Side Story 2
It wasn’t surprising that the human world had progressed rapidly, transitioning from steampunk to cyberpunk in just two thousand years. While Jasmine still found it strange, she had to admit that humans were incredibly adaptable and innovative. They had achieved so much in such a short time, while vampires, after nearly ten thousand years, were still stuck in the medieval era. No wonder they had been overthrown.
The milk tea that Jasmine had helped develop two thousand years ago was still a popular beverage, a staple of everyday life.
It was worth mentioning that vampires were now a rare sight, on the verge of extinction. Adele had once read in a book that vampires might eventually die out due to their low birth rate, and it seemed that this prediction was coming true.
Honestly, Jasmine loved milk tea, especially after all these years of innovation. There were now countless flavors, rivaling those in her previous world. Of course, due to the presence of otherworldly beings and vampires, there were also some bizarre flavors, such as “Blood Explosion” and “Human Pinky Toe.”
These were flavors that Jasmine couldn’t even comprehend. Her favorite was still jasmine green tea with milk foam.
Unlike Jasmine, Adele wasn’t fond of this era. Jasmine’s blood had become too sweet. She was now a pitiful creature, forced to rely on Miss Golden for her supply of artificial blood, as the dwindling vampire population had led to a shortage. Thankfully, after two thousand years, Miss Golden had become a successful businesswoman. Otherwise, Adele wouldn’t even have access to artificial blood.
The rest of the time, she had to make do with Jasmine’s blood.
Jasmine’s blood was delicious, incredibly sweet, but after drinking so much milk tea, the sugar content in her blood had skyrocketed. At this rate, Adele was worried about getting cavities. She wanted to complain, but she had no one to talk to. After all, she was a recluse, only venturing out at night.
The good news was that there were now many humans who lived similar lifestyles.
But Adele didn’t want to socialize with those smoke- and alcohol-infused individuals. While Jasmine was out buying milk tea, she packed a small bag and bought a train ticket, secretly traveling to the city where Miss Golden lived. The city was now a dazzling display of neon lights, a sensory overload for a two-thousand-year-old vampire like Adele.
And it had changed so much that she barely recognized it. But thankfully, Miss Golden’s scent was still strong, and as a two-thousand-year-old vampire, Adele’s powers had grown significantly. Finding Miss Golden was child’s play.
Miss Golden, despite being a successful businesswoman, still ran a bar. When Adele arrived, Miss Golden was sitting at the counter, watching the bartender mix drinks, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Seeing Adele, she immediately looked behind her, but the woman who was always by Adele’s side was absent.
Miss Golden extinguished her cigarette, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “Did you and Jasmine have a fight?”
Adele shook her head. “No, I ran away from home.”
Miss Golden was about to ask why, but seeing Adele’s expectant expression, she stopped herself. She took a cigarette from the pack on the counter and offered it to Adele. “Want one?” Adele declined politely. Miss Golden sighed. “It’s a special blend, infused with blood.”
“You know I only drink Jasmine’s blood.”
The bar was loud and crowded, the music throbbing, the lights flashing. Adele’s ears were ringing, but Miss Golden was used to it. Her life was so long that she needed distractions. And with so few vampires left, she had no one to talk to.
Thinking about this, she asked curiously, “What exactly is Jasmine? She’s lived for so long.”
“She’s human.”
“Then the heavens must have blessed her with cheat abilities.” Miss Golden’s words were surprisingly modern. She beckoned the bartender over. “A cup of black tea for this beautiful silver-haired lady,” she said. “With artificial blood sugar cubes.”
The bartender obeyed, and soon, a cup of tea was placed before Adele. She downed it in one gulp, then, to Miss Golden’s astonishment, she started acting drunk. Miss Golden was speechless. She had given Adele tea, not alcohol! But Adele was slumped over the counter, mumbling incoherently, “Jasmine is so mean! Drinking so much milk tea, and it’s all with sugar! She’s going to get diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure!”
—No, with her enhanced body, those human ailments wouldn’t affect her.
“Ugh… She’s drinking so much milk tea, her blood is too sweet now. It doesn’t taste as good as before…”
Miss Golden suspected that Adele had come here to brag about her love life.
With the dwindling vampire population, she could no longer indulge in blood as she had two thousand years ago. Instead, she had reverted to her primal instincts, using her beauty to charm both men and women, enticing them to willingly offer their blood.
But the people who were attracted to her in this bar were mostly unhealthy individuals, their blood tainted by alcohol and late nights. Jasmine was just drinking milk tea. Her blood would still be delicious. So, Miss Golden asked, “So her blood doesn’t taste good anymore?”
Adele blushed.
Miss Golden wanted to question her further, then she heard Adele say, her voice slightly embarrassed, “Of course not! Jasmine’s blood is still the best in the world!”
—Ha, women.
Miss Golden scoffed. Adele continued to whine, wanting Jasmine to quit milk tea, especially jasmine green tea with milk foam. She suspected that Jasmine loved that drink more than her. Miss Golden sighed. She just wanted Adele to leave. Usually, it was Jasmine who came to collect the artificial blood, but since Adele was here, she might as well take it with her.
She signaled the bartender, who understood. A moment later, he brought her a suitcase, which she handed to Adele. “Alright, take your things and go.”
Adele continued to pretend to be drunk. “No! I don’t want to go! She doesn’t love me! She only loves jasmine green tea with milk foam!” Miss Golden found her annoying, but thankfully, she spotted Jasmine in the crowd. She signaled Jasmine to come over.
Jasmine was wearing her maid uniform. The people in the bar assumed she was cosplaying, but it wasn’t unusual in a place like this. She approached Adele, who was wearing a lolita dress, and lifted her into her arms. Adele, still pretending to be drunk, buried her face in Jasmine’s chest, feigning ignorance.
Jasmine didn’t say anything. She picked up the suitcase and carried Adele out of the bar. Outside, the neon lights were still dazzling. Adele peeked out from Jasmine’s embrace, her voice hesitant. “Did you… hear everything?”
“Yes.” Jasmine’s single word was enough. Adele, her tsundere instincts kicking in, struggled in Jasmine’s arms. “So what if you heard it?! I’m right! It’s all your fault! You’re drinking so much milk tea, your blood is too sweet! What if I get cavities?!”
Jasmine’s grip was firm. Adele’s struggles were futile. She wouldn’t fall. Taking advantage of the empty street, Jasmine leaped onto a nearby rooftop, then she started jumping from rooftop to rooftop, her speed much faster than it had been two thousand years ago. After all, Adele’s strength had also increased, and she could now withstand higher wind pressure. Although she was still slower than when she was alone, using her supersonic abilities, she was still faster than a train.
Adele, despite her complaining, had thoughtfully cast a cloaking spell on them, preventing them from being detected by surveillance cameras. After two thousand years, cameras were everywhere. Humans had even developed AI that could monitor the entire city through surveillance footage.
Jasmine had once complained to Adele that humans would eventually create a robot apocalypse.
Adele hadn’t understood what a robot apocalypse was, so Jasmine had explained it to her. Adele had thought it sounded cool, but she had also been worried about the potential casualties.
They arrived home before dawn. Jasmine carried Adele to the bedroom and, before Adele could react, pinned her to the bed.
She kissed Adele, who instinctively bared her fangs, piercing Jasmine’s tongue with her consent. She sucked Jasmine’s blood, and a moment later, as always, she became intoxicated.
—She claims that my blood doesn’t taste as good as before, but she still gets drunk.
Only Jasmine had seen Adele in this state, so she knew that Adele had been faking it at the bar. She gently tilted Adele’s chin up, and Adele, her eyes now filled with tears, looked at her pitifully.
“You won’t get cavities. And my blood is still delicious.”
In this state, Adele would agree to anything Jasmine said. She nodded vigorously, remembering that time she had seen Miss White drinking a bag of blood purchased from an underground clinic… Hmph, I would never stoop to that!
They went from kissing to… other activities. Even after two thousand years, their bodies intimately familiar, Adele even knowing the exact number of strands of hair on Jasmine’s head, their passion hadn’t diminished. Adele’s little tantrum had been a joke, a test of their love after two thousand years. They were still each other’s most important person.
Adele also realized that at two thousand years old, she was nearing the end of her natural lifespan. But she could still live for another five or six hundred years, perhaps even eight or nine hundred if she was lucky. With Jasmine by her side, two hundred years wouldn’t feel long. Her life, when she thought about it, had been quite fulfilling.
And Jasmine truly loved her.
Except for…
“Jasmine, I want to drink more blood.”
“No.”
“Eh?! So stingy!”
<The End>
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