In the end, Su Wenjun staggered back to his bedroom alone, refusing anyone’s help, and collapsed onto the bed in a deep slumber.
Yu Xiaowen clicked her tongue at the sight, adjusting his position and tucking him in.
But when the lights went out, his eyes suddenly snapped open, pupils swirling with an unreadable glow, his brow tightly furrowed.
He lied. That’s not my son.
The night stretched endlessly. Su Wenjun lay wide awake, his mind a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts, leaving him dazed and disoriented by breakfast the next morning.
At one point, he even blurted out a bizarre question—asking “Ye Qingyi” what her full name was, claiming he’d only ever called her “Qingyi” and never learned her surname.
When Su Mo answered, a flicker of something unidentifiable passed through Su Wenjun’s eyes—well-hidden, unnoticed by anyone.
Life at home was leisurely. Aside from the strain of pretending to be strangers, Su Mo found it far more relaxing than being outside.
Time flew, and soon it was New Year’s Eve. That day, an unexpected guest arrived, introducing himself as Su Mo’s good friend.
“Luo Wanqing? What are you doing here?”
“Here to drag you out for fun, obviously! Found a seriously cool spot and came specifically to get you.”
Ye Qingyi introduced him to Su Mo: “This is Luo Wanqing, a friend I met at the West Sea Ruins.”
“Nice to meet you,” Su Mo greeted.
“Hey there! Wanna tag along?” Luo Wanqing looked Su Mo up and down, his eyes suddenly brightening. “You must be Su Mo’s girlfriend! Gotta say, you’re gorgeous!”
Su Mo coughed awkwardly, thinking to himself that this guy seemed… off, like he wasn’t all there.
“You said this place is fun—don’t tell me it’s another ruin about to emerge?” Ye Qingyi eyed him skeptically.
“Nah, ruins don’t just pop up that easily. Where I’m taking you is way more interesting than some ruins.” Luo Wanqing grew increasingly animated, stumbling over his words. “Ugh, just—you’ll see when we get there. It’s hard to explain!”
Ye Qingyi exchanged a glance with Su Mo, who nodded. “I’d like to go too. Is that okay?”
“Of course! A bro’s girlfriend is family. Follow me!”
Under Luo Wanqing’s lead, the trio arrived at Wheat Mountain. From a distance, the peak—shaped like a haystack—loomed mysteriously amidst swirling mist.
“What’s so fun about this place?” Ye Qingyi frowned.
Though Wheat Mountain was a notable scenic area, ordinary attractions wouldn’t have drawn Luo Wanqing’s interest. Something unusual must have caught his eye.
“You’ll know when we get there.”
Luo Wanqing charged ahead, with Su Mo and Ye Qingyi close behind, all the way to the summit.
The park was technically closed today, but given their special status, entry wasn’t an issue.
“Look! What’s that?” Luo Wanqing pointed excitedly at a tree atop the mountain.
“A… tree?”
“Yep.”
“And?”
“Don’t you think it’s fascinating? This tree’s totally unique!” Luo Wanqing ran his hand along the bark, barely containing his excitement.
Su Mo stepped closer for a careful inspection but found nothing remarkable. “Not really.”
Ye Qingyi was equally baffled. She started suspecting the Jade Balance Elder was just messing with them.
Luo Wanqing paused, then brightened. “Ah! Must be because you’re too weak to sense it.”
Su Mo: “…”
Ye Qingyi: “…”
So you dragged us here just to mock our strength?
Wow. Rude.
“But no worries—watch this.” Luo Wanqing suddenly turned serious, his eyes flashing violet. “Lightning, come!“
The moment he spoke, a bolt of electricity sparked at his fingertips, guided onto the tree.
Just as Su Mo thought he’d lost his temper and was about to destroy the tree, it not only remained unharmed but began radiating a faint, sacred glow.
The light lasted only a second before vanishing, leaving Luo Wanqing panting.
Su Mo guessed that if more lightning were channeled into it, something miraculous might truly happen—this was just a preview.
Luo Wanqing looked disappointed, as if the tree’s reaction hadn’t met his expectations.
But then—
Dark clouds gathered overhead, thunder rumbling louder by the second.
Who expects thunder at this time of year?!
It didn’t take a genius to connect this to Luo Wanqing’s stunt.
“We should go. Judging by this, a heavenly lightning strike’s about to land here. That’s not something we can handle.” Su Mo recalled the scene of Yaxian and that foreigner getting struck by lightning.
“No! The heavenly lightning’s what I’ve been waiting for. The fun part’s about to start!”
BOOM!
The thunder grew deafening—then, without warning, a bolt struck the tree.
Crackling arcs of electricity surged for a full ten seconds before fading. When it ended, a single green bud had sprouted from the previously barren branches—yet the tree itself was completely unharmed.
“See? Told you it was cool.” Luo Wanqing smirked, chin raised triumphantly.
Su Mo and Ye Qingyi stood there, jaws slack, until the green bud became unmistakably clear.
“Is this… dead wood coming back to life?” Su Mo muttered.
“Dunno. But it’s fun to watch.” Luo Wanqing plucked the bud and popped it into his mouth.
“Hey—wait—!” They couldn’t stop him in time.
“Relax. I ate one before. No side effects—just a better grasp of lightning control.”
He tried channeling electricity into the tree again, hoping to recreate the phenomenon, but this time, no matter how hard he tried, it refused to react.
“Guess it’s tired. I’ll come back another day.” He patted the tree trunk like an old friend, bidding it farewell.
Su Mo and Ye Qingyi exchanged glances.
They’d witnessed a miracle—but it wasn’t their miracle. It belonged to this eccentric, seemingly scatterbrained Jade Balance Elder.
No wonder he became a BeiDou Elder at such a young age. Dude’s got skills.
“Sorry, meant to grab one for each of you. Next time, I’ll make it up to you!”
With that, Luo Wanqing leaped off the mountaintop, bounding away into the distance.
“See? Told you the Jade Balance Elder’s just a kid—our age, even. And kinda… unhinged?”
The description felt unkind, but Ye Qingyi couldn’t think of a better word.
“The world’s full of wonders. Makes sense.” Su Mo glanced back at the lightning-struck tree. “That thing’s no ordinary tree. It’ll be important someday.”
“Wanna try it ourselves?”
“Nah. We don’t have Elder Luo’s strength or lightning control. What if we die?”
Ye Qingyi rolled her eyes. “Such a way with words.”