In the car, it was so cold, so cold.
Even though it was the sweltering heat of midsummer July, Ren Siyi still felt a bone-chilling cold in his car.
"Could you please turn off the air conditioning?" she said politely to her boss.
"It's not on." The man beside her sat in silence, neither scrolling through his phone nor reading a magazine.
There was a seat's worth of space between them. His posture was proper and aloof, his calm dark eyes gazing out at the night scenery through the window. His chin was slightly lifted, and his prominent Adam's apple was quite striking.
It seemed he could sit there with nothing to do and not feel bored at all.
Ren Siyi couldn't do that. The moment she sat down, she couldn't part with her phone, and she was also extremely picky about her surroundings—whether it was cold or hot, she couldn't tolerate it in the slightest.
"Huh, it's not on?" Ren Siyi said quietly to the driver up front. "Could you please open the window? Thank you."
The driver, dressed in a suit and tie, glanced at the man through the rearview mirror.
Shen Shen nodded.
So the window on Ren Siyi's side was opened.
The humid, hot wind blew into the car, immediately neutralizing the cold air inside.
And the wind, blowing from her direction, carried an extremely strong scent of blood—straight toward Shen Shen.
His pupils constricted slightly.
In fact, Shen Shen had caught the scent the moment he got out of the car. Her blood's aroma… was extremely sweet.
Anyone with slightly weaker self-control would probably go mad for it.
No wonder that when he'd gotten out of the car earlier, Shen Shen had already sensed other kindred lurking in the darkness, watching.
But no matter how bloodthirsty a creature might be, none would dare come before him to court death.
"Ouch." Now that she had a moment of leisure, Ren Siyi finally felt the pain in her knee.
She slowly rolled up the hem of her wide-leg pants. Sure enough, her knee had been scraped raw, with blood seeping out and staining her pants.
Shen Shen swept a glance at her wound, then lifted his gaze and saw in the rearview mirror that the driver had begun breathing heavily.
So fragrant, so sweet—that blood.
Ren Siyi clicked her tongue, not paying it much mind. Having grown up in the countryside, she'd fallen countless times as a child. This little scrape was nothing.
She pulled her pant leg back down. "Boss, the 2000 you mentioned earlier—is that daily or monthly?"
She wasn't quite sure. If it was daily, that was way, way, way too high!
"Daily." The man was sparing with his words.
"Then… what exactly does the job involve?" She hesitated a little. After all, with such a high daily rate, she wouldn't do anything shady!
"Wouldn't it be too late to ask now that you're already in the car?" Shen Shen let out a scoff.
Ren Siyi turned her head. The man's dark, deep eyes slowly turned toward her as well.
Ah, he really was beautiful—almost sacred, like a deity stepping out of a painting. Even looking at him a moment longer felt like an act of blasphemy.
Ren Siyi guiltily averted her gaze. "It's a society ruled by law. What do I have to be afraid of?"
"What were you hiding from just now?"
"Uh."
Even in a society ruled by law, there were still petty thugs who committed crimes.
So, could he be a thug?
With someone this good-looking, even if he did try to take liberties with her, it seemed like she'd be the one getting the better deal!
As for his younger brother… Ren Siyi still had some impression of him. He was far less handsome than this man, but still decent-looking, with fair skin too. His smile was sunny, though his eyes were alluring.
Ren Siyi: "Um, is there a formal contract to sign?"
The man took a nanny employment contract out of the business compartment beside the front seat and handed it to her.
Ren Siyi carefully read through the terms and conditions. It looked fairly official—just being a regular nanny, taking care of the patient's meals, daily life, and needs.
Seeing the contract, she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd actually been a bit annoyed at herself for being so impulsive, just getting into a stranger's car like that.
Truly, people die for wealth, birds die for food.
But now it seemed that if it was legitimate work, she could rest much easier.
She carefully read every rule in the contract. In summary, her main job was to provide plenty of emotional value to the client.
Emotional value—Ren Siyi was more than good at that. It was exactly what she made her living off of.
"Taking care of meals and daily needs is no problem, but do I need to wipe his ass for him?" Ren Siyi asked in all seriousness. "After all, you said his legs are broken."
"Pfft."
The driver up front couldn't hold back a laugh, but after a glance from Shen Shen, he immediately reined in his smile and put on a serious face.
"If he needs it," Shen Shen replied, "then yes."
OMG.
She'd have to do that kind of work? Ren Siyi hadn't even seen a "real" man before! And now she'd have to wipe a man's ass?!
What she'd seen in videos didn't count.
But still—2000.
What caregiver or nanny could earn 2000 a day!
"You don't need to worry," Shen Shen said. "From what I've observed, he can currently handle his own bathroom needs. As long as he's emotionally stable, he won't just let loose anywhere, and he can wipe himself."
Ren Siyi: "So there are times when he's emotionally unstable?"
"Yes. My younger brother's personality isn't exactly stable."
Unstable enough to relieve himself wherever he pleased and not even wipe his own butt… that was something else.
Whatever, whatever. 2000. If the work was a little dirty, so be it.
Ren Siyi noticed a clause in the contract stating that the employer would not force the second party to do anything against the law. She pointed at it and asked Shen Shen, "He won't rape me, will he?"
Shen Shen: "He's a cripple right now."
"Oh, right." She was overthinking it—a man with a broken leg couldn't possibly cause any trouble. He'd be completely at her mercy.
With her biggest worry out of the way, Ren Siyi's greed began to stir again.
"Huh, the contract is only for two months? After that, you won't need a caregiver anymore?" If the money was this easy to make, she'd want to keep the job long-term.
Shen Shen: "No need."
Two months—that's how long it would take for a broken leg to heal.
But he didn't elaborate, and Ren Siyi didn't dare press further. Asking too many questions would make her seem greedy.
She did some quick mental math: two months, 2,000 a day, even with four days off per month—she'd still earn a hundred thousand!
That could cover all four years of college living expenses. Her grandparents wouldn't have to work the fields so hard to support her. If she did well and earned scholarships, she could even send some money back to them.
And with money, finding her missing father would be easier too.
Work, work, work—she had to work hard!
Ren Siyi was over the moon, her mind filled with visions of a wonderful college life.
…
The car drove onto the private road of Central Park. Located in the city center, Central Park was a peaceful oasis amid the bustle. The estate was enormous—part of it was designated as a public park, while the rest housed the villas of Nanshi's wealthiest elite.
The Shen family lived here.
At night, the park's streetlights were sparse, with a single dim, yellow glow at long intervals.
Tall pines and cypresses lined both sides of the road, their layered branches pressing down to form a deep, shadowy archway overhead.
The night wind whistled through the gaps between the trees, letting out a low, mournful moan.
Ren Siyi had been here before. Central Park was lively during the day, but at night it was positively eerie.
The car stopped at the end of the road. Before her stood a villa estate in European style—grayish-white stone walls, every window a narrow, arched shape, quite Gothic in design.
Ren Siyi pushed open the door and stepped out. Before she could even enter, a lazy voice drifted from the half-open door—
"Woman, I've caught you at last."
Ren Siyi looked up. A man stood there in a black silk robe, the collar hanging loose, revealing the outline of pale, cold-white chest muscles.
He leaned against the wall on one leg—the other pant leg hung empty, fluttering wildly in the wind.
Even standing on one leg like a flamingo, it didn't diminish his domineering aura.
He had beautiful peach-blossom eyes, utterly captivating.
But having already seen the breathtakingly handsome Shen Shen, Ren Siyi felt nothing special even though Shen Du's looks were equally striking.
"I've been searching for you for so long. This time, I won't let you run away again." He traced his index finger lightly across his lower lip, his gaze sweeping up from below to meet hers.
Ren Siyi: …
Even with only one leg, he could still be this flirtatious.
After a few seconds of silence, she turned to Shen Shen: "Boss, can I ask for a raise?"
"How much?" Shen Shen seemed to have expected this, unfazed by the whole scene.
"Five hundred more per day, as compensation for my mental anguish."
"Fine." Shen Shen sympathized with her—after all, he'd been putting up with this idiot for a very, very long time.
"Deal."
Just then, a butler in a black tailcoat pushed a wheelchair out and said to Shen Du, "Young Master, please sit down. Your leg can't handle standing for too long."
Shen Du shot him a glare: "Scram!"
Don't ruin my pose.
The butler's face was full of worry: "Young Master…"
Ren Siyi was determined to make a good impression, so she immediately switched into work mode, eyes curving into a smile, voice sweet and syrupy: "Young Master Shen, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Ren Siyi—you can call me Sisi."
With that, she took the wheelchair from the butler and brought it to Shen Du. "Young Master, please have a seat."
Shen Du studied her. She was a classic light-beauty type—skin as pale as ice porcelain, her face clean and youthful.
She was also slender, with narrow shoulders and a small hint of collarbone, giving her a soft, delicate quality that instinctively stirred a man's protective instincts.
He'd been unable to stop thinking about her since their first meeting.
Now that he saw her again, she seemed even prettier. Perfect—he'd finally found her.
Shen Du didn't refuse this time. He sat down.
She pushed Shen Du inside. "From now on, Sisi will take care of you. You can tell Sisi anything you need. Oh, and how should I address you?"
Shen Du said with a roguish grin, "Call me 'Bro.'"
"Okay, Brother Shen Du."
Just then, Shen Du seemed to catch a scent. His nostrils twitched slightly as he turned and leaned toward Ren Siyi, sniffing her like a golden retriever.
"So fragrant—why are you so fragrant!" He could barely contain himself. If his leg weren't injured, he might have already pounced on her.
"Oh, it's probably the perfume…" She'd sprayed some cheap, strong perfume before leaving.
Shen Shen passed by the two of them and said flatly, "Come to my study. There are a few more things I need to go over."
This was clearly directed at Ren Siyi. With that, he headed upstairs first.
When the boss calls, Ren Siyi doesn't dawdle. She let go of the wheelchair, bent down, and gave Shen Du a sweet smile: "I'll be right back—I'll come find you in a bit."
Shen Du was already mesmerized by the sweet fragrance permeating the air.
…
Shen Shen's study could only be described as spectacular—nearly three walls were lined with enormous bookshelves, complete with a spiral staircase reaching up to the third level. It looked like nothing less than a massive library.
Ren Siyi remembered that on the second weekend after arriving in Nan City, she had visited a trendy internet-famous library there to take photos for social media. That vertical, floor-to-ceiling library didn't even seem as large as his study!
The bookshelves held books in various languages, organized by library classification codes—social sciences, literature, finance, rare ancient texts…
A butler in a tailcoat pushed a long ladder, climbing up and down as he arranged the books in order.
Ren Siyi's mouth hung open as she toured this beautiful library at a glance.
With this many books, could she… could she even finish reading them all by the time she turned eighty?
What shocked her even more was his desk—a massive blue crystal table that could seat over a dozen people.
Under the lamplight, the crystal's surface shimmered and flowed.
She couldn't help but walk over and run her hand across the smooth surface.
Was this crystal or gemstone? Ren Siyi couldn't tell the difference. If it were blue sapphire…
She felt like a country bumpkin seeing the grandeur of the world for the first time.
On the desk sat a stunning cat's eye gemstone, resting on an exquisitely crafted small stand, so lifelike it truly resembled a cat's eye.
She didn't dare touch any of these things—everything in this room was surely priceless. If she broke something, even selling herself wouldn't cover the cost.
Meanwhile, Shen Shen, seated across from the desk, took out a small medicine kit, opened the brass clasp, and retrieved a porcelain medicine jar along with a roll of medical gauze.
"Sit."
Ren Siyi, confused, sat down on the soft sofa nearby.
Shen Shen used an ebony medicine spoon to scoop out a lump of dark ointment from the jar, stirring it. It carried a faint herbal fragrance of traditional Chinese medicine.
She watched him methodically prepare the medicine—those slender, pale hands with clearly defined knuckles, elegant as a work of art.
"Roll up your pant leg."
"Huh?"
"You're injured."
Only then did Ren Siyi realize he was talking about her knee.
"Oh, it's nothing, really! Just a scraped patch of skin. A few Band-Aids will do."
That's how she'd always handled injuries before—if one Band-Aid wouldn't cover it, she'd stick on several, piecing them together into one giant patch.
Her cousin always called her tacky and rough.
But ironically, this tacky, rough country girl had become the class beauty the moment she arrived—even the school beauty. Pretty face, better grades than her cousin too. Her cousin absolutely despised her.
Shen Shen held a porcelain dish with the dark ointment smeared on it, not backing down from her refusal: "Let me see your wound."
When he spoke, it carried an inherent tone of command—or perhaps his very demeanor exuded a kind of domineering authority.
Ren Siyi found herself oddly unable to refuse. She obediently bent down, rolled up the hem of her wide-leg pants again, and revealed her slightly bleeding knee.
A rich scent of blood rushed toward him.
Even Shen Shen seemed unable to resist it. His pupils contracted slightly, his breathing grew heavy, and his canine teeth itched.
So sweet! Such a sweet fragrance.
He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he'd encountered such an enticing aroma.
He glanced at her—the girl was still focused on rolling up her pant leg.
Her fresh, clean little face was perfectly matched to such a sweet, delicious scent.
Shen Shen couldn't help but lean closer to her. However, just as he was about to touch her, she suddenly looked up: "It's really fine, you know."
Huh…
What just happened? Why was this gorgeous face so close to hers?!
Shen Shen immediately forced himself to rein in his wandering thoughts. He knelt on one knee before her, pressing the gauze coated with medicine against her wound, applying firm pressure.
Ren Siyi was completely stunned!!
A top-tier billionaire who owned a mansion with a central park view—and an absolute knockout of a handsome man at that—was actually kneeling down to treat her scraped knee!
No one in Ren Siyi's entire life had ever treated her with such care.
She felt like a princess!
Like she was dreaming.
She instinctively reached out to take the gauze and do it herself, but Shen Shen murmured, "Don't move."
His warm breath brushed against the exposed skin of her knee, and Ren Siyi's whole body stiffened.
The moment she touched his hand, she immediately pulled hers back.
His hand was so cold.
Like the gecko lizard she'd touched at the reptile exhibit a few days ago.
The dark ointment carried a faint coolness, and the dull stinging pain was instantly suppressed.
"What kind of medicine is this?" Ren Siyi had never seen anything like it.
"Yunnan Baiyao," Shen Shen said as he cut the bandage, his tone flat. "With some other herbs added."
Herbs that could suppress the intense blood fragrance emanating from her.
If she kept walking around with her wound exposed like this, his younger brother would probably go mad.
He… would too.
In truth, when he wrapped the gauze around her, he felt a lingering reluctance.
He really wanted to lick it. He wanted to so badly, so very badly…
Shen Shen couldn't help but feel curious about her: "Have you been injured before?"
"Plenty of times. I got hurt a lot when I was little."
"And you've managed to survive until now." He raised an eyebrow.
"Boss, what are you saying?" Ren Siyi sat up straight. "A little scratch like this won't kill me, right?"
A minor wound wouldn't kill her, but her blood was too abnormal—it would inevitably attract his kind.
Like tonight, for instance.
"Back in the countryside, I was pretty wild. I'd climb trees to pick plums, get into fights with the bratty boys, and herd goats up the mountain," Ren Siyi said casually. "I was always covered in bruises."
"The countryside?"
"Yeah, I'm from a rural area." Ren Siyi admitted openly. "But I'm actually pretty good at taking care of people. My grandma used to strain her back doing farm work, and I was the one who looked after her. You can rest easy."
"When did you come to Nanshi?"
"Two years ago, to study."
"Any injuries since then?"
Ren Siyi thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think so."
After leaving the countryside and moving to the city, Ren Siyi's life had changed completely.
In the city, she couldn't climb trees to pick fruit, couldn't catch fish, and there were no sheep for her to herd…
Every day was just study, study, study… Her foundation was weak, so she worked extremely hard. The moment school let out, she'd go straight home to do homework. She never had the chance to run wild outside anymore.
Shen Shen understood now.
His kind almost always gathered in big cities. In the countryside, where the population was sparse, his kind rarely ever appeared.
She was lucky—lucky to have kept her life.
"Don't get the wound wet for twenty-four hours." He packed up the first-aid kit and reminded her.
"Oh, okay. Thank you, boss. You're a really good person."
"Also, for the sake of your own life, don't let yourself get hurt so easily."
"Uh…" Ren Siyi thought he was being a bit dramatic.
It wasn't like she was a masochist. She wouldn't go out of her way to get hurt—it was always just accidents.
Shen Shen stood up and put the first-aid kit back in the cabinet, his back to her as he said, "Don't take what Shen Du said to heart. He's a bit of a chuunibyou, but he's not a bad person."
"No worries, no worries." Ren Siyi waved her hand generously. "I'm just here to do a job for money. I've seen all kinds of clients. Honestly, compared to the weirdos I've dealt with, he doesn't even register."
She thought for a moment, then added, "But I should warn you in advance—if he tries anything handsy with me, I might not be able to stop myself from using some self-defense moves. I know his leg is broken, but I can't guarantee I won't bully a disabled person! I'm really strong!"
"Up to you. If you can't beat him to death, beat him within an inch of it."
Ren Siyi: ?
Biological brother?
"Anything else you need from me, boss?"
"No. Your room is the first one on the left on the second floor."
Ren Siyi nodded and turned to leave, thinking to herself that this boss was pretty easy to talk to, and seemed like a normal person.
She wondered if he was generous, too.
After she left, the butler closed the heavy double wooden doors, turned around, and looked at Shen Shen by the long table—
"Master, since the young master's incident, you've already changed eight nannies for him. I'm a bit worried."
Shen Shen picked up a thick book bound in sheepskin and asked casually, "Worried about what?"
"Too many people coming and going—there's a risk of exposure…"
Shen Shen said calmly, "Frequent changes won't bring danger. It's the ones who stay long that will."
The butler seemed to understand something, bowed slightly, and silently withdrew from the room.
Shen Shen breathed in the sweet scent lingering in the air—a fragrance that made his heart race with excitement…
Every one of his kind had their own blood preference.
Shen Du, for instance, preferred innocent college students, male or female. But he…
He preferred the blood of those in power.
So it was strange—when he caught the scent of this young girl, he too felt a surge of excitement and restlessness, barely able to control himself.
He wanted to taste her, wanted her…