The kitchen fell into a subtle and unspoken silence, with only the slightly heavy breathing of the vampire butler and the werewolf, as well as the accelerating heartbeat, filling the air.
They had rarely reached a consensus—how could someone like Yu Deng exist? Just a word or a movement from him could stir all their emotions.
Although they had only known him for a short time, Yu Deng could easily ignite the desires deep within them, making them lose all calm and reason.
Every time they got closer to Yu Deng, every cell in their bodies screamed, wanting to get closer, wanting to possess him, to gain the pity of the beautiful little vampire.
"..."
Yu Deng waited for a while, noticing that the two of them had not moved at all, and urged, "What are you two just standing there for?"
Saying this, he shook the butler's hand. "Wen Luo?"
Wen Luo still stood straight, but a slight, pleased smile appeared in his eyes. He turned his hand over to hold Yu Deng's palm, gently squeezing it.
"Alright."
Wen Luo sat down beside Yu Deng.
Anders sat on the other side, looking longingly at Yu Deng and the butler chatting, ignoring him.
Reluctant to be ignored, he moved his chair closer to the main seat.
He shifted to a position less than 30 centimeters away from Yu Deng, and his wolf tail reached out toward him, brushing against Yu Deng's calf a few times.
Yu Deng's attention was immediately drawn to the ticklish sensation, and, just as the werewolf desired, he lifted his leg and kicked.
"Y-You, don't make such moves!"
The wolf's tail not only didn't stop, but it also wagged happily.
The werewolf's gaze was intense. "But you were the one who moved first, baby."
Wen Luo paused slightly, casting a glance at the werewolf, and subtly moved closer to Yu Deng without saying a word.
When Yu Deng swallowed a small piece of steak and looked up, he realized that these two men were sitting much closer to him.
Yu Deng: "?" This wasn't the distance just a moment ago, was it?
On the surface, Wen Luo showed no sign of anything unusual and asked with concern, "Young Master, is the food not to your liking tonight? It seems you don't enjoy it very much."
"Oh, it's not that. I just don't have much of an appetite." Yu Deng's plate was still almost full.
Though he claimed not to have an appetite, Yu Deng's spirits seemed fine, and his lips were still a healthy shade of red.
Wen Luo fed him a few sweet and sour fruits, coaxing, "Would you like to drink a little of my blood?"
Yu Deng hesitated. Just then, Anders suddenly looked up, realizing what the vampire butler meant.
The young vampire was directly biting and drinking blood!
Anders vaguely remembered that in the vampire world, drinking each other's blood seemed to have a special meaning?
Unable to sit still, Anders immediately volunteered, "I can do it too!"
"I'm very healthy." Anders raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone carrying a hint of temptation. "Let me do anything for you."
Wen Luo coldly replied, "There's no need to trouble yourself, Sir."
Yu Deng tilted his head, his gaze shifting between the two men.
The little bat that Yu Deng often used as a companion had been hanging upside down from the ceiling for a while, but it couldn't stand it anymore. With a flare of anger, it flew down and positioned itself in front of Yu Deng.
The little bat glared at the two men with fury, and, with an expression full of frustration, rubbed up against Yu Deng.
The little vampire had no sense of caution at all! These men seemed eager to devour him completely!
Yu Deng blinked and turned down the butler and werewolf's offer to let him drink their blood. "Forget it, I don't really feel that hungry right now."
By "hungry," he naturally meant his thirst for blood had not yet reached the point of actual hunger.
The two men who had been pitching their offers paused, then started competing to feed the young master more fruit.
Half an hour later, Yu Deng finished his meal and left the small kitchen.
As soon as he stepped into the corridor, he saw Qin Jun standing nearby, arms crossed, looking like he had been there for a while.
The werewolf was dressed in a dark coat with intricate dark patterns on the fabric at the shoulders. When he saw Yu Deng, who was wearing shorts, he paused for a few seconds, just like everyone else.
...Wearing so little and still staying with those two men.
Qin Jun strode forward. The black-haired butler glanced coldly at him and stood by Yu Deng's side.
The tall man ignored the others and stood in front of Yu Deng. His handsome, sharp face showed no obvious expression, and his black eyes were dark and oppressive.
Yu Deng instinctively took a step back and looked up at him, frowning. "What are you doing?"
Was this guy going to say something unpleasant again?
But Qin Jun didn't do that. He silently studied Yu Deng for a few seconds, then raised his hand, pressing his thumb against Yu Deng's cheek to wipe away a drop of jam he had accidentally touched.
"You missed a spot."
Yu Deng was a bit surprised. "…Thanks?"
The man nodded silently, his gaze lingering on Yu Deng's exposed fair skin for a moment before complimenting him. "You're very beautiful."
After saying that, Qin Jun didn't make any other inappropriate moves.
Although his jealousy and anger had nearly eroded his reason, almost turning him into a frightening figure, he still tried, clumsily, to learn how to win Yu Deng's favor.
Yu Deng was a bit surprised by Qin Jun's good attitude. But it was undeniable that being complimented made his mood a little brighter.
...
The ball was still going on, but Yu Deng didn't want to go back to the banquet hall and deal with those non-humans and players.
After dinner, Yu Deng stood on the terrace with a great view, observing for a moment. Upon confirming that everything in the banquet hall was in order, he returned to his room and took a comfortable warm bath.
Reluctantly, Yu Deng began to ponder the mission for this instance.
He could roughly understand the main task: completing various dangerous games and hiding his true identity. But today, he had triggered a side mission... about the past and mysteries of the castle? What exactly was the past, and when did it happen?
At first, when he heard about the vampire and the castle, Yu Deng's first instinct was that the instance was set in medieval Europe. But after staying here for two days, he realized that wasn't the case.
The people and objects in the castle were far more advanced than the medieval era but hadn't reached modern technological levels.
However, the instance might be set in a completely separate timeline from the real world. After all, they were already in an infinite-flow world, using magic, so what else could be impossible?
As for what happened... Yu Deng thought about what he had learned from the butler and the werewolf over the past couple of days. It seemed related to the church?
Yu Deng stared blankly ahead, thinking that tomorrow, he might have to start distinguishing which people were players and then look into the complicated relationships between the vampires, werewolves, and witches.
This was going to be difficult, so he decided to leave it at that. No more thinking for today—if he kept going, his brain might overheat!
He sighed deeply and flopped onto the bed.
However, strangely enough, after his brainstorming session, he didn't feel sleepy at all. In fact, he felt a little... excited?
Yu Deng lay there for over an hour with no sign of sleepiness. After tossing and turning for a while, he suddenly sat up with a jolt.
[Baby, why are you still awake so late, tossing and turning in bed like a cat?]
[Wait a minute! Turn up the brightness! Baby's face looks a lot redder than usual, and his eyes are so bright.]
[I have a bold guess!]
[Could it be that the vampires in this instance have some special period...?!]
Yu Deng puzzled over his lack of sleep, when suddenly, he heard the electronic voice of System 01.
[Host, your energy progress has reached 50%, and you can now use it.]
"Huh? Does that mean I can try doing the mission now?"
Normally, Yu Deng wouldn't be so eager, but for some reason, he felt a strange urge to meet some of the other people, especially the few men he thought might be... intriguing.
[Of course, if you want to try, I will accompany you.] System 01's voice remained as steady as ever. [I'll be with you.]
Yu Deng quickly got up, opened his personal inventory, and spent a while selecting a restraint-type item from the tools he had bought before entering the instance.
He also checked his active skills and saw that he could release the black mist effect without binding the target, which would cut the cooldown time in half.
His small wings spread open behind him and flapped rapidly, lifting Yu Deng out of the room.
He was on his way to find some tasty little "desserts."
Yu Deng didn't notice that his small fangs had already appeared, and his thoughts were edging closer to that of a true vampire.
Back in the room, the little bat blinked its eyes wide: "??" Wait, where is Young Master going at this hour?!
...
The night was deep and still.
In one of the guest rooms of the main building, a man stood by the window, staring at the blood-red moon outside, wide awake.
Suddenly, the wooden door creaked open.
The person entering the room seemed to have used some method to temporarily freeze him in place. At the same time, a patch of black mist enveloped him, thick and suffocating.
With the flutter of wings, a slender figure quickly appeared behind him.
It was Yu Deng.
Yu Deng recalled his past experience threatening people in the previous instance. His cool hands wrapped around the man's waist, and he lowered his voice deliberately, his tone soft but chilling: "Ah, it's time to taste the dessert."
Such a dramatic entrance—Qin Jun would definitely be scared!
Yes, the mission target Yu Deng chose was Qin Jun.
Anders seemed too strong, and Yu Deng was concerned he might not be able to handle him if something went wrong. As for the butler, Yu Deng still remembered how the man had promised to complete the task but hadn't followed through.
After some thought, Yu Deng chose Qin Jun. Of course, since he wasn't sure if Qin Jun was an NPC or a player, he decided to use the black mist to obscure himself, just like in the last instance.
Unfortunately, Qin Jun had already sensed who was coming by the rich, sweet fragrance carried by the air.
Why would the little vampire come looking for him?
Qin Jun barely stopped his attack, retracting his weapon. But his muscles remained tense—this was the first time the little vampire had taken the initiative to hug him, and he hadn't let go yet.
The usually rational and indifferent Qin Jun couldn't suppress the surge of joy that welled up in his heart.
Yu Deng hadn't realized that he had exposed himself. He lowered his voice, and with some effort, reached up to touch the back of Qin Jun's neck.
"Little dessert, if you don't want to lose your life, you'd better behave," Yu Deng threatened forcefully. "You have to submit to me and sign a contract, understand?"
Qin Jun felt as though a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him, and the joy that had just surged up evaporated.
If Yu Deng just wanted his cooperation, did that mean all the warmth and closeness he had experienced were only because he still had value?
Qin Jun realized, even though he understood Yu Deng's ulterior motives, he didn't feel angry. Instead, all he felt was disappointment, even a slight relief that he still had value.
Two extreme emotions clashed within him, nearly splitting him apart.
The man standing by the window didn't move, seemingly startled by Yu Deng.
Yu Deng, a bit smug, dragged out his tone: "Scared? Hmph, then you'll have to cooperate with me, little dessert."
Qin Jun turned around: "Are you talking about yourself?"
Yu Deng was startled: "!" Wait, was the binding effect already gone?
"You're the one who came to reward me, my little sweet treat, aren't you?" Qin Jun turned around, pulled Yu Deng into his arms, and added softly, "Little Young Master."
Yu Deng froze.
What was going on? How had he been recognized again? He had lowered his voice so much!
Qin Jun, unable to see Yu Deng's expression through the black mist, closed his eyes and, while holding the little vampire, reached out to gently rub the base of his soft wings.
Yu Deng: "!" Wait, why was he touching his wings?
Newly turned vampires' wings shouldn't be touched—just touching the tips would make them tremble, let alone the base.
Yu Deng's small wings quickly began to heat up, trembling in waves, curling up. The black mist he had been controlling slowly dissipated.
"No! Don't touch my wings!"
A strange, restless heat spread from the base of his wings, quickly spreading to his limbs and body.
It felt unbearable... The corners of Yu Deng's eyes reddened with unshed tears.
"...Why are you about to cry again, baby?" Qin Jun sighed, stopping his gentle touches on the wings and instead gently patting Yu Deng's back.
System 01 emitted two beeps.
[I understand, host. Your physical condition is different from others. After using your powers, there are some side effects.]
The host's constitution is different from other vampires.
He is a perfectionist, delicate, and sensitive.
As soon as he uses vampire powers, it affects his body. If the wings of a vampire are stimulated during this time, special circumstances will arise.
Just like now.
[Host, my suggestion is to return to your bedroom as soon as possible.]
Side effects?
Yu Deng, struggling with the strange heat in his body, sluggishly tried to think. It seemed that after he practiced flying in the afternoon, he had indeed felt a bit hot.
But right now, he felt far worse than this afternoon. He didn't want to move at all... Yu Deng pushed the task to the back of his mind and just wanted to deal with the inexplicable feverish feeling.
He instinctively sought help. He grabbed Qin Jun's collar and, with a voice on the verge of tears, ordered, "Help me…"
Qin Jun's heart skipped a beat, and he stared intently at Yu Deng's face, which was flushed with a hint of red.
—The little vampire has chosen to ask him for help. Just thinking about it made Qin Jun unable to suppress his excitement.
Yu Deng, now impatient, mumbled and was about to leave when he didn't get a response. "Why are you like a wooden block? I'll go find Wen Luo…"
"Don't look for anyone else." Qin Jun pressed down on Yu Deng, sitting him on the edge of the bed. "Baby, how do you want me to help you?"
Yu Deng was taken aback, looking at him with his round, beautiful eyes, confused. "I don't know…"
Qin Jun lowered his head, shifting positions to let Yu Deng sit on his lap.
His rough hand covered the soft flesh of Yu Deng's leg, lifting it slightly and spreading it apart.
Yu Deng, enjoying the coolness, was wearing light, thin silk shorts, as it wasn't a formal gathering.
In this position, his bent leg made the pale fabric almost translucent, revealing the curve of his white, soft skin.
"Why are you dressed like this…" Letting those men with ulterior motives see you like this?
The man gritted his teeth. His warm, dry fingertips skimmed the edge of the fabric and gently tugged.
The room was dim, but it didn't affect the werewolf's excellent night vision.
Pink.
"Baby, is this alright?"
Their skin tones were entirely different, with Yu Deng being much fairer, especially in contrast to Qin Jun's hand.
The warmth of Qin Jun's palm enveloped Yu Deng's leg in a rhythmic motion, causing a faint breeze.
Yu Deng's senses were forced to focus in one area. Tilting his long neck back, he couldn't speak a complete sentence: "Bad… Your hand is so rough… so heavy!"
"Hmm, it's my fault. The calluses are hurting you."
Yu Deng's delicate fingers tightly grabbed at Qin Jun's shirt, wrinkling it.
His breath quickened. Tears had already dampened his lashes, and soft whimpers escaped his throat.
His beautiful face was flushed, and after a while, his long legs stiffened. Yu Deng suddenly groaned, instinctively opening his mouth to bite Qin Jun's neck.
The man seemed to feel no pain at all. He held the weakened little vampire in his arms, his voice hoarse as he emphasized his value.
"You see, I can make you feel good."