TMWTGD CH24

Xie Jianwei had called out Lu Yan’s name, which meant he knew this was Lu Yan. They had known each other all along?

Lu Li’s heart turned cold.

He had been about to step out from around the corner, but now halted his steps, staying hidden against the wall.

Lu Li could not see Lu Yan and Xie Jianwei, but he could hear the words they spoke.

Xie Jianwei said, “I’m not in the mood to eat right now.”

Lu Yan asked, “Who upset you again?”

Xie Jianwei glared at him, “You did!”

“Then let me make amends.” Lu Yan seemed to scoop up a spoonful of pudding to feed to Xie Jianwei’s lips, “Take a bite. It’s sweet, so you won’t be angry with me anymore.”

Xie Jianwei let out a soft hum, likely having eaten it.

The two exchanged few words, yet to Lu Li, every syllable pierced his heart.

Not only did Xie Jianwei know Lu Yan, but he was also remarkably familiar with him.

He knew Lu Yan’s character all too well. Sweet-talking, adept at charming people, and far more entertaining than himself.

He did not know when Xie Jianwei had met Lu Yan, nor why the two had grown so close, yet the outcome now lay bloody and plain before him.

Just on the other side of a wall, out on the open street, Xie Jianwei and Lu Yan were flirting back and forth.

Lu Li stood rigid, his fingernails digging painfully into his palms, yet that could not match a fraction of the piercing agony in his heart.

Xie Jianwei had said he loved him.

Xie Jianwei had said he wanted him.

Yet in a matter of days, he was already this intimate with another man.

And with a man he utterly loathed, no less!

Lu Li’s eyes turned crimson and his mind fell into complete chaos. One was the person he loved, the other was the person he despised. The image of them together was like venom, steadily corroding his reason.

On the other side, Lu Yan had spotted Lu Li, but because Xie Jianwei had his back turned, he remained unaware.

Lu Yan deliberately teased Xie Jianwei, and thinking Number One Lu Li had not arrived, Xie Jianwei was happy to play along.

In any case, they were both Lu Li, so favoring one over the other would not do.

Especially in Xie Jianwei’s plan, Lu Yan was destined to be tormented terribly later on. The thought of that pitiful picture filled him with heartache, so he wanted to pamper him a bit more early on.

Entertaining such a thought was where disaster truly began, though the current Military Advisor Xie failed to realize it.

Pretending not to know Lu Li was there, Lu Yan fed Xie Jianwei another spoonful of pudding.

Xie Jianwei could have eaten it in one bite, but Lu Yan tilted the spoon on purpose, smudging it against the corner of his lips.

Xie Jianwei looked at him in annoyance, and Lu Yan said, “My mistake. Come here, let me wipe it for you.”

Xie Jianwei said, “I don’t need your help.”

Before he could finish, Lu Yan pulled him close and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.

Xie Jianwei was speechless. What was this, why so forward today?

He put up a token struggle, “Hey!”

Lu Yan whispered against his ear, “Let me teach you what a real kiss is.”

The moment those words fell, he captured his lips.

Xie Jianwei pushed against him, but Lu Yan held the back of his head firmly, forcing him to accept this fiery, passionate kiss.

Both the posture and the sensation were far too familiar. Kissed senseless, Xie Jianwei’s feigned resistance quickly dissolved into eager compliance.

Lu Yan’s hand gradually drifted downward, shifting from forceful restraint to supporting his waist.

Xie Jianwei vaguely felt something was amiss, but enjoying the kiss so thoroughly, his mind wandered and whatever little vigilance he had evaporated in an instant.

The two kissed with breathless devotion. Anyone who saw them would assume this was a deeply enamored couple sharing a sweet embrace.

And so utterly oblivious to the surrounding world.

Hearing no more voices, Lu Li walked out from behind the corner, only to run dead into this sight!

Lu Yan was a scoundrel, and Lu Li readily believed he was capable of forcing Xie Jianwei.

Yet in their current posture, did it look even slightly forced?

If he were unwilling, would Xie Jianwei wrap his arms around Lu Yan’s neck, standing on tiptoe just to make the kiss easier? Would he close his eyes, flush crimson, and offer his entire being up like that!

Lu Li erupted in fury, his vision turning pitch-black.

Lu Yan caught sight of him, raising his brow in provocation, then whispered against Xie Jianwei’s ear, “So sweet, just as sweet as your tight little mouth down below.”

The moment those crude words were spoken, Lu Li’s sanity collapsed entirely. “Lu Yan!”

Hearing that roar, Xie Jianwei’s heart dropped. Disaster, I forgot about Number One Lu Li!

This was truly awkward.

Military Advisor Xie had never been this embarrassed in his entire life.

How was he supposed to explain? Would telling Lu Li that they were the same person do any good?

Obviously not. In this dream, the two personalities were separate entities, and Lu Yan was not only an independent individual, but an arch-rival.

Reflecting on what he had just done, Xie Jianwei knew no river on earth could wash him clean of suspicion.

Although he had intended to use Lu Yan to provoke Lu Li, that scheme required him to appear unwilling so he would retain room to maneuver.

Yet in a moment of heated distraction, he had let his guard down.

Knowing full well that Lu Li was coming, he had still fallen into Lu Yan’s trap.

Now, what should he do?

Xie Jianwei considered countless excuses, but he sensed that Lu Li in this state would not listen to a single word.

Indeed, Lu Li gave him no chance to speak. With a face as dark as water, he yanked Xie Jianwei over.

Xie Jianwei stumbled hard, nearly crashing to the ground.

Frowning, Lu Yan demanded, “What are you doing?” He moved to catch Xie Jianwei, but Lu Li smacked his hand away.

Lu Yan narrowed his eyes, “Lu Li, why are you so angry?”

Lu Li stayed silent.

Lu Yan said, “Give little Jianwei back to me!”

Hearing that affectionate moniker, Lu Li ground his teeth, “Little Jianwei?”

Lu Yan continued to needle him, “Know your place. You are merely a doctor hired by the Xie family, do you actually think of yourself as his guardian? He and I are mutually in love, is it any of your business?”

“Mutually in love” and “any of your business,” those phrases strung together set Lu Li’s blood boiling with fury.

Xie Jianwei wanted nothing more than to slap Number Two Lu Li into next week. Further mischief was going to trigger a catastrophe, you brat!

Yet he had zero opportunity to speak, nor could Lu Yan stop Lu Li. Dragging Xie Jianwei into the car, Lu Li accelerated with terrifying speed the instant the engine roared to life.

The violent acceleration pinned Xie Jianwei against the seat, making his head spin and rendering speech impossible.

A journey that normally took over ten minutes was completed in mere moments.

Once the car screeched to a halt, Xie Jianwei finally found his voice, stammering, “D-Doctor Lu, I…”

Lu Li opened the door and hauled him straight out.

The motion was rough and savage. Thrown off balance, Xie Jianwei felt the world spinning even harder.

Lu Li’s brow twitched with a fleeting trace of heartache, only to be overwhelmed by fury at himself for still caring.

Xie Jianwei barely knew how he was dragged back inside. The moment the front door slammed shut, Lu Li shoved him to the floor and ripped open the white shirt he had put on that morning.

Xie Jianwei swallowed a mouthful of unspoken misery, never imagining a day would come when he would be forced by Lu Li.

Lu Li had restrained himself for so long purely out of profound love. He feared the boy was too young for his body to take it, and feared even more that his mind was not mature enough, dreading that an early intimacy would lead to regret.

He cherished him, doted on him, and held him at the very center of his heart.

But what about Xie Jianwei?

Claiming to love him, claiming to want to be with him, only to climb into another man’s arms in the blink of an eye!

The mere thought that Xie Jianwei would seduce others the way he seduced him stabbed Lu Li’s heart like a blade.

With his reason completely snapped, nothing remained except endless agony.

He had envisioned their first time together countless times. He thought he would provide tender foreplay, kiss every inch of his body, let him taste the bliss of lovemaking, and show him how wondrous it was when two people in love became one.

But now, it was all ruined.

Without any foreplay, without even shedding his clothes, he merely unfastened his belt and forced his way inside.

Xie Jianwei had expected to die of pain, yet unexpectedly, pleasure sent shivers running to the ends of his hair.

What in the world was this!

Lu Li glared down at him, “Because I refused you, you went running to Lu Yan?”

Letting out a pained moan, Xie Jianwei explained, “No, I never did anything with him.”

Lu Li thrusted forcefully a few times, mocking amidst the wet sounds, “Does this look like someone who has never done it?”

Xie Jianwei was speechless.

What an absolute nightmare!

Why was this body’s first time so unrestrained? Big Li was still Big Li, so how could such a massive thing slip in so effortlessly, dripping wet from the start?

If anyone claimed this was a virgin experience, nobody would ever believe it!

But for Xie Jianwei, this truly was the first time!

What a colossal injustice, snow falling in midsummer could hardly express the depth of Military Advisor Xie’s wrongful accusation!

Could this body be uniquely gifted?

Overwhelmed by excessive pleasure, Xie Jianwei suddenly realized the truth, it was Lu Li’s fault after all.

This bastard was convinced he had slept with Lu Yan countless times, so the dream automatically configured his body to match that premise, even though he had never done anything of the sort!

Recalling the promiscuous CEO persona from the previous world, Xie Jianwei could only sigh in defeat.

What could he do? It was the man’s dream, after all. If he were capable, he could dream his own world and turn Big Li into Little Li!

Xie Jianwei was ravaged back and forth by an enraged Big Li all night long.

The next morning, he lay in bed unwilling to move an inch. A savage beast, completely inhuman. What happened to loving him to death?

In a sense, it truly had been to death and back.

Lu Li was nowhere to be seen early in the morning. Xie Jianwei climbed out of bed to check. Breakfast was there, but without a sweet little note, and every door and window in the house was locked tight, with all keys gone.

Xie Jianwei was speechless. Was he getting locked in a dark room again?

Not that he minded, but the question was whether confinement could resolve anything. Military Advisor Xie felt he was being overly optimistic.

Eating the delicious breakfast, his legs still trembled, his voice hoarse beyond belief, unable to soothe his parched throat even after downing a large glass of water.

While pondering what to do next, a sudden wave of dizziness struck, and when he opened his eyes again, Xie Jianwei had returned to reality.

Xie Jianwei paused in surprise.

Yan Ke said anxiously, “My deepest apologies! But the situation was too critical, I had to wake you, My Lord!”

Xie Jianwei looked at him, “What happened?”

Yan Ke tapped the air, bringing up a holographic screen covered in dense rows of numbers.

A single glance made Xie Jianwei’s brows knit tightly.

Yan Ke said, “What on earth happened in the dream? This personality is already in mortal peril!”

Xie Jianwei briefly summarized the events.

Cold sweat broke out across Yan Ke’s forehead, “Disaster, Lu Li must be trying to kill Lu Yan!”

Nervous, Xie Jianwei asked, “Can a personality truly be killed within the dream?”

Yan Ke said, “Of course! The dream is the linchpin of this psychological therapy. In the Lord Marshal’s situation, it was already a tug of war between personalities. Lu Yan invading Lu Li’s dream was perilous from the start, though using the identity of a brother kept him safe temporarily. But now, consumed by furious wrath, Lu Li wants to kill Lu Yan at any cost!”

A ringing roar sounded in Xie Jianwei’s head.

Yan Ke urged, “Lu Yan cannot die. If he dies, all previous efforts will be completely ruined!”

Their entire therapeutic plan was designed to stabilize the Lord Marshal’s personalities so they could merge. Allowing them to destroy one another would be putting the cart before the horse.

Compared to a split personality, a missing personality was far more fatal!

As long as a personality existed, merging remained possible. But if an integral piece vanished, the consequences were unthinkable.

Lu Li might genuinely die.

Taking a deep breath, Xie Jianwei said, “I am going back right now.”

Yan Ke cautioned him, “My Lord, you must proceed with utmost care!”

Xie Jianwei said, “Don’t worry, I understand.”

He had treated the dream too much like a game, but it was real. For Lu Li, it was a reality lethal enough to take his life.

Returning to the dream, Xie Jianwei stretched his sore limbs.

Furious as Lu Li was, he still treasured him deep down, so despite being thoroughly ravaged last night, Xie Jianwei did not feel overly drained today.

Anyone else subjected to such treatment on their first time might have perished in bed.

Changing his clothes, Xie Jianwei surveyed his surroundings.

The estate possessed tight security with cameras running around the clock, but putting them out of commission was simple enough.

For instance, when Lu Yan entered earlier, he had tampered with the feed, which was why Lu Li remained oblivious.

The surveillance mattered little, what mattered was how to get out of the house.

Doors and windows were locked from the outside, with every exit sealed.

Xie Jianwei felt briefly troubled. Had the locks been high-tech, disabling them simultaneously would have been child’s play.

Unfortunately, this was primitive ancient Earth, where solid brass locks proved exasperatingly manual.

Yet that could hardly stop Xie Jianwei. Even with doors and windows barred, other routes remained.

The ventilation duct was narrow, but crawling through posed little difficulty.

As for the guards stationed outside, Xie Jianwei paid them no mind.

His body was frail, yet years of martial arts training remained ingrained in his instincts. With precise leverage, taking down those burly men was easy work.

Breaking free from the villa, Xie Jianwei tapped directly into the municipal network with his phone, pinpointing Lu Yan’s coordinates in record time.

The top priority was saving him before he was killed.

In truth, Xie Jianwei wasn’t certain how Lu Li planned to end Lu Yan’s life.

Yet in this dream, if Lu Li’s emotions grew too volatile and his obsession too intense, the entire world would bend to his will. Lu Yan could easily be struck by a car just walking down the street!

Right as that thought crossed his mind, Xie Jianwei arrived at Lu Yan’s location.

And then he witnessed an astonishing scene with his own eyes.

Lu Yan’s car had broken down, and he had stepped out to inspect it. This was perfectly routine, with hazard lights blinking and the vehicle pulled over safely on a quiet stretch of road.

Yet several oncoming cars were speeding straight toward him against traffic, not just one, but three or four vehicles in a frantic surge.

Those cars acted completely blind, ignoring traffic laws, hazard lights, and the person standing there, charging forward like racers competing for the finish line.

This was utterly ridiculous!

Even if orchestrating a traffic accident, at least maintain some semblance of logic and set it up gradually!

Having no time to complain, Xie Jianwei reacted instantly, lunging forward to shove Lu Yan aside right before impact.

Lu Yan was shoved safely into the roadside shrubs, but his car and Xie Jianwei were sent flying into the air together.

Xie Jianwei had never imagined that he would be hit by a car all over again!

Soaring through the air, he caught sight of Lu Li, whose eyes were filled with sheer horror.

Was it Number One or Number Two?

Right, it was the troublemaking Number One.

Xie Jianwei slammed onto the asphalt, his internal organs likely scrambled, yet remarkably it did not hurt much.

Lu Yan stood entirely frozen, while Lu Li rushed forward first, sweeping him into his arms.

“Xiao Wei, Xiao… Xiao…” he stammered in absolute panic, unable to string a coherent sentence together.

Xie Jianwei’s body did not ache, but his heart did. Looking up at him, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Lu Li’s eyes reddened instantly, his thin lips trembling, his voice raspy beyond measure, “Why… why?”

Xie Jianwei was about to speak, but a metallic sweetness surged up his throat. Coughing violently, a profuse amount of fresh blood spilled from the corners of his mouth.

Lu Li wiped at it in frantic haste, but the blood flowed like a burst dam, impossible to stem no matter how he tried.

Xie Jianwei held his bloodstained hand, whispering, “Stop.”

Lu Li remained frozen, his face drenched in sheer despair. “Don’t… please, don’t die.”

Xie Jianwei said, “I…”

“Lu Li! You killed him!” Lu Yan roared hoarsely in the distance.

Lu Li’s back turned rigid, his eyes completely losing focus, hollowed out by suffocating remorse and absolute breakdown.

Heart aching terribly for him, Xie Jianwei could only force himself to continue.

“Lu Li, I love you.”

Lu Li clung to him tightly, his voice trembling. “You don’t need to lie to me. If you love Lu Yan, then be with him. I won’t stop you anymore, I…”

“No…” Xie Jianwei looked up at him. “I love you.”

Lu Li shook his head. “To save him, you threw away even… even your…”

Xie Jianwei finished the sentence for him, “Even my life.”

Lu Li was trapped in despair and agony.

Yet Xie Jianwei stared right into his eyes. “That’s right, I love Lu Yan too.”

Lu Li froze.

Xie Jianwei said with solemn gravity, “I love you, and I love Lu Yan as well.”

Lu Li stared at him unblinkingly, as though utterly incapable of understanding what he was hearing.

Xie Jianwei said, “If it were you about to be struck by that car just now, I would have saved you without a second of hesitation all the same.”

Furrowing his brows tightly, Lu Li could not accept it. “Impossible.”

Yet Xie Jianwei repeated once more, “I love you, and I also love Lu Yan, I…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was forcefully expelled from the dream.

Yan Ke had no words.

His expression unchanged, Xie Jianwei asked, “Did the dream end?”

Yan Ke muttered faintly, “My Lord, your therapy…”

Xie Jianwei showed no surprise. “How many did it split into?”

Yan Ke replied, “Two.”

Xie Jianwei said, “Quite good.”

Yan Ke exploded, “What do you mean ‘quite good’, ahhh! Our Lord Marshal went from four to eight!”

Xie Jianwei rolled his eyes at him. “Was your math taught by a gym teacher?”

Yan Ke blinked and recalculated before admitting, “Oh… it’s seven.” Because one personality had at least stabilized previously.

But seven was still a huge number!

Xie Jianwei said, “This dream was my miscalculation. To prevent Lu Yan’s demise, ending the dream was the only way.” That way, Lu Li could no longer conveniently extinguish Lu Yan’s persona like an omnipotent god.

Although two more Lu Lis would emerge, it was still far better than losing one permanently.

Given Lu Li’s immense mental threshold, bearing these personalities was not overly difficult.

Still, he could not be allowed to split any further, as the prognosis for treatment would turn bleak.

Yan Ke understood Xie Jianwei’s reasoning. Sacrificing a pawn to save the king was unavoidable.

Soon, curiosity gripped Yan Ke again. “What did you do to make the dream collapse like that?”

Pausing briefly, Xie Jianwei said, “I confessed to both of them.”

Yan Ke was speechless.

Sighing, Xie Jianwei said, “It shattered the persona. In that dream, Xie Jianwei was a yandere young master. The defining trait of a yandere is exclusivity, making it impossible to love two people at the same time.”

Lu Li could not believe it, yet could not comprehend why Xie Jianwei would say such a thing. On top of that, the situation was perilously dire with Xie Jianwei near death. Lu Li refused to accept the reality that he might die, yet believed deep down that he could not survive.

Under multiple clashing shocks, the dream world collapsed completely.

Yan Ke had no retort for that.

Xie Jianwei sighed softly. “I was far too careless.”

Yan Ke consoled him, “There was no other way. They are all the Lord Marshal after all.”

Xie Jianwei pinched the bridge of his nose in silence.

At any other time, he would never make such an elementary blunder, but when dealing with Lu Li, he was truly helpless.

It seemed that whenever something concerned Lu Li, the difficulty escalated by countless orders of magnitude.

Looking at the slumbering Lu Li, Xie Jianwei could not help recalling the phrase, blinded by infatuation.

Yan Ke asked him, “Shall we continue the treatment?”

Xie Jianwei looked at him. “This time, you come in with me.”

Yan Ke gasped, “Huh?”

Xie Jianwei said, “If there is only one Lu Li, it’s fine. But with more of them, I worry I might make a mistake. If you come along, you can remind me at the right moments.”

Yan Ke was at a loss for words.

Xie Jianwei looked at him. “You can’t?”

Yan Ke stammered, “I-It’s not that I can’t, it’s j-just…” Clearing his throat, he went on, “You two are always so affectionate and sweet, doing this and that at every turn. As a single dog, it’s embarrassing to watch.”

Xie Jianwei had no words.

Yan Ke blinked at him playfully.

Xie Jianwei said, “That is simple. Enter without memories, and wipe your memories once you emerge.”

Yan Ke stood frozen.

Xie Jianwei added, “If you worry about getting too involved, you only need to turn into an inanimate object, like a ring, a bracelet, or even a tissue, which can be carried everywhere.”

Yan Ke whined tearfully, “I don’t want to be flushed down a toilet!”

Xie Jianwei stated with utter gravity, “You won’t be. In ancient times, there was a wastebasket next to the toilet, and tissues were generally not flushed.”

Yan Ke protested indignantly, “I don’t want to be tossed into a wastebasket either!”

Xie Jianwei wore an expression that clearly read, Why are you making such a fuss, child?

Wanting to cry without tears, Yan Ke compromised, “W-Wait a moment. Let me look into this and see if I can set up a communication device instead.”

That way, he wouldn’t need to plunge into the dream alone and helpless, while still monitoring the situation and offering timely reminders. More importantly, as long as he stayed outside, whenever inappropriate scenes unfolded, he could sever the link and wait outside.

Xie Jianwei had been waiting for precisely those words. “Good luck.”

Three days later, Yan Ke finally engineered the gadget. Reviewing it briefly and finding the mechanics sound enough to serve as a reliable alert system, Xie Jianwei said, “Let us begin.”

Opening his eyes inside the dream, Yan Ke’s gasp rang immediately in his ear.

“Good heavens! What a massive bust!”

Xie Jianwei was speechless.

Yan Ke cleared his throat. “Apologies, I lost my composure.”

Ignoring him, Xie Jianwei looked around, only for Yan Ke’s voice to sound again, “T-That one is even bigger than the last!”

Xie Jianwei paused in silence. “I didn’t bring you along to remind me of this.”

Yan Ke admitted bashfully, “I’m a virgin, I’ve never seen such things before.”

Xie Jianwei had no words.

It wasn’t that Yan Ke was making a fuss over nothing; the scene before them was genuinely scandalous, enough to leave any ordinary human wide-eyed.

This was a lavish grand hall, with precious gems studding the vaulted ceiling and rare obsidian paving the floor. Beneath dim, ambient lighting, elegantly dressed men and women raised their goblets in revelry.

It appeared to be a grand banquet.

The customs here were exceedingly liberal, the attire daringly provocative.

Leaving the men aside, the women’s gowns were remarkably skimpy.

Strapless dresses barely contained overflowing cleavage, and slit skirts reached nearly to the waist. Every sway of their hips was alluring, making it all too easy to glimpse things one shouldn’t.

Yan Ke fell silent, though sharp inhalations escaped him constantly.

Xie Jianwei asked him, “You like women?”

Wearing the face of an unabashed degenerate, Yan Ke said, “I like chests!”

Xie Jianwei was silent.

Yan Ke added, “Huge ones!”

Xie Jianwei rather regretted this. Partnering with a straight man, could they still cooperate smoothly?

Dazzled by a sea of bare skin, Yan Ke was rendered essentially useless.

Xie Jianwei looked down at himself. His attire was relatively modest, a tailored tailcoat that looked refined, aristocratic, and dignified.

The banquet was bustling with merriment. Guests mingled and laughed openly, the delicate giggles making one wonder if those well-endowed ladies might accidentally spill out if they laughed too hard.

Glancing around, Xie Jianwei saw no sign of Lu Li.

Still, there was no rush. A new dream had just begun, and he needed to familiarize himself with the setting first.

Right at that moment, an attendant served him a drink.

The vessel was a graceful goblet, slender and elegant like a swan on a lake.

The liquid within was crimson. Assuming it was red wine, Xie Jianwei thought little of it, but bringing it to his nose, he froze abruptly.

An intoxicating, intensely sweet fragrance hit him, leaving his senses slightly dizzy.

This wasn’t wine. What was it?

What kind of beverage could possess such an alluring scent capable of shaking the soul?

Yan Ke’s voice chimed in right on cue, “Good lord, that’s blood!”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Hm?”

Tearing his gaze away from the ladies for a moment, Yan Ke said solemnly, “My Lord, that is blood! Can’t you smell it? Such a heavy metallic stench!”

Xie Jianwei had no words.

A metallic stench? All he smelled was an unimaginably sweet aroma.

Incredibly sweet, sweeter than the richest fruit nectar.

Yan Ke cried out in shock, “My Lord, you’re going to drink it?”

Xie Jianwei halted mid-motion, only now realizing his lips were already brushing the rim of the glass, the crimson liquid tipping forward, on the verge of meeting his tongue.

Xie Jianwei said, “It seems I am a vampire.”

Yan Ke often played popular virtual role-playing games, catching on instantly. “A bloodsucker?”

Xie Jianwei nodded.

In truth, outside the Milky Way, there was indeed a race that fed on blood, often referred to by humans as the Blood Clan. However, due to planetary physiology, their blood was milky white with a taste very similar to milk. Furthermore, individuals of that species were only three inches tall, each more adorable than the last, vastly different from the vampires depicted in ancient archives.

Evidently, the vampires in Lu Li’s dream were no miniature extraterrestrials, but genuine blood-drinking monsters.

Xie Jianwei wondered whether the previous dream had provoked Lu Li so severely that in a fit of pique, he wouldn’t even let him remain human.

Yan Ke asked, “I wonder if the Lord Marshal is a vampire too.”

Xie Jianwei said, “I don’t even know where he is yet.”

Just then, a woman approached. Gazing at Xie Jianwei’s goblet for a moment, she chuckled charmingly, “My Lord, why wrong yourself like this? How could such inferior blood ever satisfy you?”

Xie Jianwei looked at her with an impassive gaze.

Fluttering her thick lashes, the woman murmured with seductive allure, “If you wish to drink, my blood is at your service anytime.”

As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, exposing a lovely neck. Her skin was exquisitely fair and fine. Beneath that delicate flesh, veins were faintly visible, carrying what seemed like a delectable nectar.

Xie Jianwei watched without blinking.

Yan Ke urged in a panic, “My Lord! Hold steady!”

Xie Jianwei smiled faintly, saying to the woman, “Thank you, but there is no need for now.”

The woman showed little disappointment, having anticipated this outcome. Rather than persisting, she merely sighed softly, “I wonder what kind of figure could ever catch Your Lordship’s eye.”

From behind Xie Jianwei came a hearty male voice, “A-Wei, you are far too selective. Turning down a beauty like this?”

Turning his head, Xie Jianwei saw a remarkably familiar face.

Yan Ke chimed in, “Oh, it’s Admiral Loren.”

The man before him wore an obsidian dress coat, tall and handsome, his normally wheat-toned complexion turned fair as a vampire in this realm.

He was Loren Carey, Lu Li’s right-hand man who followed him through campaigns across the stars. After the wars settled, he was promoted to Admiral, currently guarding the northwestern border as Lu Li’s absolute confidant.

Xie Jianwei shared a good relationship with him as well, in reality, that is.

Judging by appearances, they seemed on decent terms in the dream too.

Loren was a playboy who swapped companions faster than changing clothes, and clearly the same held true here.

Winking at the woman, he teased, “Might I have the honor of tasting such sweetness?”

The woman smiled alluringly at him. “With utmost pleasure.”

Laughing boisterously, Loren swept her into his arms and said to Xie Jianwei, “Excuse me.”

Xie Jianwei was speechless.

Yan Ke cleared his throat. “Admiral Loren truly lives up to his reputation as an untamed stallion.”

Xie Jianwei agreed wholeheartedly.

As the banquet progressed into the night, guests paired off in couples, wandering into secluded corners as their kisses deepened.

Seeing no sign of Lu Li, Xie Jianwei lost interest in lingering. After circling the room once, he took his leave.

He had no idea where he resided for the moment, but since Loren knew him, tracking that fellow down to fish for information would reveal plenty.

Wandering around, he actually ran right into Loren.

The Admiral had clearly just indulged himself, his hair damp, traces of blood lingering at the corner of his mouth. Looking thoroughly sated, it was obvious he had done far more than merely drink blood.

Loren lit a cigarette and offered it to Xie Jianwei.

Xie Jianwei said, “No need.”

Hanging it from his own lips, Loren asked casually, “Just how long are you going to wait?”

Sensing hidden meaning in those words, Xie Jianwei was quite keen to listen.

Sure enough, Loren continued, “A noble pureblood vampire starving to death in the end, wouldn’t that be humiliating?”

Xie Jianwei grasped a thread, but remained uncertain.

Clearly here to give him guidance, Loren went on without needing to be prompted, “Why be so picky? I think that girl Qianfeir is quite nice. Go bed her, drink some blood, and fill your stomach, that’s the proper way.”

Xie Jianwei said, “Out of the question.”

Loren sighed heavily with exasperation, “Brother, you have to taste hot blood. No matter how much cold blood you drink, it’s completely useless.”

Xie Jianwei found this rather peculiar. What kind of distinction was this between cold blood and hot blood?

Loren patted his shoulder and said, “Stop forcing yourself, look how starved you are.”

Following Loren, Xie Jianwei managed to locate his own residence, then spent a long time scouring tomes in the study.

Reading along with him, Yan Ke squeaked, “S-So embarrassing!”

Pondering, Xie Jianwei said, “If my Lu Li gave up being Marshal and switched to screenwriting, he would still be galactic-renowned.”

The texts made it crystal clear. Vampires lived on blood, and pureblood vampires in particular had to consume hot blood.

What was hot blood? It was the blood of a human right after reaching climax.