Yichen didn't sleep the whole night. Not because he wasn't tired, but because Zhaoyan was lying right beside him.
He kept trying to force his eyes shut, tossing and turning, but his nerves wouldn't calm down.
"You can't sleep like that," Zhaoyan said calmly, shifting closer.
"W-What are you doing?" Yichen asked, tense.
Zhaoyan gently wrapped his arms around him and started softly patting his back, like he was soothing a child.
Yichen's heart pounded wildly.
"Relax," Zhaoyan murmured lowly.
Relax? How can I relax when a ghost is hugging me and saying 'relax'? Yichen thought.
But somehow… it worked. His eyelids slowly drooped, his heartbeat settled, and he finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
Morning light glowed through the curtains. Yichen blinked awake and stretched, feeling oddly well-rested. His mood was surprisingly good.
"Good morning," Zhaoyan said softly.
"Good morning," Yichen yawned.
His nose twitched. "What a good smell… is that breakfast?"
Zhaoyan handed him a fresh towel. "Hurry and shower. Breakfast is ready."
Yichen stared, a bit stunned. "Did you… make breakfast?"
Zhaoyan nodded with a small smile. Without another word, Yichen stood up and walked toward the bathroom, still half in disbelief.
Lu Nian stepped out of the room and immediately froze. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the dining table, now filled with a spread of delicious-looking dishes.
"Yichen, you didn't even know how to fry an egg… how did you cook all this?" Lu Nian asked, stunned.
Yichen, already seated at the table, looked up casually. "I didn't."
Lu Nian narrowed his eyes. "Then… you ordered it?"
"Nope," Yichen said.
Realization dawned on Lu Nian. His face dropped—Yichen was now married to a ghost. And apparently, that ghost made breakfast.
Zhaoyan calmly sat down beside Yichen. "Try it," he said gently.
Yichen turned and called out to his friend. "Lu Nian, come here. Join me."
Lu Nian slowly approached and sat down next to Yichen—until Yichen quickly moved a little.
"Not here," Yichen whispered.
Lu Nian immediately understood. He stood up abruptly. "Nope. I'll eat at the university. See ya."
He rushed out of the house without looking back.
Yichen sighed. "Lu Nian, you're selfish," he murmured.
Zhaoyan smiled faintly. "It's good. Now we have private time."
Yichen forced a smile, unsure how to feel about that.
After breakfast, Yichen quickly got ready for university. As he grabbed his bag, Zhaoyan appeared behind him.
"Let's go," Zhaoyan said.
Yichen turned around, startled. "Are you going with me?"
"Yes," Zhaoyan replied.
"Nope. You can't. If you go with me, I won't be able to concentrate on studying," Yichen frowned.
Zhaoyan paused, then smiled gently. "Then I'll wait for you at home… and cook dinner."
Yichen hesitated, then nodded slowly. "That sounds… good."
Zhaoyan stepped forward, hugged Yichen softly, and placed a light kiss on his lips. "Come back soon," he whispered.
Yichen blinked, stunned. His heart skipped a beat as he stared at the man in front of him. It really feels like we're a married couple…
He didn't say anything and simply nodded before stepping out of the house.
Walking along the side path toward the main road, Yichen let out a long sigh of relief. Finally… some time away from him.
He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Lu Nian's number.
"Selfish! Where are you now?" Yichen called.
"I'm at the university," Lu Nian replied calmly.
"I'm coming too," Yichen said.
Yichen and Lu Nian sat across from each other in the campus café, steam rising from their coffee cups.
"Nian, you left me alone this morning," Yichen pouted.
"So what was I supposed to do? Be the third wheel between you and your husband? Just wait around until your ghost hubby got annoyed and ate me alive?" Lu Nian shrugged.
Yichen shot him a glare. "Shut up. He's not my husband."
"Could've fooled me. He's so caring. You're lucky—he even made you a delicious breakfast. And now he's waiting for you at home. Isn't that sweet?" Lu Nian smirked.
Yichen sighed and rested his chin on his hand. "Lu Nian, how do I get out of this marriage?"
"You can't. Not unless the ghost himself agrees to leave you. And if that happens, he'll disappear just like before. You won't be able to see him again," Lu Nian said.
Yichen frowned. "But no matter what I do, he refuses to leave. He says he'll keep pursuing me until I fall for him."
Lu Nian chuckled. "Well, he's already doing so much. Maybe you should just accept him."
Yichen gave him a side-eye. "Whose side are you on? Mine or his?"
"Yours, of course. But Yichen, I'm warning you. If he ever finds out that you're pretending and secretly trying to get rid of him… he might snap, kill you, and take your soul with him," Lu Nian said, grinning.
Yichen's eyes widened, his voice sharp. "Shut up, Lu Nian! You always tell me creepy stories!"
"It's not a story. I'm telling you the truth," Lu Nian said, leaning in with a teasing smile.
"Anyway, I'm curious about something…"
Yichen took a sip of his coffee, suspicious. "What?"
Lu Nian leaned closer, eyes sparkling mischievously. "Have you two… slept together yet?"
Yichen nearly choked. "What do you mean!?"
"You know what I mean. Did you have sex with him?"
Yichen's face turned bright red. "Lu Nian! Shut up! You're such a mean friend!"
Lu Nian burst out laughing. "I'm just asking! I mean, you two are married. It's normal for couples!"
Yichen stood up abruptly, cheeks burning. "I swear, I hope God gives you a ghost groom too!"
He stormed off, and Lu Nian scrambled after him. "Wait! Yichen! What are you saying?!"