Luo Wei answered truthfully, "That's right, I am human."
There was no need to hide this from the Duke, after all, he was Evelyn's father.
"What's this about a so-called reclusive family?" the Duke frowned and asked. "There have been many rumors circulating in the family lately. Annie even spent three days and nights digging through records..."
"That's all my fault..." Evelyn smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to tease Annie a little. Who knew she'd take it so seriously..."
In the end, the more Annie investigated, the more suspicious things became, until it reached a point where it was downright unsettling—she even started questioning reality itself...
"But Luo Wei really isn't ordinary, you know. Have you heard about his achievements...?" Evelyn still wanted to elevate her lover's standing, not wanting her father to look down on him.
"A human..." The Duke's expression grew increasingly exasperated as he looked at Evelyn. He sighed. "This is simply absurd."
"This human will grow old in a few decades, while you remain young. Will you still love him the way you do now?"
"Even if you truly love him that much, a human's lifespan is barely a hundred years. Soon, you'll lose him, witness his death, and be left in unbearable pain."
The Duke fixed his gaze on Evelyn. "Have you considered any of this? Or are you just blinded by love?"
"No, that won't happen!" Evelyn suddenly tightened her grip on Luo Wei's hand. "He won't die!"
Luo Wei had promised her—they would live on together in this damned world. He always kept his word, so he would make it happen. Otherwise... she couldn't imagine life without him.
Luo Wei smiled and explained to the Duke, "Your Grace, if your concern is merely about lifespan, then you needn't worry. If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it to you. You can rest assured and entrust Evelyn to me."
"Oh?" The Duke's expression was noncommittal, clearly unconvinced.
Of course, he didn’t attempt to separate them further, nor did he resort to threats like, "Take a few million and leave my daughter," or "Break up with her or I’ll kill you."
Because he could tell at a glance—his daughter was already deeply in love.
So, further words were pointless. In the end, he only asked perfunctorily about Luo Wei’s work and daily life before dropping the subject.
Before leaving, Evelyn presented the Duke with her birthday gift—the fragment of the arcane tome Luo Wei had helped her select.
The Duke indeed looked quite pleased.
As for Luo Wei’s gift, it was an unremarkable-looking wooden box. The Duke was puzzled at first, but when he opened it, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"This is..." He picked up a glass vial of potion.
Luo Wei nodded. "This has a noticeable effect in suppressing corruption and backlash for Otherkin."
"You’ve really gone all out," the Duke remarked with a smile. The box contained two rows, ten vials in total. "Recently, these suppression potions have been appearing in the Otherkin black market, each selling for astronomical prices. With ten vials here, you must’ve spent a fortune."
Luo Wei shook his head. "I didn’t spend anything."
"Nothing?" The Duke looked puzzled.
Evelyn’s smile carried a hint of pride. "You wouldn’t know this, but Luo Wei made these himself! He’s amazing, isn’t he~?"
The Duke was even more surprised. He turned to Luo Wei. "Really?"
Luo Wei allowed himself a small moment of pride, though he remained modest. "It’s nothing, just a minor contribution to the arcane arts."
"Young people these days are truly impressive." The Duke chuckled and shook his head, his opinion of Luo Wei shifting slightly.
"If you weren’t so set on being with Evelyn, the Abraham family might’ve considered hiring you as a court alchemist. The salary would be five times that of a royal mage."
Luo Wei immediately declined. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, Your Grace."
The Duke laughed heartily. "Very well, I won’t press you. Evelyn, the birthday banquet and ball are the day after tomorrow. All family members will be in attendance—remember to bring your little boyfriend along."
"Of course."
With that, the two took their leave.
Just as they were about to open the door, however, the Duke suddenly spoke again from behind them:
"The next few days will be crowded, and the elders will be patrolling late at night. The two of you should stay in after dark."
Luo Wei and Evelyn exchanged a glance before turning back. The Duke had already buried himself in paperwork, saying no more.
Once the three returned to Evelyn’s room, she couldn’t hold back any longer. "Telling us not to go out at night? Are they hiding something they don’t want us to see?"
Given their prior suspicions that the Duke might be plotting treason, her assumption wasn’t unfounded.
But Luo Wei shook his head slightly. Today’s conversation had given him a subtly different impression of the Duke. "Maybe he was just warning us that nights in Thornbloom Castle are dangerous?"
"I don’t know..." Evelyn murmured. "But it is a strange warning..."
Dangerous for guests? For the elders? Or... something else entirely?
After eating, they went to bed, and the first night in Thornbloom Castle passed quietly.
The mountain nights were cold and still, the pale moonlight casting an eerie glow over the towering silhouette of the castle. Its jagged spires loomed like a monstrous beast, ready to devour.
At one in the morning, Luo Wei and Evelyn abruptly sat up in the soft pink bed.
Their vampiric senses allowed them to see clearly even in the dark. They exchanged a silent look before glancing at Helena, nestled between them and fast asleep.
"Let’s begin," Luo Wei whispered.
"Mm..." Evelyn nodded softly.
Luo Wei tugged at his pajama collar, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
The movement, however, made Helena bolt upright like a corpse reanimated.
"Brother! What are you two doing?!"
"Huh?" Both turned to her in surprise.
"You weren’t asleep?" Luo Wei asked flatly.
"Of course not, Brother!" Helena clenched her fists, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. How could she possibly relax with her brother and a vampire sharing a bed?
And sure enough, the moment she dozed off, these two couldn’t restrain themselves!
"Wait, Helena..." Evelyn sensed the misunderstanding, though their earlier conversation hadn’t helped.
"We’re not doing anything. The professor and I just wanted to go out," Luo Wei explained.
"To sneak off together?" Helena’s face twisted further. "No! Brother, you can’t go! But if you must... fine, I’ll come too..."
Luo Wei massaged his temples. What kind of logic was this?
He stood and headed for the wardrobe. "Fine, all three of us will go."
"Alright..." Evelyn glanced at Helena, somewhat reluctant to bring her along for something as risky as gathering intelligence.
Helena's eyes gradually widened. "Together...?"
"Of course." Luo Wei changed into a dark-toned outfit. "Come on, let's go—we're paying a nighttime visit to the vampire's castle."
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
