Happy May Day

Chu Lintian burst into tears, droplets falling onto the carpet.

Lin Mo walked over, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to her.

"Thank you."

Chu Lintian took the tissue, wiped her tears, then reached into her pocket and placed a protective talisman on the table.

"So I wasn’t mistaken last time—that talisman turned to ashes."

Lin Mo hadn’t expected Chu Lintian to notice.

But he simply admitted it.

"No, you weren’t mistaken."

"And the evidence against Jiang Beihe—you left that too?"

Lin Mo nodded again.

"Including that night when I was drunk, and you saved me from Zhu Ligang..."

Lin Mo continued nodding.

Chu Lintian looked up at him, her eyes a mix of wariness and relief.

Clearly, she was conflicted—why had Lin Mo helped her so much, from aiding Miaomiao to everything that had unfolded today?

Lin Mo knew exactly what she was thinking and waved his hand dismissively.

"At first, I just foresaw that Chu Miaomiao would die, so I intervened. Later, I predicted Zhu Ligang would target you, so I stepped in again."

He paused, pointing at the talisman on the table.

"That talisman was meant to protect you both. I didn’t expect it to be used so soon after giving it to you. So I tracked down Zhu Ligang and, through him, uncovered Jiang Beihe."

Chu Lintian began to piece it together—she wasn’t a fool.

"So you found Jiang Beihe’s incriminating evidence and handed it to me."

Lin Mo sighed.

"Right. But I didn’t expect you to mishandle it so badly, leaving obvious traces. You’re clever enough to figure things out, yet you still signed that contract under threat."

He sighed again, snapping his fingers casually. A secretary entered, setting down teacups.

Lin Mo picked one up and took a sip.

Even the tea Jiang Beihe served his guests was top-tier.

The brew was slightly bitter at first, but a sweet aftertaste quickly filled his mouth.

This single-origin black tea was rich and robust—the difference between cheap and premium grades was stark.

In contrast, lighter teas like Tieguanyin were harder for the average person to distinguish.

Chu Lintian eyed Jiang Beihe’s secretary, puzzled.

"So… is she one of yours too?"

Lin Mo shook his head.

"No. It’s a mind-control spell. Zhu Ligang was under the same influence. If all goes well, I’ll control Jiang Beihe, make him transfer his shares to you, then turn himself in."

Chu Lintian suddenly looked up at him.

"Mind control… would you use it on me?"

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. "Want to try? I can give you a taste."

Chu Lintian’s face flushed as scenes from certain adult films flashed in her mind.

Yet, a strange curiosity stirred within her.

"Alright, let’s try."

Lin Mo met her gaze, his eyes flashing.

A violet light flickered, and Chu Lintian fell under his spell.

"Go stand by the window."

As soon as she obeyed, Lin Mo released the enchantment.

"Huh?!"

Chu Lintian snapped back to awareness, finding herself by the window.

A faint memory lingered in her mind, though she felt nothing unusual.

"See? You can confirm you weren’t controlled. I’m one of the good guys."

Lin Mo drained his teacup.

"Alright, go check on Miaomiao first. We’ll deal with the rest tomorrow. I’ve already kept Zhu Ligang… busy tonight."

Though she couldn’t hear anything, Chu Lintian understood perfectly—many in their circle had similar tastes.

Still, she couldn’t help asking, "You won’t kill him, right? We need his shares."

Then, as an afterthought, she added, "We don’t have enough to buy them."

"Let him pay for it himself. You think he’s broke elsewhere?"

Lin Mo headed downstairs while Chu Lintian drove home.

"So… magic is real. Are there gods and monsters too?"

"They exist, but they’re rare in this world. And monsters are more afraid of humans, so don’t worry."

Lin Mo thought for a moment. "But keep my abilities a secret. I’d rather not end up dissected in a lab."

Chu Lintian nodded, understanding the stakes.

If Lin Mo had these powers, there might be organizations like a "National Mysteries Bureau" out there.

Instinctively, she resolved to stay far away from such things.

Back home, Chu Lintian sighed in relief at the sight of Chu Miaomiao watching TV.

She immediately pulled her into a hug.

"Miaomiao, I’m just glad you’re safe."

Xie Yuling watched curiously, then glanced at Lin Mo.

"What’s… going on?"

Lin Mo shrugged. "Just a mother missing her child after being apart."

Chu Lintian smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Yuling. I’m just not used to being away from Miaomiao."

On the way back, Lin Mo had explained that he’d sealed Xie Yuling’s memories of the ordeal—it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

In Xie Yuling’s mind, she’d simply taken a nap and spent the day playing at home.

In the past, lacking enough spiritual energy, he’d let Chu Miaomiao believe he had "mystical qigong" powers.

So he hadn’t erased her memories either.

"Stay at Miaomiao’s place tonight," Lin Mo told Xie Yuling.

Xie Yuling grinned. "Already told my mom. She said it’s fine."

From the kitchen, where she was preparing snacks, Chu Lintian called out, "Since you’re here, Lin Mo, you can sleep in the study tonight."

Lin Mo nodded indifferently.

"Sure. Just drop me home tomorrow morning—I need to pay respects at my family altar."

"Of course." Chu Lintian knew what he meant.

For now, Xie Yuling was the only one kept in the dark.

But Lin Mo preferred it that way.

He sat on the couch, cracking sunflower seeds, while the girls retreated to their rooms after bathing.

Chu Lintian emerged later in a silk nightgown—the same one as before.

Though it accentuated her figure, not an inch of skin was exposed.

"If Miaomiao hadn’t been released, I would’ve taken Jiang Beihe down with me."

"I know. I saw the knife. But why not just report him? The evidence was solid—it would’ve been revenge enough."

Chu Lintian hesitated.

"I wasn’t sure if the evidence had traps. I needed to verify its authenticity first."

That made sense—unlike in cheap novels where characters blindly trust "heaven-sent" evidence without checking for pitfalls.

Lin Mo turned off the TV.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be busy."

With that, he headed to the study.

Watching his retreating figure, Chu Lintian felt an unfamiliar sense of safety—one she hadn’t known in years.

"Lin Mo… thank you."

"You're welcome."