I froze.
An Li’s hand hovered in the air for a moment, irritation flickering across her face. “Take it or leave it. Hurry up and eat it—what’s with the hesitation?”
She wasn’t joking.
Reluctantly, I accepted the lollipop—green, apple-flavored, utterly ordinary, just like any sold on the street.
Would this really work?
Skeptical, I tore the wrapper open, popped it in my mouth, and sucked hard. Sweet apple flavor bloomed slowly on my tongue, accompanied by a faint trace of fullness.
“It actually works!” I exclaimed, surprised.
“Of course it does. It’s from the book. Every method listed has been verified countless times before publication.”
An Li set the book down and shook her head. “But… things like this probably won’t be preserved or compiled anymore.”
Silence settled over me. I had nothing to say. Her meaning was clear: aside from me, vampires were all but extinct. No need for further research.
Unless I shouldered the duty our race entrusted me with—reproduce, rebuild the vampire clan. Impossible.
No way was I having sex with a man!
Even if science let two women have a child, I still wouldn’t want to. I glanced down at my petite frame. If I had a sturdy kid, after a few birthdays, they’d practically be my size.
What kind of weird mother-child dynamic would that be? Even if it were Nezha, no thanks.
“Keep sucking. Finish this one—it’ll hold off hunger for about an hour. Assuming your body has enough energy to sustain basic functions.”
An Li sat, tapped the table. “I’ve said it: not a long-term fix. Let’s talk real solutions.”
“Obviously I want to know,” I said, dragging a stool closer. “But you haven’t told me.”
“The book explains why you can’t drink regular blood. Just reverse-engineer it.”
She closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she opened them and met my gaze.
“The blood source must be fresh, but not too vibrant—delicate, fragile vitality.”
She nodded toward the kitchen. “Think food: healthy blood is firm tofu. Elderly or sick? Dried tofu skin. What you need? Freshly made silken tofu.”
I rubbed my soft earlobe. “Can you simplify that?”
These earlobes were so soft… Maybe I’d grow up henpecked. Wait—more likely *be* the wife. Whatever.
My mind wandered; An Li stayed dead serious. After a pause, she said:
“Logically, only one source fits: girls who look your age.”
“Me?” I pointed at myself, baffled. “A little girl?”
“Young girl, loli—call it what you want. And she must’ve gone without food for a while.”
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
“So… kidnap a little loli, lock her up, starve her, then drink her blood?”
I bit the lollipop hard. “I’d go to jail.”
“This is the simplest, most practical method. Don’t want jail? Then die.” Her voice was ice.
I instantly caved. Weighing life against morals… well…
“If absolutely no other way… I might consider it.”
Stay positive! Maybe I’d meet a loli who genuinely liked me, formed a real friendship, and *willingly* offered her blood.
Besides—girls lose blood monthly anyway. “Training” blood production early? Not totally unreasonable.
“I wish someone’d *want* to let me drink their blood,” I grumbled. “Why can’t vampire bites feel amazing like in anime?”
An Li rolled her eyes. “You living in an anime? No? Then stop complaining.”
She paused. “But don’t despair. With your bloodline purity, it won’t hurt them. I checked your fangs—they’re tiny. Your saliva likely heals wounds fast. Drinking blood’ll feel like getting a shot. Barely noticeable.”
I nibbled the candy helplessly. “Still need a loli who *wants* that ‘shot.’ Building trust takes forever.”
“Exactly,” An Li nodded. “So you need a quick fix for now.”
I slumped onto the table. “How? I’ve got nothing.”
“Lazy and clueless—that’s what happens,” she shot back, merciless. “Hint: it’s back-to-school season.”
“Huh?”
I blinked. What did that have to do with anything?
“Schools require physicals this time of year. Even elementary schools.”
An Li laid it out plainly. If I still didn’t get it, I might as well bang my head on a tofu block and quit.
“Right! There’s that procedure—fasting blood draw!”
