Trần Ngọc Linh reached out to embrace her, but seeing Hoàng Hải Vân trembling like a leaf in the wind, he hesitated and withdrew his hands.
Hoàng Hải Vân said,
"I want to go home."
Trần Ngọc Linh hadn’t expected that the first words from her beautiful lips, that sweet and clear voice, would feel like a knife slicing through his heart. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"I'll go with you."
Hoàng Hải Vân slipped on her sandals, slowly stepped toward the door, and said,
"No. Let me go alone."
Trần Ngọc Linh quickly rushed forward, standing in front of her, blocking her way without touching her, keeping a safe distance to avoid making her more afraid.
"I just want to make sure you get home safely. Besides, you promised to marry me. I might as well take this chance to meet your family."
Hoàng Hải Vân became more and more distressed, shaking her head vigorously.
"Did I promise...? I don’t remember… I don’t want to remember. Please, let me go home alone."
Trần Ngọc Linh never wanted to force her to do anything. Even if she wanted to leave, he couldn’t stop her. So, he just stood there, watching as she staggered away, disappearing from his sight—her frail figure swaying like mist in the wind. A deep, suffocating pain filled his chest.
Hoàng Hải Vân returned home, collapsing in her room for about a month before finally resuming her normal life. The events that had transpired had left her body weakened, like a candle flickering in the wind. It took all her strength to regain her peace, to restore her mind and body.
She returned to her routine—a mundane but peaceful life. Vũ Phi Toàn, seeing her back to normal, seemed much happier. He frequently visited her, even when there was no reason to, and often brought her small gifts. Yes, this was the life she was supposed to have—working every day, earning money, spending time with a righteous man. But for some reason, an emptiness still lingered in her heart.
That evening, after work, she stopped by the supermarket to buy some snacks and strolled along the sidewalk. As she glanced toward the square, a sudden ache pierced her heart.
That day, she had seen him standing there, and instinctively, she had wanted to protect him. Now, he was no longer there, and yet, her heart still ached for him. She wondered—what had he been doing since she left?
He had never broken a promise to her. He had vowed not to kill while in her body, and he had kept that promise. He had promised to return her to her original form, and he had done that too. Now, he had his own path to follow—revenge. Revenge was his destiny.
Something warm was trickling down her face.
Damn it. She was crying again.
Oh, right. There was still something of his that she had— the USB drive that had once nearly cost her life. She immediately returned to work to retrieve it. She searched over and over again, scouring every corner until she finally found it. That day, she had thought of it as nothing more than a useless piece of trash, nearly tossing it away.
By the time she left her workplace, it was already late. She tucked the USB into her handbag and headed home in peace. Yet, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over her. It felt as if his scent lingered in the air around her. But no… They were two parallel lines. She had known that from the very beginning. Why was she still lingering in these emotions?
Back home, Hoàng Hải Vân hurriedly ate a bowl of rice, took a shower, and went straight to bed. Only by burying herself in work, coming home exhausted, and falling asleep immediately could she forget about him—and about the haunting memories of that day. The fear had settled so deeply in her that she had avoided reading the news or browsing social media. She was terrified of coming across reports of another gruesome massacre. She feared that the boy with those pure, clear eyes would never return the same way again.
She had been exhausted all day, so she quickly drifted into sleep. Yet, for some reason, she found herself trapped in a spring dream.
She dreamed of him holding her, kissing her deeply. But… the sensation was too real. It didn't feel like a dream at all.
Startled awake, she found him sitting on her bed, leaning down to kiss her.
Seeing that she had woken, he whispered,
"I missed you so much. I can’t take it anymore. Come back to me, won’t you?"
As he spoke, he reached down, slipping off her nightgown and showering her with desperate kisses.
At first, her body responded instinctively, out of habit. But within moments, her rational mind snapped back, and she shoved him away. Clutching her nightgown to her chest, she pulled her legs in, curling up in a corner of the bed.
Trần Ngọc Linh sat down gently, slowly taking her hand and placing it over his heart, careful not to scare her away. He held her hand firmly against his chest and said,
"Why are you avoiding me like this? Why do you look at me like that? It hurts… It hurts right here."
Hoàng Hải Vân remained silent, resolutely pulling her hand away.
She wouldn’t stop him from walking the path he had chosen, but she couldn’t walk that path with him. Their views, their beliefs, were too different. It was better for them to part ways rather than suffer together.
Trần Ngọc Linh saw her firm rejection and felt an overwhelming mix of disappointment and heartbreak. He wanted to reach for her again, but he stopped himself.
With his current power, making her submit to him would have been easy. He could control her completely if he wanted to.
But he didn’t want that.
If she didn’t want him, he wouldn’t force her.
He got up, picked up his discarded shirt, put it back on, and left.
Earlier, when he had entered the house, he had controlled the spirits of her parents, making them open the door for him. He had walked in openly, without needing to sneak around.