42. Dream Demon and Slumber

Qiu Rong hurriedly answered the call, afraid that the person on the other end of the line would change their mind in a split second.

With the phone pressed against his ear, both parties fell into silence. After a few seconds, Qiu Rong softly and grievously spoke, “Wife?”

Two words instantly softened the heart of the aloof prince.

Yan Ling responded briefly, feeling a bit awkward, and Qiu Rong’s mouth curled up.

A week of separation felt like a century, and a single response made all the distance disappear.

Qiu Rong wagged his tail like a little dog. “Wife!”

The prince cleared his throat, adopting a flat and feigned indifferent tone. “The werewolve’s application to join the special task force has been approved.”

Puppy Qiu, who had resumed talking with his wife, remained calm for a moment before his brain switched from romantic thoughts to the mode of the tribe’s leader.

He furrowed his brows. “Did something happen?”

Otherwise, the long-delayed application wouldn’t suddenly be approved.

Yan Ling was satisfied with his quick reaction and concisely said, “One of the Dream Demons has gone missing.”

Dream Demons were a group similar to succubi but different. Zhong Lishu mentioned that Uriel had started targeting supernatural beings, and it seemed that the Dream Demons, who had been keeping a low profile during this time, had been caught up in it.

“Missing? Are there any traces at the scene?” Qiu Rong no longer rushed to his wife’s house and instead moved back inside from the doorway, sitting on the rocking chair on the balcony.

“The Dream Demon’s friends went to look for her and found that she was missing. The exact number of days since her disappearance cannot be determined. You and Director Zhong, who captured the succubus together, went to the scene and said they smelled the scent of Cerberus,” Yan Ling said calmly. “I will go to the scene tomorrow to take another look.”

The leader mode, which had been online for only three seconds, experienced a lag. Qiu Rong awkwardly said, “You know it was me and Director Zhong…”

The air became silent again, and Yan Ling nonchalantly hummed, not quite audibly. “After the meeting at the Special Management Bureau tomorrow afternoon, we’ll talk.”

Qiu Rong felt uncertain inside. “Talk at home?”

“What’s the matter? You’ve been living outside for a few days, and now you don’t even want to come home?” The prince’s voice carried a hint of coldness.

Qiu Rong blinked. “Wife, you knew I wasn’t at home?”

Yan Ling: “…”

Yan Ling: “I didn’t know. I was guessing. You really weren’t at home.”

Qiu Rong didn’t believe that Yan Ling was just guessing. He happily said, having caught evidence that his wife secretly paid attention to him, “I found a lion cat. I was afraid you wouldn’t allow me to keep it, so I took it back to my old home for now.”

“What I meant was, wife, can we end the separation and go back home together?” Qiu Rong asked hopefully.

Yan Ling gave an ambiguous answer, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

He added, “No cats are allowed at home.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Qiu Rong: “…It’s a very cute lion cat. How about you take a look first?”

There was a moment of silence on the other side, and Yan Ling firmly refused once again, “No, it’s not allowed.”

“The rest can wait until tomorrow. I have something else to do, so I’m hanging up,” Yan Ling said hurriedly.

Qiu Rong quickly said, “I’ll go with you to the scene tomorrow morning.”

“No need,” Yan Ling didn’t give Qiu Rong a chance to speak and ended the call.

Putting down the phone, Qiu Rong lay back on the recliner.

He actually rejected getting a cat so decisively.

…So Vincent must have told him he could have one without even asking.

He didn’t expect Vincent, with his thick eyebrows and serious demeanor, to lie to him.

Was it to make Yan Ling unhappy because of the cat and continue their separation?

…

…Qiu Rong couldn’t figure out why Vincent would lie to him. After thinking it over, the only possibility was that Vincent thought he wasn’t worthy of Yan Ling.

Previously, as a disguised poor boy, Vincent’s assistant was always by the president’s side, as if guarding against him.

Now he was the leader of the Wolf Clan, and his wife had become the Vampire Clan prince of the ancestral lineage.

According to Yan Ling, Vincent was the one who raised him, so it was safe to assume that Vincent was also a vampire. Someone who watched the Vampire Clan prince grow up couldn’t be a good person.

…Qiu Rong was worried about the future of his love.

“Oh!”

Suddenly, his stomach felt heavy, and a large white cat sat on Qiu Rong’s belly.

Qiu Rong looked at the plum blossom pattern stretching from the balcony window to the edge of the recliner. “My clothes aren’t a towel for you to scratch.”

The cat stood up and vigorously scratched against Qiu Rong’s abdomen.

Qiu Rong: “…”

“And you’re bullying me too,” Qiu Rong sighed, “What should I do? My wife doesn’t want you.”

The cat didn’t understand and continued to clean its paws.

Qiu Rong picked up the silly white cat and kissed its head. “Let me try again. I’ll try to make my wife accept you.”

After cleaning its paws, the cat punched Qiu Rong and ran away.

“Why are you hitting me again!” Qiu Rong exclaimed, suddenly noticing that something was missing from the cat’s body. “Wait, where is the collar I brought for you this morning?”

The cat ran even faster.

Early the next morning, the lion cat slipped out of the window with its new collar.

Qiu Rong poured cat food while lamenting that cats couldn’t be restrained.

He had sent several pictures of the cat to Yan Ling yesterday, hoping to soften his wife’s attitude. If she still didn’t agree to him keeping the cat, perhaps he would have to find a new owner for it.

This wild little kitty, maybe he could send it to the Cat Villa?

Believe it or not, within a week, the cat with excellent punching skills would dominate the Cat Villa.

Now, back to the Dream Demons.

Qiu Rong had suspected the Dream Demons when he first investigated the cases in City A, but later he thought that the possibility of the Dream Demons committing crimes was very low.

Because the small number of little Dream Demons were mostly severe social phobics.

They possessed the ability to weave dreams. Besides using this ability to extract emotional energy from humans, they also weaved dreams for themselves to reduce energy consumption. Many Dream Demons wouldn’t leave their homes for three years, and when they did go out, they would gather enough energy for three years and then return home to immerse themselves in a dream and fall into a deep sleep.

It was said that some Dream Demons slept so deeply that they starved to death in their sweet dreams.

They seemed to be an unreliable and easily bullied race.

Among the Seven Deadly Sins, there was Sloth, the energy required by Uriel, so it wouldn’t be strange if the reclusive Dream Demons were targeted.

The residences of the Dream Demons were mostly far from the city, remote and hidden. Qiu Rong’s request to go to the scene and take a look was categorically rejected by Yan Ling. He could only wait until the afternoon meeting to see if there were any other clues.

However, when the afternoon came, as Qiu Rong was preparing to leave, he received a text message notification from the Surveillance Control Center, stating that the afternoon meeting had been canceled.

Qiu Rong’s heart started racing inexplicably. He immediately dialed Yan Ling’s number, but no one answered.

Without hesitation, Qiu Rong called the number Vincent had answered last time.

After a while, just as the call was about to disconnect automatically, it was finally answered.

Without waiting for Vincent to speak, Qiu Rong asked directly, “What happened to Yan Ling?”

Vincent didn’t reply for a while, and Qiu Rong’s voice turned serious, “If it’s not a problem with the head of the task force, they wouldn’t cancel the meeting just like that.”

He asked again, “What happened to Yan Ling?”

Vincent’s free hand leaned against the edge of the coffin, and he lowered his head to look at the prince inside, who was peacefully sleeping.

Yan Ling’s originally rosy cheeks were rapidly losing color, and his rising and falling chest gradually became still. A layer of frost climbed upon his delicate face.

“Master Qiu, please calm down first,” Vincent said calmly. “There’s nothing wrong with His Highness. He’s just sleeping.”

No. 309, Qiubai Stone Street, Lanshan Imperial Garden, an underground self-modified three-bedroom apartment.

“You’re telling me he’s just sleeping,” Qiu Rong said.

The room where Qiu Rong was in was dimly lit and windowless, with only a scented wax lamp in the shape of a lily of the valley. The faint lavender scent helped with sleep.

Gentle warm light, soft woolen carpets, a simple fabric sofa… Every decoration in the room exuded a sense of relaxation and comfort, and even the temperature was regulated by central air conditioning to the most suitable 25 degrees Celsius.

The only problem was that in this room that looked like a bedroom, where a large bed should have been placed, there was a oak cross-shaped coffin instead.

The black coffin was lined with dark red gauze, and the person lying inside was cold and pale. With closed eyelashes and folded hands, Yan Ling looked like a BJD doll sleeping in a box, exquisitely crafted and perfect, unlike a living being.

“Why isn’t he breathing?” Faced with the lifeless figure of Yan Ling, Qiu Rong’s hand paused in mid-air, hesitant to approach.

A chilling breath spread to his fingertips, and Qiu Rong’s palm involuntarily touched a cold sensation. He murmured, “…and there’s no warmth either.”

Vincent stood behind Qiu Rong and said calmly, “Because His Highness is a vampire.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Qiu Rong turned to look at him. “But he used to…”

Vincent interrupted, “That was a kind of disguise to integrate into human society.”

“Master Qiu, as I said, His Highness is merely asleep,” Vincent walked to Qiu Rong’s side. “There’s no need to panic.”

“Normal sleep can be interrupted by someone,” Qiu Rong’s warm palm gently touched Yan Ling’s face, warming a small patch of skin. He whispered, “And they don’t sleep in coffins.”

“Don’t deceive me anymore. What really happened?” Qiu Rong demanded.

Vincent remained silent for a moment. He adjusted his glasses and said, “Let’s talk outside.”

Qiu Rong had already been skeptical of Vincent’s words, and he couldn’t believe that Yan Ling was simply asleep. So he drove directly to Lan Mountain Royal Garden.

Eager to see Yan Ling, he didn’t pay much attention when he entered the room. Qiu Rong and Vincent stood at the entrance of Yan Ling’s collection room, and he belatedly noticed that the style of the villa upstairs and downstairs was quite different.

Vincent blocked Qiu Rong’s gaze towards the collection room. “Master Qiu, first of all, I have never deceived you. Secondly, sleeping in a coffin is a habit of vampires. It provides a sense of security. You really don’t need to worry excessively. His Highness will wake up naturally after some time.”

“How long is ‘some time’?” Qiu Rong was getting PTSD from the phrase “some time.” He frowned and asked, “Why did he faint in the first place?”

Vincent glanced at the room where Yan Ling was sleeping and turned around, leading Qiu Rong upstairs.

“Recently, the center has repeatedly warned everyone to be cautious of Uriel. The Dream Demon has been sleeping for a long time, and her friend was worried that she didn’t see the announcement, so she went to the Dream Demon’s house.” Vincent placed a chair in the kitchen and closed the kitchen door.

Qiu Rong: “…”

He reluctantly sat on the chair and watched as Vincent rolled up his sleeves, took out an old-fashioned coffee pot, and started brewing coffee.

“Afterward, she found that the dream demon was gone, and there was a hovering light orb in the Dream Demon’s house.” Vincent spoke as the scent of coffee grounds filled the air. In the background, the water boiled with a “gurgling” sound. “The center received a report and sent an incubus. The succubus   discovered the scent of Cerberus in the dream demon’s house and also attempted to touch the glowing entity. The energy inside was extremely chaotic, but the incubus deduced that it was something left behind by the dream demon.” The aroma of coffee spread. “In today’s visit to the dream demon’s house, His Highness accepted that luminous entity. The energy inside was even more massive than imagined, which caused His Highness to fall into a brief unconscious state.”

“No wonder they didn’t let me go along,” Qiu Rong furrowed his brow. “If he doesn’t even know what the dream demon left behind, how can he directly absorb that energy?”

“Young Master Qiu, please speak softly.” The brewed coffee flowed into the coffee pot due to the siphoning effect. Vincent poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Qiu Rong. “I knew you would say that, which is why His Highness didn’t want me to tell you. It goes against his orders, so I ask you to keep it a secret.”

“After absorbing that energy, His Highness will awaken,” Vincent also took a cup of coffee, leaned against the marble counter, and spoke in a barely audible voice. “Young Master Qiu, I hope you always remember that His Highness is immortal. Instead of worrying about him, you just need to take care of yourself and live as long as possible without causing trouble for him.”

Qiu Rong wanted to say something, but Vincent interrupted him, pointing to the floor and then to his own ear.

The two silently finished this bitter cup of coffee. Vincent cleaned the coffee pot while Qiu Rong moved the chairs back to the dining room. After watching Vincent’s back for a moment, Qiu Rong asked, “Why don’t you use the coffee machine?”

Vincent arranged the draining coffee pot and wiped his hands. “Don’t the guests who come here like to see these old items that correspond to the identity of the vampire?”

The peach blossom eyes behind the lenses gazed at Qiu Rong. “After all, many vampires have lived from centuries ago until now.”

Yan Ling’s awakening was uncertain, and Qiu Rong couldn’t rest assured. He wanted to stay overnight at the villa.

Vincent had no objections.

There was also a cat in the house, which Qiu Rong couldn’t handle. He called Ruansijia and asked him to take care of the cat at the villa tonight. As a result, Ruansijia had something come up in the evening, so he entrusted the cat to Huo Ye.

When Vincent heard that Qiu Rong was arranging someone to take care of the cat, he glanced at him several times. Qiu Rong simply thought that Vincent felt guilty for deceiving him about having a cat.

Vincent cooked dinner, and it tasted good, but he only prepared a portion for Qiu Rong and didn’t eat anything himself.

“Aren’t you eating? You don’t have to worry about me.” Qiu Rong said to Vincent, who was sitting in the living room reading a book.

“Vampires don’t need to consume blood every day,” Vincent didn’t look up. “I’m not interested in human food either.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Turning over a page of the obscure Latin book, Vincent interrupted Qiu Rong’s absent-mindedness. “His Highness said that the food you cook is delicious, and he likes it. Please don’t think too much about it.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

Being seen through didn’t feel good at all. After finishing the meal, Qiu Rong returned downstairs and found that the messy collection room had been tidied up. Among the various items, he found a small stool placed in the corner, which seemed to be used for assembling some half-height models.

The small stool resembled the ones in kindergarten, making it hard to imagine Yan Ling sitting on such a small chair and assembling models.

Qiu Rong carried this cute little stool and sat beside Yan Ling’s coffin.

“Wife, you scared me.”

The coffin was large, with a mattress and pillow inside, so lying in it wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Yan Ling appeared as if he were truly asleep. However, perhaps due to the dark red interior of the coffin, his complexion looked even paler.

No breath, no heartbeat, no body temperature, and no response.

Qiu Rong couldn’t sense any signs of life from Yan Ling, even though he knew it was a characteristic of innate vampires. Despite this, he couldn’t help but feel afraid.

Vincent was confident that Yan Ling would be fine, but what if Yan Ling never woke up?

There are very few records about the atavistic bloodline of vampires in the outside world. Does that mean they truly cannot be injured or die?

Qiu Rong held one of Yan Ling’s hands and pressed it against his own cheek, whispering softly, “Wife, please wake up soon. I miss you.”

“His Highness will wake up soon.”

The sudden voice from behind startled Qiu Rong, nearly causing him to fling Yan Ling’s hand away. He turned around silently, and Vincent stood next to a lily wax candle, holding a European-style hurricane lamp.

Qiu Rong looked at the lamp in his hand. “What is this? Another antique?”

“Yes,” Vincent replied. “I have prepared a guest room upstairs for you. You can rest there.”

“No need. I’ll stay here with him,” Qiu Rong refused.

Vincent extinguished the wax candle and placed the hurricane lamp with a burning flame on the table. “Then please refrain from touching His Highness casually. It looks creepy. And please don’t get any random ideas at midnight to lie down in the coffin; it might disturb His Highness.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

The lighting shifted from lamps to candles, making the room even darker.

The flame flickered, casting moving shadows on the wall.

Vincent showed no intention of leaving. He sat on a small sofa nearby and spoke, “Young Master Qiu, do you want to know about the atavistic bloodline of vampires?”

Qiu Rong subconsciously glanced at Yan Ling.

Vincent pointed to his own ear.

In the afternoon, wasn’t Vincent implying that Yan Ling could hear their conversation? Why was he now leaning close to Yan Ling’s ear to tell him about the secrets of vampire bloodlines?

In the dim candlelight, Vincent raised his index finger to his lips, as if smiling faintly, and simply asked, “Do you want to hear it?”

Author’s Note:

Listening to the stories of the past from a centenarian…

Vincent: …

Yan Ling: Heh, making an appearance after Chapter Six and immediately lying down. Thanks to you too.

Ruo Changsheng: … (sneaks away along the wall)