"I can't get involved. This is your own food," Beta's icy words came through the phone. "No matter how much I look out for you, I won't intervene in this matter."

Amber sat on the sofa, her hand involuntarily running through her hair, tousling it. Mabel lay on her bed, drifting in and out of sleep.

"Gramps, how long are they going to keep provoking us?"

"They'll keep at it until they get bored, or until you give him up voluntarily and find other food."

"How could I possibly...!"

"Other than me, no other members of our clan know that you've made a blood contract with him. The others just think he's the food you've taken a fancy to." Beta sounded irritated as he continued, "Keep him by your side until they lose interest."

"I understand." After hanging up the phone, Amber let out a long sigh as she sat on the sofa. His life was now in her hands.

The next day, Mabel woke up in bed, looking momentarily confused.

Amber leaned against the doorframe, clearly having stayed up all night. "Yesterday... you were attacked by a vampire."

After a moment of silence, Mabel spoke softly, "You saved me."

"To be more accurate, you were attacked because of me."

Amber furrowed her brows tightly. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have encountered all this."

"But you also protected me well, didn't you?" Mabel looked up, and there seemed to be a glimmer in his eyes. Amber couldn't help but look away.

"More of our clan members will be waiting for a chance to make a move on you in the future. You can't leave my sight." Amber took a deep breath. "I might have to follow you around closely."

"Follow me, like never leaving my side?"

Mabel's hand slowly clenched into a fist. "Is it to protect me?"

"Yeah... I won't interfere with your freedom, but you must stay within my line of sight." Amber thought of the teasing from her clan members, and her fangs involuntarily emerged. "They... have no limits."

She had witnessed too many unrestrained behaviors of the vampire clan. To them, humans were nothing more than food, something to be toyed with at will, or even... have their lives taken away.

They would bewitch, play with, and suck the blood of humans to nourish their own bodies and ease their hunger.

They would mock, deceive, and show no regard for human emotions.

"Alright, I understand. I'll do as you say."

That night, Mabel had already fallen asleep in the bedroom. Gentle, even breaths could be heard coming from within. Amber's laptop in front of her was on, and someone had arrived outside the door.

She stood up, and a hint of bloodlust appeared in her eyes.

"Bang! Bang, bang!"

Suddenly, the door was pounded with great force, as if it would be broken down any second.

The entire door seemed to vibrate slightly under the immense pressure. Amber stood behind the door, her hand pressing down on it with all her might.

"Hahaha!"

Outside the door, there were boisterous laughs, which abruptly stopped as the knocking became even more forceful.

"Amber...?" Inside the bedroom, the sleeping man rubbed his eyes and got up, coming to the door. Amber stood at the door without turning around, her hand still against the door.

"Go back and don't come over."

"Bang!"

The knocking sound that she had thought wouldn't appear came again, this time even more urgent and fierce.

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Mabel, who was standing there, swayed slightly. It seemed that he understood something, and he obediently retreated back into the bedroom, disappearing completely into the darkness.

"Are they your clan members?"

Amber let out a soft "mm". Her blood-red eyes sparkled brightly in the dark night, much like the sheen of the finest red wine shining through a glass.

Quickly stepping into the bedroom, she pulled Mabel, who was standing at the door, onto the bed, and then Amber climbed up onto the bed swiftly as well.

His cheeks seemed to start blushing again.

"Amber?"

He felt a bit awkward and even shuffled to the side. Amber rolled over and lay down beside him. Her cold hand clasped his ear. "Just go to sleep."

"Bang, bang!"

The rapid pounding on the door resounded again. In the quiet night, it was quite startling, yet miraculously, it didn't wake up the other residents.

"This is their usual way of teasing. I don't care, but you can't endure it."

Amber looked at his somewhat pale complexion and let out a sigh. "For humans, a few days of poor sleep are enough to break you down."

"Alright, I understand."

Mabel spoke in a low voice. His slender body moved slightly on the bed and slid to Amber's side. His uninjured arm naturally draped over her waist.

He buried his head in her embrace. "This way, I won't be able to hear it."

Amber was forced to hold him. Just as she was about to say something, the knocking sound outside the door came again.

The man in her arms showed no reaction at all, as if he really couldn't hear it.

She pursed her lips slightly, placed her hand on his ear, leaned her back against the headboard, and stared out at the deep night with her blood-red eyes.

This kind of teasing would only get worse. Previously, it was only aimed at her, but this time... it wasn't just about her anymore.

Fortunately, Mabel recovered quickly. A few days later, his hand had returned to normal. Such a rapid recovery was also due to the fact that he had drunk her blood.

The blood of the vampire clan has extremely strong self-healing abilities. Without special means, the lives of the vampire clan cannot be easily ended.

Since his hand had recovered, Mabel still stayed at Amber's home. After the hotel incident and the continuous late-night door knocking, Amber was certain that her clan members wouldn't let him go for the time being.

"Amber, I need to go out for a while. It's about my new book..."

"Okay, I see."

Amber stood up and glanced at the item hanging around Mabel's neck. It was a tiny piece of glass, and the drop of bright red blood inside it came from her.

It was like a collar, placed around him, a human.

"You've been with me for so many days. What about your work?"

In the car, Mabel, who was sitting in the back, spoke softly. Amber let out a faint laugh. "My work doesn't have to be done only in the office. It won't be affected."

"I see. I thought you had quit your job, and I was just about to pull you to work by my side."

The man sitting in the back let out a soft chuckle. He wore a baseball cap and a casual outfit, exuding a youthful and sunny charm, looking like an innocent college student who was yet to be fully exposed to the ways of the world.

Amber smiled, glanced at the building ahead, and slightly arched her eyebrows. Gramps' company was located here as well.

In the office building, there were numerous men and women dressed in professional suits. The elevator lobby was almost always packed to the brim.

Mabel needed to go to the 45th floor. Climbing the stairs was out of the question.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened, and the people inside filed out one by one. Amber was the first to step in and stood in the innermost corner. Mabel positioned himself in front of her.

"Everyone, squeeze in a bit. We can still fit a few more."

In the overcrowded elevator lobby, as a few more people entered, the entire crowd started to shift backward. Amber saw Mabel turn around to face her. Due to the crush of the crowd, he was pressed directly against her.

"S-sorry."

His arm was braced above Amber's head, attempting to maintain some distance between them. However, as the crowd surged again, the man's slender body pressed against her once more.

Amber suddenly looked up and, noticing his ears were bright red, reached out her cold hand and firmly placed it on his waist.

She felt as if she was enveloped by his aura. In her ears, she could hear his soft, rapid breaths and the increasingly accelerated thumping of his heart.

The elevator continued to operate, but at each stop, more people got on.

It wasn't until after the 30th floor that the number of people in the elevator started to decrease. Only then did Mabel straighten up and stand beside Amber.

The 35th floor arrived. When the elevator doors opened, several people got off, and several others got on.

Amber's black eyes swept over and she caught a glimpse of someone who entered the elevator.

The eyes behind the glasses were as cold as ever. When the person saw Amber, his thin lips curved slightly. "Accompanying him?"

Amber twitched the corners of her mouth. "Yeah."

Beta stepped in and directly stood on the other side of Amber. The people following him also entered, and the elevator doors closed again.

No one spoke. Apart from the mechanical sounds of the elevator, there was complete silence.

The 45th floor arrived. Mabel stepped out first. Just as Amber was about to follow, Beta spoke up. "I've already warned those who were pounding on the door at night."

Amber was taken aback, then turned around and smiled. "Thanks."

Beta looked at the small fangs in her mouth, and finally, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. Mabel's voice calling from outside the elevator reached them. "Amber?"

"Go ahead."Beta said coldly, and the elevator doors closed. With Beta's words, Amber felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart. "From today onwards, you should be able to have a good night's sleep."

"Hmm? Really?"

His beautiful and clear eyes drooped slightly as he looked at the smile on her lips. "Did... someone help you solve it?"

Amber let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, it's already been taken care of."

"That's great."

Mabel's eyes curved into a gentle crescent shape when he smiled. But when he looked up again, his eyes were filled with a deep, unfathomable look.