Mo Xuchen lay silently in bed for a moment before resigning himself to sitting up. He turned on the bedside lamp and walked out of the bedroom.

Pushing open the door to Ji Yunzhi’s room, he glanced at the bed under the dim glow of the nightlight—only to find it empty. His heart inexplicably skipped a beat in panic, and he quickly turned on all the lights in the room.

When he turned around and saw the person curled up in the corner, he finally relaxed slightly.

For a second, I thought he’d gone missing…

Wait—so what if he did? It’d save me the trouble.

But… since he’s staying here now, it’s my responsibility to keep an eye on him.

“BOOM—”

A deafening clap of thunder rang out, making Ji Yunzhi, who was huddled in the corner, tremble violently. As if afraid the lightning might strike him, he tightly covered his ears and shrank further into the wall.

Mo Xuchen sighed softly, unsure why Ji Yunzhi was so terrified.

It’s just thunder. Is it really that scary?

Seeing him sitting barefoot on the floor, Mo Xuchen walked over and stood in front of him, lips pressed into a thin line.

“Get up.”

Ji Yunzhi had his face buried in his knees, but at Mo Xuchen’s voice, he immediately lifted his head, tears shimmering in his eyes.

“Husband… the thunder’s so loud. I’m scared.”

Mo Xuchen’s temple twitched. His voice remained flat as he said,

“You’re a boy. What’s there to be afraid of?”

A large teardrop clung to Ji Yunzhi’s eyelashes, his eyes red and pitiful. He tilted his head slightly and asked,

“Boys can’t be afraid of thunder?”

But no matter what, the sound terrified him—what was he supposed to do?

Mo Xuchen: “…”

He hadn’t said boys couldn’t be afraid of thunder. Everyone had the right to fear it—it wasn’t his place to judge.

He nudged Ji Yunzhi’s foot with his own and ordered, “Stand up and get back in bed.”

He had just gotten over his fever. If he kept this up, he might end up with some other ailment, and Mo Xuchen really didn’t have the extra time to take care of him.

“Oh, okay…”

Ji Yunzhi obediently climbed up from the floor and lay back down on the bed.

Once he was settled, Mo Xuchen unceremoniously yanked the blanket over him.

“Sleep. No more running around.”

With that, he turned to leave.

Ji Yunzhi hurriedly grabbed the hem of Mo Xuchen’s shirt, gazing at him pleadingly as he whispered,

“Husband, can you sleep with me…?”

Mo Xuchen pulled his clothes free and said firmly,

“I’m not your husband, so of course I can’t sleep with you.”

Ji Yunzhi puffed out his cheeks, his eyes welling up with tears again. His voice quivered as he begged,

“But you are my husband.”

“Husband, please sleep with me? I’m begging you.”

“The thunder’s so loud… I’m scared to sleep alone.”

As soon as he finished speaking, another earth-shaking roar of thunder exploded outside the window.

Ji Yunzhi paled in fright, scrambling up from the bed and throwing himself into Mo Xuchen’s arms, clinging tightly.

Mo Xuchen sighed helplessly, allowing Ji Yunzhi to wrap his arms around his waist. He sat down on the edge of the bed, no longer in a hurry to leave.

It’s just thunder—how can someone be this terrified?

After a brief hesitation, he gently patted Ji Yunzhi’s back in reassurance while using his other hand to cover his ears.

Ji Yunzhi inhaled the scent of Mo Xuchen, feeling an inexplicable sense of security. He nuzzled comfortably against his chest.

Mo Xuchen: “…”

If you’re going to hug, then just hug—why keep rubbing all over the place?

“Stop squirming. Go to sleep.”

Ji Yunzhi lifted his head from Mo Xuchen’s embrace, his eyes bright as he looked at him expectantly.

“Husband, can you come lie on the bed and hold me while I sleep? Please?”

Mo Xuchen narrowed his eyes, studying Ji Yunzhi’s utterly guileless expression. A sudden urge rose in him to test whether this guy was truly this naive or just pretending.

“Pushing your luck?”

He was already sitting here, letting him cling to him—and now he wanted him to get into bed and cuddle him to sleep?

Ji Yunzhi shrank back slightly under Mo Xuchen’s sharp gaze, calling out timidly,

“Husband…”

Mo Xuchen reached out, gripping Ji Yunzhi’s chin as he said in a low voice,

“Tell me—who are you really?”

“Who sent you to get close to me?”

Ji Yunzhi was frightened by Mo Xuchen’s sudden intensity, his chin aching from the tight grip. He frantically pushed at Mo Xuchen’s hand, his eyes instantly reddening with fear as tears spilled over.

“Husband… it hurts…”

“You’re a bad person… Wuwu, I’m not talking to you anymore…”

“You’re bullying me.”

Mo Xuchen’s temple throbbed.

Crying this hard from just a little scare? He’s way too sensitive…

He released Ji Yunzhi, roughly wiping away his tears with his thumb as he said stiffly,

“Alright, stop crying.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ji Yunzhi actually stopped crying—though an occasional sniffle still escaped.

Mo Xuchen stared at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected him to hold it in so obediently. A soft chuckle escaped him.

“So well-behaved?”

Ji Yunzhi was not well-behaved—he had a temper!

With a light humph, he turned over, burrowing completely under the blanket and ignoring Mo Xuchen.

His chin still hurt from being pinched. He had decided—he would not acknowledge this husband anymore!

Unless…

Unless his husband bought him meat buns!

The mere thought of meat buns made Ji Yunzhi swallow hard. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to dreamland, where he could eat all the buns he wanted.

Mo Xuchen watched the lump under the blanket remain motionless for a long while before shaking his head in amused exasperation.

This guy’s temper isn’t small, huh?

He patted the curled-up figure and said in a coaxing tone, “Alright, don’t be mad.”

It was a rare moment in Mo Xuchen’s life where he actually tried to comfort someone. Yet after waiting for a response, he got nothing.

Gently lifting the edge of the blanket, he found Ji Yunzhi fast asleep, his breathing slow and even.

Mo Xuchen: “…”

This guy really has no worries.

Just a second ago, he was scared and begging me to hold him—now he’s out cold.

Seems like he’s sleeping just fine on his own.

Outside, the thunder had stopped, replaced by heavy raindrops pattering against the window in a rhythmic, soothing sound.

Mo Xuchen pressed a hand to Ji Yunzhi’s forehead to check his temperature. Finding nothing unusual, he tossed the blanket back over his head and stood to leave.

After a few steps, he paused and turned back.

He tugged the blanket down slightly, just enough to ensure Ji Yunzhi wouldn’t accidentally suffocate in his sleep.

…

The next morning, Ji Yunzhi woke up early—unsurprisingly, because he was hungry.

Sitting up in bed with his hair a complete mess, he stared blankly into space, lost in thought. Whatever he was imagining must have been delicious, because he couldn’t help but swallow hard.