Chapter 222 Separation
April 13, Monday, Golden River Club.
“… You wanted to eat someone else’s dreams? Interesting. When did you start caring so much about dreams?”
In the luxurious private room, Wan Yue, holding a cigarette, lazily leaned back in her chair with her long legs crossed, speaking in a very plain tone, her expression slightly teasing.
Opposite Wan Yue, on the sofa, the two sisters of the Jiang family sat uneasily, each feeling varying degrees of anxiety.
“It might not be a dream; it was more like a hallucination. I just don’t know what happened, I was dazed and somehow ended up in my sister’s room, just like sleepwalking!”
Jiang Yao was getting anxious, gesturing with her hands, fearful that the other party wouldn’t understand her terror at the time.
“Xiao Yao, don’t rush. Anyway, we are all going to see Sister Su Xiao tomorrow for an examination.”
Jiang Yan grabbed Jiang Yao’s arm, soothing her emotions, “You haven’t slept all night; go lie down in the lounge for a while, or take a leave from Sister Ai and go home to rest.”
In front of Wan Yue, Jiang Yan coaxed Jiang Yao gently, convincing her to step out of the door.
Wan Yue smiled as she watched Jiang Yan’s motherly style of coaxing, without any interference.
A few minutes later, with a worried expression, Jiang Yan returned to the private room, standing behind Wan Yue.
“She’s not a child; your blunt hints will only make her more anxious. Sigh… Let’s put the dream thing aside for now; tell me more about the changes in Jiang Yao’s breathing early this morning.”
Wan Yue turned away from the floor-to-ceiling windows, her expression unusually serious.
Dreams are often an exaggerated construction of consciousness against elements of real life and may not truly reflect reality. However, both Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao had personally experienced dreams caused by physical changes in reality multiple times, which made Wan Yue extremely vigilant.
“Similar to pheromone instability, Xiao Yao has had various dreams before, but never like this early morning…”
Jiang Yan glanced at the closed room door behind her, her face beginning to redden, her tone lowering, “There was a very strong impulsive emotion, that kind of… physiological impulse, and it even affected me.”
“When she sleepwalked into my room, I also lost some control, almost boiling with desire, just like when I had dementia before; I particularly wanted to devour Xiao Yao…”
As she spoke, Jiang Yan’s face went from red to pale, her voice becoming softer.
“Hmm, I understand. After transcending into the queen realm, you both experience quite intense changes in your emotional characteristics. To put it bluntly, it’s akin to being in heat… However, hearing about the desire to devour each other for the first time is surprising.”
Wan Yue paced back and forth in the room, her brows furrowed as if contemplating the causal relationship involved.
“Sister Wan, I suspect this might be a manifestation of the instability between Xiao Yao and me. Could it be caused by practicing our harmonic abilities too much?”
Jiang Yan’s eyes followed Wan Yue’s movements, seeming to force herself to rationalize the situation.
Wan Yue stopped, turned her head, and smiled helplessly, “You’re finding excuses to comfort yourself… Forget it, just don’t go for the examination tomorrow. An examination can be a double-edged sword; too much will only make you more suspicious.”
“Look at you now; how are you any different from those ordinary people who suspect they’ll get an incurable disease? A queen is still a queen; since she is the most mysterious existence in our bloodline world, she will naturally be different.”
“No matter how bizarre a dream or sleepwalking is, don’t compare it to the degeneration of the Black Blood Clan… In a few days, we’ll go meet the elder of the Wang family and hear her perspective.”
However, just to be safe,
Starting today, you should live apart to avoid mutual influence and interference between two queens. Isn’t this just right? She moved into her new home yesterday.”
As Wan Yue spoke, she walked over to Jiang Yan, gently stroking her hair, regaining her usual elegance and composure. “There’s nothing extraordinary about sexual impulses. For our bloodline women, some urges are normal after each increase in rank; it will pass in time, so there’s no need to feel awkward or ashamed.”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have suddenly developed a crush on Chu Songming after being promoted to baron, almost getting into a pre-marital situation.”
As she reached this point, Wan Yue mischievously winked, seeming to have suddenly aged ten years, like a playful young girl.
Sister Wan always guided our worries towards being less severe, even joking about herself instead of adding to our psychological burdens…
Seeing the beautiful woman who was both a mentor and a friend in front of her, Jiang Yan smiled, feeling much calmer inside.
…
After a night of deviation, Jiang Yao seemed like a different person; she was not only listless but also carried a heavy, suppressed emotion, as if something significant had happened after yesterday’s housewarming.
This change made Xiao Ai and the others hesitate to inquire until Jiang Yan forcibly brought Jiang Yao into the staff lounge, preventing Jiang Yao’s emitted negative energy from turning into impolite expressions towards the guests.
At dinner time, Meng Huai was still the last to arrive. Upon entering the staff dining area, he noticed Jiang Yan sitting alone in the corner, seemingly lost in thought.
“Are you and Jiang Yao feeling unwell today?”
Meng Huai hesitated for a while and walked over to Jiang Yan, interrupting her daze. As a hybrid bloodline of the Altai-Penin, Meng Huai was naturally much more sensitive to emotional fluctuations than Xiao Ai and the others.
“It’s nothing…” Jiang Yan looked up at Meng Huai, forcing a slight smile. “Meng Huai, have you packed everything? Let’s go to my house after work today.”
Meng Huai remained silent for several seconds before finally nodding gently.
“Meng Huai, there’s a question… After I was heavily injured and fell unconscious, I mean, since you woke up, have you noticed anything unusual about my aura?”
Jiang Yan sat up straight, staring intently at the tall young man before her, her face slightly flushed, as if feeling a little shy.
“Don’t you dislike me asking about these things?”
Meng Huai avoided Jiang Yan’s gaze and lowered his head slightly.
Actually, it wasn’t just last time… Meng Huai felt that since this morning, he had been somewhat obsessed with Jiang Yan’s aura, including that irresistibly enticing scent of blood and the faint lingering fragrance that she exuded.
“Will it affect your… I mean, the feeling of discomfort?”
Jiang Yan’s face reddened even more, and without finishing her thought, she suddenly stood up and walked outside.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that…”
Jiang Yan’s footsteps quickened, almost leaving no chance for Meng Huai to respond as she disappeared from the staff dining area.
Maybe the relationship between him and her has nothing to do with emotions, just the mutual physical interference caused by pheromones, not a genuine emotional spark. Because like Jiang Yao, I am a special bloodline… Yes, that’s it.
As Jiang Yan walked toward the lobby, she reached this conclusion in her heart.
…
Hours later, just before getting off work, things were different this time. After changing her clothes, Jiang Yan did not sit with Jiang Yao, who looked at her with a strange expression, staring longingly at Jiang Yan’s back, softly murmuring:
“Sister, are you waiting for Meng Huai to get off work…?”
A few minutes later, at one o’clock in the morning, the grand clock chimed, and Meng Huai, lingering, walked up behind Jiang Yan.
“Hmm, yesterday Xiao Ling brought over the stuff he left at the Hyacinth Mountain Villa. There’s a lot; he’s still packing it up.”
Jiang Yan turned her head, wearing a calm smile, her tone very relaxed.
“Sister, why don’t you go to the new house for these few days? I’m afraid I won’t adapt, so let Meng Huai stay at the old house first.”
Jiang Yao’s voice carried a hint of uneasiness and a trace of pleading.
Watching the pale-faced girl in front of her, Jiang Yan felt a sudden sting in her heart but firmly shook her head: “Xiao Yao, Sister Wan said it’s best for us to stay apart for a while and observe; we’ll ask the elder of the Wang family in a few days. Is that alright?”
“Do you think I’m a burden!? Are you so heartless as to abandon me!”
Jiang Yao suddenly raised her voice, grabbing Jiang Yan’s arm, her face paling, her whole body trembling.
A series of hoarse cries startled several Hyacinth girls waiting for their rides, including Xiao Ai and Xiao Dong, who were discussing their May Day holiday plans, and they approached with puzzled expressions.
“I’m afraid I’ll lose my mind and hurt you! If I live with you now, it will be very dangerous!”
Jiang Yan turned her back, no longer looking at Jiang Yao.
“Am I already a monster in your eyes!? Then why do you all pretend to comfort me normally! I can live alone; who cares!”
Jiang Yao gritted her teeth, holding onto Jiang Yan’s arm, and suddenly turned to run out of the door, heading into the night.
Turning around, Jiang Yan stared blankly at the figure disappearing outside, her heart a mix of emotions.
The Hyacinth people on the scene were at a loss, but seeing Jiang Yan, who usually acted like a sister and mother, so resolutely wanting to separate from Jiang Yao, even Xiao Ai and Xiao Dong exchanged glances and sighed together.
“Why don’t I just let it go…”
Holding two large bags, Meng Huai appeared behind Jiang Yan.
“It’s fine; she’s gotten used to relying on me; I have to accommodate her in everything. What am I? Her nanny, chef, laundry maid? She’s grown; she should learn to live independently!”
Jiang Yan sneered, stood up, and took one of the bags from Meng Huai’s hands, walking towards the door without looking back, leaving everyone, including Xiao Ai, dumbfounded.
In the dimly lit grand hall, where most of the lights had been extinguished, Wan Yue quietly observed everything happening below from the edge of the third-floor balcony, her body motionless.
…
…
In the luxurious, exquisitely designed new flat, including the outdoor garden, every light fixture had been meticulously calculated for placement, and the soft lighting enveloped both the inside and outside of the house, radiating a gentle comfort belonging to home in the night.
Cuddled up in a blanket, Jiang Yao was curled up in the bedroom, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
The house was big, new, and beautiful, but Jiang Yao felt an inexplicable sense of loneliness and fear.
Almost every room’s light was turned on, a habit that had disappeared for over a decade, suddenly resurfacing that night.
This was a peculiar childhood habit of Gu Yao; when alone in the dark, she couldn’t sleep unless the lights were on.
At that time, even the old headmistress, Grandma Jiang, couldn’t do anything about it.
It wasn’t until Gu Yan and Xia Yan became close friends and lived together that this habit slowly diminished.
Extrajudicial Frenzy: Just got off the plane.
Extrajudicial Frenzy: I’m home; you should be asleep by now?
On the social app, several messages from Zhong Jing appeared over an hour ago, clearly indicating he had returned to City C from the capital, but Jiang Yao had not replied.
Looking at the lavish and empty bedroom, Jiang Yao picked up her phone and turned on the screen: Zhong Jing, come to my new house; I’m alone; my sister isn’t living with me.
The time on the phone was already past two in the morning, and sure enough, after waiting for nearly half an hour, Jiang Yao still hadn’t received any response from Zhong Jing.
With a snap, the phone was thrown to the ground. Jiang Yao’s face turned iron gray, and she wrapped the blanket around herself tightly.
“I just had a dream; why is it like this… Now she’s living with Meng Huai…”
Wrapped in the blanket, Jiang Yao pressed her chin against her knees, mumbling to herself.
There had been long periods of separation from Jiang Yan before, but never had it made Jiang Yao feel so intensely uncomfortable inside and out as today.
Looking up at the wall clock and then at the cracked phone on the ground, Jiang Yao jumped out of bed and started to get dressed again.
…
At three in the morning, in a certain cultural preservation alley of District J.
Before going to bed, Jiang Yan intentionally injected hormone inhibitors to mask any potential abnormal pheromone fluctuations, even deadbolt-locked the door tightly.
Jiang Yan had been unable to sleep, simply staring blankly at the half-moon outside, replaying the small turmoil that had occurred between her and Jiang Yao two hours earlier in her mind.
Xiao Yao and I have both become unknown quantities; perhaps it’s truly the mark of becoming queens…
Both Xiao Yao and I have experienced an urge to devour each other; is this the inner demon, the curse of our genes?
But why is there no such reaction when I’m with others from the Hyacinth?
What is Xiao Yao doing now? Will she suddenly feel bloodthirsty? Is there enough blood left at the new house for her to drink? Will she be unable to sleep like me…
Thinking about this, Jiang Yan’s eyelids started to feel heavy, and she gradually fell into a dazed state.
In another bedroom, Meng Huai lay in bed fully clothed, also unable to sleep, staring at the black ceiling, feeling waves of anxiety in his heart.
Jiang Yan’s question at dinnertime had been echoing in his mind.
Meng Huai felt that his impression of Jiang Yan was more of a physiological dependency on pheromones, a habitual inertia from months of being unconscious until waking up, and perhaps it wasn’t even real emotion.
Perhaps many interactions and psychological changes between bloodlines stem from mutual pheromone stimulation and interference?
But why, even when I was still an ordinary person, did I have an inexplicable desire for closeness with Jiang Yan? Could it be that during the third phase of mutation, my body subconsciously began to feel the influence of Jiang Yan’s aura?
Meng Huai knew all of this was just wild guessing, but remembering Jiang Yan’s inexplicable question to him, it seemed there was a reasonable possibility, and they both were aware of the issue.
Suddenly, a faint, familiar aura wafted from the direction of the courtyard entrance. Meng Huai froze, got out of bed, and quietly made his way to the living room to slightly open the curtains facing the small yard.
The small courtyard was pitch black, the courtyard gate was normal as before, but Jiang Yao’s aura was faintly discernible outside in the alley.
“Sigh…”
Meng Huai sighed, took a few steps back, glanced at the tightly shut master bedroom door, and slowly sat down on the sofa in the living room, closing his eyes to rest.
In the dim alley, the nearest streetlight stood kilometers away. Jiang Yao huddled against the wall, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the ground.
From this distance, Jiang Yao’s aura was almost imperceptible, but occasionally, a familiar fluctuation would enter her mind, warming her body and spirit.
The early spring chill made Jiang Yao pull her shoulders closer, and gradually she felt sleepy, mumbling something indistinctly before slowly closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
Hundreds of meters away, in an unoccupied small courtyard, Dr. Lu, who was secretly on watch, squatted on the rooftop, peering through the night vision device with a strange expression as he looked into the dark depths of the alley, his face filled with bewilderment.
“Dr. Lu, Brother Twelve is here.”
A fully armed knight from the Wang family appeared behind Dr. Lu, lowering his voice, while also curiously glancing in a certain direction.
“Old Lu, why did Jiang Yao come back here in the middle of the night? Is something wrong?”
A shadow walked into the small courtyard, looking up at the rooftop direction; if they were to stay close, it would be possible to sense a faint aura of chaos from this person.
“Sigh, I don’t know; I wanted to call you, but why did Jiang Yao return… Forget it, safety first; let’s keep watching from the shadows.”
Dr. Lu jumped into the small courtyard, looking at his ally, equally helpless.
As morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom, it illuminated Jiang Yao’s small face.
Outside the door, familiar scents of breakfast wafted in. Jiang Yao groggily sat up, yawning and habitually reaching into her nightgown to scratch her skin that was prickling at the chest.
“You haven’t slept enough; lie down a little longer. I’ll keep breakfast warm for you.”
The door opened, and Jiang Yan walked into the bedroom with a calm expression, placing a pile of clothes on the bedside.
“Oh…”
Jiang Yao rubbed her eyes, weakly lying back down on the pillow.
Suddenly, as if recalling something, Jiang Yao sat up with a start, her eyes wide with fear as she looked at the familiar bedroom and the serious Jiang Yan before her.
“Sister, I…”
Jiang Yao’s face flushed red, her mouth opening several times, but she couldn’t articulate a complete sentence.
“It’s Meng Huai who brought you back. He stayed on the sofa in the living room all night… Your nightgown is mine, and after you’ve rested, make sure to take a shower; this is the clothing you forgot to take with you, which is just right for changing.”
“You silly girl, why did you run back in the dead of night and fall asleep alone in the alley? What, trying to show off to me…?”
Jiang Yan sat at the edge of the bed, running her fingers through Jiang Yao’s messy hair, feeling utterly helpless.
Jiang Yao didn’t dare speak, just lowering her head and rubbing her nightgown.
No matter what, you have to gradually adapt, even without Sister Wan’s instructions. Grandma Jiang used to say you must learn to be independent… I will set aside one or two days each week to stay with you at the new house; that should work, right?”
Jiang Yan sighed and turned her back.
“Where’s Meng Huai?”
“He has already gone to the club. He doesn’t intend to come here anymore; he has decided to live at the club. That’s good, after all, I’m not used to it either.”
Jiang Yan turned around and wore a slightly awkward smile.
“Sister, let’s promise we won’t be separated for our entire lives!”
Jiang Yao hugged Jiang Yan’s waist, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s.
Feeling the strength of Jiang Yao’s arms, Jiang Yan took a deep breath, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but gently prying open the embrace before walking out of the bedroom.
