Chapter 81
“Mo Mo, please calm down. We’ll untie you as soon as you calm down. Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay… Shh…”
Song Ling, seeing Li Mo’s distress, approached her cautiously, trying to soothe her. Li Mo, feeling Song Ling’s warmth and gentle touch, gradually calmed down. Song Ling, noticing that Li Mo had stopped struggling and shouting, loosened her embrace and looked at her.
“How are you feeling now? If I untie you, will you promise to listen to our explanation?”
“Okay…”
“Alright, I’ll untie you now.”
“No, wait! It’s safer to keep her restrained for a bit longer,” Mark interjected.
“Shut up! Can’t you see she’s uncomfortable? She’s calm now. It will be fine.”
Ignoring Mark’s protests, Song Ling quickly unchained Li Mo. Li Mo, her limbs freed, curled up on the bed, hugging her knees, her eyes darting between Song Ling and Mark.
“Why did you bring me here? Where are we?”
“Do you remember what happened at the hotel?”
“Yes…”
“Do you remember attacking yourself?”
Li Mo frowned, her expression confused. Song Ling, realizing that Li Mo didn’t fully remember what had happened, recounted the events, explaining how Li Mo had suddenly lost control and attacked herself, how Mark had knocked her unconscious to prevent her from hurting herself further. Li Mo looked at them, skeptical, but their serious expressions convinced her that they weren’t joking.
“Did I really kick you across the room?” she asked, looking at Song Ling.
“Yes. Thankfully, Mark arrived just in time. Even with both of us holding you down, we couldn’t restrain you. Mark had to punch you in the chest to stop your heart momentarily. That’s how you lost consciousness.”
“How are you feeling now? Are you in any pain?” Mark asked, his voice gentle.
“My head hurts… and my chest…”
“Your chest is probably bruised from Mark’s punch. But your headache started before you lost control. Do you remember what happened? Why did you suddenly go berserk?” Song Ling asked, her voice laced with concern.
“I don’t know. I remember being angry at you, and then you kissed me. I tried to push you away, but I couldn’t. Then I smelled blood, and images flashed through my mind. They were chaotic, confusing… It made my head hurt. After that, I don’t remember anything.”
“Mo Mo, we think there might be something wrong with your body. Would you be willing to undergo some tests?” Mark asked.
“But I can’t go to a hospital, you know that.”
“Don’t worry about that. We have everything we need here.”
“Here?”
“Yes, I bought this villa years ago. Whenever I needed to disappear, to change my identity, I would stay here until it was safe to reappear. It has everything we need, and it’s completely private. You don’t have to worry.”
“Do you think I’m sick? But I’m a vampire, just like you.”
“We’re not sure, Mo Mo. That’s why we need to run some tests. Is that okay?”
“… Okay.”
“Thank you, Mo Mo.”
“… I’m tired. I need to rest.”
“We’ll leave you alone then. Get some rest.”
Mark and Song Ling left Li Mo’s room and went downstairs to the living room. Song Ling, her face etched with worry, rubbed her temples. Mark, seeing her distress, went to the kitchen, retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses, and poured them each a glass.
“Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“You don’t need to worry so much. We’ll run those tests on Li Mo first thing tomorrow morning. We’ll have some answers then. We need to get some rest. We have an early start tomorrow.”
“Mark, I’ve only ever asked you for one favor, and I’m asking you again now. Please, promise me that you’ll help her, no matter what.”
“Sigh… You’re always like this. Calm and collected, except when it comes to Li Xinjun. Then you lose all sense of reason.”
“Mark… You don’t understand how important Jun’er is to me. If I hadn’t seen her body, I would have gone with her. I wouldn’t have been able to live without her. I’ve been searching for her for centuries, never giving up hope. And now she’s finally here! How can I be calm?”
“I know, I know what you’ve been through for her. I’m telling you, I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you, Mark. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Don’t worry. Now, finish your wine and go to bed. We need to get some sleep.”
“Okay, goodnight.”
The next morning, before dawn, Li Mo woke up. She stood by the window, pondering the previous night’s events. She vaguely remembered drinking with Fan Weiqi at the bar, then Song Ling arriving and taking her back to the hotel. They had argued, and then Song Ling had kissed her.
She touched her lips, remembering biting Song Ling in anger. She tasted blood, and as the metallic tang reached her throat, something stirred deep within her.
Images of Song Ling flashed through her mind, but Song Ling was dressed in ancient clothing. Despite the different attire, she recognized her. And in those memories, she was calling her “Sister Ling.” What was going on? Why was she having these memories?
She tried to remember more, but a sharp pain shot through her head, forcing her to her knees. She clutched her head, feeling like it was about to explode. She couldn’t help but scream.
“Argh!”
She collapsed to the floor, her body trembling. Her eyes shifted from amber to a pale green, her fangs elongating. Song Ling, hearing the commotion from the next room, jumped out of bed and rushed to Li Mo’s room.
She flung open the door and found Li Mo banging her head against the wall, her eyes wild with frenzy. Song Ling was horrified. She rushed over to stop her.
“Li Mo! Stop it! What are you doing?!”
She grabbed Li Mo from behind, trying to restrain her. Li Mo, feeling Song Ling’s arms around her, struggled to break free. She spun around and grabbed Song Ling’s throat, catching her off guard. Song Ling stumbled backward, falling onto the bed, Li Mo on top of her.
Li Mo tightened her grip on Song Ling’s throat. Song Ling struggled, but she couldn’t break free. She looked at Li Mo, her eyes wild with rage, devoid of any emotion, like a cornered animal.
“Mo… Mo… Mo Mo…”
Song Ling, losing strength, could only manage to gasp out Li Mo’s name, hoping to bring her back to her senses. But Li Mo didn’t seem to hear her. She continued to squeeze, her sharp fingernails digging into Song Ling’s flesh. Her face was contorted with rage, her veins bulging.
She opened her mouth, revealing her fangs, and sank them into Song Ling’s neck. As blood flowed from the wound, Song Ling felt her own strength fading, her vision blurring. Her blue eyes faded back to amber.
She looked at Li Mo with love and longing, her hand weakly reaching up to caress her face. Memories of their past together flashed through her mind, fragmented and hazy.
“Jun’er…”
Li Mo, hearing the name “Jun’er,” froze. An image flashed through her mind, a fragmented memory. She saw herself and Song Ling together: walking through a night market, treating the sick, fighting jiangshi, living in England. She stopped, realizing what she was doing, and released Song Ling’s throat, her eyes wide with confusion.
“Sister Ling?”
“Jun’er?”
