Chapter 17: Understanding Each Other

The sun was about to set, the clouds on the horizon stained a deep crimson. The car drove a long distance before finally stopping in a secluded spot. Humans had likely used vampires to set up a barrier, so ordinary people could only see a derelict factory, not the towering building that truly stood there.

The car passed through the factory gates and then vanished, clearly having entered via some internal passage. To break in by force, one would have to bypass a cross-shaped seal—something most vampires could not manage, yet somehow humans had achieved it.

A scornful curve lingered at the corner of Suye’s lips. He had restrained himself from acting for so long, but now, at last, he had arrived at headquarters. He descended gently to the ground, broke the seal’s cross with effortless ease, and slipped inside without a sound.

It had been far too long since he last inhaled the thick, intoxicating scent of blood—so long he had almost forgotten the very meaning of his existence.

Suye could not be bothered to set up another barrier, nor did he suppress the aura of his blood. So, the moment he entered, the detectors wailed in alarm. Mechanisms in the walls sprang open, countless gun barrels emerging, all trained upon him.

Li Cheng had already walked a considerable distance when the urgent alarm sounded behind him. He spun around abruptly.

The figure’s face was indistinct, but those blood-red eyes were startlingly clear.

Frighteningly cold, brimming with murderous intent.

A hail of silver bullets flew at Suye, tearing through his body in an instant.

Seeing the gaping wounds riddling Suye’s form, Li Cheng exhaled in relief—only to have his blood run cold at what followed.

The wounds bled not at all; instead, they healed at a tremendous speed. Soon, even as the bullets entered his body, they no longer passed through. It was as if he had become a dreadful, bottomless abyss, absorbing all the violence, blood, and darkness, transforming it into his own murderous power.

A monster, pure and simple.

All Li Cheng wanted was to reach the safety zone behind the electronic iron doors, but a violent force pierced through his body in a single instant. His supple flesh split apart like torn cloth, scalding blood spraying everywhere, his once-whole form shredded into a rain of flesh.

A torrent of hot, crimson blood poured across the floor.

Being addicted to blood and slaughter, Suye’s methods were exceedingly cruel—unlike Yin Zhan, whose killings were swift and clean. He reveled in the storm of blood and violence, the heady scent gratifying his darkest urges.

Han Qi, in truth, was never fully unconscious. Once he realized Han Yan had tried to drug him, his sense of danger flared, so he had inhaled only a little of the poison. He could have escaped at any moment, but chose not to; he wanted to discover what these people were truly after, and so allowed himself to be brought to headquarters.

Thus, he witnessed the massacre firsthand. At first, he heard the shrill screams and the sounds of flesh tearing; soon, the noises died down; and in the end, all fell silent, the ruin heavy with death.

When all was quiet, Suye turned, step by step approaching Han Qi. He bent down to lift him, and as his fingertips brushed Han Qi’s cheek, Han Qi suddenly grasped his hand and slowly opened his eyes.

In that moment, the crimson light in Suye’s eyes faded noticeably, revealing a trace of sorrow.

“You saw everything?”

Han Qi could only nod.

Suye straightened, falling into a long silence, his handsome features growing rigid. A sudden, overwhelming fatigue swept through him.

Han Qi sighed softly, reaching out to touch Suye’s face, but Suye turned away.

His lineage was illustrious, his power limitless, but he was doomed to endure the torment of near-madness. Every time his violent urges consumed him, he had to struggle, bite, and kill—becoming indistinguishable from a beast. No one knew that even the supreme vampire marshal would sometimes hide in the icy depths, swallowed by sorrow, silently cursing his fate.

All the years Suye had spent with Han Qi, he had never once lost his temper or shown anger—let alone killed—in Han Qi’s presence. He had always treated him with the utmost tenderness, as though guarding the last patch of purity in his heart. But in the end, he had tainted even that.

When Suye swept away from the ruins like a gust of wind, Han Qi chased after him, grasping his hand with all his strength.

Suye turned back coldly. “Let go.”

Han Qi gritted his teeth and refused to release him.

They stood locked in this standoff until Suye suddenly wrenched free, throwing Han Qi hard against the broken walls. Pain exploded through Han Qi’s body, as if he had been shattered.

Suye stood a short distance away, unmoving, his back still turned. But he did not leave.

In the moonlight, that noble golden silhouette slowly took on the contours of grief.

At last, Suye turned to face Han Qi and said, “Don’t come near me again.”

His figure receded into the night, nearly merging with the darkness. Han Qi, swallowing his pain, staggered to his feet and caught up, grabbing Suye’s arm with force.

“So what if I saw you at your worst? It’s nothing to be ashamed of! You’d cast me aside for that? You really are impossibly stubborn!”

He pulled Suye into a tight embrace, determined never to let go. Suye let himself be held, silent and motionless. Han Qi, uncertain, loosened his hold and moved to look at Suye’s face.

Clear tears spilled from his eyes, tracing those exquisite cheekbones.

Suye’s face was expressionless, which only made Han Qi’s heart ache more. He fumbled to wipe away Suye’s tears.

Then Suye grasped his wrist, pulled him close, and pressed their lips together, gentle and tentative, as if afraid to break the moment. Han Qi traced Suye’s lips with the tip of his tongue, and the soft kiss suddenly turned urgent and passionate.

“You’re tempting me again.”

The voice was husky, magnetic, impossible to resist. Suye let his lips linger on Han Qi’s neck. Han Qi swallowed instinctively, his Adam’s apple trembling—a small, helpless gesture that unexpectedly set Suye off, making him lower his head to nibble gently.

“Not… not here…”

Suye slowly stopped, his voice soft as a sigh. “If you choose to leave me now, it’s still not too late.”

A strange fire flared in Han Qi’s heart, both anxious and angry.

“My fate is solitude. Even if you won’t stay with me, it doesn’t matter.”

The look on Suye’s face was not despair, nor resentment.

It was a gentle sorrow, deep as the sea.

Han Qi embraced him, wordlessly giving his answer.

As they left, Han Qi glanced back at the building now turned into a grave, his vision blurred by an uncontrollable ache.

Humans had indeed committed atrocities against vampires—but had the vampires not also invaded their domain? After so many years of conflict, who could say who was right or wrong?

When they returned home, their passion flared at once. Suye captured Han Qi’s soft tongue between his lips, eager and insistent, delving deeper.

Broken moans and urgent gasps filled the room.

Desire surged, fervent and wild, the press of skin against skin banishing all sorrow and restraint. Suye wanted nothing more than to be one with Han Qi, to leave no distance between them.

“Mmm…” The slow, spreading sensation within made Han Qi bite down on his own hand.

“Don’t bite yourself…” Suye’s voice was low and hoarse. He pinned Han Qi’s hand to the bed, leaning in to kiss those lips, so red and inviting.

As the rhythm grew more intense, Han Qi could hardly bear it. He bit Suye’s lips hard enough to draw blood—the cool, fragrant taste spreading between their teeth and tongues.

“Slower… take it slow…”

Han Qi couldn’t understand Suye at all. Barely an hour ago, he had been so full of despair, and now he was wild and fierce, the sudden change leaving Han Qi breathless. Weakly, he raised his hand to Suye’s shoulder, trying to slow him down, but Suye only gripped his fingers tight, bringing them to his lips, kissing and licking them inch by inch.

The dizzying pleasure sent Han Qi’s world spinning. When his misted eyes opened again, he saw Suye’s face, blurred by desire, and felt himself melting utterly into him.