Blood-sucking fangs

Chapter 23

"No, of course not. It's just that if you haven't stayed the required number of days, we will charge a processing fee when you check out," the receptionist said, blushing.

“I know,” Long Xinsheng said with a smile. “If I didn’t have enough rooms, I wouldn’t be arguing with you about this.”

The clerk blushed even more and quickly completed the formalities: "Third floor, number fifteen, here is your magnetic card."

Upon arriving at Long Xinsheng's room, Feng Nian'en sat for a short while before standing up.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back now. Here's my phone number. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."

"Aren't you going to help me out?" Long Xinsheng answered the phone.

"I won't bother you any longer." Although Zhang Jiru had asked him to have a meal with him, he really didn't have a good impression of this person.

"Have a meal with me. I've heard the restaurants here are quite unique, and it's too boring to go alone. Besides, we'll be working together in the future, so let's get to know each other first." He snapped his fingers as he spoke, "While I change my clothes."

Seeing his reaction, Feng Nian'en, though displeased, could not leave immediately and had no choice but to sit down again.

Chapter Sixteen

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Five minutes later, the two arrived at the restaurant, which was arguably the most pleasant place in the entire Moonlight Hotel. A winding artificial lake, an artificial crescent moon reflected in the water, silver lamps on the dining table, and the fragrance of roses filling the room. Although the heavy curtains still made people feel a little uncomfortable, the addition of the lake water made it feel more refreshing.

Feng Nian'en casually ordered a plate of spaghetti, while Long Xinsheng, seemingly with a great appetite, ordered a full steak set meal.

"How's Wenwen been lately?" Long Xinsheng asked casually while sipping his red wine.

Feng Nian'en was taken aback before realizing he was referring to Zhang Hanwen, and immediately responded.

"Although I received her photos, I think she must be even more beautiful in person."

"kindness."

"A lot of guys must be pursuing her."

"kindness."

"Sigh—" he sighed, "She's grown up so fast. Six years ago she was just a little girl. I remember when I left, she hugged me and cried her eyes out."

Feng Nian'en frowned slightly but did not respond.

"By the way, you have a girlfriend now, right?" he suddenly asked, as if he had just remembered something.

Feng Nian'en lowered her eyelids and paused for a moment before answering, "Yes."

"Oh?" Long Xinsheng looked at him with great interest. "Wenwen didn't mention this in her letter. She must be a very lovely girl?"

"Yeah." For some reason, a thin, small face suddenly appeared in his mind's eye, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and casually swearing.

"Hehe, judging from your expression, you must be very..."

He suddenly stopped there, his expression unusually strange, as if he had seen something terrifying yet surprising.

Feng Nian'en followed his gaze and was startled. On the other side of the lake, a beautifully dressed woman was whispering something in the ear of a man in a black suit, and that man was none other than Xu Zuo!

In the candlelight, Suzaku's expression was somewhat blurred, but it was clear that he was different from the night before. He now possessed a more domineering and sinister aura that seemed to reign supreme. A strange look flashed in his pale golden eyes, before he fixed his gaze on Ryu Shinsei with the eyes of a hunter.

Yes, although Feng Nian'en was somewhat flustered at this moment, it was certain that he wasn't looking at her. Then, a seductive smile appeared on that devilishly handsome face, and he raised his wine glass as if to greet them, but his gaze never lingered on Feng Nian'en from beginning to end.

"Do you know him?" Seeing this strange situation, Feng Nian'en couldn't help but ask.

"Huh? Huh... Ah!" Long Xin snapped back to reality, his skin turning deathly pale in the flickering candlelight, but he still managed a smile. "Know him? You mean... that gentleman from earlier? How could that be? I thought he was your friend."

"Really?" Feng Nian'en took a bite of noodles and didn't say anything more.

It wasn't until he had almost finished his spaghetti that he heard Long Xinsheng ask in a deliberately nonchalant tone, "Just now—well, that silver-haired guy, do you know him?"

Feng Nian'en was silent for a moment: "I don't know much, I only know that he rides a motorcycle very well."

So you're saying he's a racer?

"I don't know."

"You really don't know anything else about him?" As if realizing that her tone was too excited, she quickly made up for it by saying, "Well, I was just curious; that person's appearance is quite unique."

"Well, that's all I know." He finished the last bite of noodles, glanced at Long Xinsheng's plate, which had barely been touched since earlier, but had almost finished a bottle of red wine.

“Hehe,” Long Xinsheng chuckled as he saw him looking at his plate. “Eating this stuff outside doesn’t feel so bad, but it’s no good back in China. Looks like we still need to eat Chinese food.”

"This place has some pretty good dishes, shall we order some more?"

"No, no need." Long Xinsheng downed the last glass of red wine in one gulp. "I'm a bit tired after sitting on the plane for more than ten hours. I'd better go back and take a shower and go to sleep."

"Then I won't disturb your rest any longer. Just give me a call if you need anything."

The two stood up as they spoke and went to the lobby together. Long Xinsheng stopped and said politely, "These past few years, not only have you helped take care of Wenwen, but today you've come to pick me up. I'm really sorry to trouble you so much."

“No, it’s what I should do,” he said, nodding as he turned and left.

Feng Nian'en drove back to the Zhang family mansion, intending to see his father, but was told that he had already gone out with Zhang Jiru. He felt a mixture of regret and relief. Although his relationship with Feng Mingqian had previously been more like that of teacher and student than father and son, his principles of conduct were largely influenced by his father, and the two shared almost no intellectual barriers. But now—now he didn't know how or how he should face his father.

When he walked out of the Zhang family mansion, it was already past six o'clock in the afternoon. The sky was dark and the sunset was almost gone. He walked slowly, not knowing where to go or what to do.

The children should all be home by now, and Siwen—he shook his head, wondering why he'd thought of that delinquent girl. But she probably wasn't home either.

What was he going to do? As he pondered this, he arrived at the intersection, waited a moment, and jumped onto a bus.

The bus slowly drove along the highway, and Feng Nian'en stared blankly at the scenery outside the window. The streetlights were just coming on, the bustling streets, the joyful crowds—everything seemed so hazy and indistinct. He suddenly snapped back to reality when he saw a pointed-roof building.

The bus continued its slow journey, growing ever more distant from the pointed-roof building. He pressed his face against the window, watching the brightly lit building recede into the distance. In his eyes, all the light vanished, leaving only that dark, bluish-gray building. He slowly stood up, the bus came to a stop, and he got off, still dazed, and walked towards that single, solitary building.

The Basilica of Our Lady, one of the few ancient buildings in the city, although not as old as some classical buildings, was built when Christianity was first introduced to China. It miraculously survived several bombings.

Although Feng Nian'en had never been there, he knew that this church was very influential even in the whole country, and it was said that one of the few metropolitans in the country was from here.

Although it was already seven o'clock, for some reason the church was packed with people. The bright candlelight, the priests in their robes, and the slow, melodious chanting transported him to a strange, sacred world.

He went inside and sat in the last row, quietly listening to the incomprehensible song and watching the orderly and solemn actions of God's favored people. After an unknown amount of time, the song, which seemed to belong to another world, finally stopped. Everyone stood up, holding a short white candle, and a young man walked onto the platform and began reciting scriptures in a melodious voice.

Feng Nian'en listened and couldn't help but find it amusing.

What is he doing? Who is he? Why is he here? Why isn't he leaving? This place offers him absolutely no protection!

Although he was thinking this, he felt as if he had been frozen in place and could not move. His heart was boiling, but his mind was blank, and a strange sense of peace gradually enveloped him.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the ceremony came to an end. The crowd gradually dispersed, and the solemn atmosphere slowly turned into a cold emptiness. Feng Nian'en remained sitting there, stunned.

"Excuse me, is there anything else you need?" The young man who had been chanting scriptures on the high platform walked towards him with solemn steps. His wide, floor-length robe hung on his tall and slender body, giving him a light and graceful appearance.

“I…” Feng Nian’en looked up, stunned. He hadn’t been able to see the young man’s face clearly because of the distance. But now—he blinked, almost unable to believe his eyes.

That pointed chin, those light brown pupils, that slightly pale wheat-colored skin—everything about him, except for his expression and gait, was so familiar.

“Mike? Mike?” he whispered. It was impossible to reconcile the dignified and gentle young man before him with the thin figure from yesterday who wore only shorts and shouted in a hoarse voice.

The man stiffened, his eyelids drooping: "My name is Yang Ji, sir. Yang as in poplar, Ji as in mark, I am the trainee priest here."

"Oh, is that so?" he stammered. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

"It's alright." The young man nodded gently. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, no need." He stood up as he spoke. "I, well, it was just out of curiosity, nothing serious."

"No, this is our duty. Please come here if you need anything, and the Lord will help you."

"Okay, okay, I understand." He said, turning to leave, when suddenly a slightly hoarse voice said, "Give my regards to Ziguang."

Feng Nian'en suddenly turned around and saw that the young novice priest had already turned around and was walking slowly down the aisle. The wide sleeves of his robe, illuminated by the candlelight, looked like fluttering wings.

"you……"

Feng Nian'en, who was about to call out to him, suddenly stopped and stared blankly as the slender figure walked into the small door next to him.

He stumbled out the door in a daze, and the bustling scene on the street made him believe that what he had just witnessed was just his imagination.

One is a trainee priest in a church, and the other is a teenager shouting wildly while naked in an underground bar; one is a child of God who reads the Bible in a solemn and peaceful voice, and the other is a decadent teenager who clings to a vampire and begs for mercy. What connection could these two have?

He shook his head; he must have made a mistake.

But what if that boy from yesterday wore a priest's robe? Yes, although Mike looks no more than a teenager in both build and appearance, if he wore a solemn and dignified priest's robe and held a Bible…

He closed his eyes, and the image that appeared in his mind was that of the young man from before!

In a daze, he boarded the bus again and arrived at the garden near his community. Although there were no children there anymore, he still subconsciously glanced inside, where he saw white smoke rings rising gently under the dim yellow streetlights.

"Siwen?" Although the girl hadn't been seen yet, the name had already been called out.

"Hey, you idiot!"

His casual, teasing reply surprisingly warmed his heart.

"What are you doing here?" Arriving at the slide with its thick smoke rings, he saw the girl lying on it.

"I'll be waiting for you."

Her tone was casual, but he was already taken aback.

"Fool!" the girl sneered. "Can't you use your brain? Don't believe everything people say, okay?"

Feng Nian'en remained silent for a moment, then the girl glanced at him and asked, "Are you angry?"

No. But—

"But what?"

He thought for a moment before saying, "But you have a skill."

"Hmm?" The girl looked at him with interest.

"Hmm..." He licked his lips, "It's just that it's hard to tell whether what you're saying is true or false."

The girl was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Fool! Nothing comes out of my mouth is true. Remember that. Don't be so easily fooled again."

"Huh?" He stared at her blankly.

The girl laughed again: "I told you there was no truth in it, and you still believed me!"

“But, but…” he scratched his head, “but that’s sophistry.”

"Yes, that's sophistry!" The girl jumped up, her face showing a "what can you do about it?" attitude.

Feng Nian'en blinked, shook her head, and laughed too: "You..."

"Me? What happened to me?"

"No, have you eaten?"

Si Wen tilted his head and looked at him: "You know what, you idiot, the way you said those two sentences sounds like an adult."