"What a polite young man."
Miko's father smiled kindly, shaking Ye Xing's hand.
Only when he noticed the slight astonishment in his daughter's eyes did he pause, belatedly realising something as he exclaimed:
"Wait... you can see me?"
"Not just me."
Ye Xing pointed at Miko standing beside him.
"She can see you, too."
"Eh?"
Miko's father appeared completely normal, albeit utterly bewildered.
This further confirmed Ye Xing's suspicions.
The spirit of Miko's father was special - one capable of communication.
The evidence?
Despite knowing both he and Miko could "see", the spirit showed no hostility.
"Well, you see..."
Miko's father scratched his head, struggling for words before finally grinning awkwardly at Miko.
"So... this is your boyfriend? Good, very good."
Miko massaged her temples with a sigh. "Even as a spirit, you're still so thick-skinned. Honestly."
She'd always been able to see her father's spirit. The reason she never communicated was that terrifying evil spirits frequently appeared in the house.
Now, Miko wasn't worried about that anymore.
The house felt "clean".
Strangely, an amusing analogy popped into her mind:
Evil spirits were like mosquitoes; she was like someone with type AB blood - always attracting their harassment.
While the Qi around Ye Xing was like mosquito repellent.
How nice it would be to keep him at home.
"I'll leave you two to talk."
Seeing both Miko and her father hesitating to speak, Ye Xing casually shrugged and headed to the living room, giving the living and the dead their privacy.
After Ye Xing left.
Miko's father scratched his head again, an embarrassed smile forming.
"About... eating your pudding. I'm sorry."
Miko pressed her lips together, tears welling as she shook her head gently.
"No... that's all in the past. You don't need to apologise. I was being too selfish."
The reason why Miko's father became a lingering spirit bound by unresolved regrets after death was simple.
He had secretly eaten the pudding Miko Yotsuya left in the fridge, leading to a fierce argument between them.
On the surface, it seemed like a trivial matter.
But before they could reconcile, Miko's father passed away from illness.
This small incident became the root of his lingering attachment.
It wasn't just Miko's father.
Miko Yotsuya had also been regretting why she'd left such unresolved matters between them.
Now, she finally had a chance to make amends.
For the first time in her life, she felt there might be some benefit to possessing Mystic Eyes.
"Hmm."
Miko's father nodded slightly with a smile.
"In that case, it's time for me to move on."
Though reluctant, Miko obediently nodded her head.
Lingering spirits shouldn't remain in this world.
Now that her father's unresolved regret had been settled, it was indeed time for his passing.
However, unexpectedly...
Even after ten seconds had passed, Miko's father showed no signs of disappearing or fading. He remained standing there as solid as ever.
"This...?"
Miko looked puzzled, unable to understand why.
Logically, after a spirit's regrets are resolved, they should pass on.
Why was her father still here?
"Oh, right, I almost forgot."
After some thought, Miko's father suddenly had an epiphany.
"There's one more regret."
"Another one?"
"Yes."
Miko's father's smile faded as he spoke solemnly.
"I'd like to have a word with that Ye Xing."
"A word?"
Miko's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly waved her hands in explanation.
"That... you've misunderstood. He's not my boyfriend."
"Even if he's not your boyfriend, he's still the first boy you've ever brought home since childhood. I should at least have a chat with him."
Here, Miko's father paused and sighed deeply before continuing.
"Moreover, both you and he possess abilities beyond those of ordinary people."
Hearing this, Miko hesitated before finally biting her lower lip and nodding in agreement.
Then, watching her father heading towards the living room, Miko cautiously offered a reminder.
"Um, Father... you might want to prepare yourself mentally."
"Mentally prepare?"
Miko's father waved his hand and laughed heartily.
"I'm a grown man! How could I possibly get nervous talking to some teenager? Don't worry about me."
...
Miko's father had been brimming with confidence.
Just a high school boy - as a mature, experienced former head of household, he was absolutely going to control this conversation.
He needed to determine whether this Ye Xing fellow had any improper intentions towards his daughter.
This paternal determination was Miko's father's final obsession.
He'd even prepared an imposing opening statement, yet the moment he stepped into the living room, he froze completely.
"You're here? Please, have a seat."
Ye Xing was sitting cross-legged on the floor, directly facing Miko's father's own memorial portrait and spirit tablet.
Even more absurdly.
He was holding a pudding.
Miko's father stared blankly.
"That... that isn't..."
"Yep," Ye Xing replied casually.
"Your offering pudding."
His blunt admission left Miko's father utterly dumbfounded.
Stealing food offerings meant for the dead?
That was outrageous enough.
But doing it right in front of the very spirit being honoured?
Now he understood what his daughter had meant about mental preparation.
This kid...
Was he mentally unwell?
Watching the stunned father, Ye Xing remained completely unapologetic, radiating shameless confidence.
"Figured you couldn't eat it anyway. Would've gone to waste, so I might as well enjoy it."
Miko's father's expression cycled through complex emotions as he stared at the pudding, finally sighing in resignation.
"Fine, fine. You're a guest after all. Eat it if you want."
Struggling to compose himself, Miko's father maintained a stern demeanour as he walked over and sat cross-legged beside Ye Xing.
Before he could deliver his carefully prepared, imposing opening statement, one action and remark from Ye Xing shattered his composure completely.
Ye Xing handed an incense stick to Miko's father, smiling naturally.
"Since we're here, why not offer some incense to yourself?"