Chapter 47: A Priceless Chain and a Provocative Encounter

The next day, just as dawn broke, Su Mian awoke.

It wasn’t a natural awakening, but rather one stirred by a restless mind.

The cold necklace on his neck felt exceptionally clear, and he almost subconsciously reached out to touch its clasp.

Just like last night, the clasp remained perfectly sealed. No matter how carefully he fumbled, pulled, or even meticulously examined it under the faint light filtering through the window, he couldn’t take it off.

“What in the world is going on?” he muttered softly in annoyance.

The necklace’s design was utterly impractical, almost anti-human.

Frowning in frustration, he sat up, preparing to try again, only to unexpectedly notice signs of activity in the dorm room.

His gaze swept over the desk, and he paused, surprised to find several steaming breakfasts laid out.

‘Did Big Boss Lu bring these back after his morning run?’ he wondered.

‘Has the sun risen from the west today?’

While Lu Yang was enthusiastic, he wasn’t the type to wake up early and buy breakfast for the entire dorm.

Just as he was pondering, Lu Yang, in the bunk below, was stirred awake by his movements. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he mumbled, “Mianzi? Why are you up so early today?”

Su Mian pointed to the breakfast on the table. “Big Boss Lu, did you bring these?”

Lu Yang yawned, propped himself up, and stared blankly at the tabletop. Discovering a portion on his own desk, he was instantly surprised. “Huh? I didn’t! I have some too?”

He scratched his head. “Old Qin couldn’t have either. He wakes up at seven o’clock, come rain or shine.”

As if to confirm his words, Qin Xuan on the opposite bunk still breathed steadily, deep in slumber, with some time yet until his punctual seven o’clock awakening.

Just then, the bathroom door gently pushed open. Xia, already washed and neatly dressed, emerged with a gentle smile gracing his face.

“I saw it was still early, so I went out and bought some breakfast,” Xia explained. “I hope it suits your tastes.”

His demeanor was natural and graceful, as if this act were merely a small favor.

Su Mian’s irritation, stemming from the necklace, was momentarily suppressed. In its place, an awkwardness arose from being cared for, yet not wanting to be indebted.

He quickly said, “Thank you, Xia. But you really don’t have to go to such trouble in the future. How much was it in total? We’ll split it with you in the group, along with last night’s dinner.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re too kind,” Lu Yang mumbled his agreement.

He was already unable to resist picking up a steamed bun and taking a bite. Yet, he clearly didn’t take Su Mian’s “splitting the bill” seriously, simply thinking their new roommate was overly generous.

Xia’s smile remained unchanged, his tone light. “It’s no trouble at all, just a small amount. Don’t worry about it.”

Su Mian, however, shook his head resolutely. “No, our dorm has rules. It’s better to keep things clear in matters like this; it makes interacting much more natural.”

He disliked this feeling of being inexplicably indebted, especially towards this new roommate for whom he unconsciously harbored a hint of wariness.

Upon hearing this, a flicker of understanding passed through Xia’s eyes.

Having lived for countless years, he understood human temperaments better than anyone.

Some people were greedy for small gains, but others, like Su Mian, maintained clear boundaries and disliked owing favors.

For the latter, maintaining clear financial transactions was a better way to bridge distances and dispel wariness.

“Alright,” he nodded compliantly, taking out his phone. “Then I’ll send the bill to the group.”

Fortunately, he had eaten his fill last night. For a while, he should be able to better control his craving for Su Mian’s unique blood, approaching him in a more “normal” manner.

Su Mian also keenly noticed that Xia today seemed different from yesterday.

He no longer approached him subtly, nor did his gaze linger frequently. His words and actions maintained a comfortable social distance.

This made him sigh in great relief. It seemed he had indeed overthought things yesterday; perhaps it was just a misunderstanding caused by cultural differences.

After breakfast, Lu Yang pulled Xia into a conversation about the school’s basketball team. Meanwhile, Qin Xuan woke precisely at seven, silently washed up, ate breakfast, and read.

Su Mian, on the other hand, returned to his bed, drew the curtains, and wrestled with the stubborn necklace on his neck.

He tried various angles, even attempting to pry it open with a thin thread through the gap, but all his efforts were futile.

When it was almost ten o’clock, his phone suddenly rang, with “Shen Zhixia” flashing on the screen.

Su Mian was a little surprised and quickly answered.

“A’Mian, it’s been a while since we had lunch together. Are you free today?”

On the other end of the line, Shen Zhixia’s voice carried a distinct lightness and joy, a stark contrast to the weariness and detachment that had often been present recently.

A surge of happiness filled Su Mian’s heart, and he agreed without a moment’s hesitation. “I’m free! Of course, I’m free!”

After hanging up, he immediately began changing clothes, temporarily pushing the necklace incident out of his mind.

Shen Zhixia’s spontaneous invitation made him incredibly happy.

He carefully selected the cleanest and tidiest outfit, meticulously smoothed down his hair that had risen in excitement, and then hurried to the agreed-upon location.

***

A Western restaurant, not far from the school, with an elegant ambiance.

Upon entering the restaurant, he immediately spotted Shen Zhixia sitting by the window.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, falling upon her and outlining her graceful silhouette. She was looking down at the menu, her expression serene.

“Sorry, Zhixia, have you been waiting long?” Su Mian walked over quickly, an irrepressible smile on his face, and sat down opposite her.

“It’s fine, I just arrived myself.” Shen Zhixia looked up and offered him a slight smile.

However, the moment Su Mian approached, her nostrils subtly flared, almost imperceptibly. That familiar, enticing sweet scent once again wafted to her nose, seeming… even more potent than before?

She frowned inwardly.

Yesterday, she had deliberately conducted a “test.” After consuming a sufficient amount of blood, she had been able to effectively suppress the frenzied impulse towards ordinary blood, and even towards Su Mian’s blood.

But why, then, did this feeling of attraction remain so vivid whenever she was close to Su Mian?

The problem, it seemed, was not with her self-control, but with Su Mian himself.

She recalled a saying among vampires: the healthier the body and purer the mind of a human, the more delicious their blood was to a vampire.

‘Could her A’Mian be this one-in-ten-thousand rarity?’

Having only recently become a vampire, Shen Zhixia couldn’t yet comprehend that the allure contained within Su Mian’s blood transcended mere “health and purity.” It was an almost primal temptation, stemming from a deeper lineage.

Fortunately, she wasn’t hungry at the moment, and her strong willpower was enough to maintain her outward composure. She pushed the menu towards Su Mian, her tone light. “See what you’d like to eat. My treat.”

The dining atmosphere was harmonious. Su Mian reveled in the long-missed joy of being alone with Shen Zhixia, recounting amusing school anecdotes, and trying to rekindle their past intimacy.

Shen Zhixia listened cooperatively, occasionally offering a few responses, but her gaze frequently drifted to Su Mian’s neck.

Suddenly, as if she had discovered something, she widened her eyes slightly, pointing to the front of Su Mian’s neck. “A’Mian, where did you get that necklace…?”

Su Mian’s heart skipped a beat, and only then did he remember the necklace.

He subconsciously touched his neck, vaguely and guiltily mumbling, “Ah… a friend gave it to me.”

Shen Zhixia, coming from a privileged background, was quite knowledgeable about luxury items. She carefully recalled the chain’s design and the main diamond’s fire she had glimpsed earlier, her voice firm with certainty.

“Your friend is truly generous. If I’m not mistaken, this necklace is from V’s classic ‘Eternal’ collection, and its price… is at least three million.”

“Three… three million?!” Su Mian gasped, his eyes widening dramatically, almost dropping the fork onto his plate.

He knew Xiao Moyuan was wealthy, but to casually give a “net-dating partner” a multi-million-yuan necklace?

This completely exceeded his understanding of “wealthy” and “generous”!

‘This is utterly absurd!’

‘If this is true, he wishes it were false.’

‘But if it’s false, he wishes it were true.’

“N-no… that can’t be, right?” Su Mian’s voice trembled slightly. “It must be fake, a high-quality replica…”

Shen Zhixia shook her head, her gaze sharp. “That level of diamond cut and luster can’t be replicated by fakes. And…”

She paused, her expression turning subtle. “This necklace’s design is very famous. Its meaning is ‘locked love.’ It’s said the clasp is specially made; once worn, the wearer cannot remove it themselves, symbolizing the exclusivity and eternity of love.”

Su Mian’s face flushed crimson instantly, his toes curling tightly in his shoes from sheer embarrassment.

‘Locked love?’

‘Exclusivity and eternity?’

‘What did Xiao Moyuan mean by sending him this?’

‘And of all things, a design that the wearer can’t remove themselves!’

“He… he probably made a mistake!” Su Mian stammered an explanation, feeling as though he was on the verge of total social annihilation.

“Or maybe he doesn’t understand these meanings! I-I’ll go back and ask him clearly, and return the item!”

He added urgently, “Besides, I can’t even take this necklace off right now. I don’t know what’s wrong with it.”

“It’s supposed to be irremovable; that’s its design,” Shen Zhixia said, gracefully standing and walking behind Su Mian. “Let me help you.”

Her slender, cool fingers gently brushed aside the stray hairs at the nape of Su Mian’s neck, touching the seemingly ordinary clasp.

With a subtle movement of her fingertips, she seemed to press an extremely hidden mechanism. A slight pressure, followed by a soft “click,” and the necklace that had plagued Su Mian all night sprang open.

Shen Zhixia placed the removed necklace on the table in front of Su Mian. The cool metal landed on the tablecloth with a faint sound.

She gazed at Su Mian’s fair, slender neck and offered a genuine compliment.

“Honestly, A’Mian, that necklace really did look good on you. It complemented your skin tone and collarbone beautifully.”

Su Mian, however, felt the necklace was scalding hot. He quickly snatched it up and stuffed it into his pocket, the flush on his face refusing to subside.

***

After lunch, the two walked back to school together.

They had a specialized course in the afternoon, and when they arrived at the classroom, quite a few people were already seated.

The moment Su Mian and Shen Zhixia walked into the classroom side-by-side, they immediately felt a chilling gaze.

Xiao Moyuan was already in his usual seat; he wasn’t late today.

At this moment, he was watching the two of them enter together, his eyes dark, his lips pressed into a thin line. The oppressive aura emanating from him made the surrounding students unconsciously lower their voices.

Normally, Su Mian would have immediately cowered, lowering his head to avoid his gaze.

But today, perhaps it was the good mood from having lunch with Shen Zhixia, or a sense of “victory” from removing the necklace that had troubled him, or perhaps Xiao Moyuan’s shift in attitude towards “Sweetheart Marshmallow” had subconsciously given him a bit of courage. For once, he felt a rare surge of rebelliousness.

He even deliberately raised his head, a hint of almost imperceptible smugness in his eyes, meeting Xiao Moyuan’s gaze as if to say, “What are you looking at? I had lunch with Zhixia. So what?”

Shen Zhixia naturally also felt Xiao Moyuan’s gaze, but a joy bloomed in her heart.

She mistakenly thought Xiao Moyuan was bothered by her closeness to Su Mian, that he was “jealous” for her. This realization made her ecstatic, and a sweet smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

She walked lightly to the seat beside Xiao Moyuan and sat down, explaining softly, “Moyuan, Su Mian and I just had a normal lunch. Don’t overthink it.”

She mused inwardly, ‘It seems Xiao Moyuan does care about me. Perhaps… I can find another suitable opportunity to test his feelings, or confess again?’

Su Mian also returned to his seat, pretending nothing had happened. Yet, his heart was a flutter, secretly pleased by his brief moment of “bravery,” but also a little afraid that Xiao Moyuan might cause him trouble because of it.

Xiao Moyuan ignored Shen Zhixia’s explanation. His gaze swept over Su Mian’s bare neck, and his eyes grew even colder.

He could clearly sense that the protective mark he had placed within the necklace had, due to the short period of wear, transferred and integrated into Su Mian’s body, now subtly exerting its effect.

This was the only good news.

However, the necklace itself had been removed.

‘Who removed it? Shen Zhixia?’

The thought of someone else—especially that vampire woman who clearly had designs on Su Mian—touching his “possession” and interrupting his pre-set “mark” made an unnamed irritation and possessiveness surge within Xiao Moyuan.

‘This disobedient little fox truly needs to be disciplined.’

He withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at Su Mian. His face reverted to its usual cold indifference, yet those familiar with him could sense the turbulent undercurrents beneath his calm exterior.