Chapter 70

Chapter 70

The pristine bathroom walls reflected Louis' distorted yet handsome face.

Louis straightened up, his gaze fixed on the boy before him. He had shed his coat, revealing a pristine white shirt, every button meticulously fastened, not a single cuff out of place.

A few stray strands of hair softened the corners of his eyes, subtly diminishing the sharpness of Louis' features, yet doing nothing to lessen his aloof aura. If not for the glaring numbers above his head and the unmistakable sensation pressing against his trousers, who would have guessed this was His Grace—a man capable of even reining in his vampiric instincts?

Louis: "What did you say?"

Jiang Yao's body couldn't withstand even the slightest provocation. With Louis' breath warm against his ear, he struggled to articulate, "I... there's no lube, Your Grace..."

Every word from Jiang Yao was a deliberate challenge to Louis.

Louis reached up to smooth Jiang Yao's hair. "Are you yielding to your body... or your feelings?"

Jiang Yao gazed back at him, bewildered, his eyes glistening with moisture, yet harboring a hint of mockery and amusement, as if taunting Louis—*You, a vampire, actually crave human emotions?*

"I..." Jiang Yao chuckled, even reaching to touch himself, as if to quell the ticklish sensation scratching at his heart.

Louis bared his fangs, his crimson eyes glowing. "Then what are we now?"

Jiang Yao raised a brow. *A vampire, concerned with definitions with me?* he mused.

As he spoke, Louis' hand, which had been caressing Jiang Yao's temple, drifted to his lips—red, warm, and roughly kneaded by Louis' thumb.

Louis' left ear heard Jiang Yao's lies, his right ear the raw desire in his heart. He felt torn asunder, for the first time, knowing the truth yet still clinging to self-deception.

"Louis." Jiang Yao seized his hand. "I know lovers share intimate acts, so..."

The wall reflected Louis' expectant gaze.

Jiang Yao cradled Louis' palm, rubbing his cheek against it. "So... if we're intimate, why aren't we lovers?"

"Pathetic."

Louis' breathing grew ragged, the flush on his face rapidly receding, leaving him deathly pale. His hand, still caressing Jiang Yao's cheek, trembled uncontrollably.

As if—as if he were on the verge of snapping Jiang Yao's neck!

Louis: "It's fine. We can take it slow."

He comforted himself, pulling Jiang Yao into his embrace.

Jiang Yao's misty eyes looked up at him. "Not doing it?"

He naively believed carnal pleasure would bring him unparalleled ecstasy.

"Then... if not that, aren't you hungry?" Jiang Yao tilted his neck, his eyes brimming with desire.

Louis chuckled. "What's the difference between me and those who please you with their bodies? Doug, Yue Er... did you truly like them?"

Revulsion flashed in Jiang Yao's eyes. He shoved Louis' hand away—then instantly regretted it, collapsing to his knees with a thud. "Your Grace, I... let me explain..."

Louis' hand struck the wall. Though it didn't hurt, he frowned deeply.

Kneeling, Jiang Yao begged for mercy, but while he could control his expression and tears, he couldn't suppress the malice in his heart.

*Why should I apologize?* He gritted his teeth, seething with resentment.

Louis crouched, lifting Jiang Yao's chin with a slender finger. "You're not remorseful. You're not apologizing. You're afraid."

Tears streamed down Jiang Yao's face, yet his lips curled into a faint smile. "Then... do *you* regret it?" he asked with a slight smile. "Giving me this twisted, ugly heart—teaching me calculation, teaching me hypocrisy... filling my mind with base desires, depriving me of the loyalty you crave most?"

Louis recoiled as if scalded, withdrawing his hand in shock. "I saved you twice. The second time, I demanded your absolute loyalty."

Jiang Yao: "Loyalty isn't love. I'll protect you—but not out of love."

He stood, reaching for a fresh shirt and slipping it on, his demeanor shifting from raw desire to composed civility. "Your Grace, dinner is ready. Shall we dine?"

Louis opened his mouth but found no words.

-

---

"How did you get hurt?"

In the shadowy woods, Jiang Yao bit back his anger. "Why are you covered in wounds again?"

Yue Er sat on a tree stump, shrugging. "Fell while catching chickens."

Jiang Yao: "..."

Yue Er: "..."

"Fine." Yue Er surrendered with a wry smile, lifting his shirt to reveal a patchwork of ugly bruises. "The werewolves gathered. Since I'm a half-breed, we fought. Actually..."

Jiang Yao smacked the injured area. Yue Er immediately shut up.

Jiang Yao's face darkened, his gaze sharpening. "Do you have medicine?"

Yue Er was strangely compliant during treatment. Though his back looked horrific, "It's just surface wounds. Otherwise, would I be laughing?"

He clumsily tried to calm Jiang Yao down.

"Don't be mad, okay?" Yue Er offered his right wrist. "Here."

Jiang Yao paused. "What?"

Yue Er: "Your eyes are bloodshot. Didn't Louis feed you enough?"

Jiang Yao's lips parted slightly, fangs subtly showing, his eyes flashing red. His hand trembled as he looked away, waiting for his expression to soften before teasing, "You're injured. I might drain you completely in one bite."

Yue Er's back carried the faint scent of medicine mingled with Louis' distinct aroma. Jiang Yao adjusted his collar—only for his wrist to be seized abruptly.

His heart jumped as he stood. "I need to go back."

Yue Er: "Jiang!"

"Don't leave so soon!" Jiang Yao was pulled into a warm embrace.

He pushed Yue Er away, rubbing his wrist, then looked toward the castle. "I can't stay long."

Yue Er's gaze turned predatory as it swept over the castle. Turning back, he seemed to make a decision, pulling Jiang Yao closer and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his lips.

Jiang Yao lowered his head awkwardly. From this angle, Yue Er could see the two cowlicks on his crown and couldn't resist ruffling them. "I'll take you away."

"Okay." Jiang Yao studied Yue Er—his unblemished face and innocent eyes, like a delicate white flower.

Yue Er even kissed his closed eyes. Jiang Yao smiled smugly, thinking, *Louis must be seething right now.*

Jiang Yao was about to leave, but Yue Er gripped his wrist immovably, not budging an inch.

Unable to move, Jiang Yao could only turn back to look at Yue Er, wearing a pleading expression. "It's getting dark."

Yue Er stared at him tensely before slowly releasing his wrist. "See you later."

Jiang Yao echoed, "See you later."

As soon as Jiang Yao returned to the castle, the last rays of the setting sun faded, plunging the surroundings into darkness. The corridor's candles spontaneously lit.

Behind him came the sound of the door slamming shut, followed by a gust of wind rushing to the window. With a sharp "swish!" and the faint click of a latch, the curtains snapped closed, blocking out every last glimmer. Jiang Yao froze in place, his thoughts in turmoil, his head throbbing, and his heart restless—as if something primal was struggling to emerge!

From the darkness, Louis's voice cut through.

"Afraid?"

Jiang Yao sighed. "Your Grace, I'm not afraid of the dark."

"Then what are you afraid of?" Louis asked, then answered his own question. "Bodily harm or psychological torment? Afraid I'll control you? Or that I'll kill you?"

Jiang Yao halted. Louis's voice pierced his mind, laying bare the secret buried deep in his heart.

With difficulty, Jiang Yao spoke, his voice hoarse. "Since you already know..."

Louis closed the distance. Even in the dark, he knew exactly where Jiang Yao stood.

It was too dark.

Jiang Yao adjusted his vision before he could make out the figure slowly advancing toward him.

"What about this?" Louis asked, tilting Jiang Yao's chin upward with one hand and pressing their lips together.

Louis's kiss wasn't domineering or rough—just a tender claiming of Jiang Yao's mouth, gentle and soft.

Jiang Yao stiffened, unsure where to place his hands or feet, his awareness slipping as his body quickly succumbed to desire.

"Ah—!"

In mere seconds that felt like half a century, Louis pulled away, his hot breath fanning across Jiang Yao's face. Jiang Yao chased after him—Louis was his only anchor...

Fangs pierced his neck, and immense pleasure surged through him. Victory flashed in Jiang Yao's eyes as he licked his parched lips, seized Louis's forearm, and bit down hard.

Louis groaned, his rigid body instantly going slack, as if a drowning man had suddenly found air, gulping it down like a dying man.

They staggered together, knocking over a candle on the wall. The flame caught the curtains, and Ai Wei materialized, flapping his wings to extinguish the fire before staring, ash-dusted and glaring, at the two entangled on the floor.

"Louis..."

Louis braced Jiang Yao, waiting for his breathing to calm.

"Are you alright?"

Jiang Yao breathed, "Can I kiss you?"

"I want more..."

Without waiting for Louis's consent, Jiang Yao crushed their mouths together again. Louis's kisses were clumsy—inexperienced yet desperate—but his need had already eroded all resistance.

Jiang Yao's mind was foggy, still reeling from the previous kiss when Louis struck him with another, like a wildfire—all-consuming and relentless. Jiang Yao dissolved beneath Louis's mouth, the man wholly devoted to his pleasure.

Overwhelmed by the intense stimulation, Jiang Yao gripped Louis's head, blood streaking his mouth, transforming him into something feral.

He didn't know how long the kiss lasted, only that in the darkness, Louis's breathing grew heavier, his embrace constricting like a vise around Jiang Yao's waist.

When Louis finally pulled away from his lips, his mouth blazed a path downward—from lips to jaw to collarbone...

"Louis..." Jiang Yao's voice broke as he struggled to regain his senses amidst the onslaught of searing kisses.

"Louis..." he gasped, arching as Louis worried the skin at his collarbone. "I'm at my limit."

Louis heard him, arching slightly to put some distance between them. He wasn't faring any better—his hunger was far more primal than Jiang Yao's.

Louis asked, "What does this do to you?"

Jiang Yao tilted his head back, Louis's lips and teeth grazing his neck. "I..."

"Can you tell me apart?" Louis pressed.

"Distinguish... what?" Jiang Yao mumbled, his mind foggy. His eyes were damp—thankfully, in the pitch black, Louis couldn't see his ruined composure.

"Desire and love," Louis demanded, pressing closer with deliberate malice. "Would you mistake me?"

Jiang Yao opened his mouth but couldn't speak, the insistent pressure against him igniting a spark of trepidation.

"It wants you—badly. Do you know that?" Louis husked into Jiang Yao's ear, his voice rough.