"…Why?" Mu Qingyun's eyes grew colder. Since there was already a better alternative, why did he knock over her cleansing elixir?
"I find you interesting. I thought I would keep you around and play with you for a while," Yin said casually as he closed the book and stood up, walking toward her.
Seeing him approach, she frowned and took several steps back, widening the distance between them.
"What are you trying to do?"
"Hmm."
???
As someone from the ancient times, she was stunned by that answer. Only when he came closer did she finally react.
"Are you looking for death?" she growled coldly. Without hesitation, she summoned her Samādhi True Fire in her right hand and struck toward him.
"Calm down," Yin replied, a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he neutralized her flames. "It is time to inject fresh blood into your body. Otherwise, you will freeze to death."
"Get lost!"
Mu Qingyun glared at him with deep disgust. "Do not speak to me in that tone. Even if I die, I will not rely on you. I am not a plaything. If you want something 'interesting,' find someone else."
…She was actually angry?
Yin raised a brow in surprise. He did not expect a teasing remark to trigger her so deeply. "Fine, I will stop. No need to make a scene."
"A scene?"
"Who is making a scene?" she snapped, pushing him away. "You were the one who turned me into a blood slave for no reason and destroyed my cleansing elixir. Tell me, who is being unreasonable here?"
"You were the one who killed Phil. If you had not, I never would have discovered your Samādhi True Fire," Yin said calmly, as if stating a fact.
"If I hadn't killed him, I would have died instead!" Mu Qingyun laughed bitterly in anger. "Didn't you say you hate humans because they forced your kind into hiding?
Then tell me—what did I do? I never provoked you. It was that Phil who tried to kill me for no reason. Should I have just stood there and let him?"
"…Do you not think we sound like a quarreling couple right now?"
Yin picked up his book again, not even looking at her. "Why not give it a try—an interspecies relationship? Humans date snakes and merfolk these days. Why not something new?"
"You really know how to change the subject." Her eyes chilled again. She had no intention of continuing this conversation. Just as she turned to leave, a wave of icy cold surged through her body.
"It is starting," Yin said softly as he set down his book, smiling with interest.
This cold was unlike anything she had felt before. Her limbs went numb, and her entire body became immobile. Her lips turned pale and trembled uncontrollably, and a dull pain pounded in her head.
It was unbearable.
Her vision blurred as the icy sensation overtook her. She blinked, lost her balance, and collapsed to the side.
Footsteps approached behind her, and then she felt a sharp pain at her neck—he had bitten her.
Then everything went dark.
When she woke again, it was already night.
Mu Qingyun blinked a few times and sat up abruptly.
"You are awake."
A deep, magnetic voice came from beside her. She turned to see Yin.
"I told you that you would freeze to death. Have you ever heard the saying," Yin looked at her innocently, tilting his head slightly, "When under someone's roof, one must bow their head?"
"I know. I have lived like that since I was a child." She lowered her gaze and looked out through the gap in the curtains.
It was dark.
"Change your clothes. You are attending the banquet tonight." Yin stood up and walked to the wardrobe. After rummaging briefly, he pulled out a deep red, low-cut mermaid-style evening gown.
"You people hold banquets every day? After the fire last time, they still want to party?" Mu Qingyun glanced at the gown and asked calmly.
At her words, Yin chuckled. "We vampires rest during the day. Abiding by our secrecy, we can only indulge at night."
"You will drop dead from exhaustion," she muttered, frowning and rubbing her temples. She noticed his gaze on her and shot him a cold look. "I meant me."
"You will not," Yin laughed, amused by her sharp tongue. "You have my blood now. You will not be affected by the human cycles of morning and night."
"…"
She could not be bothered to respond. Getting out of bed, she completely ignored the red gown in his hand and casually pulled a pink feathered and sequined evening dress from the wardrobe.
Pink?
Yin furrowed his brows in mild surprise as he looked at the girlish gown in her hands. "I did not take you for someone who likes that color."
"So what? I am not that old. And who said pink is restricted to a certain age?"
Mu Qingyun ran her fingers over the fabric. Originally, with her darker complexion, pink would have been unflattering. But since becoming a vampire, her skin had grown much paler—making pink look even better on her.
"Leave. I need to change."
Dismissed, Yin walked out. She changed into the pink gown, fixed her wig a little, and stepped out.
In the banquet hall, Prince Lester and Prince Bloor were sitting together, smiling and chatting as if they were old friends.
Where is Su Qiluo?
She scanned the room and found him almost instantly—just as he raised his wine glass in greeting.
"If you want to go, then go." Yin's voice came from beside her. He had been watching her, and naturally noticed her exchange with Su Qiluo.
It did not matter to him—he could monitor everything she did anyway.
Without hesitation, Mu Qingyun turned and walked directly toward Su Qiluo.
Yin, a bit taken aback by how decisively she left: …
This woman… was she really that eager to get away from him?
"You look good," Su Qiluo said, genuinely surprised by the way the pink gown suited her. He never would have imagined that pink could look so uniquely striking on her.
"Tsk, tsk." Yi Beixuan glanced at his wine glass, then at Su Qiluo, mocking, "Men are such fickle creatures. This morning you were so serious about the person you liked, and tonight your eyes are already following someone else."
Mu Qingyun: …?
"You do not like him, do you?" she asked, glancing up at Su Qiluo, tilting her head toward Yi Beixuan, eyes full of curiosity.
"Him?" Su Qiluo followed her line of sight toward Yi Beixuan. "Hard pass. He is definitely not the one I like."
"Oh." She nodded, looking down. "The person you like must be pretty amazing."
That struck a chord.
Even the air around Su Qiluo seemed to grow warmer, faint pink bubbles of joy floating in the air. "Yes. Very amazing. A truly kind person."
"Does she know?" Mu Qingyun looked up and asked softly.