It was nearly eleven o’clock when Bai Lixin returned to Bihai Bay.
From a distance, the entire villa area lay in darkness, with only the lights at Lawyer Zhou Guang’s house still on.
As the car pulled up to the Zhou residence, Dr. Dijia kindly opened the door for Bai Lixin.
It was just a gentlemanly habit, but for some reason, Bai Lixin sensed a subtle atmosphere between them at that moment.
Bai Lixin couldn’t quite put a finger on it.
If he had to describe it, it felt… ambiguous.
Bai Lixin shook his head. He was probably still confused from dealing with the “Ghost Husband” recently, which had messed with his brain a bit.
Now he was overthinking any slight kindness and wondering if the other person had feelings for him.
Did he have some sort of narcissistic syndrome?
“Uh, thank you for today, Dr. Dijia,” Bai Lixin said awkwardly, “I’ll head inside now.”
Dijia glanced at the villa in front of them. “You live here?”
Bai Lixin: “It’s my employer’s home. My employer’s away for a few days, so I’m staying here temporarily. I can’t afford a place like this.”
“Would you like to?” Dr. Dijia asked casually, which made Bai Lixin stunned.
“What?”
The doctor asked calmly, “Would you like a house like this?”
‘Why ask that? Was it some sort of psychological test?’
Bai Lixin laughed, “Haha, who wouldn’t want one?”
A gentle light flashed in the doctor’s eyes, like ripples across a silvery lake. He smiled slightly and simply said, “Good.” But Bai Lixin couldn’t tell what was good about it.
Footsteps echoed from a distance.
Bai Lixin looked over and saw Song Yuantian, who, despite the late hour, still hadn’t gone to bed.
This time, he wasn’t holding his Border Collie but was cradling a fox with vibrant, fiery-red fur.
The fox that was originally lying quietly in Song Yuantian’s arms suddenly lifted its head and glanced over at them. In the next moment, it leapt from his arms in a panic, flicking its large, fan-like red tail as it darted away.
Song Yuantian looked at the fiery fox and then at Bai Lixin.
He walked over, his eyes moving back and forth between Bai Lixin and Dijia with a complicated look, and his voice was slightly strained. “Bai Lixin, who is this?”
Song Yuantian’s eyes fell on Dijia once more.
A dense golden light that Bai Lixin couldn’t see encircled the man, so bright it almost blinded Song Yuantian’s eyes.
‘A divine aura?’
‘Who was this person? He actually possessed an aura that only gods had?’
‘Was he on the verge of divinity?’
The term “divine aura” was self-explanatory—it was a unique aura possessed solely by gods.
The founding ancestor worshipped by the Xuan sect also had such an aura surrounding him, though it was faint, as he hadn’t been a god for long.
The denser the divine aura, the higher the person’s divinity.
A divine aura functioned like a protective shield, and evil spirits didn’t dare to get close.
Just now, even the red fox was frightened away by the man’s divine aura.
But judging by appearances, this man was merely a mortal. So where did such a powerful aura, akin to that of a heavenly immortal, come from?
“This is Dr. Dijia,” Bai Lixin introduced the two, “and this is Mr. Song Yuantian, my employer’s neighbor.”
Song Yuantian extended a hand, “Hello.”
‘So he was a doctor.’
As the Xuan sect’s teachings went, saving a life was more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda.
Doctors save the dying and the wounded, if their hearts are open and have no selfish desires, their souls may have divine qualities.
Occasionally, one might even see a faint glow around some doctors at hospitals.
But that glow was usually so faint it was nearly invisible.
Did this doctor save the entire universe to have an aura this intense?
Song Yuantian couldn’t make sense of it and kept staring at the doctor.
Dr. Dijia touched his face. “Is there something on my face?”
Realizing his rudeness, Song Yuantian quickly apologized and subtly signaled to Bai Lixin with his eyes.
“It’s getting late,” the doctor said naturally, reaching out to gently ruffle Bai Lixin’s soft hair, “now that you’re home, I’ll be on my way.”
Bai Lixin hadn’t been treated so gently in a long time, and he blushed a little.
When the doctor drove away, Song Yuantian leaned in and asked excitedly, “How do you know him?”
Bai Lixin: “He’s my psychiatrist.”
Song Yuantian rubbed his chin and continued to stare at the tail lights of the black car thoughtfully. “Bai Lixin, I don’t mean to interfere, but have you thought about getting rid of the Ghost Husband?”
Bai Lixin thought back to the unsettling incident earlier that afternoon and the Ghost Husband’s timely appearance, and was unsure of how to answer.
If it had been before, he would have said “of course” without hesitation.
But now, he found himself unable to say it.
The word “yes” was stuck in his throat, like a bone he couldn’t swallow.
Oblivious to Bai Lixin’s inner struggle, Song Yuantian’s excited eyes remained fixed on the departing car. “Chase him! Bai Lixin, go and win this man over!”
A question mark slowly appeared on Bai Lixin’s forehead.
Song Yuantian: “That man’s yang energy is incredibly pure. He could completely take your Ghost Husband’s place! If you get together with him, you wouldn’t need to rely on the Ghost Husband anymore!”
‘His yang energy wasn’t just pure,it was simply domineering!’
‘It could match the Ghost Husband, who was at the level of a ghost king.’
‘If they fought, it would be interesting to see who won.’
Song Yuantian thought with a mischievous grin.
Bai Lixin opened his mouth, “Song Yuantian, are you saying that I’ll have to survive on others for the rest of my life? That I’ll never get my soul back?”
“Uh, no, that’s not what I meant,” Song Yuantian’s excitement settled slightly. “I’m still working on it. Your situation is unique and will take time. It could be a few days or even a few years.”
“Just hang in there. Otherwise, even if I find a solution, it’ll be useless if you’re dead.”
Bai Lixin: “…”
…
When Song returned home, he found the red fox curled up tightly on the sofa.
He scooped the fox up, stroking its smooth, thick fur in a comforting manner.
The red fox was agile as always, it stood up and leapt onto him, and in the blink of an eye, the red fox’s four limbs stretched out and it transformed into a graceful, alluring woman. She looked just like the top celebrity Hongyue, whom Bai Lixin had seen on TV yesterday.
Who could have guessed that the number one star was actually a fox spirit?
Hongyue pushed Song Yuantian onto the sofa, her eyes predatory as they fell on him, and she sniffed his neck.
“You reek of him.” the woman’s eyes darkened and her hand slid to his waist. “I don’t like it. You’re mine. I want your entire body to smell like me.”
Song Yuantian’s breathing quickened, “Hongyue.”
“Is this still the pure-hearted Xuan sect master, Song Yuantian?” Hongyue observed the man’s restrained expression, her large fox tail swaying behind her. “If your ancestor knew the most outstanding disciple of the sect was fooling around with a fox spirit, he’d probably crawl out of his grave in fury, right?”
…
That night, the Ghost Husband seemed to be in a bad mood.
He kept taunting Bai Lixin maliciously while the black mist relentlessly filled his throat.
Bai Lixin tried to keep his mouth open, tears streaming uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.
Only when his stomach swelled up did the evil ghost finally let him go as if it had vented enough.
Bai Lixin covered his head with the blanket, stubbornly wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes.
Was this his way of punishing him for his rejection and venting his anger?
He felt a pressure around his waist and when he looked down, he only saw his slightly bulging stomach.
By now, he knew how to tell if his soul had left his body. Only when his soul detached from his body could he see those supernatural beings, like Cao Lin’s ghost, his own soul, the water ghost, and his Ghost Husband.
He knew the Ghost Husband hadn’t left.
He was right behind him, but he couldn’t see him now.
After ingesting the Ghost Husband’s fluid, his fragile soul was now securely held within his body.
Bai Lixin sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“If I did something wrong, you can just tell me. Don’t torment me like this.”
“Isn’t it natural for me to be afraid of you? I’m human, you’re a ghost. Isn’t fear an instinctive reaction for a normal person? Besides, you even…” Bai Lixin gritted his teeth. “went too far.”
Something approached from behind, pressing against Bai Lixin’s back.
He continued, “You’re actually wronged too.”
“Years ago, the shaman took your birth chart and arranged a ghost marriage for us, forcibly linking us together. I thought it was all just a scam and didn’t take it seriously. I only did it to make my mother happy. I didn’t even know you were male, I always thought the one I married was a woman.”
“Song Yuantian said you’re powerful, an extraordinary existence. But here you are, bound to a half-dead person like me and keeping me alive. And now, I’m even trying to send you away.”
“It’s my fault.”
A sensation touched his shoulder, as if a head was rubbing against the nook of his neck.
Bai Lixin: “I’ve made up my mind. If you don’t dislike me, let’s just continue like this.”
The movement at his neck stopped.
Bai Lixin licked his damp lips, “I might not be entirely normal myself. I don’t really reject what happens between us. I just hate being played like a fool without knowing.”
“Song Yuantian said that my soul can be retrieved, but it might take three to five years.”
“If you don’t mind being with me during that time, then let’s just stay together, alright?”
Song Yuantian had said that retrieving his soul would be difficult.
Bai Lixin disliked this vague, ambiguous relationship.
Rather than dragging things out, he decided to speak plainly.
He turned to look at the empty space beside him and asked softly, “Alright?”
Something seemed to wrap around him. Faintly, he heard a low “Alright”.
That night, he slept well.
When Bai Lixin woke up the next day and looked in the mirror, he was radiant.
Having come to terms with certain things, he finally felt a sense of clarity and refreshment.
Thanks to the nourishment from his ghost husband, his cheeks were even a rare shade of rosy today.
Lin Jue wasn’t around that morning; no one knew where he had gone.
After a while, he hurried in from outside, looking travel-worn and with a serious expression.
Bai Lixin sensed something had happened. “What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Zhou Guang had an accident,” Lin Jue glanced past Bai Lixin at Zhou Zirui, whose face had gone pale. “Young Master Zhou, come with me to S City. Your father is in the hospital.”
Zhou Zirui jumped up from his chair. “What happened to my dad?”
Lin Jue: “He was in a car accident. He’s still in the emergency room.”
Zhou Zirui was usually shielded by his father, and when he heard this, he instantly teared up, large drops spilling from his eyes.
“Wuuu! He… he’ll be alright, right? He’s going to be okay, right?”
“We just video-called yesterday, and he was fine!”
Lin Jue checked his watch. “Young Master Zhou, let’s get in the car first.”
“Wait, I’ll go with you,” Bai Lixin didn’t feel at ease about leaving Zhou Zirui, he seemed close to a breakdown.
Xia Chi started to speak, “Then I’ll also…”
But Bai Lixin immediately cut him off, “You should go to class. Your face is almost healed. My mother even mentioned yesterday that she misses you. You should go home tonight.”
Xia Chi shot a worried look at Zhou Zirui. “Alright then, Brother, take care of the Little King Yama.”
In the urgency, they didn’t pack much and went straight to the car.
While in the car, Bai Lixin applied for leave from his counselor and held Zhou Zirui, trying to comfort him.
At just thirteen years old, the young boy curled up in Bai Lixin’s arms, looking to him for strength. He looked at Bai Lixin with tears in his eyes and asked again and again, “My Dad will be okay, right?”
All Bai Lixin could do was patiently reassure him over and over again.
“He’ll be fine.”
“He’ll be fine.”
“He’ll definitely be fine.”
Lin Jue floored the gas pedal, shortening the three-hour drive from B City to S City to just two.
When they arrived at the hospital, the light over the operating room still read “In Surgery”, and a few people were standing outside, looking exhausted.
Seeing Zhou Zirui, a middle-aged man in a suit quickly approached. “Zirui, you’re here.”
With red-rimmed eyes, Zhou Zirui choked out, “Uncle Song, how is my dad?”
These people were all colleagues of Lawyer Zhou Guang, they were familiar with him and with Zhou Zirui.
They were top professionals summoned by the Sun Group to negotiate compensation for the discovered tomb, and upon hearing of Zhou Guang’s accident, they had rushed over.
The middle-aged man patted Zhou Zirui’s head. “Don’t worry, the doctors say your father has a strong will to live. They’re doing everything they can.”
The surgery dragged on for over twenty hours.
Exhausted from both fear and crying, the young Zhou Zirui eventually fell asleep, curled up beside Bai Lixin on the bench.
During their wait, a man and a woman arrived.
The woman looked to be around thirty, dressed neatly, with a stern expression.
The man following behind was wearing glasses, and his presence was less commanding.
“President Sun.” Someone quietly greeted her, “You’re here.”
The woman quickened her pace, lowering her voice when she saw Zhou Zirui sleeping. “How is Lawyer Zhou?”
The man Zhou Zirui called “Uncle Song” responded, “He’s still in surgery. How did the government negotiations go regarding the compensation?”
“They went well, thanks to Lawyer Zhou and all of you,” the man behind the woman said. “After signing the intent agreement with the government, President Sun rushed over.”
Bai Lixin stared at the woman, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.
President Sun frowned and glanced toward the operating room. “Forget about that now. Dr. Yang is the most renowned surgical expert in S City, he’ll do everything to save Lawyer Zhou.”
The middle-aged man sighed, “Let’s hope so.”
The woman: “How did the accident happen?”
The man began explaining the details of the car crash.
They had refrained from discussing this earlier, concerned about upsetting Zhou Zirui.
“We’d been drafting the compensation agreement for the Marquis Haitian tomb site. Last night was the final night, and we worked until around three in the morning before we finally completed it. Afterward, we all went home.”
“I’d just fallen asleep when I got a call from the hospital saying that Zhou Guang had been in a car accident.”
“Lawyer Zhou’s car was hit at an intersection by a truck running a red light. The truck driver’s condition is somewhat better; he’s already had surgery and is still unconscious.”
Bai Lixin listened quietly, gently stroking Zhou Zirui’s hair.
No one knows what fate or tomorrow will bring.
Who could have imagined that Lawyer Zhou, who had just asked his son what gift he wanted yesterday, would be in the emergency room today?
The child’s long eyelashes still held unfallen tears.
As he slept, his lashes trembled and his brows were furrowed, possibly in a nightmare.
With a dull “click”, the “In Surgery” light suddenly went off.
The operating room doors opened, and a gurney was wheeled out.
The once composed Lawyer Zhou Guang lay on the bed with tubes attached to his body, his head wrapped in bandages and his eyes closed.
Zhou Zirui, who was sleeping, stood up suddenly and rushed over.
The others followed suit.
The doctor looked visibly exhausted, “The surgery was successful. The patient is out of immediate danger. He will be taken to the ICU for twenty-four-hour monitoring. If he regains consciousness without further issues, he can be moved to a regular ward.”
After over twenty hours of anxious waiting, they finally received good news.
Zhou Zirui almost collapsed and clung to Bai Lixin, “Wuuu! My dad is okay! Thank goodness, Teacher Xin.”
Bai Lixin’s nose was a little sour, and he hugged Zhou Zirui tightly without saying a word.
The next step was waiting for Lawyer Zhou Guang to wake up.
Over the next two days, Zhou Zirui was especially well-behaved, and finally, after a full day and night of waiting, Lawyer Zhou Guang regained consciousness, fully out of danger.
The doctors tested his functions: his vision, hearing, and intellect all remained at normal levels.
For such a serious car accident, there were no amputations and no irreversible organ damage—it was a stroke of luck within the misfortune.
President Sun arranged for a single high-end hospital ward for Lawyer Zhou Guang. The ward was bright with sunlight and spacious, and everything gradually improved.
“Teacher Bai Lixin, thank you for all your help,” Zhou Guang recovered well. On the third day post-surgery, he was already able to speak. “I agreed to come home after a week, but I didn’t expect such an accident. Thank you for bringing Zirui here.”
Bai Lixin: “It was my duty.”
“This accident didn’t have to happen,” Zhou Guang sighed. “I could have avoided that vehicle. I was probably fatigued and started hallucinating. When I realized it, it was too late.”
A hint of intrigue stirred in Bai Lixin’s heart. “What kind of hallucination?”
Zhou Guang gave a bitter smile. “Embarrassingly enough, I saw a ghost in the rearview mirror.”
“The ghost was clinging to my car door. In my panic, I accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake.”
Bai Lixin suddenly felt something was off.
He pressed further, “Besides that ghost, have you seen other hallucinations recently?”
Zhou Guang thought for a moment. “Twice, actually.”
Bai Lixin: “When?”
“The first time was with colleagues at the construction site where the Marquis Haitian Tomb was discovered. I saw someone standing near the excavated pit of the tomb. The area was surrounded by police tape, and I thought it was a journalist sneaking in to report, so I wanted to stop him.”
“But as soon as I stepped inside the police line, that person disappeared in the blink of an eye. When I mentioned it later, my colleagues insisted no one was standing by the pit.”
Bai Lixin: “And the second time?”
“The second time was in the office building. It was already late at night, and I heard the sound of water so I thought someone was making coffee in the break room. I called out, ‘Could you make me a cup too?’ but no one responded. I got up to check, but there was no one in the break room.”
Zhou Guang habitually reached up to rub his temple, only to touch a bandage.
He let his hand drop awkwardly. “I guess I’m just worn out. Age catches up with us. I can’t handle all-nighters anymore.”
Bai Lixin’s heart thumped.
He was almost certain that Zhou Guang wasn’t just hallucinating but actually seeing ghosts.
Especially the sound of water, it was similar to what he’d heard at home. At first, he thought it was Xia Chi, but later he realized it was his ghost husband.
His ghost husband hadn’t actually turned on the water; instead, his soul had left his body, causing a confusion with sounds from the ghost world and the real world.
But why would this ghost haunt Lawyer Zhou Guang?
Bai Lixin walked over to a secluded corner and called Song Yuantian.
The voice on the other end sounded strange, as if Song Yuantian were in the middle of intense activity. After hearing Bai Lixin’s story, he paused briefly before asking, “Can you take a picture of Lawyer Zhou Guang for me?”
“Okay.”
When Zhou Guang fell asleep, Bai Lixin discreetly took a photo and sent it to Song Yuantian.
Song Yuan Tian quickly replied.
[That ghost is still there.]
The hair on the back of Bai Lixin’s neck stood on end.
‘The ghost was still there?’
‘Still haunting Lawyer Zhou Guang?’
Since clearing the air with his ghost husband, things had gone much smoother between them. His ghost husband nourished him daily, keeping his soul anchored, so it had been a while since he’d encountered any ghosts.
Bai Lixin subconsciously glanced around Zhou Guang’s surroundings, but Song Yuantian’s next text came in.
[Don’t look for it. It’ll latch onto you.]
Bai Lixin almost cursed aloud.
‘Can’t you just tell me all at once?’
‘This half-explanation can get someone killed!’
With a trembling hand, Bai Lixin typed back: [What if I already looked?]
Song Yuantian: [Take another photo of Lawyer Zhou Guang and send it over.]
With his eyes shut, Bai Lixin took a random photo and sent it over.
Song Yuantian: [Oh, that ghost is gone now.]
An ominous feeling crept up on Bai Lixin.
Song Yuantian’s next text: [Why don’t you send me a selfie?]
Reluctantly, Bai Lixin raised his phone and took a photo of himself.
A few seconds later, Song Yuantian texted back: [Wow, confidence really does come with good looks. It’s been ages since I’ve seen an unfiltered photo. You really are blessed with that face.]
Bai Lixin: […]
‘Could you get to the point?’
Song Yuantian: [I have good news and bad news. Want the bad news first?]
Song Yuantian: [The bad news is… congratulations, you successfully attracted that ghost to yourself.]
Bai Lixin: “…”
Song Yuantian: [But don’t be too afraid; there’s good news as well.]
Song Yuantian: [The good news is… congratulations, your ghost husband has almost entirely devoured that ghost!]
Song Yuantian: [Are you happy? Surprised? Delighted?]
Bai Lixin frowned. [Are you really Song Yuantian? Why are you so chatty today?]
Song Yuantian: [Haha, you figured out that I’m not Song Yuantian.]
Bai Lixin: [Then who are you?]
Song Yuantian: [I’m his wife.]
