Research Institute of Special Studies, Archive Room.
Lu Que hung up the phone and immediately took off the outermost white coat he was wearing. “The sorting is almost done. I have an emergency and need to leave first. I’ll leave the rest of the organization work to you.”
A female professor let out an “ah” sound. “Where is Professor Lu going at this hour? Are you heading back to the university?”
“Home.”
With that, Lu Que picked up the document he had brought, turned around, and strode away.
The female professor watched his figure recede, frowning as she muttered to herself, “Wasn’t he just fine a moment ago? Whose call did he take to be in such a rush?”
“What else could it be?”
Zhang Liangshen crossed his arms and said leisurely, “The kid at home is just a bit clingy, I suppose. He’s probably rushing back to babysit.”
The female professor’s eyes widened in surprise. “Professor Lu has a kid? Isn’t he unmarried?”
“Not his kid.”
Zhang Liangshen paused after saying this, taking on a thoughtful expression. “Though, saying he’s his probably isn’t wrong either.”
The female professor: “? ? ?”
As soon as Pei Yun arrived home, he sprinted into his room and locked the door.
He had been pushing himself the entire way, and now his strength was completely spent. His legs grew weak, and he slid down to the floor, unable to stand back up no matter how hard he tried. He simply gave up and stayed there, his head lolling to the side as he pressed against the bed, breathing heavily and rapidly.
This was the most annoying thing about vampires: hunger always struck suddenly without any warning, and every time the hunger hit, it left one’s entire body aching.
He was both exhausted and sleepy, but the moment he closed his eyes, the pain would quickly jolt him awake. His stomach spasmed violently, and the half-asleep, half-awake state left him so irritable that he had the urge to knock himself unconscious with a blunt object.
Before long, the sound of a door opening and footsteps echoed down the hallway outside.
A knock sounded on his bedroom door, and Wen Xingchuan’s gentle voice came from the other side, “Xiaoyun, are you inside?”
Pei Yun almost forgot that his dad was still working overtime at home.
He shook his head to try and clear it, forcing his voice to sound normal. “Dad, I’m here. What’s wrong?”
Wen Xingchuan answered, “Your mom just called me to say you rushed home alone and was worried something might have happened, so she asked me to come check on you. Is something making you feel uncomfortable?”
“No, I’m not uncomfortable.”
Pei Yun repeated the exact lie he had told his mom in the car. “My major’s professor suddenly assigned an online quiz, and I have to finish it right away since it’s due soon.”
“I see.”
Wen Xingchuan didn’t suspect a thing. “Then Dad won’t bother you. Do your work carefully, and I’ll call your mom back to let her know everything is fine.”
Pei Yun replied, “Okay.”
As the footsteps faded away, he closed his eyes again and slumped against the bed, a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead.
Enduring until this wave subsided, right before the next round of torture struck, he managed a determined crawl onto the bed and wrapped himself inside the quilt, curling up into a ball in an attempt to ease the agony in his stomach.
His phone, resting at the foot of the bed, lit up with incoming call reminders every few minutes until each one went unanswered and automatically disconnected.
For a brief moment, Pei Yun felt as though he had actually fallen asleep and even had a dream he dreamed that his little uncle had rushed back in time to save his wretched life.
Yet the next second, the pain woke him up, plunging him right back into endless disappointment.
In this repetitive cycle, when the knocking on the door sounded once more, he couldn’t even tell if he was dreaming.
Pei Yun forced himself to pull back the quilt and sat up on the bed. Supporting himself with his hands, a messy mop of hair atop his head, he asked in a daze, “Little Uncle, is that you?”
Lu Que answered, “It’s me.”
Turns out dreams and reality aren’t always complete opposites!
Pei Yun closed his eyes tightly for a second, then immediately flipped out of bed.
When his foot hit the floor, it wobbled unsteadily, and his arm knocked over the old owl nightlight on the bedside table.
Standing outside the door, separated by just a single wooden panel, Lu Que heard the clatter and commotion inside, and his brow furrowed.
“Xiaoyun, what’s wrong?”
As the words fell, the lock clicked, and the door was pulled open a crack from the inside.
Lu Que reached out to push it further, but a hand from within shot out even faster, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inward.
Though he could tell the other person didn’t really have much strength, he cooperated and let himself be “pulled” in.
Before he could clearly see the other’s condition, he was eagerly met with a full embrace.
Lu Que opened his arms and caught him by momentum, taking half a step back to close the door once more.
A sharp pain flared on the left side of his neck, and at the same time, he raised his hand to lock the door from the inside.
The young man really must have been starved to the extreme. He clung tightly to Lu Que’s neck, his fangs sinking deep into the skin. His throat swallowed in rapid succession, and his unfocused eyes were half-closed, betraying both greed and satisfaction.
Lu Que could clearly feel the loss of his blood, along with the touch and warmth of the boy’s lips pressed against his skin.
He closed his eyes, leaning against the boy’s shoulder as if taking a moment to rest.
Yet the arm wrapped around the boy’s waist tightened further, offering steady support to keep him standing.
The study door opened once more.
This time, Wen Xingchuan called out Lu Que’s name.
“Xiaoque, I just heard your voice. Did you get back?”
Noticing the stiffening of the figure in his arms, Lu Que freed one hand to press against the back of the boy’s head, patting him soothingly.
“Brother-in-law, it’s me.”
His voice sounded entirely ordinary. “I had a temporary matter and came back to grab a document. Xiaoyun was having some trouble with his thesis, so I’m helping him look it over while I’m here.”
As Wen Xingchuan returned to the study, Pei Yun’s feeding action slowed down.
The taut nerves suddenly relaxed, and he grew so exhausted that he could barely hook his arms around Lu Que’s neck anymore, his body slipping downward uncontrollably.
Lu Que simply used both hands to cup his waist, easily lifting him up, and sat down on the edge of the bed so that Pei Yun sat facing him on his lap.
Pei Yun finally had his fill.
Withdrawing his fangs and guided by instinct, he licked at the wound he had just created like a little cat.
The damp tickle made Lu Que instinctively want to pull away, but because of their posture, the most he could do was press even closer to Pei Yun.
Having finished licking the wound, Pei Yun slumped against Lu Que’s shoulder and stayed still. His breathing was heavy with sleepiness and exhaustion, yet his arms remained tightly locked around Lu Que, refusing to let go.
Lu Que’s palm rested on the back of the boy’s neck, and an intensely subtle sense of awareness and emotion welled up inside him uncontrollably.
He was being deeply relied upon, urgently needed.
He had become the towering tree that the dodder plant wrapped around to grow, surviving by stealing nourishment from him—as if without him, the other person wouldn’t be able to survive at all.
He had been given an unshirkable responsibility.
Unexpectedly, he didn’t find this feeling repellent at all.
From pain to euphoria and finally back to calm, Pei Yun had been completely hollowed out.
He was too tired to keep his eyes open, feeling only that being held like this was wonderful so comfortable that he couldn’t bear to let go, wishing it could last just a little longer, and then a little longer.
Vaguely, he heard someone ask if he was sleepy. Too lazy to speak, out of sheer politeness, he moved his lips and mumbled a single, slurred “sleepy.”
The back of his neck was pinched with moderate pressure, as if someone was coaxing him.
“Then go to sleep. I’ll stay here and keep you company.”
Pei Yun didn’t even have the energy left to utter a final “mmh.” Almost in the exact second the other’s voice trailed off, the fingertips clutching his collar loosened, and he sank into a deep slumber.
At five o’clock in the afternoon, Pei Yun woke up.
He sat on the bed in a daze for a moment before crawling over to grab his phone to check the time. The glaring display of over twenty missed calls instantly shocked him fully awake.
He leaped off the bed and bolted out of the room. Down in the living room, gentle conversation drifted up.
Clinging to the banister, he looked down and saw Mr. Wen and Professor Lu sitting on the sofa, drinking tea and chatting.
Wen Xingchuan was the first to notice him. “Xiaoyun’s awake? Come down for dinner quickly, we were just waiting for you.”
Clueless about the current situation, Pei Yun racked his brains for the safest question as he walked downstairs: “Dad, where’s Mom? Is she still out shopping and hasn’t come back yet?”
Wen Xingchuan stood up and walked toward the dining room. “She ran into some girlfriends, so she won’t be back for dinner. The two of us can just eat.”
Pei Yun let out an “oh.” Watching his dad head into the kitchen, he quickly scurried over to Lu Que’s side and whispered, “Little Uncle, what kind of timeline are we on right now?”
“The timeline where you fell asleep while revising your thesis and just woke up.”
Lu Que also stood up, pressing down on Pei Yun’s head to turn him around just as the boy looked ready to chatter away with more nonsense. “Go eat. Once you’re done, I’m heading back.”
Pei Yun blinked. “Going back now? But Little Uncle, since you made the trip back, aren’t you going to stay the night and leave tomorrow?”
Wen Xingchuan brought out a dish. “Your little uncle still has work. He just had a temporary matter to come back and grab a document today.”
Remembering what Lu Que had said about working over the weekend, Pei Yun realized he had delayed someone’s important business. Overwhelmed with guilt, he stopped talking and buried his head in his food.
After dinner, Lu Que prepared to leave.
Pei Yun consciously walked him to the door, his pace growing slower and slower. Suddenly struck by a whim, he said, “Little Uncle, why don’t I go back with you?”
Lu Que turned back to look at him. “Why?”
Pei Yun’s gaze drifted away. “It’s more convenient, otherwise I’ll have to take a taxi back by myself tomorrow.”
Lu Que watched him for a long moment, finally nodding just as the boy was about to lose his nerve and change his tune: “Alright, go pack your things. I’ll wait for you in the car.”
Pei Yun let out a cheer and spun around to run back inside.
Around six o’clock, the sky over Ningqing grew dim—just in time for the evening rush hour.
Stuck at the fifth red light of the trip, Pei Yun pressed against the car window and saw the shopping mall he had visited earlier in the day blazing with bright lights.
He finally remembered the tie he had wanted to buy as a gift but failed to purchase due to the unexpected accident.
There were still 89 seconds left on the red light.
He lowered his head and sent a message to his mom, thinking to himself that if she gave a positive reply, he’d let it go; but if she replied in the negative and the red light hadn’t changed yet, he’d shamelessly delay his little uncle for another ten minutes.
A few seconds later, Pei Siyue sent back a reply:
Of course not! If it’s a gift you’re giving someone, Mom will definitely save it so you can go buy it yourself in person! /cute /cute.
Pei Yun put down his phone and turned his head. “Little Uncle, since we’re already here, do you want to walk around the mall?”
Lu Que: “?”
With clumsy acting skills, he successfully coaxed Lu Que out of the car.
Navigating the familiar path to the shop, he pointed at the tie on the mannequin: “How is it? Looks good, right?”
Lu Que nodded along with him.
“Hey, I think it looks great too.”
Pei Yun put on an act. “If you like it, Little Uncle, how about I buy it and give it to you as a gift?”
Lu Que shifted his gaze away from the tie. “Is this what you had your eye on when you came shopping during the day?”
Pei Yun: “…”
“Fine, I give up.”
He chuckled awkwardly. “I actually wanted to buy it then, but then the unexpected accident happened, so I never got around to it.”
A store clerk walked over to greet them. Regaining his enthusiasm instantly, Pei Yun pointed at the one on the mannequin. “Hello, I still like this one. Can you get me a matching one to try on?”
“Certainly, please wait a moment.”
The store clerk jotted down the item number and turned away.
They were led into the lounge area to wait. Nearby, a couple was also picking out ties; they looked like recent graduates, around Pei Yun’s age.
Though it was men’s clothing, the girl seemed much more enthusiastic than the boy. The boy simply smiled and accompanied her like a mannequin, waiting for her to pick one out and hold it up against his chest to measure.
“Big brother, this one looks good!”
“Ah, this one looks great too! It’ll match that blue suit of yours perfectly!”
“And this one! Big brother, come try it on!”
“Big brother, big brother, try them all!”
Pei Yun felt like his brain was about to be washed by this endless chorus of “big brother.”
The clerk quickly brought over the tie.
Pei Yun took it and turned to Lu Que, a flash of mischief in his eyes: “Big brother, this one looks nice. Why don’t you try it?”
The two words sounded exceptionally vibrant, crisp, and pleasant when spoken in his tone.
Lu Que gave him a faint glance, tacitly accepting the title: “Alright.”
“Come, come, come, I’ll help you!”
Lu Que was wearing a casual, light-colored striped shirt today, which suited trying on a tie perfectly.
Pei Yun was full of spirit, but right as he was about to start, he remembered what he had forgotten in his heat of the moment. He turned his head to ask the clerk earnestly, “Miss, how do you tie a tie again?”
The clerk couldn’t help laughing, grabbed another tie from nearby, and patiently demonstrated the slow-motion steps for him.
“Oh, wrap it around like this, and then loop it over like that? Okok, I got it. Big brother, come here!”
Facing Lu Que, Pei Yun looped the tie around his neck, recalling the steps he had just learned as he tied it. His movements were very slow, and Lu Que waited with infinite patience.
Yet he still got stuck on the very last step of how to tuck and finish it.
He prepared to ask the clerk for help again, but when he turned his head, his eyes landed on a mirror directly facing them not far away.
Reflected in it were a man and a boy standing face-to-face. His hands lingered at Lu Que’s collar, while Lu Que lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes resting on the boy’s face.
It was an intimate posture—just like, just like what the boy and girl had looked like a moment ago.
A strange emotion suddenly welled up from the bottom of his heart.
Pei Yun froze for a split second, then abruptly looked up to meet Lu Que’s gaze.
The latter looked back at him calmly, speaking in a tone as if he had expected it all along: “Don’t know how?”
Looking down at his own hands clutching the tie, Pei Yun suddenly felt somewhat awkward.
He let go, took half a step back, and gave up pretending: “Yeah, I forgot again. Big brother, you should just do it yourself!”
Lu Que raised his hand, expertly continuing the unfinished steps. His fair, slender fingers with prominent knuckles moved with an unbelievably graceful rhythm as he wound and adjusted the dark tie.
Before Pei Yun could figure out what that awkward feeling was, his attention was captured once more. Watching intently, his mind kept replaying the motions.
Hmm, it looked like he learned it, but also looked like he hadn’t.
He’d have to find another chance to try again next time.
When paying, the clerk placed the tie into an exquisitely designed gift box and handed it to him.
Just as Pei Yun was sighing over how gorgeous the packaging was, he heard the clerk say with a smile, “Please hold onto this, and I wish you and your boyfriend a pleasant shopping trip.”
“Huh?”
Pei Yun’s expression went blank. “What boyfriend? No, he’s just my”
“He’s your big brother, right?”
The clerk smiled brightly. “But sir, this past week is our shop’s Couples Week. Only couples purchasing together can enjoy the exquisite gift packaging box.”
Pei Yun looked at the gift box, then looked at the clerk.
Without missing a beat, he reached out, hooked his arm through Lu Que’s, and put on a deadpan expression: “Yes, my big brother is indeed my boyfriend.”
Lu Que: “…”
On the way back, Pei Yun spent half the trip marveling at his own good taste.
Once he finished marveling, he started tinkering with the packaging box again.
It really was unique designed with Chinese-style hollowed-out carved patterns, featuring bamboo leaf motifs just like the tie. When the lid was flipped open, several pieces of bamboo even popped up into place.
He kept studying it right up until they stepped out of the elevator.
Standing by the door waiting for a good while without seeing his little uncle open the door, he looked up in confusion and saw Lu Que turning around to ask him, “Xiaoyun, did you bring your keys?”
Pei Yun rummaged through his bag for a long time before concluding, “I don’t think so. I figured you’d be home for the weekend… Little Uncle, you didn’t happen to not bring yours either, did you?”
“I must have left them in my office at the university,” Lu Que said.
Today was the weekend, and by now it was past nine o’clock, meaning the office building had long been locked up.
Pei Yun asked, “What do we do then? Should we call a locksmith?”
Lu Que thought for a moment. “No need. We’ll stay outside tonight, and I’ll go back to school to pick up the keys tomorrow.”
A single ID card could only open one room, and since Pei Yun didn’t bring his ID, he had no choice but to obediently trail behind Lu Que and share a room.
“I’m sorry, because it’s the tourist season right now, the only rooms we have left are a single suite and a king-size suite. Would you still like one?”
Lu Que handed over his ID card. “The suite, please. Sorry for the trouble.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.”
The front desk quickly logged their information and handed over two room cards.
Pei Yun was calculating how to beg for permission to order barbecue later tonight, but before they even stepped into the elevator, Lu Que answered a phone call and hastily prepared to leave.
“I have an urgent matter to take care of.”
He handed one of the room cards to Pei Yun. “Go on up by yourself, get some rest early, and don’t wait up for me.”
The person on the other end of the line had a booming voice, and Pei Yun caught a few drifting keywords, prompting him to ask tentatively, “Did something happen at the Research Institute again?”
Lu Que paused mid-turn.
“Mn.”