It was a stupid idea. You knew that, but you went anyway. As much as you were an enthusiast of all things occult-related, agreeing to visit an allegedly haunted house with your friend was something you should’ve second-guessed. Not only was it trespassing, but, by the looks of it, the mansion actually did seem haunted.

You arrived first and were just pulling out your phone to text your friend a change of plans when it started to rain.

Great. It was like the world wanted the worst for you.

You quickly tucked your phone away to keep it from getting soaked and hurried under the roof of the building. But, with your luck, the wind blew the rain right in your direction, drenching you anyway. It seemed like the only way out was in.

You stepped inside the mansion carefully, doing your best to stay quiet so no ghosts—if there were any—would notice you. The interior looked... old. It was dusty and seemed like something out of a gothic novel.

“Don’t you know you should knock before entering someone else’s house?”

The voice, along with the sudden appearance of a blond man in front of you, caught you completely off guard. He chuckled when you jolted, his laughter fading into a slight smirk. “Just kidding. I know you won’t do anything,” he said. “I’m Xia Fei.”

Just knowing the house had a reputation for being haunted was enough to scare you, even though the stranger didn’t seem hostile. Honestly, he should have been the one afraid. After all, you were the one trespassing. You took a deep breath to compose yourself, but a loud clatter cut through the air and made you freeze.

Xia Fei raised an eyebrow, amused by your reaction. He casually pointed his thumb in the direction of the noise. “Don’t run away. It’s probably a cat,” he said with a grin, his fangs just barely visible. He shot you a wink as he continued, “Besides, if you’re scared, you can always hide in my arms.”

You hesitated, caught somewhere between a nervous laugh and the urge to bolt out the door. Something about Xia Fei didn’t sit right with you. Maybe it was his appearance. Maybe it was the fact that he was living in a place that was supposed to be abandoned.

“Oh, are you cold?” he asked, noticing the way you were hugging yourself. You were soaked from the rain, and the chill inside the house wasn’t helping. Xia Fei stepped closer, shrugging off the coat draped over his shoulders and gently settling it around you. “Here. Wouldn’t want you getting sick.”

“Make yourself comfortable,” he added, guiding you gently toward the couch with a hand on your back. Then he slipped away into the shadows of the room, returning shortly with a bottle and two wine glasses taken from a cabinet in the corner.

“I don’t usually have guests,” he said as he set them down and expertly poured a deep red wine into each glass. “But since you’re here, I think the evening calls for a… drink.”