"Yuexia, you're here."
Ye Feng waved at Yuexia.
"Doctor Ye Feng, good evening."
The white-haired girl first politely thanked Ye Feng, then walked up to him, tilted her head back, and stared at him intently with her blood-red eyes.
"Mmm, this scent... are you really human?"
"Are you referring to this body? It is indeed human. Your sense of smell is quite sharp, Miss Yuexia."
"Doctor Ye Feng, why did you save me? Save a vampire like me."
"Because you're beautiful, of course, Yuexia."
"Hm?"
"Do I need any other reason?"
"...I don't understand. Humans... are not such naive creatures. But there is no scent of lies on you."
Ye Feng smiled. "Humans are exactly that naive, especially men."
"Is that so?"
"It is. Miss Yuexia probably hasn't interacted much with people like me. It's alright, I'll teach you, little by little, from now on."
Ye Feng pointed to Yuexia's lower abdomen. "For example, this [Contract]. Although it can suppress your bloodlust, you still need to replenish its energy in a timely manner."
"Replenish energy?"
Yuexia lowered her head, her slender hand gently covering her abdomen. "What energy?"
Ye Feng gave a mysterious smile.
Yuexia simply tilted her head.
"Let's set that question aside for now. Miss Yuexia, Seele told me you plan to leave Canghai City?"
"Mm."
A tragic look appeared in Yuexia's eyes. "I still have things I must do... No, it's that child's wish, the wish of the child called 'Theresa'."
"Your name is Theresa. Why do you separate the two?"
"Because I am a vampire."
"What's wrong with being a vampire?"
"Eh?"
Ye Feng's completely serious expression left Yuexia a bit stunned.
Vampires were synonymous with the terrors of the night, creatures that suddenly brought disaster.
The world had no place for her.
Even her closest sister...
"I'm quite fond of vampires. Arcueid from Tsukihime, Remilia from Gensokyo, the legendary Evangeline, and you."
Ye Feng looked at Yuexia gently.
Yuexia stared back at him, dazed.
After a long moment.
"What does 'fond' mean?" Yuexia asked.
"Simply put, it means to love, but it's a feeling that isn't limited to just love."
"You love that many people? That Arc-something and Re-something."
"I do. My love is very broad, you see."
Yuexia tilted her head. "A scumbag?"
"Miss Yuexia even knows a word like that?"
"My sister told me that if a man has overflowing feelings for many women, he's a scumbag."
"Is that so? Thank you for the compliment."
Seeing Ye Feng's seemingly cheerful attitude, Yuexia was a little confused. "Is 'scumbag' a compliment? When my sister told me about it, I thought it was a bad word."
"It is, for me."
"?"
"Hehe, that's not important. Come with me."
Ye Feng led Yuexia to the rooftop.
Yuexia stood at the highest point of the rooftop, gazing down at the city's nightscape, her expression full of life.
"...Where is this?"
"That's right, it's Canghai City."
"Canghai City...?"
"I extracted your memories and Seele's to simulate the general outline of Canghai City. There will be some discrepancies in the details, but overall, it's more or less the same."
"You can do something like this?"
Yuexia couldn't help but marvel.
He was clearly overflowing with the scent of a human, yet he could perform deeds worthy of a god.
"That place with the giant HOMU on the sign, what is it?"
"That's the HOMU Happy Restaurant."
"And there, the place with all the lights?"
"That's the HOMU HOMU Amusement Park. If you ride the Ferris wheel, you can see the cruise ships on the sea."
"Over there, over there! That sparkling building?"
"That's the arcade. There are lots of games in there~"
"Arcade games... what are those?"
Just a moment ago, she looked like the "tragic heroine" of a morning drama. Now, Yuexia seemed like a completely different person, displaying the innocent girlishness that matched her petite frame.
The look in her sparkling eyes was now utterly guileless.
"Would you like to go experience it?" Ye Feng asked.
"This is enough. This is my... no, her wish. She just wanted to know what the world is like now.
Not from books, but the city, the lights, the people...
Although I'd also like to taste ice cream for myself, to touch a HOMU doll's face with my own hands...
But this is fine. I'm already very satisfied."
The myriad lights of the city were reflected in Yuexia's eyes, yet they shone with a lonely sorrow.
A vampire with a single, simple wish—a wish she wouldn't even call a wish—and a girl who clumsily denied that this was her own desire.
"Why not?"
"I can't."
Yuexia clenched her fists. "Vampires are things that should not appear before the lights. And... even if I can suppress it now, the more humans there are, the harder it is to control myself. She... is just that sad of a creature."
"Miss Yuexia, you shouldn't underestimate my [Contract]. Since I said it's suppressed, it won't erupt again in any form."
Ye Feng extended his hand.
"Come, take my hand. I'll take you to the bustling night market."
Looking at the outstretched hand, Yuexia trembled as she reached forward.
Halfway there, something unsettling flashed in Yuexia's eyes. She paused in mid-air, wanting to retreat.
But it was too late. Ye Feng stepped forward and grabbed her hand.
"Come with me. Right here, right now."
Yuexia lifted her face and took a step, as clumsy and awkward as a first dance.
---o---
When the sun rises, Yuexia will fall asleep.
"Ehh~~ A naive, sheltered girl like that is so easy to fool."
On a red sofa, Mobius was lying back with her head in Ye Feng's lap, her two fair, jade-like feet dangling in the air and swinging gently.
"How rude of you, Snake. Ours is a story of pure love."
"You mean a story that's purely about making love?"
"If you don't even want to be intimate, what right do you have to say you like someone?"
Mobius raised a hand and pressed it gently against Ye Feng's chest. "Hehe, my little guinea pig is as sharp-tongued as ever."
"Compared to me, you seem quite happy, Snake."
"Yes, yes, I've found an interesting new toy."
"Who?"
"Danzhu."
"Danzhu?"
Poor little Danzhu, being targeted by Mobius. Ye Feng offered her a moment of silence for 0.1 seconds.
"I locked her and Qingque in a room."
"Mm-hmm, and then?"
"Look."
Mobius took out a small, pink device and grinned.
"They seem to be quite talkative. I installed this on both of them. Every time they speak, it vibrates once. They'll have to chat for an entire day before they can get out of that room."
"Aren't you going to turn up the sensitivity?" Ye Feng offered sincerely.
"It's already on," the snake replied, rolling over and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before putting it in her mouth.