Mo Xuchen lost all desire to sleep. He threw off the covers, got out of bed, and headed straight for the bathroom…

“Ji Yunzhi, time to get up.”

Mo Xuchen placed the clothes prepared for Ji Yunzhi nearby and stood by the bed, calling him to wake up.

Ji Yunzhi rubbed his eyes, still drowsy, and called out to Mo Xuchen: “Hubby…”

Mo Xuchen: “…”

It seemed teaching Ji Yunzhi not to call him “hubby” was a lost cause.

Oh well. After today, once he sent him away, they would have no further connection.

No one would call him “hubby” in the future anyway.

“Get up. I’ve left your clothes here.”

After speaking, Mo Xuchen walked out of the bedroom and went downstairs to wait.

Ji Yunzhi sat up in bed, watching as Mo Xuchen left the room before shifting his gaze to the neatly folded clothes.

He remembered—his hubby was sending him away today…

Ji Yunzhi dawdled for a long time before finally going downstairs.

Mo Xuchen kept glacing upstairs, almost suspecting that Ji Yunzhi didn’t know how to dress himself, which was why he was taking so long.

When he finally saw Ji Yunzhi come downstairs, he secretly sighed in relief—at least he wouldn’t have to help him get dressed.

Dressed in the clothes Mo Xuchen had arranged for him, Ji Yunzhi looked entirely different. A simple white T-shirt paired with loose casual pants gave him an air of youthful vitality.

Wait—no. At Ji Yunzhi’s age, he was a bright, sunny young man.

Mo Xuchen’s gaze lingered on Ji Yunzhi until he reached him, then finally looked away.

As Ji Yunzhi approached, Mo Xuchen expected him to call him “hubby” right away.

But after waiting a moment, Ji Yunzhi didn’t say a word. Mo Xuchen had no choice but to speak first:

“Sit down. Eat.”

Ji Yunzhi lowered his head and obediently sat down to eat. His appetite was as good as ever, though he didn’t seem as cheerful as he had been the day before.

Mo Xuchen glanced at him curiously. Was the little guy unhappy?

Was it because he was sending him home?

Shouldn’t going home be a happy thing? Mo Xuchen didn’t understand why Ji Yunzhi seemed reluctant to return and instead clung to him. They’d only known each other for two or three days.

Throughout breakfast, Ji Yunzhi didn’t smile once, nor did he say a word to Mo Xuchen.

Originally, Mo Xuchen had asked Chen Qi to arrange for someone else to take Ji Yunzhi home. But when it was time to leave, he changed his mind and had Chen Qi drive while he accompanied Ji Yunzhi.

Ji Yunzhi leaned against the car window, watching the scenery flash by outside. His eyes blinked occasionally, but he remained unusually quiet the whole way, as if weighed down by thoughts.

Mo Xuchen had a tablet on his lap, buried in work. After finishing the urgent tasks, he glanced at Ji Yunzhi beside him.

Pursing his lips, he asked Chen Qi, who was driving: “How much farther?”

Chen Qi checked the navigation. “Almost there, President Mo. Five minutes.”

Hearing this, Ji Yunzhi quickly reached out and grabbed Mo Xuchen’s hand. Staring at their joined hands, he said softly:

“Hubby, thank you for the food…”

“And… the new clothes. I’ll pay you back when I earn money in the future.”

Mo Xuchen looked down at their hands, then replied quietly:

“No need.”

“I have to pay you back.”

“Oh! Hubby.”

“Can you thank Auntie Liu for me when you get back? Thank her for cooking for me. I forgot to say it when I left.”

Mo Xuchen: “…Sure.”

He thought the little guy had remembered something important, but… this?

That’s it?

Nothing else?

Well, what else was he expecting? That not-so-sharp little brain of his—coming up with these thoughts was already pretty impressive.

Chen Qi stopped the car at the entrance of the Ji family’s estate and said, “President Mo, we’re here.”

Then he got out and opened the car door for Ji Yunzhi.

Mo Xuchen pulled his hand free from Ji Yunzhi’s grip, hesitated for a moment, then ruffled his hair and gave his shoulder a pat.

“Go on home.”

“Have your family take you to the hospital for a check-up.”

Ji Yunzhi glanced outside the car, then turned back to look at Mo Xuchen. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he closed them again.

Mo Xuchen had already helped him find his home. He should go back—he couldn’t keep bothering him.

“Then… I’ll go.”

After Ji Yunzhi got out, Chen Qi closed the door and returned to the driver’s seat, waiting for Mo Xuchen’s next instructions.

Mo Xuchen remained in the car, watching as Ji Yunzhi walked toward the Ji residence, turning back every few steps.

Only when he disappeared through the gates did Mo Xuchen finally say:

“Drive.”

Chen Qi couldn’t shake the feeling that the temperature inside the car had dropped several degrees the moment Ji Yunzhi left.

Must be my imagination… Yeah, definitely my imagination.

Mo Xuchen lifted the hand Ji Yunzhi had been holding earlier. His eyes half-lidded, veiling his emotions, he stared at it for a long time before finally picking up his tablet again to resume work.

…

Ji Yunzhi walked all the way from the gates without seeing a single person. His wide, round eyes darted around nervously as he hesitantly moved further inside.

Is this really my home?

Why does it feel so unfamiliar…?

When he entered the house, he finally spotted someone—a man eating breakfast.

Ji Yunzhi clutched the hem of his pants tightly and cautiously greeted him:

“Hello…”

“AHHHHH!!!”

“You—!”

Ji Tian’en looked up at the sound and choked on the dumpling he’d just bitten into when he saw Ji Yunzhi.

Seeing that Ji Tian’en seemed to be choking, Ji Yunzhi hurried forward, wanting to pat his back.

But Ji Tian’en recoiled as if he’d seen a ghost, pounding his chest twice before stumbling backward and falling to the floor.

Ji Yunzhi stared at him, stunned. Was he really that scary-looking?

Why was this person so terrified of him?

Ji Tian’en eyed him warily, still sitting on the floor. Feeling the food stuck in his throat, he grabbed the glass of milk from the table and gulped some down before finally catching his breath.

“Ji Yunzhi! The hell—are you human or a ghost?!”

Ji Yunzhi’s eyes lit up the moment he heard his name. This person knew him! So this really was his home!

Though the question was strange, Ji Yunzhi answered obediently:

“Human. I’m human.”

Ji Tian’en scrambled to his feet, scrutinizing Ji Yunzhi from head to toe. His clothes were clean and neat, the brand something Ji Tian’en had never seen before.

He did seem human—ghosts wouldn’t wander around in broad daylight.

But… Hadn’t Ji Yunzhi already died?