The Night

The streetlight at the alley entrance flickered weakly, its dim yellow glow barely outlining the moss-covered contours of the cobblestone path.

By the time Ye Chuan and Ye Yue returned home, the sky had already darkened. It had been a long time since they’d come back this late. As Ye Chuan gazed at their house from a distance, the warm glow of the lights inside inexplicably filled him with a sense of comfort.

Perhaps it was because someone was waiting for him at home?

Ye Chuan loved this feeling.

He was no longer alone, no longer worrying about his next meal.

This was something he had never dared to dream of before.

After all, for the Ye Chuan of the past, keeping the lights on for too long was already an unaffordable luxury.

"Brother?" Noticing Ye Chuan lost in thought, Ye Yue looked up at him curiously.

"Yeah, it’s nothing." Ye Chuan snapped out of it.

"Woof!"

As soon as they approached the house, Xiao Hei bounded over, wagging his tail excitedly.

"Where’s Hong Hong?" Seeing only the black dog, Ye Chuan asked.

"Woof!" Xiao Hei spun in circles.

"Speak properly."

"She’s sleeping."

"Mm." Ye Chuan nodded and stepped inside.

"Ye Chuan, you’re back! I made dinner~" Hearing the commotion at the entrance, Lan Xiaoke popped her head out, wearing an apron.

"All this was your doing?" Ye Chuan eyed the lavish spread on the dining table.

"Of course! I even cleaned the house and tidied everything up." Lan Xiaoke puffed out her chest proudly, her expression practically begging for praise.

She then discreetly kicked a takeout box into the corner, as if afraid Ye Chuan would notice she hadn’t cooked lunch at all.

In truth, the cleaning had been done by the robot vacuum. Lan Xiaoke had only prepared dinner—lunch had been takeout.

Amused but choosing not to expose her, Ye Chuan simply said,

"I brought back a cake. We’ll have it after dinner."

"Yay!"

But Lan Xiaoke stood in front of him, arms wide open.

"Huh?" Ye Chuan blinked. "What’s this?"

"I heard that when someone comes home after a long day, a hug can help them relax~" Lan Xiaoke grinned, her expression catlike. "Hehe."

"I’m not giving you extra allowance for this."

"Ugh…" Lan Xiaoke looked as if she’d been shot, but she persisted. "I wasn’t doing it for the money!"

With that, Ye Chuan wrapped his arms around her soft, plush body. Since he was much taller, he had to bend slightly.

She was surprisingly comfortable to hold—like a giant cotton ball, warm and soft everywhere.

Ye Chuan knew this from experience.

"Hehe." Lan Xiaoke reached up to ruffle his hair, then suddenly noticed a pair of eyes boring into them.

She blinked.

Huh?

The door down the hall creaked open, and Bai Qianshuang stepped out, her gaze immediately landing on Ye Chuan embracing Lan Xiaoke.

Her expression remained blank, as if she hadn’t seen anything, and she merely said softly,

"Ye Chuan, you’re back from the academy?"

"Yeah. Tough day of training?"

"No." Bai Qianshuang shook her head. "Just another day."

As she sat down, her cool, distant eyes kept flickering toward Ye Chuan—though she quickly looked away whenever their gazes met.

During dinner, Ke Ning emerged.

She ate a few bites of rice, some vegetables, and a bit of meat—meticulously controlling her intake—before thanking them and turning to retreat to her room.

No one found this odd. Ke Ning was the only one who lived entirely in her own world.

If not for the need to eat, she might not come out at all for days.

"Ke Ning, there’s cake," Ye Chuan called out.

Ke Ning paused mid-step, then turned back, scratching her messy, bird’s-nest-like hair.

"Cake… animal-based cream?"

"What?"

"Animal cream has natural fats and more balanced nutrition. Plant-based cream is less nutritious, and the hydrogenation process creates trans fats, which are bad for cardiovascular health."

Ye Chuan: "…"

He had no idea what she was talking about.

He glanced at the massive cake in front of him.

"So, after all that—are you eating it or not?"

"Yes." Ke Ning’s reply was swift and decisive.

"Uh…"

Luo Xi had gone back to her own place today, so she wasn’t around. The cake was divided into small portions for everyone. Lilith also came out to have a bite, and the rest ended up in Bai Qianshuang’s stomach.

Yet Bai Qianshuang’s stomach remained perfectly flat. Where did all that cake go?

Did her stomach have a spiritual storage dimension or something?

That evening, Ye Chuan watched TV with Ye Yue for a while, played some games with Lan Xiaoke later, and then headed to the training room to spar with Bai Qianshuang.

Ye Chuan was practically the perfect opponent.

Infinite health regeneration, unlimited mana, magic immunity.

No matter how fiercely Bai Qianshuang attacked, it had no effect. Meanwhile, Ye Chuan’s relentless counterattacks, combined with his zero-cooldown teleportation, made for an overwhelming offense the moment her pressure faltered.

"Hah… hah…" Bai Qianshuang’s arms trembled from exhaustion, her weapon nearly slipping from her grip.

Meanwhile, Ye Chuan hovered mid-air, completely unfazed, and smiled.

"Tired? Need a break?"

Bai Qianshuang gave a slight nod. She descended, immediately finding a spot to meditate and recover her spiritual energy.

Ye Chuan, however, took a more direct approach—reaching out and channeling his own energy into her.

"Why does your spiritual power never deplete?" Bai Qianshuang opened her eyes, her cool gaze tinged with curiosity as she felt her strength returning.

Ye Chuan had planned to brush off the question, but meeting her eyes, he smiled.

"Lilith granted me this power. I have near-infinite spiritual energy."

"Infinite… spiritual energy?"

The unfamiliar concept left Bai Qianshuang momentarily stunned. "Such strength…"

"Right?" Ye Chuan grinned.

Bai Qianshuang’s expression remained neutral, but the long lashes framing the beauty mark near her eye fluttered slightly. She fell silent.

"What’s wrong?"

"…" She shook her head.

"Hmm?"

"Hug."

Ye Chuan thought he’d misheard—until Bai Qianshuang turned her face away, arms outstretched.

Her ears were tinged pink.

"You… hugged Xiaoke… but not me…"

Finally, he understood why she’d been acting strange all evening. She was jealous.

Unable to help himself, he chuckled and sat beside her, pulling her into his arms.

Bai Qianshuang refused to meet his eyes, burying her face in his chest like an ostrich, her fingers clutching his clothes tightly.

Ye Chuan simply held her, smiling.

"Longer." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Okay~ As long as you want."