Yichen pushed him away, flustered.
"Can you give me some time?" he snapped.
Zhaoyan's voice softened. "Okay."
Yichen suddenly shouted, overwhelmed. "Then please don't come into the bathroom like that!"
Zhaoyan remained calm. "Okay… I didn't come in."
And just like that, he vanished.
Yichen let out a long, shaky breath, dragging a hand down his face. "What am I supposed to do now?" he muttered.
After a moment, he stepped into the shower, hoping the hot water would wash away some of the chaos in his mind. Steam swirled around him as he finished, glancing around the bathroom. It was empty.
Where did he go?
Wrapped in a towel, Yichen walked out slowly. His phone rang, and he snatched it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Yichen! Where are you? I'm already waiting!" Tian Tian's voice came through the speaker.
Yichen blinked in surprise. "Oh… Tian Tian, you're already there?"
Before he could respond, Zhaoyan appeared in front of him again, nearly making him drop the phone. Yichen coughed awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, Tian Tian. I… I can't come. Something urgent came up," Yichen stammered.
Tian Tian's voice cut through, irritated. "Then why did you ask me to come yesterday?"
The call ended abruptly, leaving Yichen sighing.
Zhaoyan reached out silently and took the towel from him, drying Yichen's damp hair with gentle care. Yichen stood frozen, confused and flustered.
He thought, He's… really handsome. Like someone from a rich family… but he's dead.
Zhaoyan smiled softly. "You're so cute."
"I-I'm not a girl," Yichen stammered, turning away.
"I know," Zhaoyan said, amused.
Yichen rummaged through a drawer and pulled out the red envelope. "Please take this back. Find a beautiful girl to marry instead. I'm a boy," he said, holding it out.
Zhaoyan glanced at it and smiled, unbothered. "I already told you—I don't care. I never imagined I'd marry a boy, but… you're cute. And besides, we're already married."
He stepped closer, his eyes steady. "Parting… is impossible."
Yichen's frustration bubbled up. "How? You're dead. How can we live together like this? It's so strange."
Zhaoyan's smile remained soft. "I may be dead, but I can still do everything for you—maybe even more than a living person."
Yichen let out a helpless sigh. "You just don't understand…"
"Don't overthink it," Zhaoyan said calmly. "No matter what happens, we won't be apart."
"I don't like boys," Yichen said firmly.
Zhaoyan teased, voice sincere, "Okay. Then I'll just keep pursuing you until you start liking me."
Annoyed, Yichen moved toward the wardrobe to grab clothes. But the towel around his waist loosened and fell to the floor. His eyes widened in shock.
Zhaoyan's gaze remained calm. "Don't worry. I'm your husband, not a stranger. No need to be shy."
Yichen hurriedly picked up the towel and wrapped it around his waist, face bright red, before changing into fresh clothes. Zhaoyan sat comfortably on the bed, still in his wedding attire.
"You're still wearing your wedding clothes. Aren't you going to change?" Yichen asked, frowning.
Zhaoyan smiled, and in an instant, his outfit transformed into a sleek formal suit. Yichen's jaw dropped. He looks even more handsome like this…
"It's our first day after the wedding," Zhaoyan said, smiling. "We should spend the whole day together, right?"
"You've already been following me since last night…" Yichen muttered.
Zhaoyan stepped closer, tone suddenly serious. "Don't be so rude. I don't like it. And…" He softened his voice. "Call me hubby. It feels good when I hear you say that."
"No," Yichen said firmly.
Zhaoyan let out a long sigh, though a playful smile lingered. "You're so stubborn."
"I'm not stubborn—you are," Yichen shot back.
"If I were really stubborn," Zhaoyan grinned, "I'd already be doing everything I want with you. But I'm holding myself back."
Yichen's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by… 'do everything'?"
Zhaoyan sat beside him. Yichen shifted away instinctively. "Yichen… it's been so long since I've spoken to a living human. And now… I'm married to you, even after death. I'm happy—really happy."
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Yichen looked at him, concerned. "What? What's wrong?"
For a brief moment, something unreadable flickered in Zhaoyan's eyes. Then he smiled again. "It's nothing."
Yichen remained silent, suspicion gnawing at him. He's hiding something.
"So… what do you want to do?" Yichen asked cautiously.
Zhaoyan's eyes sparkled playfully. "Let's do what couples do!"
W-What couples do? Yichen's face burned bright red.
Zhaoyan laughed, holding his stomach. "I mean—let's go outside and have some fun!"
"You're dead," Yichen said, deadpan.
"I know. But I already told you—I can still do everything," Zhaoyan said.
"Fine… then where do you want to go?" Yichen sighed.
"Let's go watch a movie!" Zhaoyan said, eyes bright with excitement.
"Okay…" Yichen nodded.
Without warning, Zhaoyan pulled him into a hug.
Yichen stiffened, thoughts racing. I need to find a way to get rid of this ghost… but until then, I'll do whatever he says. If I don't… he might actually kill me.