Jiang Yan wriggled free from his grasp, attempting to cover her small triangular ears with the tips of her tiny wings. However, this proved to be quite a challenge for her, resulting in her merely hunching her wings in an effort to reach her ears...
It looked rather silly.
Despite vampires naturally taking the form of bats, Jiang Yan consistently made human-like gestures.
Why was she so fond of humans?
Angus propped his chin up, his blue eyes quietly observing her. After a few moments of silence, he took advantage of her inattention and reached out to gently rub her little belly.
His dry, slender fingers invaded the soft abdomen, tenderly exploring the intimate area.
Startled, Jiang Yan recoiled in shock, hastily folding her wings back to shield her tummy.
Angus gathered her into his hands once more and spoke in a hushed tone, as if telling a bedtime story: "I have a castle too, you know. It's enormous. The garden outside is filled with roses. Because no one has tended to them for so long, the roses have bloomed into a floral catastrophe. Beneath the rose bushes lives a little mouse who loves to steal food."
Jiang Yan's eyes gradually widened.
Angus continued, "The little mouse's favorite pastime is pilfering food from the castle's pantry. All the doors in the castle are tightly shut, making it impossible for the little mouse to enter. But it's incredibly clever. Do you know how it manages to steal food?"
Without waiting for Jiang Yan's response, he sighed and said mournfully, "You must still be angry with me. You probably don't even want to hear me speak."
...Jiang Yan's open mouth closed again.
Promptly changing the subject, he went on, "I also have a wine cellar with centuries-old grape wine. It tastes different from the homemade blood wine we have now. The flavor is exceptionally rich, and the aroma is particularly intense..."
This time, Jiang Yan couldn't resist. She instinctively wrapped her wings around Angus's palm and pleaded, "Can I have a bottle?"
Ah, how could anyone refuse such a precious request?
Angus immediately agreed.
Sunny days aren't particularly friendly to vampires. But on this day, the roses planted in the garden finally blossomed into long-awaited beauty under the intense sunlight.
It was an afternoon filled with the fragrance of roses.
The curtains in the room blocked out the fierce light, allowing only warmth and dryness to seep in. Angus had promised three bottles of wine, ten recipes for his secret blood plasma cake, the old black cat and little mouse from the castle, the underground entertainment bar, a hidden room full of jewels...
At lunchtime, the Blood Servants rang the dining bell. Only then did Jiang Yan, content at last, transform into human form and pull Angus along to eat.
Angus followed her lead, trailing behind. Upon calm reflection, since it was all to appease her, those things he kept offering more and more of... it didn't count as being swindled, right?
Angus couldn't help but lower his brow, his blue eyes unusually clouded with melancholy. He still felt the sting of loss – hmm, half of his secret stash, gone.
...
The food on the dining table was identical to breakfast, as were the people. However, in the span of this morning, the relationship between two of them had fundamentally changed.
Angus didn't even bother to pretend anymore. Right in front of Zheng Xiaojie, he said, "Little treasure, I want to eat your food."
He had learned this term of endearment from Roderick and Abaniel. He quite liked it, finding it both intimate and befitting of his age.
He cast a seemingly casual glance at Zheng Xiaojie, but unfortunately, she happened to be looking down and didn't notice.
Jiang Yan finally understood why he had previously enjoyed vampire food, but had forgotten to notify the Blood Servants. She could only ask the chef to prepare another portion.
"But I'm hungry now," Angus said suggestively.
Jiang Yan pushed her cake towards him. "Then you can have mine first."
Zheng Xiaojie's hand, clutching a spoon, seemed to tremble slightly.
Angus, appearing as if his scheme had succeeded, winked at Jiang Yan and cut the cake into small pieces. "Let's share," he said.
Jiang Yan felt somewhat perplexed by all this. But having just received numerous favors from him this morning, she decided to humor him. She ate the piece of cake he offered from his fork.
Angus glanced at Zheng Xiaojie again, and sure enough, he found her visibly upset. She covered her mouth to hide her uncontrollable sorrow, her shoulders quivering slightly.
Hah, see that? Are you hurt? Sad? Because of how close he and his little treasure had become.
But Angus's satisfaction quickly dissipated.
