Chapter 13: Injustice

The bed Han Qi purchased was soon delivered and set up in his home. As soon as it was in place, Qiao Nian sprawled out on it, arms and legs spread wide. He was in high spirits and even began to hum a little tune.

“Han Qi, do you know? You’re actually my brother.”

“Mm, I am older than you, after all.”

Qiao Nian rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I mean. We share the same mother.”

Han Qi smiled gently. “No wonder I felt such a sense of familiarity when I first saw you. Although, I’ve never met our mother.”

The smile faded from Qiao Nian’s face. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

Han Qi turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”

Qiao Nian quickly recovered his easygoing grin. “Nothing.”

Han Qi simply lay down as well, closing his eyes as if to nap, completely at ease.

Suddenly, Qiao Nian asked, “Do you have any children yet?”

“Huh?” Han Qi’s eyes flew open, shocked.

Seeing his reaction, Qiao Nian looked surprised. “Don’t tell me you don’t know about the military’s plan?”

Han Qi sat up, suddenly serious. “What plan?”

“The childbirth plan,” Qiao Nian replied with a mischievous smile. “Anyone with the red rose mark on their neck can have children, you know.”

Han Qi’s hand shot up to cover his neck.

Qiao Nian chuckled, moving Han Qi’s hand away to stare at the tattoo on his neck. Deliberately lowering his voice, he asked, voice tinged with suggestion, “You must have already had a child with Sù Yè, right?”

A faint blush crept up Han Qi’s cheeks, and he turned away, a bit awkward. “N-no, I don’t think so…”

Qiao Nian’s laughter grew even more meaningful. “No need to be embarrassed. You and the Marshal have been making eyes at each other for over a century—everyone knows, we just don’t say it.”

Han Qi, always straightforward, was at a loss for words and could only stare helplessly at Qiao Nian.

With a sudden sigh, Qiao Nian said, “Honestly, I’d love to have a kid just to see what it’s like, but the military doctor thought my bloodline was too impure and left me out…”

Han Qi looked horrified, his expression twisted as if he’d just heard the most terrifying ghost story.

“The military developed a drug,” Qiao Nian continued. “Once a noble of the Scarlet Blood drinks it, they become a ‘soil’ constitution, able to nurture children.”

Goosebumps sprang up all over Han Qi’s skin, his face growing pale, but Qiao Nian pressed on with his lesson. “After that, a rose will grow in your belly, and you just have to take the flower out. It’s simple, really—just open it up…”

He made illustrative gestures with his hands. “The child grows inside the flower! I’ve seen it myself!”

Suddenly, Han Qi remembered that Li Ye had once given him a vial of pale golden liquid—could it possibly be…?

His face turned even whiter, and he swallowed hard several times. Qiao Nian scratched the back of his head, wondering why Han Qi looked even more frightened. He thought he’d explained it quite… gently.

Qiao Nian grabbed Han Qi’s hand, his dark eyes gazing up at him with sincerity. “Why not have one, just for fun?”

Han Qi gritted his teeth. “Do you think children are toys?”

“Vampire children are bound to be sturdy, resilient, and easy to raise!”

Han Qi turned away, speechless. Why was he surrounded by such eccentric vampires?

Qiao Nian tugged at him, continuing, “You know, only you can bear Sù Yè’s child.”

Han Qi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why?”

“Because he was born by tearing through his mother’s body.”

“What?” Han Qi’s heart skipped a beat at those words. “Then doesn’t that mean he was born without a mother?”

Qiao Nian looked at him, puzzled. “Why aren’t you worried about being torn apart yourself?” Then he laughed. “But it’s fine. You’re the Blood Key—you survived activation, so giving birth won’t kill you.”

“Torn apart…” Han Qi’s face creased in horror. “That’s terrifying…”

Just then, they heard a noise at the door. Han Qi rushed out to see a figure in black and gold military uniform dart past him. When he looked back, Yuan Che was already standing before Qiao Nian, his expression thunderous.

Worried, Han Qi glanced back into the room, but Sù Yè seized his hand and dragged him outside. Before leaving, Sù Yè calmly closed the door. He too wore the same style of uniform, the cluster amaryllis totem on his shoulder both strange and beautiful.

Han Qi asked anxiously, “They won’t start fighting, will they?”

“No need to worry about them. You should be more concerned about yourself.” Sù Yè smiled faintly as he spoke.

Perhaps influenced by the earlier conversation, Han Qi found the smile deeply suggestive, and inappropriate images flashed through his mind. He instinctively clutched his jacket tighter and backed away several steps until his back pressed against the closed door.

“Y-you promised not to get carried away. You need to control yourself…”

Before he could finish, Sù Yè suddenly laughed, the sound low and hoarse, unexpectedly stirring something deep within Han Qi.

His heart beat even faster. Under Sù Yè’s unbroken gaze, Han Qi wanted nothing more than to burrow into the ground.

Sù Yè stepped closer, his breath, faintly scented, washing over Han Qi’s face like a narcotic, making him dizzy and lightheaded.

Sù Yè’s face slowly moved closer. Han Qi squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, as if bracing for something.

But the expected kiss didn’t come. Instead, soft laughter sounded by his ear.

“Come, let’s go to the military headquarters.”

Han Qi opened his eyes to see a gentle smile in Sù Yè’s eyes, light as a feather settling on his heart. Embarrassed and flustered, he silently scolded himself for letting his mind wander.

While he was lost in thought, Sù Yè had already walked ahead. Han Qi stared at his upright figure in uniform for a moment before snapping out of it and quickly catching up, naturally reaching for Sù Yè’s hand.

A subtle smile played at Sù Yè’s lips. It seemed the day when Han Qi would come to him willingly was not far off.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

The quiet room was heavy with silence, the atmosphere tense as Qiao Nian and Yuan Che faced each other.

After the cataclysm, all the vampires had gained a new lease on life, yet Qiao Nian had vanished. Yuan Che and his army searched everywhere, but to no avail. It was eerily reminiscent of Qin Ning’s disappearance years before. Moreover, Qiao Nian, a vampire with tainted blood, now swung between docility and violence; if he lost control, the consequences would be dire, perhaps even self-destruction. The ever-composed commander grew anxious, scouring the globe in desperation. But years passed, and still there was no sign of Qiao Nian. The military gradually ceased their search, and in the heart of the young commander, hope grew cold.

“Why didn’t you come find me?” Yuan Che suddenly asked, tilting Qiao Nian’s chin up.

Qiao Nian met his gaze. “What right did I have to look for you?”

Yuan Che was momentarily speechless, his expression darkening. “Why did you disappear? Do you have any idea what I went through to find you—”

Qiao Nian cut him off. “Why did you look for me? Was it just out of duty?”

His tone was almost accusatory, and Yuan Che’s brows knitted in irritation, his eyes under the brim of his cap turning cold and sharp. “You think I can’t be angry with you?”

“Ha?” Qiao Nian sprang to his feet, a glint of hostility in his eyes. “What right do you have to be angry with me?”

A chill emanated from Yuan Che, a warning Qiao Nian recognized as the prelude to his rage.

Qiao Nian took a deep breath, forcing himself calm. “Azhan, everyone abandoned me. Why do you keep searching? Is it duty—or do you love me?”

He stepped forward, gaze locked on Yuan Che’s face as if trying to catch a hint of vulnerability, but the commander’s expression remained tranquil.

After a long silence, Yuan Che finally began to speak, but Qiao Nian pressed a hand softly over his mouth.

“Don’t say it. I’d rather believe the answer in my own heart.”

Yuan Che lowered his eyes, lips pressed into a tight line. His beautiful face was as still and serene as a mountain stream.

Suddenly, Qiao Nian dropped to one knee. Yuan Che looked at him in surprise, but Qiao Nian only smiled gently and asked, “Azhan, will you grant me one request?”

Yuan Che nodded. “Of course. There’s no need for you to kneel.”

The anger from moments before had faded, replaced by a peaceful, gentle smile. Qiao Nian lightly cupped Yuan Che’s hand, the black glove encasing his long, strong fingers, and pressed his lips to it. It was not the intimacy of lovers but a gesture of utmost sincerity—like a devout worshipper before his god.

Yuan Che’s heart gave a sudden jolt, and he reflexively tried to pull his hand away, but Qiao Nian held it fast, then looked up, his dark eyes staring straight into his.

“Can I ask you… to give me a child?”

Yuan Che froze, drawing back slightly. But Qiao Nian gave him no chance to refuse. Rising, he pressed Yuan Che down onto the bed by his shoulders, then, facing him, straddled Yuan Che’s lap in a posture thick with suggestion.

Qiao Nian’s lips brushed his ear, his voice trembling on the verge of humility. “You don’t need to move. I’ll do everything.”

Soft, fervent kisses fell along Yuan Che’s jaw as Qiao Nian undid the buttons of his uniform, revealing a pale neck, which Qiao Nian lowered his head to kiss reverently.

“That’s enough!” Yuan Che pushed him away and stood, breathing raggedly. The panic lingered on his face for only half a second before he regained his composure, returning to the unflappable commander he always was.

He glanced at Qiao Nian, letting out a nearly inaudible sigh. Adjusting his cap, he strode toward the door. But Qiao Nian darted ahead to block his way, looking up with a gaze nearly feverish in its intensity.

“Move,” Yuan Che said coldly.

Instead, Qiao Nian began to unbutton his own shirt, eyes burning with a wild, obsessive fire, like a madman offering himself in sacrifice. Yuan Che watched his actions in silence, an odd calm settling over him. He gently grasped Qiao Nian’s wrist.

“Your feelings are dependence, not love.”

Qiao Nian shook free of his grip and leaned in for a kiss, their lips pressing together as he smiled, voice thick with innuendo. “How will you know if we never try?”

Yuan Che retreated several steps, backing all the way to the window. Raising his hand, he rapped his fingers lightly against the glass. There was a crack, and the panes shattered into dust, not a single shard touching his uniform.

“Don’t go!” Qiao Nian rushed over, reaching to grab his hand, but Yuan Che slipped away in a flash, nimbly leaping out the window.

Yuan Che was gone from view. Qiao Nian’s fingers dug into the window frame, leaving deep gouges in the wood.