Chapter 22: Jiang Yan-Senpai’s Handsome Upgrade
The portal suddenly flashed with an aurora, illuminating the nearly-awake Feng Lingcan and the maid outfit I had taken off beside him. Jiang Yan-senpai furrowed his brows, turned around while holding me, and said, “There’s no time. We have to go!”
Whoosh! A pair of black wings instantly spread from his back. He crouched slightly, as if preparing to take off. Then, with one leap, I thought we’d soar into the sky, but… we… were still standing in the same place…
Uh…
So…
Was there a takeoff malfunction? Or did we run out of fuel?
The world fell into a sudden silence. Jiang Yan-senpai furrowed his brows and shook his head. If he had a free hand at that moment, he’d surely be rubbing his forehead. He stood still for a moment, then looked down at me. “Sorry, Xiao Lan, you’re too heavy.”
What did you just say~~~~~? You’re the child of gods and demons, aren’t you?! How can you not manage to carry a mere human like me?!
“I just woke up and haven’t eaten, so… sorry.” He suddenly leaned down and, without warning, bit into my bloody shoulder!
Jiang, Jiang, Jiang Yan-senpai!
Is now really the best time to have a meal?!
I’m almost dying, you know!
“Enough, enough, enough! I’m going to bleed out!” I anxiously pushed his head away, only to notice that his previously dull and dry hair was rapidly turning a shiny black. That pure black color shimmered in the aurora, and his once brittle hair became exceptionally smooth and silky.
He slowly lifted his face from my shoulder, but it remained close to mine, his breath heavy beside my ear. “Huff… huff…”
Being held against his chest, I could clearly feel his chest rising and falling intensely, along with the violent beating of his heart. It was as if he were trying to control himself, and each of his deep breaths echoed heavily inside his chest.
After one final deep breath, he closed his eyes and slowly lifted his face. I saw his skin regain its glow, and just peeking from the corner of his red lips were tiny sharp fangs, still stained with my fresh blood. As the light bathed his face, he suddenly radiated a special, captivating charm—one that made you want to get closer, kiss him, hold him!
Jiang Yan-senpai! He leveled up!
In that moment, he was no less dazzling than the Light God. In fact, he was even more striking, with an exquisite beauty that leaned toward the classical, distinctly like a pure-blooded Eastern Jiangshi. His allure carried a mysterious, historical air.
This was a characteristic of the Blood Clan. I had studied it. The Blood Clan exuded a special kind of charm, like the scent of a Venus flytrap luring insects into its trap. Their allure was meant to draw in prey.
Having lived with Jiang Yan-senpai for so long, I had never noticed him exude this kind of charm—until… he drank my blood…
As I stared at him in a daze, he began to float upward. The small bottle that had been cleaning up the blood earlier also returned to his side, slipping back into his collar. Once he was airborne, his massive black wings flapped suddenly, and we shot toward the glass. I didn’t even have time to cover my face to shield myself from the glass shards. We had already burst through the glass and soared into the sky!
The aurora once again surged out from that giant greenhouse, but Jiang Yan-senpai was already flying far away from the palace, with only the faint glow of the aurora visible in the distance.
Jiang Yan-senpai flew through the sky carrying me, where no one could see us. Then, we slowly descended, and I saw Doctor Lian standing on a balcony, smoking a cigarette.
Jiang Yan-senpai landed right beside Doctor Lian, still holding me. Doctor Lian turned his head, surprised. “Xia Xiao Lan? You’re injured again?”
“Can you keep it a secret?” Jiang Yan-senpai said in a calm and collected manner. I turned to look at him, seeing that his face had regained a healthy glow. Beneath those long lashes were clear, ruby-red eyes!
Doctor Lian squinted his eyes but didn’t look at me. Instead, he focused on Jiang Yan. He took a step toward him, then another, before lifting his hand to tilt Jiang Yan’s chin upward for a better look. “Tsk… You broke the taboo, huh? Once broken, it’s hard to stop…”
“Forget about me, treat her!” Jiang Yan turned his face aside, shaking off Doctor Lian’s hand.
Only then did Doctor Lian look at me, a playful smile flashing across his otherwise bored eyes. “Hmm… very well. There haven’t been any secrets in the Immortal Domain for a long time. Come inside.” He flicked his cigarette away, pocketed his hands in his white coat, and led us into the treatment room.
Jiang Yan-senpai carried me into Doctor Lian’s treatment room. With a wave of Doctor Lian’s hand, the curtains drew shut, enclosing the entire room. Jiang Yan gently placed me on the treatment bed, and Doctor Lian immediately reached out to tear the fabric around my injured shoulder.
“Hiss!” Jiang Yan leaned in closer. Doctor Lian raised an eyebrow and gave him a sidelong glance. “Not full yet?”
Jiang Yan’s red eyes flickered with hesitation, then he turned away, coughing into a clenched fist. “Ahem.”
“Hmph.” Doctor Lian gave a mischievous grin. “I see her blood gave you quite the boost.”
Jiang Yan-senpai’s back stiffened for a moment as he walked away, leaning against the medicine cabinet with a smirk. “Her blood would’ve been wasted otherwise.”
I immediately glared at Jiang Yan-senpai. “Jiang Yan-senpai, is this really okay with you?!”
He gave a casual shrug, waving his hands playfully. From his collar, he pulled out the little bottle, shaking it near his ear as he looked away. “I only did it to protect your secret. How did you get injured?” His gaze suddenly shot toward me, his eyes now serious and filled with depth.
Doctor Lian began pulling out strange devices to patch up the large hole in my shoulder.
I knew Jiang Yan-senpai was trying to use humor to ease the awkwardness between us after what had happened. But seriously, what was there to be awkward about? It’s not like we had some kind of indecent scene. I was injured, my blood was already spilled, and I was willing to help him recover.
I calmed myself, looking at him as usual. But when I met his unusually serious and slightly angry gaze, my heart skipped a beat. Damn it! He’s too charming now, making me feel like a giddy schoolgirl with butterflies in my stomach!
Xia Xiao Lan! That’s just the Blood Clan’s natural allure! Don’t let it get to you!
I calmed myself again and, without looking at him, said, “How should I know? I was stabbed by that white-robed demon lady. I didn’t expect my body in this world to also get a big hole in it!”
After I finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence. The stillness seemed to come from Jiang Yan-senpai. I snuck a glance at him. He was frowning deeply in thought, his fingers gently stroking his now unusually rosy lips.
Thump thump thump thump. I quickly turned my face away, feeling my cheeks heat up.
“What are you two talking about?” Doctor Lian asked out of boredom as he continued to patch up my wound. “If it’s something fun, share it with me. Otherwise, I might accidentally let something slip…”
“Xia Xiao Lan can exist in both worlds simultaneously,” Jiang Yan suddenly said. Immediately, Doctor Lian’s hand, which had been treating my wound, froze. His eyes sharply turned toward Jiang Yan, his gaze piercing like a sword. “What did you say?”
Jiang Yan-senpai calmly slid his hands into his pockets, his demeanor composed and steady as he looked at Doctor Lian. “I thought it would be better to tell you, since this clumsy girl will likely get hurt often, and we might frequently need your help.”
Doctor Lian stared intently at Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan returned the gaze with equal weight. Doctor Lian’s eyes flickered before he turned his face back to me, a smile crossing his lips. “Now this is interesting. I was wondering where you went last time.” He reached out and tapped my nose. “This ability… definitely needs to be kept secret. Alright, your arm is fine now, but no intense activities for a while~~” His smile turned mischievous and suggestive. “Especially certain things. You’ll need to control yourselves.”
“Huh?”
Doctor Lian shot an ambiguous smile toward Jiang Yan, who immediately darkened his expression. “Are you done?”
Doctor Lian spread his hands slightly. “I’m finished.”
Without missing a beat, Jiang Yan-senpai walked over, his red eyes once again gleaming with mischief. “Then it’s my turn!”
What, what, what is he planning to do this time?!
I saw him pull out that bottle again. Oh no! Don’t tell me he’s planning to take leftovers! I’m glad I contributed to his handsomeness and upheld the virtue of not wasting food, but isn’t this going too far?
He squinted at me with a grin. “Xiao Lan, let’s not waste the blood on your clothes either.” With that, he placed the bottle near my bloodstained shirt, biting his lip with a smile. “Oh~~ saving money, saving money…”
I twitched my brow. He was really going to take the leftovers!
“Jiang Yan-senpai, one drop costs a thousand yuan!”
“Put it on my tab. Oh, and the pearl string I gave you can cover it!” He raised his eyebrows at me. I immediately lifted my left hand, revealing the string of beads. “How much can this be worth?! I even gave you that precious bottle!”
“Jiangxue Pearls! And a Condensation Bottle!” Doctor Lian suddenly exclaimed, grabbing my wrist with one hand and Jiang Yan’s wrist holding the bottle with the other. “Treasures! Treasures! I haven’t seen these in ages! Where did you get them?!” Doctor Lian’s eyes were practically glowing.
“None of your business!” Jiang Yan and I shouted in unison. I quickly pulled down my sleeve, covering the pearl string. So, it’s called the Jiangxue Pearls. Judging by how Doctor Lian’s eyes were shining, it must be something amazing! Better hide it well!
Jiang Yan-senpai also quickly tucked away his Condensation Bottle, hiding it back inside his collar.
I looked toward my shoulder, which had been cleaned thoroughly by the Condensation Bottle. My uniform was slowly repairing itself. I touched my shoulder curiously. “How can it clean so well? It’s even cleaner than washing it. What’s the principle behind it?”
“Jiang Yan-san, are you still hungry?” Doctor Lian suddenly asked. I instinctively looked up, meeting Jiang Yan’s gaze as he stared at my shoulder. I immediately covered it with my hand. “Jiang Yan-senpai! That’s enough!”
Jiang Yan-senpai’s face immediately turned gloomy, as if he’d been wrongly accused.
Doctor Lian laughed wickedly. “Xia Xiao Lan, you better be careful. Someone here has been starving for quite a while…”
“Hmph.” Jiang Yan-senpai chuckled lightly and shook his head, looking at Doctor Lian. “Doctor Lian, if you’re feeling deprived, you can leave the Immortal Domain. You don’t need approval like we do. So please stop projecting your fantasies onto your students.”
Doctor Lian shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh~~ I would love to, but Dongguan has been sealed off. Sigh… when my hair finally grows long, Dongguan will be no more.”
“Pfft!” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. So, Dongguan is famous even across the Six Realms?!
