"Hmph, just you wait!"
Lester had not expected Sino to openly defy him. He glared at him with obvious displeasure, already plotting a way to teach this insolent subordinate a lesson.
After all, he was under his command—there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him. No need to rush.
As Lester finally left, Yin and Su Qiluo exchanged a glance but made no further moves. Whatever anger remained had already been disrupted by Lester's intrusion.
"Now that tempers have cooled, can we talk calmly?" Mu Qingyun tilted her head and asked softly, looking at the two men still locked in a tense standoff.
"Come with me," Yin said coldly, shooting Su Qiluo and the others a glance before motioning her over.
Mu Qingyun: …
What is this? Walking a dog?
Still, not wanting to inflame tensions again, she obediently walked toward Yin.
But before she took more than a few steps, Su Qiluo grabbed her arm. "You do not need to be afraid of him."
"I am not afraid. It is fine," she murmured back. Su Qiluo released his grip without insisting.
The three of them followed Yin through a few corridors until they reached a room.
"This is my study. If you ever need anything, come here. If I am not around, leave a note," Yin said casually, taking the seat at the main desk.
"You are willing to cooperate with me?" Su Qiluo caught the implication in his words instantly.
"We share the same goal. Although I hate humans, I do not mind using you to achieve my aims," Yin leaned back lazily in his chair, his long hair sliding down his shoulders, accentuating a cold, restrained beauty.
Share the same goal?
"You overheard our conversation earlier?" Yi Beixuan frowned. That should not be possible—he had checked their surroundings thoroughly. They were standing at the junction of two corridors. No one should have been able to follow them unnoticed.
"My blood slave carries my aura. Wherever she goes, whatever she hears or sees, I can know it anytime I want," Yin replied indifferently.
Vampires have this kind of ability?
Seeing the astonishment in Mu Qingyun and Yi Beixuan's eyes, Yin smirked dismissively. "You charged in without even checking for illusions. The so-called Planetary Defense Squad is really unimpressive."
"How do you know I did not check?" Su Qiluo chuckled and lazily propped his hand on his forehead, eyes lifting to meet Yin's with a languid air—he looked more like a villain than ever.
"You knew? And you did not tell me?" Yi Beixuan raised his brows in exasperation. So this guy knew all along and just let him flail around?
What kind of attitude was that?
Mu Qingyun frowned in confusion as she looked at Yi Beixuan.
"Well, since you know already, let us cut the chatter. I will handle Lester. You deal with Blauer," Su Qiluo offered with a slight raise of his brow. He had never thought much of Lester, which was why he chose one of his dukes instead.
"Fine," Yin replied coolly. "We are done here. Get out."
So cold—especially for someone who just struck a deal.
"You—"
"She stays," Yin interrupted, resting his chin on one hand, crimson eyes fixed on Mu Qingyun with zero intention of backing down.
"I was not planning to leave. I still have questions," Mu Qingyun replied with a faint smile. She turned to Su Qiluo and added, "You two go back first. Be careful."
"…"
Since she said so, Su Qiluo nodded and left with Yi Beixuan.
"From now on, stay close to her. I will deal with Lester myself," Su Qiluo instructed as soon as they exited the room.
"What, are you actually worried about her? Want me to be her bodyguard?" Yi Beixuan gave a teasing smirk. "Do not tell me you have fallen for her?"
Fallen for her?
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Su Qiluo frowned. "I already told you—I have someone I like."
Yi Beixuan stared at him in disbelief. "You are not serious. Are you?"
"What is the problem?" Su Qiluo lowered his gaze, recalling how Mu Qingyun had taken care of his 'weakling' persona back on the deserted island. For the first time, warmth flickered in his usually emotionless eyes.
"I have always been serious. You just did not believe me," he said with a calm smile, eyes glinting.
"…"
Damn. Who would have thought?
Yi Beixuan stared at him blankly. Anyone would be confused in this situation.
"You coming?" Su Qiluo turned and looked back at him from the corridor, clearly exasperated. "What is wrong with you?"
Yi Beixuan met his gaze and shook his head firmly. "We better keep some distance from now on. No need to wait until tomorrow—I will start guarding Yun Jie tonight."
"Do what you want." With a long sigh, Su Qiluo picked up his pace and disappeared into the house.
"Tell me, you turned me into a blood slave just to use my Samadhi True Fire to help you eliminate those two wastes, right?"
Mu Qingyun stood up and walked toward Yin as she spoke softly.
"Mm." Yin answered calmly.
"What were you thinking at first?" she asked, raising her right hand. A small flame flickered to life in her palm. "They say vampires fear my Samadhi True Fire. But you don't."
"They do," Yin said, nodding.
"But not you? Why?"
"My blood slave… your master is tired and does not want to answer more questions." Yin's tone grew annoyed. He frowned and casually pulled a book from the shelf to read.
Mu Qingyun raised an eyebrow. Since he clearly did not want to talk, she gave up and instead pulled out a vial of Qing Su from her storage pouch. Biting into the capsule, she planned to use it to erase Yin's aura from her body.
She felt as if she were being watched from every angle, and the sense of being controlled made her deeply uncomfortable.
Just as she was about to drink it, Yin suddenly struck, knocking the capsule from her hand.
The liquid spilled instantly, soaking into the floor.
She could not drink it anymore.
"What are you doing?" she asked sharply, killing intent flickering in her eyes.
She had not been on guard, and certainly had not expected him to strike so suddenly.
"I knocked over your Qing Su," Yin replied with a casual lift of his brow and a faint smile in his eyes. "Is that not obvious?"