Wen Zhaoyan covered Yichen's lips with his hand.
"Don't scream," Zhaoyan said calmly. "You'll ruin the wedding night."
Yichen's eyes widened. "What wedding night? I'm not married!"
"You accepted the envelope and agreed to marry. Now we're a couple," Zhaoyan replied, his tone eerily casual.
Yichen stared at him in disbelief. "That means… you're a ghost?!"
Zhaoyan smirked. "Nope."
Yichen's heart thudded in panic.
"I'm your groom ghost," Zhaoyan said, his voice soft but chilling.
Panicking, Yichen jumped off the bed and threw the red wedding cloth aside. He stumbled around, frantically searching for the door.
"This room doesn't have a door," Zhaoyan said calmly.
Yichen froze, his breath catching. Everything went black as he fainted.
Morning light seeped through the curtains. Yichen slowly opened his eyes, rubbing them groggily. He sat up, scanning the room. Everything looked normal.
"So… it was a dream? What a weird dream," he muttered, rubbing his head.
"Lu Nian, it's all your fault with those creepy ghost stories. I had a terrible dream because of you," he muttered as he stretched.
But then his eyes drifted to the side, landing on someone under the blanket next to him.
"Ahh? Why is Lu Nian sleeping on my bed?" Yichen exclaimed, kicking the person lightly.
"Nian! Why are you in my room?!" he shouted.
The blanket was pulled back, and Wen Zhaoyan sat up, still wearing the red wedding robes from the dream.
"What happened, hubby?" Zhaoyan asked, pouting.
Yichen's heart skipped a beat. "It's a dream again…" he whispered.
"It's not a dream," Zhaoyan said, standing up. "And you already ruined our first wedding night. Such bad luck. I planned so much…"
"Ahhh! What the hell?!" Yichen screamed.
Just then, Lu Nian pushed open the door. "What the hell are you doing so early in the morning?!"
Yichen grabbed his arm, pointing frantically. "Look! Look!"
Lu Nian stepped inside, confused. Zhaoyan remained at the side, his expression annoyed.
"Who's in the room?" Lu Nian asked, walking past Zhaoyan without noticing him.
"I thought you saw a lizard or something," he muttered, shaking his head. "After getting so much money, you really lost your mind…"
And with that, he left the room.
Yichen stood frozen, slowly turning to Zhaoyan, who stared back at him.
Now it all made sense. Wen Zhaoyan wasn't a dream. He wasn't a hallucination. He was real. He was a ghost. No—he was Yichen's ghost groom.
"Now you understand," Zhaoyan said, smiling as he stepped closer.
"I… I… I'll give you all your money back. I—" Yichen stammered.
Zhaoyan's eyes darkened. He grabbed Yichen by the waist, holding him firmly.
"You can't refuse now," he said softly, but with a chilling edge. "If you do… I'll kill you and take your soul with me."
Yichen trembled, frozen in fear.
"We're married and didn't even kiss once last night. You fainted. But now… I won't leave you again."
Zhaoyan leaned in, kissing Yichen softly. Yichen shivered and shoved him away, bolting from the room.
Zhaoyan watched him run, a smirk curling on his lips. "Let's see who wins, my dear husband," he murmured.
Yichen collapsed onto the sofa, his face pale. In the kitchen, Lu Nian was making breakfast, glancing over with concern.
"Yichen? What happened?"
Yichen didn't answer. Zhaoyan suddenly appeared beside him on the couch.
"Hubby~" he cooed.
"Why are you following me?" Yichen whispered, panicked.
"Yichen, who's following you?" Lu Nian asked, confused.
Ignoring him, Yichen quickly stood and sat at the breakfast table, pretending everything was normal, though his heart raced.
"Yichen, it's the weekend. What's your plan?" Lu Nian asked casually.
"I already told you—I'm taking Tian Tian to a movie," Yichen said, irritated.
"Oh? So she said yes?" Lu Nian pressed.
"Yep," Yichen nodded.
Zhaoyan's soft smile faded. Yichen glanced at him, expressionless, then stood up and walked to his room. He grabbed a towel and stepped into the bathroom, trying to ignore the man who followed him like a shadow.
As he unbuttoned his shirt, his eyes landed on Zhaoyan, standing silently in the corner.
"H-Hey! Why are you here?" Yichen stammered.
"I go wherever I want," Zhaoyan said, calm and confident.
"Then go! Just don't invade someone's privacy!" Yichen snapped.
"I'm not invading anything. I'm your husband. We're married, remember? Why be shy in front of me?"
Yichen's face flushed deep red. "Wen Zhaoyan, I told you—I never agreed to marry you!"
Zhaoyan's gaze darkened, his charm twisting into possessive intensity. He grabbed Yichen's waist, pulling him close.
"You can't cheat your husband. If you try, I'll eat you alive."
"I-I'm not! Tian Tian is just a friend!" Yichen tried to protest.
"Don't try to fool me," Zhaoyan whispered.
Yichen tried to push him away, but Zhaoyan held him firmly. The shower turned on suddenly, soaking them both. Water ran over their bodies, clinging to skin.
Zhaoyan looked breathtaking under the stream—sharp features glistening, eyes burning with desire as he leaned in, kissing Yichen passionately, his hands gliding over trembling skin.
"I've waited too long for this," Zhaoyan whispered against Yichen's lips.