LABMY CH158

Jian Yuanbai and Shen Tingyue were sent back to Jian Yuanbai’s residence, a two-bedroom apartment. The space was not very large but was kept extremely clean—so clean that it felt devoid of any real sense of life.

The main reason for choosing this place was its proximity to Jian Yuanbai’s workplace, but due to the nature of his job, he often ended up sleeping at the police station when busy. As a result, he rarely had the chance to return home.

After taking a shower, the little vampire, now smelling fresh with the scent of body wash, was only wearing one of Jian Yuanbai’s shirts. The hem was a little long, just barely covering his perky buttocks. His legs were long and pale, and crystal-clear droplets of water slid down his straight legs.

The little vampire looked at Jian Yuanbai with a hesitant expression, his beautiful eyes seemingly misty with moisture.

“You said that once the case was over, you’d let me bite your neck.”

This time, Jian Yuanbai did not refuse. He spoke with great generosity, “Go ahead, I’ll let you bite.”

These five words made Shen Tingyue’s face light up with joy. He leaned in close to Jian Yuanbai’s neck and, before biting, cherished the moment by giving it a small lick.

Beneath the skin, blood flowed. Shen Tingyue grew excited and sank his fangs into the flesh.

His sharp little teeth punctured the skin, and warm blood seeped from the tiny wound, flowing onto his lips.

Since he was rarely allowed to bite Jian Yuanbai’s neck, the little vampire pressed himself closer, greedily sucking the beads of blood from the small wound.

Clearly, if he bit just a little deeper, the blood would flow faster. But Shen Tingyue did not do that.

He restrained himself, only making a small wound with the tips of his fangs.

The body in his arms was slightly cool, still damp from the shower, the faint scent of body wash lingering at the tip of Jian Yuanbai’s nose.

What was even worse was that the distance between them kept closing, to the point that Shen Tingyue was practically nestled against him.

His smooth, bare legs pressed tightly against Jian Yuanbai’s. Lowering his eyes slightly, Jian Yuanbai could clearly see Shen Tingyue—wearing his oversized shirt, eyes closed, his fair face flushed pink with satisfaction.

The humid air was thick with moisture, and the white shirt clung to the skin, revealing glimpses of the flesh beneath. The scent in the air seemed to grow richer.

Hmm?

Shen Tingyue suddenly noticed that the blood under his lips had, in just a few short seconds, become significantly more delicious.

Jian Yuanbai’s unique constitution already made his blood particularly tasty to Shen Tingyue, but now, under the influence of strong emotions, it had become even more irresistible.

The little vampire vaguely felt that… this might not even be the peak of its flavor.

That peak… could it be…?

He couldn’t remember. So he simply stopped thinking about it, focusing entirely on savoring the exquisite taste.

Shen Tingyue licked at the slowly healing wound, letting out a small, satisfied hum.

He stepped back half a step, only to see Jian Yuanbai frowning with his eyes closed, looking as though he was enduring something.

The inexperienced little vampire immediately felt a bit guilty. “Does it hurt a lot?”

“I’m sorry…”

Shen Tingyue had no idea that his gentle nibbles were nothing compared to the real damage done by the soft hum that escaped his throat at the end.

It wasn’t just the biting—it was the licking and nibbling that followed each time. Jian Yuanbai was beginning to feel that if this continued, his so-called “straight” orientation was in serious danger.

Maintaining a serious expression, he said, “Go to bed early.”

His voice, when he spoke, was so husky that even Jian Yuanbai himself was a little startled. However, he kept his face impassive and continued, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to process the adoption paperwork.”

“By then, I’ll be your legal guardian.”

Shen Tingyue’s lips immediately pursed in displeasure. He let out a heavy huff and stormed off toward the guest room.

A mere food source as his guardian? No way!

Even if this food source was incredibly, incredibly delicious—so delicious that he couldn’t bear to bite too hard.

But right now, he was too weak. And given his food source’s awful personality, if he refused…

He would definitely be threatened with no more neck-biting privileges again.

Jian Yuanbai—so annoying!

Extremely annoying!

With that thought in mind, Shen Tingyue sulked himself to sleep. In the next room, separated by a single wall, Jian Yuanbai found himself experiencing a rare bout of insomnia.

The truth was, he had long suspected that Shen Tingyue was some kind of vampire.

The diary found in that ruined house had mentioned, on occasion, that the nobles of the ancient castle never seemed to age and drank blood every day.

Coupled with the strange behaviors Shen Tingyue had exhibited, it was impossible for Jian Yuanbai not to notice.

To keep an eye on him and prevent him from harming others, Jian Yuanbai had insisted that Shen Tingyue stay with him.

But after observing him for a while, Jian Yuanbai realized that Shen Tingyue seemed completely uninterested in anyone else’s blood.

He only ever followed him around, eyes bright and eager, wanting a bite.

This left Jian Yuanbai both puzzled and, strangely, a little pleased.

And after so many nights of sleeping side by side, Jian Yuanbai had grown used to having someone next to him.

Now that they were suddenly sleeping apart, he found himself unable to rest.

Of course, there was another reason for his insomnia—one that Jian Yuanbai, who considered himself a straight man, was unwilling to acknowledge.

He spent almost the entire night lying awake with his eyes open, only feeling a bit sleepy when dawn was near.

But he hadn’t slept for long before his phone rang, waking him up again.

“Captain Jian, the Special Operations Investigation Bureau—”

“And also,”

Another voice came through from the other end of the call. Then the person continued, “We need to ask you something.”

Having barely slept, Jian Yuanbai rubbed his temples and patiently said, “Go on.”

The investigator on the phone said, “Last night, we interrogated the suspects overnight. Some of them were killed by the people you mentioned yesterday.”

“Some were killed by other suspects before they were caught.”

“But there’s one person whose killer we haven’t identified. We wanted to see if you had any clues.”

Jian Yuanbai immediately understood. “Lu Yongye, right?”

“I suspect she might have committed suicide.”

“Last night, I kept watch in the shadows all night. No one entered her room, the door lock wasn’t tampered with, and the window was impossible for anyone to climb through.”

“Having ruled out all other possibilities, the most unlikely scenario appears to be the only explanation.”

“There are marks on the window ledge—traces left by something cutting through under force. You should check the surrounding area for a weapon.”

Jian Yuanbai paused for a moment. “Oh right, I still have a card found among her personal belongings that says ‘To the esteemed and noble Yula Zans.’ or something. I don’t know if it has any significance.”

There was a brief silence on the other end before a serious voice responded, “Thank you for the information. She is indeed highly likely to have been murdered.”

“The reason for the murder was probably to fulfill some kind of ritual and start what they call a game.”

Followers of evil gods were nothing but lunatics.

The call ended. Jian Yuanbai lay on his back on the bed, emptying his mind, trying to get some more sleep. But not long after, his phone rang again.

His teammate’s voice was full of excitement: “Captain Jian, you’re incredible! When are you coming back to the team to tell us about it?”

“You took down an entire cult’s hideout all by yourself! Everyone’s dying of curiosity.”

Jian Yuanbai expressionlessly hung up the phone.

As he was repeatedly disturbed by calls, his neighbor, Shen Tingyue, also slowly opened his eyes.

His blood-red, bewitching pupils looked chillingly cold. Then, the red color began to fade, gradually turning into a deep brown, almost black, like those of an ordinary person.

A hundred years had passed, and the power sealing his coffin had weakened, allowing Shen Tingyue to emerge.

Now that he had left the ancient castle lined with enchantments, his power was already returning bit by bit.

What’s more, Jian Yuanbai’s special blood contained energy that ordinary people did not have.

And when blood was infused with desire, it was like oil on the verge of boiling—active and brimming with power.

With all these factors combined, Shen Tingyue woke up early in the morning and regained all his memories.

He hadn’t forgotten everything that had happened between him and Jian Yuanbai either.

The corners of Shen Tingyue’s lips curled slightly in a half-smile as he recalled last night’s events.

Adoptive father?

What adoptive father?

A adoptive father who had a reaction toward his adopted son?

Shen Tingyue clenched his fingers, feeling the surging power flowing through his body, all thanks to Jian Yuanbai’s blood.

For the sake of that blood, he could forgive a reckless human.

Shen Tingyue got up and stepped out of the room, only to bump into Jian Yuanbai, who was just coming out of his own.

Jian Yuanbai looked at Shen Tingyue, who was still wearing the same white shirt from yesterday, and felt slightly uncomfortable.

He cleared his throat. “Awake now?”

Shen Tingyue: “From today onward, whenever you speak to me, you must address me with respect.”

He lifted his chin, proud and elegant. “I am your master.”

Jian Yuanbai: …

“I can call you master, but you have to call me dad first.”

He mimicked Shen Tingyue’s chin-lifting gesture. “I am your adoptive father.”

Shen Tingyue’s face instantly turned red—out of sheer anger.

“Human, recognize your place!”

“You are nothing but my blood slave.”

Jian Yuanbai reached out, intending to touch his forehead. “Did you wake up confused?”

Before his hand could make contact, something suddenly occurred to Jian Yuanbai, and his expression shifted. “You remember now.”

Shen Tingyue let out a light snort. “I am a noble vampire.”

Jian Yuanbai dragged out his response, “Ohh…”

He had already suspected as much, so Shen Tingyue revealing his identity wasn’t surprising. If anything, what caught Jian Yuanbai off guard was the fact that he had regained his memories.

He should say something—anything—to break up the sudden tightness in his chest.

Before he could think, his mouth had already spoken:

“A noble vampire who cries when he can’t get blood?”

The color that had just faded from Shen Tingyue’s face rushed back again, painting his fair cheeks with a thin layer of pink.

This time, it was both embarrassment and fury.

Without thinking, he retorted, “What do you know? Since my birth, I have never drunk human blood.”

“When I lost my memory and was ignorant, my instincts naturally craved it more.”

When those words passed through Jian Yuanbai’s ears and circled around his brain, they twisted into: Shen Tingyue had never drunk anyone’s blood—except his own.

Which meant that, inside Shen Tingyue’s body, there was only his own blood and Jian Yuanbai’s blood.

Merged into his very being.

Jian Yuanbai’s spirit lifted. What did this mean?

If you rounded it up… they were blood relatives!

He could be Shen Tingyue’s real father!

Jian Yuanbai’s silence made Shen Tingyue think he had won the argument. He let out a satisfied hum. “As my only blood slave, I permit you to express your joy.”

The little vampire had no idea what the human in front of him was thinking, but he was about to find out.

Jian Yuanbai’s expression turned serious. “So, you’re saying that apart from your own, the only blood in your body is mine.”

Shen Tingyue hesitated for a moment. “You could say that.”

Jian Yuanbai patted his shoulder. “You have my blood in you.”

“We may not be biologically related, but we’re closer than family!”

“Blood is thicker than water. Don’t worry, even though you got your memories back, I’ll still take care of you.”

The body often reacts faster than the brain.

Even Jian Yuanbai himself hadn’t realized that the reason he was saying so much was because, when he heard Shen Tingyue had regained his memories—

A single thought surfaced in his mind: Little Moon might leave.

Shen Tingyue’s expression shifted again and again. He held back the urge to beat Jian Yuanbai to a pulp and stubbornly argued, “I am a noble vampire.”

“Logically, I should be the father.”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head in disagreement. “How could a father have his son’s blood in his body?”

“Only a son carries his father’s blood.”

Shen Tingyue could hear the sound of his own teeth grinding. He placed a hand lightly on the nearby table.

The next second, the table shattered silently into dust.

He forced a stiff smile at Jian Yuanbai and turned to leave. As for why his fist didn’t land on the man in front of him, Shen Tingyue chose not to dwell on it.

Clearly, he had regained his memories and strength. In the past, anyone who dared offend him would have been reduced to ash, yet this time… only the table suffered an untimely demise.

Jian Yuanbai quickly asked, “Where are you going?”

Shen Tingyue gritted his teeth and spat out each word, “Special Operations Investigation Bureau!”

Jian Yuanbai immediately grabbed his arm. “At least put some pants on before you go.”

Boom!

A loud crash echoed as the sofa met its untimely end.

Looking at the wreckage around them, Jian Yuanbai let out a silent sigh, thinking rather sorrowfully—

Being a devoted father was hard.