"I do not know," Su Qiluo admitted honestly, shaking his head. "It is unrequited love. He does not know, and I am not entirely certain he would ever like me."
Hearing that, Mu Qingyun grew curious. She wanted to know—what kind of person could make Su Qiluo, the top commander at the military academy, fall into one-sided love?
She imagined it must be someone stunning and powerful.
"So, how do you plan to pursue him?" she asked casually, eyes falling on the red liquid Su Qiluo swirled in his hand.
"I have not thought that far ahead," Su Qiluo sighed softly, barely audible. "Besides, I lied to him. I do not even know if he would hate me once he finds out."
Lied to him?
Mu Qingyun raised an eyebrow in surprise. Well, that kind of thing depended on the person—some did not mind being lied to, others cared deeply.
"Then next time you see him, make sure you explain everything clearly. Tell him why you lied, and it would be best to swear that you will never lie again," she advised. "Girls usually like that sort of thing."
"What about after that?" Su Qiluo asked with genuine curiosity.
After that?
Mu Qingyun pressed a hand to her forehead. To be honest, she did not know much about how to pursue someone. In her previous life, even though she was ranked first on the Wild Rankings, she had been fully focused on the fight for the throne—romance was never part of the equation.
Still, seeing how eager Su Qiluo was to learn, she decided to just imagine how she herself would like to be pursued. After all, she still planned to make use of his light-based powers someday—might as well build a good relationship now.
Hold on. Let her think. How would she like someone to pursue her?
Ugh, she honestly could not come up with anything.
Forget it. She would just make something up.
"You should pick a bouquet of flowers every day. Make sure the type of flower is different each time. Try to eat every meal with them—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also, learn how to cook."
"Say good morning and good night every day. Every weekend, take them out for a big meal. And for every little holiday, prepare a surprise. The gift does not need to be expensive, but it must be thoughtful."
What else? What else could she add?
She frowned in thought, then a new idea came to her. "Also, sweet talk. But not too much. Do not say it too often either. Say it only occasionally, and only when the mood is right."
"Got it," Su Qiluo nodded seriously and smiled at her—though his mask hid it. "Thank you. If I succeed, I will repay you handsomely."
"Handsomely?" Mu Qingyun's eyes lit up at that word. "Then, could you do me a favor when the time comes?"
"As long as it does not go against my will, I will do it," he replied while holding his glass.
"Alright, then I will be going now." She turned and walked back toward Yin. He looked up at her and offered a small smile.
She quickly walked to his side and sat down.
"Too bad. He already has someone he likes. He is not interested in you," Yin commented snidely.
Hearing that, Mu Qingyun smiled just as mockingly. "And what does that have to do with you?"
"It does not," Yin said lazily, taking a sip of the red liquid in his glass before glancing at her again. "But I saw you teaching him the wrong way to chase someone. You were jealous. And I enjoyed watching it."
"Jealous?" she repeated the word with a scoff, arching an eyebrow. "That will never happen. Not in this lifetime."
"Self-deception," Yin replied blandly, then ignored her, picking up his utensils and elegantly eating from his plate.
Self-deception?
Mu Qingyun frowned. People often said that bystanders saw things more clearly, but in her opinion, bystanders could sometimes be utterly clueless.
The music resumed, and the vampires paired off once more, dancing in the center of the ballroom.
She cast a quick glance at the dance floor, then shifted her focus to Lester and Brauer, seated at the main table.
The power struggle between the vampire princes had existed for centuries, possibly even longer. Instead of taking them down one by one, it might be better to sow discord among them.
Unconsciously, she began rubbing her knuckles.
On the surface, Lester and Brauer appeared to be close allies, but that was only because Yin's power and influence overshadowed them both significantly.
In the end, it was all about self-interest.
These alliances, while seemingly strong, were actually fragile and could collapse with just a little manipulation.
"Yin, I need to tell you something," she said, patting his arm and gesturing for him to lean in.
She whispered a few words into his ear, but Yin shook his head. "That plan is too dangerous."
"It will not be. Their only target will be you."
"I am talking about myself," Yin said, turning to look at her. "If we use that plan, I will be in too much danger."
"…Fine."
She lowered her gaze again, her fingers brushing her knuckles. It was true the plan was dangerous, but it also promised high rewards. If she did not use it, taking them down one by one would waste too much time.
And she did not have that kind of time.
She had only come here to earn money and build her business. Who would have thought that before she could even sell her first seasoning mix, she would be dragged into this absurd vampire mess?
She still had to return to find Xiong Ruoyou and Fan Xuanye, establish her commercial empire, wait for Su's letter, and eventually take part in the second stage of the military academy trial.
She was very busy.
"Prince Ancestra, may I have the honor of this dance?" a seductive-looking vampire approached them and gave Yin a formal bow.
"No. My first dance will always be with her," Yin replied, wrapping an arm around Mu Qingyun's waist in an affectionate gesture.
Caught off guard and used as a human shield, Mu Qingyun cursed him silently, but maintained a graceful smile. She took his hand and said, "Let us dance."
Seeing the intimacy between them, the seductive vampire blushed and awkwardly turned away.
She had not expected Prince Ancestra to be so protective of a human. A complete miscalculation.
"You could have just said it. Why the word always?" Mu Qingyun rested a hand on his shoulder and glanced briefly at Su Qiluo—only to find his gaze was not on her.
"What is the difference?" Yin asked, arms still around her waist, clearly not understanding her concern.
"'Always' is a very long time," Mu Qingyun said, looking up at him. "If you make such a promise now, what will you do when you meet someone you truly love?"
Yin lowered his gaze, their eyes meeting. "I will not fall in love. I have lived for hundreds of years and never once met someone who stirred my heart."
"I will not bother trying to convince you," she said lazily. "But when you eventually do fall in love, I will be there to laugh and say, 'I told you so.'"