Ji Yunzhi felt that today was the happiest day of his life. Though he hadn’t eaten to the point of being completely full, his stomach no longer ached from hunger like before.  

Mo Xuchen noticed that while Ji Yunzhi seemed to enjoy everything he ate, he actually disliked vegetables.  

During breakfast, it wasn’t obvious, but by dinner, Mo Xuchen spotted it right away.  

Aunt Liu knew what Mo Xuchen usually liked to eat, so she deliberately prepared two plates of his favorite vegetables for dinner. But Ji Yunzhi didn’t even glance at them—his chopsticks deliberately avoided those dishes the entire time.  

Suddenly, a mischievous thought crossed Mo Xuchen’s mind. He picked up a bite of vegetables from his plate and placed it in Ji Yunzhi’s bowl, wanting to see his reaction.  

Sure enough, Ji Yunzhi stared at the greens in his bowl with a troubled expression, sneaking a glance at Mo Xuchen as if asking if he really had to eat them.  

Mo Xuchen immediately crushed that hope, tilting his chin slightly to signal that he should eat it.  

Ji Yunzhi poked at the vegetables with his chopsticks a couple of times before reluctantly stuffing them into his mouth.  

Perhaps to make the greens more bearable, he quickly followed up with a piece of beef.  

Mo Xuchen: “…”  

So he’s picky?  

Are vegetables really that bad?  

Hmm… a little meat-loving brat.  

That night, after finishing work in his study, Mo Xuchen returned to the bedroom, washed up, and was just about to sleep when he heard a knock at the door.  

Mo Xuchen frowned. At this hour, the only person who would knock on his door was Ji Yunzhi—he couldn’t think of anyone else.  

Exhausted, he pinched the bridge of his nose, decided to ignore it. He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.  

Knock, knock, knock—

The soft knocking sounded again, this time at regular ten-second intervals.  

Mo Xuchen cursed inwardly at the nuisance. With a cold expression, he threw off the covers, got out of bed, and opened the door. Staring at Ji Yunzhi, he asked in a low voice,  

“What is it?”  

Ji Yunzhi lowered his head, fiddling with the loose hem of his pajamas. He puffed out his cheeks but didn’t speak.  

Mo Xuchen hooked a finger under Ji Yunzhi’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze, and repeated,  

“It’s so late. Why aren’t you asleep?”  

Ji Yunzhi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he answered in a small voice, “I can’t sleep…”  

“H-Hubby… Mo Xuchen, can I sleep with you?”  

He had tried closing his eyes, but for some reason, sleep just wouldn’t come.  

Hubby Mo Xuchen: “…”  

“No.”  

Ji Yunzhi threw himself into Mo Xuchen’s arms, clinging tightly and refusing to let go.  

“Hubby, say yes, quick.”  

Mo Xuchen wasn’t swayed by Ji Yunzhi’s antics. His tone was firm. “No… And stop calling me ‘hubby.'”  

He had just managed to get him to say his name twice, and now he was back to “hubby.”  

Ji Yunzhi shook his head stubbornly. “Yes, yes, yes! Hubby, say yes already!”  

Mo Xuchen gritted his teeth, trying to push Ji Yunzhi away, but the latter only held on tighter.  

“Ji Yunzhi, let go.”  

“No. I’ll only let go if hubby says yes.”  

Mo Xuchen could have easily forced him off, but in the end, he just sighed in resignation and didn’t push him away.  

“Ji Yunzhi, are you trying to break my waist?”  

Hearing this, Ji Yunzhi immediately released him, anxiously checking his waist.  

“I’m sorry, is it broken?”  

Hubby’s waist is this fragile???

Mo Xuchen deliberately ignored Ji Yunzhi’s lingering gaze on his waist. Seizing the moment the other loosened his grip, he slammed the door shut with a bang, the corners of his lips curling in triumph.  

Ji Yunzhi’s eyes widened, his lips parting slightly as he stared at the closed door in disbelief.  

He stood frozen outside for a long moment before finally lowering his head, dejected.  

Just as tears were about to spill, the door opened from the inside.  

Mo Xuchen swept a cool glance over Ji Yunzhi and said flatly, “Come in. Sleep.”  

The tears that had been on the verge of falling were instantly swallowed back. Ji Yunzhi’s face lit up with joy as he scrambled into Mo Xuchen’s bedroom.  

The moment he climbed onto the bed, he tried to wrap himself around Mo Xuchen, only to be stopped by a low, warning voice:  

“Behave. Or I’ll throw you out.”  

Ji Yunzhi froze instantly, staying still for a few seconds before stealthily inching closer to Mo Xuchen.  

Only when he was snug against him did he finally close his eyes and drift off, perfectly content.  

Listening to Ji Yunzhi’s soft, even breathing, Mo Xuchen felt an odd sense of wonder—there was actually someone sleeping beside him.  

And more importantly, he had allowed it.  

After shutting the door earlier, the image of Ji Yunzhi’s pitiful, pouting face had inexplicably flashed through his mind…  

As he slept, Ji Yunzhi, ever the restless one, eventually rolled right into Mo Xuchen’s arms, smacking his lips and murmuring sleepily:  

“Hubby…”  

Mo Xuchen stiffened. After what felt like an eternity, he resigned himself to fate, wrapping an arm around the other man and closing his eyes.  

Early the next morning, Ji Yunzhi began wriggling around in Mo Xuchen’s embrace, refusing to stay still.  

Mo Xuchen tightened his hold slightly, his voice thick with sleep. “I’m tired… stop moving.”  

Ji Yunzhi didn’t want to leave Mo Xuchen’s arms, but he was growing desperate. “Hubby… I need to pee…”  

Mo Xuchen cracked his eyes open, studied Ji Yunzhi for two seconds, then released him and rolled over to continue sleeping.  

After rushing to the bathroom and returning, Ji Yunzhi circled around to face Mo Xuchen, climbed back onto the bed, and lifted the covers to burrow into his arms again.  

But the moment he nestled in, ready to happily snuggle up for more sleep, Mo Xuchen rolled over, turning his back to him.  

“Hubby…”  

Ji Yunzhi clambered over Mo Xuchen’s body to the other side, only for Mo Xuchen to smirk and roll over again, nearly bringing Ji Yunzhi to tears.  

“Hubby… stop moving…”  

Mo Xuchen: “…”  

The way he said it made it sound like he was the one being bullied…  

“Behave. Sleep on your own side.”  

Grumpily, Ji Yunzhi flopped onto the other side of the bed, glaring resentfully at the back of Mo Xuchen’s head.  

If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have gone to pee. Now hubby won’t hold me anymore.

But his sulk didn’t last long—soon, he was fast asleep again.  

Mo Xuchen rolled onto his side, watching Ji Yunzhi’s sleeping face. He had to admit, when the other wasn’t being a nuisance, he looked… kind of cute.  

Without thinking, he reached out and lightly brushed his fingers over Ji Yunzhi’s long, thick lashes.  

Seeing them flutter slightly, he quickly withdrew, afraid of waking him, and instead poked at Ji Yunzhi’s cheek.  

So soft… so tender…

As if discovering a new world, Mo Xuchen couldn’t resist pinching Ji Yunzhi’s cheek.  

“Mmm…”  

Mo Xuchen tensed when Ji Yunzhi’s brows furrowed slightly, sensing he might wake up, and hastily pulled his hand back.  

Rubbing his fingers together, the lingering sensation of that softness refused to fade.