A Secret Revealed

“What do you mean, ‘Can you believe me?’”

Confronted with Bai Xia’s question, Mo Bai paused, a flicker of confusion crossing his face as he struggled to grasp the full import of her words.

‘Can I believe you?’ What did that even mean? He had come to Bai Xia’s aid countless times, assisting her with all manner of difficulties. What was the implication behind such a question?

While Mo Bai found himself at a loss, the unwavering gaze from Bai Xia’s anxious eyes suddenly made him realize that perhaps his deskmate harbored a profound secret—one that had compelled her to live under a false identity all this time.

After all, if someone awakened superpowers and became a Transcendent, they could essentially bid farewell to poverty. It was akin to a pheasant transforming into a phoenix upon reaching a high branch. Even with the weakest ability, a comfortable life was practically guaranteed if one found suitable employment.

Yet, ever since he’d known Bai Xia, her life had been a constant cycle of attending school by day and working after classes. On months when her earnings fell short, she would occasionally borrow money from him to tide her over. By all accounts, Bai Xia’s life was arguably more challenging than that of many ordinary individuals.

If that were truly the case, then what exactly was his deskmate, Bai Xia, so afraid of?

“What exactly do you mean by that, Bai Xia?”

Mo Bai circled around to face Bai Xia, then slowly knelt, meeting her gaze from below. Gently, he extended his palm to cover her small hand, which was tightly clutching her shirt hem, hoping to ease her tension. Bai Xia’s hand trembled subtly in his, and her long, snow-white hair draped forward, obscuring her flushed cheeks.

“The surveillance cameras in here are off,” Mo Bai murmured, his voice soft but imbued with a calming strength that gradually eased Bai Xia’s apprehension. “No one will know what we talk about. Don’t you trust your Mo Ge anymore?”

“I…” Bai Xia’s lips parted slightly, her eyes, fixed on Mo Bai, brimming with an internal struggle.

With life and death hanging in the balance, a profound fear gripped her, yet under Mo Bai’s deep, unwavering gaze, she finally steeled her resolve after a brief moment.

“I’m not a Transcendent… and my abilities aren’t superpowers, Mo Ge…” Bai Xia’s downcast eyes slowly rose, meeting Mo Bai’s gaze directly. “I’m one of those things… the Blade Keepers Agency wants to eradicate.”

The girl’s voice was barely a whisper, yet in the hushed confines of the lounge, Mo Bai, positioned so close, heard every word with startling clarity.

“Mo Ge, I’m still young, I don’t want to die…” Bai Xia’s voice quivered faintly, years of suppressed grievances seemingly finding a sudden outlet. A mist of tears welled in her ruby-red eyes, and the small hand that had been cradled in Mo Bai’s palm now clutched his sleeve tightly, as if clinging to her last lifeline.

For now that she had confessed, whether she would be apprehended by the Blade Keepers Agency for judgment rested entirely on Mo Bai’s decision.

“Things the Blade Keepers Agency wants to eradicate…?” Mo Bai stared at the white-haired girl, now openly weeping before him. He initially froze, then a wave of realization washed over him, finally understanding the true nature of Bai Xia’s words.

Those things from beyond the veil…

Yet… Mo Bai gazed at the pained, white-haired girl before him and found himself utterly unable to reconcile her image with the vicious creatures from beyond the veil.

Unlike ordinary people, as the young master of the Mo family, he had personally encountered those entities. They were, without exaggeration, monsters—devoid of reason, driven solely by a thirst for slaughter, and possessing grotesque forms.

But Bai Xia?

With her delicate, adorable figure, soft, snow-white hair, translucent ruby-red eyes, and those subtly pointed canines—she was, by all appearances, nothing more than an exceptionally beautiful young woman.

If all monsters looked like her, many would surely embrace death willingly.

“How could that be… Are you mistaken?” Mo Bai inquired, a note of disbelief in his voice.

The girl before him bore no resemblance whatsoever to the monsters etched in his memory; even their appearances were poles apart. How, then, could Bai Xia possibly be one of them?

“I’m… a Blood Princess, Mo Ge,” Bai Xia whispered, and as she explained, she slightly parted her lips, revealing two delicate, pointed canines.

At this, Mo Bai suddenly recalled how, just last night, Bai Xia’s condition had improved simply by receiving a drop of his blood. Framed in this context, her reaction to blood was no longer a mystery.

“Blood… a Blood Princess? A vampire?” Mo Bai leaned in closer to Bai Xia’s face, shrinking the already intimate distance even further. This proximity made Bai Xia blush and instinctively recoil.

“Something like that… Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure myself,” Bai Xia mumbled, her cheeks flushed. Her pointed canines unconsciously grazed her lower lip, betraying a hint of nervousness. Yet, it seemed… her deskmate didn’t appear to harbor any disgust or fear regarding her true identity.

But would Mo Bai betray her? She couldn’t be certain.

“Mo Ge… I…” Bai Xia began, her words trailing off. She opened her mouth again, then closed it, unsure how to proceed, until Mo Bai stood, a large hand gently ruffling her hair.

“Mmm…” Her small head drew back slightly, not daring to meet her deskmate’s gaze. After all, she was still awaiting Mo Bai’s judgment.

“Are you scared?”

“Mm…”

“I feel like you’re truly behaving like a girl right now.”

“Well… is it possible that I’ve been a girl ever since we met?”

“I see. In that case, I must admit, you’re incredibly cute like this.”

Gazing down at the still-flustered girl, Mo Bai couldn’t help but smile. A gentle curve unexpectedly graced his lips, a subtle shift he didn’t even notice himself. Instead, an inexplicable, wondrous sensation blossomed within his heart.

His long-time little sidekick, secretly a beautiful white-haired girl?! This was something straight out of a novel.

At her deskmate’s playful teasing, Bai Xia’s face flushed even deeper, and her earlier distress began to dissipate. For now, it seemed Mo Bai would indeed help her, but…

“Mo Ge… you’re not exactly lacking, so… please don’t get any ideas about me…”

While she was undeniably a girl now, she had, after all, once been a boy. A lingering fear persisted: what if Mo Bai developed feelings for her? Moreover, she hadn’t dared to mention the contract her body had already forged with him.

For the time being, Bai Xia believed it best to keep that particular secret to herself.

“Honestly, what are you thinking now?” Mo Bai said, a hint of exasperation in his voice, as he lightly tapped Bai Xia’s small head. She let out a soft “ah” of pain. “Don’t worry, I’ll figure out a way to handle your situation. There’s no need to fret. And do you truly think your Mo Ge is ‘that kind of person’?”

“Thank you… thank you, Mo Ge! Thank you!” With eyes reddened, Bai Xia abruptly rose from her chair and flung herself into Mo Bai’s embrace. Her long, snow-white hair fanned out like a waterfall, and her slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her small face buried against his chest. “Thank you, Mo Ge…”

The secret that had weighed on her heart for so many years finally found its release. Bai Xia’s tear-filled eyes threatened to soak Mo Bai’s collar, and her slender shoulders trembled minutely, as if she were trying to weep away all the injustices she had endured over the years.

Others might never truly comprehend, but Bai Xia alone understood the arduous path she had trodden. Every day was a struggle, a constant worry about merely existing, devoid of true freedom, always dependent on the whims of others. It was just like demanding her wages at the bar last night—a demeaning experience, and one she, honestly, had faced countless times before.

Bai Xia clung to Mo Bai tightly. Though she couldn’t fathom why his body felt subtly stiff, she found nothing amiss. Perhaps it was because, in her days of presenting as a boy, she had grown accustomed to such casual, shoulder-to-shoulder familiarity with him, making this embrace feel remarkably natural.

She knew, with unwavering certainty, that Mo Bai would come to her aid once more.

“Alright, alright. If there’s nothing else, you should head back for now. I’ll find you after I’ve handled a few things.”

Mo Bai eventually wrapped an arm around Bai Xia, gently patting her back in a gesture of comfort. However, given that Bai Xia was currently wearing only a thin shirt, Mo Bai found himself in an awkward predicament.

If things continued this way, he genuinely feared losing his composure. Thus, he had no choice but to urge Bai Xia to leave and head home to change.

Bai Xia, for her part, didn’t give it much thought. Since Mo Bai said he had matters to attend to, she wouldn’t linger and cause further disruption. After all, her immediate concerns were resolved; she no longer had to worry about being suddenly seized and subjected to experiments.