Now, for the very last time, an update for this story. 

I hope you enjoy it <3 <3

3rd POV

The heavy door opened with a loud rattle and the guard escorted the visitor to his desired destination. He walked purposefully, yet stiffly and monotonously. He ignored other guards who greeted him along the way.

Another door opened and the guard and visitor entered a cell containing a woman in her sixties.

"You may leave."

"Yes... Sir..." The guard replied slowly and left. The older woman looked up with a bored look on her face. She looked puzzled as to why someone who was obviously not a prison guard would enter her cell. Besides, she hadn't had any visitors since she arrived here.

"Zhao Liying." The stranger, whose face was hidden behind a hood, called out, and it took her a while to realize that he was talking to her. There were no names here, only numbers, so she hadn't heard her name in a while.

The stranger looked at the woman in front of him. "You are Zhao Liying, Luo Jin's old housemaid. Your friend used drugs to make you go against your conscience and share an eventful night with your employer."

Zhao Liying's face showed no reaction.

"I despise people who use drugs to get what they want." The stranger said. "Xiao Zhan should not exist, and you are lucky that someone was able to change my mind about certain things, otherwise I would be furious that Xiao Zhan was conceived."

It had been a long time since Zhao Liying had heard her son's name, so it was no surprise that it made her react. Her eyes sparkled for a moment before becoming emotionless again.

"Xiao Zhan is a wonderful child. Righteous, confident, and very intelligent. He knows what he wants and how to get it, he has strong opinions about certain things and I know for a fact that his future is very bright. He is also very talented." The stranger took something out of his pocket and held it out to Liying.

"I thought you might like to see him again." He took out a picture of Tang Yan hugging Xiao Zhan from behind, Luo Jin standing next to her looking proud, and Yibo standing next to Xiao Zhan holding his hands.

But Zhao Liying didn't even look at the picture. She completely ignored it and kept her eyes on the stranger, looking suspicious. The stranger sighed and put the picture back into his pockets.

"What you did back then was evil. Killing people was one thing, but justifying your actions with your love for Xiao Zhan is even more evil. Xiao Zhan is not fond of what you did. No one does. Murder is murder, no matter what the motive."

As if a switch had been flipped, she began to scream.

"Those disgusting bitches dared to touch what is mine! Xiao Zhan is my son, my only son! No one can have him! NO ONE!"

"He belongs to no one but himself, girl. Is your obsessive love for him really the reason for what you did?"

She began to curse the two poor souls who had lost their lives at Liying's hands. She screamed what a shame they had been to the world and how selfish they had been in trying to take Xiao Zhan away from her.

The stranger shook her head at this sight. It seemed that she had lost her mind a long time ago. But what bothered him was the fact that although she claimed to have done everything for the sake of her son and proclaimed her love for Xiao Zhan, she didn't even want to see a picture of him.

"Today is Xiao Zhan's wedding. I thought you might like to know. He found..."

Zhao Liying covered her ears and started screaming so loudly that the stranger had to send away some of the guards who had come to check on the situation. It had been a while since he had used so much of his power, but it was a refreshing feeling.

His attention then went back to Liying, who still had her ears covered.

"You claim to love Xiao Zhan, but you don't even want to know about him and what he does..."

He was so curious about what was going on inside that human's head that he thought about taking a look. Although he was nowhere near as skilled as Xiao Zhan, he could read minds and even control them. He didn't use this skill often because there was no need. Well, he might have used it on his granddaughters sometimes to make them clean up the mess they made, but that's about it. Not that he would reveal this little secret to his daughter-in-law. She would have his head for sure... ....

The stranger concentrated and began to penetrate Liying's mind, asking about Xiao Zhan, the night of the murder, and her feelings for her son, but it was exactly as Yibo had described it in his reports years ago. She didn't answer any questions. She just kept quiet, so he thought about applying more pressure, but he had to be careful. The more pressure he used, the more dangerous it could be for the human.

The stranger stopped what he was doing and stepped back. He was confused as to why he couldn't get her to answer his question. He wanted to know why there seemed to be a huge wall in her head, a wall that wasn't made by someone else manipulating her mind. Was it because she had lost her mind?

"Seeing you like this makes me realize that Xiao Zhan is more like my son than you. His personality even resembles my daughter-in-law, so I often forget that Xiao Zhan is not her child." The stranger said before turning around and opening the cell door, which slammed shut with a loud bang as he left the cell. The sudden wind blew the hood off the stranger's head and when he turned around again, the face of Wang YiZhou, Xiao Zhan's grandfather, was revealed.

Zhao Liying paled as she stared into his eyes. The resemblance between the man in front of her and the man she loved and couldn't forget was strong. She knew it wasn't Luo Jin, but the resemblance alone made her jump up and run to the cell door, grabbing the bars of the small window in the door and staring at the visitor in desperation.

The king was surprised by her sudden behavior, but what shocked him the most were the images that flooded his mind as soon as his eyes met Zhao Liying's. He hadn't used his power on her at all, but the images rushed into his mind, forcing him to absorb all of her memories, every feeling and thought she had had on that eventful night years ago.

I had been feeling restless since this morning, and after the phone call with Xiao Zhan, this feeling intensified. Now I had enough. Xiao Zhan was supposed to be home hours ago, and he was someone who would never break his promise. The fact that he didn't come home after breaking up with his girlfriend didn't sit well with me.

So, after looking through his contacts, I found out where Min-Ah lived and went to pick up my son. The closer I got to her house, the more anxious I became, and I ended up running. Call it maternal instinct, but I was sure something had happened to Xiao Zhan. Are they fighting? Did the separation go wrong?

I never liked Min-Ah very much, but I accepted her because I knew she loved Xiao Zhan with all her heart. She obviously made him happy too, so how could I interfere?

When I finally arrived, I tried to open the door expecting it to be locked, but to my surprise it was not. I entered the house and was about to call his name when something inside me told me not to. It was dark and awfully quiet and that worried me. I saw a faint light coming from under the door and for a moment it was as if I heard Xiao Zhan inside.

I hurriedly approached the door and opened it. I inhaled sharply and quickly covered my mouth when I saw the intimate scene in front of me. Xiao Zhan wasn't a child anymore, and since he had a girlfriend for some time now, I should know what both of them would do behind closed doors. If they were still a couple, that is.

But what shocked me was not that I'd caught my son in bed with his girlfriend, but that the scene I was watching could be part of a very disturbing horror movie. Xiao Zhan... my son...

I didn't understand what was going on. What was that?

"Xiao Zhan...." I called him and suddenly he leaned back and made a terrible loud noise. I finally saw the whole picture and the shock was so great that my legs gave out. I started shaking.

Then he looked at me and I saw his teeth. His teeth... the incisors were long and I could see from where I was sitting that they were sharp. And his eyes, they were bright red, glowing in the dark. If I didn't know better, I would have thought that this person in front of me was not Xiao Zhan.

My eyes wandered to the naked body underneath him. Min-Ah didn't move, her eyes were wide open and I saw a soft smile on her lips as she wore a surprised expression.

"X-xiao Zhan?" I called out to him and jumped when I heard this... this... animalistic growl.

Xiao Zhan suddenly bent down again and I could finally see what he was doing. I shivered all over and couldn't take my eyes off him. Seeing him do what he did scared me. He was acting like a monster... but even though it was scary and surprising, I was not too shocked.

I couldn't put my finger on that feeling. "Xiao Zhan."

Another growl came from him. He stopped and stared at me with those bright red eyes. Eyes I found very familiar. I had seen them before...

Suddenly he rolled off Min-Ah and looked up at the ceiling. He licked his lips and grinned, his teeth ... or rather his fangs glistening in the dim light of the ceiling light.

I didn't know what to do. What was one to do in such a situation? What could I do when my son was behaving like a monster?

I shook my head. No, he wasn't a monster. He was just different. He was still my son. So what if he liked blood? So what, he had longer teeth? Others had no right to judge...

I felt something wet on my cheeks, and when I touched them, I realized that I was crying. Why? When?

Xiao Zhan's head turned towards me and I saw him watching me. His eyes... his bright red eyes... staring at me... just like...

Luo Jin!

I knew that I had seen them before! That night! Luo Jin and I .... while we were doing this... he looked at me like this. He also had red eyes... I remembered. My thoughts and memories of that one eventful night were foggy because of that stuff in the tea, but... I remembered now. His eyes... his teeth...

I jumped when I heard a loud bang coming from somewhere outside. A loud moan and some heavy cursing followed. That woke me up. If someone came in and saw this... what would they do? No, I had to do something.

I approached the bed, Xiao Zhan watching me like a hawk. No, he... I felt different. He felt different. No matter the change in color, the expression in his eyes was nowhere near the way he usually looked at me. It was as if he was someone else. I was scared... But... he was my son. He needed my help! I had to protect him.

My eyes went to Min-Ah and seeing her made me sick. The light in her eyes was gone, the marks on her neck were large and blood was still pouring out. I reached for her and stopped when Xiao Zhan growled. I looked at him and watched him carefully as I touched Min-Ah. She was warm .... and there was a pulse!

"Oh God!" I almost screamed and wanted to run out to call an ambulance, but before I could, Xiao Zhan jumped up and growled at me. His eyes formed slits as he watched my every move. So I stopped. I had never been so afraid in my life.

Xiao Zhan watched me for a few more minutes before he climbed on top of Min-Ah and soon sunk his fangs into her skin. The images and the sounds... it was horrible, but I couldn't look away, I couldn't move. All I could do was watch. Min-Ah let out soft moans and whimpers, but otherwise, she didn't move at all.

I don't know how long I stood there, but at some point, Xiao Zhan fainted. I slowly approached the bed again and touched Min-Ah, but this time I didn't feel a pulse. I jumped back in shock and a sob escaped my lips. She was dead!

Shaking my head, I ran out of the room. I ran around until I found what I was looking for. Quickly running back, I stopped in front of the lifeless girl ..... and stabbed her. I didn't know what I was doing, but my mind was filled with only one purpose.

Protect my son!

I stabbed her several times to make sure the marks were gone. When I was satisfied, I stopped and fell to the ground. More and more sobs left my lips and my body didn't stop shaking. Another growl could be heard, but I didn't look up. I couldn't see what Xiao Zhan was doing. I was afraid...

A heartbreaking scream rang out and I flinched before jumping up and looking straight into the wide eyes of a young woman. I didn't know her, but she looked like Min-Ah, so I assumed it was her sister. But it didn't matter because she saw him. She saw Xiao Zhan, she saw my son! She would tell everyone. Xiao Zhan would be arrested, they would... they would take him away from me. They could do the worst things to him, someone who was different from others. They would lock him up... probably do tests on him... they would hurt him... ....

Xiao Zhan let out a loud growl and bared his fangs. He stood up and looked like he was about to attack the girl, but then he stumbled. He fell backward and fainted.

Without thinking, I attacked her instead. I stabbed her and she fell to the ground. I turned to Xiao Zhan to cover him with a blank before concentrating on my task.

I had to protect Xiao Zhan! I would do anything to protect him, and if that meant becoming a murderer, I would do it!

"I won't let you hurt my son. He is my everything and I won't let you or anyone else take him away from me!"

I tightened my hands around the knife and lunged at her. 

The king's father stumbled back and saw Liying staring at him with wide eyes, a hint of warmth hidden in the coldness and determination. He didn't know why he saw what he saw when he didn't use his abilities, but it didn't matter.

He understood now. This woman before him wasn't as hardhearted as everyone thought. She was actually obsessed, obsessed with protecting her son from everything, even the truth.

Even after seeing him in such a frightening and shocking moment, she would rather take the blame than reveal Xiao Zhan's nature.

She didn't know exactly what and how it happened, she couldn't understand how Xiao Zhan ended up the way he did, and she certainly couldn't believe in the existence of their kind, but she didn't care about any of that. All she ever cared about was protecting Xiao Zhan. Protecting him from the scary world of humans who would fight over him, experiment on him, and hurt him. In the blink of an eye, she decided to become the ruthless killer who murdered two women who were interested in Xiao Zhan.

She kept it a secret all these years, making sure that everyone knew that she was the killer. The fact that Xiao Zhan believed it too was killing her, but she accepted it to protect him.

"It was his first time." The king's father said, keeping eye contact with Zhao Liying. "That night, he lost control. It was the first time the vampire in him took over, a part of him he didn't know existed."

The king's father decided to speak openly now, to give Zhao Liying at least a little explanation. "Half-vampires tend to get out of control easily. They are dangerous if left unattended, which is why there are not many of them. Due to the fact that Xiao Zhan had never tasted blood before, something he had been unknowingly carving for weeks before that night, he reached his limit and lost control. The vampire in him took what he needed most."

He sighed. "When you lose control, there is a 50-50 chance that half-vampires will remember what they did afterward." He locked eyes with Zhao Liying.

"In Xiao Zhan's case, he doesn't remember anything. He probably won't ever remember."

Zhao Liying let out a whimper as relief washed over her face.

"I understand what you did, although I do not like that you killed someone. But I won't tell him or anyone else. I will protect Xiao Zhan from the truth." The king's father promised, took the picture out of his pockets, and slipped it through the bars of the door.

Without another word, he turned and left, determined to make sure that Xiao Zhan would never find out that he had killed his girlfriend. He would never know that his mother had killed someone to protect him.

Today was Xiao Zhan's wedding, and it would be a joyous occasion. The king's father left the prison and returned to the vampire world to watch his grandson on his happiest day.  

Xiao Zhan's POV

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked my best friend, who nodded.

"Yes," Haoxuan replied and opened the door to the dungeon.

"Alright. I will stay behind you."

Haoxuan nodded again as we made our way to the dungeon's only inmate. He had been locked up for many years and had no contact with anyone except the guards who brought him food and water. We were allowed to keep him here, but not to kill him. He was human, and therefore it was illegal to kill him, no matter what he had done.

I didn't know why Haoxuan wanted to meet him, but I would find out soon enough. I watched him enter the cell, where I caught a glimpse of a very old-looking human, Haoxuan's father. He was only about 60, but he looked much older. But maybe that was just the vampire in me thinking.

He sat on the bed and stared at the floor. He didn't even look up when he heard someone entering his cells.

"You look old," Haoxuan said, watching his father. "I heard you stopped asking for impossible things."

He looked up and I could see his eyes widen in surprise before he started laughing like the maniac he was. Haoxuan gritted his teeth.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself down here. Seeing how you don't look the least bit guilty, it means you still think you didn't do anything wrong. Maybe it was stupid of me to think that you would change after 20 years."

His father stopped laughing. "20 years..." Even his voice sounded weak. "20 years, and you don't look a year older. You are one of them now, aren't you? They turned you, didn't they? How do you feel? Isn't it amazing? I bet it is."

Yes, Haoxuan had long since accepted what he had become. It took a while, but eventually he figured out that being a vampire wasn't all that different from being a human. The only differences were the thirst for blood and not aging.

"I knew it. You are just like me. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the urge to become one of them. A vampire!"

"So you finally admit that I am your son."

"I do. Now it's clearer than ever. You are my son and I am your father. And the urge to become one of them you inherited from me as well."

"I had no choice!" Haoxuan hissed. "You shot me! You did! You almost killed me!"

"And yet you are still alive. Ji Yang... he liked you. I saw it that night. Or maybe like is the wrong word. It was more than that. Love. Yes, he loves you. He loves you so much that he turned you, didn't he?"

"You have no right to say his name!" Haoxuan growled and I didn't need to see his face to know that his eyes were red.

"Wonderful!" His father cheered and jumped to his feet. Seeing him more clearly in the dim light, I was amused to notice what the years had done to him. He was thinner, his face had wrinkles, and what little hair he had left was white.

"Turn me!" He demanded as he approached Haoxuan. "Turn me, turn me now!"

Haoxuan snorted and I saw his fangs flashing. His father's eyes widened and he clapped his hands, excitement and pure joy written all over his face. He even tilted his head, eager to finally get what he had wanted for over 40 years.

Haoxuan started to laugh. I smiled and shook my head.

"What makes you think that I would turn you?" He chuckled. "What would be so great about becoming a vampire now that you are so old?"

"Stop talking nonsense and turn me!"

Haoxuan laughed again.

"I am your father, you are my son! You wouldn't have been born without me. The least you can do is to pay me for my efforts in raising you. I don't need money, repay me by turning me!"

"You want me to repay you for raising me? Do you want me to repay you for all the abuse? The hitting, the beating? Sure, I can do that."

I jumped when Haoxuan slapped his father, who stumbled back. I frowned, I didn't like what happened, but it was Haoxuan's business, not mine. And honestly, it wasn't that bad to see my best friend's abuser get what he deserved.

"Is that enough? Or do you want more? Should I pay interest too? That would be quite expensive, but... I think I can manage."

"You dare to hit me? Your own father!"

"I think I liked it better when you thought I was Ji Yang's son. I would rather be his son than yours."

"Turn me! TURN ME!" He attacked Haoxuan, but Haoxuan pushed him away as if he were an annoying fly buzzing around him.

"No, father, I didn't come here to turn you. I came to show you that I have what you so desperately want. I am living your dream. I am a vampire now. I will not age, I will live for a very, very long time.

Haoxuan's father looked angry. Anger, jealousy, obsession, and even hate flashed in his eyes.

"I won't turn you. You will age every day while you live in this rotten dungeon until the day you die. And I have a feeling it won't be long before that happens. When you die, rotting deep in the ground, I will enjoy my long life to the fullest. Farewell, bastard!"

Haoxuan turned and left the cell, slamming the door behind him.

"Come back, you piece of shit! Turn me! Turn me now! Do you hear me!? TURN ME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

We left the dungeon and as soon as the door was closed, his screams and curses stopped. Well, I could still hear them, but my ability to block out unnecessary sounds had become top-notch over the past few years.

"Haoxuan..." We turned to see Ji Yang approaching us. He looked worried.

"I paid him a final visit. I just had to show him that I had become what he couldn't. Seeing his anger, hearing his desperation while demanding to turn him... this is even better than just killing him." He replied, smiling amusedly.

"I could have gone with you."

"And meet the person who tortured you for so many years? No." Haoxuan shook his head. "I had Xiao Zhan."

"But-ahh!" Ji Yang was pushed against the wall. "Haoxuan!"

A chuckle escaped my friend as he turned Ji Yang to face the wall before starting to rub himself on his lover's bottom. "I want you... badly..."

I rolled my eyes, turned around and walked away.

"Not here! Haoxuan!"

"No one is here."

"They'll hear!"

"So what?"

"Haoxuan, I dare you! Ahh-! Damn it! Please..."

"I think a bed is more comfortable..." A second later, I heard a loud bang.

"Haoxuan seems to be in a good mood." I looked up when I heard Yibo's voice.

"I think this is his way of releasing all the frustration that has filled him since he set foot in the dungeon. I kind of feel bad for Ji Yang."

"You feel bad? Or maybe you envy him."

"Both, maybe..." I grinned and pulled him in for a kiss.

"And now?" He wanted to know.

"I guess all we have to do is wait for his father to die." I tilted my head. "Wow, I sound really bad..."

"I like it..." Yibo chuckled.

"I bet you do." I sighed. "Maybe when that man is gone, both of them can forget the past completely. It won't be easy, but they have a lot of time ahead of them."

"So do we."

"Hm, yes." I smiled.

"Do you have anything else to do or can I take some of your time?"

I thought for a moment. "I've finished everything I could. I can already see how tiring it is to be a king and I can't wait for Dad to finally return to his office. Why did Mom have to be in her prime at such a busy time?"

"It's not like she can control it. Besides, isn't your grandfather still here?"

"I guess." I sighed. "I still haven't figured out what he did to make him feel so guilty about me... At least he finally stopped avoiding me."

"Who knows?" Yibo nuzzled my neck, his breath tickling me. "How about we go back to our room too?" His hands went to my bottom and I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist. Not much later, he was tucking me into our bed in the Crown Prince's suite, which we had moved into right after our wedding.

"Do you think your grandfather can handle the affairs of state until your father returns?" Yibo asked as he eagerly, yet carefully, undressed me. It took a while, but I managed to teach him not to just rip them off, leaving me with fewer and fewer clothes in my wardrobe. I was rich and could easily afford new clothes, but buying new ones all the time was just annoying. And a huge waste.

"If not the previous king, who else?" I laughed as Yibo struggled to take off my pants. I was getting impatient.

"Rip them off." He raised his eyebrows at me, but then smiled and ripped off my pants and boxers.

"You've been pretty horny lately," I said. "Any reasons?"

"You mean besides the fact that I love you so much and can't get enough of you?"

"Yeah, besides that."

His eyes suddenly darkened and he looked really pissed. "I caught two females sneaking into our room last week, one even dared to lie in our bed."

"Is that why you took it out and replaced it with this one?" I asked amusedly, patting the mattress. "I like it. It's even bigger than the one before and we have enough room to roll around."

I grabbed Yibo and rolled us over, straddling him with a wide grin. "If you ever catch one of them again, throw them in the dungeon for treason. Listen, Wang Yibo!"

I leaned down and licked his earlobe. "As my guard, you must protect me from intruders. It's your job not to let anyone near me. If they dare to come too close, you must protect me and punish them as you see fit."

He groaned as I nibbled on him. "And as my husband, your job is to love me and make love to me. Yibo, my heart, my soul and my body belong to you. I'm not interested in anyone else, so you don't have to worry about anything. But I like it when you get jealous. It makes you lose your temper, especially in bed."

I lifted my bottom and, keeping eye contact, guided his hard cock where I wanted it before I lowered my hips. The pleasure and slight pain I felt was driving me crazy and when Yibo tried to roll us over, I stopped him. Pressing his hands to the mattress, I grinned.

"I want to ride you. Don't move!"

"As you wish, Your Highness." He grinned and let me have my way.

But not for long. Soon I was beneath him, holding onto his shoulders as if my life depended on it.

T H E    E N D  

That's it... once again I finished a book. I said it before but I do feel a little empty after every book I finish. 

I really hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. 

I also hope to see you on the next story which will be the second book to The Journey of Wei Ying. 

If you liked this last chapter feel free to leave a vote and a comment or two... or three <3 <3