Outside the office of the President of the Yin Group, Sun Mao hovered for a long time before finally summoning the courage to knock on the door. Upon receiving permission, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Young Master.”
“How is Ye Linghan?”
Sun Mao lifted his eyes to glance at Yin Chen, who was radiating a chilling aura, and spoke softly, “The situation isn’t good. He went to find Duan Jiu.”
Outside the Suburban Factory
Su Mo’s fingers tapped rhythmically against the steering wheel as he occasionally leaned out to look toward the factory. From the moment Ye Linghan had stepped out of the car, Su Mo had moved into the driver’s seat, ensuring that once Ye Linghan returned, they could leave immediately.
Beep— Beep—
The phone, discarded on the passenger seat, vibrated erratically. Su Mo frowned, answering the call with a sense of irritable anxiety.
“Hello? Brother, are you there yet?” The voice on the other end was noisy; Liao Xihe’s voice came through in broken, disconnected fragments.
“Yes. Where are you?”
“I’m on the road. I should be there very soon.”
“Alright, stay safe.” Su Mo hung up, appearing calm, but in reality, he was burning with anxiety. He didn’t want to put too much pressure on Liao Xihe. His heart was with the two people inside the factory, but he couldn’t just rush in and throw his life away. He could only endure the agonizing wait outside, hoping Liao Xihe would arrive quickly to help Ye Linghan.
Inside the Factory
The atmosphere inside was deceptively calm, but the tension was at a breaking point.
“You clearly could have killed me without anyone knowing. Why go through all this trouble to bring me here?” Ye Linghan spoke first to break the deadlock. “Since I’m unlikely to walk out of here alive anyway, I at least have the right to know the truth, don’t I?”
He didn’t know which high-ranking figure he had offended, but he knew that if the opponent wished it, there might not even be ashes left of him.
“Good question~” Duan Jiu acted profound. “Who told you to follow someone you shouldn’t have followed, and handle a case you shouldn’t have handled?”
The person he shouldn’t have followed was likely Yin Chen, but the case? Could it be…
“CLY—20?” Ye Linghan asked.
Duan Jiu’s eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. “How do you know about that? In that case, I definitely can’t let you live!”
“So what exactly is CLY—20?” Ye Linghan tried to fish for more clues.
“Then you…” Duan Jiu’s face suddenly turned fierce, “…don’t need to know!”
The previously grinning Duan Jiu moved with incredible speed, striking a palm toward Ye Linghan’s heart faster than the eye could follow. Although Ye Linghan was prepared, the opponent was too fast. He dodged with all his might, but he was still a step too slow. Duan Jiu’s palm slammed heavily into Ye Linghan’s shoulder.
“Dammit!” Ye Linghan let out a low growl of pain.
The force was far beyond what a normal human could endure. Ye Linghan felt as if his left shoulder had been ripped off; it went numb instantly, and he lost all sensation in it.
“You’re a tough kid,” Duan Jiu sneered.
Without giving him time to recover, Duan Jiu launched another attack. He was like a feline playing with prey in its paws, inflicting psychological torture by dragging it out without giving any hope of survival.
Ye Linghan dodged desperately, trying to find an opening to grab Duan Jiu’s arm. But before he could make contact, Duan Jiu turned into a plume of black smoke, slipping through Ye Linghan’s fingers before materializing to attack again.
What do I do? I can’t hold on much longer!
The high-intensity combat was draining his stamina rapidly. He could only try to control his breathing to keep his rhythm from breaking. Large beads of sweat, mixed with the dirt from rolling on the floor, dripped from his forehead. He was fighting solely on sheer will, possessing only enough strength to defend, with no way to counterattack.
“Ready to die?” Duan Jiu’s voice echoed in his ear. He seemed tired of the game and wanted to end the “farce.”
At the critical moment, a shout came from the factory entrance: “Ye Linghan! Catch!”
Su Mo stood there with a gun, his muzzle tracking Duan Jiu, though the speed of the fight made it difficult to aim. That shout was like a shot of adrenaline for Ye Linghan, reigniting his will to live. Borrowing the force of Duan Jiu’s strike, he dove to the ground, rolled, and ran toward Su Mo as fast as possible.
To save time, Su Mo threw the gun through the air as Ye Linghan approached. Fearing Duan Jiu might intercept it in smoke form, Ye Linghan lunged forward with everything he had, caught the gun firmly, and stood up with a side roll. He quickly chambered a round and pulled the trigger. The bullet streaked toward the approaching Duan Jiu.
Will it hit?
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Ye Linghan was exhausted; the high-load combat had drained his last bit of strength. The moment the bullet was fired, the recoil pushed his body back. His grip loosened, and the handgun slipped from his fingers. He was simply too tired…
“Linghan!” Su Mo screamed.
“Die!” Duan Jiu was seeing red.
Two people rushed toward Ye Linghan from different directions—one to save him, one to kill him. Ye Linghan could no longer care. As he fell backward, countless images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern of his life.
So, am I out of the game? He… won’t come, will he?
A second before his eyes fully closed, Ye Linghan saw Duan Jiu instantly turn into smoke, bypass the bullet, snatch the falling handgun, and materialize to return fire in a mocking imitation.
“No!” Su Mo roared, watching the bullet head straight for Ye Linghan’s heart.
Ye Linghan slowly closed his eyes. He thought, Let it be. Since he couldn’t have the person he loved, he would leave first—leave completely. He suppressed the piercing pain in his heart and curled his lips into a slight smile, waiting for death’s final verdict.
However…
The expected pain of hitting the cold concrete and the agony of a bullet piercing his heart never came. Instead, his waist was caught by a warm palm and pulled into a firm embrace.
Yin Chen had arrived before the Grim Reaper.
Ye Linghan, devoid of strength, sank to his knees in the man’s arms. A muffled groan was heard, followed by a warm sensation spreading across Ye Linghan’s chest.
Everything around them seemed to freeze. The sky was suddenly shrouded in gloom, the sun vanished, and a gale erupted with a powerful deterrent force—as if a king had returned to swallow everything. In an instant, a hundred charms split the air, a thousand ghosts wailed, and ten thousand souls wept blood.
How?
Ye Linghan opened his eyes to see a face he knew all too well. Only, his complexion was even paler than usual.
“Yin Chen?” Ye Linghan murmured.
“I’m here.”
Yin Chen knelt on one knee before Ye Linghan, his back to the direction the bullet had come from, holding him steady. Meanwhile, Duan Jiu—who had just tried to kill him—was suspended in mid-air by Yin Chen’s power, rendered unconscious.
Ye Linghan felt a sense of relief, but just as his nerves relaxed, he realized the front of his clothes felt soaked. Sensing something was wrong, he quickly supported Yin Chen.
“Yin Chen, you…”
Where his gaze fell, crimson blood bloomed like Lycoris flowers from the underworld, clinging seductively to the white shirt on Yin Chen’s chest. Ye Linghan’s soul seemed to leave his body.
“Yin Chen!” he shrieked.
How could this happen? He was so powerful—how could he be hurt? Ye Linghan’s hands trembled as he tried to cover the seeping wound, but the blood flowed through his fingers like a living thing, binding them together.
“How did this happen…” Ye Linghan’s eyelashes trembled, and tears fell, mingling with the blood.
“Don’t cry…” Yin Chen reached out to wipe the tears from Ye Linghan’s face. Without realizing it, he, too, was covered in tears.
Liao Xihe helped Su Mo carry the unconscious Yao Qingluan out. Inside the factory, only the two remained, kneeling in an embrace—one human, one ghost.
“Why did you do this…” Ye Linghan whispered, not as a question, but out of sheer exhaustion.
Yin Chen stroked Ye Linghan’s cheek with his calloused thumb, a forced smile on his lips. Having not felt pain for centuries, he felt a heartache for the first time. When the bullet was an inch from Ye Linghan’s heart, he had truly panicked; a fear he had never known had surpassed his anger.
Yin Chen lowered his head and asked softly, “Can I kiss you?”
Ye Linghan’s lashes fluttered as he gave a gentle nod. A tender, delicate kiss landed on his forehead.
“I arrived too late to take you out of the way. I feared the bullet would pierce through both of us, so I let it explode inside my body. That way… You wouldn’t feel the pain.”
Yin Chen began to cough painfully as he spoke.
“But aren’t you a top-tier vampire? Don’t you have healing powers? Why are you still bleeding?” Ye Linghan opened his palm; the blood was still flowing.
Yin Chen seemed to be comforting him, his face wearing a soft smile rarely seen by anyone. “His aim was very true. That shot pierced my heart…”
Ye Linghan’s eyes quivered. His blood-stained hand pressed against Yin Chen’s chest again, feeling the weak life force. He looked at the man in disbelief. It was the first time he realized that even a top-tier vampire had weaknesses; not all wounds could heal instantly. The man he thought was always superior and indestructible was not, in fact, invincible.
“Young Master…” Sun Mao’s shout came from behind.
Ye Linghan couldn’t look back. His vision blurred, his body went limp, and the person before him collapsed onto him. In his ears, he heard the sound of frantic footsteps and panicked cries.
“Yin Chen…” “Yin Chen…”
Ye Linghan murmured in his sleep.
“Linghan, are you awake?” Su Mo was at the bedside watching over him. Although his injuries weren’t severe, he was suffering from extreme exhaustion. Seeing his eyelashes flutter, Su Mo called out gently.
Ye Linghan struggled to open his eyes. The light above the hospital bed was piercing; unable to adjust, a few physiological tears escaped the corners of his eyes. He instinctively tried to raise his hand to block the light, but his body felt as if it had been dismantled. Every movement sent a wave of pain through his internal organs.
“Hiss…”
Why does it hurt so much? Duan Jiu looked human enough, but his strikes were brutal.
“Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” Su Mo helped him up.
Ye Linghan shook his head, his voice raspy. “I’m fine. Where is Yin Chen?”
The scene from before he lost consciousness echoed in his mind; he would never forget that blood-red “flower.”
“He’s in the next ward.”
Hearing this, Ye Linghan tried to stand. Despite the knife-like pain racking his body, he couldn’t stop the urge to see the person in his heart. Worried he would worsen his injuries, Su Mo tried to stop him. “Wait until this IV drip is finished.”
“It’s fine.”
Ye Linghan was so weak that his voice lacked any strength. The moment his feet touched the floor, his legs buckled. Fortunately, Su Mo caught him. Guessing Su Mo would try to dissuade him again, Ye Linghan spoke first, “I’m okay, don’t worry.”
Seeing he couldn’t be persuaded, Su Mo supported him as they walked toward Yin Chen’s room. After they had both fainted, Sun Mao had sent them to a private hospital. Yao Qingluan, due to her status, had been sent to a specific facility; the Blood Hunters never disclosed their physical condition to outsiders. Fortunately, her injuries weren’t heavy, so Su Mo could focus on Ye Linghan.
Ye Linghan stopped at the door of Yin Chen’s room. Looking at Yin Chen lying there with his eyes closed, his hand touched the doorknob. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled back. He wanted to go in, but the thought that Yin Chen was so badly hurt because of him filled him with guilt. He felt he didn’t have the face to enter.
“How long has he been unconscious?” Ye Linghan turned to ask Su Mo.
“Two days and one night. You both took heavy hits this time. You’re slightly better—your left shoulder was dislocated, but luckily, you have a good constitution; you didn’t break any bones despite the falls. The rest are internal injuries, which just take longer to heal.”
Su Mo added with lingering fear, “You’re lucky to be alive. The doctor said with a vampire’s strength, a normal person’s arm would have been useless after a hit like that.”
Once he started talking, Su Mo couldn’t stop. “The doctor said you need rest, but I figured you wouldn’t listen. Still, it’s your body; you can’t keep trashing it.”
“Also, while Yin Chen is hurt worse than you, he is a vampire. His healing ability should be much stronger than yours, so don’t worry too much. His assistant has locked down the surrounding area; nothing else will happen.”
Ye Linghan lowered his hand and smiled bitterly. “Yeah, I know.”
For a moment, he truly didn’t know how to face the man lying in that hospital room.