"Mmm…"
Xia Yuan turned around, pressing his head against the wall while supporting his waist with both hands.
It felt like he had thrown his back out.
Just now, he had experienced what gravity truly meant—like a little duck crushed under a massive rock.
A single hit was all it took to bring him down, and his fingers were still throbbing with pain.
"I told you it wouldn't work," the girl said as she stepped forward to massage his waist.
After recovering slightly, Xia Yuan asked with difficulty—
"What on earth did you pack…"
"This is the Blood Clan's Ark."
"…"
The Blood Clan's Ark was a pitch-black box, 50 centimeters in length, width, and height—a perfect cube.
But it was clear that even three Xia Yuans wouldn't be able to lift this thing.
"And what exactly is the Ark…"
"The Ark is…"
"Never mind, let's talk inside, let's talk inside," Xia Yuan quickly stopped her.
…
Fortunately, the rest of her belongings weren't heavy. It took Xia Yuan ten minutes to help her move all her luggage into the house.
The already cramped room now felt slightly more crowded with the addition of new items.
The girl carefully placed the Ark in a corner where sunlight couldn't reach, covering it with some light-blocking panels.
Then, from one of her suitcases, she took out another box and placed it inside Xia Yuan's refrigerator.
"What's that you're putting in the fridge?" Xia Yuan asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Something delicious."
The girl licked her lips. "If it's not frozen, it'll spoil easily. If it's not fresh, it's useless."
"Alright."
Xia Yuan nodded and sat back down on the sofa.
Girls really are all foodies.
Wait…
The next moment, he jumped up from the sofa in horror.
Xia Yuan stared suspiciously at the girl in the overall dress from behind. "The 'something delicious' you mentioned… it wouldn't be…"
"Blood Packs."
The girl nodded calmly.
"I brought them from home."
Oh my god…
Xia Yuan felt like his whole world was falling apart.
…
"A few questions."
After confirming that the female Blood Clan member meant him no harm and even seemed a bit naive, Xia Yuan decided to try and clear up some of the doubts in his mind.
Otherwise, it was just too unsettling.
"Mhm." The girl nodded, sitting up straight with her back perfectly upright and her hands resting calmly on her knees.
"Um… First, what's your name?"
As soon as he asked, Xia Yuan quickly added, "If knowing your name means I'll be silenced, just pretend I never asked."
"Don't worry," the vampire giggled. "Didn't we just sign a Contract? It wouldn't be good if you died."
"Oh," Xia Yuan nodded, half-believing her. "The Contract is the next thing I wanted to ask about."
"My name is Ying Sitong, I'm 20 years old, and I'm the last surviving descendant of the Blood Clan in the world." Sitong blinked, her face beaming with an innocent smile. "And you, what's your name?"
Ying?
That's a pretty rare surname.
Xia Yuan nodded, forcing a faint smile. "I'm Xia Yuan, 22 years old."
"Second question. What's the deal with the Contract?"
"Oh, that." Ying Sitong raised her bright, large eyes—now a light brown, like translucent amber. "You were in a car accident.
A very, very serious one."
"I know that."
"By conventional human means, you couldn't have been saved. If I hadn't rescued you, you would already be dead."
Xia Yuan recalled the events of that time. The situation had indeed been critical, and he had once believed there was no hope for him.
"Why were you able to save me? Just through a Contract?" Xia Yuan stared intently at Ying Sitong.
"Not at all," she pouted. "To save you, I expended a significant amount of my True Blood."
"True Blood?"
"You had lost too much blood," Sitong explained. "So I cut my wrist and let you drink some of the True Blood from my body.
The True Blood of the Blood Clan is extremely precious and possesses immense power. It can repair your body and may even make you stronger.
The longer one lives, the more valuable the True Blood becomes, and the stronger its effects.
The True Blood I gave you took me centuries of cultivation to refine."
"So that's how it is…" Xia Yuan lowered his head, quietly pondering. No wonder his injuries had healed so quickly. Surviving such a horrific car accident was already a miracle, but being discharged in less than five days was truly bizarre.
Now he finally had the answer.
"However, the True Blood of the Blood Clan cannot be given to humans lightly," Ying Sitong said. "Normally, humans cannot withstand such powerful energy. Many people die from collapse after being fed blood by a Blood Clan member; only a few miraculously survive.
And most of those who survive become new members of the Blood Clan. We call them Sub-descendants of the Blood Clan.
The Blood Clan member who provides the blood becomes the Blood Kin of the Sub-descendant."
"So will I become a vampire?"
"Blood Clan," Ying Sitong corrected.
"Blood Clan."
"No," Sitong shook her head. "The dose of True Blood I gave you was too small. It could only heal your injuries and isn't enough to transform you into a vampire.
Essentially, you're just a human with a tiny trace of Blood Clan blood."
"Oh. That's good."
"The Contract I established with you is clearly stipulated in the Blood Clan Code—
There are only two ways for the True Blood of the Blood Clan to be granted to a human: one is through the Embrace, making them your Sub-descendant.
The other is by forming a lifelong companion Contract."
Clearly, Xia Yuan fell into the latter category.
"What does 'lifelong companion' mean?"
"A lifelong companion is exactly that—a lifelong companion. Wasn't it clearly stated when we formed the Contract? The kind that stays together for a lifetime, never abandoning each other, and you also have to provide me with blood."
Ying Sitong smiled happily.
"…"
To Xia Yuan, it sounded like a marital relationship, yet not quite like one.
A wife who would suck her husband's blood from now on—thinking about it was a bit terrifying.
But if it wasn't a marital relationship—
Xia Yuan found that even more frightening.
Imagine living with your future wife and a vampire, with the husband having to regularly provide services for this vampire.
No matter how he thought about it, this relationship felt awkward.
"But regardless of which type, if the blood-giver dies, their companion or Sub-descendant will also perish," Ying Sitong solemnly warned. "So, if you report me, you'll suffer the consequences too."
"…"
Xia Yuan's expression was exceptionally complex.
He had gained some understanding of the current situation—
First, his life was given by Ying Sitong, so he owed her a debt of gratitude no matter what.
Secondly, he had now formed a Contract with Ying Sitong, establishing a lifelong partnership.
Finally, if Ying Sitong were to die, he would perish alongside her, making them two bodies sharing one fate.
No matter how you looked at it, his future destiny was now inextricably tied to this vampire.
It was at this moment that Xia Yuan had made the great resolve to become a husband.
"Wait a minute, you said earlier that you're only 20 years old?"
"Yeah." Ying Sitong blinked in slight confusion.
"Then how did you gain centuries of cultivation and True Blood?"
"Is it not allowed to be 20 on my ID card?"
…