Chapter 140: Unveiling the Thirty-Four Year Secret

Early morning.

Su Mian buried her face in the soft pillow, her whole body wrapped securely in the blanket with only a single strand of hair showing.

Her consciousness had actually been awake for a while, but her body refused to move.

Memories of last night came flooding back like a tide.

Xiao Moyuan’s slightly cool fingertips tracing across her skin, his pure spiritual energy acting like a gentle yet dominant stream, guiding the originally restless demonic energy within her body.

That feeling of blending was both strange and familiar, both making her shy and bringing an indescribable pleasure.

“Twice in just a short week…”

Su Mian muttered softly into the pillow, her ears turning red.

Last night… although nominally it was to improve her control over her demonic energy, those intimacies, those touches, those whispers, Xiao Moyuan’s restraint and gentleness, and her own reactions and yielding…

“I think I might…”

She bit her lower lip, not daring to think any further.

Light footsteps came from outside, stopping at the bedroom door.

The doorknob turned, and Xiao Moyuan walked in.

He was already fully dressed, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows, revealing his beautifully lined forearms.

“Awake?” His voice was deep and clear.

Su Mian immediately pretended to be asleep, burying her face even deeper.

Xiao Moyuan stood by the bed, quietly watching her for a few seconds. The breathing under the covers was clearly erratic, and her eyelashes fluttered uneasily.

A hint of amusement flashed through his eyes, but he quickly returned to his usual serious expression.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

He sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress sinking slightly. “Did I… hurt you last night?”

“You’re not allowed to mention last night again!”

Su Mian suddenly poked her head out of the covers, her cheeks flushed, her hair draped messily over her shoulders.

Xiao Moyuan looked at her embarrassed and annoyed appearance, his eyes softening. “Alright, I won’t mention it.”

He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear, his fingertips accidentally brushing against her earlobe.

Su Mian trembled slightly but didn’t dodge away.

“But regarding last night, after the spiritual energy merged with your demonic energy, how do you feel now?” Xiao Moyuan asked, his tone serious.

Su Mian steadied herself and closed her eyes to feel the power circulating within her body. Unlike the previous hard-to-control restlessness, her demonic energy was now docile and smooth, moving exactly as she directed it. She could clearly sense the flow trajectory of every strand, and could even precisely control them to gather at her fingertips.

She opened her eyes, a flash of pleasant surprise in them. “The results are pretty good.”

Xiao Moyuan nodded, seemingly unsurprised by this outcome. “Your constitution is highly compatible with my spiritual energy.” He paused, adding, “Even better than I imagined.”

These words were spoken plainly, but Su Mian inexplicably heard a different meaning in them.

Her face grew hot again.

“Breakfast is ready,” Xiao Moyuan stood up. “Go eat now. I’ll drive you to N University in a bit.”

“I can go by myself…” Su Mian said softly.

“Today is a special case,” Xiao Moyuan’s tone left no room for argument. “I’ll take you.”

Su Mian knew it was useless to argue, so she obediently got out of bed.

While washing up, she looked at herself in the mirror—delicate features, with a few faint red marks still lingering on her slender neck. She reached up to touch the marks, then withdrew her hand as if she’d been burned.

“Su Mian, oh Su Mian,” she whispered to the mirror. “You used to be a man, how is your head full of a man right now?!”

It was all Xiao Moyuan’s deep breaths when he wrapped her in his arms last night, that full and warm sensation when his spiritual energy rushed in, the shivers caused by his fingertips tracing her neck…

She must be trembling because of all that…

“Stop!”

She patted her own cheeks, forcing herself to calm down.

While eating a simple breakfast, Su Mian’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on Xiao Moyuan.

This former love rival… she really didn’t know what to say about him now…

Alright. It seemed like she had fallen for him, and couldn’t stop herself…

“What are you looking at?” Xiao Moyuan suddenly looked up.

Su Mian hastily lowered her head, pretending to focus on the fried egg on her plate. “N-nothing.”

Xiao Moyuan didn’t press further, but Su Mian could feel his gaze linger on her for a moment.

After breakfast, Su Mian took the initiative to clear the dishes. When she stood on her tiptoes to put a plate into the upper cabinet, Xiao Moyuan reached out from behind her and took it.

His chest was almost pressed against her back, and his warm breath brushed past her ear.

“Let me,” he said.

Su Mian froze in place, only breathing a sigh of relief when he backed away. This kind of elusive, teasing closeness made her heart race, and yet… she didn’t hate it.

On the way to N University, Xiao Moyuan drove while Su Mian sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window at the rapidly receding street scenery.

The car parked at the gate of N University, but Xiao Moyuan didn’t let Su Mian out immediately. He turned his head to look at her, his expression serious.

“Remember, no matter what happens, safety first. If you feel anything is wrong, contact me immediately. I’ll be monitoring Chen Wan’s seal all day today.”

“I know.” Su Mian nodded, a wave of warmth rising in her heart.

“And also…” Xiao Moyuan paused. “About last night… if you feel uncomfortable, or if you regret it…”

“No.”

Su Mian blurted out, then immediately realized she had answered too quickly, her face turning red again.

“I mean… I don’t regret it. It really did help me control my demonic energy better.”

Xiao Moyuan gazed at her for a long time, then softly hummed in acknowledgment. “Go on.”

Su Mian got out of the car. She stood by the side of the road watching his car drive away before turning and walking towards the Paranormal Research Society’s activity room.

Inside the activity room, it was lively, a sight not seen in a while.

Xue Li and Lu Yang had both returned and were discussing something with Qin Xuan. Hua Liang was sitting by the window, quiet as always.

“Mianzi!” Lu Yang was the first to see her, enthusiastically waving his hand. “Come here, come here, we’ve been waiting for you!”

Su Mian walked over and noticed that Xue Li looked a bit tired, but her spirits were good. Lu Yang, on the other hand, wore a smug “praise me quickly” expression.

“Did you guys sort out the matter with Chen Wan’s brother?” Su Mian asked as she sat down in the seat next to Qin Xuan.

Lu Yang patted his chest proudly. “Mianzi, don’t worry. With me and classmate Xue Li here, handling a small matter like this was a piece of cake.”

Xue Li rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Don’t listen to him brag. But we did get the job done.”

“I’ve already handed over the video recording of Chen Wan’s brother’s current happy and harmonious family to Xuan,” Lu Yang continued, rarely looking this serious. “Also, I communicated with Chen Wan’s brother. He told me a few things about his older sister…”

His voice lowered. “He said that when they were young, his sister would always save the delicious food for him and pretend she didn’t like it. On rainy days, she would tilt the umbrella completely towards him, getting half of her own body soaked.”

Silence fell over the activity room.

Lu Yang rubbed his nose. “Anyway, it was very touching. I think these things should be able to awaken Chen Wan’s kindness and willpower.”

Qin Xuan pushed up his glasses, a complex, mysterious look flashing in his eyes behind the lenses. “Lu Yang actually did very well this time.”

“Of course!” Lu Yang immediately returned to his smug self. “Look at who I am!”

Qin Xuan ignored him and turned to Su Mian. “Hua Liang has also brought out all the evidence showing how the N University Vice Principal, Liu Wendong, was bribed and threatened by the former N University Principal back then. As for the matter of the former Principal’s embezzlement, that has already been exposed.”

He picked up his tablet, pulled up a news page, and handed it to Su Mian. “You can take a look at the trending topics related to N City.”

Su Mian took the tablet, and several eye-catching headlines appeared on the screen:
<Former N University Principal Suspected of Massive Embezzlement, Placed Under Investigation>
<A 34-Year-Old Secret: A Covered-Up Murder Case?>
<N University Vice Principal Liu Wendong Surrenders, Exposing the Campus’s Dark Past>

The reports detailed the funds the former principal had embezzled over the years, the evidence of his bribery, and the evidence regarding Chen Wan provided by Liu Wendong. Although it hadn’t been completely made public yet, it had already caused a massive uproar.

“In a little while, I’ll consolidate the evidence Liu Wendong provided and expose the truth from thirty-four years ago.” Qin Xuan took back the tablet. “The results should be out by tomorrow evening.”

He suddenly looked at Su Mian, his gaze sharp. “Now that everything is fully prepared, it all comes down to how you communicate with Chen Wan tomorrow.”

Su Mian felt a weight on her shoulders; it was the heavy pressure of responsibility. She took a deep breath and nodded, “I will do my best.”

Qin Xuan’s tone softened a bit. “Just let everything take its natural course. We’ve done everything we can; the rest is up to fate.”

Lu Yang leaned over at this moment, staring at Su Mian’s face for a long time. “I believe in Mianzi. Besides, Mianzi, you’re looking really good today. Did you have some sweet dream last night?”

Su Mian’s face turned slightly red. A sweet dream… not quite, but with Xiao Mo…

She nervously shifted her gaze. “I also had a huge breakthrough in controlling my demonic energy last night. There shouldn’t be any problems communicating with Chen Wan tomorrow…”

“Not bad, Mianzi, improving so quickly.” Lu Yang smirked. “Our school heartthrob Xiao has been giving you plenty of special training these past few days, huh?”

At these words, a flash of panic clearly crossed Su Mian’s face. She lamented in her heart that Lu Yang’s intuition was getting more and more accurate…

Seeing her expression, Qin Xuan pushed up his glasses, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes, though he didn’t say much. Xue Li looked curiously at Su Mian, then at Qin Xuan, seemingly picking up on the subtle atmosphere.

Su Mian hurriedly changed the subject, looking at Hua Liang by the window. “Classmate Hua Liang, I’m very curious, how did you manage to get Liu Wendong to hand over evidence that would ruin his own future?”

Hua Liang turned his head, his face completely nonchalant. “People with guilty consciences are most afraid of seeing ghosts.”

His tone was so incredibly calm that it actually sent a chill down their spines.

“I merely used demonic energy to condense a physical form of Chen Wan and pointed out a portion of the truth from thirty-four years ago, and he just outed himself,” Hua Liang added, as if talking about the most ordinary thing in the world.

The activity room fell into silence once again. This time, it was a horrified silence.

Qin Xuan was the first to speak. “Concise and highly efficient. Very good work efficiency.”

Hua Liang shrugged, noncommittal.

“Alright,” Qin Xuan clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention back. He scheduled the plan for tomorrow to begin at Zi Shi (11:00 PM to 1:00 AM).

“Why choose Zi Shi?” Su Mian asked.

“That time is when Yin energy is at its peak. Wouldn’t that be more advantageous for Chen Wan?” Qin Xuan explained. “Precisely because it’s advantageous to her, her spirit body will be more solid, and her consciousness will be at its clearest. Plus, there will be hardly anyone on campus at that time, so no innocent bystanders will be harmed.”

Su Mian nodded.

Qin Xuan continued, “As for Lu Yang, just guard the perimeter.”

Lu Yang raised his hand. “What am I supposed to be guarding against? Ordinary people or… something else?”

Qin Xuan and Xiao Moyuan exchanged a glance, and the latter spoke faintly, “Both.”

“In short, everyone must be careful tomorrow.” Qin Xuan concluded. “Rest well tonight and recharge your batteries. Su Mian, you especially need to maintain your peak condition.”

After the meeting ended, everyone left one after another.

Inside the car, Xiao Moyuan didn’t immediately start the engine. Instead, he looked at Su Mian. “How was today?”

“It was alright.” Su Mian buckled her seatbelt. “The plan is all set for 11 PM tomorrow night.”

Xiao Moyuan nodded and started the car. After driving for a bit, he suddenly said, “I’ll go ahead and set things up early tomorrow evening. You just need to arrive at 9:30 PM. Don’t come too early, so you don’t waste your energy.”

“What about you? Don’t you need to conserve your energy?” Su Mian asked.

Xiao Moyuan turned his head to glance at her, the corners of his mouth seemingly lifting into a slight smile. “I don’t need to.”

The words were spoken plainly, but they exuded immense confidence.

Su Mian suddenly realized she had never actually seen Xiao Moyuan fight with his full strength. He was like an iceberg; the part visible above the water was already astonishing, but no one knew just how massive the part hidden beneath the surface was.

“Xiao Moyuan,” she asked softly. “Have you… handled similar situations in the past?”

“Yes.”

“A lot?”

“Quite a few.”

Su Mian hesitated for a moment. “Then… have you ever failed?”

The car stopped at a red light. Xiao Moyuan remained silent for a few seconds before answering, “Yes.”

“And then?”

“And then,” his voice was very calm, “I learned how to never let it happen again.”

Su Mian didn’t ask any more questions. She watched the flowing street scenery outside the window and suddenly felt a strange sense of reassurance. With Xiao Moyuan there, and with everyone from the club, tomorrow’s challenge didn’t seem so terrifying anymore.

Once they returned home, Xiao Moyuan made a simple dinner.

While eating, the two of them spoke very little, but the atmosphere wasn’t awkward. Instead, there was a tacit, peaceful understanding.

After dinner, Su Mian voluntarily washed the dishes. As she dried the last plate, Xiao Moyuan handed her a cup of warm milk from behind.

“Drink this and go to sleep early.”

Su Mian took it. The instant their fingertips touched, she felt a faint jolt of electricity. It wasn’t demonic energy, nor was it spiritual energy. It was something much more subtle.

“Xiao Moyuan,” she held the cup, not turning around. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for what?”

“Thank you for saving me, thank you for everything,” Su Mian said softly. “Thank you for being willing to do all this to help me.”

There was silence behind her for a moment. Then, a hand gently landed on the top of her head, ruffling her hair.

“You’re welcome.” Xiao Moyuan’s voice was right by her ear. “Go to sleep.”

That night, Su Mian slept very deeply.

She had a very strange dream.

It was a room decorated entirely differently from modern styles—antique and classical, with carved beams and painted rafters, small bridges, and flowing water over quaint dwellings, just like in a painting.

In the dream, a little girl called her Mommy…

And called Xiao Moyuan Daddy… The dream was a scene of a happy, reunited family, and she found herself completely immersed in the role of a mother.

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