Chapter 7
847words
Old Chen watched her with growing concern.
Late one night, after closing, Old Chen sat across from Lucy and poured her a cup of tea.
"Little Lucy, tell this old man what troubles you."
Lucy accepted the cup, tears welling in her eyes. "Am I being selfish, Uncle Chen?"
"Why would you think that?"
"Adrian wants to Turn me—to make me like him so we can be together forever. But I refused. I don't want to give up being human," Lucy explained, her voice breaking. "Now his family is demanding we separate. They say I'm not worthy of him, that I'll destroy him, and I..."
Old Chen listened silently, his weathered face betraying no surprise. In his long life, he'd encountered many things beyond ordinary understanding.
"Should I accept his offer?" Lucy asked, wiping away tears. "Or should I let him go back to his world?"
Old Chen considered her words carefully. "Lucy, what do you love about Adrian?"
"Everything," Lucy whispered through tears. "But the gap between us is too vast. I'll grow old and die while he remains unchanged..."
"Lucy," Old Chen interrupted gently, "what do you think eternity truly means?"
Lucy frowned slightly. "Things that... last forever?"
"No," Old Chen shook his head. "True eternity isn't measured in years, but in depth of feeling. I've lived over sixty years and seen countless couples. Some share a house for decades yet live as strangers. Others have mere years together but share a love deeper than the ocean. Which is more eternal?"
Lucy fell silent, considering his words.
"Love isn't about duration, but about the joy and warmth you create in whatever time you have. It's like your cooking—a dish isn't judged by how long it keeps, but by the happiness it brings when tasted."
"What should I do?" she asked softly.
"I can't decide for you," Old Chen said. "But remember this: true love means fulfilling each other, not changing each other. If Adrian truly loves you, he'll respect your choice. If you truly love him, trust that he'll find the right path."
Lucy nodded, feeling clarity slowly return to her troubled mind.
Meanwhile, at Dracul Manor, Adrian wrestled with his own demons. Lilith's threat had made the stakes clear—continuing with Lucy meant endangering her and severing ties with his ancient bloodline.
As he paced in torment, an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Mr. Adrian?"
Adrian turned to find Old Chen standing in the doorway, the elderly Chinese man looking impossibly small against the manor's towering Gothic architecture.
"Old Chen? How did you find this place?" Adrian asked, genuinely surprised.
"An old man has his ways," Chen replied calmly. "I've come to speak with you."
"What about?" Adrian asked, weariness evident in his voice.
"Do you truly love Lucy?" Old Chen asked without preamble.
"With all my heart," Adrian answered instantly.
"Then why demand she change?"
Adrian faltered. "I just want us to be together... forever."
"Forever?" Old Chen shook his head. "After a thousand years, surely you've learned that what's forced is rarely what's truly desired."
"I don't follow your meaning."
"You want Lucy forever, but have you considered whether Lucy as a vampire would still be the Lucy you fell in love with?"
Adrian fell silent, the question striking him like a physical blow.
"What do you love about her? Her smile? Her kindness? Her passion for cooking? Her zest for life? If she becomes a vampire, will these qualities survive?"
"I'm just... terrified of losing her," Adrian admitted, his voice raw with pain.
"Losing?" Old Chen gave a soft, knowing smile. "What does it truly mean to lose someone, Mr. Adrian?"
"She'll age, die, leave me alone again..."
"And if Lucy changes her very nature to please you, losing everything that makes her who she is—isn't that also loss?"
Adrian stood frozen, the simple truth shattering his certainty.
"True love isn't possession—it's fulfillment. If you truly love Lucy, let her be herself, not what you need her to be."
Old Chen rose to leave. "I know you're suffering, but remember: loving someone means respecting their choices, even when those choices bring you pain."
"But I can't bear losing her..." Adrian whispered desperately.
Old Chen paused at the doorway and turned back. "Have you considered another possibility?"
"What possibility?"
"If you truly can't bear to lose her... why not choose to spend a mortal lifetime with her?"
With those words hanging in the air, Old Chen departed, leaving Adrian stunned.
A mortal lifetime with Lucy?
What would that mean? Surrendering his power, his wealth, everything he'd accumulated over a millennium. And ultimately... facing death.
But compared to Lucy, did any of that truly matter?
Adrian remembered his astonishment at first tasting Blood Curd Stew, the warmth of Lucy's hands guiding his as they made dumplings together, the radiant beauty of her smile.
Perhaps Old Chen was right. Perhaps true eternity wasn't measured in years, but in the depth of feeling.
