Blood-sucking fangs

Chapter 3

He had always been content with his identity as a human. Although Zhang Hanwen always treated him like a fool, and although he was mediocre in both appearance and social standing, he was content. He only hoped that life would progress little by little in the direction he was striving for, and not, not suddenly turn him into a ghost…

Every time he thought about this, a feeling of resentment rose within him towards Cangya, who had turned him into this creature: "Why me? Why did they have to turn me into this?"

He was so content to be an ordinary human being, never thought about immortality, and never longed for anything beyond his own efforts. Why did they have to turn him into this?

"Because you were an accident."

Feng Nian'en opened her eyes and saw Ruoya leaning against the door frame, having arrived at some unknown time. Her porcelain-like face appeared even more translucent against the gilded black door frame.

"Accident?"

“Originally, our choice was someone else, but because you saw the will-o'-the-wisp that you shouldn’t have seen, Cangya made you his junior due to a misunderstanding.”

"An accident? I was just an accident?"

Feng Nian'en shouted, her usually calm nature stirred with unusual anger.

"I don't want this accident! You can't do this! Change me back! Change me back..."

He rushed forward, angrily shaking Ruoya. Ruoya slightly swayed her shoulder, effortlessly pushing him away.

"If you cannot calm down, I will have to ask the prince to see you another day."

"To see the Prince?" Feng Nian'en took a deep breath. "No, no, I can calm down! Let's not reschedule!"

Ruoya looked at him coldly.

"I promise! I promise I will not lose my composure."

Ruoya turned around: "Let's go."

"I believe you've calmed down after these past two days, haven't you, boy?"

Feng Nian'en took a long breath, letting the slightly bitter-sweet scent of chrysanthemums in the hall calm her rapidly flowing blood.

"Yes, Your Highness."

“Very well, it seems we can finally formally introduce ourselves. I am the prince here, or in human terms, the local tyrant of this city. But as long as you don’t violate the Camarilla Treaty and maintain proper respect for vampires, you never need to fear me. You have your own elders…”

“No, Your Highness. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I have to say.” He licked his dry lips, hoping he could maintain his composure. “I have to say, Your Highness. I… I still want to be a human being.”

The prince smiled slightly: "Boy, what's so good about being a person?"

"Yes, I know. You are superior to humans, but... I still want to be a human being. I am a human being, and I don't want to become something else... another kind of life."

"It seems you still haven't figured it out. Maybe you should think about it for a couple more days."

"No! I've thought about it a lot, a lot, really!" he quickly retorted, redness spreading from his veins to his pale skin.

"If that's the case, there's nothing I can do. We can turn humans into vampires, but we can't turn vampires back into humans."

"No! I don't believe it! There must be a way! Oh, sorry..." Realizing that her tone was too agitated, Feng Nian'en took another long breath.

"It's alright."

"I heard that I, I became... well, became like you, was an accident."

“That’s right. We’ve investigated and found that you and the original candidate were born on the same day, month, and year. Although there’s no precedent for this, I think that might be the reason you saw the will-o’-the-wisp that you shouldn’t have seen.”

"Same year, same month, same day?" Feng Nian'en was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, she said, "The original choice was Miss? Um, I mean Zhang Hanwen?"

The prince nodded.

“Then, maybe, maybe we can correct this mistake, I mean... if she's willing, if she's willing…”

The prince shook his head: "Impossible, boy. We can certainly make her join the vampires, but we can't make you turn back."

"But this was an accident! An accident shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have become like this! I must change back. You have a responsibility to make me change back."

"An accident that has already happened can no longer be called an accident."

"But...but..."

The prince made a gesture, and a bat flew over from the shadows of the curtains.

"Bring Cangya to the solitary confinement cell."

The bat flapped its wings and hovered in the air, but did not fly away.

"go!"

The bat made a few cooing sounds before reluctantly flying out of the hall.

“There are no buts, boy. In a little while you will see your elder, yes, the one who made you a vampire, he is being punished for this accident. And, ah… he’s here.”

Upon hearing this, Feng Nian'en was about to turn around when she saw a black figure appear in the hall like lightning.

“This thing says you are calling me, Your Highness.”

A boy of about ten years old held up a bat's foot and grinned.

"I think you should also meet your younger relatives."

"Ah, junior!" The boy glanced at Feng Nian'en. "Not bad, junior. I heard from Lan Ya that his physique is alright, so he hasn't completely disappointed me."

"Release the white crow, Cangya."

"White Crow? You mean this dark, blurry thing? Oh, I'm sorry."

The boy released his grip, and the bat immediately flew into the shadows as if granted a pardon.

"Alright, let's formally meet your junior. He will be temporarily under Ruoya's care for the next six months."

“I bit him! You can’t hand him over to anyone else!” The boy’s face immediately darkened.

“Cangya,” Ruoya cried out, “Don’t speak to the prince like that. You violated the treaty, but the prince has already been very merciful by only granting you six months of confinement.”

“He is my junior! Only I can teach him, Wakaya absolutely cannot.”

“I’m just temporarily taking care of him in your place. His biological parents are still you, Cangya.”

"Don't forget, Cangya, this opportunity originally belonged to Ruoya. Although you got it from her..."

“It was I who gave it to him, Your Highness. I gave up this opportunity myself,” Ruoya interrupted before he could finish speaking.

"Alright, it was Ruoya who gave up on his own initiative. But Ruoya also has responsibilities and authority over this person, so I have decided to let you both serve as his elders."

Cangya glared fiercely at the prince, his narrow phoenix eyes flashing with anger.

"Isn't it good?" the prince chuckled. "It's like parents raising a young child together. If you really don't want to..."

"Okay, we'll do it your way."

Although he still had a sullen expression, the anger that flickered in his narrow phoenix eyes was no longer anger.

"I don't want to!" Feng Nian'en finally cried out, "I don't want to! I have my own father, I don't need any elders, I don't need any guidance..."

"No need?" Cangya sneered. "Do you know how to evade hunters? Do you know how to recover quickly after being injured? Do you know how to find a new part if you're missing one? Do you know how to hunt for the blood you need? Do you think vampires are so easy to blend into? Without the guidance of elders, you can just wait to be shot in the heart and turned to dust!"

"No, no..." Feng Nian'en gasped for breath, "That's not what I meant. I, I just, I just want to be a human being, I don't want to become a ghost! I don't want to become like you!"

Like moonlight spreading across the grass, Cangya walked up to Feng Nian'en and gently asked, "What did you say?"

"I...I don't want to be a ghost..."

"Bang!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Feng Nian'en was thrown onto the stairs by a tremendous force.

"Don't be a ghost! How dare you say such a thing!"

Cangya followed Feng Nian'en like a shadow and lifted him up again.

"Stop, Cangya!"

Ruoya quickly darted up the stairs.

"Stop? Fine." Cangya casually tossed Feng Nian'en onto the floor.

"Cangya!"

“This guy’s brain is waterlogged, I’m going to bring him to his senses.”

"Alright, Cangya." The prince helped Feng Nian'en, who was still dizzy from the fall, to his feet. "This isn't his fault."

"No? Letting him join the vampire clan is an immense favor, and he actually dared to say no! If it weren't for that damned accident, he wouldn't have such luck even in a thousand years!"

"He did not join the vampire clan voluntarily."

"He should be grateful, whether it was voluntary or not!"

The prince sighed and turned to Feng Nian'en: "Are you alright?"

"What could possibly happen? I only bumped him twice, how could he get a concussion like a human?"

"It's...it's alright."

Feng Nian'en shook her head; although she was still a little dizzy, it wasn't too serious.

"You really don't want to join the vampire clan?"

Feng Nian'en was stunned. The dizziness made him pause for a moment before he realized what the prince had said.

"Think it through, are you really unwilling?"

"Your Highness!" Ruoya exclaimed.

The prince smiled slightly and gave a reassuring gesture.

"Yes, yes, I know you are better than humans, and I know it's my good fortune. But, I still want to be an ordinary human being."

“An ordinary human? Impossible, boy. Vampires only have two paths: if they don’t want to, they die.”

"die?"

"Forever gone, turned to ashes."

“But, but there must be another way, right?” Feng Nian’en stammered. “There must be another way, there must be, there must be!” Her hurried tone was more of a self-comforting statement than an affirmation.

The prince shook his head: "As far as I know, no. Although... but that's impossible. For vampires, there are no other options."

"But...but forever..."

Feng Nian'en clenched her fists, feeling herself once again enveloped by a violent throbbing.

"Bang! Bang bang bang..."

Forever and ever!