fortunate to be loved and raised by him.
But when Jiang was fourteen, his father’s business ventures failed, leaving him in serious debt. To avoid the debt collectors, Jiang’s father fled.
The people chasing him were dangerous criminals. To pressure him into paying what he owed, they discovered his remaining family—Jiang and his grandfather—and kidn*pped Jiang to force his father’s hand.
Jiang Weirong had no idea his son was in such deep trouble until Jiang went missing. He was beside himself with worry, frantically trying to save his grandson. His father eventually returned, broke and miserable, admitting everything and begging for forgiveness.
Jiang Weirong was furious and desperate, using all the resources he could to find and rescue Jiang. They even managed to scrape together the ransom money, but the kidnappers refused to return him.
Later, the police discovered that Jiang had escaped his captors, but he had fled into Fulan Mountain to evade them.
The forest was infamous—an ancient, dangerous place filled with poisonous plants and deadly creatures. It was said that few who entered Fulan Mountain ever came out alive.
When they realized Jiang had gone into the mountain, the local authorities launched a rescue mission but found no trace of him.
Even Jiang’s grandfather had given up hope, and his grief triggered a severe stroke that sent him to the hospital.
Jiang’s father, overwhelmed by the debt and guilt, committed suicide.
Jiang had thought he would die, too.
He could still remember how it felt to be in that forest, the suffocating air making it hard to breathe, the poison fog seeping into his lungs.
When he realized how dangerous the place was, it was already too late. He had no way of finding his way out.
Already injured from the k********g, his wounds quickly became infected in the damp, polluted air. He collapsed after slipping on some moss, hitting his head on a rock, and blood flowed freely down his face.
Jiang had never felt so close to death. In his delirium, he simply lay down and waited to die.
But to his shock, he woke up in a hospital, his injuries mostly healed, though he was severely anemic.
He had survived, and everyone called it a miracle.
Jiang had thought it was sheer luck. But now, he realized it was because he had unknowingly brought a vampire back to life.
Jiang sat there, stunned.
“So that’s what happened.”
He hesitated, then asked, “Everyone said it was impossible to survive in Fulan Mountain. Was it you who saved me?”
Ying’s tone remained calm. “You are my reviver. I needed you to survive.”
Jiang slowly nodded, processing everything.
The memory of his k********g resurfaced, making his relationship with Ying seem even more complicated.
But then, Jiang’s thoughts drifted back to the contract. He tried to imagine a future where he would be bitten once a month, along with the... other thing. It was hard to accept.
“I’d like you to consider it,” Ying said, sensing Jiang’s hesitation. “If you refuse, I won’t give up. I’ll keep trying
.”
“...”
Jiang felt torn.
He flipped to the next page of the contract, where Ying had outlined the compensation. The vampire had left some room for negotiation but had also listed a substantial sum as payment.
Jiang had been so focused on Ying’s requests that he hadn’t noticed the number until now. When he did, he nearly choked.
He looked at Ying in shock. “This amount... Are you sure there’s no mistake?”
Ying, having little concept of human finances, watched Jiang’s reaction, unsure if it was a positive or negative one.
“If it’s not enough, I can increase it,” Ying said.
“...” Jiang hurriedly shook his head, then hesitantly asked, “This money... it’s legal, right?”
“Of course,” Ying replied with a nod.
The amount was staggering for Jiang.
Just one payment would cover any potential surgeries his grandfather might need. It would also allow him to afford better treatments and medications, ensuring his grandfather’s recovery.
“I agree,” Jiang finally said after a few minutes, nodding seriously as he looked at the vampire across from him. “Let’s work together.”
Ying seemed slightly surprised. “You made your decision quickly.”
“I had to,” Jiang replied honestly. “The amount you’re offering is too much to pass up.”
- Writer
