Han Mo’s slightly pale eyes fixed on Bai Xi.
Bai Xi didn't know how to react for a moment, so she could only look back at him.
Undoubtedly, Han Mo’s eyes were beautiful. Long lashes protected his light-colored irises, like a rare treasure. While they didn’t possess the captivating charm of Han Rui’s, they held an indescribable allure, dangerous yet lingering, like hidden undercurrents beneath the sea, drawing one in unknowingly.
Bai Xi inexplicably felt her heartbeat quicken, pounding against her eardrums, again and again, causing her to breathe deeper and faster.
For a moment, she couldn’t distinguish whether the heartbeat beneath her palm was Han Mo’s or her own.
She averted her gaze, not wanting to look at those bewitchingly beautiful eyes, and feigned calmness, raising an eyebrow to ask coldly, “What, are you trying to threaten me into submission with the truth?”
Han Mo’s eyes never left Bai Xi, and he replied earnestly and frankly, “Not a threat, but a plea.”
A plea?
Bai Xi frowned.
When she had first met Han Mo, he hadn't given the impression he did now—strong, domineering, calm, and noble. Back then, he had been clean, pure, and kind, yet still possessed a noble, elegant, and unpretentious demeanor. Even knowing now that he harbored some minor secrets and pretenses, the word "plea" seemed entirely out of character for him.
Was he pleading for her to call him "A Mo"?
Han Mo reached out, took Bai Xi’s fingers, lowered his head, and kissed her index finger, saying softly, “When you call me A Mo, I know you consider me your partner, intimate and inseparable. But when you call me Doctor Han, I feel as though I'm about to lose you, filled with unease and apprehension. So, I plead with you, please continue to call me A Mo, will you?”
Seeing Bai Xi remain silent, Han Mo lowered his head further, kissing from her fingertips to the back of her hand. “Although some things cannot be explained right now, I, Han Mo, can swear to heaven that in my heart, there has only ever been you, Xi’er. This affection will never fade, never cease, not until death.”
Initially, he had only wanted to protect, but unexpectedly, he gained.
Now, even if she chose not to love him, he would never let her go.
Bai Xi felt the gentle kiss on her hand. While it should have been a deeply heartwarming scene, it gave her a peculiar sense of "desire," especially his eyes, which seemed to constantly ensnare her. Thinking of this, she felt her face inexplicably grow warm.
He was now truly as he had asked her before, no longer forcing a smile, no longer hiding his emotions.
But why did his gaze become so… well, hard to describe.
Viscous…
When he looked at others, he was perfectly normal.
Bai Xi frowned, stopping herself from looking at his eyes, and said faintly, “Never cease? Are you chasing a debt or seeking revenge? I’ve never seen you so persistent, all for a mere address.”
Han Mo looked up at Bai Xi, his eyes filled with tenderness. “I am chasing a debt, but not revenge. If I told you that I am this garrulous, this relentless, this shameless enough to pursue something as trivial as a name, would you still think it was the right choice to let me be myself that day, without needing to deliberately disguise my emotions?”
Bai Xi looked at the person standing so close to her and suddenly felt as if she had been tricked.
If she affirmed that her past choice was correct, it meant complying with his wishes.
If she admitted her past choice was wrong, it would be equivalent to contradicting herself and speaking inconsistently.
She had thought Han Mo was a harmless, pure, and kind little lamb that she needed to protect. But now, it seemed he was a bona fide wolf in sheep’s clothing.
She lowered her head and said slowly, “Of course, I stand by my word.”
Han Mo said nothing, merely watching her.
Bai Xi raised her head again, her eyes clear and cool. “You prefer me to call you A Mo, so from now on, I will still call you A Mo. Regarding what you said about the female corpse in the tomb, that I wouldn’t believe it, I can also refrain from asking. But I still want to remind you, if you wish to leave, just say the word, you can depart anytime. I, Bai Xi, am not one to cling. However, if you dare to betray me…”
I will make your life a living hell!
More than enemies, she loathed betrayers.
Enemies were merely those with different stances or differing opinions.
She could understand them and bid them a dignified farewell. Those she couldn't understand, she would send to hell.
But betrayal was different.
Betrayers were two-faced, unfaithful, and heartless people. For such individuals… she would ensure they wished they were dead but couldn’t die.
However, before Bai Xi could finish, Han Mo covered her lips. A gentle touch, soft and warm for an instant, then he quickly withdrew.
“I will never betray you.”
He had waited over three hundred years for her; how could he betray her? Otherwise, what meaning would those three hundred years hold? His entire life would become meaningless.
Bai Xi looked at Han Mo before her, slightly stunned. The light color of his eyes had deepened slightly, and within them, she saw only her own reflection. The warmth from his breath reached her cheeks, along with his faint scent. At such close proximity, his sexy Adam's apple bobbed, and his breathing seemed to reveal an unspoken ardor in his eyes.
The words were like the simplest of vows, yet also like the deepest of confessions.
She suddenly felt a flicker of panic, sensing his body heat intensifying, yet masked by an inexplicable restraint.
Han Mo whispered, “Call me by my name now, and then we can investigate the case together?”
Looking at Xi’er at such close range, gazing into her eyes, and confessing his feelings, the fire in his heart kept agitating his nerves. If he didn’t do something else, he was truly afraid of revealing more of his "true nature" before her.
Bai Xi also gradually regained her composure.
To be honest, during her past missions, she had been in close proximity to men before.
But back then, her heart had remained completely unfazed. Yet now… she also felt her heart race, looking at his thin lips, even feeling a sense of anticipation?
This feeling… was truly bizarre.
Bai Xi immediately gave a light cough, calming the roaring in her chest like the beating of drums, and said faintly, “A Mo.”
As the words fell, Han Mo kissed her again, this time on the forehead.
Before Bai Xi could say anything, he had already pulled back, a beautiful smile on his face.
Han Mo’s appearance was the type that, when he smiled, it was like spring sunshine, but when his expression was neutral, it could chill one to the bone. Today’s smile was clearly from his heart, far more handsome than the contrived tenderness and gentleness of the past.
Never mind, since he was smiling so beautifully, she wouldn’t quibble with him.
She raised her eyes and looked at the corpse still lying there, eyes wide in death, unseeing. “Speak. Didn’t you say you knew how these two died?”