Upon Her Lips - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Mu Fei turned away, her mind clouded by a sudden, irritating surge of bloodlust.

She had lived for centuries, yet she still struggled to suppress the primal instinct that flared in response to a pure, devoted child. To feel hunger toward someone who looked at her with such adoration… it was wretched.

Mu Fei pressed a hand to her forehead, a look of self-loathing crossing her face. This specific type of hunger hadn’t surfaced in a very long time. Humans eat livestock, vampires drink human blood—it was the ancient law of the food chain, the inherent suppression of one bloodline over another.

To ensure the survival of their species and maintain the facade of peaceful coexistence, many pureblood nobles advocated for chilled blood supplies. However, keeping humans as “vessels” remained the more popular method among the elite—simply a different way to taste fresh blood.

Unfortunately, Mu Fei despised such practices, which meant she rarely had a way to quickly replenish her strength with fresh essence. Pureblood nobles craved fresh blood far more than common vampires; prolonged consumption of chilled blood led to an agonizing suppression of their nature, resulting in anxiety, irritability, and violent outbursts.

Mu Fei’s gaze fell upon a ring sitting on her desk. It was the ring Yin Sili had “given” her. It could completely mask a wearer’s human scent, but it required the heart-blood of a pureblood noble to function.

She picked up the black ring, lost in thought for a long time.

…

Knock, knock, knock—

A very light tapping broke Mu Fei from her reverie. Even through the heavy, sealed door, the scent of a human drifted into her nostrils. She furrowed her brows in displeasure. The last person she wanted to see right now was that little thing.

“What is it?” Mu Fei asked coldly, making no move to open the door.

Outside, You Ran was standing with a plate of red cherries, her heart full of simple joy. She had worked hard all morning, and Auntie Dai, pleased with her progress, had asked if she wanted a reward.

You Ran didn’t dare ask for anything, but when she saw a servant asking about the newly picked cherries, she watched as Auntie Dai tasked a maid named Aowei to wash them and take them to the mistress in the study. The cherries were fresh, still carrying the scent of morning dew.

A voice inside You Ran screamed: I want to be the one to give them to her.

As Aowei passed by with the plate of vibrant red fruit, You Ran felt a wave of anxiety. She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. She didn’t dare speak up. Auntie Dai, noticing the girl’s distressed look, called out to the maid.

“Aowei, I think someone else wants to deliver those more than you do.”

Aowei looked down at You Ran’s flustered yet hopeful face and immediately understood. “Then I’ll leave it to you, You Ran.” She handed the plate over.

You Ran took the plate, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. She thanked Auntie Dai and Aowei repeatedly. Auntie Dai watched her go with a small smile; in a manor as cold as this, You Ran was the only thing resembling a lucky charm.

Now, You Ran stood outside the most intimidating door in the house. Hearing the Lady’s cold voice, she took a deep breath, forcing herself not to stutter.

“Lady Mu Fei, it’s… it’s You… You Ran. Auntie Dai said… cherries… I brought them for… for you.” She managed to get the sentence out, but it wasn’t as smooth as she had practiced in her head a dozen times on the way there.

She expected the Lady to let her in, or at least tell her to leave them at the door.

Instead—

“I don’t want them. Take them away.”

The response through the door was even colder than the wood itself. You Ran stood frozen, holding the plate of cherries. She wondered if she had misheard or missed a word. But she hadn’t. The Lady didn’t want them. She wanted her to leave.

You Ran stared at the fruit until a single tear splashed onto a cherry. She hurriedly tried to wipe it away with a tissue, but her eyes wouldn’t obey. Her vision blurred with more tears. She wanted to follow orders and leave, but her feet felt like lead. She thought to herself: If the Lady suddenly changes her mind and wants them, I should stay a bit longer.

A long time passed.

“Why haven’t you left yet?”

A voice came from directly above her. Not through the door, but face-to-face. You Ran kept her head down, not daring to look up. She held the plate out with trembling hands, her voice smaller than a mosquito’s buzz.

“Lady… these are… for you.”

Mu Fei frowned at the pathetic, shaking tone. She reached out and gripped You Ran’s chin, forcing the girl to look up.

The girl’s porcelain-pale face was streaked with tears. Her black eyes, pure and full of sorrow, stared back at her, lashes still wet. She was crying for her, grieving for her, all because she hadn’t accepted a plate of cherries.

The sight filled Mu Fei with a sudden, violent irritation. “Are you that desperate to please me?”

Without a trace of emotion, Mu Fei yanked the crying girl into the room. The plate of cherries flew from You Ran’s hands, shattering against the floor. The beautiful glass tray was reduced to dust.

…

Inside the room, Mu Fei gripped You Ran’s wrist tightly. The pain was sharp, but You Ran pressed her lips together, refusing to cry out. The sound of the shattering glass had already left her in a state of shock.

Mu Fei stared down at the girl—her most devout believer. Two beings at opposite ends of the food chain, yet the weaker one actually believed she was a “good person.”

“If you want to please me, would you even die for me?”

The cold question pierced You Ran’s heart. She looked up at Mu Fei’s pale, terrifying face. The Lady looked as though she might kill her at any moment, but You Ran wasn’t afraid. Compared to being treated like this, she was far more terrified of being shut out.

“Lady…”

Mu Fei’s attention was now entirely consumed by the sight of You Ran’s pale neck. She tightened her grip on the girl’s arms, pinning her so she couldn’t move. Her eyes gradually turned a deep crimson, and her sharp fangs began to lengthen. One touch to that thin skin and the blood would flow until there was nothing left but a withered rose.

“You Ran… is willing… to die for the Lady.”

You Ran spoke with the last of her conscious resolve. She didn’t understand why the Lady had suddenly become a different person, or why her arms hurt so much she couldn’t move—but if it made the Lady happy, she would give her life.

Mu Fei froze. She blinked hard, the violence in her eyes fading. The crimson bled back into a golden brown. She instantly released You Ran and stepped back.

“You are truly a fool.”

It was a scolding, but as Mu Fei caught sight of the red bruises forming on You Ran’s arms from her grip, a flash of regret pierced her heart. She turned away, grabbed some ice cubes used for wine, wrapped them in a cloth, and gently pressed them against You Ran’s arm.

You Ran was bewildered by the sudden tenderness. She didn’t know what was happening. Was the Lady sick? Had she truly done something to offend her?

“In the future, when I tell you to leave, you leave. Do you understand?” Mu Fei looked at her, emphasizing every word.

You Ran bit her lip and shook her head sadly.

“You don’t understand?” Mu Fei frowned. Had the child been scared into idiocy?

“You Ran… won’t leave. Don’t want… to leave.”

Mu Fei looked at the girl with a mix of frustration and awe. This child had no sense of danger. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll eat you? You’ll die.” Mu Fei arched an eyebrow, wondering if You Ran was truly stupid or just didn’t understand what “death” meant.

“N-not afraid.” You Ran gave a shy, misty-eyed smile. To her, the Lady’s terrifying words were nothing compared to the fear of being abandoned.

Mu Fei sighed. Seeing the girl look at her with eyes like blooming flowers, she felt a rare surge of guilt. She had nearly killed her. Humans were usually hypocritical and selfish, but if she had bitten down, You Ran wouldn’t have survived—unless she gave her the First Embrace and granted her eternal life.

But then, You Ran’s appearance would be frozen forever at this age. It wouldn’t be fair to the child. Mu Fei felt a pang of amusement; she was actually considering the implications of a First Embrace. For centuries, no one had made her want to preserve them. Did she simply not want her to die?

Unable to find an answer, Mu Fei reached out and ruffled You Ran’s hair. Then, she pulled out a dark, patterned necklace—actually a ring hanging on a chain—and placed it around You Ran’s neck.

At the center of the ring pulsed a drop of liquid as red as fresh blood. It was blood—Mu Fei’s heart-blood. That was the real reason she had felt so weak and hungry; extracting heart-blood was an agonizing process that left the heart feeling as though it had been pierced.

As the ring settled against You Ran’s chest, the scent of a human vanished from the air entirely. Her essence was now completely masked.

“Lady, th-this is…”

You Ran was overwhelmed. She looked down at the ring hanging at her chest. It was beautiful.

“It’s a gift,” Mu Fei replied simply, watching the girl who had already forgotten her bruises in her excitement. “You are to wear it always.”

A gift—!!!??

You Ran couldn’t contain herself. Her eyes crinkled into happy crescents. She was so happy; this was the first gift Lady Mu Fei had ever given her. She would wear it for the rest of her life!

“I will… will always… wear it!” No one would ever take it away.

No one could resist such a genuine smile. Mu Fei watched her, her own eyes flickering, until the corners of her mouth curled into a very slight, rare smile.

As long as she likes it.

Then, suddenly, Mu Fei found she really wanted those cherries.