The Unveiling of a Secret

“I-I… can I not say?” Bai Xia asked, her voice barely a whisper. She sat stiffly before Mo Bai, the proximity allowing her to clearly discern every shift in his expression, which only intensified her unease. She lowered her head slightly, reluctant to meet his gaze. Though she knew Mo Bai had always been kind to her, this matter concerned her deepest secret, and Bai Xia instinctively yearned to evade it. Moreover, if Mo Bai were to discover the truth about their contract, the repercussions were simply too terrifying to imagine.

Her silvery-white hair cascaded, obscuring her flushed cheeks, and her slender fingers anxiously twisted the hem of her shirt. Bai Xia then tentatively lifted her head, her ruby-red eyes brimming with apprehension. “Can we… can we just pretend you didn’t see anything?”

Mo Bai continued to sip his tea, his tone placid, betraying no hint of emotion. Yet, his calmness only deepened Bai Xia’s apprehension. Could my deskmate already know my true identity? she wondered. Observing Mo Bai’s knowing demeanor, she found herself at a loss for words.

Should she persist in her deception, or reveal everything to her deskmate right now?

It’s so agonizing… I can’t make a choice.

If she chose the former, and Mo Bai had known all along, wouldn’t she appear utterly foolish? But if she confessed, would Mo Bai still help her? If her ears hadn’t deceived her, the transcendent earlier had mentioned Mo Bai’s father was a “Sword-Wielder.” While she didn’t fully grasp its meaning, it sounded like a high-ranking official within the Blade Keepers Agency. If that were the case, revealing her identity would be tantamount to walking straight into a trap. As for expecting protection, she dared not even dream of it.

Her small hands clutched her clothes with increasing force, her knuckles turning pale, yet she had no idea what to do—only continuing her silence. Ordinarily, she was never like this at school, but now, facing Mo Bai, her heart was filled with an overwhelming blend of panic and guilt.

As Bai Xia remained silent, Mo Bai simply watched the white-haired girl before him. It was the weekend, and he had ample time to wait her out, unafraid that she wouldn’t eventually speak. Still, her pitiful expression was undeniably adorable. Could this person… truly be my deskmate?

Mo Bai’s fingertips gently tapped the table, his gaze lingering on the girl’s silvery-white hair as he carefully observed her charming face. Yet, her porcelain skin, delicate features, and those transparent, ruby-red eyes seemed utterly mismatched with his deskmate. Furthermore, the person before him was clearly a white-haired girl.

“Bai Xia.”

“Ah… Mo Ge, what is it?”

Just as the girl’s thoughts were still caught in the turmoil of whether to reveal her identity, Mo Bai, as if by some impulse, called out his deskmate’s name. Bai Xia, her mind entirely focused, responded almost instinctively. An instant, suffocating silence descended upon the air.

Having blurted out her name, Bai Xia immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, her blood-red eyes staring at her deskmate in disbelief. She couldn’t quite fathom that her identity had been so casually elicited.

F-fishing for information…

Yet, despite having elicited the truth, the outcome clearly surprised Mo Bai as well. He had merely intended to gauge her reaction, never expecting such a simple probe to yield such a major revelation.

“Uh… I, I’m not…” Bai Xia stammered, attempting to explain, but her words felt utterly hollow and powerless. No matter what she said now, Mo Bai already knew her true identity.

So, what exactly is going on? Mo Bai wondered, perplexed. And if she’s a girl, why would she disguise herself as a boy? After forcing his mind to accept the situation before him, Mo Bai’s gaze towards Bai Xia became increasingly complex. Even having accepted the current reality, recalling their school days made it incredibly difficult for him to imagine that the “little boy” who usually sat beside him was actually a beautiful, adorable girl in disguise.

“Bai Xia, we’ve known each other for quite a while now, haven’t we?” Sensing Bai Xia’s continued reluctance to speak, Mo Bai’s voice softened with a hint of helplessness. He slowly rose and stood beside Bai Xia’s petite figure, his long fingers gently lifting a strand of her silvery hair, twirling it playfully around his fingertips.

“Mm…” Knowing she could no longer conceal it, Bai Xia remained silent for a moment before giving a slight nod, tacitly acknowledging her identity. But with Mo Bai standing so close, and still toying with her white hair, her heart inevitably began to race, a mix of nervousness and fear stirring within her.

“Leaving aside the two times I’ve saved you, I’ve helped you quite a bit over the years, haven’t I?” Seeing Bai Xia finally admit the truth, Mo Bai exhaled in relief. He then pressed on, striking while the iron was hot. “I’ve lent you money, helped you find part-time jobs, tutored you before exams, and yet now you’re unwilling to tell me even this small thing.”

At that moment, Mo Bai’s voice carried a hint of feigned grievance, yet his fingertips continued to gently play with her hair, making Bai Xia feel even more guilty. “Do I seem so untrustworthy?”

“Mo Ge… I didn’t…” At Mo Bai’s words, Bai Xia suddenly panicked, her small head drooping even lower. Her slender hands tightly wrung the hem of her shirt. “I’m just… really scared…”

“Scared of what?” Mo Bai asked. “If you have superpowers, why didn’t you register with the Blade Keepers Agency?”

“…” At this, Bai Xia fell silent. Yes, she thought. If I were a transcendent, why would I be so down and out? It’s precisely because I’m not a transcendent that I’ve been forced to live the way I have.

Bai Xia’s silence quickly alerted Mo Bai to the anomaly. He couldn’t quite understand why she was so unwilling to tell him about this particular matter. “What exactly is going on, Bai Xia? Why won’t you tell me?”

“Mo Ge… I, I…” Recalling the days since she was abandoned, and how she had made it this far alone, coupled with Mo Bai’s insistent questioning, Bai Xia’s eyes immediately reddened. Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto her fair thighs.

Though she presented as a boy at school, deep down, she was still a girl. Now, confronted by Mo Bai’s relentless questions, all her accumulated grievances and fears finally broke free. How could she tell him? She dared not. If she spoke the truth, she would die.

The girl’s soft sobs suddenly filled the small lounge, leaving Mo Bai utterly flustered. He couldn’t understand how merely asking a question could reduce her to tears. If it were anyone else, Mo Bai wouldn’t have cared much, but this was his deskmate and friend—and such an adorable girl at that. Mo Bai could only sigh and gently pat her back, his voice unconsciously softening as he tried to comfort her.

“There, there. Just tell me what’s wrong. With me helping you, what do you have to be afraid of?”

Mo Bai continued to comfort the terribly distressed girl seated on the chair. After a long while, Bai Xia finally wiped away her tears and sniffled, slowly lifting her head. Her silvery-white hair clung messily to her tear-stained face, her ruby-red eyes still glistening with moisture, and her nose was slightly red. She looked utterly pathetic, causing Mo Bai’s heart to tighten. Normally, he felt nothing when seeing girls cry, but Bai Xia, for some reason, resonated deeply within his heart. It was truly difficult for him to maintain an expressionless facade.

“Cried enough?” His long fingers gently wiped away the remaining tears on Bai Xia’s cheek. “Can you tell me now?”

“Mo Ge… can I… can I trust you?” As she looked up, Bai Xia met Mo Bai’s gaze directly, her tearful eyes filled with hopeful anticipation. Since her identity could be exposed at any moment, she might as well take a gamble that Mo Bai would help her.