Su Qingyue did not sleep that night.
She sat on her bed, hugging a pillow, staring into the void.
"Impossible..." she whispered.
She had replayed every scene of the day in her head. Every word. Every silence. And, above all... every thought she shouldn't have heard.
"Maybe it was stress," she told herself. "Or suggestion."
She took a deep breath. She decided to test it.
The next morning, she arrived at the company early. Too early. The building was still nearly empty when she entered the president's office.
Lin Mo was standing by the window, checking his phone. He wore an impeccable dark suit, possessing that dangerous calm that seemed to belong to no one in this world.
"Good morning, Mr. Lin," she greeted, feigning normalcy.
"Good morning," he replied without looking at her.
Silence.
Su Qingyue clenched her fists. Please... let nothing happen.
Then, she heard it.
Hmm... dark circles.
She didn't sleep well.
She was definitely thinking about me.
Her heart skipped a beat. No. It couldn't be.
"Are you alright?" he asked quickly. "You look... tired."
Lin Mo turned around. And at the exact instant their eyes met, she heard it again.
There's that expression.
Confirmed: she can hear my thoughts.
Su Qingyue froze. Confirmed. He knew.
"W-what do you mean?" she stammered.
Lin Mo approached slowly, without haste. Each step felt like invisible pressure.
"Tell me something, Qingyue," he said aloud. "Since when have you been able to hear what I think?"
The world stopped.
"I... " she swallowed hard. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
He smiled.
Denying it is useless.
She's adorable when she panics.
She heard that... and she gave up.
"Since yesterday," she confessed in a low voice. "Since... you hit that woman."
Lin Mo tilted his head, intrigued. "And what do you feel now?"
She pressed her lips together. And she was honest.
"Fear. Confusion. And... curiosity."
"Good answer."
She shuddered. "Stop thinking that!" she suddenly exclaimed.
Absolute silence. Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
"So, you react to my thoughts as well."
Her face burned. "It's not fair," she murmured. "I can't turn it off."
"I don't want you to turn it off."
Su Qingyue looked up abruptly. "Why?" she asked.
He looked at her fixedly. For the first time, he thought something very simple:
Because this way, you'll know I'll never lie to you.
She heard no arrogance. No manipulation. Only a quiet certainty. Her chest tightened.
"Mr. Lin..." she whispered. "What... what am I to you?"
Lin Mo answered aloud this time. "My ally."
Immediate thought:
And the first one I will never lose.
The system appeared, furious.
[Maximum Warning] Prohibited Skill Detected: Thought Reading (Passive) Origin: Unknown Recommendation: Eliminate variable
Don't touch her, Lin Mo thought with coldness.
The system went silent.
Su Qingyue heard it all. And she understood something crucial. She wasn't a victim. She was special.
And, against all logic... she felt proud of it.