As the night deepened, the neon lights of Star Sea City flowed across the asphalt streets like rivers of light. Su Wan stepped carefully through the shadows cast by streetlamps, each stride leading her toward the Yao Shi Group, her pace unwavering.
She didn't take the elevator, instead opting for the stairwell. The dimly lit stairs echoed with the sound of her footsteps, and her heartbeat quickened with each step, rising in sync with the height. She was nervous about what was to come, yet also pained by the suffering that Ling Yao was enduring alone. The two emotions intertwined in her heart, gradually solidifying into an unshakable courage.
The corridor on the top floor was eerily silent, so quiet she could hear her own breath. The light in the CEO's office was still on. Through the crack in the door, she could see Ling Yao standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his tall figure stark and solitary in the light.
Taking a deep breath, Su Wan lifted her hand and knocked gently on the door.
No answer.
She hesitated for a moment before slowly pushing the door open.
Ling Yao didn't turn around, still gazing at the moonlight outside. His silver-gray hair shimmered under the light, his back straight, but he looked extraordinarily lonely. His shirt was a little disheveled, the cuffs casually rolled up, revealing the marks of blood left by his nails—a dark red contrast against his pale skin.
"Why are you back?" His voice was hoarse, deep, and devoid of emotion, as though he had already expected her return but was trying to suppress the turmoil inside. His fingers idly traced the window frame, the knuckles growing white from the pressure.
— He was afraid she would leave, afraid of sinking back into loneliness and despair, yet also terrified that if she stayed, she would be horrified by his secret and never return.
Su Wan stopped a few steps behind him. Her voice quivered ever so slightly, but her resolve was firm. "I can't just leave. Mr. Ling, who are you really? What happened to you just now?"
Her gaze fell on the bloodstains on his forearm, and her heart twinged with sharp pain.
Ling Yao's shoulders subtly tensed. He slowly turned around, his deep purple eyes swirling with emotion, like a stormy ocean. There was surprise, pain, struggle, and a trace of something barely perceptible—expectation. He looked at the girl standing before him, her face pale with fear, her fingers trembling, yet still standing in front of him with stubborn resolve. In that moment, the defenses he had maintained for twenty-eight years quietly crumbled.
— She was so frightened, yet she didn't run away. This courage moved him deeply. He knew it was time to tell the truth, even if it meant losing her. That was better than leaving her in the dark, always facing danger.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked over to the sofa and sat down, leaning back. His hands dug into his hair, pressing against his throbbing temples. Silence filled the room like an impenetrable net, thick and suffocating. Just when Su Wan thought he wouldn't speak, he slowly looked up, the fatigue in his eyes nearly spilling over.
— He had rehearsed how to say it in his mind, trying to find the gentlest way to break the truth to her. But nothing could soften the impact of the words "werewolf." He was afraid of the fear in her eyes, of hearing her scream, or worse, of hearing her call him a "monster."
"I'm not ordinary," he said, the words coming out with great difficulty, as though each one had been squeezed from his throat with overwhelming weight.
Su Wan's heart stopped for a beat. She held her breath, her pupils dilating, her fingers instinctively clutching her clothes as she waited for him to continue.
Ling Yao's gaze fell on her pale face. His throat bobbed once before he spoke again, his voice softer than a sigh, but it struck like thunder in her ears.
"I'm a werewolf."
The words "werewolf" shattered the silence, and Su Wan visibly staggered. Her eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. Ling Yao didn't pause, as if afraid that once he stopped, he wouldn't have the courage to continue.
— "We belong to an ancient wolf clan, the Nightshadow Tribe. Our bloodline has been passed down through the generations. Every full moon, the wolf inside me will surge uncontrollably, transforming me into a wolf."
— Psychological note: When the truth spilled from his lips, he felt as though all his strength had been drained. His eyes were fixed on her reaction, bracing himself for all the negative emotions she would have. In his heart, he was already preparing to continue protecting her from the shadows, should she decide to flee.
His hand lifted, gently brushing over the faint red mark near his eye. "But this is not a gift... it's a curse." His voice dropped, tinged with an agony that ran deep.
"Three hundred years ago, our ancestors broke the forbidden laws of the wolves, and we were punished by the gods. Every heir to the leadership must find their 'destined mate' before the age of thirty, or else the curse will slowly erode their sanity, turning them into mindless beasts who only know slaughter, until they are killed by their own kind."
— Psychological note: He had never shared the terror of the curse with anyone. The thought of losing his sanity, of becoming a beast, tormented him day and night. Telling her now felt like unloading a weight, but it also exposed his most vulnerable side.
His gaze fixed on Su Wan's eyes, filled with desperation, plea, and a hint of resolve.
"And you, Su Wan, the faint scent of herbs on you… it's not ordinary. It's the scent of a destined mate. Only this scent can calm the wolf inside me, easing the pain of the curse. Only you can break this curse before I turn thirty."
— Psychological note: He feared she would feel used, that she would think everything between them had been calculated. How he wished he could tell her that every time he came close to her, it was because of his genuine feelings, but he didn't feel he had the right to say it now. All he could do was bet everything on her kindness.
He paused, then added with a bitter laugh: "The first time in the restaurant, when you spilled coffee on me… I wanted to be angry, but your scent instantly soothed me. It was the first time in years I felt the curse's pain subside. That's why I used the debt to keep you by my side. I know it was selfish, even despicable, but I had no other choice."
— Psychological note: He hated himself for trapping her this way, but the thought of not having her scent made him believe he wouldn't survive until thirty. The guilt tore at him every night, but he couldn't let go. This inner conflict was like a knife to his heart.
Su Wan stood frozen, her mind blank. Werewolves, curses, destined mates… these words, which she had only ever read in novels or seen in movies, were now unfolding right in front of her, happening to the cold and domineering man before her.
She recalled the first time they met in the restaurant, the fleeting glimpse of a wolf pattern in his reddened eyes. She remembered the wild, beastly aura he gave off when he got close. She thought of the way his nails elongated and his fangs showed in the afternoon, and how terrifying and painful it looked. She remembered how irritable and angry he became every time the full moon approached... All the questions she had now had clear answers.
Fear rushed over her, and she instinctively took a step back, her back hitting the cold wall. But what overwhelmed her more was the ache in her heart, as if the tide of emotion were drowning her.
She looked at the weariness and loneliness in Ling Yao's eyes, at the still-healing bloodstains on his forearm, and at the vulnerable, helpless look on his face as he let down his guard. Something inside her softened completely.
So, the cold and indifferent mask he wore, the ruthless businessman standing atop the pyramid, had always been a disguise to protect himself. He had been enduring this immense pain and despair alone all this time. His approach to her had never been malicious; it was merely a survival instinct in the face of overwhelming circumstances.