Chapter 124 Anniversary Special - 5200 words: Zang Feng's loyal dog has fully entered...
The full moon shone through the castle's stained glass windows, casting shattered, blood-red patches of light onto the long oak table in the council chamber.
The crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome cast long, narrow shadows on either side of the long table.
The stiff, taut silhouette was reflected obliquely on the stone brick floor, and an undercurrent of confrontation surged in the air.
One of the dukes spoke up impatiently, "Since when have our internal meetings ever required us to wait for a human here?"
“Heh, that’s no ordinary human,” the obese duke said, his sticky gaze sweeping over Kirby.
In the main seat, Kirby leaned back in his chair, casually fiddling with the bone ring on his finger, as if he hadn't heard anything.
“Dr. Xie is indeed no ordinary human being. If you have the ability to save lives, I think we wouldn’t mind waiting for you here.”
The old lord of Lai's sharp edge was undisguised as he thrust forward, and the obese duke made a shushing gesture, his shrugging shoulders clearly showing his dissatisfaction.
"So when is he coming?"
Murphy spoke coldly from her red lips hidden beneath her veil. The holy water had ruined half of her face and even made her personality much more gloomy.
Kirby lifted his eyelids slightly. "I think I need to remind you that Sheru is now one of our vampires. Don't let me hear these words again."
"I'm sorry I'm late."
Just then, Xie Lu burst into the council chamber, looking travel-worn. "There were two surgeries this afternoon, which caused some delays."
Only a high-backed chair remained in front of the long table, positioned right next to Kabi, symbolizing Sheru's status in Blackrock City.
Xie Lu calmly sat down and casually took out a small jar of ointment from his pocket and placed it in front of Murphy, who was sitting to his left.
"I just mixed this up, you can try it."
Kirby straightened his upper body as soon as Xie Lu entered the room, and only after the other person finished speaking did he tap his knuckles lightly on the table twice.
"Now that everyone's here, let's begin."
After the trial, the Tower withdrew from Blackrock City, and Kirby became the new supreme ruler of Blackrock City.
Although the external threat has been successfully resolved, the internal situation remains equally serious. He convened this meeting today to make arrangements for the follow-up work in Blackrock City.
"Blackrock City is officially open to the public starting today."
"Trade with the human world will continue to be conducted in accordance with the previous 'Dark Night Trade Rules'."
"However, one thing is certain: no human trafficking activities are permitted within the city."
The vampires didn't have any problems with the first two points.
It's the last one...
"What does the young prince mean by this? Does he intend to cut off our livelihood?"
"Yeah, we can't expect an old bunch of us to give up blood."
"It's like this, everyone," Xie Lu said, resting his arms on the long table, his hands clasped together, his body slightly leaning forward, his voice steady and powerful.
“We all know how terrible the consequences were when humans and vampires were forcibly combined.”
The failed experiment at the Bat Hotel left the city nearly deserted, and the vampires who were forced into the experiment lost almost half their strength after being rescued.
"During this time, after treating the clansmen in the city who suffered backlash as a result, I discovered that only a blood pact signed voluntarily by both parties, or a deeper soul pact, can fundamentally guarantee the stability of Blackrock City."
"It will neither reduce humans to commodities nor prevent us from having a continuous and safe supply of blood."
Kirby continued Sheru's words, adding, "What I prohibit is the forced transaction of 'buying and selling,' but if you can make a contract with a human on your own, I will not interfere."
"I have no objection," Murphy's tone remained indifferent, but his gaze lingered on the flat bottle, and his expression subtly shifted.
Lai's father followed suit, raising his hand: "My Lai family supports the Prince's decision."
Next was the lord who bought Zhang Qing's photo: "This old man is content as long as he has something to eat."
Those in positions of power have made the decisions, and others, seeing this, have no choice but to swallow their objections.
"One last thing: the Fourth District will establish a human safety zone around the church and openly recruit human administrators."
Meeting adjourned.
After a hasty meeting, glistening snowflakes began to fall in the dark night.
Xie Lu got into the car parked outside the castle, and as soon as his fingertips touched the steering wheel, he subconsciously rubbed his hands together.
He and Nan Ke lived in a secluded alley on the south side of District 1. The house was chosen by Nan Ke and was a bit far from here.
He rubbed his palms together for a long time, but they were still ice cold. He paused, put his palms together, and gently breathed warm air into them.
I still haven't gotten used to it...
He turned to the side, took out his phone from the jacket draped over the passenger seat, glanced at the time, and figured that Nan Ke would be home from get off work by the time he got there.
The coldness in his eyes gradually turned into a warm light, but the missed call from Leto five minutes ago suddenly caught his eye.
Um?
...
Nan Ke is very troubled lately.
Since he and Xie Lu settled in Blackrock City, Xie Lu has become exceptionally busy.
How busy are they?
Sometimes I walk past him before he opens his eyes, and sometimes I return after he has already closed them.
What held their relationship together was only the kisses that fell on his forehead morning and night, like feathers brushing against him.
When he opened his eyes again, he was either alone at home, or he was faced with Xie Lu's tired face, which made him unsure how to disturb her.
He wrapped his arms around Xie Lu's neck with a somewhat greedy gesture, as if throwing himself into her embrace.
And at these times, Xie Lu's nose would brush against the sensitive indentation on his shoulder, and he would whisper, "Sweetie, sleep a little longer."
Mingming...can't sleep much longer...
Light footsteps, the opening and closing of the wardrobe, the click of the door latch...
Nan Ke rolled over in bed, burying her head in the pillow Xie Lu had slept on, and the faint smell of disinfectant immediately wafted over her.
He felt so frustrated he almost cried.
He had tried going out with Xie Lu before, but when they got there, he found that he couldn't help at all.
Xie Lu is like a perpetual motion machine that's been wound up.
Each "Thank you, Doctor" was like a huge, bottomless whirlpool. Occasionally, Xie Lu would turn around and smile at him, his eyes full of apology.
Everyone seems to be very busy.
No, there's also Lyco and Carl. They're probably the only three idle "hooligans" left in the entire Blackrock City.
After working non-stop for several days, Xie Lu suddenly had a brilliant idea and decided to find a job.
Leto (with a face full of black lines, in silence): Help! My ex-crush boyfriend is working for me now, what should I do?!
Working as a bartender at a bar was clearly much better than Nan Ke staying at home alone.
Of course, it's not directed at Leto, it's just for fun.
"Hello, may I have your contact information tonight?"
The somewhat handsome man in front of me is named... well, never mind, Nan Ke didn't remember.
This is the third time Xiao Shuai has come here for Nan Ke.
"I'm sorry, sir, my husband just passed away, so I really can't consider it for the time being."
Nan Ke shook his head dejectedly, and as he spoke, he twirled the glass in his hand with the glass cloth.
Leto, who was holding ice with tongs, lost his grip, and the ice fell directly into the glass in front of Xiao Shuai, splashing amber whiskey. Xiao Shuai's pale face instantly turned disheveled.
"Excuse me," Leto said, suppressing a laugh, "this drink is on the house, sir. I'll treat you to another one."
Xiao Shuai stormed off, saying angrily, "No need!"
"Welcome to visit us again."
A light smile curved Nan Ke's lips.
Leto added another block of ice, and soon a glass of brightly colored wine was pushed in front of Nan Ke.
"There aren't many people here today, how about we grab a drink?"
Nan Ke sat on a high stool inside the bar, pinching a straw and stirring his drink in circles. "Wasn't Kirby having a meeting today? Why didn't you go?"
“No meeting is as lively as this,” Leto said, taking a small sip from his cup.
"By the way, does Xie Lu know that you're badmouthing him like this behind his back?"
For the past week, Leto had heard Nan Ke's excuses for rejecting others never repeated. Today it was about a widowed "husband," and a couple of days ago there was talk of a sick son and a gambling husband. It was all a mess, as if she was deliberately taking revenge on Xie Lu.
"Don't you know whether he knows or not?"
Nanko poked the swaying ice cube with the end of the straw, "but he never asked me."
“We didn’t even have a chance to speak.”
Nan Ke once saw a car parked downstairs from behind the curtains. Xie Lu was leaning against the car door, the firelight of the cigarette illuminating his face. It took a long, long time before he went upstairs. The moment Xie Lu went upstairs, Nan Ke, as if escaping, crawled back into bed and pretended to be asleep.
As usual, it was another kiss.
Nan Ke knew he shouldn't show emotion. He could see that although Xie Lu was very tired, his expression still shone brightly when others called him Doctor Xie.
He admitted that Xie Lu liked the job.
However, he also acknowledged that Xie Lu was no longer as attentive to him as before.
He met Xie Lu at an auction held at the tower. At that time, two unknown figures to him repeatedly raised their paddles to bid against him.
In a moment of emotional turmoil, he kept raising his bid to match the other party's offer. These points were nothing to him at the time, as the leader of Litanvi.
Unexpectedly, just when he thought he could vent his anger after taking the picture, he heard the man's mocking voice coming from the loudspeakers in the venue.
"Congratulations, Mr. Nan, you're so wealthy and powerful, you've won the trial."
Nan Ke went crazy.
"Find him! I'm going to kill him!"
After that incident, Xie Lu seemed to have disappeared into a no-man's-land. It was only much later that people heard that Xie Lu was taking on mercenary missions.
Nan Ke was determined to teach someone a lesson, so he spent a lot of money to hire Xie Lu to go through the trial with him.
Nan Ke was spoiled and always followed Xie Lu around, deliberately causing trouble, like a childish teenage boy.
The child thought Xie Lu was pretentious, but Xie Lu's professionalism and business skills were truly top-notch. No matter how much trouble he caused, he could always be steadily supported by others.
This state of affairs continued until their fifth collaboration, when Xie Lu, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed his waist and cornered him in a corner of Sifo Lane.
Why are you always trying to get my attention?
He stomped on Xie Lu's foot hard: "Are you sick?!"
Fleeing in panic...
In the dim light of the bar, Nan Ke, holding a wine glass, turned around and pressed it against the inner wall of the bar counter.
The glass was mostly empty, the sloshing wine reflecting his flushed cheeks. He tilted his head back, his Adam's apple clearly defined by his long, slender frame, and even his breathing carried a hint of languor and relaxation from the alcohol.
In sight was Leto's framed metal plaque of "me," the Justice Plaque long since lost its former luster in Blackrock City.
He also had one; before the No Man's Land panel was taken back, he didn't take anything that belonged to him except this card.
He missed Jiang Yang a little.
Nan Ke lowered his head, picked up the straw from the glass, spat it into the trash can, brought the wine glass to his lips, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Why is the ending so sour?"
"Are you going back?"
Seeing Nan Ke pick up his coat, Leto also reached behind his apron. "It's snowing outside, I'll drive you there."
"No need, I want to take a walk by myself today."
...
Leto didn't insist. "Then drive carefully and get home early."
"Understood," Nan Ke said, waving his hand at Leto with his back turned.
Unbeknownst to Nan Ke, the moment he stepped out the door, Leto dialed Xie Lu's number.
Stepping out of the bar, the Gothic building was completely enveloped in a hazy white mist, with only the outlines of its spires and carvings visible through the snow and fog.
Nan Ke's coat was loosely draped over his arm; he couldn't feel the cold much now.
The snow was falling heavily in Blackrock City, and fluffy snowflakes landed on his hair and clung to his long, curled eyelashes.
Like the mermaid sculpture in the center of the square, holding a broken tail fin, with small snow mounds filling the empty eye sockets.
They looked extremely pitiful.
The snow on the ground was 5-6cm deep. After walking for a while, Nan Ke suddenly had an idea to take off his shoes and step on the snow.
The soft, fluffy snowflakes tickled the soles of his feet, but he felt inexplicably happy. He hopped around in the snow like a rabbit, and the trail of footprints he left behind was quickly covered by the newly fallen snow.
Not long after, a car drove up in the opposite direction, and Nan Ke squinted because of the high beams.
He was drunk and put his left hand on his hip, pointed at the car with his right hand, and cursed, "Get out of here! You're blocking my way, don't you understand?"
The car stopped right in front of him without moving. He kicked the car door angrily and said, "Let me tell you, I'm not riding in your piece of junk. You think you can keep a male college student in a car like this?"
Nan Ke was thinking of his third-rate, unaccredited university in reality, where greasy old men would always open their windows and ask him for a quote when he left the campus.
"What kind of person are you? You want to keep me as a sugar daddy? Can you even afford me?"
The more Nan Ke thought about it, the angrier she became, and she cursed even more fiercely.
But the car door in front of him suddenly clicked open, and the first thing to step out was a straight, slender leg wrapped in suit trousers.
The person held an umbrella over his head, and beneath the white wolf tail, those beautiful eyes were filled with helpless indulgence towards him.
"Then will you take care of me?"
The alcohol made Nan Ke's mind go blank, as if a tape had been cut off, and he only felt that the words sounded very familiar.
!
He remembered! He had said those words to Xie Lu.
Spurred on by Jiang Yang and Ji Yang, Nan Ke turned around and blocked Xie Lu at the office outside the Mouguang Tower.
Intention | To | Strong | Up
On the office sofa, Nan Ke straddled Xie Lu's waist, placing her hands on the man's chest.
The man smiled and watched Nan Ke fool around. His once neat shirt was now wrinkled from Nan Ke's actions.
"What are you laughing at? Didn't you understand? I'm going to take care of you."
"I heard you."
The man's smile faded, his tone becoming quite businesslike, "However, the rules of the court stipulate that one cannot have any relationship with the employer... that goes beyond the scope of employment..."
"oh..."
Xie Lu suddenly raised his hand, his tiger's mouth unexpectedly gripping Nan Ke's neck and tightening, forcefully pulling the person into his arms.
"If I get fired, it's a deal, you'll take care of me."
"I'm very expensive."
Nan Ke held Xie Lu's chin, his posture haughty and condescending as he returned the greeting.
"Don't worry, I'm a big shot, I can afford to keep a dog."
From that moment on, the loyal dog that concealed its sharp edge completely entered the territory of the vicious wolf that had a gruesome nature.
...
A gust of wind pulled Nan Ke back from his dazed state of mind. He turned away with a cold expression.
But he had only taken half a step when his wrist was suddenly grabbed. The stubbornness and force of the grip made him instinctively swing his other arm away.
Snap!
Xie Lu didn't dodge and took the slap head-on. Then, taking advantage of Nan Ke's momentary daze, he pulled her back and slammed her against the car door.
The black umbrella remained firmly over their heads, but the snow on its surface fell down due to the large movement.
Forced to stand on tiptoe, with his legs slightly suspended in mid-air, Nan Ke looked up. The tall figure looming over him completely obscured the overlapping shadows of the two people on the ground, as if giving him no chance to escape.
Xie Lu pinched Nan Ke's knee on one side and pushed it up in front of the two of them, forming a taut inverted V shape.
His palm slid down along the fabric of the clothes, and he grasped the boy's cold ankle, gently placing the boy's foot on his thigh.
Aren't you cold?
"I'm a vampire, how could I possibly be cold?"
Xie Lu grabbed the other leg as well, causing Nan Ke's center of gravity to shift backward passively.
Half of it landed on the car behind him, and the other half landed on the arm that supported him and the firm muscles under his feet.
The shameful posture made Nan Ke subconsciously avoid eye contact with Xie Lu.
Xie Lu sighed. "Listen to me, okay?"
Warm breath sprayed onto Nan Ke's nose, and Nan Ke nodded obediently as if his rough edges had been smoothed out.
"I didn't take the initiative to communicate with you because I was afraid of hearing from you that you wanted to break up with me."
“Leto told me about what happened at the bar, and I’m afraid of becoming the one you’ll abandon after weighing your options.”
"I'm worried that I might lose my temper and hurt you after hearing a certain result from you."
The silver stud on Xie Lu's earlobe glittered, and Nan Ke ruffled Xie Lu's hair as if stroking a large dog.
His eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "Then why didn't you tell me? Didn't you ever think that I deliberately let Leto tell you?"
"Nan Ke, don't underestimate my possessiveness towards you, okay?"
Xie Lu overheard Leto's gossip: someone was flirting with Nan Ke, someone was confessing their feelings to Nan Ke...
After I finished my work, I saw the message and I was absolutely insanely jealous.
"You're too lovable, Nan Ke. I've already trapped you in Black Rock City. I can't selfishly keep you locked up by my side any longer."
"But you've been very busy lately, and I feel like things have changed between us."
Nan Ke's round toes twitched, and the snowflakes on the soles of her feet spread into a small dark water stain on Xie Lu's light-colored trousers.
"Nothing has changed," Xie Lu said firmly.
"I've been busy lately because I want to help Kirby settle things in Blackrock City so we can get the pass and go out into the world."
"ah?"
Nan Ke looked at the person in surprise, "But don't you like being a doctor?"
Her lips, carrying the chill of a snowy day, spread out limply like waterlogged cotton under the forceful stirring.
The umbrella ribs tilted, and snowflakes tapped against the umbrella surface, making a soft "tap-tap" sound.
In the stillness of the snowy night, only their intertwined breaths and overlapping heartbeats remained.
"I only like you."
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