The weather was exceptionally fine that day. Leng Qingqiu had secretly donned men's clothing and was wandering aimlessly through the bustling streets. She had never felt this free to stroll through the alleys before, stopping to browse at a cosmetics stall here and a pastry shop there. From the end of the street, a baozi shop owner called out, "Fresh, hot, steaming baozi, just out of the oven!"
She hurried over, light-footed. "Boss, give me two meat baozi."
"Money first, baozi later," the owner said, his expression blank.
"How much for one?" Leng Qingqiu reached into her purse, preparing to hand over some silver.
"Two coppers each, four for two," the owner replied, his face suddenly blooming into a bright smile. The speed of his transformation was truly a marvel!
"Here you go, sir." Leng Qingqiu took the baozi and prepared to leave, but suddenly a beggar appeared in front of her. He didn't look at her with the typical pitiful gaze; instead, he studied her with a bizarre, analytical look. His hair was piled on his head like a clump of weeds, and his clothes looked as if they had been worn for hundreds of years—they were utterly tattered. Yet, his body was lithe and tall, and his eyes were piercingly bright—a stark, uncanny contrast.
"I don't even have enough for myself, so staring at me is useless. Even if you look, I won't give you one," Qingqiu said, clutching her baozi and coin purse, ready to bolt.
Soon, several smaller beggars gathered around. She figured that since she only had two, she might as well eat them in front of them, putting on a live performance of "gobbling them down." The eyes of the little beggars shone, and they began to swallow their saliva in anticipation.
"Sorry, I've finished eating and the show is over. Scatter now."
Not far away, that same beggar was still staring at her. Leng Qingqiu wondered, *Could he have seen through my disguise? He didn't turn to robbery after the begging failed, did he? Good heavens, the best of the thirty-six stratagems is to flee—better get home quickly!* she thought silently.
"Don't you go anywhere," the "beggar brother" said, grabbing her wrist.
"I really don't have any money! See? I ate two baozi myself and I'm still not full," she said, beginning to panic and ready to scream for help. But before she could, a large hand clamped over her mouth.
Not far off, some young men were holding birdcages, teasing the canaries inside. On the other side, a group of children was playing with sandbags, jumping and laughing, truly happy. All the shops on the street, big and small, were open for business, adorned in their finery. Yet, here, it suddenly turned cold, as if cut off from the rest of the world.
"Don't scream, or I’ll bite you to death right now."
"Spare me, great hero! I only have this little bit of money; if you think it's worth taking, please, take it. It’s enough to buy some wine," Leng Qingqiu said, obsequiously handing over her purse.
"I don't want money. I want you."
"I’m not worth eating, please let me go! I can go home and get more money for you—just name a reasonable price."
"I don't want money."
"Then what do you want, sir? I’m just skin and bones; I wouldn't even be enough to pick your teeth."
The beggar grabbed Leng Qingqiu by the throat and steered her toward a back alley. They reached a dead end in moments, and Leng Qingqiu thought, *Is this where my life ends?*
Suddenly, the beggar lowered his head and bit into her neck, beginning to drink. As her blood was drained, Leng Qingqiu’s legs turned to jelly. Encountering a vampire in broad daylight—"My life is over!"
"It’s true, then. You are the one I’ve been looking for."
"Lord Demon King, have mercy! I’m just an ordinary person, please don't eat me. My blood doesn't taste good."
"No, your blood is very sweet. You must live well; I will come looking for you again. I am Xiangliu." In the blink of an eye, the beggar transformed into a beautiful man whose gender was difficult to distinguish. He was lithe, with delicate features and eyes the color of the deep sea—a brilliant, stunning blue.
At that moment, the air seemed to freeze. Leng Qingqiu was transfixed by this man who was excessively handsome, temporarily forgetting the horrific act of blood-sucking that had just occurred.
"What is your name?"
"I—I—I am... Leng Qingqiu."
"Good. Remember, from now on you are mine. Be ready to serve at any time." With a turn, the beautiful man vanished into thin air.
"Thank goodness he's gone." Qingqiu clutched her heart, nearly frightened to death, and rushed home to have her father brew her a soothing herbal soup—otherwise, her soul might never return to her body.
By the time she scrambled back to the Small Thatched Cottage at the foot of the mountain, the sun had already set. Old Man Leng stood at the doorway, leaning on his cane.
"You wretched girl, so you finally know how to come home!"
"Father... *sob*... I ran into a monster today. Look, he bit my neck; I nearly didn't make it back." Leng Qingqiu hugged her father and wept.
"What kind of demon did you encounter, biting necks? Let me see." It was unavoidable, just as feared. When she was born, Master Huang had divined that the girl was prone to attracting demons and ghosts, and would face a great calamity upon reaching womanhood!
"What is to be done? From now on, you are not to leave the house. Stay here, do you hear me? Your mother gave her life for you; you cannot come to harm!" Old Man Leng’s nose grew sore, and tears streamed down his face.
The father and daughter returned to the house together. Old Man Leng had long since prepared dinner, and the table was filled with all of Leng Qingqiu’s favorite dishes: stir-fried mushrooms with eggs, eggplant with green beans, and luffa with black fungus soup. They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
That night, just as Qingqiu had climbed under the covers to sleep, a cold, chilling aura filled the room. Xiangliu had returned. This time, his white clothes were riddled with bloodstains, looking truly terrifying.
"You're hurt again, and you need to feed," Leng Qingqiu said with a forced smile, though her heart was pounding. The reaper had come for her life!
Xiangliu walked over and, without a word, bit into the girl's neck. A fresh, sweet taste flowed, and the wounds on his body began to heal visibly. Conversely, Leng Qingqiu felt dizzy, sensing she was being drained dry.
"Please, have mercy! If you keep drinking, I'll die."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Xiangliu’s eyes grew even bluer.
"Then you won't have a human blood bag as obedient as me anymore."
"I don't care! I'll just go find another one."
"What if you get hurt again next time before you find someone?"
"You're worrying about someone who is drinking your blood? Are you stupid, woman? You’ve lost so much blood you’re losing your mind."
"You knew from the start that I was a woman—Lord Demon King, you are amazing! Keep me; I can cook, and I am very good at taking care of people." Qingqiu was filled with a desperate desire to live, obsequiously clinging to Xiangliu.
Xiangliu suddenly saw an image of his "younger self" superimposed before his eyes—back when he was beaten to the brink of death in the Undersea World by the Demon King, he had said the exact same words. She was just like he had been back then, so desperate to be kept, willing to do anything. In that moment, something in his heart was touched.
Xiangliu looked away, his blue eyes turning red at the corners. "Fine, I’ll spare your lowly life. Woman, remember: you stay because I want you to stay. If I find you dare to run away, you're dead. I will track you down to the ends of the earth, and your family won't be spared, either."
"Yes, yes, I promise you anything! Keep me, spare my father. Thank you, Lord Xiangliu!"
In an instant, all the bloodstains vanished from the man's body. He closed his eyes to meditate, sitting at the head of the bed to heal his internal injuries. Under the moonlight, his silver hair drifted gracefully, and his features were extraordinarily handsome. He was quite pleasant to look at when he wasn't drinking blood. But when he did... it was too terrifying. Leng Qingqiu thought, and though she didn't dare sleep, her eyelids fought her, and she eventually drifted off.
The next day, the sun was bright outside the window. Old Man Leng had gone into the mountains to collect herbs, leaving behind vegetable porridge for breakfast. The monster had indeed left. *I've lost so much blood, I need to eat some red dates to replenish myself.* As Qingqiu sipped her porridge, she went to her father's room to search for some dates. There, hidden in the bedside cabinet, was a painting. When she opened it, she saw a beauty as exquisite as a celestial maiden, quietly gazing into the distance... The painting was so lifelike, so vivid! Truly unforgettable.