Rules of the Unusual: I am the Final Boss

Shi Mo looked down at the hand that was gripping the hem of his clothes.

His fingers were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged. The fabric was crumpled into a ball, causing the hem of his clothes to droop.

He smiled.

It wasn't the kind of laugh that came from anger, nor was it a cold laugh; it was a kind of... indescribable laugh.

He squatted down in front of Bai Xu, their faces very close.

Bai Xu could see his own reflection in his eyes—disheveled, pale, his forehead covered in sweat, and his eyes red-rimmed.

Shi Mo reached out, pinched Bai Xu's chin, and lifted it up with force, forcing Bai Xu to look at him.

"Captain Bai," he spoke, his voice soft and slightly amusement, "what are you doing?"

Bai Xu's chin was being pinched, which hurt a little, but he didn't flinch.

"Kneeling down and begging for forgiveness from the villain?" Shi Mo continued, a smirk playing on his lips. "Isn't that inappropriate? You're the captain of the Seventh Sequence, and I'm a murderer, a monster. If word got out that you kneeling like that, wouldn't it look terrible?"

Bai Xu's lips were trembling.

He wanted to speak, but his throat felt blocked, and he couldn't make a sound.

Shi Mo gently stroked Bai Xu's chin with his fingers, but Bai Xu's body still trembled.

"Say something," Shi Mo said, looking at him. "You've already knelt, you have to say something, right?"

Bai Xu opened his mouth, his voice hoarse: "I...I was wrong."

"What's wrong?" Shi Mo asked.

"I shouldn't have said those things..." Bai Xu's voice trailed off, "I shouldn't... I shouldn't have interrupted your explanation..."

Shi Mo didn't speak.

He released Bai Xu's jaw, moved his fingers down, and touched the bloodstains on Bai Xu's knee.

A small patch of his pants was already soaked with blood, the fabric sticking to the wound. Shi Mo's fingers gently pressed on it, and Bai Xu's body tensed up abruptly, gasping for breath.

"Does it hurt?" Shi Mo asked.

Bai Xu nodded, then shook his head.

Shi Mo pressed his finger firmly against the wound.

Bai Xu's breathing quickened instantly, his face turned even paler, and more sweat beaded on his forehead. But he gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Shi Mo looked at him for a few seconds, then withdrew her hand.

"Get up," he said.

Bai Xu didn't move.

Shi Mo raised an eyebrow: "Still want me to kneel?"

Bai Xu looked at him, her eyes terribly red: "You...you've forgiven me?"

Shi Mo smiled.

He squatted down again, looking into Bai Xu's eyes: "Forgive you for what? Forgive you for saying those things to upset me on purpose? Or forgive you for kneeling here and torturing yourself?"

Bai Xu's lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

"Bai Xu," Shi Mo's voice turned cold, "you still don't understand."

He reached out, grabbed Bai Xu's arm, and forcefully pulled him up from the ground.

Bai Xu's knees were hurting terribly, and he couldn't stand steadily, so he fell against Shi Mo. Shi Mo caught him and let him lean against him, his hand supporting his waist.

Bai Xu could smell the alcohol on Shi Mo, as well as that familiar aura.

"I'm angry not because of what you said," Shi Mo whispered in his ear. "I'm angry because you still think I need your protection."

Bai Xu's body stiffened.

"You think that driving me away and making me leave the Seventh Sequence is for my own good," Shi Mo continued. "You think that way I won't be crushed by public opinion, won't be investigated, and won't be taken away."

He paused, his voice growing colder: "Do you think I need you to do this?"

Bai Xu gripped Shi Mo's clothes tightly with his hand.

"I……"

"You think I'm weak?" Shi Mo interrupted him. "You think I can't handle that pressure? You think I need you to sacrifice yourself to protect me?"

Bai Xu shook his head, desperately shaking his head: "No...it's not like that..."

"What is that?" Shi Mo looked at him. "Tell me."

Bai Xu opened his mouth, and tears suddenly fell down his cheeks.

One, two, hit Shi Mo's hand.

Shi Mo's hand stiffened for a moment.

Bai Xu lowered his head, his shoulders began to tremble, and his voice choked with sobs: "I...I'm scared...I'm really scared..."

He gripped Shi Mo's collar, his fingers trembling: "I saw those photos... I saw everyone online cursing you... saying you're a murderer... saying they'd arrest you... saying they'd sentence you to death..."

His tears fell more and more, his voice breaking intermittently: "I'm afraid they'll really do something to you... I'm afraid something will happen to you... I'm afraid... I'm afraid I can't protect you..."

Shi Mo didn't speak.

He supported Bai Xu, letting him lean on his shoulder, and gently patted his back.

Bai Xu buried her face in his shoulder, crying and trembling all over.

"So...so I think...if you left on your own...at least you left voluntarily..." he said, choking back tears. "At least...at least they won't use the Seventh Sequence's name to deal with you..."

Shi Mo remained silent.

He simply held Bai Xu in his arms, gently patting his back, as if coaxing a child.

Bai Xu cried for a long time.

She cried until her voice was hoarse and her tears soaked the clothes on Shi Mo's shoulders before she slowly stopped.

He looked up, his eyes were badly swollen, and his face was covered in tears.

Shi Mo looked at him for a long time, then reached out and wiped away the tears on his face.

The movements were very gentle.

"Bai Xu," he said, "I don't need your protection."

Bai Xu looked at him.

"I can protect myself," Shi Mo continued, "and I can protect you too."

He paused, then added, "So next time, don't do this again."

Bai Xu nodded, nodding frantically.

Shi Mo wiped away the tears on his face again, then bent down and picked him up.

Bai Xu was startled and instinctively wrapped his arms around Shi Mo's neck.

Shi Mo carried him and walked towards the side door of the hall.

Casper, who was still standing in the corner, saw this and quickly lowered his head, pretending not to have seen it.

Shi Mo carried Bai Xu into the corridor, walked to his room, kicked the door open, went inside, and put Bai Xu on the bed.

Bai Xu sat on the bed, looking at Shi Mo.

Shi Mo went to the bathroom to get a wet towel, came back, squatted down, and gently rolled up Bai Xu's trouser leg.

The wound on his knee was exposed.

The skin was chafed and blood was everywhere; it looked a bit scary.

Shi Mo gently wiped away the bloodstains with a damp towel, being very careful, but it still hurt Bai Xu.

Bai Xu gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Shi Mo looked up at him and then softened her movements.

After wiping away the bloodstains, he stood up, took a bottle of medicine from the cabinet, walked back, squatted down, and applied the medicine to Bai Xu.

The medicine felt cool and slightly stinging when applied to the wound.

Bai Xu gripped the bed sheet tightly with his hands.

After applying the medicine, Shi Mo wrapped the wound with a bandage, her movements very practiced.

After doing all this, he stood up and looked at Bai Xu: "Lie down and rest."

Bai Xu looked at him but didn't move.

"What's wrong?" Shi Mo asked.

Bai Xu whispered, "Have you...have you forgiven me?"

Shi Mo looked at him for a long time, and then smiled.

It wasn't a playful laugh, nor a cold laugh, but rather... a very light, helpless laugh.

He reached out and ruffled Bai Xu's hair.

"Yes," he said, "I forgive you."

-

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