34. The Asura Field 2.0 is loading…

“Ka da.”

The sound of a chopping knife echoed in the air as it hit the cutting board, lingering without a follow-up.

The water in the pot bubbled and boiled, while Yan Ling, who had just finished work, changed his clothes and came out of the bedroom. He saw Qiu Rong standing in the kitchen, seemingly stuck, motionless. Yan Ling approached him, embraced Qiu Rong from behind, and rested his chin on his broad shoulder. He held Qiu Rong’s hand and continued cutting tomatoes.

“Lately, it seems like you’ve been lost in thought all the time,” Yan Ling casually remarked.

Qiu Rong lowered his head, looking at the pale red tomato juice flowing on the cutting board and the pair of cold, white hands against the back of his hand.

“I’ve been thinking about the thesis. There are a few data points in the lab that don’t match up, so I might have to redo them.” Using the blade to scoop up the diced tomatoes, Qiu Rong placed them into the pot. He turned his head and pecked Yan Ling on the lips. “You can go out first. Dinner will be ready soon.”

…

To Qiu Rong, the realization that Yan Ling was a vampire was not as surprising as he had imagined.

After all, he had already sensed something since the moment he saw Daniel.

Nothing was without a trace.

Yan Ling’s abnormally low body temperature throughout the year, an appetite so small it hardly resembled that of an adult male, and occasional displays of physical strength that could rival Qiu Rong, who was a werewolf…

Qiu Rong calmly accepted the fact that Yan Ling was a vampire.

He just didn’t know what path to take next.

In his original life plan, he would never reveal anything about supernatural abilities to Yan Ling.

He would carefully guard over Yan Ling, who was a normal human.

They would spend their ordinary and happy lives together.

But now, the fact in front of him told him that Yan Ling didn’t need his protection at all.

They were beings of equal power.

…Yet they were adversaries with opposing positions.

At this moment, they smiled at each other, sitting at the same table, enjoying a cozy dinner. However, Qiu Rong pondered in his heart the truth behind the deaths of his parents and older brother.

His first suspicion still fell on the vampires.

Qiu Rong had no idea where their future with Yan Ling would lead.

He scooped a bowl of tomato egg soup for Yan Ling and casually brought up a topic, saying, “The other day, I lost to you in the card game. Have you figured out what you want me to do?”

“No,” Yan Ling stirred the egg drop in his bowl, pondered for a moment, and said, “I feel like no matter what I say, you would agree. There’s no need to use this rare opportunity.”

Qiu Rong smiled and said, “Mr. Yan, it seems like you have me figured out.”

He propped his chin and watched as Yan Ling took small sips of the soup.

When it came to eating, Yan Ling was like a cat. He was afraid of burning his tongue. Rice and the like were fine, but when it came to soupy dishes, he would blow on them for quite some time before putting them in his mouth.

Sometimes, Qiu Rong would finish a big bowl of noodles while Yan Ling was still letting his soup cool down.

Do vampires really fear hot food? Qiu Rong wondered.

Yan Ling leisurely sipped the soup and noticed that Qiu Rong had once again started absentmindedly. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you really okay? If something’s bothering you, don’t keep it from me.”

Qiu Rong snapped out of his thoughts and immediately wore an innocent smile. “Well, there is something. Since Mr. Yan knows I can agree to anything, can you fulfill a small wish of mine too?”

Yan Ling could immediately tell that the little rascal had something in mind. His instinct was to reject, but he remembered that Qiu Rong had just said he would do anything for him. Now it was his turn, and he was caught off guard, feeling like it wouldn’t be appropriate.

It was all Daniel’s fault.

What did he bring up cat ears for when there was nothing to do?

Seeing the resistance and conflict written all over Yan Ling’s face and no response for a while, Qiu Rong prepared to change the subject.

He just wanted to divert Yan Ling’s attention. If Yan Ling didn’t want to play cat ear roleplay, he wouldn’t force it.

“If you really want to see it.”

Qiu Rong was about to let it go when Yan Ling reluctantly said, “I’ll consider it later.”

It was clearly an ambiguous answer. Qiu Rong’s eyes curved, and it seemed like there was a wagging dog tail behind him. He pursued, “Then, what color of cat ears do you like? White or black?”

Yan Ling pointed his chopsticks at Qiu Rong as a warning. “I haven’t agreed yet.”

Qiu Rong picked up his phone.

Yan Ling: “…Wait.”

Qiu Rong opened Taobao.

Yan Ling: “No ordering allowed!!”

Seeing that Mr. Yan was about to explode, Qiu Rong smiled, put down his phone, and raised both hands in surrender. “I was just looking.”

After laughing, Qiu Rong picked up his lukewarm soup and took a sip, then continued propping his chin and watching as Yan Ling chewed slowly.

The smile on his lips faded, and Qiu Rong softly asked, “Why did you choose vampires?”

The hand holding the bowl paused.

Yan Ling looked at him. “Are you still concerned about what Daniel said? I told you, it’s just a movie.”

Qiu Rong shook his head. “I just want to hear your reasons.”

Yan Ling fell silent briefly, then helplessly said, “Well.”

“The reason is actually simple,” Yan Ling said. “Bella loved Edward.”

“I just chose what she wanted to choose.”

Yan Ling put down the empty soup bowl, crossed his hands under his chin, and gazed at the bewildered Qiu Rong. His eyes softened as he said, “Does this answer satisfy you?”

The reason Bella chose Edward was simple.

She wasn’t choosing between the werewolves and vampires; she was choosing the person she loved.

For him, she was willing to give up her human identity and endure the torment of thirst.

Because she loved him.

Because they loved each other.

Qiu Rong looked at Yan Ling, and fragments of memories flashed through his mind.

Their initial eye contact, the starry sky at the orphanage, the fireworks blooming at midnight…

Their first chaotic cooking experience, the first night they slept embraced, their unexpected first cold war…

Qiu Rong lowered his eyes and chuckled softly. “It seems that love can sometimes make people incredibly blind.”

“Yes,” as the casual conversation during the meal came to an end, both of them began to clean up the dishes. Yan Ling walked up to Qiu Rong, tilted his head slightly, and bit his neck lightly, smiling. “Love does make people blind.”

“Even if blindly, I’m willing.”

Qiu Rong held the plates in both hands, and he spread his arms, allowing his archenemy to kiss his vulnerable spot.

The future path holds too many possibilities, and the only thing Qiu Rong can do now is to quickly uncover the truth of the past.

He is certain of his feelings, despite the doubts and confusion he has experienced. His love for Yan Ling has never wavered.

Therefore, Qiu Rong wants to resolve the entanglement with the vampires as soon as possible. At that time, he is willing to step out of his original life plan, confess his identity, and embark on a different and genuine path to happiness with Yan Ling.

“The matter will have a result soon.”

“What exactly happened fifteen years ago related to the vampires? Does it have something to do with our werewolf clan? I believe I have the right to know.”

“Clan elder Gu, I promise you, if you can wait a little longer, I will contact you within this week.”

After hanging up the phone with Zhong Lishu, Qiu Rong wearily massaged his temple.

These past few days, he had gone through the accident from fifteen years ago from beginning to end, questioning everyone who had been present at the scene. He endured the nausea to visit his uncle Meng Jiadong, who had been left struggling for survival in a secluded sanatorium. He even requested another meeting with the vampire clan leader through proper channels.

But these past few days, the Central Bureau seemed to be in a state of chaos. Qiu Rong hadn’t received any response, thinking that they had been rejected by the vampires, and the Central Bureau was deliberately delaying.

It wasn’t until Zhong Lishu called personally that Qiu Rong realized that Zhong Lishu had begun to take action to rectify the anomalous control centers in City A.

He would be given an explanation within this week…

It sounded like all he had to do was sit patiently for a few days, and the answers he had been desperately seeking would finally be revealed. 

However, after numerous disappointments over the years, Qiu Rong dared not hold high expectations for Zhong Lishu’s words.

He looked up at the ceiling for a moment and then reopened his phone, searching for the contact information of the Merfolk Clan’s leader.

“Darling~ Long time no see~”

Qiu Rong: “…”

He moved his phone aside to confirm that he hadn’t dialed the wrong number.

If his memory served him right, the leader of the Merfolk Clan was Hua Guo, right?

The Merfolk Clan had recently created an interactive romance game, where merfolk actors were directly involved in shooting the game’s storyline. Wealthy players, without knowing the truth, had the opportunity to interact one-on-one with real merfolk.

Due to the “modeling” being extremely realistic and highly interactive, the game became a huge hit, earning the Merfolk Clan a considerable fortune.

It was said that to fit the game’s background setting, the participating merfolk had given themselves foreign names.

Qiu Rong never expected that they even switched the language system.

Qiu Rong calmly continued in Chinese, “Clan elder Hua I wanted to ask you, is that child you mentioned before doing well now?”

“Ah, so it’s about this matter.” Perhaps due to insufficient English proficiency, the Merfolk Clan’s leader switched back to Chinese. He sighed and said, “Unfortunately, Clan elder Gu, that child was doing well, but he went missing recently.”

Qiu Rong was taken aback. “Missing?”

“Well… is it a disappearance or a runaway?” the Merfolk Clan’s leader explained. “He disappeared for a while, but there was news a couple of days ago saying that he’s safe and just doesn’t want to return to the clan for the time being. It’s probably his rebellious phase.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

During the incident of hijacking the blood carriage, Qiu Rong had used the favor of returning blood to the Merfolk Clan’s leader in order to trace the truth of fifteen years ago. However, the images he could see were blurry due to the long time interval. At that time, the Merfolk Clan’s leader had mentioned that they had a young member in their clan who was very powerful, even stronger than the clan leader himself. Perhaps by using that child’s ability to trace back, more details could be revealed.

But that child’s last remaining relative had just passed away, and he was hiding alone in the depths of the ocean, unwilling to see anyone.

Qiu Rong knew too well the pain of losing all one’s loved ones, so he didn’t want to disturb the child who was licking his wounds in solitude with his own private matters.

“So none of you are going to look for him… A City is dangerous recently,” Qiu Rong reminded.

“Don’t worry,” the Merfolk Clan’s leader laughed. “He’s really strong, stronger than you can imagine.”

Qiu Rong couldn’t interfere with their clan matters, but it seemed that seeking help from the Merfolk Clan was not a viable option.

“Clan elder Gu, please rest assured, I will contact Shu Ya and convey your request to him,” the Merfolk Clan’s leader said. Having also seen the tracing scene, he knew that Qiu Rong was investigating his own family matters, which were likely related to the vampires. He hesitated for a moment and asked, “Chairman Gu, if I may be so bold to ask, have you ever met the vampire clan leader?”

Qiu Rong responded calmly, “No.”

The Merfolk Clan’s leader said, “Actually, I think if you had directly contacted the vampire clan leader at the beginning, he would have been willing to help you. The vampire clan leader is not someone who favors family over justice.”

Qiu Rong sneered at his words.

He had tried that. He had reached out to the vampire clan leader when he had just taken over as the clan leader. After being rejected, he went to the Central Bureau to report the vampires.

After that, he received an invitation letter from the vampire prince. At twenty years old, he thought his matter had gained the other party’s attention. So he foolishly sat alone in a coffee shop for three hours, only to be met by the vampire prince’s assistant saying, “This matter has nothing to do with the vampire clan. Please withdraw your baseless accusations as soon as possible.”

The facts witnessed by so many werewolves were refuted by an ambiguous personnel record sheet from the vampire clan, and even the Central Bureau protected them at every turn.

Under such circumstances, it was hard for Qiu Rong to have any favorable feelings towards the vampire prince.

“Clan elder Gu, please don’t get angry with me,” the Merfolk Clan’s leader cautiously said, “Our clan has made some money recently, and I went to buy blood from the vampires. Since it’s a long-term order, they gave me a significant discount… I felt a bit guilty and ended up mentioning our transaction… to them.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

So the Merfolk Clan has been poor for so many years.

If only a fish had been a bit more cunning, the Merfolk Clan wouldn’t have secluded themselves for years and only started earning some money by making games after many years of reform and opening up.

Qiu Rong: “He didn’t terminate the contract on the spot?”

The Merfolk Clan’s leader chuckled, “Hahaha, how could that happen? The vampire clan leader is a good person.”

Qiu Rong: “…”

He was starting to get angry.

Fortunately, the Merfolk Clan’s leader didn’t continue to provoke Qiu Rong. “I just wanted to say that in the future, when you meet, don’t argue about this matter. I have already made up the money to the vampire clan leader, and he said he won’t hold it against me anymore. Let bygones be bygones.”

“Clan elder Gu, I know you have animosity towards the vampire clan, but if you have the chance, please talk to the vampire clan leader face to face. I believe he would be willing to help you find the culprit.”

Qiu Rong had nothing more to say to the easy-going Merfolk Clan’s leader.

He was about to hang up the phone, but just before he did, Qiu Rong hesitated for a moment and asked as if compelled by an invisible force, “Leader Yan, what kind of person do you think the vampire prince is?”

The Merfolk Clan’s leader pondered for a moment and said, “Although Prince Kate seems to disdain all living beings, is aloof, and difficult to approach… “

“Alright, I understand. Thank you.”

The Merfolk Clan’s leader: “…”

He hadn’t finished speaking yet.

“…I’m being silly,” Qiu Rong said with self-mockery as he hung up the phone. “I was actually thinking if Yan Ling could be…”

But he was still thinking too much.

How could his gentle and considerate wife be the lofty vampire prince?

Ha, disdain for all living beings. That doesn’t sound like his family’s CEO Yan at all.

…

While Qiu Rong was trying to find any traces from fifteen years ago, the Control Bureau underwent a drastic change.

This time, Zhong Lishu didn’t disappoint Qiu Rong.

Within three days, Song De, the director of the Special Management Bureau and temporary head of the Control Bureau, was suspended for investigation, and the newly appointed director, Zhong Lishu, took full charge of Control Bureau affairs.

On the second day after the announcement was made, the new director summoned the leaders of all clans for a meeting. No one was allowed to be absent without special reasons.

The change in the Control Bureau was too sudden, and besides Director Song, many others were swiftly dealt with by the new director.

There was no doubt that the leaders of all clans would go and see who this new director really was.

Qiu Rong rarely wore formal attire, and he was in front of the mirror adjusting his tie.

Fortunately, Yan Ling was also working overtime today, so he didn’t have to bother finding excuses.

Zhong Lishu said that he would explain to the clans in today’s meeting about the presence of demons in City A, which also related to the case from fifteen years ago.

He would provide Qiu Rong with detailed information after the meeting.

The Control Bureau would give Qiu Rong, as well as his deceased parents and brother, a belated explanation.

Qiu Rong brushed back the last strand of hair on his forehead, and the person in the mirror completely shed his youthful student aura. His black eyes gleamed with a dormant light, like a cunning wolf ready to strike.

Special Management Bureau, First Conference Room.

After taking the first step into the conference room, Qiu Rong paused.

This was the first time Qiu Rong had seen so many people in the Special Management Bureau. The meeting hadn’t started yet, and people from different races were standing in small groups, exchanging greetings.

Through the crowd, Qiu Rong spotted the person standing next to Zhong Lishu.

The person who had kissed him goodbye in front of his house not long ago.

The tie that person was wearing was the one he had personally tied for him in the morning.

Zhong Lishu noticed Qiu Rong first and nodded in acknowledgement, waving him over.

The person beside him also turned to look.

Yan Ling’s expression was cold and indifferent. Across the noisy crowd, he saw Qiu Rong approaching him step by step.

Their gazes met in the air.

They didn’t look away, firmly locking onto each other’s unfamiliar faces.

Author’s Note:

Qiu Rong: Ha, disdain for all living beings, as expected…

Qiu Rong: …So cool! No wonder he’s my wife!!

The word count exploded again… It really wasn’t intentional to leave it at this point QAQ! I promised to have a meeting, but it took me forever to get to that part (/collapses)

They’ve met, so why isn’t it considered a meeting! (/blushing face) (/frustration)

TN: Author, You need to stop!