Vampire Love

Chapter 36

Zhan POV:

When the birds begin to chirp to welcome the new day, I take small breaths and wrap my arms around myself, protecting myself from the cold wind. I stumble out of the lake with the candle and fall to the ground with a heavy thud. My entire body pulses. My heartbeat speeds up rapidly. My vision is blurry and dark at the edges as my energy rapidly drains out of me.

Shit! This should not happen. If this happens, all my hardships will be wasted. Only one more day and one night! After that, everything will be fine, as the principal has promised. Yibo will be here, alive, from seclusion, and I can see him to my heart's content. Encouraging myself and shaking my head, I struggle to blink my eyes open and stand up, but an overwhelming pressure forces me onto the ground, and ultimately, my limbs are numb and ice cold.

After a moment, I force myself again and get on my feet. Hardly balancing myself, I take my bag and put the candle inside before going home. It takes almost thirty minutes because of my weak strolling, but thankfully, I reach it before dusk completely fades. I drop the bag by the window and lean against it while putting a hand on my stomach. It grumbles, pleading with me to feed, but I can't.

Dragging my feet to the bathroom, I freshen up and change into fresh clothes before sitting by the table and opening a book to pass the time. My mind becomes fuzzy from the lack of sleep, so I can't able to concentrate. I close the book and walk to the closet to pull Yibo's blue t-shirt out. It still wraps his scent, so I inhale it and comfort myself.

When the clock ticks and announces the time for college, I stare at his t-shirt for a long moment before pulling it over my head and adjusting it. I'm feeling fresh and alive now. Taking a long breath, I leave the room with my bag and avoid breakfast successfully. I then walk out on the street alone, hearing the students chattering and nature's breathing.

When I reach college, my eyes look for Yibo immediately, then remember that he's not here. Sighing, I walk into the hallway and see Ziyi talking to another girl about something related to her studies. A weak smile curls on my lips as I approach her, reaching out, but the daggers she's throwing at me through her eyes pierce my heart. My hand halts and drops down weakly, which only further worsens my own desolation.

Taking several huge steps back, I bump into a wall, the handle of the window hitting my head hard. Flinching, she steps forward right away, her hand rising for a second as if keen to look or soothe the bump but then drop down. I wished so badly that things wouldn't have changed and they would forever stay like they used to be, but that was stupid when I pushed our friendship beyond repair.

Tears escape my eyes. I lower my head and try to convince myself that it will be all right if she doesn't want to.

Wiping my tears away, I walk to the classroom and find my usual spot in front of Ji Li. My eyes meet his for a second before looking away, fearing being neglected. I don't want the same thing to repeat. Push in spaces I'm not wanted, latching onto others like a parasite. Eventually, I calmed down enough that I made my way inside. I still feel a bit shaky, but I manage to hold back the tears and calm my breathing.

I sit on the chair, not daring to turn back, but eventually, Ji Li switches his seat and collapses next to me, his hand only hesitating for a second before starting to stroke my back, hoping it will calm me. Seemingly it works! I close my eyes with tears streaming down and throw myself in his arms, clutching him.

He pulls away abruptly, making me confused. "Hmm, let's talk but not here. Come on." He extends his hand but doesn't end up, taking my own instead, rushing toward the garden. We have classes, but neither seem to remember or care at this very moment.

We sit in the garden in silence until I break it by spilling the beans out, making sure not to reveal that the ground has swallowed Yibo and the rituals I'm following. Listening to everything, he looks at me, and I reduce myself to putting a baby deer to shame. "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it's hard. But in the end, it's all for the best. Stop degrading yourself and put faith in your love!"