Forever

Chapter 2 - the first touch

Shen Wei was an immortal. Shen Wei was a vampire.

Shen Wei remained in the mountains for several days, angry with himself for losing his self-control, hating that detective for making him weak, then hating himself more for gorging himself on more animals than was necessary when he recalled the man's luscious scent. He would refrain from hunting in this area for a while to give the animals time to forget this latest rampage. This mountain was close by and very convenient. Now he would have to travel far the next time he had to feed, not to mention even possibly moving away if he could not control his thirst! Such an inconvenience. Damn that human!...that delicious-smelling human... His mouth filled with venom yet again, and yet another deer fell prey to his thirst.

Finally he could drink no more, and he began to feel ashamed for blaming his lapse in willpower on that mortal, just because he smelled good. Now the venom did not flow as much at the memory, and he felt like himself again, strong, able to freely mingle with humans and not want to devour them. Yet why had this one man affected him so? He recalled hearing another vampire speak of such an experience a couple of centuries ago; what had he called it? Blood singer, one whose blood sang to him. That detective was his blood singer, and now that he was aware of it, he could properly prepare himself should he run into him in the future, and he would not have to relocate to another city. He really did like where he lived now.

With his renewed resolution, Shen Wei ran back to DragonCity and back to his apartment where he was shocked by his appearance when he looked into a mirror. He was dirty, smudges of blood and dirt on his body and clothes. His hair had also grown nearly halfway down his back from all that blood he had drank. He looked like a transient vampire that avoided all human contact and hid during the day. Because Shen Wei was able to control his thirst for blood around humans, he was able to live in one area for some time, maintain a residence, and even have a job. But he eventually moved after some time when people around him began to notice he did not age. He would always look thirty-two, the age he was turned.

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Zhao Yunlan signed the papers and the landlord handed him a couple of keys, then bowed and walked away. He looked around the empty apartment. His few pieces of furniture would arrive the next day, so he would either have to rough it on the bare floor, or he could crash on the couch at the police station where he had spent several nights while this apartment was being cleaned out. He had also stayed with Da Qing for a few nights, but that kid was so hyper at night and it was hard to rest. Brother Chu was...a private person. Surprisingly enough, he was allowing another newbie to the department to stay with him temporarily, a young boy who looked scared all the time. His name was Guo Changcheng, and everyone knew he had a slightly powerful uncle in the Ministry. None of those options would work for him, so he decided to go out and buy a couple of blankets and/or a sleeping bag and stay in his new apartment.

Before going shopping, he decided to stop by the university to check on that professor that was involved in that hostage situation last week. She had agreed to drop the charges a couple days later when the student's parents visited her, begging her to forgive their son. The student himself had shown remorse after spending the night in jail, and he wrote a heartfelt letter of apology to her as well. But the university was not as forgiving, and his scholarship was terminated. He was not expelled, but because he had to leave because he could not afford to pay the tuition.

Zhao Yunlan softly knocked on the open door of the professor's office. She stood up and smiled, offering him a chair, and served him tea.

"Thank you for saving me. I didn't really think he would hurt me, but - " she said as she looked at her bandaged arm. "His parents brought various ointments and bandages. I know they couldn't really afford them, so I gave them back and accepted their apologies instead."