Ren Siyi had seen the so-called conversion process in movies and knew what it was all about.
But seeing it in TV shows and novels was completely different from experiencing it firsthand!
And just a few days ago, she herself had nearly become a vampire's meal.
She didn't dare open her eyes the entire time, only able to guess what was happening on stage through the voices of those around her.
The crowd gradually quieted down amid the commotion, seemingly waiting nervously for something.
She didn't know how long it took—maybe a minute, maybe several—before the noise and cheers started up again, signaling that the tense moment had passed and the conversion had succeeded.
Shen Shen's hand dropped away, and Ren Siyi opened her eyes to see the man and woman on stage embracing each other once more, kissing each other.
And at that moment, the music changed to the "Wedding March," and the First Embrace Ceremony seamlessly switched into a wedding ceremony.
Life and death, love and passion… seamlessly connected.
To Ren Siyi, however, it only felt jarring, because the scent of blood in the air hadn't even dissipated yet…
She suddenly felt like vomiting, her stomach churning violently.
Throwing up at someone's wedding reception would be truly awful, so Ren Siyi clutched her chest, bent over, and sprinted all the way out.
The Blood bar was located in the suburbs, where the temperature was much lower than in the city. Ren Siyi even felt a bit cold—despite it being midsummer, she was covered in goosebumps.
Outside was nothing but wasteland. Her stomach cramped with nausea, and she vomited everything out.
Shen Shen followed her out, walked up, and gently patted her on the back.
Ren Siyi didn't want him to come near. Bent over, she frantically waved her hand for him to stay away, not wanting him to see her with tears and snot all over her face.
Shen Shen didn't seem to mind. He pulled out a black handkerchief and handed it to her. Meanwhile, someone from the bar came out with a bottle of mineral water and politely handed it to Shen Shen.
Shen Shen unscrewed the cap and passed it to Ren Siyi.
Water was a lifesaver. Ren Siyi quickly took it, swished it around her mouth and spat it out, then gulped down the rest until the bottle was empty.
Shen Shen had someone bring another bottle, but this time he didn't immediately hand it to her—he held onto it as a backup.
"I'll take a walk with you around the area," he suggested. "Breathe in the scent of the grass and trees?"
The offer was very tempting, and Ren Siyi quickly said, "Then let me first go wash my hands and face."
"Mm."
…
He really was so thoughtful.
Ren Siyi couldn't quite figure it out herself—how could such a handsome, outstanding, wealthy, and gentle man be walking with her along a deserted suburban path, where the breeze was mild and the moonlight was tender?
Could she really have saved the galaxy in her past life?
Even though she'd just thrown up and felt awful, she was now so content, her heart filled with a small sense of happiness.
"Almost throwing up at someone's wedding was really rude of me," Ren Siyi said regretfully.
"Do you hate the smell of blood?" Shen Shen asked.
"No, it's just…" She lowered her head, looking at her shadow in the moonlight. "Because I remembered that a few days ago, I… was also drained of blood. It's a bit of a physiological reaction."
"I'm sorry," Shen Shen said. "But this is how we exist."
Ren Siyi looked up at him. The moonlight enveloped him, cool and detached, and she sensed a hint of loneliness in his eyes.
"Ah, why are you apologizing!" She suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. "I'm not blaming you! Really, it's my own problem. I even get a bit queasy at the sight of blood when getting injections."
"Then you definitely wouldn't want to become a Blood Clan member," Shen Shen said with a hint of playfulness.
The young girl shook her head frantically. "No, no, no."
"Not even for eternal life?" he asked.
"Uh…"
Immortality—who wouldn't want it? Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han… which of them didn't crave eternal life?
But if it meant having to drink blood to survive, Ren Siyi would really have to think it over carefully.
Her brows furrowed. "That question is hard to answer."
"If it's hard to answer, then don't answer," Shen Shen said. "The pain and loneliness of eternal life far outweigh its happiness. I wouldn't want you to become a Blood Clan member either."
"That groom just now—why did he agree to become a vampire?" Ren Siyi asked curiously.
"He wanted to be with the one he loves forever, never to be separated."
"Oh, so once the ceremony was complete, they got married." Ren Siyi suddenly thought that if it were to stay with the person she loved forever and ever… maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
"Very few humans in the world know of the Blood Clan's existence. Some are descendants of human families who have maintained friendly relations with us for over a century. They keep our secrets, and many of them yearn for eternal life."
"Would you convert them?" Ren Siyi asked curiously.
Shen Shen shook his head. "I am First Generation. Many wish to become Second Generation Blood Clan, but not everyone is qualified. Those who want to possess my power must first serve me."
Ren Siyi suddenly remembered: "Butler Lu Sen? He… he's someone who serves you?"
"Mm. After fifty years, I will grant his wish."
"Fifty years? That long!"
"That's the rule."
Ren Siyi recalled what the waitress had said earlier—that the Blood Clan had its own hierarchy. The First Generation possessed the greatest power, and by that logic, those converted by a First Generation became Second Generation, with power diminishing at each level.
Becoming a Second Generation vampire wasn't so easy after all.
Even harder than being born into wealth.
"Hey." Ren Siyi suddenly remembered the woman who had been glaring daggers at her earlier. "That vampire sister who was talking to you at the bar—does she like you a lot?"
Shen Shen hadn't expected her to change the subject so abruptly. He'd been introducing her to the ways of the Blood Clan, and suddenly she was dragging in something else entirely.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. Gossip." Ren Siyi said it airily, not wanting to show even a hint that she might actually care.
"No gossiping." Shen Shen ended the topic and quickened his pace.
In the distance, a black Maybach was waiting for him by the roadside.
He didn't want to say, and Ren Siyi didn't dare press further. She didn't want him to dislike her, so she obediently followed him into the car and headed home.
When they got back, she saw that Shen Du had already been released. He stood at the door, grinning as he welcomed them.
Ren Siyi was afraid of him. The moment she saw that slightly wicked smile on his face, goosebumps broke out all over her skin, and she quickly hid behind Shen Shen.
Shen Du's legs had fully healed.
Long, straight, absurdly proportioned—he stood slightly shorter than his brother, but was still estimated to be around 187 centimeters.
"Bro, you finally let me out." Shen Du didn't seem to hold a grudge at all, not even about being locked up in confinement for days. "These past few days nearly killed me! Can we agree—don't lock me up over every little thing from now on? I'm a person, not some dog you keep! Being confined is miserable."
Shen Shen walked through the garden path, heading straight for the villa. "Fine, as long as you behave from now on."
"I've always been well-behaved. It's just that…" He glanced at Ren Siyi, who was clinging to Shen Shen like a little accessory. "I just like Sisi-bao too much. Lost control for a moment. Sorry about that, Sisi-bao. Please don't be afraid of me. You know I'm not usually like this."
With that, he gave an exaggerated ninety-degree bow.
There was no way Ren Siyi wasn't afraid of him. Once bitten, twice shy.
But now, she was no longer his maid. She didn't need to take care of him or provide any emotional value.
"Don't call me Sisi-bao. Just call me… Ren Siyi."
"Ah!"
Shen Du's world collapsed. He spread his arms wide in dramatic protest. "When you were getting paid, you let me call you Sisi-bao. Now that you're with my brother, you make me use your full name? That's not fair!"
"That's right, I'm with your brother now." Ren Siyi continued to borrow the tiger's might by standing beside the fox—after all, this had already been tacitly approved by Shen Shen. "I'm your sister-in-law now! Understand? No improper thoughts about me allowed! Otherwise your brother will lock you up again!"
"Sister-in-law…" Shen Du's world collapsed a second time. He looked at Shen Shen in disbelief.
Shen Shen had no extra words. He simply put his arm around Ren Siyi's shoulder and said, "Show your sister-in-law more respect from now on."
With that, he led Ren Siyi into the house, walked to the elevator, and went straight up to the third-floor room, completely unconcerned about Shen Du's heart shattering into pieces behind them.
One heart shattered; another secretly rejoiced.
Ren Siyi could barely keep the corners of her mouth from curling up. She forced it down.
The way he'd put his arm around her and walked her inside was just too handsome—more romantic than any romance novel she'd ever read. Ren Siyi felt like every step was landing on colorful bubbles.
"So… do we need to pretend to be a couple in front of your brother from now on?" she asked.
"Not really necessary." Shen Shen stepped out of the elevator and said calmly, "After what happened, he won't have the guts to try anything with you again. Whether you're his sister-in-law or not doesn't matter."
"Oh. Well, your brother is pretty obedient to you." Ren Siyi's mind was spinning rapidly, searching for the right words.
"He doesn't dare not to be."
"But I'm still not entirely at ease." She tested the waters in a small voice. "After all… we live under the same roof, and he's also a student at Nanshi University. We'll be going to school together, so… so maybe… it's better if we keep pretending."
Her expressions were quite expressive—it would be easy to see through a girl's little schemes.
But Shen Shen didn't look at her. He took off his jacket, loosened the tie that had been constraining his neck all day, used the remote to close the curtains, and gave a flat "Mm."
He'd tacitly agreed to continue pretending to be a couple.
Ren Siyi breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she felt a bit… how should she put it… sneaky.
Just then, a knock came at the door. Shen Du's resentful voice drifted through: "Bro, come out for a second."
Shen Shen turned to her and said, "Take a shower first."
"Oh, okay!"
After he left, Ren Siyi went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror—her makeup slightly smudged.
Damn it.
She was really in trouble.
Going from being afraid of him to kind of liking him had taken less than two or three days…
But she truly couldn't resist him being so gentle with her. For a little girl whose father had gone to the city to work long ago and later disappeared, leaving her desperately starved for paternal love, having such a big daddy by her side who cared for her meticulously at every moment—not just her physical needs but her emotions too—
She couldn't resist it at all.
But she also knew that Shen Du had no interest in a little girl like her. His gentleness toward her was only because he was inherently a gentle person.
She let out a soft sigh, her heart aching sourly.
…
Shen Du called Shen Shen into the study, closed the door, and with a serious, almost accusatory tone, said, "Brother, what exactly do you want to do to Sisi?"
Shen Shen lazily sat down by the sofa, loosening his collar. "Questioning me?"
A wave of oppressive pressure swept over.
Shen Du's momentum lasted less than two seconds before it crumbled completely. He dropped to one knee in front of his brother, his tone softening, almost pleading: "Brother, what exactly are you trying to do? You're making me really nervous."
"Nervous about what?"
"Sisi—I really like her. I truly do."
"You like her, and you nearly killed her."
"I…"
On this matter, Shen Du really had nothing to say. It was his fault.
These past few days in confinement, he'd been reflecting on himself. Before, he'd always been able to control it. Why was it that with her alone, he couldn't? One sip and he wanted a second, a third…
He attributed it to falling for her.
"I won't do it again. I won't drink her blood anymore. Brother, please give Sisi back to me, okay? I'm begging you, please. I'll never go out looking for random girls again. I only want her."
Shen Shen crossed his legs and said calmly, "Ren Siyi has no interest in you. Rather than wasting your effort on her, you'd be better off finding other girls."
"She was really good to me before."
"Good bought with money is only worth that much money."
"…"
Shen Du had nothing to say to that. He looked at Shen Shen. "Brother, you're not the type to be kind to others for no reason either. Sister Mu Lian has pursued you for centuries, and you wouldn't even spare her a glance. Now you're telling me to accept a new sister-in-law?"
"What are you trying to say?" Shen Shen swept his gaze over him.
"Ren Siyi is the Hetero-blood you've been searching for all along, isn't she? When I drank her blood, I could stand in the sun. But after these few days without it, I can't anymore—the moment I step into sunlight, it hurts. That immediately made me think of Sisi. It's her blood that's unusual!"
Shen Du had always known what Shen Shen was doing. His biotechnology research institute had developed a culture medium and culture dish that could continuously sustain a Hetero-blood's heart to produce blood—blood that would allow the Blood Clan to stand in sunlight forever.
All these years, Shen Du knew exactly how many resources and how much effort his brother had poured into searching for a Hetero-blood.
If this could be accomplished, calling it a massive windfall would be underselling it. Shen Shen could use this to hold the entire Blood Clan in check.
His brother—this ancient thing who had lived for a thousand years—what else in this world could move his heart besides the most supreme power?
"Brother…" Shen Du noticed he wasn't speaking, clearly a tacit admission. His voice trembled as he said, word by word, "I was just careless. But you—you genuinely want her life!"
Shen Du's expression was agitated, his eyes nearly splitting open with intensity.
Yet Shen Shen merely let out a chuckle, pressing his hand onto his shoulder.
He leaned in and said lightly by his ear—
"Be good. Go find other girls to play with."