Lu Nian narrowed his eyes at Yichen, his gaze locking onto the faint red mark on his lip.
"Hey… what happened to your lip? That looks like a bite mark. Did you two…?" he asked suspiciously.
"Enough. We didn't do anything," Yichen cut him off sharply.
"Don't fool me. I saw you both lying on the bed earlier—like some happy couple," Lu Nian pressed.
Yichen hesitated, then looked away.
"It's just…" he began, but didn't finish. Turning on his heel, he walked out of the room.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Lu Nian called after him.
Yichen didn't reply.
Meanwhile, Zhaoyan had already set breakfast on the table, arranging it neatly. Lu Nian wandered out of the room, glancing around, when Zhaoyan suddenly appeared in front of him.
Lu Nian jumped, startled. "Zhaoyan—! I was just…"
Before he could make an excuse, Yichen came up behind him.
"Zhaoyan, don't scare him," Yichen said firmly.
"I didn't. I'm just here to invite him to breakfast," Zhaoyan replied calmly.
Lu Nian felt a nervous sweat on his temple. That man's presence was still unnervingly intense.
Rubbing his stomach, Yichen muttered, "Anyway, let's eat. I'm starving."
They sat at the table, though Lu Nian barely touched his food.
"Don't worry. It's not poisoned. I don't need poison to kill you. If I wanted to, I'd just eat you alive," Zhaoyan said with a smirk.
Lu Nian shrieked, nearly dropping his spoon. "Ahh!"
Yichen quickly reached out and covered Zhaoyan's mouth.
"Zhaoyan. Enough," he sighed.
Zhaoyan blinked innocently, as if he had done nothing wrong.
After breakfast, Lu Nian hurriedly left for the university.
"Oh… he didn't wait for me?" Yichen murmured in surprise.
Zhaoyan smiled softly, wrapping an arm around Yichen's waist.
"I'm waiting patiently. Come home soon," he teased.
Yichen blinked, sensing the underlying meaning. A blush crept up his cheeks.
"Zhaoyan…" he murmured nervously.
Before he could say more, Zhaoyan leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. Yichen's face turned an even deeper red.
"O-Okay… see you," he stammered, quickly leaving, still feeling the lingering warmth.
At the university, Yichen scanned the area for Lu Nian. He spotted him standing with Tian Tian, chatting casually.
"Ah, he's with Tian Tian…" Yichen muttered, approaching her politely.
"Hello, Tian Tian," he said.
She didn't respond, her expression still slightly annoyed. Yichen scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and grabbed Lu Nian's arm, pulling him aside.
"Why did you leave without me this morning?" he whispered.
"You really want that ghost to eat me alive?" Lu Nian replied flatly.
"Ah…" Yichen sighed.
Lu Nian narrowed his eyes, his tone serious.
"Yichen, you've created a big problem for yourself. I saw it in his eyes—the obsession, the possession. That man isn't letting you go."
"I know," Yichen admitted.
"Do you really? Have you asked him about his past? Do you even know what he was when he was alive? I swear he gives off mafia vibes," Lu Nian said.
Shaking his head, Yichen replied, "He doesn't seem like that. More like a businessman."
Lu Nian scoffed. "Of course you'd say that—you're his 'husband.' Gotta focus on all the good stuff now, huh?"
"Shut up. Let's just grab some coffee," Yichen muttered, rolling his eyes.
Lu Nian stared at him, half-exasperated. "Are you seriously not stressed about any of this?"
"I am. I just… don't know what to do," Yichen admitted.
"Then we need to do something. Find his family. And whoever dropped off that envelope," Lu Nian said, tone firm.
Yichen nodded slowly, conflicted. "Yeah. And I need to ask him about his past. I want to know."
Lu Nian gave a firm nod. "Good. We'll figure it out."
After university ended, Lu Nian once again made an excuse to avoid going home and instead left for his parents' house.
Yichen walked alone down the quiet street, hands stuffed in his pockets, muttering under his breath.
"I know Lu Nian did this on purpose. He's so selfish… leaving me alone with him again."
At home, Zhaoyan was already seated on the sofa, waiting. The moment Yichen entered, Zhaoyan stood, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"Welcome home," he said gently.
"You waited here all day… just for me?" Yichen asked, half suspicious, half tired.
Zhaoyan nodded and reached for the bag in Yichen's hand.
"Let's eat dinner," he said.
Yichen simply nodded, not in the mood to argue. They shared a quiet meal, the atmosphere calm yet thick with unspoken tension.
After dinner, they settled on the sofa again. Yichen broke the silence.
"You know Lu Nian's staying at his parents' house because of you, right?"
Zhaoyan's expression remained calm.
"I didn't do anything wrong," he replied.
"You scared him," Yichen pointed out.
Zhaoyan reached out, gently holding Yichen's hand.
"Okay… I won't do that again," he said softly.
There was a pause.
"Zhaoyan, I'm curious about your past… your life before this. Your family. Everything," Yichen admitted.
Zhaoyan's smile faded, his expression unreadable.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because… I just want to understand you better. I feel like there's a wall between us," Yichen said.
Zhaoyan looked down, then slowly reached into his pocket.
"It's not really important now. But… I do have something for you," he said.
From his pocket, he took out a small velvet box. Opening it, he revealed two golden rings. Yichen's eyes widened.
"These are our wedding rings. I completely forgot about them. That night… you fainted. You were scared. So everything just… stopped," Zhaoyan explained softly.
"Zhaoyan…" Yichen murmured.
"Take it," Zhaoyan said, offering a faint smile. He handed one ring to Yichen, then gently took Yichen's hand and slid the other onto his finger.
Yichen froze for a moment, hesitation flashing across his face. His heart pounded, confused and unsure, but when Zhaoyan held out his hand patiently, Yichen slowly lifted his fingers and slid the second ring onto Zhaoyan's.
Zhaoyan's expression lit up.
"I'm so happy right now," he whispered.
He cupped Yichen's face in his hands, leaning in. His lips brushed Yichen's softly, then deepened into a long, passionate kiss. Yichen gasped, hands pressing weakly against Zhaoyan's chest, trying to resist.
"Zhaoyan… stop…" he breathed.
But Zhaoyan didn't. His kisses trailed to Yichen's jaw, neck, and back, fingers tracing the lines of Yichen's trembling body. Yichen's heart raced, torn between resisting and leaning closer.
"Please… not like this…" he whispered, pleading.
Zhaoyan finally paused, breathing heavy, lips brushing Yichen's skin.
"Then tell me when… I'll wait," he murmured.
The room fell silent, heavy with unsaid emotions. The ring on Yichen's finger shimmered faintly in the soft light.