Yan Wang entered his office and sat behind his desk. A-Xuan closed the door behind him and stood there awkwardly. Yan Wang looked at him with a mocking smile.

His heart softened when he saw his pouting face. A-Xuan really hates how his husband always mocks him, but he knows that all he has to do is sell meng.

"Baby V, sit."

At that, A-Xuan smiled and sat on one of the seats in front of the desk. Yan Lo was behind the door and smiled at his brother. He can see that he cares for A-Xuan, not just because he ended his bright slumber.

He entered without knocking and closed the door behind him. A-Xuan turned and looked at Yan Lo, who was smiling at him. He can see in his eyes that he is still worried and felt the need to hug him.

He can still feel the original’s emotions. He truly loved his cousin; he’s always been the only one to care for him. Yan Lo always wished he could do something to get him out of his uncle’s house but never could.

Yan Hao would constantly reject his offer. That’s part of why he truly hates Yan Hao. A-Xuan got up, walked to him, and hugged him. In his many lives, he has never met someone as sweet as him.

Yan Lo hugged him back and asked with concern: "Are you truly okay?"

A-Xuan let go of him and said: "I am, I had more than enough essence to end the king’s slumber and have some left."

"It’s more than some. I always knew you were special."

A-Xuan smiled gratefully and said: "You have."

"Both of you sit," Yan Wang said.

Yan Wang watched as they sat. He is grateful to his brother, and he feels the need to thank him for taking care of A-Xuan. But that would be odd; none of them know that his spirit was roaming during his slumber.

Yan Wang asked: "What’s the situation, brother?"

"A group of radicals is operating underground. I’ve been investigating for a long time, but I can’t get a trace of them."

A-Xuan sat back and said mockingly: "You can’t get a trace of them because they’re supported by Yan Hao. He owns half the council and doesn’t want peace with the humans. He thinks they should bow not to the vampires but him."

Yan Wang and Yan Lo looked at him with a smile. They trust him enough to bring him while they have this exchange, but they were worried he still had lingering feelings for his father.

But from his mocking, it’s clear that he thinks of him as a joke and feels contempt. Yan Wang unconsciously relaxed; he didn’t realize how much he needed A-Xuan to have no more feelings for his father.

He never wants him to hate him for taking him down. But with the fact that he called him Yan Hao and not father, it’s clear enough. He did the same every night when he came to transfer his essence.

*Flashback.*

Yan Wang was sitting at the window sill, looking at the moon. He feels a little apprehensive.

Baby V said he’ll come back but who knows? The doors opened and closed on their own. He looked toward the bed, and A-Xuan appeared after putting down his hood. He took off the cloak and put it on the bed.

With a smile on his face, he sat next to Yan Wang’s body and grabbed his hand. A-Xuan sighed.

"It feels weird not to have you awake."

Yan Wang floated to his side and sat in front of him. He looked at Baby V and felt a small pressure on his chest seeing the sad look on his face. Yan Wang asked: "Why are you sad when you don’t even know me?"

He knows he can’t hear him, but he still feels the need to ask. He gazed as Baby V approached and caressed his face saying:

"You’re going to be very angry when you see what Yan Hao did. I know that you’re in this predicament because you fought for cohesion between vampires and humans, but he doesn’t want that. He thinks your slumber will never end, so he’s remodeling the kingdom as he wishes."

Of course, Yan Wang knows all that but he didn’t think Baby V did. He looks so inoffensive and naive. But he clearly isn’t, since he got through the seal and yesterday he saw how he took the guards down and dumped them in a locked room.

Baby V smiled and said:

"Don’t worry, once your slumber ends you’ll make things better and I’ll help you."

Yan Wang frowned and asked:

"How can you help me when you won’t be here?"

He feels frustrated, he can’t understand anything about A-Xuan and his motives. He can feel that he doesn’t like Yan Hao. The fact that he calls him by name is evidence but he’s still his father.

Why would he end his slumber when it would go against his father’s wish? He met Yan Ning, and he was his father’s copycat, so why is it different with A-Xuan? He looked at his smile and fell into a trance.

He has seen many people coming and going in the main palace, but rarely would he see them mean it when they smiled. But Baby V’s was true and honest like it came from the heart. Yan Wang put a hand on his body and sat there until morning came.

When he saw the doors open and close, he felt a bit grim. He’ll come back tomorrow and every day after that.

*End of flashback.*

Yan Lo still insisted on telling A-Xuan what he is getting himself into. He has known that he always cared about his father’s opinion and that doesn’t just go away.

"You know once we prove what he’s up to it’ll be a death sentence."

A-Xuan looked at him and said with a sneer: "You know that he’s been siphoning my essence using an amulet for his legitimate son for years? My sole purpose of being born was so I can be siphoned. He had me with a prostitute and as soon as she gave birth to me he had her killed. He asked Yan Lu to pretend to be my birth mother and she accepted because she wants her son to be king as well."

Yan Lo looked at him horrified, how could a father do this to his blood? It was clear to him that his uncle didn’t love A-Xuan but still to use him as a siphon after killing his mother is beyond cruel.

Yan Wang looked at A-Xuan and felt heartache but he still said in his usual cold voice: "That’s more than enough to have him killed once we get the amulet."

A-Xuan immediately said his eyes shining with ruthlessness: "Don’t, I’ll deal with father and son. They think I don’t know and they’re still siphoning my so-called essence. Now that they know how powerful I am and your slumber ended they’ll probably use another artifact to get it faster.

Before they die I want them to suffer. I want Yan Hao to see that everything he’s done the past 60 years was for naught and the son to feel what it’s like to be powerless."

A-Xuan turn and met Yan Lo’s eyes and said apologetically: "I’m sorry cousin, I’m not as pure as you thought."

Yan Lo smiled and rubbed his head saying: "I’d be shocked if you were after what Yan Hao put you through. You deserve to make them pay for what they did to you and your mother."

A-Xuan smiled, and when he turned to Yan Wang his smile faded. He only looked at him for a few seconds before bowing his head. He can’t face him.

He isn’t worried he’ll think he’s cruel he is worried about his reaction now that he knows his purpose for ending his bright slumber.

It’s true that in the beginning, he planned on using him solely to take down father and son but it changed when he found out it was his husband.

He never wants him to think he’s just a chess piece to him even if they only met less than 24 hours ago. He is even more determined to make them pay for what they did to him.

Yan Wang looked at his Baby V. After two weeks of seeing him he knows what he is worried about. He always knew he had ulterior motives but it doesn’t bother him.

As long as he’s here now and he can be around him. He felt relief when he saw that he was still a vampire, like that he can be around him until their dark slumber.

Yan Wang looked at his brother who understood and left. Yan Lo could tell that A-Xuan cares for Yan Wang and that he’s worried now that he knows why he ended his slumber. He left and closed the door behind him.