Yin Yan watched him approach and asked, "Do you want to go home?"

Yu Zhen nodded, then quickly shook his head. As if remembering something, he shoved the cloth bag of seeds into Yin Yan's arms and ran back toward the village.

Yin Yan touched the two damp spots on the bag and followed him.

Returning to the spot where the children were playing at the village entrance, Yu Zhen found the little boy who had spoken to him earlier and asked, "Is there a lake near the village? Or any place with water?"

"Yes, there's a small pond to the west, but you'd better not go. Grandpa says there's a water ghost there that eats people!"

"Thanks, but big brother catches ghosts, so I'm not afraid of them."

Yu Zhen patted the child's head and walked straight toward the west side of the village.

The further west he went, the fewer houses there were, until eventually, there were no signs of dwellings at all.

The path under his feet was gradually covered by withered grass, a clear sign that no one usually came to the small pond.

Crack.

The sound of a dry branch snapping made Yu Zhen jump. He turned around in fear.

"It's me." Yin Yan walked to his side, glanced at the small pond ahead, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Yu Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and also looked at the small pond. "I wanted to try and find a person—no, I mean, a ghost."

"There are no ghosts here," Yin Yan stated definitively.

Yu Zhen froze at his words. Unwilling to give up, he took another step forward and looked around the pond again.

"You have a half-soul body and your fate is linked to mine. Ghost Vision is a basic ability. If there were really a ghost here, you would have seen it as soon as you got close," Yin Yan explained. He stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping his search. "Only a few ghosts can escape the capture of a Netherworld Official. Most people are reincarnated immediately after death. Yu Zhen, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Yu Zhen turned his head to look at him. Before he could speak, a sigh escaped his lips.

After buying some fruits, rice, and flour from the village store, Yu Zhen and Yin Yan carried the items back to the old woman's house.

The old woman insisted on not taking the things. After much refusal, she finally relented to Yu Zhen's persistence and accepted them. She then tried to make them stay for a meal, but Yu Zhen declined, using the excuse that someone was waiting for them at home. He and Yin Yan then left the house.

After they left, Yin Yan said, "Her fate is peculiar. She has no affinity with children, and her life is about to end."

Yu Zhen hadn't expected to hear such a judgment of fate. He stood there with his mouth open, speechless for a long moment. He looked back at the dilapidated old house and asked, "Then... is there any way to let the old woman pass away more comfortably?"

"Yes." Yin Yan nodded, looking down into his eyes. He added, "She can even see her deceased children and husband before she dies, but there is a price."

Yu Zhen's eyes instantly lit up. "What's the price?"

"Share the merit you've accumulated with her. If you give it to her, she will only be able to see the people she misses before she dies, but your cultivation will be halved, and you will once again be troubled by the coldness in your body."

The joyous surprise on Yu Zhen's face slowly faded, and his brows furrowed.

Yin Yan watched him quietly and asked, "Do you want to share it?"

Yu Zhen clenched his warm fingers, pressed his lips together, and met his gaze, nodding firmly. "Yes! Tell me how to share it. I'm not afraid of the cold, don't I still have you? If the merit is gone, I can just accumulate more."

'Even though he's so afraid of encountering ghosts.'

Yin Yan sighed inwardly and took his hand.

After burying the wheat seeds glowing with golden light in front of the old woman's house, Yu Zhen rushed to Yin Yan's side with stiff legs, stuffed his hand into his, and gave him a smile that could be described as foolish. "Let's go home, it's getting late."

Yin Yan looked at his smiling eyes, tightened his grip on his hand, and gave a low "Mhm." He carried the bag of seeds and led him toward the car parked at the village entrance.

They returned home hand in hand, only to be blocked in the entryway by a pile of bags and boxes in the living room.

"Xiao Zhen is back! Come quickly, try on this down jacket and see if it fits!"

Chou Feiqian stood amidst a floor full of shopping bags and boxes, holding a white, mid-length down jacket, her face beaming as she called out to him.

Yu Zhen swallowed, his gaze sweeping over the pile of clothes on the coffee table—unwrapped, haphazardly draped, and still with tags on. He asked tentatively, "Mom, are these..."

"Clothes I bought for you and Xiao Yan, all the latest styles. I went to the mall right after the company's regular meeting today. The selection at the malls in H Province is a bit monotonous, not as much as here. Come try them on, see if you like them. If you don't, Mom will get you a new batch tomorrow!"

A... a new batch?

Yu Zhen quickly shook his head. "No, no, these are enough. Spring is coming soon, so I won't be able to wear too many winter clothes anyway."

In his mind, a person only needed a few sets of clothes for changing. The mountain of things in the living room was seriously challenging his worldview.

Chou Feiqian frowned upon hearing this. She put down the down jacket and thought for a moment. "That's true, winter is almost over..."

"Mhm, mhm, it's almost over," Yu Zhen nodded frantically.

"Then it's time to get spring clothes. I really do need to make another trip to the mall!" Chou Feiqian decided. She pulled out a camel-colored sweater and called out again, "Xiao Zhen, come quickly! I knew this sweater would suit you the moment I saw it. Come and try it on!"

Yu Zhen: "..."

"Go on." Yin Yan gave him a gentle push. "You can return the favor when you earn money. You shouldn't refuse a gift from an elder."

'So you think money is that easy to earn?'

Yu Zhen gave him a helpless look, reluctantly let go of his warm hand, and braced himself to walk toward Chou Feiqian.

He was made to try on at least eight different outfits. During this time, even Yin Le was drafted to help unpack the clothes and organize the boxes.

It wasn't until dinner was served that everyone was finally liberated. Yu Zhen and Yin Le exchanged a look, and an unspoken bond of revolutionary friendship formed between them.

Yin Le walked over to Yu Zhen, patted his shoulder sympathetically, and said, "Mom isn't really passionate about anything, she just likes to buy things... You'll get used to it."

"..."

To avoid having to try on more clothes, Yu Zhen proactively pulled Yin Yan back to their room right after dinner, escaping the sea of clothes in the living room.

"Get some rest. You've been up for a day and a night," Yin Yan said, pointing to the bathroom. "Go wash up first."

Having given away some of his merit, Yu Zhen was already feeling drowsy. He couldn't help but yawn at Yin Yan's words, nodding as he turned into the bathroom and closed the door.

The sound of running water started. Yin Yan stood outside the door for a while, then backed away, and further away, until he reached the sofa by the window, the farthest point from the bathroom. After sitting down, he called out, "Xu Wu."

The white cat appeared, squatting obediently in front of him.

Yin Yan reached out and tapped its forehead. A golden light flashed, and Xu Wu squinted its eyes comfortably, its ears twitching.

"Follow him and protect him," Yin Yan ordered in a low voice, retracting his hand.

Xu Wu opened its eyes, stood up, and shook its fur. It nodded, then vanished into thin air.

Yu Zhen was truly exhausted. After his shower, he fell onto the bed and fell asleep before he could even dry his hair.

Yin Yan rose from the sofa by the window, walked to the bedside, and gently touched his hair. A silent power flowed from his hand, and Yu Zhen's semi-damp hair quickly dried, becoming fluffy and soft again.

"Good night."

He whispered, tucked him in, and turned to enter the bathroom.

In the middle of the night, Yin Yan, who was meditating on the sofa with his eyes closed, opened them. He looked at the figure shivering unconsciously under the covers, sighed silently, and got up to get into the bed.

Sensing a source of heat, a drowsy Yu Zhen immediately rolled over. He stretched out his arms and legs, plastering himself all over Yin Yan.

Yin Yan's body stiffened, and then Yu Zhen patted him on the chest.

"Don't be noisy."

Yin Yan caught his hand, took out a pill with his other hand and ate it, then wrapped his arms around him, patting his back gently before closing his eyes.

It was a dreamless night. Yu Zhen woke up in a cocoon of warmth. Before his eyes even opened, his head instinctively nuzzled the warm chest in front of him a few times, and the leg draped over the other person also shifted upwards.

"It's time to get up and eat breakfast."

A slightly hoarse voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, sounded from above his head.

Yu Zhen's eyes snapped open. He stared at the collar of the pajama top he had nuzzled open for a few seconds, then stiffly retracted his arms and legs from the other person. He scrambled backward, looked up, and met Yin Yan's perfectly clear gaze.

"Uh... Morning."

He tried to break the awkward atmosphere.

Yin Yan watched him quietly, then lifted the covers and got out of bed. He then pulled the covers up, completely enveloping Yu Zhen.

Bang.

The bathroom door closed.

Yu Zhen pulled the covers down and peeked over cautiously. He sat up, slightly annoyed, and rubbed his face.

'No wonder I felt so warm in my dream... So, is Yin Yan angry? The place where I put my leg just now was really inappropriate.'

During breakfast, Chou Feiqian began her secret observations again. She glanced at Yin Yan—his complexion was normal, his eyes bright, he seemed to have slept well. Then she glanced at Yu Zhen—his cheeks were rosy, he was full of energy, and he even dared to eat a fried pancake, not avoiding any foods.

It seemed it still hadn't happened.

"Sigh." She couldn't help but sigh.

"Why are you sighing so early in the morning?" Yin Hexiang looked at her, puzzled. Then, as if remembering something, he also sighed. "Alright, it's just a small issue with the project. I'll have someone visit the injured workers in the hospital later. With the New Year just around the corner, let's just halt work for a month, sort things out properly, and give out more subsidies so the workers can have a good holiday."

Chou Feiqian, who hadn't been thinking about that, was reminded by him and couldn't help sighing again. She lost her appetite for breakfast and said with a frown, "Hexiang, do you think someone is sabotaging us from behind? How can it be such a coincidence? Three accidents in a single month at the same construction site. Although none of them were too serious, if this continues, how can the workers have the peace of mind to work? I'm starting to believe those rumors that there's some ancient tomb under our site and it's haunted."

"What ancient tomb? We had people survey the site before we started construction. There's nothing down there. Don't overthink it. It's probably just a coincidence." Yin Hexiang comforted her, patting her leg under the table to remind her that the children were still present.

Chou Feiqian stopped the topic and picked up her spoon again.

"What happened at the construction site?" Yin Yan suddenly asked.

Yin Le, who had been eavesdropping with his ears pricked up, saw his big brother ask and quickly chimed in, "Yeah, what happened at the site? Is it the mixed-use commercial complex we started developing at the beginning of the year?"

Mixed-use... commercial complex?

Yu Zhen paused mid-bite of his pancake, his little heart taking another hit.

He had never asked what kind of business the Yin Family was in. It turned out to be something this big?

"Not that one. It's the themed leisure center that just started construction at the end of the year." Chou Feiqian replied. Thinking that her eldest son would soon be joining the main company, she decided not to hide it anymore and explained in detail, "It's that awkward triangular plot of land in Chengxi, wedged between the school and the stadium. At the beginning of the year, your dad found a designer and finally figured out a use for it. Since we couldn't build houses, we decided to create a themed leisure center to benefit the students. But after all the approvals were done and the construction team moved in, accidents started happening every few days."

"We acquired that piece of land on a whim. At the time, all our competitors were saying that the place was cursed, that nothing could be built there. I heard that the government originally wanted to build the stadium next to the school, but for some unknown reason, they left this piece of land empty. It was left barren for over a decade before being put up for sale again."

At this point, she glanced at Yin Hexiang and sighed, "I bet a lot of people are waiting to watch the show now. The location is good, but the area is awkward, and the shape is bizarre. And now there's been an accident."

"Alright, it's probably just a coincidence. I'll have someone else take a look later." Yin Hexiang patted her shoulder, his attitude quite optimistic.

Yin Yan suddenly turned to look at Yu Zhen and said to Chou Feiqian, "Which hospital are the injured workers in? I'll go see them."

Yin Hexiang and Chou Feiqian were both stunned and turned to look at him.