Wishful thinking

Bo Hanmo stood by the window, turning the Buddhist beads in his hand as he thought.

A sudden knock came at the study door. Bo Hanmo turned around. "Come in. What is it?"

"Something important, big brother. Hey, hey!" Bo Zhe had barely managed a moment of seriousness before someone behind him shoved him, ruining the effect.

"Where's Fang Yao?" Bo Hanmo asked the people coming in.

"She went back to her room to rest," Bo Miao answered.

The entire Bo family gathered in the study, each finding a seat.

"We've been so busy these past two days that I haven't had a chance to ask. What exactly is going on? Why can we hear Fang Yao's thoughts? Why can Lu You hear them too? Surely not everyone can hear what she's thinking?" Old Master Bo asked.

Old Madam Bo explained how they had first heard Fang Yao's thoughts when they went to see her.

"That's how it happened. You have no idea—we could hear her thoughts even though she hadn't opened her mouth. We almost screamed in fright. Well, Bo Zhe did."

"Just tell the story. Why drag me into it? As far as I know, no one can hear her except us and Lu You."

"Wait, we can't hear her now, can we?" Old Madam Bo asked in confusion.

"That's right. It depends on distance, just like ordinary speech. If we're too far away, we can't hear her," Bo Hanmo said. He had tested it yesterday.

"That's good. Otherwise, how would we ever get any sleep?" Old Madam Bo still felt dazed. Something so incredible had happened so suddenly that it hardly seemed real, as though she were dreaming.

If not for Fang Yao's thoughts, she would already have lost her eldest grandson to death.

Old Madam Bo shuddered at the memory of yesterday's phone call.

"I wonder whether we could have heard her thoughts before, or whether my old friend worried about leaving Fang Yao all alone after his death and sent her a treasure in the night." Old Master Bo pressed a hand to his chest. The events of the past two days had left his heart pounding with fear.

"I think this only started recently. After all, if Grandpa Fang had known she possessed this incredible ability to look up anything at all, he certainly wouldn't have come to us. He would have told her to keep her thoughts to herself."

"Even if he couldn't say it outright, he would have found some way to tell her. Since he didn't, that suggests it might only have appeared after he passed away. Our being able to hear her is probably an accident. I suggest we keep things as they are and see whether the others can hear her when they come tomorrow."

This was Bo Hanmo's first encounter with anything supernatural. He had no solution for the moment, so all he could do was wait and see.

"It's so amazing. Her powers even come with built-in protection. We can't harbor any ill intentions toward her," Bo Miao marveled.

When she had learned that her eldest brother was marrying a stranger—a woman whose looks and character were a complete mystery—she had even felt indignant on Qingqing's behalf. Thinking of Qingqing now made Bo Miao sad.

Until she saw the report her brother had given her, she had remained skeptical. Then reality had slapped her in the face.

My face hurts! This is so upsetting! :(

I'm never calling her Qingqing again. I'll just call her that venomous woman. Bo Miao pouted.

"Actually, this is a good thing. At least Fang Yao has some protection. Your Grandpa Fang can rest easy, and so can we." Old Master Bo recalled how his old friend had humbled himself before his death.

Grandpa Fang: I never humbled myself! I held my head high! Bo Haotian, you old bastard, you're taking advantage of my death to slander me!

Old Master Fang, who was trying to claw his way out of the Underworld, bristled with fury.

[○･｀Д´･ ○]

Old Master Bo planted his hands on his hips and gloated: Come up here if you can!

Ignoring his grandfather's smug expression, Bo Hanmo said, "In any case, you two had better not get up to any tricks..."

"We know, big brother. We'll treat our sister-in-law the way a sister-in-law should be treated." Unwilling to sit through a lecture, Bo Zhe interrupted him.

Bo Miao nodded. "Exactly. Don't worry, big brother. We're not children anymore."

Thinking of Fang Yao, Old Madam Bo smiled. "Don't worry, dear. Yaoyao may say one thing and mean another, but she's actually very kindhearted. Be a little more accommodating when she's willful."

"Exactly," Old Master Bo added. "You agreed to this marriage, so make a good life together. Try to give us a great-grandchild soon."

The elderly couple had little else to look forward to besides holding the next generation in their arms. They couldn't expect that from the two younger ones yet, so they could only pin their hopes on their eldest grandson.

Remembering that they still slept in separate rooms, Bo Hanmo decided that children could wait. First, he needed to entice his wife into bed.

Recalling Fang Yao's money-loving ways, Bo Hanmo said, "I'll send her money."

The other four members of the Bo family: ...What did that mean?

Reading their looks, Bo Hanmo explained, "She likes money. Isn't that common knowledge? I sent her some earlier, and she was very happy."

Of course she was. She's practically ready to make a cuckold of you.

The other four offered no comment, merely looking at Bo Hanmo in sympathy. Luckily, their big brother—or eldest grandson—had money. Otherwise, his wife would run away.

"Actually, big brother, I think you'd be better off managing her money for her. You could help her invest it too." Bo Zhe raised a hand, looking around with an awkward smile.

Had they forgotten what their sister-in-law wanted to do once she had money?

Remembering Fang Yao's wild ideas, their mouths twitched.

Bo Hanmo's mouth twitched too. Damn it. They had promised Grandpa Fang that Fang Yao would never lack food or clothing. If they really divorced, she would receive her fair share. But while they were still married, he wasn't generous enough to fund his own wife's young lover.

He couldn't guard against every outside threat only to overlook the thief at home.

Bo Hanmo decided to speak to Fang Yao in a moment about investing for her. Money could make more money. Surely she would be delighted to hand hers over to him.

Yet the moment he reached her bedroom door, he heard her thoughts shrieking.

He had to admit, Fang Yao's inner voice really was...

[Ohoho! I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm a wealthy woman now!]

[Oh my! Grandpa Bo and Grandma Bo sent me money too! Grandpa, do you have any other rich friends? Remember to visit me in a dream and tell me!]

[Let me count how much all these cash gifts add up to.]

[Hahaha! I really am rich! Nobody's prying a single cent out of my hands.]

[Let me work out how much I have... Oh yes! Almost twenty million! Now, should I keep a hot, hungry young stud or a sweet, puppyish boy?]

Inside, Fang Yao lay on her stomach on the bed, counting money. Looking at the balance on her phone, she threw her head back and laughed, fanning herself with cash. Then she heard a knock at the door.

Reluctantly, Fang Yao set the money on the bed and went to answer it. When she opened the door, Bo Hanmo's tall figure blocked the doorway, a strange expression on his face.

Bo Hanmo lowered his gaze to the petite Fang Yao, his dark eyes beneath long lashes exuding an inexplicable pressure.

Fang Yao swallowed and pressed a hand over her racing heart. "What is it?"