Rebirth of the Vampire's Iceberg Hunter - Chapter 8

Time ticked by relentlessly. Chuanmei had never loathed the vampires’ constant state of wakefulness as much as she did in that moment.

Finally, the magnetic field in the classroom dissipated.

Chuanmei sensed someone entering.

A middle-aged woman with a kind face stood on the podium, wearing a purple qipao with a floral pattern.

“Children, wake up. Lunch break is over,” the woman said in a gentle voice. But Chuanmei felt no warmth toward her.

One by one, the children raised their heads and greeted the woman on the podium.

“Fifth Mother…”

“Fifth Mother…”

*****

Chuanmei kept her head down, sensing the ordinary human blood pulsing through the woman’s veins.

“Children, I have wonderful news! You might be leaving here the day after tomorrow to go to your own homes. Are you excited?” the woman asked with a warm smile.

“Yes!” the children chorused, their faces radiating undisguised joy. As Chuanmei watched their happiness, a wave of sorrow washed over her.

She knew their lives would be short. Clenching her fists, she felt a pang of heartache. She wasn’t usually sentimental, but these children reminded her so much of herself. The only difference was that she had been given a second chance, while they could only walk toward death with longing for happiness.

The children chattered excitedly about their future lives. Chuanmei listened, her heart aching.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy?” her skinny deskmate asked.

“I…” Chuanmei didn’t know what to say. Should I tell them not to get their hopes up? That they won’t live long enough to enjoy it?

“No, I’m just so happy!”

At that moment, the woman walked down the aisle and stopped at Chuanmei’s desk.

“Our orphanage has decided to celebrate our bright future by skipping dinner in the cafeteria tonight. We’ve bought lots of delicious food! Children, tonight we’re having a feast! Are you excited?”

“Yes!” the children chorused, clapping their hands in excitement.

Chuanmei felt their blood quickening, becoming even more enticing—no, more tempting to vampires. Could the mastermind behind all this really be a vampire? she wondered.

But Chuanmei was puzzled. During her ten years in the Vampire World, she had encountered vampires capable of devising such schemes, yet none had ever managed to keep someone alive after using the Blood Refinement Instrument.

She also wondered why these children had survived for so long, and where this instrument had come from. Such devices existed only in the Vampire World.

As the woman placed a white plastic lunchbox in front of Chuanmei, she was still pondering these questions.

“Child, why the long face?” The woman bent down and gently stroked Chuanmei’s short hair.

Suppressing the urge to chop off the woman’s hand, Chuanmei looked up with a tearful expression. “Will I never see Fifth Mother again?”

The woman was taken aback by the child’s words. After a moment of surprise, she smiled. “Don’t worry, life will be even more wonderful from now on.”

Having abandoned all sympathy and pity when she chose to come here, the woman felt only surprise, not emotion, at the child’s words. What astonished her was that among all the children, this one was the only one to say such a thing.

Almost every child who came here saw this place as merely a transit point, believing their wonderful lives lay ahead. This mindset, instilled by the institution, served to maintain control.

“It’s okay, you can always come back to visit us,” the woman said gently, stroking Chuanmei’s head. “Right now, the most important thing is to fill your tummy. Eat your food, okay?” The woman hadn’t forgotten their mission for the day.

Chuanmei nodded eagerly, her eyes wide. “Mhm! I’ll eat right away!” She opened the white plastic lunchbox, and the aroma of the food wafted out. To Chuanmei, the smell was almost nauseating…

The children ate with gusto, but Chuanmei found it hard to swallow. It wasn’t just her stomach rejecting the food; it was the sheer variety of ingredients. She began to understand what had happened to the little girl: she must have lost consciousness after eating this very meal. The mystery remained: why had the girl’s consciousness later returned?

“Finished eating?” the woman called from above.

“Yes!” the children chorused in unison.

“Then head back to your dorms early tonight and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, you’ll be refreshed and ready to embrace your bright futures, okay?” the woman said with a saccharine smile.

“Okay!” The children, chattering and laughing, formed groups and headed toward their dorms. Chuanmei had no choice; she didn’t know where the dorms were and reluctantly followed her tablemate.

When the group reached the dorms, Chuanmei panicked. Which room was hers? If only she hadn’t knocked out the little boy earlier! Would she be sharing a dorm with her tablemate? She decided to keep following him.

“Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, isn’t your dorm room 221? What are you doing here?” someone suddenly asked. Chuanmei wanted to give the speaker a thumbs-up. What a living saint!

Chuanmei turned toward room 221 and pushed the door open. Six boys were already inside.

“Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, where have you been? Did you two fight again? Tomorrow we’re all splitting up. Let’s make the most of our last day together. Who knows if we’ll ever see each other again?” A slightly taller boy said as he saw the two newcomers enter.

Chuanmei was stumped. Was she Xiao Liu or Xiao Qi? Never mind, she thought. I’ll just see what my deskmate says.

Well, it turned out her deskmate was just as silent.

Everyone was excitedly discussing their future plans, and Chuanmei could almost see the light radiating from their faces, reflecting their hopes for the future. But when she thought about their fate tomorrow, a pang of sadness struck her. Strangely, her deskmate—the boy who might be Xiao Liu or Xiao Qi remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

Before long, everyone was yawning and declaring they were tired. They all prepared to wash up and go to bed.

Chuanmei deliberately slowed her movements, unsure which bed was hers or who she would be sharing it with. With eight people and only four beds, it was clear that two people would have to share. She lingered, planning to claim whichever bed had only one occupant after everyone else had settled in.

To her surprise, everyone else left the washroom, leaving only her and her deskmate—either Xiao Liu or Xiao Qi. A faint melancholy washed over her. This deskmate is here to torment me, she thought. It has to be!

The two of them practically soaked their feet rather than washing them, neither willing to leave first. Impatient, Chuanmei decided to take her chances. It’s a fifty-fifty shot anyway. Might as well try. She finally left.

Back in the dormitory, seeing the empty bed, Chuanmei realized it wasn’t a fifty-fifty chance after all.

She lay down, wondering if Gong Nan had already noticed that the Chuanmei sleeping in the room wasn’t the real one. No matter, she thought. Even if she suspects, she has no proof. Soon after, the little boy returned.

Chuanmei sensed that everyone’s breathing had settled into a steady rhythm, indicating they were all asleep. Yet the strange little boy beside her remained awake. How is that possible? she wondered. Apart from me, no one should be able to resist the drugs. Still, she couldn’t be too certain; this world was full of unpredictable variables.

Without moving a muscle, Chuanmei continued to wait for the group to appear.

Her plan was to infiltrate their ranks. Only by striking at the source could she truly eradicate the threat.

Well, thinking about it now, I almost want to give myself a pat on the back, Chuanmei thought. I’m so noble! When I was reborn, my goal was to live an ordinary life, to savor simple happiness. That kind of life should have nothing to do with these conspiracies. But when I saw these children, I realized they shared my goal—they just wanted to experience that feeling of happiness too. My life is so long; I don’t mind sacrificing a little time. But these children are different. They only have one life, a fleeting existence. That’s why I’ve decided to temporarily abandon my own dreams.

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