Embrace That Vampire - Chapter 17

Lu Que’s pajamas were ill-fitting on him in every possible way.

The neckline was too wide, and the sleeves and pant legs were so long that he had to roll them up several times just to move around easily. Still, he had to admit, wearing oversized pajamas was incredibly comfortable.

After blow-drying his hair until it was damp, he put the dryer away and stared at the misty mirror for a moment. He reached out and wiped a clear spot to look at his reflection. The boy in the mirror looked back at him—clean and handsome with misty eyes that looked completely harmless.

“I look fine. What exactly is ‘revolting’ about me?”

He ruffled his hair and muttered gloomily, “How did I never notice before that Yu Nian was such a pain?”

When he walked out, the living room was empty. The study door was left halfway open, and a light was shining from within.

Pei Yun’s sharp eyes caught sight of a new addition on the sideboard: a white porcelain vase holding a single pink rose. He hadn’t noticed it while they were eating; had it been there all along?

He couldn’t help but walk over to examine it from every angle, whispering to himself, “This… it looks exactly like the one Ms. Pei has. Did he bring it from home?”

His family home always had a vase just like this on the dining table, and just like this, it always held a single pink rose.

Lu Que stepped out of the study at some point, holding a coffee mug as he stood there. “I bought it on a whim while passing by a porcelain shop.”

Pei Yun poked at the petals. “And the flower?”

Lu Que lied effortlessly: “It came free with the vase.”

“I guess I’m behind the times. I didn’t know buying vases came with free flowers now.”

Pei Yun scrutinized it for a moment, then turned to ask, “Uncle, can I put this on the dining table?”

Lu Que walked toward the coffee machine. “As you wish.”

Pei Yun enthusiastically carried the vase over and placed it right in the center of the dining table. He propped his chin on his arms and watched it for a while, feeling his mood improve.

“This is good. Looking at this makes it feel like I’m at home.”

Lu Que blew the steam off his coffee. Hearing this, he lifted his eyelids and gave Pei Yun a faint glance before speaking. “There’s something for you in the study. Go unpack it yourself.”

Hearing this, Pei Yun immediately abandoned the vase. Sure enough, he found a large box on the study desk.

“What is this? It’s not my birthday today.”

Despite his words, his speed in opening the box didn’t falter for a second. Upon opening it and seeing the contents, Pei Yun was somewhat surprised.

It was a night light—it looked like the exact same model as his old one.

His bedroom back home had an owl-shaped night light just like this. Every feather on its wings was movable, and the wings could even be spread open. It was something he had won in a Weibo giveaway a long time ago. It wasn’t expensive, but he felt it was a symbol of his luck turning around, so he had kept it until now. It must have been several years.

He carried the night light back to his room and placed it on the nightstand. He realized that adding this tiny item made the whole room feel wonderfully familiar.

Just like that vase.

Pei Yun’s mood reached a new high. “I didn’t know you could still buy these? I thought they would have gone out of production ages ago.”

“You can.” Lu Que leaned lazily against the doorframe, watching him.

You can buy it—it just takes some time to find.

Pei Yun let out a cheerful “oh” and turned to ask, “But Uncle, why did you suddenly think to buy this?”

Lu Que: “I saw it by chance and bought it on a whim.” Pei Yun: “Where do you see these things? How come I never have that kind of luck?”

He fiddled with the owl. For some reason, a vague thought flashed through his mind, vanishing so quickly he couldn’t catch the thread of it.

—Click.

A loose feather on the owl fell onto the cabinet.

He pulled his thoughts back, squatted by the bed, and picked up the feather to try and reattach it. His fingertip brushed against the switch. He pressed it, but the light didn’t turn on as expected.

“Huh? Why isn’t it lighting up?”

He temporarily gave up on the feather and flipped the owl over to study it. Lu Que turned and went to the study, and when he returned, his coffee had been replaced by a pair of brand-new, unopened batteries.

“Give it to me.”

Lu Que took the owl from Pei Yun’s hands, tore open the battery packaging, skillfully inserted them into the slot, and handed it back.

Pei Yun pressed the switch, and his eyes lit up along with the lamp. “So this is how bright a new one is! I guess the one in my room really is old.”

He picked up the fallen feather. During the reattachment process, he noticed a few other feathers on the wing were loose, so he simply pulled them all off to reassemble them properly.

Lu Que didn’t rush to leave. He stood there watching for a while before suddenly asking, “Have you been feeling unwell lately?”

“Unwell? Not really.”

Pei Yun carefully slotted the plastic feathers back in one by one. “I’m sleeping well, eating well. No insomnia, and my appetite is great. Other than too much Advanced Mathematics homework, life is beautiful and smooth sailing…”

Halfway through, he realized his uncle probably wasn’t asking about those things.

Thinking of something, he crinkled his eyes and laughed. “Oh right, lately my classmates have been saying I’m getting more and more handsome. Does that count?”

His gaze didn’t leave the owl while he spoke.

Just as the words left his mouth, his chin was suddenly gripped gently and tilted upward. Simultaneously, a hand brushed the stray hairs from his forehead, fully exposing his face to the light. The bright glow cast a warm hue over his cool, pale skin.

Due to the surprise, his pupils briefly flashed red before fading back to their amber original, made clearer and more translucent by the light. Without his bangs, he looked even younger than his actual age—radiant, with delicate features and a gentle yet vigorous youthful aura.

Lu Que knelt halfway in front of him to match his height, his gaze slowly roaming over his face.

Pei Yun froze the moment he looked into those eyes so close to his own. Lu Que was backlit, and his eyes behind the lenses were as deep as a cold pool, shrouded in a thin mist by the light from the owl lamp. His silver-rimmed glasses looked cold and noble, giving him an indescribable air.

He seemed very cold, yet also very gentle.

Holding the owl, Pei Yun stared at his uncle foolishly, his mind wandering.

After an unknown amount of time, a sting of pain suddenly shot through his canine tooth. He hissed and covered his mouth, snapping back to reality.

Lu Que took the opportunity to release him, not forgetting to offer a critique: “Indeed, your ornamental value has increased.”

Pei Yun: “…”

“Since you’re in a better mood, get some rest early. You have class tomorrow morning,” Lu Que said, leaving the room.

Pei Yun was left dazed. Lu Que’s voice echoed in his head.

—Since you’re in a better mood, go to sleep early.

His uncle knew he had been in a bad mood.

So the vase and the owl… maybe he hadn’t planned on taking them out tonight, but seeing Pei Yun upset, he used them both to cheer him up.

And then there was that manual left carelessly in the car. He had originally thought Lu Que had forgotten it there, but thinking about it now, that made no sense. Why would the manual be in the car? And with his uncle’s intelligence, how could he “forget” it?

After leaving the master bedroom, Lu Que didn’t return to the study. Instead, he made a detour to the kitchen to fix a glass of hot milk. Just as he turned around with the glass, he saw Pei Yun hurrying out of his room.

Pei Yun had intended to go to the study, but halfway there, he saw the kitchen light was on. Seeing the silhouette, he changed direction and ran straight to the kitchen. He stopped in front of Lu Que, his heart suddenly racing for some reason. Dressed in ill-fitting clothes, his expression and emotions seemed a bit lost in the heat of impulse.

“Uncle—”

Before he could finish the call, Lu Que handed him the hot milk. “Drink this before you go to sleep.”

He had just finished showering, so his hands were warm, and the milk was warm too. Holding it in his palms felt comfortable and grounding, and his heartbeat gradually steadied. It felt like bumping into a pile of cotton; he suddenly didn’t know what to say, so he followed Lu Que’s lead and lowered his head to finish the milk.

“Xiao Yun, perhaps you didn’t hear clearly in the car the other day, so I will say it again.”

Lu Que suddenly said, “Unless the day comes when the modification ends and they are willing to release all innocent vampires, I will never participate in vampire modification or any projects related to blood modification.”

His tone was steady and unhurried—less like a solemn promise and more like a casual remark. Yet, Pei Yun’s movements froze because of it.

With a tiny crack, he bit a small fissure into the rim of the glass.

Pei Yun’s eyes widened slightly. He guiltily gulped down the remaining milk. Before he could think of what to say, Lu Que continued: “If you don’t want to talk about that, then let’s talk about something else.”

“You’re willing to call me on your own initiative now. You’re familiar with the home’s layout. The things you’re used to are all here. And when something happened, I didn’t let you suffer any grievances.”

Lu Que paused for two seconds, tilting his head slightly. “So, do you feel better now?”

“What do you mean, ‘better’…”

Pei Yun had a faint inkling, and his heart began to race again. “So the vase, the night light, and the computer—were they all bought specifically for me?”

Lu Que: “Mhm.” Pei Yun: “And that manual—” Lu Que: “I took it.”

“Why?”

Pei Yun knew he was asking a question he already knew the answer to, but he couldn’t help himself. Back then, Lu Que had seemed completely indifferent to his words.

Lu Que answered with a question of his own: “Do you remember whose clothes you are wearing right now?”

Pei Yun (instinctively): “Yours.”

As soon as he said it, the empty glass was taken from his hand.

Lu Que leaned against the kitchen counter, taking Pei Yun’s hand and bringing it toward his own face—from the fingertips touching the corner of his eye to the palm fully pressing against his cheek.

Pei Yun’s pupils turned red in an instant, and for a moment, he forgot he could pull his hand away. The sensation was warm and delicate; his palm felt as if it were going numb.

“So, everything here is something you can see and touch. Including me.”

Lu Que was taller than Pei Yun. He lowered his eyes, looking at him quietly.

“Does it feel real now?”