Chapter 141: Unbearable Obsession
January 16, Thursday.
At dusk, a military-licensed SUV stopped in front of the gate of the Zhong family villa. Han Jieqian adjusted his appearance as he got out of the car, picked up his briefcase, and pressed the doorbell.
In the main hall, Zhong Hai sat side by side with his wife on the sofa, nervously watching the unfamiliar lieutenant officer in front of them.
As Zhong Hai stared at the young officer’s face and the briefcase next to him, his heart sank further and further. Perhaps it was a hopeful avoidance or a resigned acceptance he had been mentally preparing for—the different thoughts twisted and churned within him.
“Mr. Zhong, Comrade Meng Huai went missing unexpectedly while carrying out his last border mission. The troops are currently doing everything possible to search for him…”
Han Jieqian took a deep breath, retrieved a document from the briefcase, and placed it on the coffee table. As of today, it had been a month since the incident. According to regulations, the family must be informed, and he hoped that the couple could prepare themselves mentally…
“A soldier’s duty is to protect the home and the country. As long as he is in the army, he must be prepared for sacrifice at any time. I understand the difficulties faced by the military leadership.”
Zhong Hai took off his glasses and wiped them carefully. Finally, a tear appeared at the corner of his eye, while Zhong Ma tightly held his arm.
“We are still doing our best to search for Comrade Meng Huai. If you receive any strange messages, please consider them scams and call this number immediately. We will investigate.”
After Han Jieqian finished speaking, he handed over a piece of paper and subtly turned his gaze towards the corner of the spiral staircase on the first floor.
In that spot, half a silhouette of a girl could be seen, eavesdropping.
Han Jieqian politely declined Zhong Ma’s invitation to dinner and took one last look at the direction of the first floor before leaving.
“I just had a feeling that something bad would happen these days. Look, Jing’er has been bedridden with a severe cold, and now there’s bad news for the eldest… I plan to go to Baoguang Temple in Zone X to pray for the two children and bless our Zhong family.”
When Zhong Hai returned after seeing off the guest, Zhong Ma hurried to greet him, her expression somewhat anxious.
“Well, sincerity will yield results; just do what you think is right… I’m going to the study for a bit. I forgot to take my blood pressure medication today.”
The pain in Zhong Hai’s heart grew more pronounced as he gently clutched his chest, walking towards the study, leaving Zhong Ma standing there, increasingly at a loss.
…
On the second floor, in Zhong Jing’s bedroom.
Zhong Jing lay in bed, holding a tablet computer, intently watching various trending or outdated news related to Ya Province during this period, trying to catch some clues.
“Jing-kun, does the news about my brother come? I heard he has been missing for a month…”
He Qianqiao sat at the bedside, her head lowered, not daring to look at Zhong Jing’s face, only busily arranging the blanket.
It’s not surprising; the death of an undercover officer usually comes packaged this way. Maybe in a while, it would just be the unit’s leadership bringing the notification of sacrifice.
Zhong Jing forced a smile, but the desolation in her eyes was evident. She disdainfully said, “The Zhong family has become acquainted with cemeteries during this time. We just recently moved Aunt Meng’s grave… and now we have to busy ourselves with buying a new cemetery.”
If they can’t find the body, I’m afraid the teacup in his study will have to be buried as well.
After saying this, Zhong Jing tossed aside the tablet, cradled her head in her arms, and blankly stared at the ceiling.
He Qianqiao quietly raised her head, looking at Zhong Jing’s slightly flushed face from a low fever, her heart also churning.
If I were to have a check-up now, would I find out I have some malignant tumor?
Zhong Jing suddenly turned her head, smiling at He Qianqiao, who was looking down, her casual self-mockery still evident.
“I’m sorry, Jing-kun… I won’t let anything happen to you…” He Qianqiao clenched her teeth, lifted her head, and reached out to touch Zhong Jing’s face: “I’ll keep you by my side, at any cost.”
Keep doing foolish things? Or are you holding something back?
Zhong Jing pushed He Qianqiao’s hand away, stretched lazily, and wore a nonchalant expression. “My family has money, so keeping this life shouldn’t be hard; but is there really any difference between my malignant tumor and a real malignant tumor?”
“Don’t worry… just rest well, see you tomorrow.”
He Qianqiao smiled, stood up, slightly bowed, and left the room. Her attitude was quite different from before, as if she had been talking to herself all along.
Watching He Qianqiao’s retreating figure, Zhong Jing slowly furrowed her brows.
…
Back on her bedroom balcony, He Qianqiao sat down on a long bench, staring blankly at the night sky with a wooden expression.
A familiar wave of aura…
After a while, Bai Yu Qian Zhen in black clothing continued to kneel on one leg in front of He Qianqiao.
“Did you find her?”
He Qianqiao waved her small hand, and the plush cat Hei Jiang jumped onto her lap, purring as it searched for a comfortable position.
“Hmph, it’s been confirmed that Jiang Yao has been staying at the homes of several Hyacinth members during this time. The address is…”
Bai Yu Qian Zhen lowered his head and recounted a string of information, glancing up at He Qianqiao with suspicion.
“My subordinate also discovered that Jiang Yao’s spiritual power is increasing rapidly, which is strange and doesn’t seem like a normal half-step baron.”
“There’s no need to be surprised; that power doesn’t actually belong to her… Send a secret letter inviting her to meet at this park after midnight.”
He Qianqiao handed over a piece of paper she held and then walked back into the room with the plush cat.
“Hmph!”
After glancing at the information on the paper, Bai Yu Qian Zhen lowered his head deeply and then vanished.
…
At 1 AM, in the Meiyuan of Botanical Garden, District J of City C.
In the winter night, the fragrance of the wintersweet floated through the air. Under a wintersweet tree, He Qianqiao, carrying a sword, was closing her eyes to meditate. The plush cat Hei Jiang was lazily licking its forepaws, half asleep.
A slender black figure appeared on the undulating slope in the distance, hurrying over to stop a dozen meters away from He Qianqiao.
Dressed in standard Hyacinth combat gear, with long hair tied back, she was equipped with various arms: a long dagger hanging from her right thigh and a silenced gun on the left, her face showing a mix of confusion and disdain as it warmed up slightly from exercise.
“I was wondering which lunatic ordered takeout and left a little note to meet… Are you sick or something, choosing such a distant place? Are you going to reimburse my taxi fare?”
Jiang Yao stood with her hands on her hips, a face full of impatience.
He Qianqiao’s reason for inviting her was simple: to find a resolve regarding Zhong Jing.
“You didn’t just try to take down Zhong Jing, did you? Tsk, tsk, whether he has the means is another story; if you can’t handle him, why look for me?”
Jiang Yao’s face flushed slightly, but her words remained harsh with a tone of twisted sarcasm.
“Your aggression is too strong, Jiang Yao, or to put it another way… you are even more hypocritical than me; what are you trying to hide?”
He Qianqiao caressed the plush cat in her arms, then shrugged her wrist, pointing a finger at Jiang Yao’s body. “I know that Jing-kun and you paid a high price to save the Hyacinth’s companions… So, if Jing-kun encounters a crisis, what can you do?”
“He hasn’t come to the club for several days… What do you mean!?”
Jiang Yao’s heart skipped a beat; on the surface, she maintained her cold words, but gradually, some tension spread across her brows.
“Jiang Yao, do you like Jing-kun?”
He Qianqiao tossed her hands, causing the plush cat to drop suddenly, letting out a dissatisfied cry. Meanwhile, the Japanese girl, her eyes firmly locked on Jiang Yao, was unyielding.
“What’s it to you? Do you still think of yourself as the young mistress of the Zhong family?”
Jiang Yao crossed her arms in front of her chest, rolling her eyes.
“Your strength may not even belong to you, but it certainly gives you the arrogance… Miss Jiang Yao, if I tell you that the faster you grow, the more pleased certain people will be, can you remain confident?”
He Qianqiao’s lips curled into a cold smirk, an unexpected darkness surfacing in her expression that didn’t match her apparent age.
In the next moment, He Qianqiao was overwhelmed with emotions, her face flushed, drawing her blade and gripping it with both hands, pointing it at Jiang Yao from more than ten meters away.
A surge of pheromone storm erupted instantly, filled with rage, anxiety, and sorrow, as if even the nearby wintersweet trees were affected by an invisible shockwave.
Countless petals rose, and the gentle scent of winter combined with the chaotic emotions, seemingly calming and admonishing any ill-timed bloodshed.
“Hehe, so the Fujiwara family finally couldn’t hold back and is going to target me?”
After spending time with Wan Yue, Jiang Yao had already adapted to the baron’s pressure and began to boil with blood, a fierce aura that emerged from her, becoming thicker, more violent, and even more savage.
“Incredible; you are a baron? No… that’s not quite right… stronger than an average mid-tier baron.”
He Qianqiao’s expression shifted with a flicker of surprise, followed by a bitter smile and shaking her head repeatedly: “I shouldn’t judge everything by normal vampire standards, Miss Jiang Yao, you really are a monster…
Do you still need me to evaluate you?
Jiang Yao frowned, her face showing disdain but after a few seconds, her astonishment emerged: “You… have you lost your mind? Isn’t your period still ongoing?!”
They bantered back and forth, but Jiang Yao still sensed something was off from He Qianqiao’s surging bloodlust, as the Japanese girl was actually breaking the taboo during her menstrual period.
The terrifying sensation of being able to tear everything within her body was one Jiang Yao could recall experiencing once, an ordeal she wished to forget.
Clearly, He Qianqiao at that moment, for some emotional reason or other, was oblivious to her own body, throwing caution to the wind.
Going head-to-head with a woman in such a state was something Jiang Yao found very difficult to accept, whatever the outcome.
“Don’t underestimate the British vampire baron; give it your all, Miss Jiang Yao!”
With a slight smile, He Qianqiao did not answer but instead increased the crimson in her eyes.
Suddenly, the Japanese girl’s small hands holding the sword tilted slightly, as if sending out a signal, then her body surged forward abruptly toward Jiang Yao.
At the same moment, a dark corner where the previously hidden plush cat Xun Jiang transformed into a terrifying little demon, baring its teeth and rushing towards Jiang Yao from the side at high speed.
It felt like the training instructor at the hidden arrow training center had once said: British vampire barons like to play with pets… Sensing the rapidly approaching aberrant plush cat by her side, Jiang Yao had no choice but to face a two-pronged assault against the combat power of two barons simultaneously.
The British vampires ranked fastest in growth among all vampire lineages, suggesting that He Qianqiao’s combat strength was relatively weaker than other vampire barons.
Especially in terms of boiling blood threshold and stability, the British vampires were likely at the bottom among the eight vampire lineages.
Their greatest reliance lay in the blood beasts nurtured by their own blood, the one and only lineage capable of turning their closest pets into blood beasts through long-term feeding, thus becoming their primary fighting force.
The blood of the British vampires was akin to a contractual potion that transformed the closest pets into comparable blood beasts, binding them for life.
However, to cultivate a blood beast that could genuinely fight, in addition to carefully selecting strong and close-knit blood relatives, one had to invest a long time constantly feeding their blood to reach the same level.
The aberrant blood beast plush cat leaped faster than He Qianqiao, attacking Jiang Yao’s side. Even Jiang Yao, who was known for possessing the talents of the Caucasian bloodlines, had no choice but to heighten her vigilance.
In less than a second, the blood beast cat’s claws clashed against Jiang Yao’s dagger, resulting in a crisp sound of collision, after which the blood beast cat bounced off, using its hind legs for leverage, preparing for a second round of attacks. At this time, He Qianqiao’s hands gripped the sword, entering the charging chop’s last moment.
“He Qianqiao, stop boiling; do you really want to die?!”
Jiang Yao shouted urgently as she fended off the blood beast cat.
Maybe… which side do you want to choose, Miss Jiang Yao?
With her eyes blood-red and a cruel smile on her lips, He Qianqiao surged forward, her sword drawn, closing in on Jiang Yao within less than a meter.
Having never experienced such real combat, Jiang Yao almost reflexively charged at He Qianqiao, ignoring the blood beast cat’s attack beside her, as the gleaming Japanese sword posed a far greater threat than the blood beast cat’s dark claws.
A sharp tearing pain shot through her waist, but He Qianqiao’s attack was deflected by Jiang Yao’s dagger.
The blonde girl gritted her teeth, ignoring her wounds, pressing onward as she needlessly threw her knee into He Qianqiao’s chest.
“Ugh…”
The speed of the Caucasian vampires and the explosive physical strength of the Altai vampires triggered both combat talents simultaneously within Jiang Yao. Under this blow, the Japanese girl let out a muffled groan, her body flying away like a kite with a broken string.
He Qianqiao rolled on the ground, managing to push herself up slowly while clutching her chest, soon after spitting out a mouthful of blood, her face twisted and miserable.
Clearly, He Qianqiao’s melee capabilities were indeed low; likely due to the overly pampered life as a graceful heiress, she seldom underwent real combat training.
Jiang Yao wasn’t faring any better either, her waist armor torn open severely, bleeding profusely, with visible wounds starting to turn black, possibly due to some unknown toxin in the blood beast cat’s claws.
Haha, unexpectedly, that didn’t affect your boiling blood’s stability… Miss Jiang Yao, the perfect talent of the Apennine vampires has saved you some resources.
He Qianqiao’s complexion began to pale, as she knelt on one leg, one hand propping the sword while the other trembled over her lower abdomen, looking utterly terrified, as the intense pain brought on by the boiling blood taboo during her period surpassed her visible injuries.
“Heh, you surely seem to know quite a bit… you psychotic woman!”
Jiang Yao cradled her left side’s wound, her fury growing, her red eyes ablaze as if she would burn everything; if you want death, I’ll accommodate you!
Villains often die from speaking too much. Jiang Yao lost her patience for the banter and instantly maximized her boiling blood again, feeling a burning sensation around her wound while the numbness from the blood beast cat’s previous attack faded.
After merely resting for two or three seconds, Jiang Yao pressed downward again, shooting toward He Qianqiao.
The blood beast cat reappeared, now directly blocking Jiang Yao’s way, seemingly trying to prevent her from launching a fatal attack on its master.
“Go to hell!”
Jiang Yao’s dagger swept, directly severing the blood beast cat’s right front paw, then a backhand elbow strike caught the blood beast cat’s mutated body, causing it to undergo an impact deformation while letting out a tragic howl as it flew away.
At this moment, He Qianqiao charged forward once more, executing a vertical slash, with the glinting blade cascading down toward Jiang Yao.
Dodging aside to evade the heavy blow, another sweeping kick sent He Qianqiao and her blade crashing again into the distance, with Jiang Yao clearly gaining the upper hand.
Yet, the landing He Qianqiao had no intention of giving up, crouching down, wrist twitching as her blade pointed once again at Jiang Yao, her pretty face now smeared with blood, as cold as ice.
…
Within twenty minutes, the outcome was clear; He Qianqiao’s boiling blood had overdrawn. The menstrual taboo led to chaos in her boiling blood, exacerbating the British vampires’ already weak boiling blood stability.
Forced into high-intensity close-quarters combat with Jiang Yao, it was evident that in a prolonged battle, the British vampires would be at a disadvantage. In terms of combat experience, He Qianqiao lagged behind Jiang Yao by a considerable margin.
The beloved blood beast cat had long been severely injured and retired from the battle; continuing would only lead to a dead end, while Jiang Yao remained vigorous.
Ultimately, Jiang Yao used her illogical endurance in the boiling blood battle to completely drain He Qianqiao of all her physical strength.
Jiang Yao straddled the now powerless He Qianqiao, her left hand’s dagger pressing against the latter’s neck while her right hand pulled out a silenced pistol, pressing it firmly against her forehead.
“Keep going wild, just keep it up! You better not die, you little Japanese girl!”
Jiang Yao spat out a mouthful of blood-tainted saliva, gasping for breath, her fierce gaze containing a mixture of disdain and contempt.
“Miss Jiang Yao… if you kill me… I’ll give up…”
He Qianqiao held her somewhat sunken chest, gasping, a hint of a grim smile on her face.
“What the hell are you doing today, rushing to court death?! If you want to die, then come!”
Jiang Yao’s heart tightened as she released her grip on the dagger, grabbing He Qianqiao’s neck, directly lifting her up against a nearby wintersweet tree, conflicting emotions swirling in her vivid red eyes.
“Please give up on Jing-kun; you can’t bring him happiness…”
He Qianqiao tightly closed her eyes, coughing, fresh blood trickling from her lips.
“You’re capable, go provoke him; what do you want with me?!”
Jiang Yao felt an inexplicable fury rising, applying more force, wanting to choke the life out of He Qianqiao.
“Either let me have him… or like Sister Mi Mi, Jing-kun gives me a child…”
He Qianqiao laughed bitterly, starting to cry.
“You… you’ve really lost your mind!”
Images of Zhong Jing inexplicably filled Jiang Yao’s mind, causing her grip to loosen as she stepped back, her ears flushed, filled with displeasure and disgust.
“What can I do! I’ve long been assessed by my family to only possess the qualifications of a viscount! If it wasn’t for Jing-kun, I’d be forcibly arranged to breed after being promoted to viscount, what’s the difference with being livestock?”
“For the last decades of my life, perhaps I’d still be locked in a castle, becoming a blood man, dedicating my blood to the old family and nourishing other descendants.”
Suddenly, He Qianqiao burst into tears, overcome by the thought of being weaned and gasping, her laughter punctuated by odd tremors.
“You Japanese are really disgusting…”
Jiang Yao was momentarily startled, her face turning even redder as she spat.
“Miss Jiang Yao, do you know why the Fujiwara family rarely has dark-blooded members? Because after each child’s birth, their lifetimes are already planned out… Some are eliminated from birth, while others can live…”
He Qianqiao slowly slid down from the tree trunk to the ground, smiling strangely, yet tears continued to flow from her face.
“You’re just unlucky; who told you to be reborn in Japan… who can you blame…”
Listening to the Japanese girl bitterly lament about her own fate, inexplicably, Jiang Yao’s killing intent gradually faded.
Glancing at the weak figure before her, Jiang Yao grinned, pulling a golden pill from her waist, and shoved it firmly into He Qianqiao’s mouth, then casually sat on the ground.
“The Engel family and the James family don’t consider the Fujiwara a true partner… becoming a duke is the dream of every Fujiwara family member… What am I? I’m just a pawn in the ambition of my family…”
The medicine began to take effect; He Qianqiao’s pain eased somewhat. After a few breaths, she gradually moved closer to Jiang Yao, reaching out and resting a hand on Jiang Yao’s arm, displaying a pleading expression.
“Miss Jiang Yao, you must like Jing-kun, right?!”
“I don’t mind if he likes you too, but please, just wait until I’m pregnant, okay?”
At this moment, He Qianqiao had become a bit incoherent.
“You’re just thinking too much… what’s it to me… You’re with him every day; haven’t you had your chance?”
Jiang Yao’s face flushed further, her body shifting slightly to avoid He Qianqiao’s hand, her eyes darting elsewhere.
A silence ensued, even He Qianqiao stopped crying, and the two girls averted their gazes from one another, the atmosphere turned oppressively tense.
“Do you really want to have a child with Zhong Jing? With no ulterior motives?”
Minutes later, Jiang Yao raised her head, muttering softly.
He Qianqiao quickly nodded, her hands gripping tightly at her makeshift support.
“Yuck, I won’t fall for it!”
Jiang Yao stood up, gripping her wound, inhaling deeply before turning away without looking back, heading into the distance.
“Hey… I still don’t believe what you said… Tonight’s encounter must remain confidential.”
“And… you mustn’t lay a hand on Zhong Jing, understand? Definitely not!”
In the dark, amidst the dense shadows of the wintersweet trees, Jiang Yao’s voice carried a hint of awkwardness.
The injured plush cat Xun Ke, resurrected to its original form, approached He Qianqiao slowly, covered in blood, gently licking the latter’s hand, emitting an aggrieved whimper.
Once Jiang Yao’s scent completely dissipated, He Qianqiao revealed a mysterious smile.
First, she cradled the plush cat, carefully inspecting its paw gaps. When she saw a few strands of fresh blood and flesh, her smile widened in delight.
She pulled out a test tube from her pocket, meticulously collecting those bits of Jiang Yao’s blood and flesh. Then, leaning on her weakened body, she started searching the entire battleground for Jiang Yao’s spilled blood.
Unfortunately, everything mixed with the soil, severely contaminated, most of it caked over, losing its value.
“He Qianqiao, you’re betting your life there, so don’t play any tricks.”
Suddenly, a middle-aged man in a white coat emerged from the dark wintersweet grove.
“You’re from the Wang family… Jin Sang?”
He Qianqiao shivered, tightly gripping the test tube in her hand, her pale face showing strong resentment.
The Wang family and the Fujiwara family could be rivals or partners, but some matters will turn them into enemies. It would be best for Miss He Qian to avoid such moves.
I can’t meddle in the squabbles of you two girls, but please leave the items behind, and consider today’s events as if they never happened.
Old Jin smiled coldly, stopping a few meters away from He Qianqiao, staring intently at her face. Behind him, several fully-armed knights from the Wang family quietly appeared.
“I knew the Wang family had been keeping an eye on her…”
He Qianqiao bitterly smiled, glancing regretfully at the test tube in her hand before finally closing her eyes and discarding it.
After her brutal battle with Jiang Yao, she had long lost the ability to continue fighting; besides, the opponent before her was a high-tier baron from Siberia.
Even disregarding the menstrual taboo and the exhaustion of her body, this veteran baron from the Wang family could easily eliminate her.
“Jin Sang… can you save Zhong Jing…”
Looking at Old Jin’s retreating silhouette, He Qianqiao gritted her teeth and finally shouted.
“Zhong Jing? What happened to him?”
Old Jin turned around in surprise, a look of astonishment on his face.
