Embrace That Vampire - Chapter 10

“Mhm, we’re already back.”

“That’s fine, you can come over now.”

Pei Yun followed Lu Que out of the elevator. Once Lu Que hung up the phone, Pei Yun asked curiously in a whisper, “Little uncle, who’s coming?”

“A doctor,” Lu Que replied.

“Huh?”

“Coming to the house to give you a physical checkup.”

“Huh?!”

Lu Que turned and glanced at him. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just a simple checkup. No blood will be drawn; he won’t find out.”

“Oh.” Pei Yun scratched his head sheepishly. “You gave me a fright.”

Opening the door, Lu Que placed the shopping bags on the shoe cabinet. Pei Yun followed him in, bustling about to find his newly bought slippers. As he straightened up, his gaze froze. He looked at Lu Que, then down at his own feet, making a startling discovery: “Little uncle, we have the same shoes—no, slippers. We have matching slippers?”

Lu Que was about to pour some water. As he turned around, Pei Yun made another discovery. He hovered over Lu Que like a curious baby, watching the entire water-pouring process and pointing at the glass: “The cups seem to match too.”

Same style, same size, even the same color.

Lu Que casually switched the glass to his other hand and said calmly, “Not just those.”

It took Pei Yun two seconds to realize what “not just those” meant. Not just the shoes, and not just the cups. He remembered Lu Que asking him in the supermarket if he wanted to change colors… He looked back at the bags containing the other items he hadn’t taken out yet.

He silently grabbed his things and slunk back into his room. As he set the items one by one on the washstand, Pei Yun bit his cheek, his head aching from the sheer awkwardness.

Serves you right for trying to be clever. Now you’ve outsmarted yourself.

Fortunately, he had a separate bathroom in the master bedroom, so he wouldn’t run into the embarrassment of mixing up their toiletries. Oh right, he almost forgot—that separate bathroom was also something he had “snatched” from his little uncle.

“Everything else is fine, but his vision has declined quite significantly.”

Dr. Chen asked carefully, “Did you suddenly start seeing things unclearly?”

“It wasn’t exactly sudden,” Pei Yun admitted, stealing a glance at Lu Que. “It’s been gradually getting worse over the last few weeks. When I watch a movie in the middle of the theater, I can’t see the subtitles clearly.”

“It was likely due to eye strain during that period,” Dr. Chen said with a smile. “It’s fine. Few people your age are not nearsighted while studying; it’s quite normal for scholars. Just look at your little uncle—he’s not only nearsighted but also has night blindness.”

Pei Yun perked up. “My little uncle has night blindness? How come I didn’t know?”

“Just a little bit, it’s not serious. And it’s not exactly a point of pride, so why would he let so many people know?” Dr. Chen teased Lu Que, and after receiving a lukewarm glance, he said with a grin, “Alright, I’ll stop talking.”

He looked into Pei Yun’s eyes again, pinched his chin in thought, and suddenly pointed toward Lu Que. “Let’s do a simple test. Can you see the mole under your little uncle’s left eye?”

Pei Yun followed the direction. Lu Que was only a few steps away, leaning leisurely against the edge of the table with a glass in hand. His tall figure and relaxed posture were a sight to behold. Hearing the question, he lifted his eyelids and looked over indifferently, meeting Pei Yun’s squinting, struggling gaze.

Pei Yun really tried, but: “I can’t see it.” He felt a bit dejected. If he couldn’t see it from this close, he had truly become a “blind man with open eyes.”

Dr. Chen nodded solemnly. “Mhm, you need a pair of glasses. Do you prefer frames or contacts?”

Pei Yun shook his head. “I don’t know, I’ve never worn either.”

Just as he finished speaking, Lu Que set down his glass and walked over. Before Pei Yun could wonder why, his little uncle stopped in front of him, leaned down, and took off his own glasses to place them on Pei Yun.

A very light, faint scent seemed to envelop him. The world before his eyes instantly became clear—so clear it made him feel a bit dizzy.

“This is how frames feel. Contact lenses are more convenient, but taking them on and off is more troublesome,” Lu Que said.

Pei Yun was a bit dazed. He blinked and suddenly let out a short cry of confusion: “But there isn’t one?”

He lifted his hand, wanting to touch Lu Que’s face, but didn’t quite dare. After several hesitant movements in the air, he lowered it. “Where is the mole?”

“There isn’t one. He was teasing you.”

Lu Que straightened up to put some distance between them, and the cold, aloof aura that made Pei Yun feel uneasy vanished with him.

“Come, let me see,” Dr. Chen said cheerfully.

Pei Yun adjusted the slightly sliding glasses and turned his head. Dr. Chen looked closely, his eyebrows raising slightly. The same silver-framed glasses felt completely different on Pei Yun than on Lu Que. They lacked that “do not approach” coldness and instead made him look even younger than his actual age; the scholarly look of the frames couldn’t suppress the vigorous vitality in his eyes.

The only similarity was that the glasses served merely as an embellishment to their outstanding looks.

“You really are family,” he said with a smile, pulling out a miniature eye chart. “Come on, we still have to test.”

Pei Yun had become cleverer. “You aren’t teasing me this time, right?”

“No teasing, I’m being serious,” Dr. Chen replied.

Pei Yun pinched the bridge of the frames to remove the glasses, being careful not to touch the lenses. He was about to return them to Lu Que when he realized the man had gone to the balcony window and was looking down, messaging someone.

At the same time, in the Supernatural Research Institute, Zhang Liangshen had just come out of a meeting room with a dark face when his phone vibrated twice. Upon unlocking it, his irritation faded, replaced by curiosity and a playful tone.

Professor Zhang: [Oho, Professor Lu! What brought on this sudden interest in vampires? Don’t you usually avoid mentioning them?]

Lu Que: [A personal matter.]

Professor Zhang: [What personal matter? Can you tell your old classmate?]

Lu Que: [.]

Professor Zhang: [Fine, fine, I won’t ask. I’ll ask next time.] Professor Zhang: [But regarding vampire awakening, every vampire is different. What happens during the process depends on the specific case. If you want a definitive answer, I really can’t guarantee it.]

Lu Que: [Are there no universal conditions?]

Professor Zhang: [Universal conditions? There are, but they really are the most basic ones. For example, a decline in vision but a greatly improved night vision, more sensitive hearing, or developing a rejection of certain foods.] Professor Zhang: [Oh right, there’s one more. A fully awakened vampire will have a special fragrance—very faint. Only the blood provider they have bitten can smell it. Similarly, the bitten provider will also have a fragrance that only their vampire can smell.] Professor Zhang: [This phenomenon is quite magical. It used to be nicknamed the ‘Hidden Bond,’ but after everything that happened, no one mentions it anymore.]

A fragrance only they can smell…

Lu Que tapped the edge of his phone twice and typed a reply: Lu Que: [Mhm, I see. Thanks.]

Professor Zhang: [Don’t be polite with me.] Professor Zhang: [But since you reached out to me today, I can’t help but nag you once more.] Professor Zhang: [In the meeting just now, Sheng Hui was talking about accelerating the modification experiments again. We didn’t agree, so he proposed filing an appeal to the higher-ups. It’s annoying as hell. Are you really not going to get involved and give us a hand?]

Lu Que: [I’ve said it before: I will not participate in any experiments related to continuing vampire modifications.]

Professor Zhang: [I know, unless the modifications can be stopped, right? I want that too; you have no idea the psychological pressure I feel every time I enter the modification plant and see those vampires in the tanks. But we both know that’s unrealistic, don’t we?]

Lu Que: [So you can remove me from the lead professor list at any time.]

Professor Zhang: […] Professor Zhang: [Fine, I knew asking was useless. I hate my big mouth.] Professor Zhang: [I won’t talk about that then. Regarding the vampire matter you mentioned, if you have anything else to ask, find me anytime.]

Lu Que: [Mhm, thanks.]

Professor Zhang: [That’s the second time! I told you not to be polite. I’m going to get busy now.] Professor Zhang: [Handkerchief-biting-and-waving.jpg]

In the living room, Dr. Chen was still giving instructions. Pei Yun looked up and listened obediently, his feet swinging restlessly. Lu Que tucked his phone away, took a look, and quickly withdrew his gaze to look out the window. The sky was overcast and the mist was hazy.

It was the end of March, and the rainy season in Ningqing had arrived.

On the first day of classes after moving, Pei Yun overslept and nearly arrived late.

“Pei-bao, you didn’t give your appendix a chance to flare up,” Du Jian teased him.

“I’ll give it a chance next time.” Pei Yun placed his book on the desk.

An Lan: “The dorm head told me to remember to ask you: did you eat breakfast?”

“Of course,” Pei Yun said. “My little uncle is watching for my mom; would he let me leave the house without eating?”

Du Jian perked up. “Hey, Pei-bao, tell us: how does it feel living with Professor Lu? Is it high-tension and high-pressure every day?”

Pei Yun thought seriously and shook his head.

“Then is it total ‘free-range’—where he doesn’t care about anything except providing food and housing?”

Pei Yun still shook his head. Recalling what had happened since his awakening, a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes: “Actually, it’s neither. It’s nothing like I imagined.”

He had originally thought Lu Que wouldn’t care about him at all, providing housing and food as a favor, but that wasn’t the case at all. Many things he did were illogical in Pei Yun’s eyes—at least in his impression, Lu Que shouldn’t be such a person.

“If I have to describe the feeling…” Pei Yun weighed his words and pondered. “Mhm, roughly… it feels like a dream.”

It felt fake, not real at all.

After class, a light rain began to fall. The wind carried the mist from all directions, piercingly cold. The three of them walked toward the dormitory under two umbrellas. An Lan walked behind while Du Jian excitedly told Pei Yun his gossip.

“So that day, An-an and I went to the supermarket to buy things. Just as we came out, An-an was bumped into by a little underclassman holding books. She seemed to be in a hurry, said sorry and tried to leave, but then she looked up, saw An-an, and immediately stopped. She shyly said sorry again and asked An-an if she had hurt him.”

Du Jian laughed first and asked Pei Yun, “Do you know what An-an said?”

Pei Yun thought for a bit. “Was your face just for show since you didn’t use your eyes?”

Du Jian: “…”

Pei Yun: “Are those two holes in your head just for decoration?”

Du Jian’s smile froze. He gritted his teeth. “You really are even more ‘steely’ than An-an!”

Pei Yun asked sincerely, “So what did he say?”

Du Jian now felt the correct answer was dull: “An-an just said ‘a little bit, watch where you’re going next time, don’t be so headstrong.'”

An Lan: “Don’t call me An-an.”

Du Jian: “Lan-lan?”

An Lan: “Fine. From today on, I’ll call you Jian-jian (vile).”

Du Jian: “??? Hello??”

Pei Yun listened to the noise all the way, completely forgetting he had just moved out. When he looked up, he realized he had habitually followed them to the dormitory entrance. Before he could speak, Du Jian pushed him inside with force: “Since you’re already here, come in and sit! Want to climb the ranks (in-game)?”

Pei Yun was both annoyed and amused. “Damn, you did that on purpose.”

Du Jian chuckled twice. “All’s fair in love and war. This time, I thank An-an for his selfless sacrifice.”

An Lan: “You’re welcome, Jian-jian.”

Du Jian: “Your mom—”

Pei Yun’s phone suddenly rang. He saw who the caller was and made a “shush” gesture to Du Jian and the others. He picked up: “Hello, little uncle.”

Lu Que: “Back at the dorm?”

Pei Yun was surprised. “Little uncle, how did you know?”

“I guessed.” Lu Que’s voice was somewhat hazy and faint. “Come down. I’m waiting for you downstairs.”

Pei Yun immediately ran to the balcony and looked down. Sure enough, outside the main gate by the flower bed stood a figure holding a dark umbrella. Although Lu Que’s shoulders and head were obscured from this angle, he still stood out like a “crane among chickens” among the coming and going students.

“I’m coming down right now!”

Not daring to keep Lu Que waiting, he hung up and ran out while saying goodbye to Du Jian and An Lan: “Looks like I can’t play games today. Next time. My little uncle came to pick me up.”

Du Jian watched him disappear with wide eyes. “I calculated everything but that. As expected of someone with a guardian; he even gets door-to-door pickup and drop-off?”

Pei Yun bumped into Zeng Yichen at the main gate. He gave a bright smile, flashed a “claw” at him, and ran off. Zeng Yichen instinctively wanted to call out to him, but when he turned around, he saw Pei Yun quickly dive under an umbrella. The two spoke a few words and soon turned to walk away side-by-side.

The rain in the Awakening of Insects period was gentle and hazy. Under the slightly tilted umbrella, the two figures were equally tall and thin, but one had a more slender frame and was half a head shorter than the person beside him. The subtle difference made them look unexpectedly harmonious.

Zeng Yichen stood in place, the umbrella at his side quickly dripping a small puddle of water.

“Hey, dorm head, why are you spacing out here?” Du Jian had come down at some point, buying snacks and drinks from the vending machine. He leaned beside Zeng Yichen and looked out with him: “What are you looking at? There’s nothing there.”

“Nothing. The rain seems to be getting heavier.” Zeng Yichen turned to walk back inside. Suddenly, he looked at Du Jian and asked, “Is Professor Lu really Pei’s uncle?”

“Of course it’s real. Pei-bao admitted it, didn’t he?” Du Jian opened a drink and took a few gulps. “Dorm head, why did you think to ask that?”

Zeng Yichen recalled the scene he had just seen, still feeling a bit uncomfortable: “I just thought it was rare. How could there really be an uncle only a few years older than his nephew?”

They clearly look nothing alike.

On the short walk from the dorm entrance to the car, a wind suddenly picked up. Pei Yun rubbed his hands together from the cold.

“This year’s ‘Spring Cold’ came too early.” He watched the rain streaks on the outside of the car window and sighed. “It was clearly after the Qingming Festival last year.”

Had he known, he would have worn a thicker jacket when he left this morning.

Lu Que started the car. He glanced at him in the rearview mirror but said nothing. Pei Yun originally thought they were going straight back, but ten minutes later, Lu Que parked the car in front of an optical shop.

It seemed he was going to get his glasses. Pei Yun gauged the distance and prepared to make a dash for it. Just as he pulled the car door, Lu Que called out: “Wait.”

Pei Yun stopped obediently, his hand on the door handle. “Little uncle, what is it?”

Lu Que took his jacket and umbrella, opened his door, walked around the front of the car to the passenger door, and brought Pei Yun under the umbrella.

“Put this on before you go.”

He handed over the black jacket that he should have been wearing. It wasn’t a suit jacket, but a more casual style, and it still held the warmth of the car that hadn’t had time to be swept away by the wind.