Winter night. The biting wind howled through the silent streets beneath a high-hanging full moon—the hour when most humans sank into deep slumber. Darkness swallowed the unlit road. Even crickets couldn’t drown the wind’s mournful song. Only one window cast a faint glow over a patch of shadowy pavement.

Inside, two figures nestled under the quilt. Ling Yu sat upright, cradling a silver-haired girl who looked far younger. Her twin tails undone, silky hair spilled neatly over the covers. Straddling his lap, only her head peeked out. Tongxi rested against his chest, gazing up at him. Two tiny “wings” on her head twitched playfully. She wore a cute pink-and-white nightgown—changed after her bath. (Don’t ask how such clothes appeared in a “man’s” room. Xia Mo bought them for Zila. But Ling Yu, who prided himself on being manly, would never wear girly clothes.)

Tongxi brimmed with energy, not a trace of sleepiness. For the Blood Clan—commonly known as vampires—their rhythm ran opposite to humans: active by night, dormant by day. Ling Yu knew this, yet stayed to keep her company.

“Why didn’t Ling Yu charge the priest directly? I was so worried!” Tongxi pointed at words in her book, piecing together a sentence. The book hid her lower face; her ruby-bright eyes blinked eagerly.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Ling Yu slipped smoothly into teacher mode. “Tongxi, if I’d rushed in, I’d have lost. Think: what season is it now?”

Her half-hidden face turned toward the snow-blanketed window, then back to him.

“Winter, right? With this heavy snow,” Ling Yu continued. “Wu Jie’s an ice-element priest. This blizzard boosts his spirit summoning. If I’d charged blindly, his ‘snowman’ would’ve frozen me solid.”

He’d noticed the summoned creature’s slow pace—letting it approach was smarter than closing in himself. Having been burned by priests before, he suspected Wu Jie hid a trump card, just like Ling Yu had against the archer teacher. So he used the swirling snow curtain—whipped up by wind and “snowman”—as cover. Unseen, he struck. Victory secured.

Tongxi’s eyes sparkled brighter with every word.

“So amazing!” She flipped pages energetically, tracing out another sentence.

“Alright, alright—it’s late. Sleep time! I just bathed you; I’m exhausted,” Ling Yu sighed.

Tongxi shook her head firmly.

“You silly child, humans sleep at night. Kids need rest. Be good~” He sounded oddly urgent.

Eyes crinkled in a mischievous smile behind the crumpled book, she pointed: “Then hold me while I sleep, okay?”

“Ugh… fine, fine!” He agreed too quickly.

Lights off. He pulled her close under the quilt.

But Tongxi pressed tighter—almost melting into him. Mindful of boundaries, Ling Yu gently resisted. She tried looping her legs around him; he slipped free each time.

*Ugh, this little loli… stop clinging to me!*

Guilt prickled over the age gap. A faint milky scent from her skin drifted up, teasing stray thoughts. *As an upright knightly Arcanist Warrior, I won’t fall for this.*

Hours later, once Tongxi finally slept, Ling Yu quietly slipped out. Moonlight guided him to the wardrobe. He grabbed clothes and tiptoed to the bathroom.

After a day of battle, nothing beat washing grime away in steaming water.

*No,* he answered himself, soaking beneath the ceiling light. *Tomorrow’s match is easy… but the day after…*

“Ugh… facing Mo Feng again? Seriously unlucky.”

Not fear—just genuine dislike. Yet his heartbeat quickened. *Wait… this isn’t right.*

The thumping intensified, then erupted. Heat surged in his chest. He clutched his ribs, gasping.

“Wh-what’s happening?!”

His body went numb. Face pale. Bent over the water, he saw his reflection: younger… and familiar curved black horns, etched with violet patterns, sprouted at his temples.

“Me… what’s going on?!” His voice had turned childish, sweet.

Craving exploded through him. Trembling, he stared at the sleeping Blood Clan loli beyond the door.

“Me… me really wants to!” He licked his lips.

*No!* He slapped his head, gripping the tub’s edge. “No, no, me must not…”

*Was it… using magic against Wu Jie?*

A violent shudder. His limbs went limp. Consciousness faded. He sank into the water.

Tiny bubbles rose.

“Wah! Me’s gonna drown!”

A tiny loli—eight or nine years old—splashed up. Damp light-purple hair clung to her shoulders. Wrapped in a white towel, Zila gripped the tub, wailing, “Why?! Why did me change back?! Nooo!”

*Gurgle… gurgle…*

Her stomach growled. Hunger crushed reason.

Since escaping the Violet Spirit Domain, she’d fed only once. Days had passed. Why?

Obvious! Zila refused to accept the Succubus Curse’s need to feed on vital energy!

But desire won. Murmuring, “Me… me really wants… me wants to eat Tongxi,” she stumbled out—dripping wet, zombie-like—to the bedside.

She licked her lips. Then pounced like a hungry tiger, pinning Tongxi down.

Startled awake, Tongxi froze—but the familiar softness on her lips didn’t frighten her. It soothed. In the dim room, she felt something gently drawn away. Drowsiness washed over her. She sank back into sleep.

Unaware, Zila—like a drunken kissing maniac—kept kissing her until dawn.

Eyes fluttered open. First sensation: icy cold.

She was still kissing Tongxi.

*Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?* Zila sat utterly bewildered.

Wrapped only in a thin towel, limbs tangled with Tongxi’s naturally cool Blood Clan body, skin pressed to icy skin—she shivered violently.

Then last night’s memories crashed in.

“Ahhh! What did me do last night?!”