Chapter Sixteen: A World of Color / Chapter Seventeen: Chasing the Night

"If you don't stand on tiptoe, how can you see the end of the sky? If you don't open your eyes, how can you know if vampires can survive in the human world?"

Even if the meaning of your life is a lie constructed by someone, you yourself are the truth.

Something shattered in the girl's heart.

That suffocatingly cramped room quietly crumbled.

Lin took the girl's hand and walked forward.

"Where... are we going?" the girl asked.

"Where there is light."

That's how he answered.

Chapter Sixteen: A Colorful World

"Um, sir, minors are not allowed to sit on this ride..."

The amusement park employee, wiping away cold sweat, explained to the man staring at him with eyes that seemed to Destruction Ray. He felt that the man's gaze had some kind of magic; just being glared at by him would make him tremble with fear for a long time.

The white-haired girl he was holding, who appeared to be his sister, was curiously observing the two people talking.

It's the middle of the night now, and most of the rides that are open at night are not suitable for children. He can't afford to take responsibility if something happens.

The stern-faced man said seriously, "Actually, she's already an adult, she just looks young."

The staff members smiled obsequiously on the surface, but were cursing under their breath.

Adult? She didn't pay for the ticket to come in. Why didn't you say she was an adult back then?

"Sir, this situation puts us in a difficult position..."

"Indeed, I feel bad too." The man frowned slightly, took a deep breath, and said to the staff member who felt he had finally gotten rid of him, "Then let's compromise. You let us go in and have fun, and I won't bother you anymore."

The staff member almost spat blood in his face. What kind of compromise is this?!

"Um, sir..."

"Well, it seems like I'll have to bleed a little."

The man looked around, then quickly approached the staff member and, to the staff member's astonishment, took out a stack of red items and put them into his pocket.

"How about we make an exception?"

The staff member was deeply moved. When his fingers touched the stack of papers, which was thicker than his monthly salary, he was, to be honest, tempted.

His eyes flickered slightly as he fiddled with the money in his pocket, then coughed dramatically, "Rules are rules, but people are flexible. I think Miss is just a little Xiao Ke..."

Before he could even speak, he saw what the "money" looked like in his pocket.

Available citywide, call 134XXXX...

Doesn't this look a lot like a mysterious little note pasted on the door of a public toilet?

The staff member held up the mysterious little note and looked at the man hesitantly. "Um, sir, what is this...?"

The man patted his shoulder with a pained expression. "This is the limit I can find. It's enough for you to have a different meal every day for a month and thirty days straight... Shouldn't that let us in?"

In the end, they still couldn't get into the project. Under Lin's torment, the staff had learned to stare at the two of them with the same expressionless indifference as him, without saying a word.

So Lin could only take Theresa around the amusement park's night market. Fortunately, they saved on entrance fees because Theresa was treated as a minor when they entered, and they didn't need to show her ID. The bustling night market was lively enough, with people coming and going.

"Humans? What's that?" Theresa tugged at Larin's sleeve, her eyes shining as she looked at a sizzling stall.

"Grilled squid, want some?"

The white-haired girl hesitated for a moment and then nodded. Lin then stepped forward and paid the bill.

"Hey buddy, want some chili? We have a special chili sauce that I guarantee you'll never forget after just one bite!"

Can vampires eat spicy food?

Lin hesitated and looked at Theresa, noticing that she was staring intently at the blood-colored hot sauce in the vendor's hand. So he nodded, indicating that she could put it down.

Finally, Lin brought back a string of giant grilled squid that looked so delicious it made your mouth water and you almost want to breathe fire, and placed it in Theresa's hands.

Theresa couldn't wait to take a bite, and then her lovely blood-red eyes burst with unprecedented light. In just a few bites, she ate half of the grilled squid, her mouth full of hot sauce.

Just as she was about to continue eating, she noticed that Lin was standing aside waiting for her with nothing in his hands, so she held up the squid. "Human, you should have some too."

"I don't need it," Lin shook his head.

Without a word, Theresa stood on tiptoe and held the steaming hot squid to Lin's mouth. After a moment of hesitation, Lin opened his mouth and bit off a small piece from where Theresa had bitten.

... It was so spicy that I could only imagine how terrifying it would be to go to the toilet afterwards.

Even though Lin was mentally prepared, he was still dizzy from the spiciness.

I really don't know how she managed to eat that.

Theresa happily continued eating the squid, then followed Lin, watching the bustling human night market, laughing joyfully amidst the lights that belonged only to humans and were something she had never experienced before.

The human presence, the human noise—I've never seen anything like it in books.

"Humans, and what is that?"

"Balloon Shooting."

Lin stepped forward, paid the money, picked up the gun, and decisively popped all the balloons. Then, to everyone's astonishment, he returned with the prize.

A giant Blood Bag Pillow, which actually fits Theresa's vampire identity quite well.

"Human, what is this?"

"Catching goldfish".

Lin returned carrying a bag of goldfish.

What about that one?

"Ring toss".

Lin walked back carrying another cushion.

"And this too."

"Punching Machine".

Lin paid the repair fee for the boss whose machine had been smashed.

What are those two people doing?

The girl looked in confusion into a dark corner of the grove. She could clearly see a man and a woman panting heavily, their lips touching, their hands groping each other's bodies... Were they about to bite each other?

Strange... why does my heart feel a little racing?

Lin Mo turned her head back.

"They're fighting, don't imitate them."

In two hours, Lin took her almost all over the amusement park. The dazzling array of new things left Theresa overwhelmed. She looked at everything she encountered with wide eyes, and every time she asked Lin a question, he would patiently answer her.

Wow, there are so many fun things to do under the lights!

Finally, after strolling through the bustling night market, people gradually left, leaving only a few scattered individuals still wandering around.

"This is an amusement park... it's even more fun than the books describe." Theresa exclaimed, hugging the two cushions Lin had won for her.

Lin silently looked at the deserted amusement park, then whispered to Theresa, "This doesn't count as an amusement park."

"Hmm? Really? Oh, you originally wanted to take me to ride those things." Theresa smiled at Lin. "But... it doesn't matter anymore. I'm already happy to be here under these lights that would normally burn me..."

"... Come with me."

Lin led a bewildered Theresa to the Ferris Wheel, which no one had turned off. The towering steel circle stood silently still.

Lin had Theresa wait outside. He silently and nimbly entered the indoor control panel, located the electrical box that required a key to open, and then reached out his hand...

"Sizzle..."

His pupils turned rainbow-colored, and sparks flew from his fingertips.

"Smack!"

Before Theresa, the colorful world was illuminated in an instant, shining on her fair face, as if she had crossed the night and arrived at a day she could never reach.

Her gaze shifted, and she gently reached out, trying to grasp the untouchable light.

Fingers passed through the light.

"Clatter."

But they also caught the light.

A hand gently led her forward.

Chapter Seventeen: Chasing the Night

The once quiet amusement park was once again filled with light and laughter.

Under the soft yellow lights and gentle background music, the Ferris Wheel slowly turns, like a waterwheel on the river of time, with the dust of time sprinkling down from its top.

"Princess, please board the carriage."

The expressionless man, who showed absolutely no signs of princely demeanor, bowed slightly and invited the white-haired vampire girl to board the Ferris Wheel "carriage" behind him.

To be honest, this guy doesn't seem to have any sense of humor at all, but Theresa still managed to find his deadpan humor in the few times they spent together.

In fairy tales, Cinderella put on glass slippers, boarded a carriage made of pumpkins, and went to the palace to attend a ball.

Now, can a vampire who can only survive in the dark also dance in an illusion created by someone?

"Human, I've always been curious. You've never shown any fear of me, even though this is your first time meeting me. And you agreed to my deal without hesitation." Theresa's attention shifted from the Ferris Wheel to Lin standing in front of her. "Could it be that you, too, are an extraordinary being?"

"Humans are mostly creatures of appearance. When they see a stray dog that's so dirty it's infested with maggots, they naturally don't feel as happy as when they see a pet dog wagging its tail at them... Of course, that's what I'm trying to say, but I have no fear of you simply because you didn't choose to attack me at that time." Lin's face was half-flickering under the colored lights. "There's no reason why. I just did it when I came to my senses. If I had to say what my purpose was, then my purpose would probably be you yourself."

"Is that so..."

Theresa, lost in thought, didn't say much about Lin's answer. She took Lin's hand and they boarded the Ferris Wheel together.

Swaying gently, like a small boat in a dream, it drifts towards the top that overlooks the city.

Where do you want to go in the future?

"After?"

The amusement park was silent. In the vast darkness, only the Ferris Wheel turned slowly. Theresa gazed at the city lights, her eyes sparkling.

The word "later" has nothing to do with her.

Once Cinderella takes off her glass slipper, she's still Cinderella.

"I don't know... human, where do you think I can go in the future?"

For some reason, Theresa was looking forward to his answer, even if he would definitely say that it was best for her to think about it herself.

"I can't decide your choices; only the future you envision is the best one."

Really...

"But..."

As Theresa felt a dull and bitter feeling, Lin, who had been looking out the window, turned around and changed his tone. "I hope you can live like a normal person."

Theresa was stunned. "Why?"

"Just think of it as proof that I didn't do anything wrong," Lin said, pursing her lips.

The Ferris Wheel rose higher and higher, the city lower and lower. In the tranquil atmosphere, Theresa quietly clutched her chest, a slight tremor appearing in her blood-red, Amber- like eyes.

So thirsty...

Even during the trip, her throat was so dry that she could hardly bear it.

In the sea of people, she was like a wolf who had stumbled into a roast whole lamb feast. The surrounding aromas tempted her sense of smell at all times, and the man's fragrance was dozens of times stronger than that of the others.

I realized it when I was savoring the taste of the blood. Lin's blood was like the finest human delicacy, making me want to savor the delicious flavor that melts on my taste buds.

However, Theresa didn't want to drink blood anymore.

The sounds of laughter and chatter from the people in the amusement park echoed in her ears. She clenched her fists, suppressing the desire that was driving her almost insane.

"Look over there," Lin pointed to one of the small lights, "They're already preparing to open for business today."

Theresa looked closely, and her excellent eyesight allowed her to see a cute doll image on the shop's sign.