The night rain outside the window was still falling. Bo Jingmo sat on the sofa, staring at the contact name for a while before finally picking up the call. His voice was calm: “Grandpa, it’s so late. What’s the matter?”
An elderly voice came from the other end: “It’s nothing serious. It’s just that your mother’s birthday is coming up, and I wanted to ask if you’re coming home.”
Bo Jingmo paused, then curved his lips slightly. “I’ll be back. Don’t worry.”
“Just like before? Come back, drop off a gift, and leave?” the old man said bluntly. He seemed to sigh. “Your mother didn’t have the nerve to call you, but she really wanted to ask, so she made this old man do it.”
After saying that, he paused for a moment before continuing: “And… your father will be there too. He said he wants to talk to you.”
Bo Jingmo lowered his gaze without responding.
The other side, hearing no reply, assumed he was taking it in, so the tone softened: “Actually, your father has been protecting you all these years. He didn’t reveal your identity because he was afraid it would make your condition worse. Look at you now—you’re getting better, aren’t you?”
“Back then, your father did go too far with some things, but he’s changed. Grandpa was even thinking of finding a chance to reveal your identity after you graduate, so you can directly inherit the company.”
The sound of rain tapping the windows was unusually clear in the spacious villa, yet also unusually cold and desolate. The man sat in silence on the sofa.
His mind was once again filled with the image of his mother’s horrified expression—as if seeing a monster—and everyone else’s eagerness to avoid him, eyes filled with fear and terror, enclosing him completely. In his ears echoed the screams of the house servants and the rustle of whispered discussions.
It had been a long time since he last thought about those things, yet today, just hearing that man’s name brought all that pain flooding back.
The aura around him churned like boiling water, agitated and restless. Bo Jingmo’s breathing grew heavy as lead. He clenched the phone in his hand, holding it so tightly it seemed like it might shatter.
At that moment, the dark and violent thoughts hidden deep inside surged forth like a tidal wave. The long-dormant symptoms were showing signs of relapse. He almost let out a mocking laugh.
He knows he was wrong? Just one light sentence—“I know I was wrong”—and that’s supposed to erase everything he did in the past?
Why should he forgive him? Why?
Silently, Bo Jingmo’s eyes seemed to be dyed red with blood, little by little turning crimson. Thin wisps of black mist slithered out of his body like venomous snakes, carrying a familiar yet dangerous, eerie aura.
But at this moment, Bo Jingmo was completely unaware—his mind overwhelmed by twisted thoughts he couldn't show anyone.
These people are so annoying… Why do they keep bothering me over and over again.
Maybe I should stop pretending and just kill them all.
Yeah, kill them all. That’d solve it.
The old man on the other end seemed to sense something and suddenly went quiet. Then, in a probing tone, he said: “Jingmo? You…”
The sudden voice brought Bo Jingmo back slightly. He sucked in a breath and instinctively denied, “I’m fine.”
He tried to use the pain of digging his nails into his palm to regain control—but something blocked him.
Feeling something unfamiliar in his hand, he looked down—and when he saw what he was holding, the expression on his face froze. His bloodshot eyes stared blankly at the item in his hand.
Right. Lili was still upstairs.
At that thought, Bo Jingmo instinctively raised his head. Across from him, in the reflection of the glass cabinet, was his current appearance—veins bulging, eyes blood-red, with faint black mist curling around his body—just like how he looked in an instance.
His breath hitched, and panic flashed in his eyes.
Hadn’t he just said he could control it? But now he looked even more terrifying than before.
Why had it gotten worse than before?
No. This can’t be happening.
He suddenly stood up, wanting to go upstairs to find Yu Li.
In Bo Jingmo’s subconscious, only Yu Li could give him a sense of safety.
Only she wouldn’t mind seeing him .
But just as he reached the stairs, he paused.
Lili had just gone to rest. Wouldn’t he be disturbing her ?
He looked down in silence, staring at the black mist in his palm. He clenched his fists, then finally stepped onto the balcony.
Whoosh—the glass door slid open. A freezing wind hit him in the face, and the rain outside instantly splashed against his skin. His dazed mind felt like it had been doused in ice water, instantly sobering him up.
The black mist around his body gradually dissipated.
“Jingmo?” the old man’s voice came again from the phone, filled with worry. “...Are you okay?”
Bo Jingmo’s hand gripped the door frame tighter. “I’m fine, Grandpa.”
“Then, about what I mentioned just now…”
Hearing the cautious tone in the other man’s voice, Bo Jingmo lowered his gaze. The red in his pupils slowly faded. He gave a faint, silent curl of his lips and softly said:
“I got it. I’ll come home.”
Upon hearing that, the old man’s mood obviously lifted, his tone unable to hide the excitement. “Good, good. Then go rest early.”
After ending the call, the curve on Bo Jingmo’s lips slowly disappeared. He stood silently, eyes fixed on the ground.
Rain soaked the ends of his hair. The wet strands clung to his forehead. His lips were tightly pressed together, and rainwater slid down his pale face, adding a hint of brokenness.
The rain gradually intensified. The night wind was bone-chilling, and the howling outside seeped into the house like a sorrowful wail.
The man stood quietly in the cold wind, like a soulless body.
No one knew how long passed until, in the still air, a low, ambiguous laugh suddenly broke the silence: “Heh…”
The laugh was mocking, yet also seemed self-deprecating.
The little yellow orb hiding around the corner of the second-floor staircase shuddered at the sound.
Even though it knew Bo Jingmo couldn’t see it right now, it instinctively wanted to hide.
It peeked its little head out, and when it saw Bo Jingmo standing on the balcony in the wind, its glow flickered twice.
Should it tell Big Sis what just happened?
If it did, Big Sis would definitely start worrying about this damn man again.
The little orb had just gotten out of the time-out black room and was feeling conflicted. It turned to the tiny shadow next to it and asked, “Little Shadow, should we tell her?”
Little Shadow tilted its head, then suddenly bounced twice and gestured excitedly.
“You think we should tell her.”
The little orb nodded like a miniature adult, pretending to be deep in thought. “True. If something suddenly happened to Bo Jingmo, Big Sis would be even more upset. Alright then, let’s go tell her!”
Then, it and Little Shadow cheerfully returned to the room.
But upon seeing Yu Li sound asleep, the little orb hesitated again.
Big Sis looked really tired—she was fast asleep.
Maybe… wait till tomorrow?
It was just about to fade from sight when, in the quiet room, the girl’s calm voice suddenly rang out.
“What’s wrong with Bo Jingmo?”