Chapter 16: Ye Hai

At some point, the intersection that was once teeming with people had gradually become deserted due to the arrival of the middle-aged man and his group, until finally, only one human and four vampires remained.

“What I do is none of your business.”

Ye Xi stepped forward, shielding Shen Ji, and glared fixedly at the middle-aged man before her.

The man’s expression remained heavy.

“Are you staying here because of this kid?”

The middle-aged man pointed at Shen Ji behind her; Shen Ji was stunned to be singled out.

Ye Xi furrowed her elegant brows. “So what if I am?”

Hearing this, Shen Ji had already guessed about seventy or eighty percent of the entanglement between this father and daughter.

Ye Xi was originally going to take him away from Nanjing City, but because he refused to leave at the time, she stayed to accompany him.

But the problem was, was it just because the authorities were going to take action against the vampires?

Up until now, he had only seen superficial reports; actual concrete measures were unheard of.

“Xiao Xi, before everything is settled, Dad still hopes you will leave Nanjing City.”

Shen Ji felt like he had been struck by lightning.

As expected, the real reason was that Ye Xi’s father was about to start some major trouble!

With reddened eyes, Ye Xi said, “Stop acting so hypocritical. When have you ever cared about me since Mom passed away?”

The middle-aged man sighed and reached out, wanting to place his hand on Ye Xi’s shoulder, but she dodged him with a side step.

His hand remained suspended in mid-air, refusing to drop for a long time.

After a moment of confrontation, the middle-aged man seemed to lose all patience.

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, and a layer of invisible killing intent swirled around him.

With lightning speed, he charged at Shen Ji, piercing through Shen Ji’s body with a single punch.

The man slowly withdrew half of his arm, casually flicking away the blood it brought out.

The blood flying through the air landed on the faces of Shen Ji and Ye Xi respectively.

Both of them looked at the scene before them in disbelief.

Shen Ji’s mouth hung open, but he couldn’t make a single sound.

He could only hear the drip-drop of blood falling onto the ground.

A giant question mark surfaced in his mind.

How does he dare to kill someone in broad daylight…

Relying on his last bit of consciousness, Shen Ji looked around.

There was no crowd to be seen; the surroundings were deathly silent.

Since when did it…

Before he could think further, Shen Ji’s eyelids felt as if they were weighted with lead, and his body began to sway uncontrollably as he fell backward.

The final frame of his vision was frozen against a dark red sky.

Ye Xi threw herself in front of Shen Ji, tremblingly taking his hand and placing it against her face, completely ignoring the thick blood staining her skin.

“Shen Ji, Shen Ji…”

Ye Xi called out with hollow eyes, as if this was the only way she could briefly avoid facing the reality.

“Xiao Xi, now…”

“Shen Ji…”

The woman behind the middle-aged man could no longer bear to watch this scene.

She reached out to pull the kneeling Ye Xi up and said, “Miss, we should go…”

Ye Xi jerked away from the woman, knocking off her hood in the process.

“No, I’m not leaving. A’Ran, he’s still alive, he’s still alive, right?”

The woman named A’Ran gave a bitter smile and unhurriedly put her hood back on to hide her pointed ears and the hideous scar on her face.

She had always been the one taking care of Ye Xi; she was even the one who had delivered the marshmallows earlier.

When she first heard Ye Xi say she liked this boy, she thought it was a joke, but now…

At this moment, Ye Xi finally snapped back to her senses.

Her crimson eyes began to fill with sorrow, and she looked back with a complex gaze at the cold, indifferent man.

It was as if Shen Ji’s death had nothing to do with him.

Ye Xi wanted to glimpse a hint of emotion in those icy depths so that she would have an outlet for her grief, even if he was her so-called father.

But there was none. His eyes remained as cold as an ancient pool, without a single ripple.

They were the same eyes he had when her mother left.

No emotion could be seen.

No matter the time, everything he did was to achieve his so-called goals.

Ye Xi shook her head and murmured as if to herself, “Ye Hai, you can’t force me away. It was true then, and it’s even truer now.”

As she spoke, wisps of blood-colored mist began to drift from around her body.

These mists seemed sentient, landing precisely on Shen Ji’s fatal wound.

Ye Hai’s fists were tightly clenched, and his suppressed emotions caused his entire body to tremble uncontrollably.

“Is he worth it to you?”

“Didn’t my mom do the same for you back then?”

Ye Hai closed his eyes in pain, his bitter tears never falling.

Then, as if roaring, he said, “Get out. Shadow, take them and get out of here.”

The last hooded man behind Ye Hai stepped forward slowly.

After a moment of hesitation, he asked, “Take them away from here, or…?”

Ye Hai smiled self-mockingly.

“Doesn’t she want to stay with this kid even if she dies? Then let her rot together with him!”

“Yes.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the man named Shadow turned into a dark red afterimage, sweeping up the blood-stained Shen Ji and Ye Xi and leaving the area.

Only Ye Hai and A’Ran were left at the empty intersection.

A’Ran frowned and spoke up, “Master, do we really have to go to such lengths?”

For once, a trace of emotion flickered in Ye Hai’s eyes.

He gazed into the distance toward the location of Shen Ji’s home and said meaningfully, “That boy is the last remaining King-type bloodline in the world. With today’s performance, even if we fail completely in the future, I believe his potential will be enough to protect Xiao Xi.”

A’Ran showed an expression of realization.

No wonder when Ye Xi asked her to go to the black market to protect Shen Ji, Ye Hai insisted on going himself after finding out.

He had noticed him since then.

“Aren’t you afraid they will hate you?”

“Hate me? If hate becomes the only thing that drives them forward, I am willing to be the villain on their path forever.”

…

Shen Ji opened his eyes groggily and looked at the familiar ceiling from his memory.

He murmured to himself, “Is this the life-review before death?”

But the scene before him didn’t change at all.

Shen Ji weakly raised his hand and waved it in front of him.

Had the life-review gotten stuck?

Whatever, let’s just end this life.

I hope I don’t come to this world in the next one.

Just as Shen Ji was about to close his eyes again, a sharp, tearing sensation suddenly shot through his abdomen.

He instinctively looked down to see rings of bandages wrapped around his waist.

The source of the pain was a tender little foot pressing down right on his bandages.

Damn! This pain?

This changing scene?

I’m actually alive!

System, System, are you there?

【I am here.】

A mechanical voice rang out in Shen Ji’s mind once more.

“Hahahaha! It must have been the system that saved me! I knew it—how could I die with the system? Who dares to kill me? Who can kill me?”

【…】

“Shen Ji, what are you barking about so early in the morning? Can’t you let a person sleep?”

A lazy voice came from beside Shen Ji.

The upward curve of Shen Ji’s lips instantly froze.

Why is Ye Xi in my house?