Embrace That Vampire - Chapter 16

Beat the Little Monster: [Fck!!!] Beat the Little Monster: [Fck fck fck!!!] Beat the Little Monster: [I’m so moved, so moved!!!] Beat the Little Monster: [Little Pei feels! So! Re! Freshed!] Beat the Little Monster: [Our Professor Lu is a god!!!]

An Lan: [?] Du Jian: [Quick, look, Pei Bao has lost his mind.] Zeng Yichen: [Little Pei, what’s wrong? What happened?]

Beat the Little Monster: [My uncle bullied the people who bullied me right back!] Beat the Little Monster: [(^▽^)] Beat the Little Monster: [I’m so happy right now I want to do a one-legged spin on top of a car roof, ehehe.]

Du Jian: [What’s the story? Expand on that and tell us the details?]

Pei Yun recounted everything that had happened at the police station, gloating through the screen:

Beat the Little Monster: [Hands on hips for a very long time.]

An Lan: [Not bad. That sounds incredibly satisfying.] Du Jian: [Those two moms and two kids are real pieces of work! Professor Lu is too cool!] Zeng Yichen: [/Thumbs up. I didn’t realize Professor Lu was so protective of his own.]

Beat the Little Monster: [Of course! Look whose uncle he is /smug] Du Jian: [Tsk tsk, be careful Pei Bao. I suspect you’re turning into a ‘Uncle Fanboy.’] Beat the Little Monster: [What do you mean ‘turning into’? I already am. I’m going to brag about this until next year.] Beat the Little Monster: [Shaking legs while lighting a cigarette.jpg]

Pei Yun’s “Uncle Fanboy” duties only officially came to a halt when he followed the object of his praise into a restaurant.

After dinner, they headed home.

Lu Que’s phone was automatically connected to the car’s Bluetooth. Midway through the drive, Zhang Liangshen’s name appeared on the dashboard screen as a call came in.

Pei Yun knew of this Professor Zhang; he was one of the lead professors at the Abnormal Research Institute (ARI) and had been classmates with his uncle from their master’s degrees all the way through their doctorates.

He took a secret peek at the screen and quickly looked away, believing he hadn’t been noticed.

Lu Que took in his little movements but didn’t reach for the handset; he simply answered the call directly through the car’s audio system.

“Old Lu, what are you doing?”

Zhang Liangshen’s voice filled the car, audible to both passengers. Pei Yun stared out the window, quietly pricking up his ears.

Lu Que: “Driving.” Zhang Liangshen: “Doing what? Not home yet?”

Lu Que didn’t entertain the small talk, asking directly: “Why are you calling?”

Zhang Liangshen sighed, sounding quite helpless. “Aren’t you asking the obvious? What else could it be? Just the higher-ups following routine again, asking me to come and do some ‘ideological work’ on you.”

Lu Que: “I’ve said it before, don’t waste your time on me.”

Zhang Liangshen: “That’s exactly what I told them! I even relayed your original words—that you won’t participate in any projects related to vampire modification unless the blood modification stops. But they just won’t give up, and there’s nothing I can do.”

Zhang Liangshen paused, his tone turning tentative. “How about you just give in a little? Think of it as helping me out? I’ve had too much on my plate lately; I’m exhausted.”

Pei Yun straightened his back, his eyes darting toward Lu Que.

Lu Que: “Not a chance.” Zhang Liangshen: “Tsk! I’ve never seen someone so disregard classmate sentiment. Won’t I be heartbroken?” Lu Que: “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” Zhang Liangshen: “Hey, you! Fine, fine, hang up. Anyway, I made the call, so I’ve fulfilled my quota for the month.”

Lu Que ended the call, and silence returned to the car.

Pei Yun had unintentionally eavesdropped on a conversation that felt like being fed a “reassurance pill.” His mood was indescribably subtle, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t stop turning up.

Thus, for the third time since leaving the police station, he shook his legs and repeated: “Thank you, Uncle!”

Lu Que: “You already said that.” Pei Yun (cheerfully): “Once isn’t enough, one more time.”

Lu Que ignored him.

Once the car was parked in the underground garage, Lu Que got out first to get some things from the trunk. Pei Yun sat in the passenger seat and finished sending a message before unbuckling his seatbelt. When he looked up, his gaze accidentally swept across the area in front of the center console box. He noticed a small booklet there; it looked as though someone had casually rolled it up and stuffed it in.

Seeing it sitting there looked messy, so he reached out to grab it, intending to help his uncle put it inside the console box. He thought it was a logbook or something similar, but when he flipped it to the front—

Product Instruction Manual.

“I think this kind is prettier. Bright colors, lively personality, and not delicate. I can definitely keep this alive!”

Before class, Pei Yun and Du Jian were sitting on the flower bed in the middle of the library square. Du Jian handed his phone to Pei Yun to show him pictures of carefully selected goldfish. “What do you think?”

Pei Yun, standing on his skateboard, replied casually: “If you think it’s fine, it’s fine.”

Du Jian: “It’s not just me. I asked the dorm leader and An Lan, and they both think it’s great. Plus, An Lan said this kind of fish swims beautifully and has very high ‘ornamental value’!”

Pei Yun—who had also been told he had high “ornamental value”—felt his DNA stir. He finally deigned to cast a glance at the fish on Du Jian’s phone.

They were indeed pretty, but why was he being described with the same adjective as a goldfish? Even based on volume alone, his ornamental value should be greater than a goldfish’s, right?

“What are you muttering about?” Du Jian bumped his shoulder. “What ‘greater ornamental value’? Do you know of another fish that’s prettier, cheaper, and easy to raise?”

“You’re the fish,” Pei Yun retorted. He picked up his skateboard and stood up, patting his pants. “Take your time choosing. I’m going to do a few laps.”

They had a class in Teaching Building No. 3 soon. The library was very close; they just had to cross the square and the little bridge.

The square was quite empty at the moment. Some visiting adults were flying kites on the grass with their children. Pei Yun didn’t have to worry about hitting anyone and could play to his heart’s content.

After a few satisfying laps, he was about to turn back to find Du Jian when, as luck would have it, a person suddenly darted out from the path along the green belt. Pei Yun couldn’t brake in time and collided head-on with them—

The skateboard escaped the chaos and rolled down the pavement, lazily bumping into Du Jian’s foot.

Du Jian looked up to see Pei Yun and Yu Nian both fallen on the ground in the distance—one gritting his teeth and the other with a distorted expression.

“Crap! How did you two crash into each other?!”

Du Jian rushed over, helping Pei Yun up first. After confirming he had no issues other than a sore backside, he went to support Yu Nian.

“Expert driver error, just a small accident. No big deal,” Pei Yun muttered. He had been pretending to rub his waist, but once he realized no one else was around, he switched to rubbing his sore butt. He asked Yu Nian: “Where did you pop out from?”

“Class is starting soon. I was taking a shortcut. Who knew I’d be unlucky enough to run into you?”

Due to momentum, Yu Nian had acted as a human cushion for Pei Yun. Pei Yun was fine, but Yu Nian had scraped his ankle and was struggling to stand.

Pei Yun wanted to correct him by saying “unlucky enough to run into me skating,” but seeing Yu Nian was injured, he felt embarrassed. He handed the skateboard to Du Jian, asking him to request leave for both him and Yu Nian, and then carried Yu Nian to the infirmary.

“No bone damage, just a skin scrape. Apply the medicine regularly and it will heal quickly. Just remember not to let it touch water, or it will heal slowly.” “Understood. Thank you, teacher.”

The school doctor left after giving them the medicine.

Driven by guilt, Pei Yun wanted to apply the medicine for Yu Nian himself, but Yu Nian adamantly refused, so Pei Yun had to let him do it.

The two weren’t close, and being alone together was a bit awkward. To break the silence, Pei Yun took the initiative. “Hey, I heard you were recommended for postgraduate studies. Congratulations. Honestly, it’s my first time seeing someone get that spot so early. You’re amazing.”

Yu Nian didn’t look up. “Just luck, nothing amazing. Besides, your grades are so good, and Professor Lu is a lead professor at the ARI. If you want to get in, you’ll definitely have plenty of opportunities in the future.”

“I was congratulating you on your recommendation. What does the ARI have to do with it? I don’t even want to go there—”

Pei Yun paused as he realized something. “You mean, the reason you worked so hard for the recommendation and specifically asked to be under Professor Sheng is because you want to enter the ARI?”

Yu Nian gave him a strange look. “Why else?”

Pei Yun was choked by his matter-of-fact tone. “Why do you want to enter the ARI so badly?”

Yu Nian lowered his head, discarded a used cotton swab, and picked up a new one. “Why wouldn’t I? I chose this major specifically to get into the ARI.”

Pei Yun: “You want to participate in vampire modification research?”

This topic was sensitive for Pei Yun. He kept spinning his phone to mask his unease.

Yu Nian: “Mhm.” Pei Yun: “Why?” Yu Nian: “To contribute to the nation’s scientific research.”

Pei Yun was silent for two seconds in the face of such a grand ideal. “You support vampire modification? But don’t you know many people find it cruel and inhumane?”

Yu Nian countered: “Do vampires even count as human?”

Pei Yun’s eyes widened. A “your mom” almost rolled off his tongue but he held it back.

Yu Nian: “I don’t find it cruel. Vampires are things that shouldn’t exist in this world to begin with. The establishment of the ARI is the strongest proof of that. Don’t call me extreme; everyone in the ARI thinks exactly like I do.”

“They lose their minds and hurt humans at will. If you want to talk about cruelty, aren’t they the cruelest? No matter how pitiful they are, can they be as pitiful as the people they’ve bitten to death?”

“Everyone is disgusted by vampires because every single one of them is a potential murderer. They all deserve to be sent to the ARI for modification.”

“I’m leaving!” Pei Yun suddenly stood up.

Yu Nian looked up, confused. “Where are you going?” Things had been fine a moment ago; why the sudden change in face?

Pei Yun: “Where else? Back to the classroom for the lecture.” Yu Nian: “?” “Didn’t you just say you were going to wait for me?” “That was then, this is now. I don’t want to anymore.”

Pei Yun walked out with a sour face. “Don’t you have your phone? Call your own roommate to pick you up.”

Throughout the entire afternoon, Yu Nian’s words echoed in Pei Yun’s head.

That evening at the dinner table, Pei Yun ate half a bowl of rice tastelessly. After holding it in for a long time, he couldn’t help but speak: “Uncle, can I ask you a question?”

Lu Que: “Mhm.” Pei Yun: “Since you don’t participate in the research, why do you stay at the ARI?” Lu Que: “I’m not ‘staying’ there. It’s just that the ARI needs my name to appear on the list of lead professors.”

Pei Yun let out an “oh.” After a few seconds, he asked again: “Is it true that everyone in the ARI—no, most people—think vampires should vanish from this world?”

Lu Que’s brow furrowed. He put down his chopsticks and looked at Pei Yun. “Did someone say something to you?”

Pei Yun feigned casualness. “No one in particular. I just overheard some people discussing it and asked on a whim… forget it, Uncle, pretend I never said anything.”

He finished the last of his food in two bites. “I’m going to shower first.”

The water heater in the master bedroom had an issue and hadn’t been repaired yet, so he had been using the common bathroom for the past two days. The steam in the bathroom soon blurred the mirror until no reflection could be seen.

When Pei Yun finished showering absentmindedly, he realized he had forgotten to bring his pajamas. He originally thought about just walking out, but he opened the door a crack and saw Lu Que with his back turned, sending a message. Remembering this wasn’t his private bathroom, he jerked back and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Lu Que heard the noise and looked back at the closed door. “What is it?”

Pei Yun’s voice came from inside, muffled and a bit embarrassed. “Uncle, I forgot to bring my pajamas. Could you help me grab them?”

Lu Que put down his phone. “Bedroom or balcony?” Pei Yun thought for a moment. “The balcony.”

The pair he had taken off in the bedroom needed washing anyway.

Outside, the sound of footsteps receded and then returned. There were two knocks on the door. He opened the crack slightly and reached out a hand. “Thanks!”

His arm was bare, like a small animal peeking out of its shell for food. Lu Que stared at his wrist for an extra moment.

Still a bit too thin, he thought.

The “small animal” closed the door. He shook out the clothes to look at them. “Wait, this isn’t mine?”

“It’s mine,” Lu Que said as he turned back to the living room. “Yours aren’t dry yet.”

Not dry?

Pei Yun confusedly put on the pajamas, which were a full size too large for him. They had been hanging out for nearly three days—had the Ningqing weather really become that humid?