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Chapter Text

[ 一 ]

Shen Qingqiu cursed himself for not leaving the house with an umbrella; but to be honest, he didn’t mind getting wet in the rain, not when the weather also became cool and dark, much better than the sun that hurt his eyes — it wasn’t like he was allergic to the sun or would die from it… it just… bothered him. It was around three in the afternoon when he took shelter under a balcony in an alley, noticing that the rain was getting heavier, even if only temporarily — he didn’t want his clothes to get that wet. He sighed, pulling out his phone to see if the rain would let up soon, regretting his decision to walk instead of driving.

When he realized that the rain would continue for a while, he was just about to open an app to call for a ride when he heard a soft whimper nearby. He looked around and took a moment to see where it was coming from, but when he finally discovered it, he noticed a little fluffy puppy curled up in a tattered and bloodstained blanket. The puppy seemed to be trying hard to get out of the wet, dirty box he was in, but he looked as if he was in so much pain that walking was difficult.

Shen Qingqiu's eyes widened.

He was so small… so defenseless, and he looked so hurt. He must have been hungry too, and thirsty, and very cold since it was raining so much — it was early winter, and who knew when it might start snowing; that little creature simply wouldn’t survive. Above all, he must have been scared, how could he not be? Shen Qingqiu knelt down, approaching him slowly, already expecting that, being a street puppy, he would be frightened and retreat, but instead, he seemed to want to move closer to Shen Qingqiu’s hand, which slowly stroked his little head.

“What happened to you, little one?” he asked, as if the puppy could respond.

He sighed a moment later. He couldn’t leave that cute little ball of fur abandoned. The situation was very strange; for starters, he was so small, definitely a puppy, and there was no other dog around to take care of him, so someone had probably abandoned him. How could anyone be cruel enough to abandon such a small and cute creature?

Shen Qingqiu sometimes… really despised the human race.

The moment Shen Qingqiu pulled his hand away, the puppy began to cry, and Shen Qingqiu nearly panicked. “Calm down, calm down, there’s no need to cry,” he said, once again as if the puppy could understand, his voice softening. “I’m going to take care of you, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you; everything will be alright.”

And by coincidence, the puppy stopped crying, as if it were a child! Shen Qingqiu took off his own coat and wrapped the puppy in it, holding him like a baby — much better than leaving him in that wet and dirty cloth. It was easy to hold him, given how small he was, and with his free hand, he searched for the nearest vet and then called a ride to the address. His heart warmed as he looked back at the puppy, who seemed to have fallen asleep in his arms. “What should I call you…” Then, he looked up, he was terrible with names, maybe he could use the name of the place where they were… Seeing a fishing gear store called Binghe, he thought it might be a cool name to give him.

[ 二 ]

When the phone screen lit up, Shen Qingqiu immediately checked to see if Shang Qinghua had responded to his messages. He was already in the car on his way home when he read what his best friend had sent.

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆*] all good, left ur stuff at ur door, got everything u asked for at the pet shop. still can't believe u randomly decided to adopt a dog, but ok

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆*] btw, don’t u think it’s kinda weird? he looks like a pomeranian, all fluffy and stuff, those dogs r usually expensive, right? why would someone just ditch one?

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆*] anyways, now that u got a fancy dog, u just ticked off another box on the rich lady bingo, congrats bro

Shen Qingqiu huffed, ignoring the teasing, and used his free hand to reply first with, “ go to hell, u keep using my money and still complain ,” though he didn’t mean it seriously. Then, he also replied with a “thanks for buying the stuff for me.”

The vet visit had gone well; despite being injured, the puppy didn’t seem to have any serious health risks. After getting some vaccines and proper medication, the little dog would likely be in perfect condition. At the moment, he seemed happy to have been taken in, showing such affection that anyone would think Shen Qingqiu had owned him for a while. During the rest of the car ride, Binghe kept sticking out his little tongue and licking Shen Qingqiu’s fingers as if they were a toy.

Shen Qingqiu couldn't simply announce him as a lost dog. Shang Qinghua was right — it was an expensive dog. The number of people who would come forward claiming to be the owner would be overwhelming. Perhaps it was best to keep him close and check the area to see if anyone had reported a similar dog missing. Until then, Shen Qingqiu would take care of him and… okay… a part of Shen Qingqiu hoped that no one would come looking for him.

After all… he seemed so sad and abandoned. Shen Qingqiu thought that maybe it was because he got lost from his owner, but… what if his previous owner had mistreated him?

As soon as they arrived in the luxurious neighborhood where Shen Qingqiu lived and were dropped off at the door by the car, before he could enter his house, they were greeted by a group of neighbors who were taking advantage of the fact that the rain had stopped to go for a walk. They looked at Binghe and made the typical cute faces upon seeing the puppy (how couldn't they not?), but Binghe didn’t even want to look at them! He even started growling when some neighbors got too close.

“I just found him abandoned, he must be scared of other people…” he explained, trying to justify the situation to the neighbors, who finally understood and left them alone, allowing Shen Qingqiu to enter his house. Shang Qinghua had made a huge mess at his door by leaving everything scattered. Shen Qingqiu sighed, opened the door, and gently set Binghe down on the floor while he pulled the items inside. Every time he passed through the door, he looked at Binghe to make sure everything was okay, and the puppy continued to sit obediently on the floor. How adorable!

When he finished bringing in the rest of the stuff, he knelt down again in front of Binghe, enjoying being close to him to talk to him. “Hm, don’t be scared, it’s okay, little one? It will still be me.” he said as if the puppy could understand; hoping he wouldn’t get frightened, Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and let the magic flow through his body, shedding the glamor that covered him. His short hair lengthened, stretching down to just above his waist, his eyes turned a deep red, and fangs extended from his canines; his face also changed shape slightly, not too different from before, but enough that he wouldn’t be recognized as the same person.

He was afraid the puppy wouldn’t recognize him anymore; however, that didn’t seem to be the case. Binghe immediately moved closer to Shen Qingqiu’s hand, snuggling into his palm as if wanting to be petted. What a clever little dog! “This is my true form, don’t tell anyone, okay?” he joked, moving his fingers around Binghe’s soft fur. He took him to a place to take a bath, not because he didn’t want to take a dirty dog home, but because he was worried about how much blood there was in that dog fur. Now his fur was so soft, so cute to pat him…

Even Shen Qingqiu’s voice sounded different when he returned to his normal form, not that he wasn’t already used to hearing a different sound coming from his mouth. He stood up, grabbing the robe he kept near the door and putting it on. “I’ll be right back, wait for me, okay?” and he headed to the bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. Out of curiosity, he turned around and saw that the puppy was trying to follow him — in fact, trying. Binghe’s legs were so short and he was still injured, so it took him a while to walk, but he seemed so happy and hyperactive that he kept trying to jump to avoid being separated from his new owner. He did it in such a clumsy way that at one point, he tripped and rolled over but got up right away as if nothing had happened. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Be careful, Binghe, you won’t heal soon if you keep doing it.”

He knew the dog wouldn't understand, but it seemed too cruel to not talk to him.

“Where should I put your bed… And your food? Hm… I think I’ll leave everything in the living room; maybe I can move the bed to my room when it’s time to sleep…”

Shen Qingqiu’s house wasn’t exactly very large. Not because he couldn’t afford a big house, he just didn’t want to live in a place where he’d spend most of his time walking from one place to another. It had everything he needed, and although it had several rooms, he mostly alternated between the same three: the bedroom, the living room, and the office (that was also a library).

When he looked at Binghe, he noticed that the puppy seemed a bit tired, probably still weak from his condition. After changing into comfortable clothes, Shen Qingqiu looked out the window; it must have been around eight o'clock at night, not the best time to sleep, but…

“Do you want to lie down with me?” he asked, kneeling to pick up Binghe in his hands and place him on the bed. The puppy was so small that seeing him on the bed made him look like a plush toy decorating it. Shen Qingqiu laughed at the thought and lay down next to him. The little dog seemed to enjoy the soft comfort of the bed, turning around a few times before settling down comfortably, very close to Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t plan to sleep, but he stayed there watching Binghe until the little dog closed his eyes and finally seemed to drift off into a peaceful sleep. Before he realized it, Shen Qingqiu had fallen asleep as well.

Chapter Text

[ 三 ]

Shen Qingqiu was a weird guy.  

Or, to put it in better words, Shen Qingqiu was a weird vampire .  

When Shang Qinghua first met Shen Qingqiu in the early days of the internet’s rise, Shang Qinghua was just an ordinary human with an exorbitant passion for supernatural literature. He had barely started publishing his works on forums and websites when he gained his first fan-hater online stalker, who he later discovered was Shen Qingqiu. According to Shen Qingqiu himself, he got “so pissed off with Shang Qinghua’s sloppiness and ignorance” because that author had enormous wasted potential. Due to this, after spending an entire week writing the harshest critics, complaining on forums about the works, and staying chronically online for days just to talk about the horrible things he had read, Shen Qingqiu still would say that Shang Qinghua was his favorite author. Favorite author??? Imagine if he was his most hated one!

Real-world-inspired novels always left many gaps to be filled, and Shen Qingqiu seemed particularly offended by these gaps. Ok. Shang Qinghua could understand people being annoyed by it; the problem is that Shang Qinghua didn’t write about real world, he wrote about the supernatural, monsters, myths and everything you couldn’t find outside fiction! Shen Qingqiu was quite an exotic reader; after all, he complained about a mystical universe as if it were real! Shang Qinghua still remembered that, in the middle of an argument in the comment section with that guy, he ended up saying: “ with this stupid way you talk, it is like if witches, vampires, werewolves, demons, and all that crap actually existed!”

A few hours later, Shang Qinghua received a rather snobbish reply. 

Blah, blah blah, I'm a university professor of literature. Blah, blah, blah, my PhD was on Gothic literature. Blah, blah, blah, the way you turn Frankenstein into cheap, erotic literature is an offense to Mary Shelley. Blah, blah, blah, more PhDs in history and linguistics. Blah, blah, blah, Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson. And as if he weren't satisfied with discussing famous European literary representations, he also commented about Zhiguai, Chuanqi, and their Taoist and Buddhist influences, and how Shang Qinghua mixed all of that into a cauldron that ended up as a mess offensive bestiary to all existing literary schools. Then, he highlighted something that always particularly offended him, which was when Shang Qinghua decided to work with Jiangshis, because what Shang Qinghua did was view a millennia-old Chinese myth as if he were watching "From Dusk Till Dawn"; and that it was up to him to choose whether to write Wuxia stories with elements typical of the mythology involving that universe or Gothic literature with Dungeons & Dragons creatures; or if he wanted to, delve deeper into narrative construction. At least, pay attention to the terms. Where on earth do you see, in a story set in the Song Dynasty, cultivators using the term "mermaid" to refer to aquatic hauntings?! (the worst part is that they were clearly Yurens, but Shang Qinghua treated them as mermaids!) — all because Shang Qinghua wanted to have a cultivator sleep with a hot, seductive mermaid!

And as if the text weren't long enough, it was followed by three paragraphs discussing all the supposed flaws in worldbuilding and representation of supernatural elements.

Shang Qinghua hadn’t even finished reading the entire comment before furiously pounding his fingers on the keyboard, “THIS. IS. FICTION. NONE. OF. THIS. IS. REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Everything was real.

Something that Shang Qinghua had discovered by accident, when Shen Qingqiu had to save his ass after he offended a significant portion of the supernatural community with his dubious popular novels. Who would have thought they’d feel so insulted that they’d try to take his head! Never in a million years did Shang Qinghua think he’d be attacked by demons while returning from the convenience store, carrying some instant noodles and energy drinks for an intense writing marathon. Much less did he imagine being saved by a brutal vampire in such a disgusting scene (involving said vampire dismembering those demons as if they were insects) that it made him faint from horror. And if the situation couldn’t get any more unusual, he woke up in a fancy house, discovering that the vampire who had saved him was actually that Peerless Cucumber reader!  

Later, Shang Qinghua found out that all this involved a strange phase of his life, getting involved with a cryptozoology community and finding some silly books and stories that he used as inspiration but… weren’t exactly that silly and… he kind of accidentally messed with the other side by meddling with things he shouldn’t have and… Long story short, Shang Qinghua remained an idiot, but it was undeniable that his fictions were like a butterfly effect on reality.  

Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua had an unusual friendship, indeed!  

So, almost two decades ago, after Shang Qinghua waking up in his reader’s bed after almost dying, Shen Qingqiu said something that night about being a centuries-old vampire, powerful, who in his time had subdued many cities, many peoples; that he was a butcher, driven by negative feelings of envy and the tragedies that preceded his life. Shang Qinghua laughed so hard at that moment that he was left breathless and fainted again. When he woke up, he continued to laugh. Shen Qingqiu identified himself online as Peerless Cumcuber, was wearing a Fullmetal Alchemist t-shirt, was playing Starcraft on the computer before Shang Qinghua woke up, spent most of his day arguing on online forums, and had a shelf full of girl figures from anime and games. There was no way Shang Qinghua would believe his words! Shang Qinghua believed all the whole part about him being a vampire, but did Shen Qingqiu really expect him to believe that this man was like a monster from a Hollywood movie about Dracula or Vlad the Impaler?! Never!!!

No, no, in fact, over the years, Shang Qinghua began to understand that Shen Qingqiu had been a much worse monster than he had said.  

(Oh, and in fact, Shang Qinghua now was like some sort of a magician-sorcerer-witch-alchemist-scientist-fangshi Merlin/Gandalf/Harry Potter/Saruman or Balthazhar Blake — Nicolas Cage was hot in that movie. Who would have thought this would happen? Not Shang Qinghua, for sure.)

Anyone seeing Shen Qingqiu sprawled on the couch like that, wearing printed pajamas, drinking soda with one hand while eating a hamburger (?!) with the other, while watching Shang Qinghua play Baldur’s Gate 3 on his PS5 would never think that this slacker had been one of the most… (perhaps the greatest) powerful, genocidal, cruel, and sadistic vampires history had ever seen. And whenever Shang Qinghua made a point to remind him of this, he would just wave his hand and say: the past is the past. He had no shame whatsoever! And now, he even dishonored his entire lineage by delighting in a hamburger, and to make matters worse, Shang Qinghua was almost certain he had slipped human blood between the meat and cheese as if it were a sauce. Gross, gross, gross.  

But at the moment, what intrigued Shang Qinghua the most wasn’t how strange Shen Qingqiu was, but rather his new dog!

"Bro," he said, not pausing the game, instinctively handling the turn-based battle (Shang Qinghua had completed this game so many times it had become second nature to him). "Your dog is growling at me again."

The three weeks following Binghe’s arrival were particularly tranquil. Every time Shen Qingqiu went out to teach at the university, he felt a pang in his heart for leaving the little dog alone for so long (making a mental note to only teach one course next semester, after all, money was not a problem for him). However, it was so satisfying and heartwarming when he returned home and saw his little dog bouncing and leaping with joy at having him back.

But Shen Qingqiu noticed that his dog tended to be somewhat aggressive towards other people, especially if they got too close to Shen Qingqiu. It was as if that fluffy ball of fur wanted to protect his owner, and Shen Qingqiu found that very cute.

"He’s not used to visitors," Shen Qingqiu explained, licking his lips, knowing he would regret eating that burger in the next morning. Shang Qinghua didn’t even try to stop him anymore. He was forcing human food into a stomach that couldn’t digest it, which usually resulted in Shen Qingqiu spending the entire day in bed feeling pain and discomfort as if he had just escaped a battle where he had almost been killed at least seven times. But he couldn’t help it; he got tired of always his diet being red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, with the incredible options varying between eight blood types throughout all the hundreds of years he had lived. Human food had so much variety, so many options, such delicious tastes, and such pleasant textures on his palate. Ah, it was so good it was worth indulging in these junk foods and spending the entire following day in agony and suffering. Hence, Shang Qinghua often compared him to lactose intolerant people.

"I swear if he bites me, I’m never coming here again!" Shang Qinghua threatened, even though Shen Qingqiu knew it wasn’t true. Sometimes, Shang Qinghua seemed to think of that house as a second floor of his own residence.

"Binghe won’t bite you. He’s a good boy, isn’t he?" Shen Qingqiu licked his fingers to remove the burger grease and petted Binghe, who was by his side. That dog was so clingy, not that it was a problem, but it was amazing how he literally followed Shen Qingqiu everywhere.

As soon as he was called a good boy, he stopped growling and began wagging his tail happily.

Shang Qinghua rolled his eyes. 

"Don’t you think this dog is strange?"

"Can you go ten minutes without calling my dog weird? First, you criticized his name, then—"

"But who names their dog ‘Cold River’ instead of something cute? He looks like a little cushion or a teddy bear; those would be much better names!" Realizing he had strayed from his main point, Shang Qinghua quickly composed himself. "No, I’m saying he’s too well-mannered and obedient for a puppy. He seems to understand everything you say and never disobeys you. And have you seen how much he eats? Where does he put all that food? Look at his size!"

"You’re not planning to dissect Binghe’s brain for study purposes, are you?"

Completely oblivious to the topic of conversation, Binghe rubbed against Shen Qingqiu’s palm and soon went back to licking his hand. He loved it. He was probably attracted to the smell of meat left on his fingers, and Shang Qinghua tried not to think about how there was also blood sauce in that hamburger.

"I’m not going to dissect any live dog!" Shang Qinghua said, crossing his arms and emphasizing the word live . "I’m just saying there’s something strange about him and—"

Cutting him off, Shen Qingqiu used both hands to lift the little dog into the air. "This ball of fur? His greatest threat is being too cute!"

Shang Qinghua gave up arguing, contenting himself with playing the video game while listening to Binghe on the floor playing with some rubber toys. At no point did that dog seem interested in leaving Shen Qingqiu’s side.

Chapter Text

[ 四 ]

No one would need to be a genius in animal behavior to realize that little dog was very possessive. Maybe “very” is a euphemistic way to say that!

Shen Qingqiu waited a few months for that little ball of fur to grow a bit more (not that it made much of a difference in the end, he was still a very small dog) before buying a leash to take him for walks. The truth is, Binghe didn’t even need a leash; he was so well-behaved and obedient that he wouldn’t run away. But he was so happy when wearing the leash that Shen Qingqiu couldn’t deny him that. Shen Qingqiu had never seen a dog so delighted to wear a leash like his puppy. At least once per day, Binghe would always grab the leash himself and bring it to Shen Qingqiu, his little tail wagging as if he were saying “Walk!” with those adorable eyes, spinning around and hopping while his “woof, woof” seemed to beg to go outside. And who was Shen Qingqiu to say no?

But Binghe wasn’t as well-behaved as he seemed; whenever they approached someone, he would start growling. Shen Qingqiu was convinced that it was because that little black ball of fur had suffered abuse from humans before, and except for his owner, he was wary of letting anyone else get close. So, whenever they walked together in parks or on the streets, Shen Qingqiu would try to avoid getting too close to other people, which seemed to make the little dog very happy (to walk alone with his owner). Strangely, Binghe never paid any attention to other dogs that came near — if they even approached at all!

It seemed that even the giant stray dogs didn’t want to get close to them, which made Shen Qingqiu wonder if it had something to do with his vampiric energy. After all, he always saw dogs chasing each other, so why didn’t any of them want to come near Binghe? He would even joke with the little dog, saying that this way, he wouldn’t have any friends to play with him.

In a way, it was a good thing because if a dog walking with its owner in the park got too close, Binghe would start barking at the owner as well, just like he did with anyone who dared come within half a meter of his owner.

Shen Qingqiu was generally quite tolerant of this… until…

Shen Qingqiu was a university professor; teaching was his passion, and being able to do research made it even better. Throughout his long life, he had worked in various fields, and at the moment, he was enjoying teaching literature. One of his current research involved a lengthy project on history, linguistics, art, and even archaeology, focusing on ancient Chinese writings on bamboo. For this, he relied on the help of a group of students he was mentoring, among them, one of his most dedicated students: Gongyi Xiao.

Shen Yuan's academic career was impressive. Not as impressive as Shen Qingqiu's academic career — but how could he flaunt all his discoveries, research, books written, and the influential people he had taught without revealing that he was over a thousand years old? Shen Yuan was quite respected in the academic field, both in China and internationally (something that even led to international trips and work opportunities for Shen Qingqiu). Theoretically in his almost thirties, Shen Yuan had already accumulated two PhDs and was working on his third, while teaching only one undergraduate course at the university (he usually taught more, but decided to use this semester to focus on his graduate students and spend time with his dog — Shen Qingqiu was simply loving being a pet dad!). He was supervising three students in their respective PhDs, as they had research interests similar to his.

Gongyi Xiao was, in fact, his best student. He had graduated young, was dedicated, hardworking, and quickly completed his master's degree, and now he was pursuing his PhD. Shen Qingqiu had theories that Gongyi Xiao had chosen his research area specifically to align with Shen Qingqiu, given that he had already noticed how much Gongyi Xiao enjoyed attending his classes — during his undergraduate studies, Gongyi Xiao always chose the courses that Shen Yuan taught. So, academically speaking, Shen Qingqiu grew very close to that student, impressed by his dedication and commitment to his studies.

It wasn’t the first time he had invited Gongyi Xiao to his home so they could work together on the research. (It was adorable how Gongyi Xiao would be so happy in Shen Qingqiu’s personal library, admiring a splendid collection of books — imagine if he had seen Shen Qingqiu’s secret library, he would become crazy!). However, it was the first time Shen Qingqiu did this after starting to take care of Binghe. He expected Binghe to be in a bad mood but didn’t expect it to be so much that it would embarrass him.

“I’m sorry about my dog; he’s a bit wary of other people.” Shen Qingqiu tried to hold Binghe in his arms and pet him to calm him down, but he wouldn’t stop barking and growling at Gongyi Xiao, squirming in Shen Qingqiu’s arms as if he wanted to fly at that student, despite being scolded at least four times.

“Don’t worry, Shen Laoshi.” At this, Binghe barked even louder. “Puppies are naturally jealous and possessive. Don’t worry, little one, I’m not going to steal your owner!” Gongyi Xiao moved a little closer but hearing the high-pitched growl from that tiny dog, who, despite his small size, seemed determined to attack him, he backed away.

Shen Qingqiu sighed. “Binghe, if you don’t stop, I’ll have to lock you up!”

And, as expected, he didn’t stop. “Can you get his bed for me? With some of his toys, I’ll lock him in my room for a while so we can work on the research.”

Binghe kept barking until he was left on the floor of the room with his bed and some toys that he liked to squeeze to get Shen Qingqiu’s attention. But instead of playing, he was still growling at the visitor. Shen Qingqiu, tired of hearing this for so long, knelt down and looked at him with a disappointed expression. “You’ve been a very bad puppy, you know that?” He then closed the door, leaving him alone in the room. He hadn’t even taken a step when he heard the puppy crying on the other side, his little paws scratching the door as if he wanted to get out.

A part of Shen Qingqiu’s heart ached to do this; it seemed so cruel, but he couldn’t work on his research with Binghe acting that way. Next time, it might be better to try using his office at the university for this.

Three hours later, they finished the work they had been doing. Shen Qingqiu usually offered to take Gongyi Xiao back to his home, but concerned about his dog, he only offered money for his student to take a taxi, which Gongyi Xiao initially refused but eventually accepted after Shen Qingqiu's insistence. Returning to his room, Shen Qingqiu carried some treats in his hand, and as soon as he opened the door, Binghe jumped on him and began bouncing and spinning between his legs while barking.

“Calm down, calm down, little one. I’m here. I didn’t abandon you.” Shen Qingqiu might have visited Binghe during breaks, but he didn’t want the dog to understand that he could growl and bark at anyone and get away with it. “Did you learn your lesson?” he asked, handing the treat, a dog cookie, to Binghe. The little dog seemed uninterested, more focused on licking Shen Qingqiu’s hand than on that treat. “Ah, I’m sure you didn’t…”

Oh. That was strange. Shen Qingqiu thought he had tidied the bed before, but the sheets were messed up as if someone had been lying there. He probably just forgot to make the bed properly…

But whatever, that was okay. Shen Qingqiu knew his pet’s behavior, but even so, it didn’t stop him from bringing a stranger into his home.

[ 五 ]

Shen Qingqiu had been so focused on his research project, work, and taking care of a needy dog like Binghe that he had hardly spent any time on himself. He had even been drinking less fresh blood (disheartened by the idea of going out to hunt and leaving Binghe alone at home at night — especially when he already left Binghe alone during the morning and part of the afternoon), relying on blood bags that were nowhere near satisfying the appetite of a voracious and powerful vampire like him. Another part of him that sought attention was his libido; it had been months since he had had sex, and although he wasn’t a person who was particularly driven by that, he felt a bit needy.

During over a thousand years of life, Shen Qingqiu has had several relationships and marriages (which, except for one case, were not really about passion, but convenience — he doesn’t fall in love easily). Sex had become somewhat mundane in his life, something enjoyable that he liked to indulge in from time to time, and he saw nothing wrong with it. Even so, occasionally, he still craved that pleasure. He had gotten used to settling for sex with strangers. It was something he had to deal with, as he knew that involving too many emotions would make it dangerous. Anything that bordered on intensity was a bit concerning. It was often thought that the older the vampire, the more controlled and responsible they would be, but not for Shen Qingqiu, who had a long life filled with traumas to torment him, and perhaps, in his younger years (centuries?), his relentless pursuit of power had broken him a bit. The result was obvious, and now his older self had a very varied temperament, especially when it involved an empty stomach.

But… it was all right. Shen Qingqiu had drunk a delicious bag of blood he had stored in his personal stash before leaving the house that morning, something capable of sustaining him for a good while due to its nutritious quality. He was neglecting his need desire for fresh blood a bit, but he really didn't want to deal with all that "murder, dirty clothes, hiding a body, blah, blah, blah" stuff (he was just lazy!). So… so it was fine to indulge in getting close to someone, after all, he was a bit lonely and wanted to feel pleasure (what's wrong with that?)

So, when he came across a handsome guy, there was a vibe, some flirting and charm, and he quickly took the man to his home. 

He opened the door with kisses, caresses, and a few more suggestive touches, and once inside, pushed the man onto the sofa, sat on his lap, grinding against him, murmuring sweet things in his ear, and shivering with his touches. Shen Qingqiu even forgot about his little dog for a moment. Until he heard Binghe’s barking. Ah… that…

“Uh… Shen Yuan, your dog is fucking noisy,” the man complained, rolling his eyes.

Shen Qingqiu sighed, pulling away from the man’s kiss. “He’s not good with visitors.”

“Well, we just need to lock him in some place, right?”

Shen Qingqiu sighed again. Knowing Binghe, he would scratch at the door wanting to come in. “I’d have to lock him in the kitchen, but…”

“But…?”

“He’s been alone all day. I was working and then at the bar with you. I don’t think he’s ever been away from me for this long. I’m afraid-”

“Damn, Shen Yuan, he’s just a dog. He’s not going to be thinking about that stuff.” The man moved closer to Shen Qingqiu, smiling, holding his waist, and bringing their faces together to kiss him again. “Or are you going to tell me that Shen Yuan would rather babysit a dog than have me-”

That man couldn’t finish what he was saying because he let out a scream. A piercing scream that, if it weren’t for the very good soundproofing of his house and the fact that the houses were far apart on that street, the neighbors might have heard. “That dog bit my hand!”

Shen Qingqiu was shocked, his eyes widening as he stared at Binghe, who had finally stopped growling. The dog was sitting on the sofa, licking his mouth while his tail wagged frantically. That fluffy ball of fur had never bitten anyone to the point of hurt a lot; He only growled. Maybe he wanted to bite, but he was well-behaved and knew he shouldn’t do that (Ok, sometimes he let some little bites in Shang Qinghua, but Shen Qingqiu always says he was just giving happy kisses! They didn’t even bleed.)

“Let me see. You must be exaggerating and-” he wanted to add that Binghe was just playing and trying to give him a kiss (after all, it wasn’t the first time Binghe had given a somewhat aggressive kiss that involved his teeth).

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened even more. Binghe hadn’t just bitten a part of the man's hand; it looked like he had tried to tear it off. The bleeding wouldn’t stop, and the flesh was visible from how deep the bite was. It was still small due to Binghe’s small mouth, but if he were a larger dog, that man would surely be missing some fingers, and maybe even his hand. How could… that little dog have a strong bite like that?

Blood…

The delicious scent of blood filled the air. It had been a while since Shen Qingqiu had smelled fresh blood, the blood still pulsing through a body, so pure and tasty compared to that packaged crap that seemed more like an industrial product. Shen Qingqiu often forgot how good live blood was, blood from someone with a beating heart — he always forgot, until he smelled it again or tasted it on his palate and was swept away by that craving, that need . It was mouthwatering, making him salivate. It had been so… so long… since he had drunk something fresh, something delicious… He had no idea how much he craved it until he was reminded at that moment. It felt like he had been on a torturous diet for months and suddenly someone had taken him to a candy store, shoved a delicious tray of treats in his face, and said he could eat as much as he wanted.

How… How could he resist? He was only a vampire, after all.

The man was too concerned with the pain in his hand to notice Shen Qingqiu’s eyes turning red, his hair growing, and his face slowly changing. There was so much blood flowing, dripping on them, staining the sofa, so much blood wasted…

And it had been so long since Shen Qingqiu had drunk fresh blood…

That man didn’t even have time to react before feeling a firm, hard hand pressing against his mouth, muffling his scream; even so, he let out horrified shrieks when his remaining hand was torn apart by sharp fangs and saw Shen Qingqiu devouring his hand as if it were a treat. Terror swept through his whole body as he tried to futilely struggle against someone who seemed a hundred times stronger than him. Shen Qingqiu finally pulled away from his hand, his lips covered in blood, seeing no other option but to attack his neck, not on the sides, but right in the center, brutally tearing his vocal cords so he couldn’t scream. Horrified, the man couldn’t do anything against the strength of that creature.

Shen Qingqiu threw him to the ground, climbed on top of him, and savored his body as if he were a starving animal. The sounds he made while drinking were anything but elegant, and he didn’t seem to care about the moments when the man managed to struggle enough to kick or hit him (as if the man’s physical efforts only tickled him). When the man was too weak to react, Shen Qingqiu took the opportunity to reposition himself, pulling his body to sit beside him and continued to drink, drink, and drink. For an ancient and powerful vampire like Shen Qingqiu, thirst was a difficult curse to satisfy, and now he simply couldn’t stop. The carpet was completely ruined by the decapitated body on the floor, creating a pool of blood. The wide, frightened eyes of the corpse seconds before death marked all the desperation felt as a fierce beast devoured him.

Shen Qingqiu was brought back to reality when he heard the sound of a rubber toy being squeezed. He turned to the sofa, seeing that Binghe was jumping from one side of the sofa to the other, playing with a rubber bone. When Binghe noticed Shen Qingqiu looking at him, he stared at him for a few seconds before lying down and turning his belly up, asking for affection.

Shen Qingqiu let out a nasal laugh, and stood up, his body covered in blood, and even so, he tried to wipe his hands on his already ruined clothes. “Want some affection, huh?” he asked rhetorically, only hearing a little joyful bark from the puppy. With his hand as clean as possible, he rubbed Binghe’s belly while the fluffy ball seemed to smile. He stuck out his little tongue to try to lick Shen Qingqiu’s hand, which he immediately pulled back, hearing a whining from the spoiled little dog.

He then looked at the mess on the floor. It would be a lot of work to clean up, but he couldn’t deny that he was satisfied. “Sorry for making you see this.” he said, even though his dog didn’t seem to care at all. At no point did Binghe appear to be scared.

Killing was like a second nature to Shen Qingqiu. In his early centuries of life, he had no regard for human life and could easily commit genocide without any remorse. Over time, he began to adapt better to the concept of humanity, becoming what some might call "a better person" and even developed an affection for humans. They were entertaining, so to speak, cute and amusing. He enjoyed teaching people, liked to engage in good deeds as if they could absolve him of his past cruelties. But in the end, his nature prevailed. He felt no remorse or guilt about killing a human. It was just how things were. In the end, he was like a farmer who raised pigs, cows, and chickens, and although he liked the animals, he enjoyed even more the delicious feast he would have when he slaughtered them.

Perhaps… in a somewhat more violent way. Shen Qingqiu could not entirely deny that sadism stemming from a more cruel personality he once had.

That night, Shen Qingqiu was afraid to let Binghe climb into his bed to sleep next to him, as if fearing he might lose control again and hurt someone. So, he moved the little ladder he kept beside his bed for Binghe to climb up and down (that dog was so small he couldn't get into bed on his own), letting him lie on the dog bed that was permanently set up in Shen Qingqiu’s room (even though... he always slept in Shen Qingqiu’s bed). He apologized to the fluffy ball, only receiving some confused “woof…?” in response and a longing look. It was a bit painful to hear Binghe whining, trying to get onto the bed, but Shen Qingqiu was scared, afraid of being so close to such a fragile creature.

During the night, he had a strange dream, where he was half-awake and there was someone sleeping beside him: a handsome and naked man with a slight smile on his lips, even though his appearance was somewhat confusing to remember. Shen Qingqiu did remember a hand stroking his hair, so comfortable, so relaxing. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he wasn’t surprised to find his bed empty — it had all been a dream, of course (he was expecting to have sex, he couldn’t have, so why not his mind remind of him making him dream with a gorgeous man in his bed?).

He looked at the floor, seeing that Binghe wasn’t in his dog bed, and instantly became worried. But when he looked at the corner of the bed, he saw that the little dog was trying to climb onto the high bed, attempting to use the blanket to pull himself up…

“Binghe…” Shen Qingqiu approached the edge of the bed and stretched out his hands to pick up the dog, who began barking happily as soon as he received attention. “I guess I have no choice, do I?”

The fluffy ball licked his hand and, once placed on the surface of the bed, began jumping from side to side and spinning in circles. Shen Qingqiu laughed and lay back down, smiling once more at the sight of Binghe settling down too, before closing his eyes.

Chapter Text

[ 六 ]

After a lot of months under Shen Qingqiu’s care, Binghe finally began to accept Shang Qinghua's presence in Shen Qingqiu's house (by this point, it was as if Binghe owned the house as much as Shen Qingqiu did). As the months passed, Binghe growled less and less at their visitor. After many failed attempts (resulting in a collection of bites that Shang Qinghua had acquired — but Shen Qingqiu would swear they were kisses from the little dog), he finally managed to earn Binghe's affection. He admitted it was cute to play with the little dog or pet him when he wasn't growling or threatening others.

"What are you thinking?" Shen Qingqiu asked, noticing something seemed to be weighing on Shang Qinghua's mind (he always had a very typical expression when he was deep in thought).

They were in the kitchen, while Shen Qingqiu made popcorn to eat while watching a movie. Even though Shen Qingqiu probably wouldn't eat more than a handful of popcorn, the large amount was entirely meant for Shang Qinghua and his husband.

Who, at that moment, was being intensely stared at by Shang Qinghua (he was, in a not-so-discreet manner, leaning against the kitchen door and trying to stay hidden so as not to be noticed by the man sitting on the living room couch — but his attempts had certainly been in vain).

"What does he have that I don’t?" he asked, crossing his arms, and Shen Qingqiu had to look to understand what his friend was talking about.

So, Shen Qingqiu saw an adorable scene in his living room. His tiny little dog was bouncing back and forth around Mobei Jun. It was the first time he had seen Binghe get along so well with someone like that — which was surprising, considering that it was probably the first time he had seen Binghe get along with anyone! He usually stayed quiet and obedient when Shen Qingqiu took him to the vet or for a bath and a haircut, but to the point of playing and having fun? This was indeed the first time. Shen Qingqiu’s heart softened, and he found himself smiling happily as he watched Binghe having so much fun while Mobei Jun dangled a little toy that the fluffy ball of fur was trying to catch.

“Well, lots of muscles, a smooth face, hair that would make many women jealous, huge pecs...” After one last glance at Shang Qinghua, with a smile on his face, Shen Qingqiu added, “And, knowing you well, probably a dick twice the size of yours.”

Shang Qinghua almost jumped back. “How do you know?!”

Shen Qingqiu widened his eyes, staring at his friend in utter disbelief. “I... I didn't know!”

Oh.

Oh...

Whatever!

Shang Qinghua turned a bit to hide his embarrassment. “Alright, alright, I already know all that stuff, I created Mobei Jun to be that hot. But that’s not what I’m talking about!” He turned back, facing his best friend. “Why did it take six months for Binghe to let me pet him, and now, after my king comes here once, your dog already wants to play with him!?”

While Shang Qinghua was Shen Qingqiu's best friend, he wasn’t exactly that close to Shang Qinghua’s husband. Sure, they had interacted several times and could even be considered friends, but it’s not like Shen Qingqiu had a long list of friends to begin with. Especially now that Mobei Jun had decided to start an international relations degree at college — because, apparently, he lacked hobbies other than spending all day listening to Shang Qinghua talk about the books he wrote —, which kept him busier. Although he occasionally visited alongside Shang Qinghua, Mobei Jun’s presence in Shen Qingqiu’s house wasn’t that frequent, and even less so now that he had taken Binghe in.

Shen Qingqiu had actually been worried that Binghe might feel even more uncomfortable with Mobei Jun’s presence, so for the longest time, only Shang Qinghua came to visit. Once it became clear that Binghe started to like Shang Qinghua, they decided it would be okay for Mobei Jun to visit as well, figuring Binghe would only hate one visitor instead of two. Little did they know that Binghe would actually like Mobei Jun!

Shen Qingqiu blinked a few times, the silence in the kitchen only broken by the sound of popcorn popping.

“You’re... jealous that my dog didn’t accept you quickly?”

Of course Shang Qinghua was! Being rejected by a dog was one of the greatest insults someone could suffer. “I always thought he was crazy about everyone except you, but he liked Mobei Jun right away. And you know how my king is, he has that grumpy, intimidating face, so people usually get scared or avoid him.” It was almost funny to think about it now, seeing the scene next to them, all those who trembled at the sight of Mobei Jun would never imagine the sight he presented now: sitting on the couch, holding the tiny dog with one hand, lifting him in the air. Binghe was bouncing all over, enjoying playing with him. And Binghe was even wearing a little red bow, making that ball of fur even more adorable. If Shang Qinghua weren't so busy being indignant, he would definitely be admiring how cute his giant husband looked playing with such a tiny dog.

Realizing he had momentarily gotten distracted, he refocused on the conversation. “But all it took was for Binghe to sniff him, and they’re friends!”

Then it hit him.

“Ah! Your dog must have something for non-humans, I’m sure of it!!! This is why he loves you, likes Mobei Jun, and hates me and everyone else!”

It might make sense, if Shen Qingqiu thought about it, but it wasn’t as if... “You’ve dabbled in so much weird stuff that you can’t even consider yourself human anymore, bro. Look at you. You’ve looked the same since you got involved with mysticism two decades ago.”

Shen Qingqiu took the pot off the stove and started looking for some bowls to serve the popcorn.

“Maybe I just use really good creams.”

“Or maybe you’re addicted to rituals, sacrifices and all that witchcraft stuff.” Shen Qingqiu pointed out, fully aware that Shang Qinghua was a rare existence in the occult world. It was as if he were naturally born for it, and despite being human, the universe seemed to guide him toward that path — or, in a strange way of thinking, there was a slight impression that the universe was guided by him. “You created a creature, bro. People spend centuries studying to try to do something like that, and you just got really lonely one day, cried to me on the phone, and a few days later, you show up with a handsome demonic Frankenstein.”

“I just really, really, really wanted a boyfriend! But, in my defense, I had been working on this idea for at least a decade. Since I wrote that novel that you said would embarrass Mary Shelley!”

Ah, yes. The “accident” as they referred to it for a while. Shang Qinghua was a natural-born writer with a great talent for creating characters (though not so much for developing them). This led him to write some stories inspired by classic literature, this one in particular inspired by Frankenstein (though despite Shang Qinghua claiming to have read Mary Shelley’s work, Shen Qingqiu had his doubts about that). In the story, the protagonist, a renowned and reclusive female scientist who — if Shen Qingqiu thought about the story a little better — acted a bit like a Shang Qinghua self-insert, used all her scientific knowledge to create a monster, which ended up being Mobei Jun, who had nothing monstrous about him. He had come straight out of Shang Qinghua’s most erotic dreams! (What kind of Rocky Horror Picture Show was that?) At least half the story involved the protagonist getting… railed by that supposed abominable monster while she was totally in love calling him “ my king” (was that a specific Shang Qinghua’s kink?). That book was a huge insult to Mary Shelley! It was just a pure excuse for Shang Qinghua to write pornography!

(Despite his many complaints, Shen Qingqiu had read the entire story.)

Shang Qinghua had always been intrigued by the idea he created in that story, and after diving into the occult world, whenever he saw something about creating life , it caught his attention. But, in fact, he hadn’t been researching it for a decade like he claimed; he just had been in love with his own character for that long. One night, when he was sad and crying because “nobody loves me, nobody wants to date me, I’m a disgusting ugly rat who spends all day consuming internet pornography, why don’t I have a hot two meters muscle-bound husband to fuck me, sniff sniff ” he thought it would be a great idea to rob graves, piece together human parts, make sacrifices, and attempt forbidden magics that people spend years studying — all while stuffing himself with rice wine and instant noodles. Two days later, Shen Qingqiu had the displeasure of waking up to a message from his best friend saying: “Bro, I think I created a demon.”

The worst part? It had worked perfectly!

(Shen Qingqiu was sure that renowned sorcerers and alchemists throughout history would be rolling in their graves knowing that a lifetime of research hadn’t yielded the results that a lonely hikikomori managed to achieve in two days.)

“You literally manage to play with reality , and you still consider yourself human?” He poured the popcorn into a large bowl, grabbing a much smaller one for himself.

“Okay, okay, I’ve messed with reality a few times. But it was an accident! It’s not like...! You’re avoiding the topic!”

Shang Qinghua spoke lightly, as if it were all normal. In fact, the strange events that occurred in his life were so bizarre that he had difficulty accepting them; instead, he saw them as some sort of collective delusion! (Because thinking of it that way seemed easier than diving into the headache that exploring the core of his abilities appeared to be.)

Shen Qingqiu laughed and gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t sweat it, let’s go to the room. I picked a movie even worse than the last one you chose.”

When they got to the living room, Shang Qinghua immediately went over to his husband, craving just as much affection and love as Binghe was getting. The dog, seeing his owner approach, ran to his lap, bouncing all over. His little tail wagged, and that red bow from the pet shop made him even cuter. Shen Qingqiu had to set his popcorn bowl aside because apparently, Binghe wanted to monopolize the space in his lap.

Not that Shen Qingqiu was going to refuse.

[ 七  ]

Binghe was infinitely better than the day Shen Qingqiu had found him in that dark alley several months ago. He no longer had any injuries and was energetic and happy (with no trouble walking, easily hopping from one place to another); he had grown immensely attached to Shen Qingqiu, and the same could be said for Shen Qingqiu, who could no longer imagine waking up without that little dog licking his face in the morning.

But despite that... right now, Binghe was sulking and sad. Shen Qingqiu was desperate, unable to understand what had happened to his pup. He had taken him to the vet, and apparently, everything was fine physically, so it must be psychological, as the vet had suggested. Everything had been normal in recent days, except that…

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] I think maybe your crazy idea has some truth to it  

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] ???  

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] the one that binghe has an aversion to humans. a few days ago, I was starving, and there was a woman trying to get my attention, so I ended up giving in to her flirting, and then I drank from her. When I got home, I think I still had her scent on me, since we… ended up having sex. Ever since, Binghe has been sad and depressed around me.  

It wasn’t as if Shen Qingqiu had any qualms about discussing his sex life with Shang Qinghua in this way. After two decades of friendship, some topics had become trivial and simple; he didn’t feel much embarrassment nor thought he should.  

In fact, this was the first time Shen Qingqiu had had sex since bringing Binghe to home. He realized it was a bit complicated to bring someone to his house (especially after that incident), and he also noticed that whenever he stayed out for too long, the little puppy would get sad. It seemed like Binghe had developed a deep emotional dependency on his owner, and, well… Shen Qingqiu found it difficult not to spoil and grow attached to that little ball of fur.  

Perhaps part of him thought that the puppy’s life would be fleeting and short, and he wanted to take care of him and enjoy the time they had together. Trading that for something like a pleasurable moment of sex felt strange. The current situation had only happened because it coincided with Shen Qingqiu’s need to feed — he had already planned to drink from her, so seduction happened, and to make her more relaxed and distracted when Shen Qingqiu attacked, why not fulfill her desire to go to bed with him?

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] ??????????  

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] but it’s not like it’s the first time you’ve fed since getting binghe right? or have u been starving this whole time?

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] no, no, it’s not the first time i’ve fed, but it’s the first time i’ve done it during sex

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] actually, it’s the first time i’ve had sex since i got binghe.  

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] I must have kept a really strong scent of hers.  

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] grats, bro, ur dog has some crazy skills and can smell the diff between humans and non-humans

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] …

Shen Qingqiu sighed, turning off his phone and looking at the back seat. Normally, Binghe liked to sit in the passenger seat, right next to Shen Qingqiu. And he was so well-behaved that, while most dogs seemed to want to jump out the window, he would always sit quietly in the seat, waiting until they arrived. Now, he didn’t even seem to want to sit near Shen Qingqiu…

They had just left the vet, and indeed, there was nothing physically wrong with him. He wasn’t even eating properly anymore, and he had always been very greedy, but for the past two days, Shen Qingqiu had been trying to force-feed him, and when he did eat, it was only a little. He wasn’t playing either; he just lay in a corner doing nothing. Even when Shen Qingqiu came home from work, Binghe wouldn’t come to greet him.

As Shen Qingqiu passed through a commercial area of the city, he decided that maybe it was a good idea to buy some treats or a new toy for Binghe (even though he already had several); perhaps that would help distract him.

“Stay here, I’ll be right back, okay? Will you behave?” Shen Qingqiu joked with a little smile on his face. No matter how much time passed, he’d never get tired of talking to his puppy as if he were a person who’d understand him.  

But Binghe didn’t even move his little head.  

Shen Qingqiu sighed and parked the car in a quieter spot so the street noise wouldn’t bother Binghe, then walked to the nearby pet shop that usually stayed open late.  

Binghe remained curled up in the back seat, showing no interest in jumping to the front seat where he usually liked to sit (just to be closer to Shen Qingqiu). He stayed wrapped up in his own fur, waiting for Shen Qingqiu to return, until he heard some noises less than a minute after his owner left.  

“Damn, this Mercedes is too nice,” one of the men said, very close to the car, then looked around to see if anyone was nearby.  

“That guy who was in it went to the shops; he might take a while. This car must be worth a lot, don’t you think?”  

Binghe lifted his eyes to see the faces of the two men but quickly shrank back into the back seat, he was not seeming too worried.  

“Think you can break in?”  

It was getting dark, and the street was already a bit dim, with few people around the square, especially in the spot where Shen Qingqiu had parked. Binghe didn’t flinch when he heard a loud bang against the car window. “I can’t. This window is more resistant than a normal one.”

“We could wait for that guy to come back and threaten him. He’s a big fish.”  

Binghe’s ears perked up, and he turned his gaze towards them.  

“Did you see the watch he was wearing? If we get the car keys, the watch, and his phone, we’re set. There’s a quiet alley nearby that he’ll probably pass through; we just need to knife him and grab his stuff.”  

Seeming to agree with the idea, the other man nodded, and they moved away from the car.  

Shen Qingqiu did the shopping as usual, already recognized by the shop attendants due to his frequent visits (they always thought he had four dogs with the amount of food he bought — how could he explain that he had a tiny fur ball who ate like a pitbull?!)  

Once he had the bags and was ready to head back to his car, Shen Qingqiu was approached by two people who, before he could even ask what was going on, pointed a knife at him.  

Shen Qingqiu wasn’t too worried, just sighing and looking around. Okay… security cameras.  

He raised his hands, still holding the bag with things for Binghe. “What do you want?” he asked, curtly, as the two men stared at him.  

Shen Qingqiu could easily snap the necks of those two men or react in a more violent way. But there were security cameras on the street; he could see that, and if he reacted too dramatically, it could complicate things for him. Maybe he just needed to wait for the right moment to escape and defend himself in a more “gym-going human” way and less like “a thousand-year-old powerful vampire.” Plus, there was a knife pointed at him. Not that Shen Qingqiu was afraid of a knife wound; he just didn’t want to get his clothes dirty with blood. He really liked them!  

He knew that driving a fancy car, wearing brand-name jackets, expensive watches, and some jewel-encrusted accessories drew attention. Oh, it definitely did. What was Shen Qingqiu’s fault if he cared about his appearance and how he carried himself? It was one of the reasons Shang Qinghua called him a “rich lady.” He didn’t particularly mind being robbed. He’d been robbed a few times in his life, and after having hundreds of years and a satisfying amount of money, it became somewhat superficial. If they wanted his watch, fine, he could give it. The necklace? Sure, it’s all theirs. The phone was a bit more complicated, though, because then Shen Qingqiu would have to deal with the hassle of changing the number, dealing with banks, buying a new one, downloading all the apps… oh, what a pain!  

What he couldn’t do, however, was ruin Shen Yuan’s image. Supernatural creatures were known to humans; they couldn’t not be, after millennia of damage they’d done to human society. They were, however, banned from society. You could be a vampire, but you just wouldn’t let people know about it. That’s why many people preferred to live in supernatural communities, isolated neighborhoods that protected themselves and were more accepted. If it was discovered that Shen Yuan was a vampire, the entire life he had built for himself would be ruined, and he’d have to start over. Even so, it would be painful to see all his research and achievements thrown away and looked down upon just because he was a vampire.  

(And a bloodthirsty killer.)  

“Move over there!” The men shoved Shen Qingqiu toward the alley. Their hands were shaking; they must have been nervous. Shen Qingqiu thought that in their minds, trying to deal with him in a more private place away from people passing by would be better than just grabbing his wallet and running. They probably wanted him to unlock his phone and hand it over, and they’d also want him to empty all his pockets, take off his expensive watch, the chain he was wearing, maybe even his jacket! So Shen Qingqiu did like they said (how could a mere human defends himself from a knife so close to him?), walking slowly into the alley while keeping an eye on the nearby security cameras.  

Shen Qingqiu had spent many years building a good image for Shen Yuan. He couldn’t let headlines the next day say that Shen Yuan survived a knife attack and defended himself against two men with his bare hands. Who would believe that a literature professor could do that?  

“Hmm… Is this really him you saw getting out of that car?”  

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened. Were they eyeing his car? Had they followed him because of it? Alright, Shen Qingqiu knew he had a car that drew some attention, just not enough to make them want to rob him in broad daylight. Shen Qingqiu definitely didn’t care about his car, but about who was inside it.  

“Come on!” The man said louder, sounding impatient. He was nervous, as Shen Qingqiu had noticed, and in a fit of anxiety, he ended up using his hands to push Shen Qingqiu to make him walk faster. Aware that the camera was recording, Shen Qingqiu intentionally fell to the ground.  

But before he could even get himself back up, ready to lead the men further in to handle them, Shen Qingqiu heard a fierce growl and looked back to see… a magnificent creature.  

Behind him, perched on a nearby rooftop, was a massive wolf, growling, with glowing red eyes and sharp teeth. It was staring intently at the two muggers, and by the look, that creature seemed hungry .

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

[ 九 ]

Shen Qingqiu was flipping through a book when he heard "Shizun?" and was startled, almost falling out of his chair. 

He was in the college library, a place he usually stayed while waiting between his classes, simply because he had nothing else to do. It was a more comfortable place than being locked in his office, and he could spend the time reading a new book — when he was at home, he spent so much time reading web novels that he didn't pay much attention to traditional literature, so Shen Qingqiu tried to make up for that during his free time in the library.  

And, of course, Shen Qingqiu didn't expect to hear that voice there.

"Ah! Shizun, forgive me! I didn't mean to scare you!"  

No, that wasn't it. It was just that hearing someone call him "Shizun" out of nowhere had suddenly brought back very strong memories all at once. He turned to where the voice came from, confirming what he thought: it was A-Luo.  

"A-Luo. You found me." His voice sounded calm, gentle, as he set the book down on the table. The boy seemed a bit embarrassed.  

He knew that boy could have access to Shen Yuan’s schedule of classes, but it was… kind of strange how he knew that Shen Qingqiu was in the library at this exact moment.

"Some of your students told me that you usually stay in the library during the break between the classes you teach. It wasn't very hard to find you."  

Despite the fact the library was huge…? And… wait, how did he know who Shen Qingqiu’s students were? Did he go asking every student he saw until finding someone who knew about Shen Laoshi’s habits? No… that would be very crazy for someone to do — and a kind of creepy stalking behavior, even if… Shen Qingqiu didn’t care a lot about this.

So Shen Qingqiu chose to ignore those relevant questions like: which students know that? How do you know who my students are?  

He didn’t care. "I see you managed to get into the library even though you're neither a student, teacher, nor staff member." Not only in the library, but in the main building of the college. Shen Qingqiu then closed the book and left it on the table, turning a bit more to look at A-Luo just to see him become even more embarrassed.  

"Yeah… well… about that."  

Laughing at the man's shyness, Shen Qingqiu put his finger to his own lips. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."  

A-Luo immediately seemed relieved.  

"Sit down." Shen Qingqiu nodded toward the chair in front of him, which A-Luo quickly took. "Did you get a chance to read the books I recommended last week?"  

With a proud expression on his face, the boy nodded. "Yes, I read two of them. I preferred to read slowly and carefully rather than rush through, so I didn’t manage to read the other five." He gave a small smile. "Wang Guowei’s literary criticism was interesting to read, even though I don’t have the background to fully understand what he said. I imagine that, for a literary researcher like you, it must be much more engaging. I tried doing some research to get a better grasp, but I couldn’t dive too deep. I was hoping Shizun could discuss it with me and guide me on the right way to read it."

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened. He had read two books slowly in just a week? How much free time had he dedicated to this? Could it be that, during the time they hadn’t met, the boy had spent day and night reading the books Shen Qingqiu had suggested, instead of going out and living the ordinary life any young man his age would? (Considering his appearance, Shen Qingqiu could easily imagine such a gorgeous man going out every night to enjoy himself with friends and beautiful women, not spending his Friday nights reading classics like Jin Ping Mei , Zi Bu Yu, Rulin Waishi, or Ren Jian Ci Hua.)

"To be honest, I didn’t expect you to even finish one of them. Even my students barely read them properly for their exams, even when I give them two months." Shen Qingqiu smiled, setting the book aside completely. "One of the classes I teach is literary criticism. I usually recommend that they read Wang Guowei’s literary criticism at the beginning of the semester and compare their perspective at the end. I also like to use that almost as a bibliography, using it as an excuse to delve into the works of Su Shi, Li Yu, Xin Qiji, Ouyang Xiu, and other authors. Instead of giving exams in this subject, I always assign a final paper where students choose three authors that Wang Guowei discusses in the book and then do an analysis of his literary criticism based on what they see in Ren Jian Ci Hua ."

It was like A-Luo’s eyes had a shine on them.

“Shizun would like me to do the same?”  

“No, no. You don’t need credits like my students do, but since A-Luo is interested in learning, I thought we could use Wang Guowei’s work as a foundation. After all, literary criticism is one of my favorite topics to teach.”  

A smile appeared on A-Luo’s face as he listened intently to everything Shen Qingqiu said. It made Shen Qingqiu wonder… was A-Luo interested in learning because he enjoyed academic studies, or did he just want to spend time with Shen Qingqiu… ! No! That was a ridiculous thought! Why would anyone think like that?!  

Then A-Luo did the most adorable thing: he grabbed his backpack and took out a notebook along with a beautiful case full of pencils and pens, some of them even colored. Shen Qingqiu watched as he opened the notebook, revealing a lot of notes, organized in a way that made his teacher feel a little envious. There were post-its and separated topics, though Shen Qingqiu only glanced at them (because it seemed a bit rude to stare at what A-Luo had written).  

"I made some notes that I’d like to discuss with Shizun." Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, surprised once again by the level of dedication this student had. (Who wasn’t even officially his student!) “If it’s not a bother, of course.”  

Not only had A-Luo read the books Shen Qingqiu had asked him to, but he’d put in enough effort to take detailed notes!  

“No, absolutely not.” he said, smiling, pleased with the sight. “We can discuss all of A-Luo’s questions.”

Using the books as a topic, they continued their conversation. Not enough to talk about everything in one day, so they left the rest for the next, and then for another, and so on. More books came up, more topics were discussed, and before Shen Qingqiu knew it, it became a routine to talk with A-Luo in the back of the library, where they didn’t have to worry about making noise.  

So this routine continued for weeks and weeks. 

However, studying with A-Luo in the library proved to be rather chaotic. A-Luo was stunningly handsome, like someone straight out of a movie or a fashion magazine; it was amazing how that man didn't wear any sort of commitment ring on his finger. At some point, Shen Qingqiu had jokingly asked about his relationship status, teasing that maybe A-Luo's girlfriend might get jealous if she found out he was spending all his afternoons talking to a professor. A-Luo immediately denied having a girlfriend. The thing was, that man seemed like a god of beauty, leaving people sighing and mesmerized wherever he went. As a result, every time they were together in the library, some university girl would show up about once every hour, flirting with A-Luo!

And he had no tact whatsoever when talking to women!

“Could this gege give me his number?” the girl said, all smiles — young and beautiful, probably the kind of girl many of Shen Qingqiu’s students would go crazy just thinking about talking to. She was so confident, looking at A-Luo as she spoke for the last two minutes, trying to catch his attention, but he didn’t seem to care about her at all. Ah, poor boy, he probably thought Shen Qingqiu would disapprove if he strayed from his studies to give attention to a beautiful girl talking to him. How dedicated!

She talked with confidence, getting straight to the point — most likely, as beautiful as she was, she was used to never being turned down.

But A-Luo didn’t even look at her face when he replied in a dry and blunt manner. “No.”

The girl looked confused, and now Shen Qingqiu was sure that she was not used to being told no. “Sorry...?”

What a disaster! This way, A-Luo would never get a girlfriend. Deciding to intervene, Shen Qingqiu quickly stepped in to defend his disciple. “It is because A-Luo doesn’t have a phone.”

The girl seemed a bit relieved, taking that as a justification for being rejected. “In that case, how about-”

“I’m busy, can’t you see?” A-Luo said, rude and blunt, not even bothering to look at the girl, who stared at him in disbelief. She definitely wasn’t used to being rejected. Embarrassed and flustered, she walked away, and as soon as she turned her back, A-Luo rested his elbows on the table and leaned closer to Shen Qingqiu. “Now, Shizun, can you continue telling me about Ouyang Xiu?” His eyes seemed to light up just at the thought of hearing Shen Qingqiu talk about the Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, making the cutest expression possible as he listened intently to every word Shen Qingqiu said while discussing one of the books they had recently read.

There was... something oddly pleasant about thinking how A-Luo preferred listening to Shen Qingqiu ramble on about his knowledge rather than paying attention to a beautiful girl. Shen Qingqiu convinced himself it was the satisfaction of a teacher instructing a student, though deep down, he knew it wasn’t quite that simple.

It didn’t even take twenty minutes before another girl approached them, and A-Luo dismissed her so harshly that she looked like she was about to cry right there in front of them. To avoid that, she simply ran away.

Shen Qingqiu was about to get up and go after her when A-Luo immediately asked, “Where is Shizun going?”

Holy shit. He has no idea about reading female feelings!

“I’m going to see if she’s alright.”

He didn’t expect A-Luo’s first reaction to be “Why?!”

His face showed clear confusion. Heaven knows, he probably hadn’t even been looking at the girl’s face to notice the panicked expression she had. He really had no sense of how to deal with girls who flirted with him.

“You made the girl cry... I’m going to talk to her and calm her down.” That’s when A-Luo seemed to realize what had happened, looking in the direction the girl had run. Shen Qingqiu thought he would feel a little guilty and go after the girl himself, so he could turn her down in a kinder and more polite way.

Apparently, A-Luo’s concern was something entirely different.

“Did I cause trouble for Shizun?”

Mouth slightly open in surprise, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t quite sure how to react. “That’s not it. It’s just that A-Luo was very rude and blunt in his rejection, hurting her deeply. Perhaps it would be better to talk to her and be more gentle and polite so as not to leave her heartbroken.”

And, once again, A-Luo’s concern seemed to be in a completely different place than it should be. “Did I disappoint my Shizun?”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just that I get worried and—” 

But, somewhat desperately, A-Luo interrupted, quickly blurting out his words. “I don’t like when they keep interrupting us. We already have so little time together, and then they come here, wanting me to give them attention. It’s annoying. It’s like they want to take me away from my Shizun. And so what if she’s crying?”

That’s when Shen Qingqiu realized how upset A-Luo seemed. Shen Qingqiu realized how insensitive he had been. Maybe A-Luo was tired of so many girls approaching him. It wasn’t a situation Shen Qingqiu could relate to, despite being aware of his own good looks, and perhaps A-Luo had just grown tired of it. Why was Shen Qingqiu paying more attention to the feelings of some random girl rather than to his dedicated disciple. Also, since when did Shen Qingqiu seem to care so much about other random humans? He cared about A-Luo, and maybe a part of him was worried how A-Luo would never get a girlfriend if he kept acting like this; he had convinced himself that A-Luo was acting like that because he didn’t want to disappoint his professor by preferring to talk to pretty girls than to listen Shen Qingqiu ramble about classic literature.

But… but what if A-Luo really preferred to listen about literature than talk with pretty girls?

(And… and what if A-Luo really preferred to talk with his professor than talk with pretty girls?)

Damn, Shen Qingqiu understood why A-Luo was hurt.

“A-Luo... are you crying too...?” he asked, noticing a wetness around A-Luo’s eyes, feeling bad immediately. He moved closer, reaching out to gently stroke his head without thinking twice. “Ah, calm down, calm down, there’s no need to feel bad. Come here, how about we continue in my office? We’ll have more privacy there, and no girls will bother us.”

Instantly, A-Luo’s expression brightened, a smile lighting up the room, and he looked radiant. In a way, it even reminded Shen Qingqiu of when Binghe was happy, so adorable was the sight. “This disciple would be very happy.”

(Humph! This student acted just like Binghe, starting to cry so Shen Qingqiu would spoil them. Glad for them, Shen Qingqiu really liked to spoil both his dog and his student)

Chapter Text

On that day, they spent the rest of the afternoon in Shen Qingqiu’s office, and the next day, as if it had already been decided that it would happen again, when Shen Qingqiu arrived at the university and went to drop off some documents in his office, he found A-Luo already sitting on one of the benches in the hallway, reading a book (one recommended by Shen Qingqiu) while waiting. 

Shen Qingqiu's office was just a small room, almost the size of a bedroom. Since he had been working at that university for a few years, he had already left his mark on the place — in fact, he had managed to inherit the office from his "former self" — which made things easier. He made sure to include a nice bookshelf with cataloged and organized books for when he needed to lend something from his personal collection to students, as well as cabinets where he separated assignments, exams, and research papers. There was a computer that he used both for his academic duties while at the university and for reading questionable Chinese web novels. 

Besides the desk with the computer, he had a solid wooden table with chairs on both sides, which he liked to use when he needed to talk with a student or discuss graduate research with the postgraduate students like Gongyi Xiao. It was a pleasant place, and little by little, A-Luo became part of that space, almost as if it were his own too.

Their routine continued like this: every day, A-Luo arrived beaming, eager to discuss literature, linguistics, stories, and other areas of human knowledge. While Shen Qingqiu was teaching his classes, A-Luo would stay in the library studying, and during their free time, they would spend it in the office together. A-Luo began to offer help with household tasks as a way to thank Shen Qingqiu for the private lessons, so he would often clean the office, sweep, mop, and get rid of all the dust. He also reorganized the books and documents, cataloging them in a much more organized way than Shen Qingqiu had done. A-Luo even offered to cook for his professor, but Shen Qingqiu politely declined, and A-Luo didn't insist. Sometimes, Shen Qingqiu would even let A-Luo help him grade academic papers — something A-Luo did with a smile on his face, feeling happy that Shen Qingqiu trusted him so much. (Even though Shang Qinghua told Shen Qingqiu that he was making someone work for him for free.)

One day, during a brief break where they would head to the campus snack bar so Shen Qingqiu could buy A-Luo something to eat (A-Luo kept insisting he wasn’t hungry, but Shen Qingqiu could hear his stomach growling...); while A-Luo happily sipped on a strawberry milkshake along with a bacon burger (it made Shen Qingqiu's mouth water, but he had already reached his weekly limit of tolerating the pain of indigestion), Shen Qingqiu’s phone lit up with a few notifications. A-Luo glanced at it for a while, even though there wasn’t much to see, and Shen Qingqiu realized A-Luo was looking at the wallpaper. 

It was a picture of Binghe on a day he had come out of his weekly bath, with two little red bows on his head, one on each side, which contrasted with his black fur and made him look even more adorable than usual. 

“He’s my dog,” Shen Qingqiu explained, picking up his phone, which had been left on the table. “His name is Binghe, isn’t he a cutie? Look!” 

Like a proud pet parent, Shen Qingqiu opened a folder on his phone filled with pictures of Binghe. A-Luo silently watched, too focused on his milkshake to say anything, but he kept glancing at the photos, shifting his gaze between Shen Qingqiu and the phone each time the professor said something like, "This was on such-and-such day," or "This was with such-and-such thing," or "Oh, this was when—" 

“Isn’t he cute?” Shen Qingqiu asked again proudly after showing at least thirty pictures. 

A-Luo finally took the milkshake out of his mouth, his face slightly flushed, which Shen Qingqiu thought was due to the heat. “Yes, but not as cute as Shizun’s excitement.”

Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but smile. "Binghe is... very important to me."

In a nearly desperate manner, A-Luo shoved the burger into his face, as if trying to avoid saying anything. In fact, he was acting very weird since Shen Qingqiu started to show him pictures of Binghe. Maybe he didn’t like dogs…? Could he be afraid of dogs? Even if they are cute as Binghe?

But before Shen Qingqiu could ask about it, he heard a squeal nearby.

“How cute! So this is the famous dog of Shen-Laoshi?”

“Famous?!” A-Luo asked, mouth full, accidentally letting some food spill out while fumbling with napkins as Shen Qingqiu glanced at the girl. She was one of his students; he remembered seeing her several times, but couldn’t recall her name.

“Oh yes, he’s very famous! Shen-Laoshi always talks about him in class without even realizing it. He’s so cute, just as cute as professor Shen Yuan!”

Shen Qingqiu averted his gaze, a bit embarrassed. Noticing that he wasn’t going to say anything, the student talked again. “Shen Laoshi, I’ve been looking for you. I’d like to ask you a few things about the final project, if it’s not too much trouble.”

She sat down at their table before even waiting for a response.

“No problem, what would you like to know?”

“I wanted some validation for my reference list. I’m not sure how good it would be to use certain works for what I’m planning. Could I stop by your office to discuss the bibliography?”

Shen Qingqiu appeared thoughtful, considering his schedule. At the same moment, he glanced quickly at A-Luo, noticing that he looked a little... sad? Maybe he was worried that Shen Qingqiu might cancel their planned meeting (he had promised they would read some of Wang Wei’s poetry together to compare interpretations and debate). He wouldn’t be so inconsiderate as to cancel such an appointment, especially given how needy A-Luo was — he almost seemed like his little dog Binghe! Always craving for attention…

“I’m a bit short on time… You can send the bibliography, and I can guide you through it,” Shen Qingqiu replied with a friendly smile. Despite not being too fond of people, he had a soft spot for the ones he called his students.

She didn’t seem too upset by the response. “Could Shen Laoshi share his phone number for that?”

At that moment, it seemed like A-Luo was about to choke on his milkshake. He hurried his words, “Can’t you send it to his university email?!” A-Luo’s voice came out a little rougher. Realizing how rude he sounded, he cleared his throat and corrected himself. “That way, it’ll be more organized and better for Shen-Laoshi to separate his personal life from the professional one.”

At another time, Shen Qingqiu might have reprimanded the student for being so rude, but by now… he didn’t really care that much anymore. After many months of spending his time with A-Luo, it seemed almost cute seeing how possessive he was.

“But-”

“A-Luo is right. I’d prefer it if you sent it to my email. So I won’t forget.”

Not seeming to give up on an interaction so easily, still sitting at the table despite not being invited, she gave a smile, almost flirtatious, tossing her hair a little to the side as if trying to get his attention. "Ah… Shen-Laoshi, I also have a little dog, a Pomeranian too, she’s very cute and adorable. Maybe we could walk our dogs together on campus one day while we talk about the final project and other things… What do you think? They could become little cute puppy friends..."

Shen Qingqiu didn’t notice how A-Luo was crushing his milkshake cup in his hands. “Binghe might look cute, but he’s pretty aggressive with… other humans and dogs that get close, especially humans…” Walking with another dog? What a disaster that would be! Shen Qingqiu would have to constantly pull Binghe's leash to stop him from jumping on that student and biting her, considering how aggressive he was! “He’s very territorial and doesn’t like others getting close to me. Funny, isn’t it? Whenever we walk together, I put a leash on him, but sometimes it feels like he’s the one putting a leash on me.”

At that moment, A-Luo choked on his milkshake, coughing hard, and Shen Qingqiu got worried, moving to help his disciple, who quickly recovered. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he reassured. 

With a soft smile on his lips, Shen Qingqiu said. “Be more careful when drinking, ok? Don't drink so fast.”

The student looked a bit disappointed, and Shen Qingqiu took a closer look at her — not seeing how A-Luo’s face became red with Shen Qingqiu’s words. He recognized the familiar expression on her face. He remembered that this wasn’t the first, or second, or even the sixth time she had tried something like this. “Maybe one day we could have tea together and talk about our little dogs? What do you think? I think I could get some interesting tips about how taking care of a pomeranian dog from you and—”

A-Luo interrupted her again, his voice a little rude, seemingly losing patience. “Shen-Laoshi surely has more important things to do than teaching a student how to take care of her dog.”

“Well, I think Shen-Laoshi can speak for himself about what he wants or doesn’t want to do.”

“He doesn’t need to waste his time telling you how stupid your idea is.”

The girl looked particularly offended, her eyes widening. Shen Qingqiu glanced back and forth, not knowing how to react as he listened to the two, almost as if he were reading a chapter of a novel, forgetting that he was in the middle of it. “ Maybe Shen-Laoshi isn’t that busy if he’s here keeping you company. Are you even one of his students? I’ve never seen you in class.”

“ Maybe Shen-Laoshi prefers my company over yours, and-”

Were his students fighting?! Over his attention?! What the-?!

Shen Qingqiu forced a cough, drawing both of their attention.

“I’m sorry—” He wanted to say her name but realized he didn’t know it, so he quickly disguised it. “I really don’t have much free time lately. A-Luo helps me grade assignments and exams, so I spend a lot of time with him.”

Shen Qingqiu immediately noticed how A-Luo’s eyes seemed to light up. He looked so… so cute, gazing at him that way. As if showing how happy he was that Shen Qingqiu preferred to spend his afternoons with him rather than with someone else.

That girl looked disappointed, almost irritated, her face hardening a bit. She looked a bit dejected, sighing but still forcing a smile. “I’ll send the email then.” she said. “Thank you, Shen-Laoshi, and…” She waited for a few seconds as if the man beside Shen Yuan would introduce himself, but he stayed silent, using the milkshake as an excuse not to speak. Giving up, she simply waved and left. As soon as she was far enough not to hear them, A-Luo pulled the straw from his mouth to speak.

“She just wanted an excuse to get Shizun’s phone number and go on a date with you. Probably she doesn’t even need your help.”

Shen Qingqiu had suspected that a little. “As her professor, it's better that I maintain a professional distance from her.” A-Luo averted his gaze. “It’s not the first time some student of mine acted like that… Actually, they do it quite often.”

A-Luo seemed to pay close attention to those words.

“I'm not surprised. Shizun is really handsome and young; it's only natural that many female students would be interested in him. Besides being handsome, Shizun is also very intelligent and courteous.”

A-Luo was right. Shen Yuan didn’t have a look quite as striking as Shen Qingqiu’s — he wasn’t being overbearing, he was just thinking in terms of facts — but he was still very gorgeous. He had a youthful face for his age (referring to his late 20s, not the over 1,500 years he had lived), and in a university where most of the professors were old men, with white hair and far from any standard of beauty, Shen Yuan stood out among them, which certainly drew the attention of many students.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t notice how he blushed slightly, turning his gaze away right after. “Thank you for the compliments, A-Luo. I could say the same about you.”

Perhaps with less emphasis on the "courteous" part. A-Luo wasn’t exactly courteous to people who weren’t Shen Qingqiu. But before he could add anything, A-Luo's eyes lit up, and he smiled immensely — it was easy to make this man happy with a compliment. “Do you really think so?”

“Mhm.” Shen Qingqiu nodded, then took a sip of his iced tea, which was now nearing room temperature on the table. “I have many students, but few are as dedicated as you. And you have a surprising ability and an unusual level of interest. I never get tired of talking to you. It’s really a pity you’re not a student at this university; I would love to see you being able to use your knowledge to get a diploma.”

A-Luo stared at him in disbelief as he listened to each word. It seemed he didn’t know how to respond. It was rare for Shen Qingqiu to find humans as intelligent as this young man, who seemed like a prodigy, grasping everything Shen Qingqiu explained and debated. The way he interpreted books, remembered details, and discussed them in such a... unique and scholarly way.

“Maybe one day, I’ll be able to enroll in this university” A-Luo said with a distracted smile.

“If that’s the case, this Shizun would happily be your official professor.”

As soon as he finished eating, A-Luo turned to Shen Qingqiu, his voice calm, asking gently, "That student from earlier… Does she usually bother Shizun?"

Shen Qingqiu paused, thinking for a few seconds. "I don’t usually mind it, but it is a bit annoying that even after I reject her advances, she still seems to try. But she’ll probably graduate soon, and I won’t have to worry about it anymore."

A-Luo seemed to pay close attention to Shen Qingqiu’s words but didn’t say anything more.

Shen Qingqiu waited a few days for that student to send him the email about the bibliography she had referenced. When he didn’t receive it, he assumed she truly just wanted an excuse to get his number. A few days later, Shen Qingqiu received a news link from Shang Qinghua. He mentioned how crazy it was that something like that had happened to a literature student from the university where Shen Qingqiu taught. When Shen Qingqiu opened the article, he saw that one student’s body had been found, completely disfigured. She hadn’t just been murdered — she had been brutalized, pretty sure for something non-human.

Shen Qingqiu's eyes widened as he closed the article. It was always sad to hear about the death of a student, but nothing he couldn’t handle. After all, after centuries of teaching, Shen Qingqiu had grown accustomed to the fact that all his students would return to dust one day.

However... when he thought about the day A-Luo would die, he couldn’t help but feel sad.

It had already been some months since they had started meeting every day in Shen Qingqiu’s office, spending hours and hours discussing literature or even trivial matters. Even so, Shen Qingqiu felt that he didn’t know much about A-Luo’s personal life — not that it mattered to him.

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t gotten used to dealing with a cheerful Binghe when he came home. Spoiled as that little dog was, he always seemed sad when Shen Qingqiu went to work and sometimes greeted his owner already crying. Shen Qingqiu was worried that this behavior might worsen, as he started spending more time away from home because of A-Luo. But… strangely, Binghe stopped behaving like that, and whenever Shen Qingqiu returned home, he was just happy to see his owner back. “You’ve finally learned to be alone for a while, haven’t you, little one?” Shen Qingqiu would ask, scratching the dog’s belly.

And he would receive a “woof” in response.

Chapter Text

[ 十 ]

"This guy has all the possible red flags, and yet you're ignoring them all. And don't even start with that joke about red being your favorite color because you’ve got plenty of green flags to say otherwise!"

Shen Qingqiu huffed, unsure whether to focus on controlling his joystick or listening to what Shang Qinghua had to say. "I know... he's not normal. But what can I do if he's so captivating?"

‘Not normal’ was an euphemism.

"Don't tell me you can't have the same conversations with him that you can have with that student you're mentoring."

"It's different." Yes, different. Very different. When talking to Gongyi Xiao, Shen Qingqiu only thought with his upper head.

"It's 2024, bro, and he claims he doesn't have a cell phone. How is that even possible?" Okay, Shang Qinghua had a point, a very strong point. A-Luo didn’t seem like someone lacking money to the extent that he couldn’t buy a phone, and Shen Qingqiu had even considered offering him one, but figured that might be too invasive. He had asked A-Luo about it a few times, and according to him, he didn’t adapt well to that kind of technology... which was understandable, but at the same time... strange?

"You're being elitist," he said, not wanting to admit the fact A-Luo not having a phone was something he should take into account when getting closer to him.

"I don't want to hear that from you! Besides, he didn’t even tell you his full name. You don't even know who he is! What if he's a vampire hunter waiting for you to show a moment of weakness so he can stab you in the back?!"

"You're underestimating me, bro. I know how to take care of myself." He wasn't lying; he really did know how to handle vampire hunters. Most of those who came after him, hoping for the honor of killing one of the great vampire lords of history, usually ended up as a snack for Shen Qingqiu.

"And he breaks into the university building every day to meet you. That's extremely weird. Have you thought about how hard it must be to sneak in there? You don't work at some random college where anyone can walk in unnoticed."

"I like his company during class breaks; it's much better than being alone reading novel sites online." He huffed, a bit indignant. "And I like that he sneaks into the university building. I don’t like having so many barriers between outsiders and insiders. I understand the security concerns, but I wish education were more accessible to those who wanted it, not just to those who can afford a good education."

Ok.

If his younger version saw him seeing this, the younger Shen Qingqiu would kill his future version before he could finish talking about accessibility of education.

“So, do you like when A-Luo does crime…?”

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes. "It's not like I haven't done worse things."

"Yeah, but you're a centuries-old vampire who kills people for breakfast. You have zero moral authority on what's right or wrong!" Then Shang Qinghua's eyes widened as he realized something. "Unless... you like that A-Luo is a possessive and crazy stalker?!"

"What? No-!"

"You like it! Of course, you do! You read weird literature!"

"Weird literature?! You're literally the one who wrote the stuff I usually read, bro!"

"Yeah, and I don't hide the fact that I like weird things." He chuckled. "Do you go to sleep hoping A-Luo is watching you through the window...? Your tastes are really bizarre, bro." Shang Qinghua teased him, laughing, even though he had no right to judge either. Shen Qingqiu was sure his friend was into worse things.

"Stop kink-shaming me!”

"I never said it was a kink, oh..." Shang Qinghua mockingly put his hand over his mouth. "How scandalous..." he said in a sarcastic tone.

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes, wanting to steer away from this part of the conversation. So what if he liked the idea of A-Luo being a stalker? Hmph, after living for so long, you start to develop a taste for exotic things. "It doesn't matter if A-Luo sneaks into the university or not; I like teaching him, even though he's not officially one of my students."

Shang Qinghua let out a groan of pain as his character died in the game. "Weren't you the one who, like, 2,000 years ago, had that super selective sect that only let in the best of the best? Wait, I even remember you making the young ones dig holes for days as an entrance exam! How cruel!"

Caught off guard by this memory, Shen Qingqiu got distracted, resulting in his own character’s death. "I'm not that old!" was his first defense, followed by, "And there was logic back then in making them dig holes!"

"Uh-huh." Shang Qinghua agreed, with clear sarcasm in his voice. "My husband said he'll be here soon with Binghe. By the way, why do you only talk about this A-Luo when Binghe isn't around?"

Shen Qingqiu averted his gaze, feeling a bit awkward about how to respond. "You know how jealous and possessive Binghe is. If I mention A-Luo around him, he'll definitely get upset!"

It was obvious how confused Shang Qinghua was by those words. "No matter how weird your dog is-"

Shen Qingqiu interrupted with "Hey!" but Shang Qinghua didn't seem to care, quickly continuing, "Isn't that a bit much?"

"I'm not making this up," Shen Qingqiu crossed his arms defensively. "There were times he overheard me talking to you about other people, and he got sulky. Maybe he thinks I'll stop paying attention to him."

With every word Shen Qingqiu said, Shang Qinghua took him less seriously. "Bro, he's a dog , not a child, he isn’t supposed to understand what you say!"

Before Shen Qingqiu could defend his little pup's intelligence, the front door opened, and Shen Qingqiu craned his neck, his gaze meeting who he had been expecting. Mobei Jun was carrying a little Binghe in his arms, who seemed to be behaving nicely — until his eyes landed on Shen Qingqiu. If Mobei Jun hadn’t held him tightly, that little dog would have jumped right out of his arms and crashed onto the floor with how excited he was to see his owner. Not only was Binghe wearing a red bow in the middle of his head today, but also a little white bowtie, making him look especially adorable! Mobei Jun patiently placed the wiggly ball of fur on the ground, and as soon as Binghe's paws touched the floor and he was released, he sprinted with all his might toward the couch. He even tripped along the way and slid across the floor (which made Shang Qinghua burst out laughing). After shaking his head to recover, he resumed running toward his owner, and as soon as he climbed onto his lap, he started licking his face.

"I missed you too, little one," Shen Qingqiu said, petting Binghe’s tiny head, and receiving several ‘woof, woof’ sounds in response. "Thanks for taking him to the pet shop, Mobei Jun." He thanked his friend's husband, who stayed silent — probably meaning ‘no problem.’

"Wait, wasn't his paw hurt?" Shang Qinghua asked, remembering how Shen Qingqiu had been complaining about how Binghe's paw wasn't healing.

"Kind of. He did hurt his paw a few days ago while we were out walking," he explained, positioning the dog on his lap to flip him over and give his belly a rub. "But apparently, it wasn’t a big deal, and it healed quickly."

"But… didn’t you say he couldn’t even walk properly?"

Shen Qingqiu sighed. "Apparently, he was pretending to still be hurt to get more attention. The vet said it's actually pretty common," he added, making a face at Binghe and baring his fangs, which he had no problem showing at home. "You're a naughty little dog, aren't you?"

Then, he heard the dog whine. "See? Look at this! He's manipulative!" Shen Qingqiu joked, pulling Binghe closer to cuddle him. "He's lucky his owner loves to spoil this cute little furball."

Shang Qinghua huffed but didn't pay much attention to them, especially when Mobei Jun sat next to him, bringing a fresh can of soda from the kitchen for Shang Qinghua to drink. With his free hand, Mobei Jun intertwined their fingers. Shang Qinghua leaned into his boyfriend’s strong, firm back, returning to the game while Shen Qingqiu got distracted playing with the dog.

[ 十一 ]

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆*] so... a new season has started…

The moment Shen Qingqiu saw that message, he already knew what to expect.

Every so often, League of Legends released a new competitive season, where players could climb ranks. Back in his more addicted days, Shen Qingqiu had even reached Challenger on his main account (which involved being in the top 500 on the server); now, playing only occasionally, he generally stayed in the Master tier, just two tiers below Challenger. That is, on his main account.

Shen Qingqiu also had other accounts because he liked playing League of Legends with Shang Qinghua, and unfortunately, Shang Qinghua was terrible at the game. This forced Shen Qingqiu to buy smurf accounts illegally to play with him in lower ranks.

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆*] u werent playing much, so i played alone, and i dropped to iron 4 again… can u… help me climb back up?

Shen Qingqiu chuckled briefly at his friend’s message. He really was awful at playing solo, even though Shen Qingqiu had tried teaching him and giving him tips. The guy was also super unlucky — every time he played, he ended up with teammates much worse than him.

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] I’ll turn on the PC

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] but I need to buy a new smurf account

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆] ????? what???

[ ✈️ — airplane 。.:☆ ] didn’t u like?? just get a new one last month?

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] yep, but it’s already banned

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆] that fast?

[ ✈️ — airplane 。.:☆ ] did they detect it was a smurf already?

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] nope, got banned for flaming in chat

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆*] …

To play ranked games, users needed to be at least level 30 (a way to prevent very bad players or trolls from ruining others’ matches), and it takes time to reach level 30. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t going to waste his time leveling up a new account, so he opted to buy an illegal account. Sometimes, Tencent’s system would detect that the account was illegal and ban it, but most of the time, Shen Qingqiu got banned for his toxic behavior in the game’s online chat first.

Right…

Shen Qingqiu tried to be such a calm person in real life that he ended up letting all his stress accumulate on the internet. 

It was his coping mechanism! 

(He still remembered the first time he played the game with Shang Qinghua, where he started cursing at his team and the enemies, and Shang Qinghua's reaction was exactly: I’m not surprised to find out you’re toxic in League of Legends, considering how much you curse, argue and cyberbully others in the comments of my novels.

As Shen Qingqiu sat down in his chair to accept Shang Qinghua’s game invite, he heard a soft whine nearby. He looked down to see Binghe staring up at him with those usual needy eyes, head tilted as if confused, and softly whining.

“What’s wrong, little one?” Shen Qingqiu asked, reaching down to pet him. “Do you want to play? I can’t play with you right now… But... why don’t you watch me play this game, hmm?” he asked, knowing there’d be no response, and picked him up, placing him in his lap. Binghe was small enough to fit perfectly in that space. Immediately, he stopped whining and settled down, lying quietly on his owner's lap, enjoying the pets between his ears.

“You gotta go ADC, Cucumber-bro!” was the first thing Shang Qinghua said when Shen Qingqiu joined the voice chat. “I can’t stand playing with other people as ADC!”

League of Legends was a game played by five people on each team, divided into specific positions on the map. The top lane was usually for tankier, more durable characters, a role Shen Qingqiu didn’t particularly enjoy playing. In the middle of the map were the mid laners, which had a wide variety of characters, often relying on magical abilities — this was Shen Qingqiu’s favorite position to play, as most of his preferred characters fit well in this lane. The bottom lane had two players: the AD Carry (also known as marksmen), who dealt high physical damage with basic attacks, and the Support, whose role was to assist the team with various abilities. There was also the Jungler, who roamed the map helping all the lanes and securing objectives.

When Shen Qingqiu started playing League of Legends with Shang Qinghua, he realized it wouldn’t work well because Shang Qinghua insisted on playing difficult champions, and he was terrible — absolutely terrible — at playing them. That’s when Shen Qingqiu said: If you want me to help you climb ranks, you’re going to pick Yuumi and stay attached to me the whole time.

And that’s really worked.

Not only that, but Shang Qinghua started to really enjoy playing as that little cat champion. Apparently, it was great to win games without having to do anything at all, or even write a novel while playing! He was so lazy that once he was kicked from a game for being AFK.

“Fine,” he agreed, not too bothered by it. Iron IV was the lowest rank in the game, and Shen Qingqiu could play any champion and still win those matches. “I just need to buy some RP.”

RP, also known as Riot Points, was the virtual currency used to buy skins and other cosmetics in the game. Shen Qingqiu had always been very particular about this and, on his main account, he owned all the purchasable skins in the game.

(rich lady, as Shang Qinghua liked to call him.)

“Huh?!” Shang Qinghua exclaimed, shocked. “Why are you buying RP on an account you don’t even know if it’ll get banned?”

“Hm? It’s just about two hundred yuan,” Shen Qingqiu said, already accessing the purchase options. He really didn’t like playing without a skin. “It won’t hurt.”

The silence in the call seemed to indicate just how incredulous Shang Qinghua was about the situation. There was always this awkwardness whenever the socioeconomic gap between the two became apparent.

“But… but…! That’s money down the drain. Look, you could be spending that money on getting me a new skin! Isn’t that a better use than on an account that’s probably going to get banned in a week?!”

Shen Qingqiu knew that Shang Qinghua was just joking about the whole thing. He always made jokes and set up scenarios where he would ask his friend to gift him skins, but whenever Shen Qingqiu actually offered, Shang Qinghua (usually) ended up declining.

"I've already given you a ton of skins." Shen Qingqiu said, rolling his eyes. "I bought an account to boost you, and you're still complaining, hm?"

"Sorry, sorry. Thanks, Cucumber-bro, for saving me from Iron IV!" There was clear sarcasm in his voice, but Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh.

When the match started, Shen Qingqiu ended up choosing to play Zeri, spending the RP he had bought to get her Pool Party skin, but then he was kind of indecisive about this, and then bought the Withered Rose with a green chroma — he really liked green colors.

"You’re not going to spend half the match bullshitting and cursing in chat this time, are you?" Shang Qinghua asked, while they were still on the loading screen. Shen Qingqiu was already getting stressed when he saw that their jungler hadn’t picked the Smite spell. Was this normal in Iron IV? Probably.

"I pretend to behave and focus on the game."

It didn’t take more than ten minutes for Shen Qingqiu to be in chat cursing the entire family lineage of the other three people on the team, while Shang Qinghua didn’t know where to hide his face.

"You can’t expect me not to get stressed when our top laner dies once per minute!" Shen Qingqiu argued when he saw that the Yorick top laner was 0/8/0 and, to make things worse, with 23 CS. (A decent Yorick would have taken one of the towers by now. It was Yorick!)

At sixteen minutes into the game, when everyone was in the mid lane, just before a potential teamfight, Shen Qingqiu flashed into the middle of everyone, used the cleanse spell without being stunned, and pressed his skills randomly, dying pathetically in a few seconds.

"... I know you’re mad, but you didn’t have to do that-"

"It wasn’t me." Shen Qingqiu said, and Shang Qinghua could hear a soft whine in the background. "Binghe climbed onto my keyboard and stepped right on the skill and spell keys!" He sighed. "Binghe, my dear, you need to get down. Let me get you off there."

But every time Shen Qingqiu reached out to remove Binghe from the table, the little dog started whining. "What’s gotten into you, little one?" Shen Qingqiu asked, noticing that Binghe really didn’t want to leave the table, finding a comfy spot between the monitor and the keyboard, not caring that he was blocking part of the screen (specifically, the map, but who needed a map in Iron IV, right?).

"Cucumber, get out of base, I need help, I’m a helpless kitten running from a fed Aatrox!" There was a certain desperation in Shang Qinghua’s voice, enough for Shen Qingqiu to realize he’d gotten distracted by his dog and had been standing still after respawning.

Naturally, his teammates (more like enemies, at this point) started cursing him after his strange play, but he just typed more insults in response.

But it was incredible how, even with the strong enemy, the dog occupying part of the screen and pressing random keys (trying to catch Shen Qingqiu’s hand), and the fact that three-quarters of the time Shen Qingqiu was playing and the other quarter he was either giving attention to Binghe or cursing in the chat, they still won. Around half an hour into the game, they somehow managed a victory, because apparently the people in Iron IV were just that bad.

"You're... not going to get stressed out with Binghe?" Shang Qinghua asked after seeing countless moments where Shen Qingqiu had made weird plays that were clearly Binghe interfering, as if trying to join in the fun.

"Why would I get stressed with him? He's a little fluffy puppy who doesn’t know what he's doing." Shen Qingqiu heard a small happy bark from his dog and petted him.

Shang Qinghua noticed that despite 'not knowing what he was doing ,' that little dog was stepping on the exact keys that messed up Shen Qingqiu's gameplay. “He likes to step with the Q, W, E, D and F keys especially.”

"He's watching my hand and wants to play with it, that’s why he keeps stepping on the keyboard," his owner justified.

"I’ve seen you get stressed out over much less..." he said, recalling all the times it seemed like Shen Qingqiu was violating human rights with his chat insults.

Like, really bad insults. It was… almost scary to see.

(Sometimes Shang Qinghua thinks Shen Qingqiu will turn the insults to him, but when Shen Qingqiu complained about his friend’s gameplay, it wasn’t anything different from his complaints about Shang Qinghua’s novels.)

"Nonsense. Those random people are just stupid people messing up with the game. And Binghe is my cute little dog who wants attention." Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes, watching how cute his dog looked while staring at the large monitor screen. Luckily, Shen Qingqiu’s desk was big enough for the little dog to wander around without worry. Binghe didn’t seem to want to get down either, and when he did, he could easily hop onto Shen Qingqiu’s lap and then to the floor.

The second and third matches also ended in victories. At this rate, he’d get his friend out of Iron quickly, and at that moment, he really wanted it to be soon because he couldn’t stand playing with Iron-level players anymore — it was just too stressful! While Shang Qinghua laughed at the absurdity of what was happening in the game, Shen Qingqiu was just getting more frustrated — yeah... maybe League of Legends wasn’t the game for someone stressed on the internet like him.

It was during the fourth match that he seemed to reach his limit. He couldn't even enjoy fun games playing with his best friend without a bunch of people getting on his nerves! It was already twenty-six minutes into the match, and once again, Shen Qingqiu was the only strong player on the team (obviously, with his help, Shang Qinghua had barely died and was doing an excellent job of making Shen Qingqiu stronger, but since he was playing Yuumi, he couldn’t do anything on his own. If it depended on the rest of the team, his friend would be doomed). Shen Qingqiu was having to deal with two strong assassin champions on the enemy team because the rest of his team couldn’t play well, and assassins always came for the ADC with bloodlust, which meant that no matter how hard he tried, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t avoid dying.

The fact that all five enemy players seemed to be focusing solely on him was also starting to get on his nerves.

And to make things worse, the mid laner on his team wouldn’t shut up in chat (partly Shen Qingqiu’s fault too, as he kept responding to the insults and fueling the fire).

Then, he saw the most recent message: You think you're carrying this game alone but you're not doing anything to help us win, you piece of trash.

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and typed in response: ok . 

Then, he stood up, speaking into the voice call, "I'm going to take Binghe for a walk. Later, I can give you a skin or play on your account to make up for this loss." 

And he simply turned off his PC, right in the middle of the match, before Shang Qinghua could say anything. Normally, someone would be furious at such behavior, but Shang Qinghua’s eyes only sparkled as he laughed, watching the team get confused after realizing the ADC had actually left the game, already preparing to report him. If Shen Qingqiu was going to play on his account, that was even better! Shang Qinghua loved playing Yuumi and not having to put in effort while Shen Qingqiu carried him. Now, he'd just sit next to Shen Qingqiu and watch him win match after match for him! That's what friendships were for!

He saw the confused messages in chat, asking if he would come back, and Shang Qinghua typed: He went to walk his dog. 

Knowing it was a lost game, he gave up trying as well.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu watched his cute Binghe excitedly hopping around at the thought of going for a walk. "You’re really energetic right now, what’s up? Did you like watching me play?" he asked. He had been so aggressive while complaining about his team in voice chat with Shang Qinghua that he worried it might have scared his puppy, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

He had been so stressed playing, but now, walking with Binghe, it felt like all the peace in his mind had been restored.

[ 十二 ]

"Binghe, I have a present for you!" Shen Qingqiu joyfully announced, showing off three shopping bags when he got home. Binghe bounced and spinned around, happy that Shen Qingqiu had returned. He usually got this behavior for at least one minute, playing with Shen Qingqiu’s feet trying to reach upper — but of course he couldn’t with that tiny size.

Once Binghe calmed down, Shen Qingqiu sat on the floor to be closer to his pup, who took it as the perfect chance to jump on him and start licking his face until Shen Qingqiu had to say, "Okay, okay, calm down."

"I bought you some outfits I saw for sale." He grabbed one of the bags (the other two were just food for Binghe). "Look at this," he began opening the bag, showing each outfit one by one. "Here’s this cute little carrot costume, this fluffy red coat, and here’s a white one too! Look at this dinosaur one! And this one looks like traditional clothes, isn't it adorable? I know you’re a little boy, but check out this princess outfit. You can be my little princess, what do you think?"

Shen Qingqiu showed the outfits to Binghe as if he could understand, but the dog seemed happy just to be getting attention from him — more likely, that was the real reason for his excitement. After laying all the outfits on the floor in rows, Shen Qingqiu asked his puppy, "Which one do you want to wear first?"

He wouldn’t force the dog to wear clothes if he didn’t like them, but it didn’t hurt to try, right? Today was particularly cold, and maybe Binghe would feel warmer in one of the fluffy outfits.

Most likely not understanding what it meant, Binghe started sniffing the dinosaur outfit, and Shen Qingqiu immediately picked it up. "Alright, I’ll put this one on you," he explained, grabbing the puppy and starting to dress him. Binghe seemed to enjoy the process, happily licking Shen Qingqiu’s hand the entire time. After adjusting the outfit, Shen Qingqiu spent a good while just staring at how cute his puppy looked.

"Come here, Binghe, let me take some pictures of you!" Shen Qingqiu loved his puppy so much that he felt he could even create a social media account just to post pictures of him, but he preferred sending them to his small circle of online friends (made through gaming and fandoms) and Shang Qinghua.

Shang Qinghua, who later received around 34 pictures of Binghe dressed in a variety of different outfits.

When Binghe lay on his back, Shen Qingqiu started to rub his little belly. "So, you liked the outfits, huh?" he asked, even though he knew the puppy wouldn’t answer. "Hm, looks like I’ll have to make a wardrobe just for you, huh?" he joked, even though he knew he spoiled Binghe so much that the little dog already occupied a significant part of Shen Qingqiu’s home.

Shen Qingqiu held him in his arms, petting him even more. It was sad how he always had to restrain his strength when hugging, caressing, or doing anything like that, because sometimes he just wanted to squeeze him tightly, especially now, as he was all cute wearing little outfits.

He spent the whole afternoon placing Binghe in different settings, with different clothes, all to capture various angles and photos of him. He felt a bit sad for not being able to send them to A-Luo — he really wanted to show him more of his cute little dog — so Shen Qingqiu had to settle for posting the photos on his professional Weibo account. By professional Weibo, it means the account where he wasn't known as Peerless Cucumber: online gamer, consumer of questionable novels, critic of questionable novels, and an avid consumer of pornography (even though he criticized said pornography). On this account, he was known as Professor Shen Yuan, a renowned teacher and researcher who liked to post about the books he read.  

And for quite some time now, posting pictures of his little dog too.  

What could he do if Binghe was so cute that he just had to show the world how adorable his little dog was?

Hm. He would for sure show to A-Luo those 100+ pictures of Binghe wearing different outfits later!

Chapter Text

[ 十 三 ]

It wasn't like Shen Qingqiu was romantically in love with A-Luo.

No, no. Not exactly, because it would be inappropriate for him to fall in love with a student. In fact, A-Luo wasn’t even exactly his student (at least, not formally), although he was always there and… had found a way to sneak into Shen Qingqiu's classes. Shen Qingqiu always turned a blind eye to it — A-Luo had once asked if Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t question him about how he managed to bypass the university’s security and sneak into the institution and classrooms, but Shen Qingqiu had said he didn’t care about that.

(shang qinghua screamed on his head: red flag .)

In the end, Shen Qingqiu didn’t know much about A-Luo. He didn’t know how old he was. He didn’t know who his parents were — or even if he had parents. He didn’t know where A-Luo lived. He absolutely didn’t know what A-Luo's life was like when he wasn’t with him. At some point while talking about this, Shang Qinghua asked him: And do you think he even has a life?

Somewhat curious about the question, Shen Qingqiu started thinking more… Sometimes… it was as if… as if A-Luo was entirely devoted to Shen Qingqiu.

Shang Qinghua wouldn’t stop talking about how strange A-Luo was, how he seemed to be like an… obsessive stalker, but… 

but…

A-Luo was so adorable…

The issue with their relationship wasn’t the fact that A-Luo was a (very very) suspicious man or that he could be considered his student (he loved calling himself a disciple, even though Shen Qingqiu thought it was just for show). The real problem was that A-Luo was human.

A human. Fragile, mortal, and, most importantly, ephemera . Human life was short, too brief compared to the centuries Shen Qingqiu had lived, and the worst thing a vampire could do was to fall in love with someone whose time on earth would be so fleeting.

It wasn’t as simple as turning him into a vampire. There were three paths that functioned almost like universal laws of existence, with the following possibilities: You were either born human, born a vampire, or born cursed .

There were some who were part of a long biological evolution that made vampires emerge. They were pure, powerful, never having known humanity in their lives, and were called purebloods. Shen Qingqiu, of course, was not one of them.

The popular belief was that if a vampire bit a human and gave them their blood, the human would become a vampire.

This was a lie.

The human would be corrupted and killed from within, as the vampire’s blood was a cruel poison for them. It wasn’t, however, impossible for a purely human person to become a vampire. (No, because Shen Qingqiu had witnessed it once, only once during his centuries of life — but the results weren’t… that great.)

Vampires were born by what seemed like “chance,” but it was actually a very specific combination of genetics, almost like a rare chronic disease. Even if two vampires had a child, there was no guarantee that the child would be born a vampire. Which was great, really — Shen Qingqiu couldn’t imagine a world where several vampires roamed around fighting for territory and food. There was more of a chance of meeting a colorblind woman than meeting a vampire, which was a relief.

Shen Qingqiu had been born cursed.

Something in the limbo between human and vampire, something that would be too humanized to approach vampires, but too… strange to live among humans. For a long time, back in time when Shen Qingqiu was just Shen Jiu , he didn’t quite understand this — he didn’t understand why his wounds seemed to heal faster (he only understood that this was a reason for people to beat him more), didn’t understand why the repulsive smell of blood seemed so appealing, and he didn’t understand why sometimes his eyes seemed to glow an intense red.

A cursed creature like him could live the rest of his life that way: he could eat human food, he wasn’t bothered by the sun, and he didn’t even have fangs!

Ah… unless you were like Shen Qingqiu. Unless you… fed on what you shouldn’t.

He could be a human for the rest of his life, but if a cursed creature like Shen Qingqiu fed on blood, so there was no way back.

He was a mere weird human, until Shen Qingqiu brutalized the entire family that kept him as a slave, bathing in their blood, which went from being disgusting to being something appetizing. He continued, continued until he no longer needed a knife to tear their necks apart. He continued, continued until he caught the attention of a pureblood who took him in and turned him into a monster.

There was… a special case. A special case that Shen Qingqiu saw with his own eyes, that he made with his own hands. During his long life, he had seen thousands of people die from consuming too much vampire blood (there was a popular belief that vampire blood cured diseases, which might be true in small amounts, but it was addictive and dangerous if they kept drinking). Out of all those thousands of people who died, Shen Qingqiu saw one who survived and became something… too weak to be a vampire, too autonomous to be a blood slave, and too powerful to be a dhampir.

But just because that special case had worked out didn’t mean the same would happen with A-Luo.

And even if it did work, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t turn A-Luo into an abomination like he did that one time with that person.

The higher probability was that A-Luo would die in the process. Just as he could die of old age. Just as he could be hit by a car or catch a severe flu.

In the end, an entire lifetime of A-Luo would be only like a few days in the long and resilient life of Shen Qingqiu.

The worst curse a vampire could receive, in the end, was to fall in love with a mortal. The worst fate wasn’t, however, losing their beloved to the brevity of worldly life, but the risk of hurting them, wounding them, and maybe even killing them with their own hands.

Shen Qingqiu understood this all too well; how easy it was to let oneself be carried away by negative emotions, by an uncontrollable inner rage, and by a typical snobbish greed of vampiric creatures, and, in the end, to use one's own fangs to destroy what is important to you.

Thus, there was no way, and there could not be any way for Shen Qingqiu to fall in love with A-Luo.

Even though… even though A-Luo was such an attractive man, with such beautiful and soft hair, that Shen Qingqiu wanted to spend a long time massaging and caressing it, with a smile so beautiful and radiant that it made Shen Qingqiu’s heart beat faster as if that simple disciple were capable of lighting up a dark night. His pleading eyes, so needy, almost like a cute little puppy constantly wagging its tail. He was always well-dressed, always smelled so good. And his personality… ah, his personality. He was so curious, so attentive, and even when he was possessive, it was adorable, and Shen Qingqiu had come to appreciate even that — he couldn’t deny that he felt special and cherished when A-Luo made a sour face at anyone who tried to talk to them. 

(What had happened with Shen Qingqiu lately to become so sought after? It wasn’t enough for his little puppy to be growling and possessive around anyone who came within half a meter of Shen Qingqiu, but now there was also A-Luo making scowls at anyone who came seeking Shen Qingqiu’s attention.)

He was an excellent student. So intelligent. So interesting to talk to. So… so precious.

Shang Qinghua knew Shen Qingqiu well enough to be aware of all his friend’s red flags and now was taking note of A-Luo’s red flags as well (possessive, mysterious, strange — and that was just the start), which led him to the conclusion of absolutely not, no, and no. There wasn’t a universe in which this would work out. Everything pointed to it going wrong. Shang Qinghua advised Shen Qingqiu to distance himself from that strange man.

Shen Qingqiu… couldn’t, however, saying that he appreciated their relationship and the master-disciple bond too much and that A-Luo was a young man with a bright academic future who simply needed to be guided on the right path.

Shen Qingqiu even reinforced this, almost wrote and signed it right in Shang Qinghua’s face, saying he wouldn’t allow himself to fall in love with A-Luo and wouldn’t let anything happen between them.

No. There was no way.

So, if there was no way…

Why was Shen Qingqiu kissing A-Luo right now?

Right… How did this happen?

The story goes back to a few hours earlier…

Friday afternoon, end of the semester, tired students, and at least half the class already empty compared to the first days of lessons. A part of Shen Qingqiu just wanted to finish giving this half-dead lecture and go home. When he ended the class, commenting on how the next one would be a review for the final exam, the students seemed so tired that it took them a while to realize the class was over. No one even came up to ask him any questions! Definitely a tough semester.

As soon as he finished organizing his things, he noticed there was still one student left in the room: A-Luo, who was sitting there, smiling at Shen Qingqiu. However, he seemed more agitated than usual, his leg bouncing frantically and his hand tapping on the desk. By the way… when had he even entered the room?

“A-Luo, I didn’t think I’d see you today. I was getting worried.”

Of course he was worried, since they started meeting up, A-Luo had been waiting for him every day in the professors’ offices hallway so they could spend the breaks together. It was almost six in the evening and A-Luo hadn’t shown any signs of life. The worst part was that he still didn’t have a phone (they had been interacting for months, and A-Luo’s phone was still a mystery. In fact, all of A-Luo’s life outside of their encounters was a mystery!) so Shen Qingqiu couldn’t even ask if he was okay.

“Oh. Forgive me for making my Shizun worry. I’m fine, just… a busy day.” Then he stood up and approached Shen Qingqiu. “But since I won’t see Shizun until Monday, I wanted to come here to greet you. It would be painful to go three days in a row without seeing my Shizun’s face.”

Something in Shen Qingqiu’s mind flashed red flag, red flag. Another part of him just found it cute.

My Shizun.

“In that case… Since this disciple hasn’t seen his Shizun all day, why don’t you join me for some drinks at a bar?”

A-Luo’s eyes widened so much it looked like he might faint. His mouth opened in disbelief. Shen Qingqiu had never invited A-Luo out, in fact, he had never invited a student out! (Except for those he mentored in research, and it was purely for research purposes.) He always liked to maintain a professional relationship, but… he couldn’t deny that he missed not talking to A-Luo today and didn’t want to spend the weekend away from him either.

“Shizun, are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Oh heavens, he hoped Binghe would forgive him for leaving him alone for so long! But Binghe had been in such a good mood lately… he’d probably be okay. (Shen Qingqiu would make sure to dedicate his entire weekend to giving attention to that fluffy ball of fur.)

Shen Qingqiu first went to his office to put away his briefcase and put on a coat and some nicer accessories so they could go to the bar. “Apologies for not being properly dressed for the occasion, I didn’t plan for this,” he explained, adjusting the coat on his body.

A-Luo shook his head. “Shizun is always presentable and beautiful for any situation.”

If Shen Qingqiu blushed, he didn’t notice.

Shang Qinghua would probably freak out if he found out Shen Qingqiu was letting A-Luo get into his car and was driving him to a bar, yet Shen Qingqiu sent a message to his friend explaining that he was going to have some drinks with his disciple.

(And then he turned off his phone, not wanting to receive any messages from Shang Qinghua asking: Are you crazy?!)

Yeah… maybe he was.

"I'd like to take you to my house for drinks, it's more comfortable, and I have a bar there where I can make some delicious cocktails. But my little dog is a bit... aggressive with visitors. He looks cute and adorable, but he's very jealous and possessive, and barks at everyone who visits me. So it's better to avoid that stress."

When he finished saying this, he noticed that A-Luo looked a little hesitant, turning his gaze away. He always acted strange when Shen Qingqiu talked about Binghe. Did he not like dogs?

"It's not a problem. I don't mind going to a public bar; I'll just have to drink lightly since I don't have any money with me."

Shen Qingqiu's eyes widened slightly. Did A-Luo really think Shen Qingqiu would make him pay for his own drinks? Well, maybe not everyone was like Shang Qinghua, who had no shame and always made Shen Qingqiu pay for everything whenever they went out together.

"Oh? No, no. I'll pay for you. Don't worry," he assured, quickly turning his head to flash him a smile and noticing how A-Luo seemed happy, though still a little hesitant.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I invited you for drinks, it's the least I can do."

A-Luo grew shy, rubbing his hands together, still looking a bit anxious and restless.

"Shizun spends so much money on me... I feel flattered. If there's anything this disciple can do to repay, just tell me."

Shen Qingqiu blushed instantly! He tried to focus on driving as much as possible so he wouldn't dwell on A-Luo's words, but he couldn’t help it... there was a feeling of satisfaction in spoiling him like that, buying him food and seeing how happy he was while eating, or when he gave A-Luo a book with a dedication on the back cover, saying he thought A-Luo would enjoy reading it.

"No... you don't have to do anything. I like buying things for you, uh- anyway. Don’t worry about it, okay?"

It was a good thing they arrived at that very moment because Shen Qingqiu felt that if the conversation continued, he would end up getting embarrassed. It was an upper middle-class bar — Shen Qingqiu never liked those bars frequented by the very wealthy, but at the same time, he enjoyed fancy drinks. They sat at a table and ordered a drink along with some fries.

“I like these greasy and unhealthy foods, but I can’t eat too much for health reasons, so feel free to eat,” Shen Qingqiu offered, fully aware that, despite being slim, perhaps due to his muscles... A-Luo ate a lot, like, really a lot . No one would guess that this man had such a bottomless stomach.

He was just like his little dog, who, despite being small and tiny, seemed to eat his own weight in food with how greedy he was!

But while they waited for their drinks, Shen Qingqiu noticed that A-Luo remained agitated.

“Is everything alright with you?”

“Yes… just a little anxious, I’m happy to be here with my Shizun.” His words didn’t seem entirely truthful, not that Shen Qingqiu had a better idea of what he might be hiding.

He needed to find a way to calm A-Luo down because he didn’t want to see him so anxious. Maybe something had happened at home or in his personal life, and he didn’t feel comfortable talking about it. In these cases, trying to make him feel better was the best thing to do.

“Why don’t we play a game to distract you?” he asked, already having an idea of what they could do.

“Hm? Like what?”

“It works like this: I’ll ask you a literary question. If you get it right, you get a point. If you get it wrong, I get a point. Whoever gets to ten points first wins.”

Shen Qingqiu was great at this game, modesty aside — not just because he had the idea, but because he had practice with it. He loved doing this with some students, and sometimes he even challenged the whole class to beat him. Few managed to achieve that, but in the end, it was a fun way to foster debates or explain things better, as every mistake was a step towards getting it right.

“Sounds interesting. And what does the winner get?”

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t thought about that. He usually promised grades to his students, but that wouldn’t make much difference with A-Luo... Without any better ideas, he just shrugged and said, “Hm… the winner can ask the loser to do anything they want.”

At that exact moment, he saw A-Luo’s eyes light up, and he immediately became calm and composed, adjusting himself in the chair to focus.

Not that Shen Qingqiu had many ideas about what A-Luo could do to him if Shen Qingqiu won. Maybe some kind of report, since he enjoyed reading A-Luo's literary analyses, or perhaps he could finally ask him to get a phone, so they could talk when they weren’t at the university. In the end, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t mind asking for simple things or nothing. But... But...

Something told him that giving A-Luo the chance to ask Shen Qingqiu to do anything seemed... somewhat dangerous.

But even in the worst-case scenario, Shen Qingqiu might uncover A-Luo’s true intentions with him. Was he just a strange person? Or could he be a vampire hunter getting closer? Or could it be that he... might be... interested in Shen Qingqiu...?

(Shen Qingqiu’s heart pounded, warm and comforting, but at the same time, it ached with a bitter feeling whenever he considered that possibility.)

It was certainly going to be an interesting night.

Chapter Text

“It works like this: I’ll ask you a literary question. If you get it right, you get a point. If you get it wrong, I get a point. Whoever gets to ten points first wins.”

Shen Qingqiu said "I'll start." By coincidence, the drinks he had ordered arrived at that exact moment, and he didn’t hesitate to take a sip, noticing how A-Luo seemed much more focused on answering the question correctly than drinking. Perhaps A-Luo was already thinking about all the possible questions Shen Qingqiu might ask. He must have been imagining that Shen Qingqiu would throw the hardest questions in the world at him, the ones that only a PhD would know how to answer, something that would require research on the internet and spending five hours in libraries to understand what the internet was talking about. Silly boy. Watching the expression on A-Luo's face was amusing, but Shen Qingqiu focused on the taste of his drink.  

"What is the book that talks about the pilgrimage of a monk accompanied by three protectors—"  

As expected, A-Luo tilted his head to the side and grimaced.  

"Shizun, are you going easy on me on purpose because I am not a student of the college? I'm not ten years old, you know."  

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh. He was going to ask that utterly ridiculous question just to see the indignation on his apprentice’s face.  

"It was a small test," he explained, taking another sip — the drink was delicious. "I can usually gauge my students' results by how insulted they feel when I ask something like this. It's fun."  

Right... old habits never die. Shen Qingqiu sometimes liked being a bit cruel with his students, but a little teasing here and there wouldn’t hurt anyone. "Alright, alright. So, how about answering this: why was the monk chosen for this journey? It's still an easy question, the book is well-known, but I feel the fun lies in the complexity of easy answers."  

A-Luo seemed to ponder for a moment, not exactly looking for the answer but thinking about how to manipulate it to best satisfy his Shizun.  

"The story is based on real events, and when Wu Cheng'en wrote it, he was inspired by Xuanzang’s desire to embark on a journey to obtain scriptures because he believed the ones in local collections were of poor quality due to sloppy translation. However, the protagonist of Journey to the West is Tang Sanzang, and within the fiction, Tathagata wants better translations of scriptures that are not corrupted or distorted , seeing a spiritual purity and altruistic morality in Tang Sanzang. Also, since Tang Sanzang was a disciple of the Buddha in a past life, he was chosen. Is that answer satisfactory?" Giving a sly smile as if waiting for approval, A-Luo took a sip of his drink before continuing. "One of the strengths of the work is this: despite the fact that any strong and fearless warrior could have been chosen for the journey, the one selected was the one with the best heart..."  

When A-Luo finished speaking and looked at his Shizun, he waited for a few seconds for a response that didn’t come. He soon grew anxious, tapping his feet as Shen Qingqiu stared at him without saying a word, until A-Luo couldn’t take it any longer.  

"Shizun, you're making me anxious!" 

When Shen Qingqiu realized what A-Luo was saying, he quickly became flustered. "That's not it! I just expected you to answer simply that it was because the monk's soul was pure. But you got so excited talking about it… it's quite adorable." A-Luo blushed, hiding his face behind his drink. "You did really well, A-Luo."

A-Luo choked on his drink immediately but managed to recover just before Shen Qingqiu became concerned.

"Well then. Why don't you tell me a bit about the symbolic value of the Grand View Garden in Dream of the Red Chamber ?"

With a sly smile and in a lighter tone, A-Luo responded as if it were a question. "Pretty landscaping?"

"A-Luo."

Laughing a bit louder than usual, A-Luo took another sip before becoming serious again. "If I remember correctly, one of Shizun's doctorates involved 'Redology ,' didn’t it?" he said with a gleam in his eyes, as if showing immense pride in the man he was speaking to.

"Yes, I also volunteered at the Society of the Dreams of Red Chamber for a while, and I gave a few lectures in Malaysia about it. But I’m far from being one of the top experts in the field."

"Shizun’s field is vast. You focus on so many authors and literatures at the same time. It's impressive."

"If I didn't know you well, A-Luo, I’d say you’re dodging the question." But he knew A-Luo well — well enough to know that A-Luo was deeply impressed by Shen Qingqiu’s achievements. Ah… if only he knew just how much research and knowledge Shen Qingqiu had influenced throughout history. But he couldn’t simply come out and talk about how his academic work had shaped the last few centuries.

Finally, A-Luo responded to the playful question. “It’s… a dream. An ideal place, you know? Daguanyuan is an escape, a place where you could go to daydream. It represents the abundance and prosperity of the main family, the Jia family . But not for everyone; for some of the female characters, it’s almost like a psychological prison, a pressure weighing down on them. Just as the garden reflects the prosperity of the clans, it will decay as the families decline. So, its downfall mirrors theirs. It also touches on impermanence, how no matter how ethereal something may seem, it will eventually come to an end. There's a strong concern in the writing about how the political and social life within the garden reflects reality. Like… at the beginning of the book, during the Lantern Festival, the garden’s splendor is highlighted, with a festive atmosphere. But at the same time, some of the underlying issues and conflicts are revealed in what is supposed to be… perfection. So, we get this impression of a celebration trying to showcase a perfection that doesn’t really exist. I often think about how some readers focus too much on the aesthetic beauty and descriptions of Daguanyuan, rather than delving into its poetic meaning. Sometimes it feels… intentional.” 

Neither Shen Qingqiu nor A-Luo took their eyes off each other, finding a certain… satisfaction in gazing at the other’s face. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but admire how intelligent, scholarly, and dedicated A-Luo was. The worst part? He was only like this with the subjects Shen Qingqiu was involved in; he never heard him speak deeply about branches of science or other linguistic fields. It was as if they had the same taste in literature, or perhaps A-Luo’s taste was simply aligned with everything Shen Qingqiu engaged in. “Ah, apologies, Shizun, I got a little carried away.”  

“There’s no need to apologize, A-Luo. This Shizun loves hearing his disciple speak.”  

“Shizun, I feel like the questions aren’t that challenging.”  

“That’s because you’re clever. We’re talking about art, not exact sciences . I’m not interested in knowing what year a book was published or what the author’s father’s name was. My goal isn’t to find out if you’ve read the book, but rather if you’ve understood the book. What’s the point of knowing all the character names by heart and the sequence of events, if you can’t grasp their meaning? In the end, I’m not interested in what’s right or wrong, but in discussing it.”

At that moment, before A-Luo could even comment about Shen Qingqiu’s teaching methods, someone approached the table, sneaking up like a sly rat in their direction.

“Excuse me, my dear friends. I apologize for interrupting this friendly moment between you,” he said, with a forced smile on his face. “But I just couldn’t help but notice that beautiful watch on your wrist. Would a humble person like myself be allowed to take a closer look? I’m a watch enthusiast, and I can’t ignore such a fine piece when I see it.”

A-Luo seemed ready to answer “no,” but Shen Qingqiu stepped forward and extended his arm for the man to inspect. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t exactly one to flaunt his wealth, but he was a vain man who enjoyed walking around with nice watches, earrings, and maybe some jewelry. Was it his fault that his favorite brands always turned out to be so expensive?! He somewhat missed the days when he used to carry beautiful, ornate fans everywhere to complement his appearance — unfortunately, they didn’t quite match the modern style of clothing he wore now.

The moment the man’s eyes caught sight of the “Lange & Söhne” logo, they almost sparkled. “It really is a wonderful watch, sir. It must have…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but it was obvious what he was thinking: must have cost a fortune. “A lovely gift, perhaps?”

Shen Qingqiu tilted his head, unsure of where this was going. Then the man, losing any semblance of shame, pulled up a chair to sit. At that moment, Shen Qingqiu saw A-Luo down his entire drink in one go, making it quite clear: I’m going to get drunk to avoid stressing out.

Was it so difficult for them to have a moment alone? Sure, A-Luo’s striking appearance caught everyone’s attention, and Shen Qingqiu had lost count of how many times jiejie had tried to approach A-Luo, only to receive a cold response in return  —despite Shen Qingqiu’s ongoing efforts to teach him to be less rude to people in general.

Shen Qingqiu wasn’t free from this kind of attention either — being a renowned professor, students and even some fellow college professors often stopped him for a chat in the university halls. Though A-Luo always seemed to scowl when Gongyi Xiao approached, he was… learning to behave.

A truly dedicated student! Preferring to study rather than spending time with all that jiejie who pursued him, and even getting jealous when others tried to take up the professor’s time — time that could have been spent teaching him and guiding him down the path of education.

This man, however, didn’t seem interested in Shen Qingqiu’s academic knowledge, but rather in something else that Shen Qingqiu’s academic success had afforded him.

“I noticed that you don’t wear a wedding ring, and that you’re here drinking alone-”

“He’s not alone,” A-Luo interrupted, glaring at the man.

“I mean, without any female company,” the man corrected himself, though… Shen Qingqiu felt it didn’t make much difference in the end. “You see, I have a niece who just turned nineteen, and she’s single, so maybe I could…”

Huh?

Huh?!

The audacity!!!

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened. What a completely shameless man! He had assumed (and it was true) that Shen Qingqiu was wealthy and simply decided to introduce him to his niece to gain access to his riches? The man kept talking, babbling things that Shen Qingqiu didn’t even register anymore, so stunned was he by the audacity. Sure, he was used to people noticing his financial status or academic renown and approaching him, but never in such a… blatant way!

He glanced over at A-Luo, who seemed especially angry about the whole thing. Holy shit… Shen Qingqiu needed to do something before A-Luo freaked out at the man. After all, he was interrupting their game! And it had been so much fun…

“I appreciate you telling me about the young lady, but I’m not-”

“You haven’t even let me finish telling you about her! She’s so smart, already in her second year at a good university. And she also-”

“I really don’t-”

“She’s so hardworking!” The man interrupted again. How desperate was this guy to get his hands on Shen Qingqiu’s wealth? Did he really want to be his relative that badly? He didn’t even know if his niece would be interested! “And so beautiful. She loves art, cinema, culture, books. You two were talking about books, right? I’m sure she’d love conversations like this. You could give her a chance, just meeting her… She is so pretty, and a nice man as you shouldn’t be alone.”

His eyes seemed to say: you don’t understand how much this old uncle wants to see his niece marry into wealth!

“Sir, you don’t even know if your niece would be interested in me,” Shen Qingqiu tried to be as polite as possible in rejecting the man, though his patience was wearing thin.

Shen Qingqiu had a somewhat twisted logic when it came to dealing with people, something along the lines of: I’ll try to treat people better now to make up for the centuries I spent treating them with arrogance, pride, and various other crimes against humanity. (Of course, this didn’t stop him from feeling zero empathy as he tore into their necks for a delicious snack. Shen Qingqiu’s view of humans was a bit like seeing animals; it would be cruel to mistreat a pig or a cow, obviously, but slaughtering them for dinner? That’s perfectly fine. )

"We could settle this right now. Since you’re alone, I could call her, and you could meet here-”

That was the breaking point. A-Luo immediately slammed his glass down on the table with a loud bang and, with a deeper voice, said, “Or you could-”

Shen Qingqiu panicked, knowing exactly how A-Luo reacted to situations like this. In a moment of desperation, without thinking clearly, and seeing this as the only solution to finally shut the man up, he blurted out: “He and I are dating.”

...

...

...

Huh?

Shen Qingqiu finally processed the words he had just spoken. A-Luo looked at him, a bit surprised, not knowing how to react, and the man seemed startled by the revelation. To reinforce his point before the guy could say anything, Shen Qingqiu reached out and took A-Luo’s hand, who immediately froze, unable to process what was happening. “Now, if you could excuse us, as you can see, I have no interest in your niece.”

The man huffed indignantly, muttering something under his breath. “I guess nothing can be done then, since you... are like that .” His voice carried a disdain that was almost offensive, irritating Shen Qingqiu slightly, though he tried to let it slide. Frustrated, the man stood up, grumbling about wasting time — even though he had started it!

It was then that Shen Qingqiu realized he was still holding A-Luo’s hand. “Are you okay? I’m sorry about that. It happens sometimes. People can be very shallow, and when they find out I have money, they act like that.”

A-Luo’s mouth opened into a radiant, adorable smile! As cute as Binghe’s... Ah... Thinking of him, was he doing alright? He had been alone for so long...

Shen Qingqiu was pulled out of his thoughts about Binghe by A-Luo’s voice. “It’s no problem, Shizun. It’s not your fault you’re so captivating.” A-Luo seemed like he was going to say something else but stopped before he even began. “If you’ll excuse me, Shizun, I’ll go to the bathroom.” A-Luo said politely as he stood up. “Why don’t you order us more drinks? I have a feeling we’ll be here a long time playing this game of ours.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded and headed toward the bartender on the opposite side, placing the order and even considering asking for another round later. While waiting for the drinks to be prepared, he couldn’t stop thinking about the strange situation from a few minutes ago. Was everything alright? He had just told a stranger that he was dating A-Luo, without knowing if that would make A-Luo uncomfortable. Oh heavens, what if he had done that, and now A-Luo was upset with him? He didn’t even want to think about the consequences — he absolutely didn’t want that sweet, radiant little sheep to distance himself from his life.

A-Luo had left rather quickly; was he having some sort of discontent in the bathroom? That man had gone to the bathroom too, hadn’t he? Perhaps A-Luo followed him just to clarify it was a lie and that he wasn’t a homosexual dating Shen Qingqiu. He would probably explain that he was just his teacher and that there was nothing between them.

That… that made Shen Qingqiu a little sad, but what could he do, right? After all, he was the one who told that lie…

He waited for the drink to be prepared and took it back to the table, even though the bartender had mentioned they could ask a waiter to bring it. When he returned, A-Luo was already sitting, waiting for him in such an obedient way that it was adorable. How cute! Maybe he wasn’t that upset after all.

He had to admit it was endearing to see A-Luo get jealous in that student-teacher dynamic between them, even though Shen Qingqiu wasn’t exactly his teacher. A-Luo always got annoyed when someone interrupted them while they were studying and debating together. What a dedicated student he was! Not wanting to miss a single second of instruction.

Their game continued for a long time. It no longer mattered who would win or lose, not when Shen Qingqiu was having so much fun watching A-Luo’s interpretations. There wasn’t exactly a right or wrong answer, but of course, Shen Qingqiu won a few times when A-Luo didn’t know how to express himself or didn’t understand the question at all. A-Luo wasn’t perfect in the end, and that was okay because Shen Qingqiu enjoyed explaining and teaching. After all, mistakes are necessary to learn.

By the fourth drink, Shen Qingqiu was finally defeated when A-Luo confidently finished his answer and proudly flashed a ten with his fingers, a huge smile on his face.

Shen Qingqiu was so proud of how A-Luo had become such a dedicated and attentive student, able to hold his own in a game of interpretation and knowledge of literature, even against Shen Qingqiu and his centuries of study in the field. Not that Shen Qingqiu was playing hard to win; he just… just wanted to assess A-Luo’s knowledge — even though the questions had gotten progressively harder, involving topics that maybe even his PhD students would struggle with. “Congratulations, you did very well, A-Luo.”

A-Luo responded almost immediately, “It’s because I have such a great teacher.”

“And you’re a great student.” He didn’t hesitate to admit it because, honestly, it was true. “So, what would you like as a prize from your dear teacher for winning?”

Shen Qingqiu was absolutely unprepared for the answer that came next.

“A kiss.”

…

?

???

????!

WHAT?!

Shen Qingqiu almost fell backward in his chair in complete disbelief and surprise. If it weren't for the alcohol relaxing his mind, he might have reacted even more in shock.

Alright… he should have seen this coming. Maybe Shen Qingqiu was being quite ignorant for not noticing all the clear signs that A-Luo liked him, but he couldn’t help being… a bit slow on the uptake regarding this. Shen Qingqiu knew he was attractive, both in his appearance as Shen Yuan and in his original form, which, modesty aside, was even more beautiful than the body he inhabited now. He just… wasn’t prepared for this. He stared at A-Luo with a certain intensity, unsure of what to say, confused about his own feelings.

A-Luo was so… so perfect. Why would he be interested in someone like Shen Qingqiu? Shen Qingqiu felt as if he were reading a comic book, with only a ridiculous pair of glasses separating the identity of a civilian from that of a superhero. How could people believe that that charismatic journalist from the office was actually an alien superhero from another planet?

How could someone as beautiful, charming, and captivating as A-Luo, who could have anyone he wanted, be interested in kissing a mere literature professor?

But this… this explained a lot about their relationship.

Shen Qingqiu’s delay in responding or reacting seemed to say a lot, as he just lowered his head, looking a bit sad, forcing a false and pretentious smile on his face. “Ah… I guess Shizun really doesn’t want to kiss me…”

No…

In truth, Shen Qingqiu shouldn’t kiss him, but… he really wanted to.

“A-Luo…”

“Please, Shizun. It’s all I want.”

Seeing that sad expression on A-Luo’s face was heart-wrenching. Even more so when his eyes were wide open, looking as if he were about to cry.

Not that he wouldn’t look cute while crying, but… Shen Qingqiu didn’t want to see him cry.

What’s the worst that could happen? He asked himself, and his mind imagined the worst possible scenarios; a scenario where he let A-Luo into his life too much and it ended disastrously, just like…

just like Liu Qingge… 

But… it wasn’t just difficult to say no to A-Luo’s puppy-dog eyes; it was also hard to refuse something he already wanted so much. A-Luo wasn’t just one of the most beautiful people Shen Qingqiu had ever seen; he was wonderful in every little part of himself, and… that was dangerous.

Why… why did A-Luo have to be so… so much like this…

(So kind, so adorable, so capable of making Shen Qingqiu’s heart race.)

Despite so many centuries of fighting and battles, so much mental resilience built, and so many enemies who had marked his life, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t fight against his own heart, which, at that moment, was betraying him more cruelly than his strongest adversary.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

A-Luo’s surprised expression almost revealed that he didn’t think this would actually work. To make things worse, Shen Qingqiu stood up, leaving A-Luo even more confused.

“Hm?”

“If you want a kiss, wouldn’t you prefer it to be in a more private place?”

Unless… unless A-Luo expected Shen Qingqiu to just give him a peck kiss! Wait, maybe Shen Qingqiu could do that. It didn’t have to be a deep kiss, right? With tongue and everything, with his hand roaming over A-Luo’s body, with their bodies brushing against each other-

Stop thinking about that! He cursed his own mind.

A peck, just a peck; he just needed to give A-Luo a peck kiss, and everything would be alright.

He looked back, and A-Luo followed him, smiling and walking around like a little puppy.

“This student is very happy!”

Student… is he? The way A-Luo spoke made it sound like a fetish! A-Luo wasn’t even exactly his student!

“The student in question is quite shameless.” He sighed, speaking aloud even though he knew A-Luo wouldn’t mind much. They could be robbed right now, and A-Luo would still be glowing with happiness.

As soon as they left the bar, Shen Qingqiu noticed that A-Luo seemed more agitated than before, probably excited by the opportunity. He looked around; in the parking lot, it was nighttime, but the full, bright moon in the sky made everything quite clear. It was even beautiful to see, catching Shen Qingqiu’s attention for a moment with how huge and bright the moon was, his focus immediately shifting when A-Luo held his hands and looked at him, as if expecting to be guided.

Just… just a peck…

just a peck kiss under the fullmoon.

Chapter Text

Shen Qingqiu felt like a teenager in one of those American movies where he would sneak off to the school parking lot to make out with his crush. How ridiculous, but it didn’t matter — he wanted to see A-Luo happy.  

“Come here.” He guided him, knowing that A-Luo was a bit lost and eager to receive instructions on how to proceed. He led them to the back of his car, where he leaned against the car and pulled A-Luo closer to him.     

He didn’t even get the chance to make the first move before A-Luo leaned in toward his face. A-Luo seemed a little hesitant, though, barely brushing their lips together while his hands seemed too shy to approach. It wasn’t exactly the feeling of A-Luo’s lips on his, but... their closeness seemed to bring to the surface all the thoughts Shen Qingqiu had been trying to avoid. Slowly, A-Luo traced his hands over Shen Qingqiu's body, pushing off the overcoat he was wearing, letting it fall to the ground without much concern; he seemed to want his master's collarbone as exposed as possible.  

Finding himself lost in his own perversion, Shen Qingqiu slid his tongue into A-Luo’s mouth, and that was it. As soon as A-Luo realized that his teacher was willing to deepen the kiss, he couldn’t hold back anymore. He went all in, using his hands to grip Shen Qingqiu’s waist and devour him through his mouth.  

And… oh…  

It felt pretty good.  

A-Luo's body pressed against his, so warm and pulsing, unlike Shen Qingqiu’s usually cooler body; his scent, so pleasant, so nice to have close, those hands exploring his body. Shen Qingqiu wrapped his arms around A-Luo’s neck without caring much if he hurt him by tugging his hair. He was surprised when A-Luo grabbed him by the thighs and lifted him up, pressing him against the trunk of the car, using it as support to hold him even though... something told Shen Qingqiu that A-Luo didn’t really need that help. In that instant, Shen Qingqiu wrapped his legs around A-Luo’s waist, allowing their intimate parts to brush against each other and... oh... he seemed... he seemed quite big .  

Blushing at the thought and letting his mind be led by his desire, Shen Qingqiu kept kissing him fiercely, softly moaning as A-Luo rubbed against him, squeezing his thighs tightly. Shen Qingqiu’s legs trembled and tightened more around A-Luo’s waist as he searched for any form of friction to feel more pleasure. His back moved against the trunk in what should have been uncomfortable, but it didn’t bother him much.  

When A-Luo pulled away from his face for the first time, his lips were slightly bitten, his face flushed, his eyes gleaming. “Shizun...”  

A kiss... ah... just one kiss, right...?  

As if he had no patience left, Shen Qingqiu pulled A-Luo close again and resumed kissing him, instantly receiving the same passion in return. His entire body heated up, feeling needy and longing. It had been so long, so very long since he had been with someone just for the pleasure of it and not to feed afterward. He could taste the drink in A-Luo’s mouth, the taste of his saliva, and the warmth of his lips. He also tasted a hint of blood where he had nibbled…

…  

The taste of… blood?  

What was that taste…?  

It was so… so delicious. And the smell was just as good. It was appetizing in a way Shen Qingqiu couldn’t describe if asked — it was like seasoning food with special spices and sweetening it with refined sugar. Shen Qingqiu ran his tongue over the wound that had opened on A-Luo’s lip as if to make sure that taste was real. And as if something awakened in him, Shen Qingqiu began to notice A-Luo’s scent — that wonderful smell A-Luo exuded, which, despite being different from the typical metallic, iron scent he was used to, was definitely a pleasant aroma of blood, something Shen Qingqiu had always associated with perfume until now.  

Shen Qingqiu’s mouth watered.  

Then, when A-Luo pulled back, seemingly unconcerned that his lip was bleeding, Shen Qingqiu found himself distracted, gazing at his neck, so exposed in the clothes he was wearing, so pale and unblemished. He wondered how beautiful and tainted it would look, covered in hickeys and bites. And bites. And more bites… with blood slowly trickling down, painting A-Luo’s body like a masterpiece. What would it be like to bite him? To drink that blood that seemed so delicious. To press their bodies together while he drank, listening to A-Luo softly moaning, “Shizun…”  

Would A-Luo be a kind disciple, offering his blood to his master? Giving himself completely, body and soul, offering that shimmering liquid that would spill from his body? Would A-Luo be happy to serve him as a blood slave like the many Shen Qingqiu had in his early centuries of life? Would all of A-Luo’s obedience and devotion remain, even if he found out that this helpful teacher was, in fact, a cruel beast thirsty for blood?  

Ah… Shen Qingqiu hadn’t even noticed, but he was moaning while thinking about it. Moaning while A-Luo’s body rubbed against his. Moaning as A-Luo’s mouth trailed over his collarbone and neck, marking him with hickeys as if to show that this man was his .  

A bite… taking a little blood wouldn’t hurt, right? It wouldn’t hurt to sink his mouth into that perfect neck and drink that blood that smelled so good and tasted so delicious. If just a few drops were enough to delight Shen Qingqiu so much, imagine drinking a full cup of it…  

Or… or would Luo Binghe end up… scared?  

With frightened eyes, quietly crying, afraid to see that his Shizun was actually a bloodthirsty abomination that wanted to take everything from him and turn him into a magnificent feast. Cowering, fallen to the ground, looking up with such a vulnerable and fragile pose while begging, begging for that monster not to devour him.  

Why… why did that image seem… seem so extraordinary?  

Shen Qingqiu gently pushed A-Luo away from his own neck, admiring how disheveled A-Luo’s face was. The man wouldn’t stop rubbing himself against Shen Qingqiu, like a dog in heat, desperate for attention, and Shen Qingqiu was only gradually responding in kind. Pulling him a bit farther by the hair, he created some space between them and brought his head closer to A-Luo’s neck, kissing the area delicately before licking it, feeling A-Luo’s entire body shudder. He could smell the scent more intensely in his nose, almost tasting it on his palate. He could hear the blood pulsing, so strong, so delicious. He pressed his lips to the skin, leaving a mark there as he heard A-Luo moan, no longer caring about being discreet. He rubbed his groin against A-Luo’s large erection to try and distract him a bit, though it only made him more agitated. He trembled so much that Shen Qingqiu couldn’t understand how he was still managing to hold him in the air. His legs were shaky. His body jittery as if he’d drunk litters of caffeine.

The blood pulsing so strongly.  

Shen Qingqiu felt his fangs elongating, his gaze intensifying into a red that A-Luo couldn’t see. So close... so close... just one bite, and then he could drink and drink until he was satisfied, and after that, he only needed to inject his toxins into A-Luo’s bloodstream to make him addicted to it, to make him his for the rest of his life.  

His …  

Not that… not that it was so different from… now.  

But...  

The light in A-Luo’s eyes would disappear, all that eager puppy-like excitement and his whole personality would drain away. He’d become dependent on his vampire master, like a drug addict enslaved to a dealer. He’d become apathetic, emotionless — a zombie willing to do whatever he was asked, following his Shizun around not as a cute puppy trailing its owner, but as a servant with no choice but to obey, erasing everything that once made him human just to cope with the pain. — a servant, just like Shen Qingqiu once was.  

Or Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t poison him. And A-Luo would hate him for the rest of his life when he realized that he was a monster .  

Shen Qingqiu pushed A-Luo’s face away and freed himself from his arms, almost falling to the ground in his desperation. Worried, A-Luo tried to reach out and grab his wrist to stop him from falling, but at that moment, Shen Qingqiu broke free from the strong grip on his wrist and shoved A-Luo’s body nearly a meter away, while his mind screamed to keep a distance, the words danger danger echoing in his head, and the smell — oh, that delicious smell of A-Luo lingered still, and the taste… the taste of blood penetrating his mind, taking root there, convincing him to come ba- Shen Qingqiu bit his own tongue hard, hoping to rid his mouth of that taste. As soon as he regained his senses, he realized he had slammed against the car, noticing he wasn’t breathing anymore and his vision was blurry, while his mind kept screaming, suffocating him both mentally and physically, everything happening so fast, racing, no time to think in the mere milliseconds since he’d pushed A-Luo 

and... he had... pushed…

A-Luo... that... fragile... 

human…  

He looked at A-Luo with fear, and the brief moment of relief from seeing that he hadn’t thrown him to the ground was quickly replaced by dread.  

Fear that he might have hurt him physically.  

Fear that he might have hurt him mentally .  

Fear of his own thoughts. Fear of his thirst. Fear of his perversion.  

Fear of... of almost…  

Shen Qingqiu almost choked on his own saliva, his anxiety so overwhelming. He wanted to bang his head against the car until it left a hole.  

A-Luo looked frightened, his eyes wide, staring warily at the scene. His leg was trembling so much he looked like he would collapse to the ground at any moment, panting, breathing hard. Of course, who wouldn’t have a panic attack after that? Everything had been so good, so delicious, until Shen Qingqiu freaked out out of nowhere and pushed his student away. It was… heartbreaking.  

No, what was truly heartbreaking was seeing A-Luo lower his gaze, his voice trembling, and tears welling up in his eyes as he stammered, “S-sorry, Shizun-”  

No.  

No.  

No .  

The one who should be apologizing was Shen Qingqiu.  

But Shen Qingqiu couldn’t speak, couldn’t look directly at A-Luo, couldn’t even think straight. Blood. Blood. That delicious smell. The delicious blood.  

A-Luo tried to take a step forward, and Shen Qingqiu backed away even more, desperate to stay away from that temptation. In that instant, A-Luo’s expression shattered further, and the tear that had already been sliding down his face fell even faster.  

No words were needed to explain what he felt.  

A-Luo’s legs trembled even more, and he seemed so withdrawn that he hid his arms. Shen Qingqiu wanted to go to him, hug him, comfort him, tell him that everything was okay and that he had done nothing wrong, and still worry about him, helping him out of that anxiety attack.  

But... how could he explain any of this?

If that was the first time they kissed and Shen Qingqiu had already considered a scenario where he either killed A-Luo by drinking too much of his blood, or turned him into a blood slave to keep him by his side for the rest of his life, or lost him forever after being revealed as the monster he truly was deep down — how... how could he allow himself to kiss A-Luo again?  

How could he give himself the right to love A-Luo?  

“A-Luo.” He finally managed to speak, seeing A-Luo’s eyes widen, observing him more closely. Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and tried to push any thoughts about A-Luo’s blood out of his mind. “It’s okay, you didn’t do anything wrong. I just started feeling really nauseous because of the drinks. And I panicked. I need to get home now. Can you get back by yourself?”  

The relief that washed over A-Luo’s face was immense. Even so, his body wouldn’t stop trembling from how shaken he was, pacing from side to side without even noticing. “Ah, yes, of course. Um, it was really good, Shizun. I can, yes, get back on my own. It’s probably better, I think. Anyway, see you on Monday!”  

And, as if A-Luo was just as desperate as Shen Qingqiu to get home, he turned and walked in the opposite direction from where Shen Qingqiu was heading. Maybe he was feeling sick from anxiety and the drinks he’d had, and didn’t want to throw up in front of his dear Shizun. Of course. He couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing his Shizun.  

Shen Qingqiu cursed himself even more. That kind, loving person, his dear disciple, was clearly unwell, barely able to stand, going through one of the worst moments of his life, and Shen Qingqiu couldn’t even consider the idea of approaching to help him. Once A-Luo was completely out of sight, Shen Qingqiu growled in frustration and punched the trunk of the car so hard that a dent formed where his fist collided.  

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Fool. Idiot. Shen Qingqiu hadn’t felt this foolish in a long time. “Didn’t you learn anything from that damn thing with Liu Qingge?!” he scolded himself as he opened the car door, trying to focus enough to drive home. But before he got in, when he looked into the car’s mirror, he noticed that his face was no longer that of Shen Yuan, but his original appearance, with long hair, a taller body... Heaven, when had he changed? Was it during that fit of rage that he hadn’t even noticed? Yes, otherwise A-Luo would have freaked out seeing Shen Yuan suddenly turn into someone else. He sighed, leaving it as it was — he was too tense to worry about glamour .  

Shen Qingqiu tossed his overcoat into the car, but before he could get in, someone strangely familiar approached him.  

“How inconsiderate.” A man grumbled, and Shen Qingqiu didn’t understand.  

“Huh?”  

The man grumbled again. That was all he needed — someone coming to bother him when he was already this stressed and anxious.  

“There were two men here earlier. I saw them leaving the bar, and they used your car to make out. I stopped looking at them, but it must’ve been them who did this.” He pointed to the dent in the side of the car where it had been punched.  

Hm. It made sense he didn’t recognize Shen Yuan. The face had noticeable differences, but the hair was the most striking change — there was no way to even think they were the same person with such a drastic difference in hair length. Besides, the man had seen Shen Yuan wearing an overcoat that covered his whole body, not even the clothes were the same.  

“Thank you for letting me know, I’ll take the necessary steps.”  

“These youngsters are so rude.” Shen Qingqiu wanted to roll his eyes; he was old enough to have lived through more than ten generations of that guy. “They were having sex behind your car.” Shen Qingqiu’s reaction of surprise was genuine, but not for the reasons the man likely imagined. Sex?! Was that what the man thought had happened when he saw them from a distance? “Horrible, isn’t it? As if doing such sinful indecencies in public wasn’t enough, they even vandalized your car. You know, I was admiring this car before going in and…”  

Shen Qingqiu shut his mind off to avoid listening to that unnecessary rambling. He tried to take deep breaths to calm down, but hearing the man rambling on and on only stressed him out even more. Shen Qingqiu wanted to bang his head against the car door repeatedly. Heaven, why did this man have to bother him right now?  

“One of those guys even threatened me. Who does he think he is?”

Ah. Shen Qingqiu finally remembered why that man’s face was familiar. Two hours ago, while they were drinking, that man approached their table, interrupting their conversation. He had been eyeing Shen Qingqiu’s watch — Watch? Huh? Instinctively, Shen Qingqiu looked at his wrist, seeing that the fancy, precious watch was now nothing more than a broken one, the screen so cracked it was unrecognizable, not even the brand could be read, and all that was left was the bracelet, barely. Had Shen Qingqiu hit the watch during one of his fits of rage? Whatever, that was far from being a concern.  

“He said that if I talked to his boyfriend again, he’d break and cut off my arms so I’d never be able to wear a watch again. Can you believe that? Such senseless violence! And he didn’t stop there!”  

Huh? A-Luo had… said that? That cute and sweet A-Luo who followed Shen Qingqiu everywhere with a big smile on his face? No, the man was definitely exaggerating and lying. Heaven, what an annoying man.  

Shen Qingqiu was running out of patience for that man. Couldn’t he just disappear already? He was already stressed, anxious, and now had to deal with this. What rage! Shen Qingqiu was never the best at controlling his stress; sometimes it got to him so much that he felt like he could die from anger.  

He looked at the car door he was holding and saw it was dented from how hard he was gripping it.  

“Whatever. Once his boyfriend realizes he’s dating a possessive lunatic, they’ll break up soon enough. I’ll be happy knowing that the idiot will be suffering.”  

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened instantly. Was he… calling A-Luo a lunatic? He stared hard at the man, trying to understand if what he heard was correct. Happy to see him suffer? As if what Shen Qingqiu had seen just seconds ago wasn’t bad enough? Hadn’t that already been… enough?  

“Hey, what’s up with you? Why is your eye… like that?”  

Ah, fuck it.  

Sighing impatiently, Shen Qingqiu lifted his gaze and stared at the full moon for a few seconds while contemplating his decision. Ah… so beautiful, it was a shame he couldn’t lie on the hood of the car, next to A-Luo, and spend hours pointing at the stars while admiring the bright, magnificent full moon.  

No… they couldn’t do that. No, because Shen Qingqiu had ruined everything. Absolutely everything.  

Shen Qingqiu really needed to vent his anger somehow.  

Later, when Shen Qingqiu finally opened the door to his house, he was greeted by a very happy and bouncy dog.  

The first thing Shen Qingqiu did was toss his overcoat to the floor, wondering if it could still be saved. His clothes were in no condition to be salvaged, but they were far from being his favorites, so he didn’t care much. Even so… they were the clothes he had worn when he kissed A-Luo just hours ago… Was it still worth trying to remove all those huge bloodstains?  

Shen Qingqiu wiped his mouth for the first time in hours. 

“Wait a moment, little one.” Shen Qingqiu said as Binghe, looking very impatient to receive attention and affection, barked softly in a cute way while following him down the hall. Being just a little bigger than Shen Qingqiu’s foot made it an adorable sight from a distance. When they reached the bathroom, Shen Qingqiu washed his hands, ridding them of all the blood, then dried them with a towel. In the meantime, he turned on the bathtub faucet and, as it filled, knelt down to finally pet Binghe.  

“You’re all worked up, huh? You’ve been sleeping all day, haven’t you?” He chuckled at the way Binghe stared at him intently. “I’ll play with you soon, okay? Just let me take a bath and wash all this blood off my body.” He spoke casually; it had almost become part of his routine by now.  

Leaving Binghe aside, while promising to spend more than an hour playing fetch, Shen Qingqiu went to his room to grab a fresh set of clothes, leaving them in the bathroom and closing the door to start undressing. No sooner had he started than he heard little paws tapping at the door, and he sighed.  

“What is it? Do you want to take a bath with me?” he joked, expecting Binghe to run away as he always did when it was time to go to the pet shop for a bath, but instead, he started jumping as if excited by the idea. “Hey, hey, I was kidding, you can’t take a bath with me. It’s too cold, you’ll freeze when you get out of the water.”  

Still, the little dog didn’t seem ready to give up.  

Shen Qingqiu sighed. “Alright, you must be lonely from being home alone all day. I’ll leave the door open, how about that?” he asked, as if the little dog could answer. Binghe just sat on the floor, wagging his tail. So needy.  

With that, Shen Qingqiu began to undress, letting the blood-stained clothes fall to the floor, kicking them to one side of the bathroom. He’d worry about washing them later — better not to mix them with regular clothes for now. Then, he turned on the shower in the corner to rinse off the excess blood and clean his body so he wouldn’t dirty the bathtub. Once he was satisfied, he settled into the warm, comforting water of the bath.  

He looked to the side and saw Binghe sitting near him, tail wagging, holding a toy in his mouth. When had he grabbed that…?  

Shen Qingqiu laughed. “This little dog is so needy…” he said, then took the rubber toy from Binghe’s mouth and tossed it out the door, watching the little furball excitedly run to fetch it and bring it back, only for Shen Qingqiu to throw it again.  

He did this while smiling. All the stress, fear, and anxiety leaving his body, if only for a moment. Spending that peaceful, trivial moment almost made him forget his worries, as if… for a brief moment, he could convince himself that everything was fine.  

And that on Monday, he wouldn’t have to make a difficult decision.

Chapter Text

[  ?  ]

He hated nights with a full moon in the sky.

his pulse pounding, his lungs breathing intensely, his skin so hot, eyes wide open, longing to turn crimson; everything smelled so strong, so unpleasant as he sought a more agreeable scent, his mouth watering with hunger, with desire, something in his body begging to be satisfied.

begging.

begging constantly, while his vision sharpened, as if that bright, intense moon followed him everywhere.

as if it watched him, observing his every move, every breath, every pulse.

Binghe hated nights with a full moon in the sky.

There was an abandoned house not far from where Shen Qingqiu lived; Binghe always left his clothes there, his belongings, the books Shen Qingqiu lent him, the books Shen Qingqiu gave him. He had broken into the property and replaced the locks with ones he’d stolen, though protection wasn’t much needed: after rumors spread about a huge wolf wandering that poorly lit, dangerous street, and a strange rise in violent incidents, Binghe didn’t have to worry about anyone breaking in.

Usually, Binghe used that place to get dressed, to organize himself and prepare to pretend to be human. Today, however, it was a full moon, and Binghe simply let his clothes be torn and discarded as he shifted back into his wolf form and ran off.

running, running and hoping no one would get in his way, emotions clashing in his mind, intensely, struggling to organize his thoughts, struggling to understand what was going on in his head.  

hatred, anger, love, confusion, sadness.  

desire

ah… so much desire .

but… for what?

By the time he reached Shen Qingqiu’s house — his home — he was once again that small, fluffy puppy.

Binghe climbed into Shen Qingqiu’s bed and, struggling to breathe, paced back and forth on it as anxiety consumed his body. He considered biting Shen Qingqiu’s pillow until there was nothing left but pieces, but he held back and attacked one of his toys instead.

Shen Qingqiu always bought him lots of toys and never minded when that little puppy chewed them to bits, only laughing and talking about how Binghe was so small, yet so violent.

violent

Binghe hated the full moon. Hated it. Hated it. He became more possessive, jealous, aggressive, and, most of all, more horny.  

The things he wanted to do to Shen Qingqiu… He barely held himself back.  

Barely.  

barely...  

Binghe wanted to start crying, unable to hold back his tears as his small puppy teeth bit into the toy, his little paws gripping it, trying to keep his body busy so his mind could calm down — though, obviously, it didn’t work.  

He had kissed Shen Qingqiu.  

Binghe had finally kissed Shen Qingqiu.  

And he had ruined everything. He had pushed Shen Qingqiu too aggressively, had rubbed against him like an animal with no self-control, had gripped Shen Qingqiu’s wrists so hard that he broke his expensive, beautiful watch, had been too forceful, had gone too far.  

It was obvious Shen Qingqiu had just wanted to give him a kiss, not take things that far.  

He had almost — almost — lost control entirely and railed Shen Qingqiu so hard against his car that he would’ve broken it.  

Ah...  

Maybe if he had taken things slower, if he hadn’t rubbed his erection so forcefully against Shen Qingqiu’s body as if making it clear that he’d take him right then and there, almost feeling like he was harassing his own owner... Maybe, if he hadn’t scared Shen Qingqiu so much, he wouldn’t have been pushed away like that.

But it was a good thing Shen Qingqiu had pushed him.

It was good…

good…

Because if Shen Qingqiu hadn’t pushed him away and stopped things at that moment, fuck… who knows what Binghe would be doing to his owner right now.

(he’d be fucking him outside the car, inside the car, sucking him off while Shen Qingqiu drove home, then fucking him at the door before they even made it inside, because he wouldn’t be able to resist, then on the living room floor, in the hallway, in the bedroom, all because of that damned full moon.)

And then... how would he explain it to Shen Qingqiu?

Shen Qingqiu, who hadn’t noticed that his watch was broken by Binghe, who hadn’t noticed that while they were kissing, Shen Qingqiu had briefly shown his true form, who hadn’t realized, up until then, that his devoted student was actually his puppy.

Who hadn’t realized that Binghe had been lying to him all this time.

lying.

He couldn’t. He couldn’t. There was no way he could let Shen Qingqiu discover his secret. Because once he did, he would be angry, furious, upset that A-Luo had lied to him, that Binghe had taken advantage of his kindness in taking in a cute little puppy and giving him shelter.

if shen qingqiu found out...

he wouldn’t love him the same way he loved and cared for binghe

he wouldn’t be as helpful and attentive to a-luo as he always was

no… no…

And A-Luo had scared him.

He scared him, because Shen Qingqiu had never shown any sexual interest in him, and yet, Binghe was seconds away from fucking him right there in a public space.

right

right

right

All A-Luo had to do was go back to being his owner’s dear student on Monday, go back to being the helpful student who could bring a smile to his face.

If everything went wrong, if Shen Qingqiu hated A-Luo ,

he would still love Binghe .

He would still care for his dear little puppy… so… it was all fine… right?

Binghe could handle the thought… right… as long as… as long as Shen Qingqiu still… loved some… some part of him… it would all be fine...

That’s all he needed.

All he needed and

everything would

be fine.

As long as he continued to believe that Binghe was his cute, adorable, innocent, and angelic little puppy, and not that strange, weird student who was always following him around, kissing him roughly, and making him uncomfortable. So, for that to happen, he just couldn’t find out that those two beings were the same person.

that’s all…

just…

just that…

shen qingqiu could never find out that binghe had been lying to him all this time.

lying.

But it was night. It was late, still some hours until dawn. The hours passed and passed, and Binghe was nearly dehydrated from crying so much, clinging to the little bed and stuffed animals that Shen Qingqiu always gave him whenever he found a new, cute toy.

Why wasn’t Shen Qingqiu coming back?

Why?!

Why wasn’t he… coming home?

Did… did he hate Binghe? Did he hate him that much?

But how could he hate Binghe, if it was A-Luo’s fault?

Did A-Luo make him so uncomfortable he didn’t even want to return home?

Had he messed up that badly?

Binghe was already preparing to spend the rest of the night crying, thinking he’d been abandoned, when he heard the door open and Shen Qingqiu returning home. He immediately ran to his owner, jumping around to get his attention, not even caring about the fact that Shen Qingqiu was covered in someone else’s blood — after all, he looked so, so beautiful like that!

Binghe wanted to transform into his human form and jump on him, apologize, say he had crossed the line, promise it wouldn’t happen again if it made him uncomfortable, and then beg Shen Qingqiu to keep teaching him, to keep talking to him, to stay by his side — even if Shen Qingqiu didn’t feel any romantic or sexual attraction toward him. He just wanted to have Shen Qingqiu in his life, and he would bear the burden of unrequited love if necessary.

But he couldn’t.

He couldn’t, because Shen Qingqiu couldn’t find out that Binghe had been lying to him and making a fool of him all this time.

If Shen Qingqiu discovered that A-Luo was Binghe, he wouldn’t let him sleep in bed with him anymore, wouldn’t let him lick his face or cuddle him while they slept, wouldn’t take him for walks, wouldn’t put a collar around his neck anymore, and maybe wouldn’t even pet his belly or head with the same love and affection. He wouldn’t let him stay in the bathroom while he showered, wouldn’t change clothes in front of him anymore, allowing him to see his beautiful body, or let him lay comfortably in his lap again.

he would be upset when he realized that the cute little puppy who had watched him undress, changing clothes, showering was actually his perverted student who had almost fucked him in public, against his car in a parking lot.

How Binghe loved to lay in his lap… on top of his chest…

to lick his face ,

to lick his body .

How could he not be angry about that?

Shen Qingqiu wasn’t a sick and crazy person like Binghe.

Like his student.

If Shen Qingqiu discovered the truth, nothing would be the same.

And although things as they were now weren’t ideal, it was still a better scenario than the countless others Binghe imagined in his head.

So, he would have to endure this pain.

Binghe could see several reasons why Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t want A-Luo in his life anymore, especially after A-Luo had acted so indecently with him: A-Luo was possessive and jealous; he lost control around Shen Qingqiu and threatened the people around him. And it was fine when Binghe was doing that because, in a way, it was still cute and endearing to see: a little puppy barking and asking for attention was adorable.

But now… a tall, slender adult making a sour face at people who approached his owner like he was a jealous child? No, that was… pathetic… wasn’t it?

For Binghe, it seemed difficult to accept the idea that Shen Qingqiu would love him the way he wanted to be loved.

While Binghe seemed to believe that Shen Qingqiu would never love him for being who he was, Shen Qingqiu actually had his own concerns about the fact that A-Luo was, as he believed, a human.

Not that Binghe could know this.

that the true problem isn’t how weird , possessive and indecent a-luo was, but him being a human.

after all, his owner had never been a good communicator

and binghe was very convinced of his own false true about the way shen qingqiu saw him

[ 十四 ]

(friday, 17:21)

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] bro, I can't play league of legends with you tonight like i promised, sorry, i’m going to a bar with a-luo.

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] ??? AND WHAT ABOUT MY ELO? ( ｡ •` ⤙´• ｡)

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] Wait

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] ur going to the bar with A-LUO???? UR STUDENT???? WHAT ARE U GUYS GONNA DO?

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] i thought we had a long talk about how important it was to keep things chill between you two so it doesn’t get messy, and here you are taking him to the bar !

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] ...did you put your phone on airplane mode bro?

(friday, 19:21)

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] u never gonna answer me, huh? ᕙ( ᗒᗣᗕ )ᕗ

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] whatever, I got a hot and perfect hubby to give me attention ૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა i don’t need u making my fridays interesting 

(friday, 21:11)

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] good thing ur a powerful immortal vampire, or i’d be worried, u know

(friday, 23:39)

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] Okay, maybe I’m a little worried.

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] But it’s 'cause I don’t trust this A-Luo dude.

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] I still think he’s a vampire hunter trying to get close to you.

(saturday, 00:23)

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] SHEN QINGQIU PLS GIVE ME A SIGN SO I KNOW A-LUO DIDN'T STAB YOU IN THE HEART °՞(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞°

(saturday, 01:32)

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] Jesus

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] No need to freak out, bro, I'm fine. I just had to hide a body.

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] ????? DID YOU KILL A-LUO?

(saturday, 12:59)

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] It was some random guy who was annoying me. I'm gonna spend the weekend grading papers and assignments, we’ll talk later.

[✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] are you sure everything’s okay?

[Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] Yeah, all good.

(sunday, 11:30)

[Shěn Yuán] i fucked everything up

And it was a few hours after sending that message that Shen Qingqiu found himself with Shang Qinghua at a tea house, where he was desperately drinking his third cup of tea.

Shang Qinghua's eyes widened as he watched his friend gulp down the hot liquid all at once. “Alright…”

He huffed.

“Okay. What the hell is going on?”

It was a Sunday, a Sunday afternoon. Calm, peaceful, serene; and Shen Qingqiu had already eaten two red bean buns and who knows how many cookies without the slightest worry about how that would harm his stomach, to the point where Shang Qinghua started to worry, pushing the little plate away from him and saying, “That’s enough!”

Shen Qingqiu looked like he wanted to bang his head on the table until it cracked.

(Not the table.)

It was a Sunday, a Sunday afternoon. Tense, frustrating, anxious; and Shen Qingqiu was seconds away from freaking out, that is, if he wasn't already freaking out. Arriving home on Friday night, he had taken enough tranquilizers to take down one, if not two elephants, and managed to sleep peacefully like an angel, only to wake up and remember everything that had happened.

Remember that he had almost attacked A-Luo.

He spent Saturday morning sleeping like a corpse. He spent Saturday afternoon buried under a pile of academic work and tests that he had to grade to keep his mind distracted. He spent Saturday night walking with Binghe in the park (damn sun bothering his eyes making him prefer to walk at night). He spent the early morning hunting some prey to see if violence would relieve his stress, habits not lost from the past. And he spent Sunday morning almost biting his fingers, thinking about how the next day he would see A-Luo and had no idea what to do.

He left Binghe at home and slipped away to a meeting place with Shang Qinghua.

There was something particularly heartbreaking about showing sadness around Binghe; sometimes, he preferred to try to hide his emotions from the puppy, who was so, so sensitive that he seemed to feel his owner's emotions.

“What. Is. Happening?!” Shang Qinghua asked, unable to stand the way Shen Qingqiu had ignored him since he arrived and was saying nothing, just looking desperately at that food that was poison for him.

“Okay.”

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath, sat up in his chair, and finally seemed ready to explain. “I went to the bar with A-Luo because he was acting strange, and I was worried since I wouldn’t see him or talk to him until Monday because, well, you know, the lack of a phone. We were talking and debating about literature, as always, so I challenged him, he won the challenge, and he got to choose something from me. He wanted to kiss me.”

Shang Qinghua listened attentively. “And you refused, right?”

“I accepted.”

Shang Qinghua's mouth fell open in surprise. Even though it seemed like part of him shouldn’t be that surprised.

“The idea was just to give him a light kiss, you know? To make him happy. I didn’t want to hurt him by refusing.” The way he spoke, it sounded like he was trying to convince himself of that. “But…”

Shen Qingqiu wanted to bang his head on the table again.

“I couldn't resist, and we started kissing a lot. It felt so good… so good… Then I started to… smell his blood; it was so strong, so delicious, so hard to resist.” Shen Qingqiu's expression seemed to say more than it needed to; his morbid expression was worth a thousand words. Still, when he looked directly at Shang Qinghua, the sadness on his face was followed by the confirmation that Shang Qinghua needed. “I almost bit him. I almost killed him. I even considered turning him into a blood slave! I wanted him in a way that was irrational, and I barely didn’t turn that student I love so much into a meal for a monster !”

His voice came out a bit louder than it should have; fortunately, there was no one around to hear.

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t even realized he admitted to loving A-Luo.

Ah… but how could he not love him?

“Okay…” Shang Qinghua seemed to be slowly processing the information he was receiving. Then something clicked in his mind, and he quickly remembered the message he had sent, insinuating that Shen Qingqiu was hiding A-Luo's body. “I… I shouldn’t have said that; forgive me…”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t respond; he just buried his hands in his face and then sighed again. “What… what do I do?”

It was a genuine question.

“I love spending time with him. I love teaching him things and seeing those bright little eyes light up with excitement. I love buying things for him and watching how shy he gets. I even love the way he’s jealous and possessive and doesn’t like when people interrupt us. He is one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen and has one of the brightest smiles I’ve ever faced. And I can’t have A-Luo. Or A-Luo is going to end up dead in my hands, just like-”

He swallowed hard, lacking the courage to finish that sentence.

“You should-”

He was immediately interrupted by Shen Qingqiu. “Either I break his heart, or I make it never beat again.” And he laughed, in a sarcastic way at the end, his words and facial expression in complete despair.

Shang Qinghua's expression showed exactly what he felt watching that.

Pity.

And there was nothing he could do.

“You don’t need to… you don’t need to break his heart all at once. Maybe just pull away gradually; maybe that would be… maybe that would be better.”

Shen Qingqiu said nothing, as he knew there was nothing to say. The hours passed in a morbid way while Shang Qinghua did his best to distract his best friend and find a solution to the situation. In the end, Shen Qingqiu had no one to blame but himself for getting too involved, even knowing he couldn’t .

Even knowing that he shouldn’t .

Chapter Text

[ 十五 ]

Shen Qingqiu bit his lower lip as he made his way to his office during the break between classes, fully aware of who he would find there. And to his zero surprise, A-Luo was sitting on the hallway sofa, distracting himself with one of the books Shen Yuan had given him. Despite looking as handsome as always, his face seemed... tired. The dark circles around his eyes were prominent, his skin a bit paler than usual, and even his hair seemed to have lost some of its shine. Was he eating and sleeping properly...?

Shen Qingqiu didn’t even have time to think about turning around and running away before A-Luo noticed him.  

Ah...  

That smile on A-Luo's face when he saw him...  

It was so... so painful for Shen Qingqiu’s heart.  

Shen Qingqiu swallowed hard.  

“Good morning, Shizun.” A-Luo stood up, assuming an elegant posture as he approached the professor. “I wanted to apologize for leaving suddenly from our date, so I brought this for my Shizun.”  

... huh?  

No, no. What was he doing? He hadn’t left suddenly; Shen Qingqiu had done that. “I got too excited and went too far. I hope Shizun can forgive this disciple.”  

Stop making things harder, A-Luo!!!  

Did A-Luo really think all of this was his fault? Did he believe Shen Qingqiu had pushed him away because he was going too far, and that he'd been rejected because of it?  

Wait, did A-Luo refer to that as a "date"?  

Tilting his head to the side, a bit sad, it was almost as if A-Luo was worried about the fact that Shen Qingqiu hadn’t said anything until now, so to break the tension, Shen Qingqiu spoke. “A-Luo didn’t do anything wrong. We were both affected by the drink. It’s just...”  

He froze, not having the courage to say the next words.  

“Just...?”  

“It’s just that we shouldn’t do that again. It’s not very appropriate.” He used the most serious voice he could muster, immediately regretting being so strict. He saw the exact moment when the light in A-Luo's eyes faded, and his expression fell. But soon after, he forced a slight smile, completely unnatural. It was obvious, even to someone like Shen Qingqiu, what was going through his mind.  

Shen Qingqiu wanted to go back to yesterday and bang his head on the teahouse table until it broke without Shang Qinghua stopping him.  

“Yes... of course. I understand.”  

Shen Qingqiu didn’t need to be a genius to see A-Luo’s face and know that he was lying — he didn’t understand .  

Alright...  

It could have been... worse... right?  

As if facing A-Luo's expression, like a little puppy that had been kicked, wasn’t painful enough, Shen Qingqiu knew it wouldn’t be that "easy." Looking away, as if he didn’t want to see A-Luo’s face anymore (but... it seemed more like he was cruelly ignoring his disciple), the teacher spoke. “I won’t be able to spend breaks with A-Luo anymore. The semester is ending, and I have many papers to grade and students to help. I’ll be very busy.”  

“I understand...” he said, again, now sounding even more like a lie than before. “Shizun is a renowned professor, above all.”  

His voice was so melancholic, it sounded heartbreaking; Shen Qingqiu cursed himself several times. This is what’s best for you, A-Luo, he thought to himself, it would be so easy if he could just... ah.  

It was almost as if he could hear A-Luo’s heart breaking piece by piece from where he stood. Damn, he felt more like a "monster" now than ever. But what could he do? Hug A-Luo and console him? How could he do that without making things worse? How could he push A-Luo away without making A-Luo want to chase after him?  

The hardest part was that he didn’t want to push A-Luo away. Damn it. Damn it. He wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon talking about literature with A-Luo, wanted to see his cute eyes light up when he said something that made his Shizun proud, the way he smiled when he was praised. He wanted to admire how beautiful he looked when he was focused on reading; wanted to enjoy the privacy of his office to be close to each other, maybe even let A-Luo rest his head on his lap for a nap and lose that look of someone who hadn’t slept in days. To have him in his lap, to kiss him again.  

To kiss him...  

Would Shen Qingqiu be able to kiss him without wanting to devour his neck?  

“Shizun.”  

He was pulled back from his thoughts by that sweet voice, turning slowly, still hesitant to face A-Luo’s intense gaze, only to see how a few tears seemed to gather in the corner of his watery eyes as he tried his hardest not to cry.  

Ah...  

“This disciple... prepared a meal for his Shizun.”  

Ah...  

Shen Qingqiu watched as A-Luo handed him a bento wrapped in a white cloth with a floral pattern. Afraid that refusing would only make things worse (and also, not being cold enough to refuse), Shen Qingqiu accepted it, taking it in his hands with the fear of dropping it. “This master thanks his disciple.”  

Making a formal gesture, A-Luo concluded, “I’ll be in the library if you need me.”  

Shen Qingqiu was surprised by this. “You’re still staying around the university?” He thought that, since A-Luo wouldn’t be near him, there wouldn’t be a reason to stay — after all, A-Luo must have more interesting things to do... right?  

A-Luo nodded. “If I don’t stay, how will Shizun know where to find me when he needs me?”  

A part of Shen Qingqiu’s heart ached hearing that.  

He really is a monster.  

Shen Qingqiu knew that insisting A-Luo get a phone was impossible; he refused every time.  

A-Luo seemed to be waiting for Shen Qingqiu to say something; but, having no idea what could be said, Shen Qingqiu remained silent. Lowering his gaze, he bid A-Luo goodbye. “See you later,” and headed for his office.  

Without looking back.  

Without allowing himself to look back.  

He closed the door and let his body fall to the floor, banging his head hard against the solid wooden door on purpose while repeating “stupid” over and over to himself.  

He tried not to think about A-Luo’s sad and helpless expression, his disappointment with each of Shen Qingqiu’s words, that look of wanting to ask more, question and challenge Shen Qingqiu’s actions, but being a fraid of only making things worse. A-Luo probably felt it was entirely his fault, no matter how many times Shen Qingqiu tried to emphasize that it wasn’t. Because of him, A-Luo was probably hating himself and going through one of the worst moments of his life.  

Yes... definitely a monster.  

He looked down at the floor, seeing the small bento box that A-Luo had prepared for him. With hands a bit curious, he opened it to find gyozas. They seemed to have been made recently... had A-Luo woken up especially early to make them?  

Even though Shen Qingqiu knew his stomach would ache from it, he couldn’t resist taking one to his mouth and biting into it, tasting the delicious flavor that was somewhat typical of what he expected... somewhat... exotic. He didn’t notice how a few tears began to roll down his face; his body so huddled against the door of his office.  

He sighed.  

There was still some time before the next class. He could stay there on the floor, alone and in silence, slowly eating the snack A-Luo had prepared for him, thinking about how he would never have this again.  

[ ? ]

why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why-

Binghe left the university, broke the parking lot cameras, kicked Gongyi Xiao's car until there were seven dents, and went back to the library, where he stayed for hours, desperately waiting for Shen Qingqiu to appear, saying he regretted it, that everything was okay, that they could talk again, have lessons together, go on dates, kiss, have sex, live together, get married, and live happily for the rest of eternity.  

That didn’t happen.  

The first poor soul to mess with Binghe that day became nothing more than a bone for him to gnaw on or break with his own teeth, while his claws scratched at the lifeless flesh, trying to calm himself. Yes, he was a bit emotional and didn’t know how to handle his feelings, but so what?  

Binghe loved it when Shen Qingqiu poured his pet food into the little red bowl with his name on it — he always did little circles and barked happily before eating. The food was tasty, he couldn’t deny it, but it was hard to satisfy the appetite of a fierce werewolf with a pedigree meal meant for pomeranians dogs. 

But Binghe was freaking out .  

Well.  

At least, despite Shen Qingqiu (apparently) hating A-Luo, he still liked Binghe. And Binghe clung to that affection desperately. But everything seemed so painful. Was he capable of sleeping in the same bed as Shen Qingqiu without crying, knowing he’d never hold him in his arms while sleeping? Was he capable of lying on Shen Qingqiu’s lap, knowing he’d never be able to sit there and shower him with kisses? Binghe tried to maintain a painful distance from his owner, just to avoid hurting himself more while getting used to the idea of being just a little dog to him.

Ah...  

and it was all fine  

it was, wasn’t it?  

it was, because shen qingqiu seemed just as sad as he was.  

it was, because, deep down, binghe believed that this separation (were they ever really together?) had been mutually painful .  

but shen qingqiu started smiling again  

started moving on with life  

was it selfish of binghe to want to feel like this had changed shen qingqiu’s life as much as it had his own?  

of course it was ridiculous.  

A-Luo was in Shen Qingqiu’s private library, flipping through the books, as he used to do when Shen Qingqiu went to work, and he hadn’t started following him yet. And just as he’d been doing these last few days, when rare were the days that Shen Qingqiu had the... displeasure...? of seeing A-Luo at the university.

He closed the book before tears could fall on the pages.  

So many, so many books, so much history. yeah... that’s it. Shen Qingqiu was really such an old vampire, so old. He must have had so many lovers, so many marriages, so many people in his life who come and go. He could never have loved A-Luo the way A-Luo loved him, it was all just... fleeting.  

That’s why separating from him didn’t hurt him at all.  

A-Luo knew he meant nothing to Shen Qingqiu.  

Even if Binghe seemed to mean something.  

A-Luo put the book back in its place.  

thinking  

to himself  

how much longer could he bear living side by side with shen qingqiu, knowing he could never have him the way he wanted  

knowing that, deep down, a-luo was nothing more than a fleeting event in that vampire's life  

and who... and who could guarantee that binghe wouldn’t end up the same way?  

how much longer could he bear it before he completely broke?  

how long could he endure the feeling of being so, so, so close  

and yet so far away?  

[ 十六 ]

They were distant.  

Yes. Distant was the best word to define what they were going through.  

It wasn’t as if they didn’t see each other — Shen Qingqiu still went to the library to check if A-Luo was there. Every time he saw him, a slight momentary sparkle would appear on A-Luo’s face, only to fade when he remembered they wouldn’t be spending time together. Shen Qingqiu handed him some exam or assignment that he himself had given in class, knowing that A-Luo liked doing it that way. Sometimes, Shen Qingqiu would bring his own work to the library, spending time grading papers in silence, near A-Luo; but it was different. It wasn’t in the privacy of their room, where they had only each other’s company, where they’d have those long, passionate conversations.  

No.  

It was empty.  

It was almost as if they were strangers.  

And staying in that relationship seemed to hurt with every passing second. Shen Qingqiu knew A-Luo had already figured out that the excuse he had given was just that, an excuse, that he hadn’t really distanced himself because of academic reasons. Shen Qingqiu didn’t know what theory A-Luo had come up with in his mind to explain it. But maybe it was better to let him think that way.  

Because he knew that even if he told A-Luo he had distanced himself because he was a vampire and was afraid of hurting him, he knew — he knew A-Luo wouldn’t care about the danger and would insist on that relationship that could only end tragically.  

He needed... he needed to end it once and for all.  

He opened his mouth to speak. “A-Luo.” And that ever-anxious, ever-dedicated student immediately lifted his gaze, the gaze that no longer held any sparkle, only a nauseating longing. Shen Qingqiu swallowed hard. “I think we should start to…”  

Stop seeing each other?  

Cut all ties?  

Never speak again?  

How could he say that?  

“...keep a little more distance,” he said, without the courage to say what needed to be said.  

Why was he putting a comma where there should’ve been a period?  

Even so, A-Luo seemed exceptionally sad but didn’t show any strength, didn’t resist. “Alright.”  

Shen Qingqiu looked at the clock. Gathering his things, he left without saying goodbye to A-Luo.  

Binghe was... having a particularly rough time. He was a sensitive dog. Shen Qingqiu had already noticed that. Whenever Shen Qingqiu was sad, that little furball also became down and depressed, as if he shared his owner’s feelings. Since Shen Qingqiu started becoming an emotional wreck over everything that had happened, Binghe had also shown signs of depression.  

He hardly left his little bed — he didn’t even try to jump onto the bed to sleep with Shen Qingqiu, and even when Shen Qingqiu looked at him sympathetically and lifted him onto the bed, the little dog would get down as if he didn’t want to be there. Even though he spent most of the time near Shen Qingqiu, he did so quietly, no longer vibrant like before. A dog that had always been so greedy was now barely eating, to the point of affecting his health.  

He took him to the vet, just to see if something was wrong, but there was nothing — completely psychological. The vet mentioned that it was normal for dogs to mirror their owners’ emotions and that living in a depressive environment could depress the animal.  

With that, Shen Qingqiu decided it might be better to pretend to be okay around Binghe. After all, if Binghe was depressed because his owner was like that, maybe Shen Qingqiu shouldn’t be like that anymore.  

Forcing himself to act like everything was fine, Shen Qingqiu started behaving like his life was before meeting A-Luo; he started coming home smiling and wanting to play with Binghe, even though all he wanted was to throw himself onto his bed and stay there for the rest of the day, trying to erase the image of A-Luo’s perfect smile that he would never see again. He went back to playing online games with Shang Qinghua to distract himself. He went back to watching silly TV shows. He went back to not spending longer than necessary in the shower or struggling to get out of bed — how could he not, knowing he had to get up, go to work, and see A-Luo walking around as if he were just another student, simply because A-Luo seemed incapable of not seeing Shen Qingqiu, even from afar? 

Shen Qingqiu stopped occasionally finding A-Luo in the library. Shen Qingqiu stopped interacting with him, even briefly after class. Shen Qingqiu began ignoring him whenever A-Luo tried to reach out.

No. He couldn’t… he couldn’t bear being so close to A-Luo without being able to get any closer. It was like Icarus seeing the sun; the difference was that if Shen Qingqiu got too close, it wouldn’t be him who got burned.

Shen Qingqiu was doing everything right. He was playing with his Binghe, feeding that little ball of fur well, giving him affection and attention. He was pretending to be fine when he clearly wasn’t, just because he knew that the more he cried around Binghe, the sadder the little dog would become. How could a dog be happy and excited when his owner had become an aura of resentment, hurt, and pessimism? So he smiled, smiled, played, and pretended that none of this had affected him.

He was doing everything right… Everything…

But…

But if he did everything right… why… why did Binghe, that beloved little dog that he loved more than himself, that he had devoted so much of his heart to… why… why did Binghe have to abandon him?

Why, when he got home one day, did he realize that Binghe had run away?

[ 十 七 ]

08:32 — missed call from Shěn Yuán 瀋垣  

08:50 — 2 missed calls from Shěn Yuán 瀋垣  

09:01 — 3 missed calls from Shěn Yuán 瀋垣  

09:43 [Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] i can’t find binge  

09:44 [Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] i swear i remember locking the door but i woke up and it was open  

09:44 [Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] i don’t know what happened to him, it’s been 2 hours  

09:45 [Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] i’m scared to go out and look for him and then he comes back  

09:46 [Shěn Yuán 瀋垣] i need your help pls  

10:21 — 4 missed calls from Shěn Yuán 瀋垣  

10:23 — 5 missed calls from Shěn Yuán 瀋垣  

10:25 — 5 missed calls from Shěn Yuán 瀋垣  

10:26 [✈️ — airplane 。.:☆* ] holy shit i just woke up. i’m coming over. don’t panic  

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t stop himself from panicking.  

When Shang Qinghua arrived, along with Mobei Jun, he found Shen Qingqiu in distress, lying on the floor like a corpse, and Shang Qinghua panicked, rushing over to him.  

“Bro?! Are you okay?”  

“No.” He replied, short and blunt. “I ruined everything. I completely messed up.”  

“Binghe must’ve gone to piss or something and got lost. We’ll leave Mobei Jun here in case Binghe comes back, and I’ll help you look around, okay?”  

Shen Qingqiu wiped some tears from his face, said nothing, and simply got up and followed his friend around the neighborhood. They asked everyone they saw. They walked for miles and miles. They went to the places Binghe liked to walk. They talked to more and more people.  

Nothing.  

Absolutely nothing.  

It was already late at night when Shen Qingqiu sat on the couch, a blanket wrapped around his body. Shang Qinghua offered him some tea prepared by Mobei Jun, staying close, trying to provide comfort.  

“I’m so sorry…” he said, gently running his hand along his friend's back, who had been silent for a long time. “I’ll make some missing posters and put them up around here with Mobei Jun’s help. I’ll also talk to Mu Qingfang to get you a note, so you don’t have to work these last few days of the semester.”  

Shen Qingqiu didn’t even care about his work.  

“What… what did I do wrong?” he asked, his voice low and defeated. “Why… why do I always… always mess everything up? Just like I messed up with Liu Qing-”  

Before Shen Qingqiu could bring up that name, Shang Qinghua interrupted him.  

“You’re not a villain, Shen Qingqiu.” He lowered his hand, holding Shen Qingqiu’s and squeezing it firmly. “You did… you did what needed to be done with A-Luo. And we’ll find Binghe, I promise you.”  

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t believe his words.  

But it wasn’t… it wasn’t like he could do anything.  

Ah… great.  

Shen Qingqiu lowered his head.  

He didn’t even have the strength to think about it anymore.  

Shen Qingqiu was good at many things. He was a good critic, a good reader, a good teacher, a good scholar. And apparently, he was very good at ruining any relationship he had with anyone who got too close to him. Apparently, he was so good at it that it extended to animals as well.  

He really… destroyed everything that came near him, didn’t he?

Chapter Text

[ 十 八 ]

Shen Qingqiu was a guy with an unfortunate past. He had been a slave in his early years, then became a vampire, and was then used by another vampire before killing that vampire to save his childhood friend. Right. Throughout his centuries of life, Shen Qingqiu had various romantic interests that were nothing more than fleeting fun here and there. Twenty-year marriages for Shen Qingqiu held as much intensity as a one-year relationship for normal humans. Perhaps it was because Shen Qingqiu was never exactly a romantic person, or because he never cared much about certain things; there were only two times in his millennia-long life that he looked at himself in the mirror and admitted to being truly in love with someone.

Recently, with A-Luo.

In his past, with Liu Qingge.

Liu Qingge, the very one who was currently standing at Shen Qingqiu's door, staring at him with the most sour expression Shen Qingqiu had ever seen on his face. His first words were exactly:

"I can't believe Shang Qinghua called me saying he needed me because of a dog that ran away."

Shen Qingqiu didn’t wait even three seconds after hearing those words before bursting into loud sobs as he threw himself on the floor, curling up in a dead-like position and flailing like a desperate child.  

Liu Qingge panicked immediately, probably having never seen that old, wise, and powerful vampire in such a... such a... deplorable state. — or maybe, just without seeing this for a long, long time.

Ah... So, he needed Liu Qingge...? How ironic...  

In the most humiliating way possible, Shen Qingqiu crawled on the floor, tears streaming down his face, no longer caring about his image, and clung to Liu Qingge’s legs, squeezing as if to see if he was real. Liu Qingge was still in shock, with no idea how to process the scene. "What the hell happened to you?!" he asked.  

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes turned red in an instant, glowing in the darkness of the room.  

Not that Shen Qingqiu had much strength, but Liu Qingge showed no hesitation when Shen Qingqiu jumped on top of him and knocked him to the ground. Like a fierce beast, he attacked his neck with his fangs fully exposed, biting as if he wanted to tear the flesh apart.

And he tore into it, blood gushing from the sides as his mouth became soaked with the liquid. It was the most primal way to drink, far from that seductive image in movies — at that moment, he wasn’t elegant and composed as he usually was when feeding; he was starving, desperate for sustenance, and that sustenance was right at his door, showing no resistance.

The blood kept dripping onto the floor. It continued to stain both of their clothes. For a long, long time.

Liu Qingge just sighed, tired, and didn’t move anymore.

Shen Qingqiu was an extremely emotional person, even though he didn’t like to show it.  

On the outside, he would always appear to be a wise, calm, and calculated man. On the inside, he would be in a panic and constantly stressed. He would stress over silly things, and when he got angry over something serious, ah… the consequences would be devastating.  

Put anger issues in the hands of a powerful vampire like him, and you had the perfect recipe for disaster.  

At rock bottom, as he was now, Shen Qingqiu was capable of anything but controlling his emotions. It was only when Shang Qinghua came to his house one of these days that, if it weren’t for Mobei Jun, Shen Qingqiu might have almost attacked him — and then spent half an hour in despair over it, if it weren’t for Mobei Jun protecting his husband from this feral creature. Knowing that he was a danger to be around and knowing that Shen Qingqiu was self-destructing piece by piece, Shang Qinghua had to resort to the worst-necessary thing a friend could do to help another friend.  

That is, call his ex.  

"Shang Qinghua told me you’re digging your own grave."  

Ah... Was he?  

He hadn’t... he hadn’t even noticed.  

"I just went without eating for a while," he explained, legs crossed, his body slouched. Liu Qingge had forced him to take a bath after days of not moving from the bed.  

Liu Qingge didn’t seem to believe him.  

"What exactly happened? Shang Qinghua couldn’t explain it to me."  

Of course Shang Qinghua couldn’t explain — when had that man ever been able to communicate properly when anxious and disoriented?  

So Shen Qingqiu said "I fell in love."  

"I’m sorry."  

Few words that, for Liu Qingge, for those two in that room, meant... a lot.  

Shen Qingqiu scoffed. "I distanced myself from him, before... you know. But I broke his heart. And I broke mine too. Then my dog ran away from home. And I don’t know how to deal with it, because suddenly I lost two of the most important things to me." He curled up even more on the couch. "I want to be rational and think of long-term solutions, but my mind is a mess and confused."  

It wasn’t surprising. He definitely had some trauma involving these matters.  

"Well..."  

Centuries ago, Shen Qingqiu had met Liu Qingge. Both were sect leaders at the time. While Liu Qingge taught martial arts, Shen Qingqiu taught the Four Arts, and they always ended up clashing, arguing over silly things or competing in matters that even involved their disciples. It didn’t take long for Shen Qingqiu to develop a fondness for that man, a fondness that evolved into love.  

That was the first time Shen Qingqiu allowed himself to truly fall in love with someone. He thought that if his heart had pure enough feelings, if he maintained constant meditation, tranquility, and good nourishment, everything would work out.

But strong emotions were dangerous for a vampire like Shen Qingqiu.  

And his love became something dangerous.  

It was on the day Liu Qingge was gravely injured that, in an attempt to help him, Shen Qingqiu killed him with his own hands.  

Or rather, his own fangs.  

"I thought you had made an oath," Liu Qingge said, staring at Shen Qingqiu, who was curled up on the couch in a pathetic manner.  

"I did. That’s why I distanced myself from him." Then, he threw his head back and began laughing sarcastically. "Isn’t it strange? I’m centuries old, I’ve been through so much, and yet here I am crying ridiculously, like a teenager rejected by her first crush."  

Liu Qingge took a moment to respond.  

"You spend a lot of time with humans. It’s natural that you’re as emotional as they are."  

Shen Qingqiu wanted to say that Liu Qingge didn’t understand what that was like, since he distanced himself from humans, but his heart clenched at that thought. Ah… what a foolish thing to think. It was clear that Liu Qingge didn’t get close to humans — he couldn’t, because of Shen Qingqiu.  

After killing Liu Qingge, Shen Qingqiu tried everything to bring him back to life. Liu Qingge, in his purest essence, was a hunter of monsters and creatures. He had dedicated his entire life to training men to hunt abominations like Shen Qingqiu, and spent many years searching for a bloodthirsty leech who was right by his side — the one who held his hand, slept in his bed, and kissed his lips.  

Looking back, perhaps the greatest crime Shen Qingqiu had committed against Liu Qingge wasn’t killing him, but allowing Liu Qingge to fall in love with him.

Liu Qingge was brought back to life, though not by choice, with Shen Qingqiu’s blood. When he returned, he was no longer human, but something bizarre that lingered between humanity and the otherworld. His skin was cold and dry, emitting no warmth; he couldn’t breathe, none of his organs functioned, his eyes were always red, claws had replaced his fingernails, and his canines were constantly sharp. Many supernatural creatures could disguise themselves among humans, like Shen Qingqiu, either through their own nature or the use of glamour . But Liu Qingge had been cursed, no longer able to appear fully human, never able to be among humans.

Was there a greater punishment for someone who had spent his life hunting monsters and came from an honored family of hunters than being forced to live the rest of his life in the other world? — as they called the realms predominantly inhabited by supernatural creatures rather than humans.

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t just killed him; he had completely ruined his life.  

It was when Liu Qingge told him, "It would have been better if you had left me dead," that Shen Qingqiu realized he should never, never again allow himself to fall in love with a human.  

"I think I ruin everything I touch," Shen Qingqiu admitted right there, looking into Liu Qingge’s intense eyes. 

He was... 

fine. 

He still wore the typical clothes from the time when he was human, clinging to that style with pride. Living in the demonic realms seemed less stressful, but more... depressing. Shen Qingqiu wanted to ask what he had been doing with his life, ask if he still trained disciples to hunt monsters that crossed the line (ah… just like him...), but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.  

It took centuries for Liu Qingge to forgive Shen Qingqiu.  

It wasn’t as if... Shen Qingqiu had done it out of pure malice. He had just been... trying to save Liu Qingge... He had just... lost control.  

Just as he had almost lost control with A-Luo.  

Shen Qingqiu let another tear escape from his eye.  

In recent decades, their relationship had been particularly good, and Shen Qingqiu felt that he could say they were friends again, even if they only rarely contacted each other. It must have been at least seven years since Shen Qingqiu had last seen that man, but it didn’t matter — seven years seemed like such a short time for the life of an immortal.

Maybe he should invite Liu Qingge out more often. Maybe he would enjoy joining game nights with Shang Qinghua. Maybe he could become friends with Mobei Jun since both liked working out and staying in shape. Would Binghe like him, or would he bark like crazy? No, Binghe would definitely hate him. Being as jealous as he was, that little dog would have a fit seeing Shen Qingqiu’s ex around.  

Ah... Binghe...  

"I don’t understand why Binghe ran away," he said, hugging his legs tightly against his body. "I took such good care of him. What does he have to do with all of this?"  

"Was he acting strange?"  

"Yes. I think I neglected him while I was dealing with my own problems, and I didn’t pay much attention to him. I didn’t give him the love and care I used to. He must have... felt like I abandoned him." He looked at Liu Qingge with a melancholic expression. Abandoned Binghe... just like he had abandoned A-Luo. "I started to think that my sadness was affecting him, so I tried to pretend that I was fine, but that seemed to only make things worse."  

Liu Qingge stayed silent. Of course, he was never the best with words. He was probably one of the worst people to help in that situation.  

"You should trust Shang Qinghua more. He’s doing everything he can to find Binghe."  

It was rather pitiful to look at Shen Qingqiu at that moment. The man who had always exuded immense beauty and an intriguing aura now had long, tangled hair, and his face was pale — even for a vampire. Even though he had just fed from Liu Qingge, he still looked so weak... as if a mere gust of wind could knock him over. His clothes were disheveled, his posture slouched, shoulders drooping… He hadn’t set foot on the university campus in days, nor responded to emails from his students — he didn’t seem to care at all about Shen Yuan’s academic reputation, which he had worked so hard to build in recent years. (He had no idea that Shang Qinghua and Mu Qingfang still had been covering for him for so long, making it seem like he was sick and hospitalized to explain his absence). 

The pure decay of that vampire was visible from a distance.

How could he not?  

Shen Qingqiu knew he would wake up every day without that cute little dog by his side, jumping around to help wake him up, following him everywhere — even when Shen Qingqiu went to the bathroom. Then, Binghe would go to the kitchen, sit on the floor, wagging his little tail, waiting for Shen Qingqiu to put out his food. Ah… he would miss so much how he’d scold Binghe in a cute way, talking about how much of a glutton he was, yet still filling that bowl of kibble just to watch that tiny ball of fur eat it all while Shen Qingqiu made himself some coffee, still wearing his robe, with his hair all messy and tangled — apparently, Binghe liked to play with his owner’s hair while they slept, because over the past year, Shen Qingqiu had started waking up with his hair all over the place.  

But that wasn’t something he needed to worry about anymore, right? He wouldn’t even have to go to the pet shop every week to buy food… ah…  

Then he’d go to the university to work, only to meet that beloved student who had kept him such good company, someone he could spend hours talking to about interesting topics, sharing a connection Shen Qingqiu had never found before. It was so cruel, so cruel how they seemed made for each other, and yet, they couldn’t be together. Now, Shen Qingqiu would have to settle for spending his breaks alone, as the university turned back into what it had been before — just a job to distract his mind with mundane things. Ah… maybe he wouldn’t even continue at the university anymore…  

The worst part would be coming home and seeing that there was no longer that fluffy, bouncy little ball of fur jumping around happily because his owner had come back.  

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t noticed that the tears had started streaming down his face again.  

"Let me… let me brush your hair."  

Shen Qingqiu lowered his gaze. It was as if he felt nothing.  

Complete apathy.  

Liu Qingge calmly ran the brush through Shen Qingqiu’s long hair, untangling the knots without pulling too hard so as not to bother him, even though it seemed like no pain could affect him now. "Why don’t you tell me about the games you’ve been playing, hm?"  

Nothing.

Shen Qingqiu remained silent.  

"Don’t you want to complain about one of Shang Qinghua’s novels with me?" Ah… Shen Qingqiu remembered a few times over the last two decades when he’d run into Liu Qingge, and they’d go drinking together. Part of the time was always spent with Shen Qingqiu criticizing his friend’s romances — something he loved to hate and hated to love.  

"No… he’s actually been writing… pretty well lately..." Liu Qingge didn’t seem convinced by that. It wasn’t that Shang Qinghua wrote poorly. He actually wrote very well, but Shen Qingqiu always enjoyed complaining about something.  

"Don’t you want to talk about how things are going at the university?"  

"Not really."  

He heard Liu Qingge sigh. "I’m done," he said as he finished, seeing that Shen Qingqiu’s hair was back to looking beautiful as before.  

After two minutes of silence between them, Shen Qingqiu finally spoke. "Why are you here, Liu-shidi?"  

"I don’t know. I wanted to help. Maybe I can distract you. Apparently, I’m the only one who can be around you without you having a meltdown."  

Or trying to kill someone.

Not that Liu Qingge needed to say it for them to know. Not that Shen Qingqiu didn’t already have the thought echoing in his mind: kill him again.

Not that… Not that deep down, a part of Shen Qingqiu, when looking into Liu Qingge’s eyes, felt that a part of that man only wanted to be killed — to finally rest in an untainted death.

"Of course… You have part of my blood running through your veins. It’s easier… to calm me down." 

Admitting that out loud was somewhat… painful.  

"It’s just that… you don’t need to be alone, Shen-shixiong. You don’t deserve to be alone."  

Don’t he?  

Who… who was he trying to fool?  

Liu Qingge moved closer to him and pulled him into his lap in an almost invasive way. "Drink. You need it," he ordered, and as vulnerable as he was, Shen Qingqiu didn’t show any resistance; he opened his mouth and bit into Liu Qingge’s neck, tasting that peculiar flavor of someone who had died, been brought back to life, and still carried part of Shen Qingqiu’s blood. Liu Qingge was almost a vampire, but unlike other vampires, it was actually pleasant to drink his blood. 

In another life, in one that Shen Qingqiu was cruel as people used to believe (about all that myths of that violent vampire sect leader… which, almost all of the rumors were, unfortunately, true); in another life, Shen Qingqiu would turned Liu Qingge in his blood slave after this incident.

He could.

He really could.

A part of him wanted it. A part of him, at that time, really wanted it.

But in the end, Shen Qingqiu was just a nerd who loved to read and had a complicated childhood, a cruel past, and horrible moments in his life. Despite all the bloodshed, disaster, and cruelty he left behind, in the end, he was nothing more than that...  

Someone with an incredible ability to ruin things.  

And now, he was even more pathetic than before — a ridiculous vampire crying over his crush, his dog, while embracing and finding comfort in the arms of his ex-lover.

Shen Qingqiu indulged himself at Liu Qingge’s neck, drinking every drop while hugging him tightly, as if afraid of losing him again.  

Or… or as if part of him imagined A-Luo there and didn’t want to let him slip away this time.  

But… "wanting" was different from "being able."  

Chapter Text

[ 十 九 ]

The semester had ended, the Chinese New Year festival had passed, and in two weeks, classes would begin again.  

Binghe was still missing.  

He had disappeared since the cold and frosty end of autumn.  

And Shen Qingqiu was slowly trying to get back to his life — with a heavy emphasis on trying. During that time, he seriously considered giving up on continuing to be Shen Yuan and thought about just locking himself away in an abandoned castle for the rest of his life as if he were a cliché Hollywood vampire. At least that way, he wouldn't hurt anyone.  

What an idiot.  

Where would he even find a medieval European Gothic castle in China?  

Shen Qingqiu huffed, snuggling deeper under the blankets in his bed.  

How pathetic.  

His body, as Shen Qingqiu form, had always been cold and frosty. Whenever he was under the blankets — which he used only because he liked the feel of the fabric against his body — it never got warm, after all, he didn't generate heat. Whenever Binghe slept with him, the little puppy was so warm and fluffy that it seemed to make the bed feel warmer. Some nights, during his dreams, he felt his body warm, as if a source of heat enveloped him. It was comforting.  

Shen Qingqiu missed that.  

He had passed on all the assignments and assessments for Gongyi Xiao to correct and deliver, almost using his doctoral student as a substitute for himself. It was fine. He trusted Gongyi Xiao's judgment. And at the moment, he was seriously considering never setting foot in that university again.  

Especially when he thought about the possibility of running into A-Luo in the hallways, seeing him, not knowing how to react, wanting to run to his office and bang his head against the wall.  

Maybe if he asked nicely, Mu Qingfang could forge a death certificate for Shen Yuan…  

It seemed kind of foolish for a vampire to feel this way over a dog he'd had for, what? Less than two years? And also over a guy he'd known for about a year? But it was deeper than that; it wasn’t like all of Shen Qingqiu's centuries of life had taught him how to deal with the pain of losing something — because, during all that time, he had distanced himself from things he could lose before becoming attached to them.  

But Shen Qingqiu had allowed himself to love Binghe. He had allowed himself to fall for A-Luo. And all of this made him realize important things about himself: no matter how, where, or why, every time he let himself love, something bad happened.  

He had spent the last few weeks like that. Hiding under his bed or being forced by Liu Qingge to watch TV to distract him — which... actually helped. He had gone from being silent for hours and hours while flipping through channels to starting to make a few comments; in the last few days, he seemed a bit better, even starting to make (quite negative) critiques of what they watched, showing he was paying attention.  

And he was always being fed by Liu Qingge, whether by drinking directly from the man's neck or from some creature Liu Qingge managed to kidnap and bring — due to his morality and hatred of supernatural creatures, ironically, Liu Qingge only fed on the blood of such creatures, never hurting humans. It wasn't out of the question, obviously, but Shen Qingqiu preferred going after humans because they were easier. During this time with Liu Qingge, he had only consumed the blood of mystical creatures.  

And now that Liu Qingge was bringing food for him, oh, he felt like a child vampire who couldn't hunt on his own.  

He whimpered softly in his bed when he heard some barking outside the house and cursed himself again. He couldn’t even hear barking without thinking of Binghe, which was rather painful.  

The dog outside wouldn’t stop barking, and Shen Qingqiu just buried his head deeper into the pillow, wishing it would stop soon, but he couldn’t even do that before someone pulled the blankets off his bed and yanked the pillow away from his face. Shen Qingqiu opened his eyes to see that it was Liu Qingge who had done it. Of course.  

"What is it?" he asked, somewhat grumpily, trying to grab the pillow back.

"Shang Qinghua found Binghe!" Liu Qingge said, a slight hint of excitement in his voice.

The words didn’t even register properly in Shen Qingqiu's mind before he jumped out of bed and ran to his living room, almost tripping on his way, not caring at all that he was wearing some loose, awkward clothing. As soon as he reached the living room, his eyes lit up when he saw that the barking he'd heard came from that little black ball of fur.

It had been a long time since Shen Qingqiu had smiled so genuinely.

Binghe was squirming in Mobei Jun’s arms as if he wanted to escape, and that man was trying hard to hold the aggressive ball of fur. Shen Qingqiu didn’t even move, frozen, watching, as Mobei Jun approached with Binghe, who seemed more agitated by the second, eager to get out of his hands.

When Mobei Jun handed Binghe over to Shen Qingqiu, he couldn't help but let a few tears fall as he hugged the little ball of fur with just enough strength not to hurt him.

"Binghe..." He held him tighter, still feeling a slight resistance as Binghe tried to escape, but he didn’t care. "I’m sorry..."  

As if the little dog understood his words, he calmed down a bit. "I neglected you and didn’t care about how you were feeling while I was in a bad mood. But you're the most important thing in my life, and being without you is the greatest pain I could feel. You have no idea how worried I was about you out there alone, in this cold winter..."  

Shen Qingqiu lifted Binghe into the air, taking advantage of the fact that the dog had stopped squirming to escape. He stared into that cute and confused little face, not understanding what was happening. "I'm not mad that you ran away, just... please, don’t ever do that again, okay? Don’t ever leave your owner alone again. I can't lose you!"  

No... He had already lost something very important recently; he couldn’t handle the pain of losing two.  

Losing A-Luo still hurt, but at least now he had Binghe to heal some of his wounds.

"Are you okay?" he asked, as if Binghe could respond. "Were you scared out there? Were you cold? Did you catch a disease? Oh! Food! You must not have eaten properly. I think I still have some of your food here, and-"  

He was caught off guard when the little dog stretched out his tongue and started licking his hand, just like he did when he wanted to show affection for his owner. Shen Qingqiu’s eyes welled up again, and he pulled Binghe closer, hugging him tighter this time, hearing a "woof" as if he'd just squeezed a toy that makes noise. "If I let you go... you won’t run away again, right?" he asked with a light smile on his face.

"Do you want us to close the doors and windows?" Shang Qinghua asked, slightly concerned about the situation.  

Shen Qingqiu looked at the little dog again. "No need." He put him on the ground, watching as he shook his head to adjust his fur. If he ran away again, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t go after him. It would be a... sign.  

A sign that he didn’t deserve to love.  

That he couldn't love.

"Come on, let’s eat, hm?" he said in a higher-pitched voice, the kind he used when talking to Binghe, walking toward the kitchen to grab his food and serve it in the bowls that were still in the living room (he hadn’t moved them, actually; he hadn’t touched anything that belonged to Binghe, leaving everything exactly as it was during this time).

"How did you find him...?" Liu Qingge asked, somewhat curious.  

Binghe was a very, very cute dog. He was fluffy and small, the kind of dog people would pay money to have. So, the chances of someone simply taking him home were high. Or even worse, he could have gotten hurt in a fight with bigger dogs.  

Shang Qinghua promptly put his hands on his hips, looking proud. "I managed to perfect a tracking ritual."  

Liu Qingge knew enough about magic to understand the implications of that. It was normal for witches, sorcerers, and the like to use already established spells — but to perfect them, or worse, create new spells? You had to be very, very skilled.  

And that wasn’t a skill Liu Qingge expected from someone like Shang Qinghua. "How?"  

Then, the proud expression on Shang Qinghua's face crumbled in an instant. "I don't know. But that doesn't matter! What matters is that it worked."  

Liu Qingge could see in his face that he wasn’t lying. He really didn’t know how he had made it work.  

Ah. Yes. Shang Qinghua had been searching for Binghe through unconventional means for a long time: magic, rituals, spells, anything Shang Qinghua could manipulate. The problem was that it seemed like Binghe had simply vanished! There was no trace of him anywhere. Shang Qinghua's room had turned into a chaotic mess of scattered books, random rituals, even talismans and notes. He had spent considerable time meditating in that mess, trying to tap into both demonic and spiritual energy. Connecting to the essence of the world... feeling reality in the palm of his hands...  

Shang Qinghua didn’t understand how he had done it, but he had. And just like lines typed in a script, it was as if he had read the script of reality and knew exactly where to find that little dog.  

And then the job of running around chasing Binghe, who was desperately trying to escape, was all handed over to Mobei Jun. Shang Qinghua had already done the hardest part! He wasn’t going to run through the streets chasing a mischievous puppy!

"Isn't it strange?" Liu Qingge murmured so that Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t hear, watching how Binghe jumped around waiting for Shen Qingqiu to put his food down. His little tail wagged happily.  

"Hm, what?"  

"That Binghe seemed like he didn’t want to come back at all." Liu Qingge explained in a tone loud enough for Shen Qingqiu to hear, but Shen Qingqiu was so distracted by Binghe that he didn’t even notice. "He didn’t want to see Shen-shixiong at all, but as soon as he exchanged a few words with Binghe, opened his heart to him and was honest, the dog calmed down as if he understood everything."  

Shang Qinghua put his hand to his mouth — as if that would make him look smarter.  

"I’ve been saying for a while that this dog is strange. It’s like he understands what Cucumber says." He scoffed at the end. "But there’s not much we can do, you know? He makes Cucumber so happy. And what harm can this little dog do?"  

Liu Qingge didn’t seem very convinced by the answer, but he let it go. After all, the important thing was that Shen Qingqiu no longer needed his care.

He spoke a little louder so that Shen Qingqiu could hear him. "I'm heading out. I have a lot of matters to take care of."  

The little dog looked at him, and for a moment, Liu Qingge felt like the dog was angry, glaring at him — he heard something low, like a growl.  

Shen Qingqiu finally seemed to remember the existence of the other three in the room. "Oh. Yes. I really appreciate everything you did for me these past few days, Liu-shidi."  

Liu Qingge sighed. "I'm just repaying all your gratitude from these past centuries."  

"You never need to repay me for anything."  

"Stop being so polite, anyone who knew you before wouldn't even recognize this kinder, more peaceful person you've become." He teased, a small smile on his face, waving his hand as he left. Shen Qingqiu watched him go until he heard some little barks and turned back to Binghe, who was sitting on the floor waiting for him. Ah. Yes. His little dog was really needy and spoiled.

Chapter Text

[ extra ]

A few weeks ago, when Shang Qinghua opened the door to his best friend's house, he didn’t expect to be greeted by a beast.

He had barely opened the door when Shen Qingqiu was on him, saliva dripping from his mouth, his long hair a tangled, oily mess as if it hadn't been washed or combed in days. His eyes were a deeper red than ever before (and Shang Qinghua couldn’t tell if it was from crying so much or simply due to his vampiric side) — most likely, it had been a long time since he'd last fed. Seeing his best friend in such a state, Shang Qinghua didn’t feel fear, but pity. Without a moment's hesitation, Shen Qingqiu was flung away by Mobei Jun, which quickly snapped him back to his senses.

He... he was so scared he didn’t know what to say. A tense atmosphere filled the room. Shang Qinghua knew that Shen Qingqiu needed help now more than ever.

It had been days and days that Shang Qinghua had been searching for that little dog. Days and days, and some nights. He spent sleepless nights studying rituals that could be performed. He spent days putting up posters or walking around the city with amulets and talismans, as if they would light up when they got close to Binghe. 

Shen Qingqiu had leaned so heavily on that dog emotionally that losing him was like losing a part of himself.

Shen Qingqiu had done so much for Shang Qinghua that it felt like that was the least Shang Qinghua could do to repay the debt he owed the vampire. 

But nothing worked.

It was as if Binghe simply no longer existed in this world — no longer existed, because if he were dead, Shang Qinghua would’ve found him. The whole situation... he had just... vanished.

Shang Qinghua arrived at his apartment, letting out a loud growl and slamming the door so hard that even Mobei Jun was startled. Then, without saying a word, he threw himself onto his apartment’s sofa, buried his face into a pillow, and screamed. 

Thankfully, there were enchantments in his apartment that prevented the neighbors from hearing.

Shang Qinghua’s apartment was... rather interesting.

Shang Qinghua had two very distinct phases in his life: before meeting Shen Qingqiu (and eventually getting involved with all this mystical stuff and etc.), and after meeting Shen Qingqiu (and consequently becoming a sorcerer...? a witch...? a wizard...? a scientist...? an alchemist? Or perhaps a Fangshi? Whatever he was!)

Shang Qinghua was definitely not a witch, not because he didn’t get a letter to attend a magic school — but because witches are born that way, and it's quite obvious when someone is a witch or not. If Shang Qinghua had been one, clans would probably have sought him out when he was a child. Sorcerers and wizards were almost the same thing; they could either be humans who studied so intensely that they lost their humanity or people who were born predisposed to control magic. Alchemy was something so naturally easy for Shang Qinghua that it became strange to even think about it; now science... science was also strangely easy for his mind. Sure, he struggled a lot during school because chemistry and biology didn’t make much sense to him, but that was just how he was taught. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to answer questions in an exam, but when it came to putting those things into practice... It was strangely easy for him.

Fangshi... Fangshi was a good term. But even so, it still didn’t seem to quite fit what on earth Shang Qinghua was.

Shang Qinghua used to live in a small apartment in a multi-story building. It was almost like a studio, with just enough for him to finish his degree in statistics (why he was studying statistics, he had no idea), and he was trying to survive on the bare minimum after his family had “kindly” disowned him for being a disappointment (a source of trauma that took a long time to heal). He had everything he needed: a computer to write his stories, a couch to sleep on (yes, he didn’t have a bed), and a stove to prepare the cheapest food he could find. When he started publishing stories that gained success in the early 2000s, he began saving up money, hoping to move to a better place.

In the end, Shang Qinghua moved to a worse place, but one that suited his needs better.

It was quite a rough neighborhood, to be honest, but the building was only a few stories high (it didn’t even have an elevator) and more secluded, where... dangerous people lived; but still, they were humans, not monsters. And when you carried a bunch of talismans in your bag and had a two-meter-tall, muscular husband to protect you, Shang Qinghua didn’t mind how dangerous the place was. Besides, the farther away from security guards and police, the better it was for him to carry on with the things he liked to do. The apartment was somewhat spacious, as it needed to be, after all. In fact, it looked more like a warehouse or a loft, though definitely much less fancy than the ones you’d find on Google. Surprisingly, it was pretty organized — Mobei Jun liked to keep things neat.

Apart from the bathroom and a small divider for the kitchen, it was all one big open space. Shang Qinghua liked that because it allowed him to spend more time with Mobei Jun. He didn’t care much about privacy or having his own space. He loved sitting at his desk by the window, writing his stories while listening to the sounds of weights hitting the floor from Mobei Jun's workout equipment. Though sometimes distracted by it (not the weights, but his husband’s hot, muscular, sweaty body), he still enjoyed his presence.

Their apartment had always been quite comfortable and well-organized. However, in recent days, it had turned into a complete mess. Books were scattered everywhere, the floor was scribbled with enchantments, talismans were placed in odd spots, and the two tables Shang Qinghua used for his alchemy practices were completely cluttered. Usually, he kept things in cabinets and chests, but in the past few days, everything had been left out in the open.

“It’s not your fault,” Mobei Jun said after seeing his husband scream into a pillow for a full minute. He approached slowly and sat down next to him on the sofa. Shang Qinghua wasted no time crawling into his lap, sitting on top of him, hugging him as if he were a giant pillow. Then, he buried his face in his husband's large chest, growling and thrashing around like he had against the pillow.

Mobei Jun rolled his eyes.

“Are you upset because you can’t find Binghe, or because you were reading negative comments about your new novel on the way here?”

“Yes!”

Mobei Jun rolled his eyes again. He brought his large, rough hand up to his husband's hair and began stroking it, noticing it calmed him down a bit.  

“You know, I actually thought it might be better if we didn’t find Binghe. That dog is just too strange. Really, really strange, and it seems like Shen Qingqiu is the only one who doesn’t see it.” He explained, still with his face buried in Mobei Jun’s chest.  

"Hm... I don’t think Binghe is weird."  

"Of course not. Binghe loves you!" He made a face, not that Mobei Jun could see it. "But you know, I care a lot about my bro. In the two decades that I've known him, I’ve never seen him get so attached to something like he is now with Binghe. I’ve also never seen him fall in love with someone like he has with A-Luo. In fact, I’ve never seen him fall in love! He lost the two things he cares about the most recently, and I can’t do anything to help him! Not even finding that dog!"  

It was strange, indeed, how in two decades nothing had ever entered Shen Qingqiu’s life as intensely as those two — and… nothing quite as suspicious either. What the hell had happened that, all of a sudden, two events so divergent from one another but so similar occurred?  

“You’re doing what you can.” Mobei Jun said in a softer, calmer voice, planting a light kiss on Shang Qinghua’s head, who relaxed with the gesture. Like a child needing distraction, Mobei Jun handed Shang Qinghua his phone. Just like a little kid, Shang Qinghua took the device and began fiddling with it, getting completely distracted while still nestled in his husband's lap. Mobei Jun then turned on the TV, trying to distract himself with some show.  

After twenty-two minutes of silence, he heard his husband grumbling again.  

“What did I do wrong this time?!”  

He stayed quiet, knowing his husband would finish the sentence.  

“I’m getting so many negative comments on this chapter, so many critiques, and none of them are even from Shen Qingqiu! Why are they criticizing me so much, my king?!”  

He asked as if Mobei Jun could know. Of course, he wouldn’t. Despite always supporting his husband in his failed-but-successful career as a writer, he still wasn’t someone who cared much about what his husband wrote — which was, at the moment, somewhat of a blessing.  

“What did you write this time?”  

And, with the greatest naturalness in the world, Shang Qinghua replied. “Nothing special, just tentacle porn. It’s from my new story. The protagonist is in a small village located at a port, and the village is being threatened by a powerful aquatic demoness who demands they sacrifice handsome, hot men to her. When the protagonist goes to challenge her, she falls in love instantly and says she’ll spare the village if the protagonist sleeps with her. She’s so hot that the protagonist can’t resist and goes to sleep with her. But she has several tentacles, and to make it more interesting, she grabs him and starts fucking the protagonist while riding his dick. Then the protagonist discovers that he gets stronger when he has sex with demonic creatures — that’s actually his big power, he starts his journey of getting stronger with his harem. But when the demoness orgasms, she puts something inside him, and he gets confused, but soon understands: she laid her eggs inside him! The chapter ends with them lying in a cave in the middle of the ocean, with him being nestled by her and her tentacles while drinking a delicious milk that comes from her breasts and having his belly, carrying her offspring, caressed by her long, thick, and delightful tentacles.”  

Mobei Jun listened to all of this with a stoic face. If it were anyone else hearing those things, they would probably be horrified, but Mobei Jun had grown so used to his husband’s crazy ideas that he wasn’t even surprised anymore. Shen Qingqiu would probably also look at it and think it was just a normal Tuesday in a chapter of something written by Airplanes Shooting Towards The Sky. (He’d probably write a long comment about how the lactation part didn’t really fit with the oviposition, given the clear difference between mammals and oviparous creatures).  

Accustomed to dealing with his husband, Mobei Jun gave a slight smile, just enough to warm Shang Qinghua’s heart.  

"Hm. Seems like a… different idea.”

“Isn’t it?!” Shang Qinghua thought it was a compliment. “I don’t get why they’re criticizing me!” At least, a good part of his readers (those used to the kinds of things he wrote) had loved it. But he couldn’t help but fixate on the negative comments.

“You should insult your readers in the comments too.”

“I can’t! I am not like Cucumber-bro who likes to spend half of his free-time insulting people on the internet!”

Shang Qinghua did what he always did when he was upset: he started squeezing Mobei Jun’s enormous chest like they were stress balls. When he created his husband with these huge pecs, he hadn’t realized how useful they’d be!  

“My king, my husband.” He whined, burying himself even deeper into his husband's chest, if that were even possible.  

Without seeming to mind how his body was being used as a stress reliever, Mobei Jun only murmured, “Hm?”  

“I don’t know what to do to find Binghe. I’ve tried everything!” Shang Qinghua flopped backward, finally getting up from Mobei Jun’s lap, only to start pacing around the room, showing his impatience. “Why isn’t this easier? If someone told me, ‘hmm, you need to stab a virgin ten times for this spell to work,’ I’d do it! But I’ve tried all the location spells I know. They’re simple. Easy, and they always work. Why aren’t they working now?!”  

Shang Qinghua didn’t realize that as his mood fluctuated with stress, the lights began to flicker, and a stronger wind blew in through the window.  

He... never noticed, but Mobei Jun did. “Have you really tried everything?”  

Shang Qinghua had even tried to track Binghe through his connection with Shen Qingqiu — in theory, the spell would point to people close to Shen Qingqiu. It was a very, very strong spell, even banned by some clans for being morally questionable, not that Shang Qinghua cared (there were already enough demons and magical creatures out there wanting to take his head, just another normal day in his routine!). He could feel an energy surrounding him (obviously, they were best friends), Liu Qingge (this is how he had found his best friend’s ex) and something surrounding some students he imagined were from Shen Qingqiu’s PhD group. Other than that, the stronger energy concentrated around a person who was probably A-Luo — but Shang Qinghua didn’t have interest in finding him. But aside from that, no sign of any little animal.  

Nothing was working.  

It was truly as if the little dog had ceased to exist.  

“Everything!”  

Then, Mobei Jun spoke softly. “If I remember correctly, you once wrote a story involving location spells.”  

Shang Qinghua’s whole body froze instantly. He… he vaguely remembered that story. It was part of a collection he used to write, featuring stories with a stalking theme. It was one of the few collections of his that didn’t have pornographic content, perhaps because, at that time, Shang Qinghua hadn’t yet discovered the power of adding smut to his stories to boost sales. In one of those stories, a detective was desperately searching for his beloved, who was dead; however, he didn’t want to find her body, but her soul, and so, he ended up discovering spells that could locate a person regardless of the astral plane they were on.  

“Yes. But I made up those. They’re fictional, they won’t work. And I wrote them before I even studied spells of that kind. I really just… made it all up!”  

Mobei Jun was indifferent to that comment. “Why not try?”  

Shang Qinghua was out of ideas. Maybe trying it would make him feel better, even though he knew it wouldn’t work, perhaps just to distract himself.  

Even though most of Shang Qinghua’s stories were only published online, that didn’t stop him from keeping a personal copy of what he wrote, stored on his own shelf. That particular story was in a book with several other short stories. First, he had the challenge of finding the book in the middle of his mess; then, he had to find the story within the book and curse himself for not making a more organized appendix. The worst part, surely, was having to reread a book he had written twenty years ago just to find the section where the character cast the location spell he had written.  

It took some time, but at least he had company. Mobei Jun was exercising, doing push-ups on the floor. His husband was truly addicted to the gym, which wasn’t a problem, far from it — it made him so hot... Shang Qinghua was sitting on his back, his small, frail body providing just enough weight for Mobei Jun to get a better workout. Shang Qinghua also found the whole thing incredibly sexy and would probably be horny if he weren’t so focused on reading that dated story just to find the part where the character performed the location spell.  

“Found it!” Shang Qinghua exclaimed happily, staring at the part of the book he had been searching for. After reading so many chapters and going through so much of what he had written in his early adulthood, he felt embarrassed. He must never let Shen Qingqiu know about this book.  

Shang Qinghua jumped off his husband’s back, his hands moving slowly as he connected with the energy of the environment. The lights flickered, and the candles began to light and extinguish repeatedly; his eyes glowed a golden hue as he connected to existence and reality as if they flowed from his body. Objects began to levitate, and the physics in the room distorted — time itself seemed to blur. For a moment, the past became a mere memory, and the future turned into the past; the present did not exist.  

There was something particularly intriguing about this spell, as described in Shang Qinghua’s story. It wasn’t exactly able to locate where someone was but rather where the person would be . It involved more divination than a traditional location spell. Binghe was a strange little dog. Shang Qinghua was sure of that, and the fact that no method had worked to find him only reinforced his belief.  

The book Shang Qinghua held floated in the air, and he pulled words from its pages, which swirled like wind. He had seen… this kind of enchantment a few times; all of them, cast by his own hand. He had never read about it, never researched it — it just happened on certain… special occasions. The characters seemed to come to life around him, and it was even beautiful to witness.  

Shang Qinghua… hadn’t imagined that this would actually work.  

He sat on the floor, surrounded by floating pages and ideograms that seemed to paint the air with ink and shape the scene. Shang Qinghua wasn’t going to find Binghe; he was going to make Binghe be found. If Binghe was nowhere to be found, then he would make Binghe be there. He felt the world’s energy flow through his mind, connecting him to nature and the senses, hearing the breath of existence as if deities whispered in his ear — as if his ideas spoke louder, as if his mind overflowed with immense creativity. Spirits molded to his will as he shaped the spirits around him. Somewhere… somewhere breathing, somewhere part of existence, somewhere between the pages of a book…  

Somewhere… somewhere…  

The ideograms around him glowed more intensely, and the pages, talismans, and books began to move as if in a whirlwind, concentrating opposing energy poles, with Shang Qinghua at the center, providing them with harmony. He felt as if he were digging into something, as if a strong spiritual force were pulling something out and forcing it to be there. He remembered, then, how in his story, the man couldn’t find his beloved because she was shifting between planes of existence. If all spells had their limitations, that… that fictional spell wasn’t meant to find something, but to attract it.  

Not to force something to be found, but to force it to reveal itself.  

When he felt almost as if a seal had been broken, Shang Qinghua knew exactly where to find Binghe.  

The books fell to the floor, small things broke, but Shang Qinghua didn’t care. He stood up, put on his coat, and quickly said, “Let’s go, I know where we need to be.”  

On the way to the address provided by the tracking app, Shang Qinghua couldn’t stop thinking about how strange the situation was and about the most plausible explanation.  

What he knew was that he should keep this hidden from Shen Qingqiu until he understood it better and dealt with this strange… occurrence.  

After all, a fictional spell he had written two decades ago just happened to work in the real world. That was… absolutely… impossible.  

“He was just… abandoned in the middle of a street?”  

Shang Qinghua still didn’t quite understand and felt his shoulders tense. “No. I don’t know where he was. There are seals and things blocking a lot of information. He’s not there. But he will be. I forced him to find us.”  

Mobei Jun’s eyes widened a little in surprise. So those were the implications of the magic? “Seems powerful.”  

Shang Qinghua nodded, biting his lower lip. “It is.” A magic that could simply force someone to be somewhere? How overpowered was that? Why had it even worked? Why did it feel like the world was playing tricks on Shang Qinghua?  

"Are you sure about this?"  

"Yes. I don’t know how. But yes."  

It was like... it was like he could feel spiritual energy flowing through his fingers, through his mind. It was like... it was like...  

"You know how Shen Qingqiu and I joke about how I’ve altered reality a few times?" He shrank further into the car seat, a little scared, looking at his own hands. "It’s like... This sounds stupid, but it’s like my life is a book, and I wrote the paragraphs ahead, and in those paragraphs, it says that Binghe will be at the place we’re heading."  

Mobei Jun glanced at him out of the corner of his eye but said nothing for a few seconds, eventually reaching over with his free hand to hold Shang Qinghua’s while the other stayed focused on the steering wheel.  

"You’re trembling."  

Shang Qinghua hadn’t even noticed, lost in his own thoughts. "It’s ridiculous, don’t you think? Why... why would I be able to manipulate reality like this...? It must be a coincidence, right?"  

There was a certain concern in the way Mobei Jun looked at him. He spoke, even if it wasn’t entirely true. "Yes, just a coincidence."  

But hearing that was enough to calm Shang Qinghua down. "Binghe seems to have some connection to the spiritual. There was something blocking him from being found... like seals... Maybe... maybe some creature found him and captured him to use his energy. I think that’s the most likely scenario."  

It wasn’t the first time Shang Qinghua had encountered animals that were spiritual guides, attracted to creatures with strong spiritual power, often serving them. Many of them even became what popular culture knew as “familiars”; maybe Binghe was one of those cases, maybe not. He wasn’t about to steal his friend’s dog to study it. It was obviously the most plausible theory. After all, in what universe would a small dog like that be able to cast magic strong enough to evade dozens of location spells?  

"Stop here." That’s what Shang Qinghua said, and the car stopped immediately. Shang Qinghua pointed to a corner, an intersection between two streets, and looked at his own watch. "Three... two... one..."  

As if waiting for the countdown to end, Binghe crossed the street; he looked just as confused as the two of them upon seeing the scene, and before Binghe could even notice their presence, Shang Qinghua shouted, "My king, grab that dog!"  

Not that he was used to giving orders to Mobei Jun. Quite the opposite, actually, which was ironic since Mobei Jun had been raised by him. Instantly, Mobei Jun got out of the car and started walking after Binghe, who, upon noticing, began to run. Shang Qinghua tried to chase after him, helping in whatever way he could, like casting spells to avoid drawing attention from people or trying to block Binghe’s path. He threw talismans with a certain mastery, feeling almost like a character from the novels he wrote, manipulating the energy around them to make the chase easier.  

Despite the despair of chasing that dog, Shang Qinghua’s nerd xianxia mind was screaming: this is so cool!

After almost six minutes of running after that little furball, which ran alarmingly fast, Mobei Jun managed to grab him. He struggled to get away, clearly desperate to escape, but Shang Qinghua managed to place a talisman on his head that was supposed to calm him down and make him more docile. Either it wasn’t working, or the dog was so frantic that it wasn’t very effective!  

"What happened here..." Shang Qinghua asked, a bit confused. "Whatever. Let’s go. Your owner is desperate to see you again."  

On the way back, Shang Qinghua tried to think of how to explain the situation to Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu was probably at such a high level of emotional stress because of A-Luo that it would be better not to burden him with all these oddities. With that in mind, Shang Qinghua would simply... simply say he managed to cast a stronger spell that just happened to work.

Chapter Text

[ 二十 ]

The school term had finally begun once more.  

And Shen Qingqiu saw A-Luo every day.  

Well, not because he exactly wanted to.  

But because A-Luo was following him!  

Apparently, A-Luo had taken the whole "let’s keep our distance" situation as "I’ll watch you from afar." Which was... a bit sad, actually. Shen Qingqiu wished A-Luo would forget about him and move on; after all, it was painful to know that A-Luo was chasing after a love that could never be returned — not because Shen Qingqiu didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t.  

But... in a way... Shen Qingqiu didn’t know how... to stop him from doing this or...  

At least Shen Qingqiu didn’t want to.  

He couldn’t quite explain it; he only knew that there was a strangely gratifying feeling in the idea of A-Luo watching him.  

Heavens... Was he really that strange?  

He couldn’t deny that this behavior was harmful to both of them. And Shen Qingqiu knew he needed to put an end to it, or he would just keep leading A-Luo on into something that wouldn’t work out at all.  

Besides... A-Luo was quite a... troublesome young man.  

Shen Qingqiu had always turned a blind eye to the way he acted and treated people. He’d always ignored the rather obsessive way A-Luo acted toward him. He had always brushed off all the red flags Shang Qinghua insisted A-Luo had.  

According to his dear friend’s words: “That boy doesn’t need a teacher; he needs a psychiatrist!”  

And, obviously, after what had happened, A-Luo seemed much more... unstable.  

Which brings us to a particular incident.  

The sky was already starting to darken outside when Shen Qingqiu finished giving a lecture to celebrate the start of the semester (even though they’d been in classes for four weeks already! What a poorly organized college), and he went to his office to put away his belongings and maybe pick up some of his students’ papers to grade at home. That’s when he saw, in the hallway, A-Luo talking to Gongyi Xiao.  

Talking seemed a mild way to explain the situation.  

Catching a bit of their conversation before they noticed his presence, he could see that A-Luo was entirely bothering his student. Shen Qingqiu huffed. This definitely had to stop. This was neither the first, nor the second, nor the fifth time he’d seen A-Luo doing that — and it seemed that reprimanding him wasn’t effective.  

Just after hearing A-Luo call his student an idiot, Shen Qingqiu realized he had to step in. “Is everything alright here?”  

When A-Luo noticed that Shen Qingqiu was listening, his entire body froze, and he became a bit apprehensive, his throat tightening. “It’s all fine, Shizun.”  

“No. It’s not fine. Shen-Laoshi, I came to deliver my monthly report to you, but this student of yours wouldn’t even let me near your office.”  

Shen Qingqiu sighed, looking at A-Luo. There was a... strange expression on his face.  

He seemed more agitated than usual.  

“As if that was all you wanted!” he muttered, sulking. Shen Qingqiu was confused for a moment, but he saw Gongyi Xiao blushing while A-Luo’s expression grew angrier.  

Finally, Gongyi Xiao defended himself. “You’re jealous because Shen-Laoshi accepted me as his student for his doctoral research instead of you. He obviously knows who the better student is.”  

Upon hearing that, something ignited within A-Luo, and he, in a strange and irrational impulse, advanced on Gongyi Xiao before Shen Qingqiu could react. Before he knew it, A-Luo hadn’t resorted to physical aggression but instead grabbed the report Gongyi Xiao had prepared, tore it up completely, and threw it on the ground, stomping on it.  

Gongyi Xiao opened his mouth, surprised. “I wrote it by hand!”  

Hearing this, A-Luo seemed even more satisfied.  

“Stop it, both of you.” Shen Qingqiu intervened again, this time stepping between them before Gongyi Xiao could attempt physical aggression in a fight he would certainly lose.  

“But Shen-Laoshi—”  

“Shh. It’s fine; you can hand me another report in a few weeks. Why don’t you head home? I’ll handle this.”  

Gongyi Xiao seemed a bit hesitant, pondering whether to leave his teacher alone with that madman. But he ended up not having much choice, saying goodbye to Shen Qingqiu and deliberately ignoring A-Luo, who seemed to hide behind Shen Qingqiu’s back, and he left the university building.  

Shen Qingqiu let out a loud sigh and turned, ready to face A-Luo.

A-Luo looked a bit embarrassed, glancing around, his legs trembling. He was visibly anxious. "Uh, Shizun, I don’t know what came over me, I’m sorry!"  

"You should have apologized to Gongyi Xiao. Not to me. But I think if I called Gongyi Xiao here, you still wouldn’t apologize to him."  

Shen Qingqiu ran a hand over his forehead. Heavens. Why had he gotten himself into such a complicated situation? Why were humans so odd?!  

He needed to put an end to this situation.  

"Let’s go to my office, A-Luo. We need to talk."  

Shen Qingqiu saw A-Luo’s body tremble, and he seemed apprehensive. How could he not be? It was clear from Shen Qingqiu’s expression that he was angry. He remained silent, calmly walking to his office, expecting A-Luo to follow him.  

He knew A-Luo would, even with his head down, anxiety in his eyes — he still followed him.  

Once inside, he sat in his chair and pulled out one for A-Luo to sit on. "Sit down," he indicated, noticing that A-Luo seemed somewhat reluctant to sit. It had been a long time since they’d sat together in that office, and it felt a bit painful to recreate the scene.  

After a brief silence, Shen Qingqiu opened his desk drawers, putting away the papers he’d been carrying, and began searching for a certain item he kept in case of an emergency. When he found it, he slipped it into his pocket.  

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and looked at his dear student. He was still beautiful, as always, but there was a certain sadness on his face. He was agitated, as he often was during certain times, his legs moving quickly, his gaze shifting as if he had too much energy to burn.  

"A-Luo. You’re an exceptional and dedicated student, certainly one of the best, if not the best, I’ve ever had, even if you’re not officially my student. But there are some boundaries you cross, including threatening my students. Why do you do that?"  

"...”  

It wasn’t as if... it wasn’t as if Shen Qingqiu found it entirely wrong. Maybe a troubled part of his mind found it somewhat interesting how A-Luo was... obsessed with him. Shang Qinghua would be screaming about red flags in his head, but it’s not as if Shen Qingqiu were perfect either.  

No... Shen Qingqiu was far from being a saint.  

"Are you jealous?" 

As if he couldn’t lie, A-Luo lowered his head and quickly answered, “Yes.”  

Shen Qingqiu bit his lower lip. It seemed to hurt his dear student. He definitely needed to put an end to this and crush A-Luo’s hope that they could have something together.  

Even if... even if Shen Qingqiu wanted them to have something.  

"A-Luo. There’s no reason to be jealous; there’s nothing between us." He looked at A-Luo’s face, which remained expressionless. Then, he finally understood. No matter how much he distanced himself from A-Luo, no matter how much he wanted to avoid him and cut ties, it seemed impossible for Shen Qingqiu to leave A-Luo’s mind. "But I think telling you this won’t help."  

As if agreeing with his words, A-Luo said, "You’re my Shizun. How could I not be jealous?"  

In a way, Shen Qingqiu expected such a response. He leaned forward. "A-Luo. Have you ever realized that you’re... a strange person?"  

A-Luo fell silent, as if he also expected to hear something like this.  

"I spend so much time with you, and yet I know nothing about you outside of our time together. I don’t know where you live, that is, if you live somewhere. I don’t understand why you don’t have a phone. I don’t know how you can keep coming to the college without any issues when you’re not a student here, despite the strict security. Sometimes, it seems like your whole life revolves around being with me. Don’t you see how strange that is, A-Luo? I don’t even know your real name, A-Luo!"  

A-Luo didn’t respond.  

"You won’t say anything, will you? Why don’t you answer me? These are such simple things."  

There was a certain pain in A-Luo’s eyes. His face remained quiet, but his hands fidgeted in anxiety, his leg bouncing, and Shen Qingqiu felt as though the boy’s heart might leap out of his chest at any moment.  

"Because I don’t want to lie to my Shizun."  

Then, suddenly, with a more intense expression, A-Luo stood up from his chair, looking Shen Qingqiu in the eye. There was a certain anger in his gaze, though it didn’t seem directed at Shen Qingqiu. "What did I do wrong, Shizun? I studied so hard; I dedicated myself so much, I learned so much. I did everything you said. But you just left me. What did I do wrong...? Can’t you tell me? So I can change?"  

That was the final straw for Shen Qingqiu. While they coexisted, neither of them would be happy. It pained him deeply to see how obsessed the boy was with a love he couldn’t return, that he would never be able to return.  

That he wanted to return.  

In a perfect world, Shen Qingqiu would embrace A-Luo in his life. He would take the boy in, not caring where he came from. He would love him without asking his name, however strange that might seem. He would let him into every part of his life. And he would accept him as part of his being; Shen Qingqiu didn’t care about A-Luo’s evident madness.  

In reality, Shen Qingqiu knew he would hurt A-Luo, perhaps even destroy him, if he were careless, if A-Luo discovered his secret. A-Luo wouldn’t run; he wouldn’t be afraid. No, he would do worse; he would surrender himself, body and soul, to Shen Qingqiu.  

Seeing how vulnerable his student was, how desperate he was, Shen Qingqiu could envision a reality where A-Luo offered himself as a blood slave.  

And Shen Qingqiu couldn’t let that happen.  

"A-Luo. This isn’t healthy for you."  

The words seemed to go in one ear and out the other. He kept staring at Shen Qingqiu strangely, almost as if he wouldn’t blink — as if, if he blinked, his Shizun would no longer be there. "I don’t care about that. I just want my Shizun."  

It was... painful to see him like that.  

Raising his voice slightly, fearing A-Luo wouldn’t hear him otherwise, he said, "A-Luo. You’re obsessed!"  

A-Luo didn’t hesitate a second to reply.  

"Yes!"  

It was almost a cry of despair, an emotion bubbling up from his stomach and expressed in a single word. His expression was clear; it was as if he were affirming that he was mad, but so what? Shen Qingqiu couldn’t feel anything but pity, not exactly pity for seeing him in that state, but pity for knowing he couldn’t return his feelings.  

"A-Luo..."  

He moved slowly toward Shen Qingqiu, as if drawn by a magnet. It was as though his rational side could no longer think, and the pain consumed him. Something within him told him to ignore reason and follow his desires. He wanted — oh, how he wanted to be irrational and allow himself to love A-Luo. Instead, he placed a hand gently on A-Luo’s forehead, slowly, as if afraid of breaking him. He drew him closer and kissed him one last time. Not a passionate kiss filled with desire. Not a gentle, loving kiss between two lovers.  

A sad, dry kiss, a kiss that signaled goodbye.  

When Shen Qingqiu pulled back, he saw a twisted smile on A-Luo’s face, with tears streaming down his cheeks.  

"I’m sorry, A-Luo; this is for your own good."  

Then, in one swift motion, he pushed A-Luo to the ground and grabbed his arm as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Shen Qingqiu held his wrist and cuffed it to the leg of his desk.  

"What...?"  

It was painful to hear that confused voice of A-Luo.  

Too painful.  

But not as painful as the words Shen Qingqiu had rehearsed to say all this time.

Luckily for him, Shen Qingqiu kept a pair of handcuffs in his desk drawer, along with various other items in his office that he deemed useful when you're a vampire who needs to feed. The desk was heavy enough to be difficult to drag, and even if A-Luo tried, it would be nearly impossible to get it through the door. He was trapped.

"I think you should stay away from me and from here." The words came out like a sharp blade in his stomach. Not only were they harsh words that stabbed A-Luo’s heart, but they also inflicted pain on his own heart. "I’ll call security to escort you off campus, and I’ll explain that you’re not a student here."

A-Luo's expression, which had still held a bit of calm, began to melt away. Shen Qingqiu saw the moment when desperation started to show on that beautiful face.

“Shizun…?”

It hurt.

“It’ll be better for you; please understand.” Shen Qingqiu stepped back a few paces when A-Luo tried to reach out to touch him. Tears began to flow more intensely from A-Luo's captivating eyes, though he seemed unaware he was crying.

“Shizun… are you abandoning me…?”

There was something especially painful in the way A-Luo’s words escaped his lips that made Shen Qingqiu feel like a monster. Since the day Shen Qingqiu met him after a lecture, A-Luo had resembled an abandoned puppy — alone, with no family, no friends, and no clear path. He clung to Shen Qingqiu with such intensity that even he couldn’t fully understand.

Shen Qingqiu had given him everything. He offered him his time during long afternoons together, gave him books for entertainment, interesting topics for discussion to deepen their relationship, affection, and compassion as someone who seemed in love. He let A-Luo into his life, even knowing he shouldn't.

In the end, he would take it all away. Because Shen Qingqiu had been selfish. He had been selfish and let A-Luo into his life more than he should have.

He had known this would be the end for both of them.

And yet…

“A-Luo… I don’t want to be doing this.”

“Then don’t!”

Shen Qingqiu felt like a monster once again as he watched A-Luo, and it was as if he could hear his heart breaking. He turned away, his voice strained, his throat tightening. “Our… relationship is…” He choked a bit on his words, as if they were difficult to say. “Dangerous.”

He turned to look at A-Luo again when he didn’t get an immediate response. But what he found was A-Luo’s frozen expression, as if he’d forgotten how to breathe, tears streaming down his eyes, which were growing red from crying so hard.

“Shizun… are you afraid of me?”

His voice was mixed with the difficulty of speaking through tears. And those words… those words along with that devastated face… they certainly hurt.

And it hurt even more to know that the pain A-Luo felt was undoubtedly worse than Shen Qingqiu’s own pain.

Afraid of… A-Luo?

No… no… sweet one, it was entirely the opposite.

He wasn’t afraid of A-Luo; he was afraid of hurting A-Luo.

In hindsight, it was rational to think someone might fear A-Luo. He was strange in many ways, so mysterious, with so many unanswered questions. He was aggressive with others. He was possessive of Shen Qingqiu. He was strong. He could be violent with anyone who disturbed him. He was obsessed to the point of always knowing where to find Shen Qingqiu. He was obsessed to the point of stalking Shen Qingqiu when he thought Shen Qingqiu wasn’t looking.

A-Luo was… completely insane.

But perhaps the truly insane one was Shen Qingqiu himself, for finding that behavior fascinating.

Ah… how… strange. Those words of his disciple echoed in his mind. Never. He would never be able to fear A-Luo.

Around Shen Qingqiu, A-Luo seemed to have such a pure heart, so kind, so gentle. Sweet words, an angelic smile. Not that Shen Qingqiu only focused on that aspect; it wasn’t as though that part of A-Luo was so radiant it overshadowed the rest. No… Shen Qingqiu knew exactly who he was dealing with — a lunatic chained to his office floor, crying desperately in front of him.

Perhaps… Perhaps things would be easier if Shen Qingqiu could manage to feel afraid of A-Luo.

But he couldn’t.

Shen Qingqiu thought of countless things to say at that moment.

Among them, the words that escaped were, “I wish there were another way.”

Shen Qingqiu walked slowly to the door of his office. Each step felt like a tough decision to make. Each step made him reconsider if this was the best solution.

“Shizun…!” The first shout sounded a bit incredulous, as if A-Luo still held a little hope that none of this was real, as if Shen Qingqiu would regret all his words, turn around, come back, and say it was a misunderstanding. “Shizun! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Shizun!”

Don’t look back. He couldn’t bear to see A-Luo crying again. He couldn’t let A-Luo see him crying.

Shen Qingqiu stepped through the door.

“Shizun!” The second shout sounded desperate; finally, reality fully sinking into A-Luo’s mind. He was being abandoned, in the most painful way he could imagine. Shen Qingqiu heard his sobs intensify, growing so loud they echoed down the hallway as Shen Qingqiu walked slowly away, unable to bring himself to run. “I’ll be a better person. I promise. I’ll behave. Please, let’s talk, Shizun!”

Don’t look back. Because he knew that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to resist running into A-Luo’s arms, hugging him, apologizing, and promising it would be okay.

“Shizun…” The third cry sounded… sad. “Please… Don’t abandon me… Please… Shizun…”

Completely empty and painful.

The pain of someone who had lost their beloved and knew they would never have them back.

Shen Qingqiu leaned against the wall. Did he have the strength to keep walking? Did he have the strength to contact the campus security and ask them to handle the intruder? Did he have the courage to… abandon A-Luo?

Biting his lower lip and holding back his own tears, Shen Qingqiu was almost at the end of the corridor, trying to repeat to himself over and over that this was the best thing to do.

Yes.

The best for A-Luo.

It would hurt now, but it was necessary for him to keep living and-

Shen Qingqiu froze the moment an unusual scent filled the air. He knew that scent well. Very well. Even though he’d only smelled it once. His head turned slowly, beyond his control, and in a mixture of worry, curiosity, and attraction, he found himself walking slowly back along the path he had struggled so hard to tread.

His hands trembled.

He shouldn’t be doing this.

But he couldn’t stop himself from doing it.

Then, after so much fighting his need to not look back, Shen Qingqiu found himself unable to avoid returning to his office after smelling A-Luo’s blood.

And as he passed through the door again, his eyes widened.

“A-Luo, what are you…?!”A-Luo had stretched his hand far enough to reach a pair of scissors on Shen Qingqiu’s desk, and in a brutal and painful act, he stabbed the scissors into his own leg, creating a wound that he allowed to bleed and spread down his leg, soaking his pants in blood and dripping onto the floor. Not once, not twice, but repeatedly, A-Luo drove those scissors into his leg until a pool of blood began to form.

When Shen Qingqiu looked up, gazing at A-Luo’s face… “Shizun… please… look at me…”

A-Luo's eyes were red from crying, but now no sound came out, only tears continued to flow, and Shen Qingqiu knew they weren’t because of physical pain. But the most disturbing thing was his smile — a smile of... happiness. A smile that showed his Shizun had come back for him.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t… didn’t know what to do with A-Luo.

His hands started to tremble. Worry flooded his mind. He couldn’t be near him. He couldn’t be near that bleeding leg. And as if A-Luo sensed this, his smile faded, and a manic expression appeared. He yanked the scissors out from where they were embedded in his leg and aimed to stab his thigh again. Before he could, Shen Qingqiu rushed toward him, grabbing the scissors from his hand and throwing them far away.

“Are you crazy?!”

Then A-Luo smiled, an oddly sweet smile. “Shizun came back for me…”

Something in Shen Qingqiu’s heart tightened.

“Fuck it, A-Luo, shit!” Unable to stay away from him again, hypnotized by that delicious scent, Shen Qingqiu was at a loss for what to do. His hands shook as he got up and rummaged through his drawers, searching for any spare first-aid kit he might have left in his office. He could hear A-Luo sighing as he continued with that twisted smile, muttering “Shizun, Shizun,” as if calling out to him.

It was... incredibly hard to concentrate with that smell of blood.

Shen Qingqiu looked at the scene and cursed himself intensely. Using the holes made by the scissors, he tore away the blood-soaked part of A-Luo’s pants, not caring to hide his strength; he only needed to get rid of that bloody fabric to tend to A-Luo's leg.

He froze upon seeing the wounds more closely.

They were... so deep... Was A-Luo really strong enough to make such deep wounds with just a pair of scissors? Shen Qingqiu decided not to dwell on it. Confused about what to do, he began fiddling with the first-aid kit, but his hands trembled so much that everything fell.

The smell… It was so strong… and it was bleeding so much… so much…

And Shen Qingqiu was so… so close… His hands touched the wound, fingers slowly sliding over the blood, completely mesmerized by it.

“Shizun…”

Without even realizing when, Shen Qingqiu was now licking his blood-stained fingers. He closed his eyes, savoring the taste on his tongue. It was so… delicious. More delicious than any blood he’d ever tasted. It was like a rare delicacy he’d never tire of.

He opened his eyes slowly, a sorrowful expression on his face. He looked at A-Luo again, who gazed at him with such a sweet, adoring look, full of affection, as if the bleeding leg didn’t matter — as if Shen Qingqiu’s presence was the only thing that mattered.

Shen Qingqiu looked down at A-Luo’s leg again, a sad expression on his face.

He… he really wouldn’t be able to control himself, would he?

He was only… hastening the inevitable.

“Shizun has such beautiful eyes.”

Shen Qingqiu barely registered the words, as he was already lowering his head to touch A-Luo's wounds. His tongue approached the bloodied skin, grazing A-Luo’s thigh, causing him to shiver at the touch. Shen Qingqiu didn’t care and licked, savoring the taste on his tongue. Then, he placed his lips around the still-bleeding wound and drank a little.

So… so good. His gaze lifted to see A-Luo, who looked… happy, content, as if saying: now you can no longer ignore me.

Shen Qingqiu’s body trembled. Did A-Luo… know?

It was the only explanation for why A-Luo had cut himself like that with the scissors. He had used himself as bait, setting a trap that Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t be able to resist. He knew that Shen Qingqiu was a vampire, and he also knew that Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t be able to resist his blood.

But didn’t he know how dangerous was that?

Everything Shen Qingqiu had been trying to avoid, all the months and months he’d spent trying to maintain self-control so as not to harm A-Luo — now it had all been in vain, all of it down the drain, because now Shen Qingqiu only wanted more of that blood.

But Shen Qingqiu had no time to think, not when A-Luo’s free hand went to his hair, pulling him even closer to his thigh, pressing Shen Qingqiu’s half-open mouth against A-Luo’s thigh. Before he realized it, he was biting A-Luo’s leg.

No… not just biting.

Shen Qingqiu sank his teeth deeply, sucking the blood, making a fresh wound in A-Luo’s leg. His mouth traveled higher and higher, slowly, exploring new parts of A-Luo’s thigh. Then, surprised by a different sound, Shen Qingqiu noticed A-Luo calling out to him. When he looked up, he was met with the sweetest, most tender smile A-Luo had shown that night. “Yes… Shizun… You can drink from this disciple.”

All the self-control Shen Qingqiu had left vanished along with those words.

Chapter Text

“Yes… Shizun… You can drink from this disciple.”

All the self-control Shen Qingqiu had left vanished along with those words.

And then, Shen Qingqiu's mouth was on A-Luo's neck.

He bit down as hard and as fiercely as he could, as if the person beneath him might slip away at any moment. Shen Qingqiu climbed up onto his lap, positioning himself better while clutching onto his neck as if his life depended on it.

Perhaps it did.

Shen Qingqiu felt A-Luo’s hand slide up his back, fingers drifting over his long hair and caressing it… Long hair, huh? Wasn’t he supposed to be Shen Yuan now?

Whatever.

In this moment, Shen Qingqiu was in a sinner’s paradise. The taste on his tongue was so intoxicating, so delicious. He wanted more and more, like a fatal yet exquisite drug, like the finest food his palate had ever savored. The flavor spread through his whole being, invigorating him, filling him with renewed energy. He made unpleasant sounds as he devoured like the beast he was, oblivious to A-Luo’s painful moans as his neck was brutally ravaged by his Shizun.

Shen Qingqiu bit without mercy, almost gnawing at the flesh in his desperation. More. More. He needed more.

He felt himself transported back to his early years, back to a time as a ruthless, emotionless vampire, hungry for power and lofty ambitions. The blood sent him into a euphoric state, as if he held the world in the palm of his hand, and...

Ah... it was so good.

So good to feel A-Luo’s warm, soft body beneath him as he held him tightly. To keep drinking and drinking, quenching not just his thirst, but his desire. Every drop tasted like a refreshing delight on a hot summer day. He drank as though there were no end, savoring every little whimper from A-Luo below him, intoxicated by this unequaled pleasure and euphoria.

It was… it was so, so good. Shen Qingqiu found himself bound to this craving.

He kept hearing the sound of his own mouth devouring A-Luo’s neck, biting one side, then the other, moving to his arm, then his wrist. Biting all over to taste more of that delicious blood. Drinking from each vein, each pulse. Licking the wounds and shifting to a new spot when the blood flow slowed, turning the scene into a twisted, delightful feast.

So tasty.

So… wonderful. He relished every drop, savoring him alive.

Alive…

Alive…

Alive…?

Shen Qingqiu suddenly noticed that A-Luo’s soft moans had fallen silent. Pulling back from his collarbone, he looked at A-Luo’s face. Closed eyes. His tears mixed with all that blood in a beautiful painting. And a calm, peaceful smile.

He… he wasn’t breathing.

Shen Qingqiu nearly jumped back instantly. Almost, because he couldn’t stand, feeling bound, unable to move away from A-Luo’s lap.

But… reality hit him.

He… he had… he had…

he had…

killed.

killed a-luo.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, and in an instant, he desperately embraced the lifeless form beneath him. “No… No… Wake up. A-Luo. Hey… Hey… Please… No… No…”

What…?

What had he done?

He…

Shen Qingqiu covered his own mouth and screamed. A muffled scream. Clawing his hands over his own mouth, he didn’t care about anything else.

Not content with breaking A-Luo’s heart to protect him, Shen Qingqiu had failed to save A-Luo from himself.

How… tragically ironic.

He was a beast. A bloodthirsty beast, incapable of control, even at such a moment. His teeth found their way back to A-Luo’s neck as tears ran down his face. Ah… he truly was… despicable.

But he couldn’t resist.

Gripping A-Luo’s body tighter, moving frantically atop him, he didn’t notice how he rubbed against him. Shen Qingqiu continued to drink from A-Luo’s neck like the monster he was, his own tears mingling with the blood in that tragic scene.

He was driven by his instincts, by his most primal desire. Pain and anguish wanted to pull him away, but… he was incapable.

He was drawn, almost like a magnet.

And he knew that, in that moment, nothing would be able to separate him from that delicious blood — not the pain in his heart, not even the sadness in his mind…

Until he felt a hand tugging at his hair. His eyes widened immediately, and before he knew it, he was staring into A-Luo’s eyes.

Except…

“Ah… Shizun…” 

A-Luo averted his gaze, his face flushed so red it seemed he might explode. 

“A-Luo?!” Shen Qingqiu’s face briefly flooded with relief upon seeing A-Luo alive, strange as the situation was. But he was… so, so red, and he opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t, his legs shifting and fidgeting beneath Shen Qingqiu and-

“Shizun.”

A-Luo brought his cuffed hand to his free one and, pressing down on his wrist, he broke the shackles with a flick of his strength as Shen Qingqiu watched in confusion.  

There was a faint expression on A-Luo’s face, almost a feeling of guilt. "I tried to hold my breath, tried to stay still to control myself, but… I’m sorry, Shizun."

He barely had two seconds to process what happened before A-Luo scooped him up, lifting them both off the ground and throwing him against his own desk.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, but he didn’t have time to react, not when A-Luo sliced his own wrist in front of him and brought the bleeding wound to his professor’s mouth. Shen Qingqiu might have shouted, might have worried for A-Luo, might have asked a thousand questions about what was happening. But in that moment, he could do nothing but savor the blood offered to his mouth.

Shen Qingqiu closed his eyes, barely hearing A-Luo’s voice, now thicker, asking, “Is it delicious, hmm?” He couldn’t quite grasp the words. He didn’t even notice when A-Luo used his one free hand to unbuckle Shen Qingqiu’s belt, tugging down his pants with brutal determination and tossing them to the floor.

Ah… so delicious. The taste, so good. So delicious. So intoxicating. He could spend the rest of his life drinking from it. Distracted by the flavor. Lost in the taste. He could, except that A-Luo pulled his arm back, and, for the first time, Shen Qingqiu looked at him with a bit of confusion.  

As if he was more bewildered by having his food taken away than by anything else.  

Then, Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened as he finally took in the scene before him.  

A-Luo was completely naked in that dimly lit room, the bright light of the full moon streaming through the window and illuminating his body. He was panting, breathing deeply, as if he had just run a marathon. His long hair was tousled and stained, his eyes nearly gleaming a deep red. His body was… a beautiful disaster. Bitten in so many places, soaked in blood. Anyone seeing him might think he had just been brutally slaughtered. Any sane person would find that sight terrifying, might run or faint. Shen Qingqiu moaned at the sight. It was… it was definitely a work of art.  

Then A-Luo looked his master directly in the eyes. His face was completely flushed as his body trembled with restless anticipation. “Shizun… I can’t hold back any longer.” He admitted, and Shen Qingqiu lowered his gaze, staring… oh…  

Shen Qingqiu moaned at the sight.  

The cock between A-Luo’s legs looked so… so delicious. So needy. It was so large and seemed to be throbbing, as if begging for relief. And it was so, so big, much larger than any human standard — so thick that Shen Qingqiu felt he wouldn’t be able to wrap his hand around it with just one hand. Shen Qingqiu thought it was the kind that was so large it would hurt any human if used, even with a lot of prepare, but it would hurt any mere human — not a vampire with regenerative abilities, not a vampire who, intoxicated by that blood, was practically incapable of feeling pain. That monstrous cock looked like he had been hard for so long, waiting only for the moment he could find a warm, inviting place to ease himself. The pink tip was leaking pre-cum along with his needy cock… Shen Qingqiu should have had many questions. He should be asking how on earth A-Luo was alive. How A-Luo could bleed so much and still be ok? Why A-Luo’s blood was so delicious? Why — oh…  

Why wasn’t A-Luo fucking him already?  

Shen Qingqiu opened his legs as if inviting A-Luo, without needing to say a word, and in a matter of seconds, cried out as he was brutally invaded by that thing so large and with no preparation. 

Ah…  

But could he really care about that when A-Luo’s blood made him feel like an emperor?  

A-Luo was desperate. Like he was waiting for this for months, and months, and finally, he could have it.

A-Luo then brought his body closer to Shen Qingqiu, lowering his neck near his mouth in an awkward position. “Bite… Bite me again, Shizun. Make… make it hurt.”  

Shen Qingqiu didn’t need to be asked twice.  

This time, he bit down even harder, as if he wanted to keep A-Luo from escaping. He heard his loud moan, nearly a scream. Maybe it hurt as much as the cock tearing up his insides would hurt if Shen Qingqiu wasn’t so high, maybe more. He couldn’t tell. There was no bad pain in that moment. Only pure, deep pleasure.  

A-Luo began to move, and… ah… If Shen Qingqiu thought he had been in paradise before, he had no idea where he was now.  

Shen Qingqiu didn’t feel pain exactly. He felt what could be called the equivalent of pain, but it didn’t bother him, not when the blood was like morphine to him, not when the blood was like a drug that made him feel so, so intoxicated that no amount of pain could actually trouble him — much less the pain of having his insides torn, rearranged, and regenerating as A-Luo kept breaking him.

So, so, so violent. In a normal situation, Shen Qingqiu would have scolded him, told him to calm down. But how could he say that now? How could he reprimand A-Luo for fucking him as though he were some kind of sex doll, when Shen Qingqiu bit into his body like a chew toy, taking enough blood to kill him two, three times over?

Shen Qingqiu felt that thick, massive cock driving so deep into him and moving so fast and frantic that A-Luo seemed completely desperate. Not that he cared. Not that he cared about anything beyond the pleasure he felt. Going deeper. Pulling back. Shen Qingqiu’s eyes closed as he surrendered to the pleasure and drank the blood without a single care; A-Luo was doing everything for him. Suddenly, everything became about the delicious sensation of being brutally fucked against that desk.  

The tears Shen Qingqiu had shed seconds before, thinking he’d killed A-Luo, now turned into tears that showed how stimulated he was, how completely filled he was. The warmth contrasting with his cold body. The feeling of being held so tightly.  

The sensation that… he could bite, chew, devour A-Luo and it would be just fine.  

When A-Luo hit his prostate, Shen Qingqiu first screamed with pleasure and then bit so hard into A-Luo’s neck that he tore a piece of flesh by accident, spitting it onto the ground before going back to lapping up the blood that flowed from his collarbone. He felt A-Luo’s cock harden even more inside him at that, if that was possible.  

So delicious. So… so much blood. That cock filling every inch of his needful insides. A-Luo didn’t even have to touch his own length for Shen Qingqiu to completely shudder, clutching onto the body of his student and arching his back completely as he climaxed in what he could only describe as one of the most intense orgasms he had felt in the last centuries of his long life. He didn’t notice his nails lengthening into claws that dug into A-Luo’s back and dragged down as if a feral animal had attacked him, turning his body into even more of a mess of bites, wounds, and exposed flesh.  

He was breathless, if that was even possible for a vampire. Exhaustion coursed through his body, and he simply lowered his head and slowly licked at the deep wound he’d left on A-Luo’s neck… a part of him feeling a sense of pride at the sight.  

“Shizun! Shizun!” he repeated, moaning breathlessly as he drove faster and harder into Shen Qingqiu, who didn’t want to think about the state his body might be in. Not that he cared, not when he was numbed by the pleasure and that taste filling his stomach. “Please-”  

A-Luo seemed to have become a beast incapable of rational thought. Driven only by the need to satisfy himself and to feel pleasure. Shen Qingqiu… found it bizarrely exciting. And he found it even more exciting that this gave him the perfect opportunity to take care of his student. His voice sounded sweet as he spoke, calm, even in a situation where all his blood had gone south and he was intoxicated by the endless amount of blood he had drunk. “Shh… This master will take care of his disciple. This master knows exactly what his disciple wants…”  

Not that Shen Qingqiu wasn’t satisfied with all that blood. Oh… he was definitely very satisfied.  

But… for a vampire so old, so powerful, and so thirsty as he was, it seemed there was never a limit.  

Fixing his gaze on one of the few unmarred spots left on A-Luo’s collarbone, Shen Qingqiu licked that area before placing his mouth there to bite. But as he sank his fangs in, instead of simply draining the blood as expected, he began to chew the area, creating what had to be one of the most painful sensations anyone could endure, and as if that wasn’t enough, Shen Qingqiu pulled back, taking another piece of A-Luo’s flesh with him, which he devoured along with the blood.

An intense pain coursed through A-Luo’s entire body, making him shudder instantly with the relentless ache. His cock throbbed harder than ever inside Shen Qingqiu, and Shen Qingqiu barely had time to enjoy licking the torn flesh on A-Luo's neck before he felt his insides being filled with a thick, viscous liquid that seemed to fight for space alongside that massive cock. Ah… so… so good. Shen Qingqiu relaxed his body, letting himself sink onto the table, closing his eyes and relishing the exquisite sensation of being filled that way, as he listened to A-Luo’s breathless moans and gasps.

When he thought it was over, Shen Qingqiu felt it. Ah… he definitely felt it. As if A-Luo’s cock hadn’t already occupied every possible space inside, now it truly seemed like it couldn’t. Instead of softening after orgasm, it grew even harder, expanding, filling more space than it seemed possible to fit. Shen Qingqiu lowered his gaze to his stomach, and… ah… it looked… so full. He could clearly see the outline of that enormous cock making a bulge inside him, blushing at the sight; he didn’t have long to marvel, though, as A-Luo shifted to pull him close, wordlessly lifting Shen Qingqiu off the table while still impaled, laying him comfortably on the floor on top of himself. It was as if he wanted to stay holding Shen Qingqiu for a good while.

Maybe Shen Qingqiu wanted that, too.

Slowly, Shen Qingqiu started to recover his senses, grounding himself in the moment after that intense climax. He then realized A-Luo had knotted him, meaning they’d be like this for some time. Right… if A-Luo had done that… did that mean… 

Some few creatures were capable of such a thing. But at that moment, Shen Qingqiu could see the intense full moonlight streaming through the window. He thought about A-Luo’s resilience, about the intense sexual need he was displaying, how unbearably horny he seemed to be. He thought about his possessiveness, about how he seemed to act particularly strange during full moon periods.

A-Luo was… was a werewolf…?

Still hazy from the orgasm, it took him a few moments to process the thought. Werewolf… werewolf… Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, and if he hadn’t been so comfortably positioned, he might have leaped away in surprise. He looked at A-Luo for a few seconds before nearly shouting.

“Binghe?!”

A hollow, sad laugh escaped A-Luo’s lips. He kept stroking Shen Qingqiu’s hair, but his expression… it looked so heartbreakingly sad. Tears began to roll down his face as he finally spoke. “I… I’m so sorry.” 

And then he started to cry.

Chapter Text

Suddenly, everything made sense.  

Absolutely everything made sense.  

The reason A-Luo knew him so well. The reason A-Luo seemed to have no life outside the moments they shared together. Even the reason A-Luo didn’t have a cell phone! Of course, he couldn’t have a phone; how would he explain that he only answered or replied to messages when Binghe wasn’t around Shen Qingqiu? — and Binghe almost always was around Shen Qingqiu. The reason Binghe had stopped sulking whenever Shen Qingqiu spent the entire day at university. The reason Binghe was so possessive and jealous of his master, just like A-Luo. Even silly things like the fact that Binghe ate so much kibble — it was clear he’d eat a lot of food; he was a freaking werewolf! He was a human-eating beast, and Shen Qingqiu was feeding him pedigree kibble!

Now Shen Qingqiu realized that Binghe’s depressive episodes weren’t because Shen Qingqiu was feeling down, but because A-Luo was!  

Shen Qingqiu wanted to curse himself. Of course Binghe had run away! Shen Qingqiu had just broken A-Luo’s heart and started acting as if it hadn’t affected him at all. It was obvious that A-Luo would interpret that as Shen Qingqiu not caring about him one bit!  

But… for now, his concern was elsewhere.  

After all, A-Luo, Binghe, whatever — wouldn’t stop crying.  

Not just crying. He was sobbing his heart out!  

The worst part? That thick, hard, delicious cock was still inside him, filling Shen Qingqiu to the brim.

Shen Qingqiu spent the next few minutes just stroking A-Luo’s hair and gently murmuring, “It’s okay, it’s okay,” until A-Luo finally seemed to calm down enough to breathe through his sobs.  

When Shen Qingqiu noticed that A-Luo now seemed capable of hearing what was being said to him, he calmly let his voice flow. “Luo Binghe.”  

This piqued A-Luo’s curiosity. “Hm?”  

“Luo Binghe. It suits you. What do you think?”  

Luo Binghe began crying again.  

“I-I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t want to hide it from you; I really didn’t!”  

Shen Qingqiu didn’t stop stroking Luo Binghe’s hair for even a second. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Just tell me what happened, we have plenty of time, don’t we?”  

A-Luo’s face flushed instantly as he remembered their situation.  

“I’m… I’m a werewolf.”  

“I figured.” He couldn’t help but make that comment, though Luo Binghe seemed to miss the irony in his words.  

“But I’m also a demon.”  

“Hm?”  

“My mother was a werewolf, and my father is a demon,” He explained. “But this isn’t really the point.” Not really the point?! Now Shen Qingqiu was curious. Where on earth had he heard of someone being half werewolf, half demon? Wait, was he like, a quarter wolf, a quarter human, and half demon?! He wanted to bombard Luo Binghe with questions about it, but maybe it was best to let Luo Binghe continue as he needed to. “When you found me, I had been fatally wounded in a conflict in the demon realm, and I… had to assume that puppy form to use my energy to heal and recover my demonic strength.”  

“Right…” This wasn’t surprising to Shen Qingqiu. In his long life, he’d seen some cases of mythical creatures regressing in form to recover their strength.  

But this also made him worried about why Luo Binghe was so hurt.

“At first, I really couldn’t maintain any other form but the puppy one. I let you take care of me because I was helpless and wounded, and also because… your presence made it hard for other demons who wanted to hurt me to find me.”  

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened slightly. Yeah. That made sense. The same thing happened with Shang Qinghua. He spent so much time with Shen Qingqiu that it was as if Shen Qingqiu’s scent and essence mingled with Shang Qinghua’s, making it hard for others to find him.  

Tears started streaming even harder down Luo Binghe’s face.  

“And you… you took such good care of me. You gave me so much affection. So much attention. I felt so… so loved. And I started to fall for you. But… heavens, how would you react if, out of the blue, your cute puppy turned into a man? It’d be so… so weird.” Shen Qingqiu remained silent, not really knowing how he would react in a situation like that. “And… I was afraid. I was afraid that when you found out I was a werewolf and not a lost stray cute puppy, you’d leave me. That you’d… abandon me.”  

Shen Qingqiu hugged him tighter, pulling him close and catching him off guard. “Never. I would never do that to my precious Binghe.”  

He felt the tears falling more heavily, touching his body. “So I thought… why not… why not try to appear to you as if I were human? So as soon as I had enough strength to maintain my human form for more than a few hours, I started coming to find you.”  

Now Shen Qingqiu could piece together so many points, so many things in A-Luo and Binghe’s behavior made sense now. It was as if over the last years, Shen Qingqiu had been putting together a puzzle with several missing pieces, and now he finally had them to fit in place.  

“That time when… I was mugged, and a giant wolf appeared… that was you?”  

Luo Binghe held him tighter.  

“I knew that Shizun could take care of himself. I just… I just couldn’t stand seeing them touching you.”  

Shen Qingqiu's body trembled as he felt Luo Binghe's knot tighten around him a bit more.

Shen Qingqiu chuckled lightly, stroking Luo Binghe’s hair more. “It’s okay.”  

“Is Shizun mad that I lied to him?”  

“Hm…” He seemed to ponder for a few seconds, even though he already knew what to say. “As far as I remember, I never asked A-Luo if he was Binghe so he could lie to me, hm?”  

“Shizun…”  

And Luo Binghe cried even harder. Good grief! He was a crybaby both as a human and as a dog. But it’s not as if Shen Qingqiu would scold him for that; on the contrary, he kept stroking him while speaking softly. “You can cry, you can cry; this master is here for you.”

And how the hell Luo Binghe managed to look so pretty (and cute) while crying?

Putting his tears aside for a moment, Luo Binghe finally spoke again. “That day we kissed, I… I could hardly hold myself back. I wanted so, so badly to fuck Shizun that when Shizun pushed me away, I realized it was because I’d gone too far. So Shizun kept his distance, and I understood that Shizun didn’t feel the same way about me. And that… that I’d crossed the line. I wouldn’t have minded staying by Shizun’s side for the rest of my life, even if my feelings weren’t returned. But I’d ruined everything, and now Shizun hates me.”  

Shen Qingqiu waited for Luo Binghe to finish before flicking his forehead, leaving him more confused.  

“Don’t make assumptions about what others think of you. I didn’t push you away because you got excited, Binghe. I pushed you away because I wanted to devour you.”  

Luo Binghe’s eyes seemed to light up at hearing that word. But Shen Qingqiu ignored him.  

“I saw you as a fragile, defenseless human. I couldn’t be close to you without risking hurting you. Just look at what I’ve done to you now! If I did this to any human, they’d bleed out within the first few minutes.” Luo Binghe listened to these words with a certain surprise, not sure how to react, as if rethinking everything he’d believed until now. “I couldn’t… I couldn’t bear the pain of killing you. So I chose to lose you instead.”  

How could he have guessed that his cute, weird disciple was actually a werewolf that strong?!  

Luo Binghe’s eyes started tearing up again, though this time, it didn’t seem to be out of sadness. “So… so Shizun doesn’t hate me?”  

Shen Qingqiu, growing a bit impatient, rolled his eyes. “Binghe, if I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have your dick inside me right now!”  

The radiant smile that spread across Luo Binghe’s face seemed enough to erase all the pain Shen Qingqiu had felt over the past weeks. “This disciple… this disciple is very happy.”  

With a calmer, more centered voice, Shen Qingqiu added, “This master is happy too.”  

Bringing his face closer to Shen Qingqiu, Luo Binghe opened his mouth to ask, “Could this disciple have a kiss from his mas-”  

Before he could finish his question, Shen Qingqiu kissed him. This time, unlike the others, there was passion involved. It was calm, even romantic, considering the beauty of that bright moon shining through the window. Shen Qingqiu lowered his hands, bringing them to Luo Binghe’s and holding them firmly, not letting go.  

When he pulled away, Shen Qingqiu noticed that the tears spreading across the floor were no longer Luo Binghe’s.  

After a while, in complete silence, Shen Qingqiu finally felt that cock inside him softening, and then Luo Binghe finally pulled out.  

Even though… even though a part of Shen Qingqiu wished he’d stayed there longer.  

“Hm…” he said, a bit sulkily. “Let’s go home, what do you think?”  

Luo Binghe’s eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness.  

[ 二十一 ]  

They had to sneak out of the university building as if they were criminals escaping. Shen Qingqiu knew he was in a bad state, but it was only when he got home and looked in the bathroom mirror that he realized just how bad.  

First, his hair was so messy that he’d spend a good amount of time untangling it. (Mental note: maybe next time, it’d be a good idea to braid it to avoid such a situation — oh, who was he kidding? He liked it like this…)  

Second, there was so much blood on him that it looked like he’d walked through a rain of blood along the way. In particular, his mouth, neck, and face were all stained, and he wondered how Luo Binghe could look at him so seriously in a situation like that. Goodbye to the clothes he was wearing; he’d never get those stains out!  

Third, if he was in a bad state, then Luo Binghe was ten times worse!  

Shen Qingqiu felt embarrassed looking at him.  

At that moment, Luo Binghe was standing by the door to the bathroom suite, looking a bit lost. It was actually… a pleasant feeling to see him there. It was the first time he’d seen him inside his house, and there was a rather… comforting feeling in seeing him there.  

Except… heavens, his appearance was terrifying! Terrifying, but in a way Shen Qingqiu found attractive, which was even more horrifying, heavens!  

Shen Qingqiu was a vampire, so how was it his fault if he felt sexually attracted to someone who had so much blood on them they looked like they’d been hitted by a train?  

Shen Qingqiu approached Luo Binghe calmly. When he was in his Shen Yuan appearance, he became a bit smaller, lost a few centimeters, and didn’t have all his muscles and definition; it was somewhat interesting to see the height difference between them shrink when he returned to his normal form.

“Shit… I really made a mess on you, didn’t I?”  

Upon hearing those words, Luo Binghe’s eyes sparkled again, and if he’d had a tail at that moment, Shen Qingqiu was sure it would be wagging back and forth. (For a second, Shen Qingqiu imagined Luo Binghe transforming into a little Pomeranian again, bouncing around as happy as he looked.)  

“This disciple loved every bite left by his master.”  

Ah… ah!  

They weren’t simple bites. Shen Qingqiu had practically shredded Luo Binghe! He’d torn pieces of skin off him (one he even até — heavens, heavens?!), he used his claws to scratch his back so deeply it looked like he’d been attacked by a lion. There were so many bites all over Luo Binghe that he resembled Swiss cheese. At the moment, Luo Binghe wasn’t wearing his shirt because apparently, he’d torn it while taking it off, and his pants had also met their end after Shen Qingqiu had ripped them apart to tend to his wounds.  

“They won’t… heal?” Shen Qingqiu asked, a bit worried, seeing those strong, deep wounds on Luo Binghe’s body. He felt a bit sad too. Luo Binghe had such a beautiful body, and he had done that to him…  

“They will if I want them to.”  

What?  

Shen Qingqiu looked up, and Luo Binghe saw the confusion on his face. Luo Binghe’s face blushed a little as he explained, “I… I like the scars and marks Shizun leaves on me.”  

Immediately, Shen Qingqiu grabbed Luo Binghe’s hand and gave him a gentle bite, not even bothering to drink his blood — it was just a bite, as if scolding him. “Stupid child. You make me worry like this. Heal yourself quickly, or how else am I going to mark you again later?”  

Luo Binghe seemed to understand instantly. Great, great, it seemed Shen Qingqiu already knew what kind of game to play when he wanted to handle this werewolf. In seconds, the wounds closed, the skin began to regenerate, healing even the deepest injuries.  

If he could heal wounds like that so easily, Shen Qingqiu didn’t even want to imagine how severe the injuries had been that forced him to stay in puppy form for so long.  

“You know… this master is very pleased to see how strong his student is.”  

At that, Luo Binghe got all excited again, moving closer to Shen Qingqiu as if he’d sprouted a tail just to wag it. “Really?!”  

“Yes… I was very afraid of accidentally hurting you, A-Luo.” He then looked away. “Hm... The way I say it, it sounds like I want to hurt you. How awful…”  

“But I want Shizun to hurt me.”  

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, looking at him. Right. It had been the heat of the moment. He’d noticed Luo Binghe reacted well to pain and roughness. But the way he was talking… It was a kind of masochism on a different level. It was as if he wanted to get to the point where he was almost killed by his Shizun!  

“Stop thinking about that, or you’ll get turned on again. Come on, let’s get in the shower and get you cleaned up. I’ll give you a bath.”  

Luo Binghe’s expression was so radiant it seemed like it could light up a dark room. “Shizun is going to bathe me?”  

“Of course. What kind of owner would I be if I left his puppy all messy like this?”  

In the end, Luo Binghe couldn’t resist and ended up fucking Shen Qingqiu in the shower — holding him by the legs and pressing him against the wall, thrusting deep inside while Shen Qingqiu cried out loudly, not caring if anyone might hear. The water poured over them, washing away the blood that stained both of their bodies and cleaning Luo Binghe’s new wounds, because, of course, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t resist drinking more of that delicious liquid.  

Shen Qingqiu usually avoided feeding during sex because he knew that if he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop. With Luo Binghe, it was different; there didn’t seem to be a need to hold back. He could keep nibbling, biting, and drinking from that neck without a worry, enjoying the pleasure of that hot, thick cock filling him mercilessly.  

Apparently, the moment Luo Binghe realized he couldn’t easily hurt his Shizun, he lost any remaining restraint and no longer cared about how brutally he gripped Shen Qingqiu’s waist, thrusting deeper into him. The pleasure Shen Qingqiu felt didn’t come only from that delicious blood in his system; there was something deeply satisfying about being fucked so roughly. The way his body was pressed against the wall as if it might crack in half, the way he was almost treated like a doll that wouldn’t break — it was rather delicious to finally have such an intense sexual experience after so many times of holding back. A delicious sex where he didn’t have to worry about being broken.

Shen Qingqiu pulled his mouth away from Luo Binghe’s neck just to cry out loudly as his legs spread further and his body pressed harder against the wall. Luo Binghe had found the perfect spot to fit into and kept at it, stimulating Shen Qingqiu in a way he could never have imagined. Luo Binghe’s huge cock fit him so perfectly, stretching him from within and even making a bulge in his stomach as it filled him completely. The contrast between the werewolf’s intense heat and the vampire’s cold body made Luo Binghe feel much warmer than he actually was, and Shen Qingqiu wanted to cling to that heat, throwing his head back as he was fucked hard against the bathroom wall. He was sure that if he were an ordinary human, he would’ve passed out long ago from so much stimulation and pleasure.  

“Yes, yes! Right there!”

It was when Luo Binghe held him up with just one arm, using his other hand to stroke him, that Shen Qingqiu was sure he had reached paradise. Luo Binghe’s warm hand gripped him with a strength that could have hurt if he wasn’t so numbed by all the blood and pleasure. Shen Qingqiu barely had time to react before he was spilling himself hard, his body melting completely as he softened in Luo Binghe’s arms. Luo Binghe held him tenderly, continuing to move within him, this time at a much slower and calmer rhythm, giving Shen Qingqiu time to regain his vision and senses.

When Luo Binghe released inside him, he stayed still for a few minutes, Shen Qingqiu curling up in his lap like a content kitten while water streamed over them. “Shizun… can you stand up?”

Shen Qingqiu seemed a bit confused by the question, but then he looked deeply into Luo Binghe’s eyes. He had just had his lower half utterly wrecked by this demonic werewolf with an enormous cock who was now gazing at him with such a yearning look. Fortunately for this creature, Shen Qingqiu was still very resilient. “Yes… Why?”

Tenderly, Luo Binghe released Shen Qingqiu, setting him on his feet, then knelt before him right away. Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened as Luo Binghe brought his face to his lower parts and let out a loud moan when he felt the warmth of his tongue slipping inside him. Was he… cleaning him?

Still leaning against the wall, Shen Qingqiu moaned in satisfaction, his gaze gentle, his smile serene, as he savored the demon werewolf’s tongue exploring every part of him.

Then Luo Binghe couldn’t resist again and fucked Shen Qingqiu once more (now, in the bathtub) — this time, being more careful not to break the place. It was slow, steady, Shen Qingqiu riding him in the tub as Luo Binghe used his strength to help Shen Qingqiu move his hips. The werewolf’s stamina was impressive, and Shen Qingqiu’s was even more so for keeping up.

“I’m sorry,” Luo Binghe said, running his hands gently along Shen Qingqiu’s back as his master relaxed. It had been only a few minutes since Luo Binghe had come inside him (for the third time since they were inside the tub), staying nestled within, not knotting this time — just enjoying the closeness.

Shen Qingqiu murmured something and pulled away from Luo Binghe’s neck, letting drops of blood mix with the water.

Hm… He was so full. He’d drunk so much. It had been a long time since he felt so satisfied from feeding.

Of course, that sense of fullness only intensified with that thick, enormous cock inside him, competing for space with all the blood in his stomach — and so much, but so much sperm.

“Hm? Why are you apologizing this time?”

“I get so horny under the full moon, it’s hard to control myself.”

“Hey. You talk as if I didn’t enjoy it.” He reached up to Luo Binghe’s long hair, starting to pet it. “It’s all right.” Shen Qingqiu considered joking about Luo Binghe compensating for all the times he’d been interrupted, but knowing how jealous he could get, reminding him of past flings didn’t seem like a good idea right then.

(Specifically, not while he was lying inside him, even if softened.)

“Did I hurt Shizun?”

His question was completely understandable. He was so large that a regular human would be in pain even with all the lube in the world. Right now, they weren’t even using any, which… sort of left Shen Qingqiu’s insides thoroughly ravaged, but this wasn’t an issue with his vampire healing abilities.

Shen Qingqiu wiped his own mouth, cleaning off the blood still there. “No. Drinking blood works like an anesthetic. I don’t feel pain.”

This seemed to light up something in Luo Binghe’s mind… Ah… something told Shen Qingqiu he wouldn’t see lube around any time soon.

“Besides… I should be asking you this question…” and he traced a finger over one of the bites he’d just left, watching it close right before his eyes. “And to think I was so worried about not hurting you. Who would’ve thought…”

Who would have thought his sweet and adorable disciple was such a huge masochist?!

With that, Luo Binghe tightened their embrace, holding him in a firm, steady hug.

They stayed like that for a while, in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence, until a question arose that had been long overdue. “Shizun… if I may ask… what do you feel for me?” He swallowed, finishing his sentence. “Does Shizun love this disciple, the same way this disciple loves his Shizun?”

It was a… complicated question.

Shen Qingqiu was an old vampire. Centuries and centuries of age. That meant he’d met many, many people in his lifetime, which also meant he’d been attracted to many, many people.

Attraction wasn’t love, and love wasn’t passion.

Shen Qingqiu looked at Luo Binghe once more, who was waiting anxiously for a response. He took a deep breath, unsure how to organize his thoughts, then decided just to say everything on his mind. “Many, many centuries ago, when I was still a naive and reckless vampire, I fell in love with Liu Qingge. He was human, strong by their standards, but so fragile compared to someone like me. I killed him by loving him, and since then, I haven’t allowed myself to fall in love with anyone. Over all these centuries, I’ve met so many people, been drawn to so many of them, but I never, never let myself fall in love. I know it… sounds like a strange concept. For a long time, I’d have relationships, even marry, but… for an ancient being like me, these things are so… fleeting.”

Luo Binghe listened intently, while his hand touched Shen Qingqiu’s and squeezed firmly. Shen Qingqiu could sense a bit of apprehension in Luo Binghe’s expression, so he continued. “It is different for me to want to spend the person's life with them, and to want them to spend all of my life with me, you understand?” He explained, though it seemed like a difficult concept for someone who hadn’t experienced immortality to grasp. Luo Binghe might be immortal, but he was young, he was new, not a being like Shen Qingqiu who had been through so much, so very much. “After so, so long, you were the first one that… The first one I allowed myself — no, rather, the first one I couldn’t resist falling in love with. All the relationships I’ve ever had, I understood as they were meant to be: fleeting. I knew they would age, they would die, and I accepted that; I didn’t let it hurt me because that was just how it was meant to be. With you… it was different. I didn’t want to see you aging. I didn’t want to see you dying. I didn’t want you to spend your life with me; I wanted to spend my life with you.”

This time, it was Shen Qingqiu who was holding his hand tightly. “I want to spend my life with you.”

The answer came swiftly, a soft smile on his face, his gaze peaceful and comfortable. Shen Qingqiu had never felt as accepted as he did at that moment. “Then, spend your life with me.”

As if there were no words that could adequately express his feelings, Shen Qingqiu answered him with a kiss.

“I’m still going to buy you new clothes. Are these comfortable, though?”

Luo Binghe blushed at those words. It was obvious he felt special every time Shen Qingqiu mentioned buying him something, even though he always showed a hint of embarrassment.

“It’s… interesting wearing Shizun’s clothes. I like their scent.” And, to reinforce this, he sniffed the sleeves of the pajamas he was wearing.

Shen Qingqiu averted his gaze, trying to avoid thinking too much about it.

“Come here.” And, pulling Luo Binghe close, he lay down next to him on the bed.

“Can I hold Shizun while he sleeps?” Luo Binghe asked, as if… as if somehow Shen Qingqiu would deny such a request.

“Of course you can,” he replied, like the calm master he could be.

Luo Binghe wasted no time wrapping his entire body around Shen Qingqiu, hugging him tightly as if he were a giant stuffed toy.

Maybe it was payback for all the times Shen Qingqiu had hugged and held Binghe like a plush toy himself.

“Hmm… it’s so nice to hug Shizun, your body is so cold…”

Was that supposed to be a compliment?

Luo Binghe began to rub himself against Shen Qingqiu a little more, as if he wanted to feel more of that body. Not that Shen Qingqiu minded, but at the moment, he wasn’t looking for round … some number (he lost the count), and he knew that if he didn’t stop his student right then, in a few minutes he would definitely be up for a round some number. “Behave, Binghe, let’s sleep.”

And obedient as ever, Luo Binghe closed his eyes and fell asleep, allowing himself to rest.

Shen Qingqiu did the same, feeling comfortable with those large, warm arms enveloping him. He smiled, happy, sleeping better than he had in a very long time.

When he woke, with only a bit of sunlight filtering through the mostly closed window, Shen Qingqiu noticed something strange.

Luo Binghe was no longer holding him.

And there was a massive weight on top of him. Very, very heavy. So heavy that if Shen Qingqiu were a normal human, his back would have been completely ruined. He looked again at the scene and saw that there was a huge wolf on top of him. A wolf he had once seen in front of him. A wolf that, on a few occasions, he had seen from afar, glimpsing, thinking it was some wild beast that had crossed paths with him a few times.

Shen Qingqiu did the most logical thing he could think of; he raised his hand and started petting the head of that human-devouring beast. Now that he could observe it calmly, he was completely sure that the fur was the same as Binghe’s, the same shade, and even the same feel beneath his fingers. A wolf over two meters tall, weighing almost a hundred kilos, certainly shouldn’t feel like a twenty-some-centimeter puppy nearing two kilos; but somehow, Shen Qingqiu could see the resemblance.

“Good morning, Binghe.” He said, just as he did every morning when he woke up with his little dog by his side.

And, as he did every morning, upon waking, the puppy would extend his tongue to lick his owner’s face as if to respond to the good morning. The difference was that this time, the puppy was ten times bigger.

“Binghe!” Shen Qingqiu pulled his face back as the wolf leaned closer, not wanting to have his entire face licked by the animal’s massive tongue. He then heard a whimper, a cry, and heavens, it sounded just like he did when he was a Pomeranian! “Hey, hey, don’t be sad.”

Shen Qingqiu stroked his head even more, running his fingers between the huge ears and using his other hand to scratch beneath his jaw. Shen Qingqiu could see his tail wagging back and forth.

He was really heavy, almost crushing Shen Qingqiu’s body. Hmm… lucky Shen Qingqiu was a vampire that strong, or his spine would have been completely broken under so much weight for so long.

Shen Qingqiu closed his eyes, yawning and wondering to himself when he would get up. He kept them closed for a while, relaxing his body, which, despite all its resilience, was beginning to feel the fatigue from the night before. Then he noticed he was no longer petting wolf fur but rather human hair. When he opened his eyes, he saw Luo Binghe on top of him.

“Can I kiss Shizun now?” was the first thing he asked, bringing his face close to Shen Qingqiu’s who, this time, didn’t pull away or protest, accepting Luo Binghe’s kiss almost as a morning ritual.

Luo Binghe smiled as he pulled back. After so many months of waking up every day and saying good morning to his dog, it was… it was interesting to hear that same dog responding to him, with a smile on his face, a gaze so intense and bright, an aura of peace in his spirit.

For the first time, Binghe could also say “Good morning, Shizun.”

Chapter Text

"WHAT?!" Shang Qinghua yelled when Shen Qingqiu revealed to him the (not-so) shocking fact that A-Luo and Binghe were the same person… (or the same werewolf, whatever). But after a few seconds of pondering, he shrugged and said, “Yeah. Yeah. Makes perfect sense. They both have that same vibe of, ‘if you talk to my owner/Shizun, I’ll rip your throat out.’”

It was the second Friday night of the month, their official bad movie night, meaning Shang Qinghua was on his way to Shen Qingqiu’s house. The only difference this time was… Luo Binghe would be there. Sure, he’d been there many times before, but this time he’d be there as a person! Talking! And not just adorably barking and playing with squeaky rubber toys.

Of course, Shang Qinghua had insisted on dragging his husband along.

“I don’t see the point in watching these bad movies of yours,” was Mobei Jun's excuse.

So Shang Qinghua knelt on the ground and begged, as the good, self-humbling husband he was. “Please, please, my king, I can’t be left alone with Luo Binghe! I can’t be the third wheel!”

Was he afraid of Luo Binghe? Absolutely! For one, that dog had insisted on biting him for the first few months of their friendship, and even though he seemed to be warming up to him now, Shang Qinghua knew full well that Luo Binghe was utterly insane! There was a long list of people he’d devoured in wolf form simply for getting too close to his Shizun!

Completely insane! What did Shen Qingqiu even see in him?

Well, honestly… maybe if Shang Qinghua saw Mobei Jun killing someone just for flirting with him, perhaps… hmm… okay… maybe it would seem a little romantic — no?! No, obviously not! What was he thinking?

He shook the thought away as he rang the doorbell, greeted by Shen Qingqiu and that little furball.

Naturally, as they entered, the furball directed all his attention toward Mobei Jun, who greeted him with, “Hey, Binghe, how’s my little guy?” Binghe bounced around, playing with the huge man. Mobei Jun even spoke in a soft, baby voice, shaking a toy for Binghe to grab or throwing it far so he could fetch it back, tail wagging as he strutted proudly.

It was cute and adorable, but wasn't he forgetting something?

“Hey! Hey! I want answers! Why did you keep biting me?” Shang Qinghua immediately confronted the dog, who gave him a shameless look — he took advantage of him being in his dog form since if he turned human, Shang Qinghua would probably be terrified of him. “Why do you like my husband so much but hate me?” Anyone watching him talk to the dog like that would think he was losing it. “Stop looking at me like that. What do you think you’re doing? I know you’re no innocent Pomeranian. Come on, transform into a human and give me answers.”

Yes. Shang Qinghua was taking advantage of Binghe still being a cute dog to say these things.

Binghe was now on Mobei Jun’s lap, belly up, getting his tummy rubbed like a pampered little pup. Shang Qinghua crossed his arms, as if waiting for Binghe to just “poof” into human form.

He heard a laugh from behind him. It was Shen Qingqiu, bringing a tray of snacks for his guests. “He’s not going to transform right now. When Binghe transforms into a human, he’s naked.”

Shang Qinghua instantly panicked.

“What?! No! No! Get off my husband right now. You’re not going to be naked on my husband’s lap! Why does he do that?” he asked Shen Qingqiu, as if Luo Binghe had chosen nudity as an option.

Shen Qingqiu looked at him, feeling like banging his head against the wall. Why was Shang Qinghua his best friend, again?

In truth, he didn’t understand why Shang Qinghua was so surprised. “Bro. What would be the point of clothes transforming with him?”

Shang Qinghua opened his mouth to argue but thought for a moment and realized he had no real response. He couldn’t even defend the idea that in one of his own stories, clothes would transform too, because if it were his story, there’d be a lot of werewolves and werewomen …?) getting naked.

Binghe gave Mobei Jun one last lick and, with all the autonomy in the world, walked over to Shen Qingqiu’s room. Shang Qinghua made a slight face and went to settle on the couch for movie night, noticing a smartphone he’d never seen before lying on the table. “Bro, why’d you get a new phone? I thought you liked your current one.”

Shen Qingqiu looked puzzled, glancing at the phone Shang Qinghua pointed out, realizing it was the one he’d gotten for Luo Binghe. “It’s not mine. It’s Binghe’s.”

“No way. He finally has a phone now? You got him a phone?”

It wasn’t exactly a shocking revelation, but it seemed the fact that A-Luo had been living without a phone baffled Shang Qinghua. Of course it did. The man’s life revolved around his phone/computer/Mobei Jun.

“Yes. Now he’s finally learning to use it.” Shen Qingqiu sat on the couch, getting comfortable as he used the remote to turn on the TV and mute it while they talked. “He left the mortal realm a few decades ago and has been in the underworld since then. Apparently, smartphones aren’t popular in the underworld yet.”

“Decades?! How old is he?”

“Not much older than you.”

Shang Qinghua had been born in the '80s and was nearing forty — though his appearance made him look like he was still in his twenties, just like Shen Qingqiu with his eternally youthful look. Who knows what kind of magic Shang Qinghua was using to stay young, but it was definitely working.

“You’re such a pervy vampire. You’re two thousand years old and dating a werewolf of, what, 50?”

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes, hiding his face behind a cushion. “How many times do I have to tell you I’m not two thousand years old?!”

At that moment, a voice chimed in from the room. “Shizun could be three thousand years old, and I would still love him.” Luo Binghe appeared from behind, hugging Shen Qingqiu over the back of the couch and cheekily hopped over it to sit right next to Shen Qingqiu.

“Stop treating me like an old man.” Making a slightly annoyed face, Shen Qingqiu grabbed Luo Binghe’s hand and gave it a light bite, getting a warm smile in return.

Ah… so this was the famous A-Luo.

He was wearing loose, casual clothes, much like Shen Qingqiu’s preferred loungewear. The clothes were obviously new, and Shang Qinghua wouldn’t be surprised if he’d put together an entire new wardrobe for his boyfriend. Even though he’d seen photos of Shen Qingqiu with Luo Binghe, this was the first time seeing him in person.

And he didn’t even bother apologizing for all the times he’d bitten Shang Qinghua!

(And he was so big, so tall, so muscular, that Shang Qinghua now feared speaking to him like that again, so maybe it was better to let it go.)

Shang Qinghua thought he’d feel a bit nauseous seeing the two lovebirds snuggling up and being clingy, like he felt with any other couple (not that… okay, he was being hypocritical, because whenever he was with Mobei Jun, he loved announcing their relationship to the world). But… despite all the mushiness, Shang Qinghua couldn’t help feeling happy for his friend.

Shen Qingqiu was smiling in such a genuinely cute way. It was… nice to see him happy.

(Even if it meant dating a maniac, but—! Ah, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t exactly a saint either, so who was Shang Qinghua to judge them?)

"What movie did you pick for us to watch?" Shen Qingqiu asked, casually scrolling through the TV.

"I changed my mind. Now that I know Luo Binghe hasn’t kept up with modern society, I decided we should watch one of your favorites."

The odd look Shen Qingqiu gave him suggested he already suspected whatever Shang Qinghua had in store. "Luo Binghe," he turned to his best friend's boyfriend, "have you ever seen Twilight?"

Shen Qingqiu threw a pillow at Shang Qinghua’s face — saved only by his husband catching it mid-air and calmly setting it back on the sofa without comment. "Go to hell. I hate that movie. It's awful! Awful! Awful!"

Luo Binghe looked mildly intrigued. "Why do you hate it so much?"

"The protagonist is bland, insufferable, and completely unremarkable. The portrayal of vampires is silly and really, really offensive. The romance is dull and lifeless... And because the book is better."

Shang Qinghua burst out laughing at his tone. "For you, the book is always better. And you love the movie. You were watching it while Binghe was missing. Liu Qingge told me."

Shen Qingqiu's immediate thought: traitor.

Something possessive sparked in Luo Binghe’s mind. "If Shizun was watching a movie with Liu Qingge, I want to watch it too!"

"I wasn’t!"

"Yes, you were!" Shang Qinghua shot back. For a vampire, it was probably humiliating to admit not only that he liked but actually loved Twilight, and Shang Qinghua enjoyed teasing him about it. "You were identifying completely with Bella Swan when Edward disappeared. You even thought about jumping off a cliff to see if Luo Binghe would come save you, just like Bella kept getting into danger to make Edward come back. Which is ironic, because you’re the vampire in the relationship, not Luo Binghe."

This stirred the nerd side of Shen Qingqiu, who couldn’t stand inaccurate statements.

"But it was Jacob who saved Bella, not Edward!"

Shang Qinghua grinned. "So you wanted to jump off a cliff to be rescued by the werewolf, just like Bella was!"

“I didn’t know Binghe was a werewolf. This doesn’t make sense!”

Luo Binghe, who had been following the conversation closely, asked, "There are werewolves in this movie?"

"Yes. And they’re shirtless the entire time," Shang Qinghua added, as if this were vital information, though it seemed relevant enough for Luo Binghe.

"Would Shizun like it if I went shirtless all the time too?"

This seemed to break Shen Qingqiu's mind.

"No! I mean, yes, but- Ah! We’re not watching Twilight, bro!"

"So we could watch Van Helsing, you love that movie."

Shen Qingqiu's face froze at the mention of that movie; it was as if his body had shut down, not moving a single muscle. Slowly, he turned to Shang Qinghua, and if Luo Binghe weren’t so comfortably draped across his shoulders petting him, Shang Qinghua was sure his friend would get up and smack him with a pillow.

"That movie is horrible! So horrible!"

"You didn’t deny it’s one of your favorite movies. See?"

Mobei Jun finally spoke, recognizing the name of the movie. "Isn’t that the movie that inspired you to create me?"

Shen Qingqiu’s face twisted in horror. Shang Qinghua’s talent for pushing his friend to emotional extremes was remarkable.

"...Shang Qinghua." Oh, dear, he’d called him by name, a clear sign he was genuinely outraged. "When you told me you consumed Frankenstein content to write those ridiculous smut stories of yours, you didn’t mean Mary Shelley’s novel or the 1931 movie — you meant Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing?!"

"Maybe…"

"Shang Qinghua..."

"It’s a fun movie!" Mobei Jun chimed in, having seen it just once shortly after his creation — when he was only 1 week of life — and finding it intriguing — though, if he watched it now, perhaps he wouldn’t be so impressed.

"Yes! And look, it has all of us: a vampire, werewolves, Victor and Frankenstein-!" Shang Qinghua tried to justify, fully aware that Shen Qingqiu probably loved that movie more than he did. Shang Qinghua had watched it maybe three times in his life, but he was certain his friend rewatched it every year.

Shen Qingqiu looked utterly defeated by the direction of the conversation, likely reconsidering his choice of best friend. "I-"

"And I’m pretty sure that, just like you could imagine a romance between Edward and Jacob, there’s also some chemistry between Van Helsing and Dracula!"

"No, no, I can’t, that movie is completely terrible, absolutely, absolutely awful."

"If I remember right, you've watched it more than ten times, and-"

Shen Qingqiu almost shouted in frustration, throwing his head back and probably not losing it entirely only because Luo Binghe was gazing at him with adorable, loving eyes while petting his head. "Fine. You win. We’re watching Twilight."

"Yay!" Luo Binghe cheered, pleased — not because they’d watch Twilight, but because he’d get to see the movie Shen Qingqiu watched with Liu Qingge.

Shang Qinghua snuggled up on his husband’s lap. Yes, he always did this when with Mobei Jun; who could blame him when his husband had such broad shoulders and a comfortable chest to rest on?

Oh, the best part was that now Shen Qingqiu was in a relationship, he couldn’t complain anymore about Shang Qinghua being the third wheel! Perfect!

But… Shang Qinghua was genuinely happy for his friend.

Everything had worked out. Shang Qinghua smiled; oh, how he loved happy endings. It was almost like something out of fiction, he thought. Funny, the way this whole story felt like something he’d write in one of his online novels.

Hm… What an odd coincidence. Well, whatever — he had more pressing matters to focus on, like that dubious movie now playing on the TV, with Shen Qingqiu complaining about each scene — though if Shang Qinghua dared to say anything negative, Shen Qingqiu would defend the movie passionately.

Indeed, watching a movie with his best friend, his friend’s boyfriend, and his own husband was much more important than questioning why so many things in reality resembled the kinds of stories Shang Qinghua liked to write for fun.

Much, much more important.

Chapter Text

Shen Qingqiu was lying on the couch, dressed only in his pajamas — the clothes of someone who hadn’t left the house in a week and was enjoying the best of his academic break period, that is: watching TV all day, mostly keeping up with his favorite players streaming matches so he could watch. (Unfortunately, Worlds season had already passed, and once again, his favorite team hadn’t taken the prize, even though he could at least congratulate T1.)  

When Shen Qingqiu heard the sound of tiny, excited paws tapping against the floor, he could already imagine what was coming next. He lowered his gaze, only to be met with an adorable little puppy — so tiny and fluffy it looked like a ball of fur. Binghe was holding a leash in his little teeth, but it was far too big for him, and he carried it awkwardly. Shen Qingqiu let out a soft chuckle at the utterly cute sight and petted his tiny head while Binghe barked happily, his tail wagging.  

So, so cute.  

“My adorable Binghe wants to go for a walk?”  

He heard a few yips in response; Binghe dropped the leash onto the floor and began spinning in circles.  

Shen Qingqiu glanced at the window. “Ah, Binghe… I’d love to take you for a walk. But it’s raining… I don’t want my Binghe to get his little paws dirty.”  

The sad little whine Binghe let out was heartbreaking. Shen Qingqiu continued stroking that soft, silky fur while still paying attention to the game playing on the TV.  

“Shizun…”  

Ah.  

Shen Qingqiu looked to the side again, realizing that he had been petting Luo Binghe’s hair. Luo Binghe, who was completely naked! What a shameless boy! And he was still holding the leash in his mouth, his eyes larger than ever as he gazed up at Shen Qingqiu almost like an emote. What. The. Hell! How was Shen Qingqiu supposed to resist this?!  

Luo Binghe even placed his hands on the couch as if they were little paws, making him unfairly adorable. “Shizun, it’s been a while since we last went for a walk. Please…?”  

Shen Qingqiu swallowed dryly, almost choking. Just as he was about to come up with an excuse, Luo Binghe played his trump card.  

Under Shen Qingqiu’s hand, which was still stroking his head, he felt something shift. He pulled away slightly and saw that Luo Binghe now had two large puppy ears. Glancing to the side, Shen Qingqiu noticed that Luo Binghe also had a big, fluffy tail — just like his tail in his wolf form. And it. Was. Wagging. Wagging so much.  

If Shen Qingqiu said no, Luo Binghe would let out a sad puppy whimper, his ears would droop, and his tail would slow. Shen Qingqiu might be a vampire, but he wasn’t a monster — how could he possibly crush his pet werewolf’s happiness?!  

“Alright, then.” His voice was a bit more serious. “We’ll go for a walk tonight.”  

With that, Luo Binghe pounced on him, still naked, tossing the leash into Shen Qingqiu’s lap as if he were begging to have it put on. His fluffy tail wagged even faster than before.  

⋆˚🐾˖°

Walking Binghe, the tiny and adorable puppy, was a little different from “walking” Luo Binghe — the tall and violent werewolf.  

There was a forest a bit farther from the city, a rather… enigmatic one. Most humans avoided it because of the dangers lurking there, making it almost a haven for supernatural creatures — or even for people who wanted to hide things. It was, without a doubt, Shen Qingqiu’s favorite place to walk Luo Binghe.  

Shen Qingqiu also loved pretending to be someone he wasn’t — it was one of his favorite hobbies.  

After giving Luo Binghe one last kiss before unfastening his leash and letting him loose in the forest, Shen Qingqiu looked at his phone camera. The large glasses, short hair, oversized hoodie — anyone who saw him would definitely think he was lost in the woods. The good thing about liking things typically associated with a loser nerd was that, well, Shen Qingqiu knew exactly how to look like one when needed.  

It didn’t take long for a car to stop near where Shen Qingqiu was walking.  

“Hm? Are you lost?” one of the men asked, rolling down the window. He looked young, probably had only recently gotten his driver’s license. The car was a nice one — either stolen or he had a lot of money. The first thing Shen Qingqiu noticed was the smell of blood coming from the vehicle; more specifically, from the trunk. There were also a few other people in the car, using something that definitely wasn’t just alcohol.

It was a game he liked to play with Luo Binghe.

Shen Qingqiu gave the kindest smile he could.

"I came camping with some friends, but I got separated from them… And I don’t have my phone, I couldn’t get in touch with them. Do you think I could try using yours to call?"

It wasn’t exactly a lie — Shen Qingqiu didn’t have his phone and was in the forest with absolutely nothing on him. That much was obvious from a glance; his clothes didn’t even have pockets to hold anything. That lowered the man’s guard.

"Of course, hop in."

Shen Qingqiu didn’t know if they were human or something else, but they seemed naïve. Maybe they were just some young people who had heard rumors about the magical properties of the forest and decided to try something out. Shen Qingqiu had heard Shang Qinghua talk about how that place was absolutely perfect for performing rituals.

Maybe… Maybe just to amuse himself a little…

"They’re not answering…" Shen Qingqiu huffed, after trying a random number on the phone, glancing around. "I knew this was a terrible idea."

"What was?" one of the girls asked. She was sitting in the front. In the back, there was another man and another girl as well.

Time to play pretend! Shen Qingqiu was excited, though he tried not to let it show.

"They heard about the weird magical things of this forest… and wanted to try a ritual, something like that."

One of the girls, perhaps too stupid to think before speaking, immediately opened up. "Us too!"

The way the driver looked at her was so cold that she even looked smaller now.

They were… they were really just naïve kids.

Shen Qingqiu tried to look excited. "Really? Maybe we could help each other? If we find my friends, we can exchange information about the ritual."

The smell of blood from the trunk didn’t help the situation. Shen Qingqiu had to focus while pretending not to notice that delicious scent. Ever since he started his relationship with Luo Binghe, he’d developed the terrible habit of… overindulging in Luo Binghe. Which, obviously, wasn’t a problem — after all, Luo Binghe was incredibly, unbelievably delicious and always had so, so much blood.

The issue was that Shen Qingqiu’s body had gotten used to always being full, comfortable, acting like a baby drinking his milk whenever he got hungry and then sleeping for hours afterward. With Luo Binghe still doing him the favor of hunting for him and always bringing back fresh, delicious blood, the habit only got worse.

But how could he refuse when a huge wolf showed up in his living room, dragging a corpse, sitting on the floor, wagging his tail with the same joy as a puppy bringing a toy to its owner?

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t fed today, and it had been days since he’d had a proper meal — just a few "bites" taken from Luo Binghe. Even with Luo Binghe making those big eyes at him and saying that Shizun needed to eat properly, Shen Qingqiu had refused to drink his blood until nighttime, saying he wanted to do it when he was starving with hunger because it always made the sensations more intense.

Part of him regretted that a little now.

They seemed hesitant, as if they found it suspicious, but in the end, they agreed.

Shen Qingqiu actually knew exactly what they were trying to do. Rituals were always more potent with more sacrifices, and seeing someone as naïve as he appeared to be, another body for the ritual would be… perfect.

"Hm? I think my friends are the other way…" He pointed innocently out the window.

The driver chuckled. "This is a shortcut."

⋆˚🐾˖°

Shen Qingqiu let them tie his hands and pretended it hurt, trying to look desperate. It was kind of fun to act like the victim… A little bit thrilling.

"Scream all you want, it won’t make a difference. We’re in the middle of nowhere."

Shen Qingqiu didn’t want to scream anyway!

The place they’d set up for the ritual was actually… quite beautiful. There were candles spread around, blood markings drawn on the ground in an intricate pattern, even talismans hung around the trees. Hm… It was a good place for…

"What are you going to do to me?" he asked, playing the part of a dumb horror movie character — or even one of the protagonists from the novels he loved to read.

One of the girls laughed, drinking something strong while sitting on what was probably her boyfriend’s lap.

"Hm? Isn’t it obvious, sweetheart? The same thing we did to our last friend."

The corpse was still in the trunk, waiting to be positioned in the center of the ritual circle. There was a mocking lilt to her voice, and Shen Qingqiu could only feel sorry for whoever had been fooled by them.

"We’re going to sacrifice you and-"

Before she could finish speaking, a loud howl caught everyone’s attention.

Shen Qingqiu smiled, pleased that no one had noticed.

"What? What was that?!" the other girl asked, startled.

The sight of pure panic in the group was delightful.

At the edge of their vision, a massive wolf with glowing red eyes was slowly approaching, drawn by the candlelight. In its mouth, it held a severed arm, still dripping blood — probably torn from the corpse. Armed only with short-range weapons like knives, switchblades, and box cutters, they had no choice but to scream and run.

Shen Qingqiu watched, fascinated, as one of the young men ran straight to the car and fled, not even bothering to wait for his so-called friends — each of them, in full panic, searching for a different escape route.

With a teasing smile on his lips, Shen Qingqiu broke the cuffs around his wrists with ease.

Locking eyes with Luo Binghe one more time, he took off running, leaving the wolf distracted, happily gnawing on that arm.

It was a game, after all.

⋆˚🐾˖°

“What?! What are you doing here?!” the driver asked, startled, as he ran into the forest, searching for shelter. He was panting, exhausted, and Shen Qingqiu pretended to be just as out of breath. Even though it had been his car, his best friend had taken the vehicle and driven off, leaving him behind to die. “How did you escape?”

“Shhh! Speak lower! Do you want that beast to find us?!” Shen Qingqiu whispered, gesturing at him urgently.

It had been almost half an hour since Shen Qingqiu had been “escaping” from Luo Binghe — running and trying to shake him off in a teasing way. It was their little game, where Shen Qingqiu had to run and flee while that giant wolf hunted him. Under normal conditions, Shen Qingqiu could escape (not easily, but he could); however, at that moment, he was starving after running for so long, which made him slower by the second.

Parts of his clothes had torn in the process, leaving him in a damaged shirt that barely protected his body. His glasses were slightly cracked on his face (not a problem, since he didn’t actually need them to see); his appearance was deliciously disheveled, and he knew that when Luo Binghe saw him properly, it would only excite him more.

“It won’t come after me if there’s an easier prey…” the driver said, a grin forming on his lips as he locked eyes with Shen Qingqiu. In a swift motion, he pulled out his knife and aimed at Shen Qingqiu’s leg, intending to stab him.

It was a smart move, Shen Qingqiu thought, stabbing someone and using them as bait so he could run. The poor driver just hadn’t counted on the beast biting into his arm and tearing it off, tossing it aside.

He screamed instantly, collapsing to the ground in terror. The massive wolf stomped down hard on his leg, enough to crack and break a bone. Shen Qingqiu stared at the beast for a few seconds, too tired to run anymore.

Shen Qingqiu huffed. “You won, Binghe.”

Luo Binghe, who had been standing there with blood dripping from his maw, his eyes fierce like a predator, his body tensed as if ready to strike, suddenly plopped down on the ground and started wagging his tail, making little sounds that resembled a happy dog. Anyone who saw that enormous creature would never imagine he was capable of this.

With a smirk at the corner of his lips, his vampire fangs already showing, and the sounds of the other man’s whimpering in the background, Shen Qingqiu spoke calmly. “Come here, come here, my good boy.”

Luo Binghe practically vibrated with excitement and pounced on Shen Qingqiu, completely disregarding whether he might hurt him, immediately licking his neck all over while his tail wagged frantically, just as frenzied as his body pressing against every inch of Shen Qingqiu. His snout brushed against his lover’s skin as he sniffed him loudly, euphoric, all while Shen Qingqiu petted his head. “Did Binghe have fun on his little stroll?”

The massive werewolf let out an adorable “Woof!” in response and kept rubbing up against Shen Qingqiu — who had to push him away before the wolf started doing things that weren’t exactly appropriate between a human (monster) and an animal (monster).

“My good boy!”

It was almost funny to think about the man groaning in pain beside them, something Shen Qingqiu would have ignored entirely if it weren’t for the delicious scent of blood wafting from the side. His body was slightly exhausted and starving after running for so long. Ah… Shen Qingqiu stroked Luo Binghe’s head once more. “Does Binghe want to rest and have a little meal now?”

He spoke as if this were nothing more than a picnic.

⋆˚🐾˖°

Luo Binghe dragged the driver’s body with no difficulty back to the spot they had been earlier.

And then Shen Qingqiu understood why Luo Binghe had taken so long to find him.

Luo Binghe had turned the place where the ritual and sacrifice were supposed to take place into a romantic candlelit dinner.

Oh, heavens, Binghe!

The candles had been rearranged into a much more elegant pattern, and a blanket was spread out over the ritual circle. Luo Binghe had even scattered roses around and made a… strange trail of… blood? Well, he was trying.

Was it okay for Shen Qingqiu to find the little blood paw prints on the ground cute?

Luo Binghe tossed the driver’s body into a corner, where the corpses of the other victims were also piled up. As Shen Qingqiu slowly approached, he noticed something.

One of them was still alive, tied up. Shen Qingqiu tilted his head, curious. “Why are you still alive…?”

And he pulled the gag from the man’s mouth.

“HOW WOULD I KNOW?!”

Whoa, whoa, no need to scream! Shen Qingqiu had sensitive ears, and Luo Binghe’s were even more so. He huffed. “Quiet, quiet.” And shoved the gag back into place, watching the man’s startled reaction. Then, he turned toward the enormous wolf, who was currently chewing on a massive bone, which Shen Qingqiu had his suspicions about. “Binghe…? Why is he still alive?”

Luo Binghe tilted his head, just like a puppy would when it knew it had done something wrong.

Shen Qingqiu sighed. “No, Binghe, you’re not going to fuck me while he watches!”

The wolf let out another pitiful whimper, and Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes. Why the hell did his lover have such strange ideas…?! The poor man who had been listening to all this just stared at them with a bewildered expression — until Shen Qingqiu turned to him, as if trying to justify what the hell he had just heard.

Before he could open his mouth, though, he felt a warm body press up against him, starkly contrasting his own cold skin. Shen Qingqiu didn’t even need to turn around to know Luo Binghe was smiling.

“Shizun likes to drink fresh blood, doesn’t he?” Luo Binghe whispered into his ear, sliding his hands over his body. “He was the only one who hadn’t consumed alcohol or drugs, so I thought he might have the best blood for Shizun to enjoy.”

Shen Qingqiu’s gaze lifted.

How… how thoughtful of Luo Binghe to know exactly what he liked to drink!

He smiled, turning toward Luo Binghe and thanking him with a kiss.

Ah… Poor man. He had probably just been convinced by his friends to take part in some bizarre ritual to gain something in return. Driven by greed, he had agreed to cover up a friend’s murder and saw a future in the idea of killing a stranger in the forest. The moment they attracted a terrifying beast, he left all his friends behind and ran for the car — only to realize too late that the creature would still catch up to him.

He just hadn’t expected his life to end with two sharp fangs sinking into his neck.

⋆˚🐾˖°

Luo Binghe was, indeed, jealous whenever Shen Qingqiu drank blood from someone other than him. Unfortunately, he also knew that no matter how delicious a meal was, eating only that one thing was never a very viable option. So, he sat there, wagging his tail in his wolf form, gnawing on a leg to de-stress while anxiously waiting for his Shizun to finish his meal.

Even so, Shen Qingqiu was… absolutely stunning. The way he gracefully bit and drained the neck, how his long hair cascaded down his back, how he was a little clumsy and let the blood drip, or the hungry way he drank and drank as if one person’s blood would never be enough. Anyone who saw Shen Qingqiu from afar would never imagine that he could be so bloodthirsty, something that became evident only after truly getting to know him. Luo Binghe loved him so much — so much that, if it were up to him, he would provide all the blood in the world to keep his Shizun always satisfied.

Just before Shen Qingqiu drained all the blood from the person — he only drank enough so him would slowly die from blood loss (it was in moments like these that Shen Qingqiu never realized just how cruel he was, which only excited Luo Binghe even more) — he pulled away from the body, looking at Luo Binghe on the ground before approaching to hug and pet him.

“I still haven’t given Binghe his reward for capturing me, have I?”

The wolf’s ears perked up immediately.

“Binghe was so capable, so strong… hunting down that poor, helpless man in the forest, all just to get his prey… And yet, Binghe still prefers to get distracted with other prey. Am I not Binghe’s favorite prey?”

Luo Binghe’s eyes gleamed red as he immediately shifted back into his (almost) human form. He still had the collar around his neck — a demonic collar that adapted to his transformations. At that moment, it was the only thing on his body. Completely naked, Luo Binghe didn’t hesitate before rubbing himself against Shen Qingqiu.

“No, no! My favorite prey is always Shizun~!” He licked Shen Qingqiu’s neck, just as he would in his wolf form. This time, however, it sent shivers down Shen Qingqiu’s spine much more easily. “Now that Shizun is my prey, I’m going to fuck him here, right on top of the ritual site, I’ll fuck him in the car they tried to escape in, I’ll fuck him in the places they tried to hide, I’ll fuck him over the dead bodies of those disgusting idiots who dared to hurt my Shizun.”

Good heavens! Binghe! And it wasn’t even a full moon!

Shen Qingqiu let out a soft laugh. “Calm down, calm down, Binghe, just here is fine, okay? Is Binghe feeling alright? Did the ritual affect him in any way?”

Luo Binghe shook his head. “They wanted to summon a demon, and they did, didn’t they? But this demon already has an owner…”

Shameless!

Shen Qingqiu sighed; blood was still dripping from his mouth, sliding down and spilling a little. He was far from satisfied, but that was something he would let Luo Binghe take care of. Shen Qingqiu leaned in to kiss him once more. Perhaps, if Shen Qingqiu were a normal human, he would find the idea of kissing Luo Binghe after watching him devour human flesh a little disgusting — but for a vampire, that was completely irrelevant; in fact, it even made the kiss taste better, with the lingering sensation of blood still in Luo Binghe’s mouth.

It didn’t take long for Shen Qingqiu to straddle Luo Binghe’s body while kissing him.

“Shizun… Shizun really enjoys roleplay, doesn’t he?”

Wasn’t it obvious? “Hmm… Yes…” Luo Binghe’s hands roamed over him, claws gripping his thighs.

Like an impatient little puppy eager for a walk, Luo Binghe stared intensely at Shen Qingqiu. “Shizun, let’s play again!”

Shen Qingqiu really felt like he was playing fetch with an overexcited dog; the difference was that this time, the ball was himself. “But we already went for a walk-”

“That didn’t count. Shizun was weak.”

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes slightly, huffing. But, well… Luo Binghe had a point. “What is Binghe planning?”

“I’ll give Shizun ten seconds to run as fast as he can. If I catch Shizun in less than a minute, then I get to devour him. If Shizun escapes within that minute, then he gets to devour me.”

And Shen Qingqiu knew exactly what Luo Binghe meant by "devour."

Shen Qingqiu’s response came in the form of a smile as he got up and started running.

The adrenaline was absolutely delicious. He could feel the wind against his face, the clumsy way his feet hit the ground, his hair lifting and practically flying as he ran; these were the kinds of things he missed after becoming practically a nerd who spent all day indoors. He could hear the sounds of the massive wolf approaching, could feel the rush rising higher and higher. The sensation of being prey.

It was at the very last second of the countdown that the wolf leaped on him, pinning him down. Shen Qingqiu let out a loud grunt, pretending to be the perfect victim, and clung to Luo Binghe’s fur.

The wolf began sniffing him more intently, his snout pressing against the layers of clothing as his claws tore them apart. Shen Qingqiu groaned and let the wolf do as he pleased on that dirty ground, full of branches. Luo Binghe grabbed Shen Qingqiu by the sleeve and pulled him along, as if wanting him to follow.

Shen Qingqiu knew that if he were truly Luo Binghe’s victim, he would already be getting dragged by the leg or arm, but Luo Binghe refused to bite him — something that was… quite ironic, considering how much Shen Qingqiu loved turning Luo Binghe into a chew toy. Still pretending to be a helpless victim, Shen Qingqiu collapsed onto Luo Binghe’s large body — a wolf big enough to carry a person on his back without any trouble.

And with that, Luo Binghe led him back to their earlier spot, like a wolf bringing its prey back to the pack. The difference was that Luo Binghe would kill his entire pack before even considering sharing Shen Qingqiu with anyone.

“Ah… What are you going to do to me Mr. Bad Wolf…?” Shen Qingqiu feigned innocence, acting as if his legs no longer worked while the massive wolf loomed over him. Luo Binghe’s sense of smell was always more sensitive in his canine form, and he used it to thoroughly take in Shen Qingqiu’s scent.

Slowly, the wolf tore away Shen Qingqiu’s clothes while licking his body, making him shiver. His fur brushed against his skin, and Luo Binghe would have seemed like nothing more than an animal in rut — if Shen Qingqiu didn’t already know just how much worse he got when he… well… entered certain ruts.

“Binghe!” Shen Qingqiu had to push him away before Luo Binghe tried anything more… explicit in his wolf form. Even though that was something Luo Binghe clearly wanted, Shen Qingqiu firmly told him no, no, that was too much even for him. So, he simply watched as Luo Binghe’s body shifted before him, his fur shrinking back as he returned to his human form.

But with the ears and tail still there… He really did love that, and Shen Qingqiu couldn’t even complain, considering how good Luo Binghe looked like that…

Like the impatient puppy he was, Luo Binghe immediately lowered his head and spread Shen Qingqiu’s legs open, leaving him lying there, letting Luo Binghe admire his prey.

Ah… So this was what Luo Binghe meant by "devour"…

Luo Binghe’s tongue invaded him completely — far too large for a human, but the perfect size for someone who was half-demon. Shen Qingqiu always saw stars when Luo Binghe did this, feeling that big tongue exploring his insides. Since they were in the middle of nowhere, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t embarrassed enough to hold back his moans, whining softly as Luo Binghe delved deeper and deeper, as if he were savoring a delicious meal.

Well… apparently, he was now.

Luo Binghe’s strong, firm hand wrapped around Shen Qingqiu’s cock, gripping it tightly as he stroked him. He pulled back slightly, a smug little grin on his lips. “How many orgasms do you think I can make Shizun have today…?”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t need to answer for it to be obvious. Still watching him intently, Luo Binghe slipped two fingers inside the vampire, who was already getting used to his partner’s impressive size. “I’m really happy I found out that the more blood Shizun drinks, the more orgasms I can make him have~!”

Well… the blood had to go somewhere, didn’t it?!

Keeping that same smug expression, Luo Binghe leaned in closer. “That’s why I made sure to hunt down all those people. I’m going to make sure Shizun is well-fed and nice and full so he can come more times than I can count on my fingers and leave me completely satisfied~!”

Luo Binghe had assured Shen Qingqiu many times that no, his father wasn’t an incubus or some kind of sex demon. But still, Shen Qingqiu had his doubts! How could someone be this insatiable?! Was this what happened when you mixed werewolf DNA with a demon?!

“Well… since Binghe caught me… I guess I have no other choice…” And with that, Shen Qingqiu spread his legs wider, giving Luo Binghe a better view.

One day, Shen Qingqiu might actually stop running slower than he was truly capable of. Until then, he was perfectly happy playing the prey for Luo Binghe.