Ensnared by My Vampire Roommate

3

They walked home in silence.

Jiang Banxu entered the apartment first, switching out his shoes as he walked deeper into the hallway, reaching for the light switch on the wall. He fumbled for a moment, missing it, which caused his steps to slow down. The person behind him, seemingly unable to stop in time, moved a little too close.

Jiang froze for a second.

Though he couldn’t see Ying Tiao, the man’s taller stature made his presence impossible to ignore. Jiang could feel the coldness radiating from behind him, especially on the back of his neck. He became distinctly aware of the slow, deliberate breaths from his roommate, giving him the unsettling sensation of being watched in the dark.

A sense of caution washed over him. Instinctively, he raised a hand to cover his neck.

“You…” Jiang’s eyes widened in shock. “Were you just… sniffing me?”

The lights came on, and the distance between them was almost nonexistent, confirming Jiang’s suspicions. Ying had indeed been right behind him, close enough to smell him.

Yet Ying remained composed, his expression as calm and indifferent as ever. A faint trace of apology appeared in his eyes as he took a polite step back. “Sorry,” he said in a cool voice.

Without a hint of embarrassment, Ying explained, “You smell nice. Like lemons.”

Jiang let out a breath, feeling momentarily relieved, though a strange discomfort settled in. There was something about his interactions with his new roommate that always left him feeling uneasy. It was as if every time they interacted, Jiang couldn’t help but feel he was overreacting, misinterpreting the situation.

He couldn’t tell whether Ying really had an issue or if it was just the pressure from his studies making him overly sensitive.

Still doubtful, Jiang quietly took a step back, replying, “It’s lemon-scented laundry detergent. If you like it, I can recommend it to you.”

Ying smiled, “Sure.”

That smile. Ying’s face was exactly Jiang’s type.

Jiang had always found his new roommate attractive, but Ying’s usual aloofness, combined with his cold, eerie gaze, made him uncomfortable at times. No matter how handsome he was, Jiang had avoided getting too close to him because of that.

But now, with a warm, friendly smile in his eyes, Ying seemed much more approachable—almost pleasant to be around. All the distance Jiang had felt between them suddenly vanished.

With his earlier concerns now pushed aside, Jiang concluded that he had indeed been overthinking things. It was his stress playing tricks on him.

Reassured, Jiang smiled, his eyes curving into their usual crescent shape. “Thanks again for helping me out back there. I really appreciate it.”

“I was just passing by,” Ying said casually as he turned to head to his bedroom. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

...

If Jiang wasn’t pressed for time, he usually cooked his own breakfast in the morning. He had been good at taking care of himself since childhood, and by now, cooking had become second nature to him.

He was making a pot of warm, creamy milk oatmeal and had just pulled out two fresh purple sweet potatoes from the fridge, carefully choosing the best-looking ones to steam. Once breakfast was ready—oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and boiled eggs—he ate quickly. It was only 7:30 by the time he finished.

After tidying up the dishes, Jiang glanced at his roommate’s still-closed door and thought for a moment before heading back to the kitchen. Since it was still early, he decided to make an extra egg pancake.

Although he wasn’t sure what his roommate liked to eat, these simple foods were usually a safe bet. Jiang set the sweet potatoes and pancake on the dining table and left a note beside them, reminding Ying that the oatmeal was still warm in the kitchen.

With that, he grabbed his backpack and left the apartment.

Even if Ying had just been passing by the night before, he had still helped Jiang avoid unnecessary conflict. Jiang felt that a simple “thank you” wasn’t enough and wanted to show his gratitude in some way. After giving it some thought, he figured leaving breakfast was a good idea.

Ying’s lifestyle seemed rather irregular, and having a proper breakfast was good for his health. It was also a straightforward way to express Jiang’s appreciation.

Jiang arrived at school and headed straight to the library, staying there until it was almost time for his 10 AM diagnostics class. It was the busiest time on campus, and the elevators were packed, so he slowly took the stairs instead. As he did, he bumped into his diagnostics professor.

“Good morning, Professor Shen.” Jiang quickly greeted him, standing politely to the side. After a brief exchange, the two began walking together.

Professor Shen Qingyan was in his forties or fifties, slim from keeping up with his health routines despite his busy schedule. He carried a simple school-issued briefcase, giving off an air of both elegance and modesty.

Professor Shen wasn’t just Jiang’s diagnostics instructor; he was also the director of the neurology department at the university’s affiliated hospital. When he wasn’t teaching, he was almost always at the hospital.

Jiang was serious about his studies and often shadowed Professor Shen at the hospital whenever he had no classes. Most of the professors were happy to have such diligent students follow them to gain hands-on experience.

Jiang had been to the hospital with Professor Shen quite a few times, and since he always performed well, their relationship had become less formal over time.

“A couple of your seniors came to me the other day to ask about internships for the summer. Why didn’t you apply with them?” Professor Shen asked, taking the stairs faster than Jiang, sometimes skipping two at a time without showing any signs of fatigue.

Jiang was aware of the internship request—his seniors had even messaged him on WeChat, asking him to join them—but at the time, Jiang had said he needed to think about it and turned them down. He hadn’t expected Professor Shen to take notice, and the question touched him. Jiang admitted, “There are some family issues. I’ll probably need to work part-time during the summer, so I’m still considering.”

He had been looking for a part-time job he could do online, something that wouldn’t take up too much time, but it had proven difficult to find.

Professor Shen’s expression flickered slightly. With so many students under his care, it was hard to remember every detail about each one. He had asked Jiang because he saw great potential in him—Jiang was smart, hardworking, and someone worth nurturing. Knowing that Jiang wanted to work in a hospital after graduation made Professor Shen even more eager to help him grow.

Now that he thought about it, Professor Shen vaguely recalled hearing that Jiang’s only family member was his grandfather, who was currently in the hospital.

“Well, think it over and let me know before the end of the term,” Professor Shen said after a moment of thought. “If you really can’t manage it, don’t push yourself. Even if you need to work part-time, you can still come to the hospital whenever you have free time, just like during the school year.”

Jiang’s eyes reddened with emotion as he nodded earnestly, his heart swelling with gratitude.

They finally reached the fifth floor, and Professor Shen, stretching and rubbing his knees, said, “Climbing stairs is good exercise. We should promote it throughout the entire school.”

The students around them, panting heavily from the climb, turned to stare in disbelief.

Professor Shen burst out laughing.

Jiang realized he was joking and couldn’t help but laugh as well.

When the morning class ended, the class monitor suddenly announced that due to a schedule change, the afternoon class would be replaced. Jiang hadn’t brought the right textbooks with him, so he needed to go home during lunch.

It was almost 1 PM by the time he returned home. The apartment was as dark as ever, and Ying’s bedroom door remained tightly shut, as though he hadn’t left his room all day.

After packing the necessary books for the afternoon, Jiang grew curious about whether his roommate had eaten the breakfast he left. He sneaked over to the dining room, noticing that the table was clean—nothing was left behind.

Jiang raised an eyebrow, feeling a small sense of satisfaction. It seemed his roommate had accepted his gesture.

He wandered into the kitchen to grab a yogurt before heading out but froze when he spotted something in the trash can. There, lying at the bottom of the bin, were the egg pancake and sweet potatoes he had made that morning.

Jiang’s eyes widened in shock. He crouched down and double-checked several times, unable to believe what he was seeing.

It was definitely the food he had made, perfectly untouched. Even the note he had left was still there.

At that moment, the sound of a door opening echoed from the hallway. Jiang stood up and stepped out of the kitchen, just in time to see Ying emerging from his room.

Dressed in dark-colored pajamas, his posture relaxed, Ying’s long black hair was slightly messy, pushed behind his ears. His lips were a striking shade of red. He noticed Jiang’s upset expression and seemed both surprised and curious.

Jiang, standing just outside the kitchen, managed to keep his voice steady as he asked, “Why did you throw away the breakfast I made for you?”

Ying glanced at him, his expression unchanged. “I didn’t like it.”

He hated human food.

“….”

Jiang had been genuinely annoyed at first, but Ying’s bluntness caught him off guard, leaving him speechless.

Of course, Jiang had the right to offer breakfast, and Ying had the right to refuse it. Ying didn’t like the food, so he threw it away—it was perfectly logical.

But that didn’t stop Jiang from feeling frustrated. There were two reasons for his irritation.

First, he hated seeing food go to waste, though it wasn’t his place to dictate someone else’s habits.

Second… Jiang thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, “Even if you didn’t like it, you could’ve thrown it away where I wouldn’t see it.”

If he hadn’t seen it, he wouldn’t have gotten upset!

Ying paused for a moment, seemingly considering Jiang’s words. After a brief silence, he nodded. “Got it. I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

Jiang: "..."

Somehow, he felt even more annoyed now.