What It's Like Being a Vampire

Chapter 597: Chapter 597: The Door to the New World (Part 2)

Mother Tang laughed and said, “Isn’t this obvious? This style of jewelry could never have been bought by you. You simply don’t like wearing anything on your wrists. Even when your maternal aunt bought you that expensive jade bracelet, you wouldn’t wear it. Plus, if you were going to buy any jewelry, it would certainly be in that… what’s the phrase?… that animated character style, like those little plastic figurines you used to treasure.”

While speaking, Mother Tang gestured towards the bracelet on Tang Baona’s wrist, “Look at this bracelet, its material, its pattern, I refuse to believe you bought it yourself. I heard from your grandfather that Xiang Kun carves wood and is a skilled craftsman. I’ve seen the Canary Wooden Carving he gave him, it was beautiful. Had I not known in advance, I definitely would have guessed that it was the work of a master craftsman. I also heard from Baoting that Xiang Kun often carves little wooden figurines for you. So, I am guessing, this bracelet, with its simple and unadorned style, must be his work. Am I right?”

Seeing her mother somewhat complacent, Tang Baoting couldn’t help but grab her sister’s hand and placed the bracelet before their mother, “Mum, you look closely at the pattern before you speak, haha, this isn’t some simple, rustic style.”

Mother Tang held her daughter’s hand, squinting at it for a while. Mr. Tang, who was next to her, immediately stood up to get her reading glasses from the television cabinet, slipped them onto her, and even thoughtfully handed her his magnifying glass, used for reading magazines.

“My, this Xiang Kun is impressive. He managed to carve so many things onto such small beads—this is as good as painting. Oh, who’s this little girl with glasses? She’s pretty cute.” Mother Tang exclaimed, a bit amazed, after picking out the details on the beads.

“That surely must be Nana!” Tang Baoting declared, “If it’s a gift from Xiang Kun, it must be a carving of Nana. Mum, look at this bead, this cute chubby kid is Little Lingdang, she is a close friend of Xiang Kun and Nana.”

“Hehe, indeed, looks a bit like Nana when she was a child,” Mother Tang nodded repeatedly.

“Sis, I haven’t even said who made it!” Tang Baona pulled her hand back, she said, half laughing, half crying.

“Come on, as soon as you came home and sat on the sofa, I could tell at a glance that it must be made by Xiang Kun,” Tang Baoting insisted quite confidently.

Mother Tang also nodded, laughing, “Exactly, knowing you, if it wasn’t, you would have said so already. Your failed attempts to cover up and evade are basically admissions!”

“Yes, yes, yes. And didn’t you notice, Nana, that you touch the beads on your wrist every few minutes? It’s practically a conditioned reflex action now. What’s the phrase… that’s right, You can’t bear to part with it! That’s it, you can’t bear to part with it! I remember that last week, when we were having a video call, you weren’t wearing this bracelet. It must be Xiang Kun’s recent birthday gift to you, right?” Tang Baoting continued to tease.

Mother Tang seized the opportunity to continue the conversation: “Oh yes, when you came home this time for your birthday, why didn’t you invite Xiang Kun as well?”

“Why would I call him along, he… he has to go on a business trip and he’s quite busy, I haven’t seen him for several days!”

“Oh… so despite being so busy, he still specifically found time to make this exquisite bracelet for you? Judging by the complexity and intricacy of this bracelet, it wouldn’t be possible to finish it in less than ten hours, right?” Tang Baoting laughed cheekily.

Gao Yao, who was sitting on the side and straining his neck to look at Tang Baona’s bracelet, envious, said, “That’s not all. To carve this, it wouldn’t be possible without a three-dimensional microscope. You can’t work on it too long without taking breaks. I estimate Xiang Kun made this bracelet, starting from preparation to completion, at least three months to half a year beforehand.”

Tang Baona was also taken aback: “It takes that long?”

“Well, I was just making an estimate. For the exact time, you’ll have to ask Xiang Kun or…um, Grandpa Feng…no, it should be your grandfather.” Gao Yao flubbed his words. Embarrassed, he subconsciously raised his hand to scratch his head, realizing that it was unsanitary since he was eating. So, he awkwardly placed his curved fingers on his head for a moment, then hastily put his hand down, looking even more uncomfortable.

Luckily, everyone’s attention wasn’t on him right now. Mother Tang immediately interrupted, “Oh my, he put so much effort into your birthday gift, the least you could do is invite him over for a meal! Why don’t you just stay here instead of going back to Haixi Province right away? Call Xiang Kun and ask when he will finish his business trip, then fly directly to Shenhai, have a meal together, and then you can go back together. Last New Year’s Eve, when that Yang girl came over for a meal, you mentioned that you planned to invite Xiang Kun over after the New Year. It’s already been many months, time is of the essence. Soon it will be the Spring Festival again.”

“Yes, let’s have a meal together. Let’s also take the opportunity to taste Xiang Kun’s cooking skills. I heard your grandfather mention that the dishes Xiang Kun makes are exceptionally tasty. His rabbit meat is a delicacy that I have been craving for a while,” Mr. Tang also chimed in, stroking his chin and speaking in a warm and friendly tone.

“You all are overthinking! Xiang Kun and I are only business partners, good friends…” Tang Baona quickly stated.

“We’re not misunderstanding anything, we just want to invite your good friend, your business partner, to dinner to thank him for looking after our daughter. Where did your mind go? How would one misunderstand?” Mother Tang widened her eyes, wearing an expression of “why are you phrasing it so oddly?”

Mr. Tang smiled and nodded, “We’re just inviting a friend, a good friend.”

Tang Baoting nodded in agreement, “When I first brought Gao Yao home, I introduced him as a good friend.”

Gao Yao paused, set down his chopsticks, opened his mouth to say something, but after a moment’s hesitation, he simply nodded along as well.

“I give up! Xiang Kun is very busy right now, we’ll talk about it another time. Besides… Dad, Mom, shouldn’t your focus be on my sister and her husband? When are they planning to have their wedding?” Tang Baona said, firing another shot at her older sister.

As expected, Mother Tang finally turned her attention to Tang Baoting and Gao Yao, “That’s right, Baoting, Xiao Gao, how’s the wedding planning going? The specifics can be worked out later. Your father and I should meet with the in-laws and set a date. During the engagement, didn’t we agree to get this done before the end of the year? Tomorrow we’re attending your cousin Xiao Luo’s wedding, surely many people will ask about it. Everyone is waiting.”

At her words, the grin previously on Tang Baoting’s face froze. Next to her, Gao Yao reflexively lowered his head.

“Mom, Gao Yao and I have thought it over, and we plan to get the marriage certificate first, then just have a meal with the two families and perhaps a few close friends. The wedding doesn’t need to be rushed, we can hold it a few years later.” Tang Baoting replied with a smile.

“Ah?” Mother Tang was stunned and visibly surprised, she turned to Gao Yao, “Was it… the opinion of the in-laws?”

Gao Yao took a deep breath, as if he’d reached a decision, was about to speak when Tang Baoting interrupted, “No, no, it was a decision we made together. His parents aren’t aware yet. The main thing is that I’m a bit busy with work recently and there’s a lot going on from National Day until Spring Festival. Gao Yao’s workplace is the same, there are a lot of things to handle and it’s a critical period for them. His superiors value him a lot… So, as far as the wedding is concerned, it’s okay to push it back a bit. We’ll have the certificate and become a family. Gao Yao has already been calling you Mom and Dad.”

Tang Baona quickly added, “Actually, my sister and brother-in-law don’t need to rush to hold their wedding. Nowadays, young people get married then go on a honeymoon for a while.”

She realized that her previous comment had hit the wrong target. However, through her Emotional Melody sense, as well as the changing expressions and subtle movements of her sister and brother-in-law, she knew that they had originally planned to discuss this with their parents tonight.

Moreover, she realized that the reason her sister and brother-in-law didn’t want to rush their wedding wasn’t due to the work reasons Baoting mentioned. Of course, it also wouldn’t be because of Gao Yao’s parents; the old couple she’d met were very nice people who liked Baoting very much. So the reason must lie with Gao Yao, which was evident from his reactions.

As for the specific reason, she could make a rough guess. Her brother-in-law was generally good in all aspects, except for a degree of social anxiety. She supposed the thought of a large social gathering like a wedding made him fearful.

Mother Tang’s brows furrowed as if she still wanted to say something, but Mr. Tang instantly said, “Perfect, I’ve been thinking about going to live in Hainan for two months this winter. If Baoting and Xiao Gao are having a wedding, we definitely can’t go, but now it seems we can. Hehe.”

Mother Tang naturally understood his intention in saying this, but she still couldn’t help but squint at him and chide, “You’re probably just eager to go to the beach to see ladies in swimsuits, aren’t you?”

“Hehe, I bought you a swimsuit last year that you can wear. It will undoubtedly look excellent.” Mr. Tang laughed.

“Watch it, the kids are here!”

Seeing the matter was handled, Tang Baona, Tang Baoting, and Gao Yao all sighed in relief.

After dinner, they cut a cake together. Past nine, Tang Baoting and Gao Yao prepared to return to their love nest. As for Tang Baona, even though she had her own place, Yang Lao San did not come back with her, so going home would mean being lone. Therefore, she decided to stay with her parents; after all, she had her room there.

Tang Baona saw her sister and brother-in-law to the elevator. Noticing that their parents weren’t around, she whispered, “You guys didn’t even tell me that you decided to postpone the wedding plans, almost made me play the fool.”

Tang Baoting spoke in a low voice, “It’s fine… after all, we’ve accepted each other’s families, that was the main thing.”

Gao Yao also murmured, “Actually, I’ve been thinking about it recently… weddings aren’t so scary at all… Chang Bin’s marriage was pretty organized with the help of Xiang Kun. After all, he will be our brother-in-law in the future, maybe we can shamelessly ask him to help with our wedding.”

“Let’s talk about this later. A wedding is a happy event, so we should make sure it’s as joyful as possible, not treating it like an exam or task.” Tang Baoting patted her fiancé’s shoulder as she said this.

Gao Yao’s facial expression changed, first showing gratitude, then happiness, followed by embarrassment, and ending with a sense of guilt. He put his arm around his fiancée’s waist, whispering, “Marrying you is the happiest thing in my life.”

After the couple got into the elevator, Tang Baona, wearing a ‘caring aunt’ smile, suddenly reacted, “Wait a second, what does ‘our brother-in-law’ mean? How did Xiang Kun become ‘our brother-in-law’?”

But the elevator doors had already closed and started to descend. Tang Baona could only laugh helplessly at how her sister had started to corrupt her brother-in-law, then head back home.

Back in the living room, Tang Baona’s parents were playing with their Switch fitness ring, shaking their butts, and appearing to be very cheerful. She watched them for a while and then headed back to her room. There, she sat down at the desk, a piece of furniture she’d used for many years before college, switched on the table lamp, and proceeded to examine the bead bracelet on her wrist.

The bead bracelet had many complex patterns and minute details. Although she’d seen it countless times and held it in her hand for many days, every time she looked again, she would always discover something new, which she found fascinating.

Through the use of the bracelet, she was increasingly adept at sensing the emotional and object melodies around her. She enjoyed using this ability to predict others’ intentions and behavior in the evening.

However, she also became aware that when her own emotions were disturbed, like when others talked about something concerning her, she would find it challenging to use the melody to sense and predict things accurately.

While examining the bead bracelet with great interest, Tang Baona suddenly heard a scream from the living room. Thinking it was her mother, she rushed out without a second thought.

The moment she left her room, she was shocked to see her father lying on the floor, clutching his chest, his eyes tightly shut, and his face distorted with pain.

Tang Baona was startled by her father’s state of agony, a face she had never seen on him before.

“What happened?! Mom, what’s wrong with daddy?” Tang Baona rushed over, knelt on the ground, and helped her mom support her dad.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“I don’t know…he just suddenly…Old Tang, what’s happening to you…” Mother Tang appeared very flustered, her voice shaking with fright as she spoke.

“Mom, stay calm, stay calm. Dad, is it your heart? Mom, does dad have heart disease?”

“No, your father doesn’t have heart disease…”

Seeing that her father couldn’t answer and noticing the drastic changes in his facial color, she immediately pulled out her phone to dial emergency services.

Mother Tang also regained some calm and ran out of the room, “Old Lu’s daughter-in-law from downstairs is a doctor, she even specializes in cardiology. I’m going to see if she’s home and get her help.”

Mother Tang went to get help, and the person on the other end of the emergency call ensured they were sending an ambulance right away. Tang Baona was left staring at her motionless father, her mind racing to remember any first aid knowledge she learned before – hoping to find something she could do. Her mind is a whirl of thoughts, when instinctively, she picked up her phone, intending to call Xiang Kun. Her instinct told her that Xiang Kun would be able to help and guide her.

“Sister Nana, Sister Nana, put your hand on your dad’s chest.”

A somewhat abrupt but also a bit familiar voice suddenly came from her phone.

Tang Baona was momentarily stunned, however, instead of being terrified by this seemingly strange act, she got a strange feeling of reassurance.

Following the voice’s command, she instinctively placed her hand on her father’s chest – specifically her left hand where she wore the bracelet.

The instant her hand touched her father’s chest, a young girl in a white dress appeared on the other side of him. The girl knelt down and placed her hand on top of hers.

Looking up at Tang Baona, the girl had incredibly beautiful eyes that sparkled like gems. She spoke up, “Sister Nana, everything’s going to be fine.”

The next moment, the white dress girl disappeared. As Tang Baona was still processing what just happened, she heard her father’s voice, “Nana, help me up.”

Lowering her head, Tang Baona saw her father’s eyes were now open with his complexion back to normal. He looked a bit weak and was panting slightly, but he was no longer in the terrifying condition he previously was.

“Dad, are you okay?” Tang Baona helped her father up and made him sit on the sofa.

“Huh… it was as if I had a brush with death. I saw a bunch of weird things… heh…” Mr. Tang looked scared yet relieved.

Just then, Mother Tang came upstairs with the doctor from downstairs to check on him.

Tang Baona stood to the side, observing her father while feeling her left hand.

The girl that had just appeared was the same one who had appeared during the bird strike on her flight. She was the one whom Yang Zhen’er showed her – Old Xia’s childhood appearance!

Also, judging by the voice, she was the “little elf” who had held her leg one night, preventing her from stumbling down the stairs!

Was this really happening? Did she really appear? Or was it a hallucination?

Feeling her hand, Tang Baona remembered the sensation of the girl’s soft and chubby hand on her own – it felt incredibly real.

She called me… Sister Nana?