Les Secrets du Paradis, Saison 4

Chapitre 7

Five minutes later, Zhang Hanwen emerged, wearing a black open-front leather jacket, bright red fitted leather pants, high-waisted red leather boots, with her red hair fluttering and her alluring face radiant with energy.

She sat down next to him, looking at him critically: "Why is it this one again? I've seen it three times this year."

"Really?" He quickly looked down at his clothes.

Zhang Hanwen is always particular about clothing, not only requiring him to dress appropriately for the occasion, but also disliking him always wearing the same clothes. So he usually has to be careful to mix and match his clothes, but today he was in a moment of panic and forgot that this outfit had already appeared three times this year.

“Never mind,” Zhang Hanwen snapped his fingers, “Let’s go to Zhongshan Road first. I haven’t bought you any spring clothes yet this year.”

"No need. I have enough clothes." For the past three years, all his clothes have been given to him by her.

She glared at him: "You're dressed like this, I'm the one who's embarrassing myself! It's not like you're paying for it, so why are you nagging?"

When money was mentioned, Feng Nian'en hesitated and glanced at her.

"Is there something you need?" Noticing that his gaze was a little strange, she turned her face away again.

"kindness……"

"What 'uh-huh'? A real man has something to say when he's in trouble, why are you stammering?"

"If it's possible, could you please give me an advance of two months' salary, miss?" He took a breath, his eyes fixed on the steering wheel, and quickly finished speaking in one breath.

Zhang Hanwen rested his chin on his hand and stared straight at him, causing Feng Nian'en's face to quickly turn red.

"You have a girlfriend?"

No, no.

"Then what do you need the money for?"

"Yes—I have a friend who's in a bit of trouble lately and asked me to borrow three thousand dollars."

"You should still have three thousand yuan, right? I don't think you usually spend that much. You didn't give most of your money to Uncle Feng, did you?"

"It's better to let Dad keep it, so I won't spend it recklessly."

"You're wasting money?" Zhang Hanwen scoffed. "Let's go, let's go get it now."

"Thank you, miss."

"What are you thanking me for? Do you think this money is free? I'll deduct it from your salary."

Feng Nian'en started the engine and drove the car out of the residential area. Zhang Hanwen suddenly asked, "What friend?"

"What?"

"I asked you what kind of friends you have, because I haven't heard of you having any friends before."

"Yes, an old friend. He... he's studying in another city."

"You met in your hometown?"

"kindness."

"We're very close."

"Yes." He couldn't help but smile slightly as he thought of Sun Haichao.

"A girl?"

"no."

"oh……"

Zhang Hanwen responded, leaned back, and said no more.

Upon arriving at Zhongshan Road, Feng Nian'en went to park the car. When she returned, Zhang Hanwen had already withdrawn the money. The two then went into a specialty store.

Although Zhang Hanwen has many clothes, she is very decisive when buying clothes. In less than half an hour, she not only picked out a suit for Feng Nian'en to wear in spring and two casual outfits, but also bought herself a long dress and two hats.

Chapter Five

[Bookmark]

Although he had frequented bars and similar places for the past three years, Feng Nian'en still couldn't stand such places. The deafening music, the glaring and strange lights, the men and women dancing energetically, the bizarre smell of thick smoke and perfume—all of this was something he, who had grown up in a quiet village, could not adapt to.

As usual, he sat at the counter in a spot where he could see Zhang Hanwen, quietly sipping a liqueur called Kembali Soda.

He drank it with great pain because of its color—a deep red like dried blood.

After seeing the bartender mix such a drink for another customer, he couldn't resist ordering it himself. The only thing that comforted him was that the drink didn't taste bloody; it just had a slightly bittersweet flavor.

He stared blankly at the cup, still drawn to its red color even now.

"You must suck 800 milliliters of fresh blood every ten days."

Lan Ya's crystal-clear voice rang in his ears once again.

Before seeing this glass of wine, he had always thought he could overcome this, especially after discovering that he needed ordinary food just like everyone else. He even had the absurd thought that if he could avoid drinking blood, he wouldn't be considered a vampire at all.

But now, he began to have doubts. If he couldn't resist even a glass of red liquid, how could he resist blood?

"Bloody Mary, two cups."

The crystal-clear voice brought him back to his senses. Feng Nian'en looked up and saw Lan Ya nodding at him.

"You..." he exclaimed in surprise, "The prince promised me!"

"Don't worry, boy." Lan Ya smiled slightly. "This was a complete accident. I didn't come here for you."

Feng Nian'en gave him a suspicious look, then sighed, "Sorry, I was just too nervous."

“There’s nothing to apologize for. However, I was quite surprised to hear that you’re unwilling to join us. But,” he chuckled, “it’s time to teach that Cangya a lesson, so he won’t think he can do whatever he wants just because the prince favors him.”

Feng Nian'en remained silent.

“That guy…” Lan Ya shook his head and continued talking to himself, “He thinks everything in the world should go according to his wishes. Your refusal to join him is quite a blow to him. For that, I’ll buy you a drink.” As he spoke, he pushed the prepared Bloody Mary in front of Feng Nian’en.

The rich red color, viscous and vibrant, seemed to transform even the faint tomato flavor into a deadly, alluring blood.

Feng Nian'en stared intently at the low-cut brandy glass before him, his breathing becoming heavy. He suddenly felt an intense thirst, as if he hadn't eaten for days. This drink was his only sustenance; if he didn't drink it immediately, it would vanish, and he would remain thirsty forever…

His fingers twitched, then abruptly pulled back just before touching the wine glass. He closed his eyes and shook his head violently.

"No, I don't want this!"

"Don't you want it?" Ranya whispered in his ear. "Then open your eyes, look at it, and tell me you don't want it."

"I don't want to!"

"Open your eyes! Open your eyes and tell me you don't want it. If you can't even do that, how can I believe you really don't want it?"

Feng Nian'en opened his eyes, biting his lip hard, bright red blood flowing down his pale teeth into his mouth. He trembled and said, "I...don't...want!"

Lan Ya chuckled softly, "Perseverance, boy." He downed the wine in front of Feng Nian'en in one gulp. "I hope you can be just as persistent in five days. Then perhaps we'll see the first vampire who willingly starves to death."

“I can eat regular food!” he growled.

"Really? Oh, of course. We can certainly eat regular food, otherwise it wouldn't be a feast every ten days."

"You mean..." Feng Nian'en looked at him questioningly, "If I eat more ordinary food, I won't need to... I won't need to drink that kind of thing anymore?"

Lan Ya chuckled: "There aren't many fat vampires, but even if you feed yourself like Simkos, you still can't escape the big meal every ten days. Enjoy it, boy, you've drunk that stuff before, even when you were unconscious, you still remember the sweet taste, right?"

Feng Nian'en gritted his teeth and downed the Kembali soda in his glass in one gulp. Yes, he remembered, and it was precisely because he remembered that he couldn't resist the red color.

"but……"

Lan Ya leaned close to his ear, and a cool, bitter scent, like wormwood, immediately overpowered the strong, mixed smells in the bar.

"However, if a virgin is willing to shed genuine tears for you, perhaps you can become human again."

Feng Nian'en suddenly raised her head: "A virgin's tears? You mean a virgin's tears can make me turn back?"

Lan Ya raised an eyebrow: "What? Did I just say something?"

“You…you just said that if I could get a virgin’s heartfelt tears, I could turn back into a human.”

"Oh? I said that?" He finished his other glass of Bloody Mary. "Would I say that?"

“You said it! I heard you clearly, you said it!” Feng Nian’en roared.

"You must have misheard." He shrugged, tossed down two hundred-yuan bills, and got up to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Feng Nian'en immediately chased after him. "Explain yourself clearly!"

He followed Lan Ya into the dance floor, and just as he was about to reach out to pull him along, he saw Lan Ya slouch and cleverly slip behind a man. Feng Nian'en pushed the man aside, looked up, and Lan Ya was nowhere to be seen. He hurriedly ran to the door and looked around, but the brightly lit street was deserted.

"Did anyone come out just now?" he asked the security guard next to him, looking around.

"No, sir. No one has come out."

He returned to the dance floor, his head throbbing as he scrutinized each face under the blinding, swaying lights.

"What are you looking for?" Zhang Hanwen looked at him in surprise.

"No, no, I wasn't looking for anything."

Feng Nian'en's gaze searched the dance floor again, then, head bowed, reluctantly made her way back to the bar.

"Would you like anything else, sir?"

"A virgin's tears," he murmured absentmindedly.

"Huh? What...what did you say? A virgin's tears?" the bartender said awkwardly. "I'm sorry, we don't have..."

"Oh, it's nothing, just give me a glass of green grasshopper."

Feng Nian'en leaned on the counter, constantly replaying the events that had just occurred in her mind.

Did he really see Ranga? And did he really hear what he said? Or was it all just his imagination?

"Hey, nerd!" A powerful slap landed on his shoulder.

He looked up, blinked, and it took him a while to recognize the girl in front of him as the girl next door: "It's you."

"What, can't I come here?" The girl wrinkled her nose. "But this place is damn expensive. The minimum charge is eighty, and you need to be a member to lead the way. How about it, buy me a drink?"

Feng Nian'en frowned slightly: "You order it yourself."

"Really?" The girl immediately turned to the bartender with a beaming smile. "Give me a Dreamy Leman Lake."

Feng Nian'en glanced at her in surprise, not expecting her to order a cocktail known for its elegance, mystery, and close association with love.

"What's wrong?" The girl turned her head. "Is this kind of wine very expensive?"

"No. Haven't you tried it before?"