QWAPMP Chapter 17
by VolareThe fire in the fireplace dimmed until the last spark was invisible, and the surroundings fell into darkness. The people in the hall were immersed in sleep.
When sight darkens, the senses are infinitely expanded, such as the sound of the hunters sleeping and someone’s gaze constantly stealing glances.
By the time the sky outside the window began to lighten, Yan Ye’s shoulder felt heavy as a head rested on it.
In his ears was the person’s steady breathing, and around him was a scent he didn’t dislike.
Yan Ye lowered his head. As soon as he opened his eyes, he could see that the eyes that usually liked to feign innocence were now closed, and the mouth that wasn’t particularly likable was also closed, though the lips were slightly paler.
Daylight broke. Among the hunter team, Nan Ni was the first to open her eyes. The others were woken up by the praying priest.
Song Xiao slept relatively late; he only fell asleep near morning.
After everyone woke up, he was still a bit groggy. Hearing the noisy sounds, he raised a hand to cover his ears, burrowed his head forward, and tried to continue sleeping.
Only when the sound of everyone praying rang out did Song Xiao open his eyes with a look of irritation, his gaze fierce, like a wolf that had been woken up.
Of course, this expression didn’t last long before a faint voice sounded above his head, “Quite a temper when waking up!”
Song Xiao looked up at the sound, the fierceness in his eyes fading. He looked around at the others, then covered his mouth to yawn, stood up straight, and bowed his head in prayer like everyone else.
Yan Ye glanced at him, the corners of his lips curving. A wolf cub pretending to be obedient.
In the church that morning, everyone was praying, only Yan Ye and Song Xiao were just going through the motions.
After the prayer ended, everyone else raised their heads. Song Xiao was still keeping his head down. Seeing this, Yan Ye poked his neck.
When his finger touched the warm skin, he clearly felt that the body temperature of vampires was lower than other races.
The peeking Song Xiao opened his eyes and immediately turned his head to find out who poked his neck.
As soon as he turned his head, he subconsciously looked towards where Yan Ye was standing, and his sleepy eyes finally widened.
They had returned to being those eyes with a hint of innocence.
Yan Ye met his gaze and smiled slightly.
Why was this person smiling at him? Song Xiao couldn’t help but curve his lips as well. When he turned his head back and saw Nan Ni beside him, Song Xiao’s curved lips froze!
Was this old man smiling at Nan Ni?
Smiling like that so early in the morning?
Song Xiao clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and spoke his thoughts aloud, “He’s sick!”
His voice was extremely low and unheard by anyone else. Only Yan Ye, after he finished saying this, tilted his head slightly and pondered for a moment.
Is the male supporting character scolding him?
Yan Ye wasn’t a generous person either. There was no reason for him to still smile at someone who was scolding him.
The smile on his face faded, and Yan Ye didn’t give Song Xiao another glance.
After the prayer ended, as the priest sent them off, his gaze lingered on Ah Wei for a long time, as if he had discovered something.
The second before everyone set off, he made a blessing gesture specifically for Ah Wei, tightly clenching the cross in his hand.
Ah Wei’s eyes showed joy, thinking the priest had discovered something. His mouth opened and closed, wanting to say something.
“Ah, ah ah…” His throat produced only sounds of “ah ah ah,” and he couldn’t successfully form a complete sentence.
The priest sighed almost imperceptibly, gestured at his shoulder, and repeated the blessing from last night, “May God bless you.”
The people in the team were unwilling to waste time, and someone had already turned back to urge Ah Wei to catch up quickly.
Yan Ye wasn’t worried about what Ah Wei might say to the priest. He had already walked ahead with Nan Ni and the others. Only Song Xiao stayed behind, narrowing his eyes as he watched Ah Wei.
His posture looked as if he would kill the person directly if Ah Wei dared to say anything.
The priest was a smart person. After praying for Ah Wei, he returned to the church.
The team gradually walked away until they were out of sight. Only then did the priest come down from the top floor, wiping the cold sweat from his brow as he walked, and slowly let out a breath.
Decades ago, when he was in another church, he had seen the man from last night.
At that time, the man was Maria’s lover.
Not long after he was transferred to the current church, he heard the news that Sister Maria, in order to kill the vampire prince, sacrificed herself to perish together with the vampire prince.
Maria was a nun, but because she had an affair with a man, she was expelled from the church.
It wasn’t until later when she personally used a cross to stab Hill Prince’s heart that her reputation of supposedly having an affair with a man and betraying the Lord was cleared.
The priest leaned on the stair railing, walking down step by step, very slowly, his breathing very heavy.
He was a little worried that Hill Prince, after waking up, would go on a killing spree to avenge the past.
When he reached the last step of the stairs, the priest closed his eyes and took out the cross from his chest to pray again.
Three days later, the most prosperous Hibiscus City arrived. The hunters’ faces showed expressions of joy. Without Nan Ni saying to dismiss the team, a hunter took the lead in saying he wanted to go home first.
Nan Ni had no objection and nodded in approval one by one.
In the end, few people remained in the team, only Song Xiao and Yan Ye.
Nan Ni had to go to the Guild. After walking two steps, she turned back to look at them, “Hope to see you again.”
Her indifferent tone didn’t sound like she actually wanted to see them again.
Song Xiao curved his lips, “Yes, goodbye.” They would meet again very soon!
Nan Ni nodded and looked at Yan Ye again.
“Goodbye!” Yan Ye said warmly, without any reluctance about this parting.
He also knew they would meet again very soon!
After all, this restlessly eager little werewolf beside him hadn’t given up.
During the three days they traveled together, Song Xiao fabricated a false memory for Nan Ni, making her feel a little sympathy and shared suffering towards him again.
Seven years ago, Chen Ran and the others saved the feigning amnesia Song Xiao. The current Song Xiao has recovered his memory. He explained the period of lost memory by saying that his family was killed by vampires, and he suffered a shock from witnessing it, which led to amnesia.
Nan Ni deeply understood the feeling of witnessing the death of loved ones firsthand, so Song Xiao suffering a shock and amnesia seemed normal to her.
She also often felt mentally disoriented shortly after her mother died, always returning to their home, waiting for her mother and Chen Ran to come back.
After Nan Ni left, Song Xiao’s smile became unnatural. Lying and being known by another person always made him feel a bit guilty.
Yan Ye was too lazy to bother with him, turned his head, and walked away.
He thought he needed to stay in Hibiscus City for a while.
Seeing him leave, Song Xiao immediately followed, “Hey, old man…” The scolding address in his heart almost slipped out, and Song Xiao quickly shut his mouth.
Yan Ye’s ears twitched. He had already heard the first two words. A shallow smile appeared on his lips, “Don’t you hate vampires? Don’t you have a deep hatred for vampires? Why are you following me?”
Yan Ye suddenly turned back, arms crossed over his chest, looking at him with a forced smile.
These were the words Song Xiao had said to the female lead right in front of him.
Song Xiao was awkward but still stubbornly said, “Those words… I just made them up…”
He hated vampires, but pure-blooded werewolves were even more hateful!
Yan Ye looked at his face. He still habitually looked into Song Xiao’s innocent eyes, remained silent for a moment, and his voice became slightly cold, “Do you want Nan Ni to hate vampires this much? Why?”
Does he like Nan Ni? It wouldn’t cause him to do this.
Does he want Nan Ni to hate the male lead more?
Yan Ye watched Song Xiao not answering for a long time, and couldn’t help but sneer with thin lips, “Wolf-hearted and dog-lunged fellow.”
This wasn’t the first time Yan Ye had mocked Song Xiao.
The silent Song Xiao’s expression turned pale, and his fingertips trembled slightly.
Yan Ye continued walking forward.
Song Xiao smoothed his mood and smiled cheerfully, “I’m a werewolf, isn’t having a wolf heart normal?”
He seemed to be asking the person ahead.
The person ahead walked farther and farther, and no answering voice came back.
Song Xiao’s eyes darkened. He gritted his teeth, thickened his skin, and lifted his feet to follow.
At night, the wind was strong, blowing the windows outside the door with loud thuds. At the same time, it woke the person in the dream.
Nan Ni sat up and threw back the covers, wanting to lock the doors and windows properly.
As she approached the window, she noticed a shadow to the right of her window under the moonlight.
“Who’s there?” Nan Ni asked at the same time as she threw on an outer garment and rushed out the door.
A gust of wind blew past, making the window sound again.
Nan Ni ran outside the window to look, but the figure was gone.
Did she see wrong? Nan Ni thought, then shook her head, her gaze firmly fixed on where the shadow had just appeared.
Who was spying on her?
Early the next morning, Nan Ni, as the captain of the Hunter’s Guild team, was also called to a meeting.
The main content of this meeting was about the vampire prince. The senior members of the Guild received an anonymous letter stating that Maria’s lover had appeared.
Although the letter didn’t say it was the vampire prince, any old-timer in the Guild knew who Maria’s lover was.
Maria had once used a fake relationship to deceive Hill Prince and seal him for decades.
Nan Ni listened to the old man in the main seat talk about the events of that year, and a trace of disdain flashed in her calm eyes.
She disdained being a deceiver of feelings like the rumored Maria.
Among everyone present, only Nan Ni was female, which made it difficult for the old man not to notice her.
“Little one, what’s your name?” the old man asked in a hoarse voice, raising a hand to beckon Nan Ni closer.
Nan Ni saw everyone looking at her, stood up neatly, and walked to the old man, “Guild Leader, my name is Nan Ni.”
Her clear, cold voice contained no flattery, which made the old man look at her with higher regard.
“After all these years, I didn’t expect a young woman could become a captain. Very good, very good…”
The old man’s eyes showed approval, and he asked again, “Do you know the essential mission of a hunter?”
Nan Ni had known this question since the second day she joined the Hunter’s Guild. She replied, “To kill all vampires in this world!”
“Very good, excellent!” The old man was very satisfied with her answer. He stood up and took out a cross slightly larger than a palm from a secret compartment and gave it to her.
“Guild Leader, this…”
Everyone was surprised to see the Guild Leader give the cross to Nan Ni.
Nan Ni looked at everyone’s surprised expressions, lowered her head to look at the cross, and heard the old man explain, “This is the cross Maria used to kill Hill Prince back then. It is attached with his heart’s blood. As long as you insert this cross into his heart, you can seal him again.”
Nan Ni had already guessed when she saw the cross, but she was still a bit shocked after the old man said it out loud.
Did he really just give her this thing?
Why?
The old man put the cross in Nan Ni’s hand, his tone serious and filled with expectation, “Nan Ni, you will be the next Maria, won’t you!”
That one sentence directly stirred everyone in the meeting room.
In the end, Nan Ni was forced to accept the cross before leaving the meeting room.