Yan He realized, for the very first time, that perhaps he wasn’t the only person the little ghost had ever possessed. The thought struck him heavily, and he froze on the spot, falling into a long silence without uttering a single word.
In front of him, Yan Zhang had just finished giving a full account of everything he had stayed up late last night doing.
But immediately after reporting, guilt pricked at his heart, and he hurried to reassure, “Little Uncle, you can rest easy.”
At that exact moment, the little ghost sprawled lazily on the sofa let out a wide yawn. Then, in perfect sync with Yan Zhang, he followed up smoothly: “I’ve already been trying to change recently….”
“…”
The rhythm of their voices matched flawlessly, almost indistinguishable. No one could tell them apart in that moment.
It was impossible to know just how long this little ghost had been shadowing Yan Zhang, imitating him, until it could so naturally and effortlessly finish his words for him.
Yan He finally lifted his head, ever so slowly, first glancing at his wayward nephew, and then shifting his gaze toward the small ghost sitting on the sofa, dangling his short legs and swinging them back and forth with an almost casual air.
The living room was so quiet that it felt as though even the drop of a needle could be heard.
At last, just when Yan Zhang’s nerves were stretched taut with unease, his little uncle finally broke the silence.
Yan He looked straight at him, his gaze calm and level, and said slowly, “Take care of your health.”
A pause, then another sentence followed, steady and unyielding: “From now on, stop staying up all night.”
Yan Zhang swallowed hard, a cold shiver inexplicably running down the back of his neck.
He bobbed his head like a guilty child, muttering under his breath, “Little Uncle… may I leave now?”
His uncle regarded him in silence for a long while before giving a light nod. “Go on. Be careful on your way back.”
Hearing that, Yan Zhang finally let out a breath of relief. The weight pressing on his chest lifted, and he comforted himself that perhaps he had simply been overthinking.
His little uncle’s attitude toward him hadn’t changed after all, it was still the same as always!
Cheered by that thought, Yan Zhang brightened at once and said with forced eagerness, “Alright then, Little Uncle, I’ll be heading off first!”
Yan He inclined his head in acknowledgment.
When Yan Zhang left, the living room instantly sank into utter stillness once more.
Mu Bai sat cross-legged on the sofa, his small ghostly figure looking across at Yan He, who was also seated there, seemingly turning his head ever so slightly in his direction.
Mu Bai blinked, at a loss. For a heartbeat, he thought he had been discovered. His little ghostly body floated carefully up into the air.
Only when he realized the man’s eyes did not follow his movement did he let out the breath he had been holding.
The little ghost changed positions, slipping away from the sofa to perch lightly on top of the entrance cabinet. From there, he let his short legs dangle over the edge as he stared quietly at Yan He seated below.
There were times when Mu Bai felt a fleeting, deceptive illusion as if the man before him could actually see him.
Yet, if Yan He truly could see him, then judging from his character, the kind of person who had gone to seek out that bald monk without hesitation.
He most likely would have already tried every possible method to drive him out long ago.
Convincing himself, Mu Bai kicked his legs idly where he sat, determined not to let his thoughts wander too far.
At the same time, Yan He, sitting on the sofa, was also quietly persuading himself not to think too much.
He reasoned to himself: this little ghost, Mu Bai, didn’t even know how to operate something as simple as a television.
That meant he must have been dead for a very long time, decades, perhaps even centuries.
And for a ghost whose sustenance was “pressing on people in their sleep,” it was only natural that he had done so to others before.
It was impossible for Yan He to be the very first one the little ghost had ever chosen.
After all, no ghost could survive for hundreds of years without ever once feeding on someone’s life force.
Therefore, Mu Bai had definitely pressed down on others before.
And so, he told himself firmly, he was not the little ghost’s first.
Which also meant, none of the “special treatment” he had experienced was unique to him alone.
Yes, perhaps over the span of long, endless years, Mu Bai had once lain down beside another person, curling up against that man’s chest to sleep peacefully through the night.
Perhaps, in broad daylight, the ghost had hung onto someone else’s shoulders, sticking close while that person worked through documents or relaxed in front of a television.
Perhaps, with those same pale hands, he had spread blankets for another, lit incense at the bedside, or even fetched a rhinoceros horn amulet to ward off evil.
All of those tender little acts… all of those quiet intimacies… could not possibly belong to him alone.
The more he thought, the calmer his face became. Yet his hand betrayed him.
The string of sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist slipped into the hollow of his palm, and he rolled them between his fingers, meant to steady his heart.
But the faster his thoughts churned, the quicker his thumb rubbed over the beads. One after another, the purple sandalwood beads clicked together, the faint sound filling the hushed room.
The quiet chime of wood on wood was soft, but it betrayed a restlessness he could not quite suppress.
Yan He thought bitterly: so this was the truth. Over the course of a hundred years, Mu Bai might have shared his bed with someone else.
In the middle of the night, he might have nestled warmly in another man’s arms, sound asleep.
The ghost could have spent his days clinging to another’s side, cooking meals, lighting incense, soothing fatigue, even feeding on that man’s spirit energy, just as he had done with him.
He was not the first. And these small privileges… they were not his alone to claim.
The prayer beads knocked together more sharply now, the rhythm quickening, while his expression grew only more still, more unreadable.
After a long moment, Mu Bai, still perched on the cabinet, saw the man suddenly rise from the sofa. Without a word, without any visible change of mood, Yan He walked calmly toward the bathroom.
The little ghost drifted behind him, following in his shadow as he always did. When Yan He entered the bedroom, Mu Bai obediently floated onto the large bed, settling in to wait for him like he always had.
He yawned softly. During the day, he had spent far too much time talking with A-Sheng, and he hadn’t managed to get much rest. Sleep was already tugging at him.
Mu Bai lay sprawled across the soft, spacious bed, his little ghostly body sinking into the plush mattress. His eyes narrowed to slits as drowsiness tugged at him, and soon he slipped into a light nap.
When Yan He finished bathing and returned to the bedroom, the first thing his eyes landed on was the small ghost curled up faintly against the covers.
Mu Bai’s figure was drawn in on itself, his breathing even, sleeping soundly as though completely at ease.
Yan He sat down on the edge of the large bed. The thick, springy mattress yielded slightly beneath his weight, dipping inward just enough to disturb the little ghost’s slumber.
Mu Bai mumbled a few incoherent words in protest, his brows furrowing faintly even in his sleep.
The ghost was still clad in his dull, ashen robe. The wide, loose folds of the gray garment only made his thin, fragile frame appear all the more delicate, as though a single breeze might scatter him.
Yan He’s gaze lingered, and his thoughts strayed. He remembered how, just a few days earlier, he had asked Master Honghui a question.
If one did not know a person’s birth date and hour, nor the exact time of their death, and had no ties of blood or kinship with them, could one still burn offerings to send over to that person?
The old monk had shaken his head. Incense, yes, he had said that incense could reach. But material offerings, such as clothing or food, would never arrive in their hands.
Without a true connection, no matter how much was burned, none of it would pass into the ghost’s possession.
And so Yan He had not pressed further.
After all, he knew nothing at all about this little ghost, neither the day of his birth, nor the time of his death. He didn’t even know how long Mu Bai had been dead, decades, centuries? A handful of years, or several hundred?
With so many unknowns, even if he were to burn piles of clothes, none of them would ever reach him.
In fact, there were many things Yan He did not know. He didn’t know if the way Mu Bai behaved toward him was the same way he had behaved toward countless others across the span of his existence.
He didn’t know if any of it was unique. Perhaps nothing was.
Lowering his gaze, Yan He closed his eyes for a moment. After a long silence, he lay down as he always did, pulling the covers over himself.
His expression betrayed nothing as he shut his eyes, choosing, as ever, to sleep.
Time passed in silence. The moon outside slipped behind drifting clouds, its glow dimming until it became vague and hazy.
On the bed, the little ghost had already slept for several hours. Eventually, Mu Bai stirred. He stretched, let out a small yawn, and blinked his sleepy eyes open.
Just like every night, his instincts guided him, he turned, preparing to feed lightly on the spiritual essence that always radiated from the man sleeping beside him.
But within moments, something felt wrong.
Mu Bai paused, puzzled. The entire bedroom was empty of energy. Not a trace of the familiar aura that should have seeped from a person deep in slumber.
The ghost turned his head, confused, and looked toward the man beside him.
Yan He’s eyes were closed, his breathing steady, his face as composed as always, he looked exactly like someone who had already fallen asleep.
But Mu Bai knew better. The spiritual aura never lied.
If a person had not truly entered a state of sleep, then no essence would be produced.
Even if they woke halfway through the night, the residual essence of earlier rest would still linger faintly in the room. Yet tonight, there was nothing. Not a trace.
From the moment he had lain down until now, the man beside him had not once truly fallen asleep. In other words, Yan He had been lying awake for hours, insomniac, sleepless, and silent.
The little ghost slowly sat up, at a loss. His expression flickered with unease. This had never happened before.
Yan He was a man of extreme discipline. He had lived a life bound by strict routine, each evening, he went to bed on time and fell asleep without fail. His habits had been as regular as the phases of the moon.
Rarely, if ever, did anything fall outside of his carefully laid plans.
But tonight… tonight was different.
Mu Bai sat quietly on the edge of the bed, his small form hunched as he waited. He waited for the man to finally surrender to sleep.
Time crawled by in silence. At last, when the night had grown deep and still, and the hour reached somewhere between three and four, Mu Bai finally felt it, the slow, faint unfurling of spiritual essence spreading into the air.
Only then did he realized that Yan He had finally, belatedly, allowed himself to truly fall asleep.
But he did not sleep well.
Mu Bai could tell the quality of a person’s sleep just by tasting their spiritual energy.
Before, the energy he consumed had been rich and sweet, full-bodied and satisfying, leaving him not only spiritually nourished but also with a lingering sense of warmth, almost like the taste of thick honey on the tongue.
Tonight, however, it was different. The spiritual energy was like a tangled cloud of chaos, thin, scattered, lacking the usual richness and subtle sweetness. It carried with it a sense of fatigue and inner disorder.
This was because the owner of the energy had fallen asleep in a state of exhaustion, a mind unsettled and weary from the day’s weight.
Mu Bai hesitated for a moment. He took only a small sip, then stopped. He did not want to consume too much.
As the little ghost who fed on others’ spiritual energy while they slept, he knew that taking more than necessary could leave the man even weaker, worsen his condition.
So, just as he always did, he drifted silently toward the window, a faint mist of movement.
But before leaving, he glanced back again and again at the man lying on the large bed, as though committing the image to memory.
The next day.
Everyone at the Yan Corporation quickly sensed that their boss was in a foul mood.
Apparently, Yan He had not slept well the previous night. Secretary Du Ping had already brought him several cups of coffee, hoping to keep him alert.
It was rare to see Yan He in such a state. His normally composed features bore the slightest trace of fatigue, as though the entire night had been spent tossing and turning without rest.
Du Ping placed the coffee gently on the desk, recalling the matter he needed to report. Muttering a silent curse under his breath, he steeled himself and spoke with measured politeness:
“Mr. Yan…”
“Mr. Li from Wang Xie Company would like to have a meeting with you,” he reported. “He said he’s already spoken to the Yan family, so…”
Li from Wang Xie had some connection with the Yan family, and he had come several times before, only to be turned away each time.
This time, he was trying to be insistent, hoping Yan He would grant him face.
Du Ping, having followed Yan He for years, knew better. Yan He despised coercion.
Negotiation could work if approached reasonably, but forcing him would leave no room for compromise.
Sure enough, the moment Li invoked the Yan family’s name, Yan He’s gaze sharpened. Cold, sharper than before, he cut him off in a clipped voice:
“Tell him to follow procedure.”
Du Ping quickly nodded and complied.
Yan He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. He instructed Du Ping to have the documents from last night’s overtime prepared, he would work late at the office tonight, alone. Others were not to accompany him.
Du Ping was slightly surprised; Yan He rarely volunteered to stay late. But he did not show it. He bowed respectfully, acknowledging the order.
Yan He indeed disliked working late in the office. He had long been accustomed to bringing his work home, to finish it in his study with the little ghost quietly accompanying him.
But tonight, he was not yet ready to return home so early.
He reclined against the chair, slowly opening his eyes. His gaze fell on the prayer beads wrapped around his wrist. For a long moment, he said nothing, lost in thought.
Hours passed.
The sky over Jin City had deepened into full darkness, scattered with a sprinkle of distant stars.
Yan He continued to work through documents at his desk, head bent over the papers, while the little ghost yawned quietly beside him.
Mu Bai, as usual, had sneaked into his office. Unlike in the villa, now in this unfamiliar setting, he was less restless.
Instead of bouncing around, he perched patiently on the desk, quietly watching him work.
Without his usual script, he propped his small chin in his hands, his attention entirely fixed on Yan He.
Seeing this, Yan He brought over a tablet and placed a movie in front of him. Sure enough, Mu Bai’s gaze shifted from Yan He to the screen.
Cross-legged on the desk, sitting with his tiny body still and focused, Mu Bai watched the film intently.
The scene was almost identical to the quiet evenings they had spent together in the study before just like old times, comforting and familiar, despite the changes around them.
Yan He leaned back in his chair, pressing a hand lightly to the space between his brows. He did not know what purpose staying late at the office tonight served.
The thought lingered for a long moment, and then, with quiet resolve, he packed his things and prepared to leave.
It was just past nine. Though the office floor was still lit, the number of people had thinned considerably. Yan He stepped into the elevator, Du Ping following closely behind.
As usual, the little ghost clung to his back, tilting his head slightly to watch him with a faint, curious gaze.
Yan He’s expression remained calm, perfectly unreadable, emotionless, as though the little figure behind him was simply part of the air.
As the elevator descended, he caught a glimpse of Mu Bai through the glass doors. The small ghost suddenly stretched out a hand, tilting his head in that same tilted, whimsical manner, and touched Yan He’s eyes.
More precisely, he brushed the dark shadows under Yan He’s eyes, the faint bruising that came from too little rest and too much burden.
A soft “ding” sounded as the elevator doors slid open. Mu Bai withdrew his hand and pressed himself back against Yan He’s shoulders, wrapping tiny arms around his neck and drifting off into a dozing nap.
He seemed completely unconcerned that Yan He might accidentally leave him behind.
Yan He stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the empty underground parking lot. Du Ping stayed just behind him, careful to match his pace.
Suddenly, a rapid clatter of footsteps echoed through the cavernous space. A rotund middle-aged man appeared, blocking Yan He’s path with a forced smile.
“Yan He, it’s me! Please, give me a chance to talk…. ” The man pleaded.
Du Ping’s eyelid twitched. Instantly, he stepped forward, using his body to shield his boss while offering a polite smile.
“You’re Mr. Li from Wang Xie, right? I’m afraid if you’d like to speak with Mr. Yan, you’ll need to follow procedure. Once the process is approved, he will speak with you.”
Li pressed his body forward, still smiling awkwardly. “I’m a relative of Yan He’s… really, just give me a few minutes to talk. I’ll have the loan approved immediately, just a few more days… ”
“I even used to care for Yan Zhang when he was a child. Give me a few minutes, and consider it doing me, your uncle, a favor…”
His voice rang loudly in the quiet, echoing across the empty parking lot.
Several security guards hurried over and grabbed him, but he continued to push forward, shouting, “Mr. Yan, just a few days… the loan will go through immediately! Don’t cancel the deal…”
Yan He did not even glance in his direction. Without a word, he walked toward the sleek black Maybach. The driver opened the door.
Yan He stepped into the rear seat, and the driver closed it behind him. Throughout the entire encounter, the man had received not a single look from him, no acknowledgment, no reaction.
Even as he entered the car, Yan He did not lower the window or make any gesture toward the man outside.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man was being restrained by two security guards, his face flushed deep red with rage. “Let me go!” he bellowed. “Do you know who I am?! Stay away from me!”
The guards ignored his shouts, pulling him back forcefully. His face burned crimson, veins standing out on his neck. Even as he was dragged away, he continued to scream toward the black Maybach
“Yan He! You don’t even recognize your own family! It’s no wonder your father and mother died because of you! ”
“You damned jinxed star!”
“You don’t even acknowledge your own uncle, do you think your dead parents would be proud of you?!”
“You’re nothing but a walking curse! your mother should have strangled you the moment you were born!”
The poisonous curses rang out in the empty underground parking lot, vicious and sharp as whips. The words reverberated in the cold air, making the atmosphere feel heavy and suffocating.
Du Ping’s expression darkened until it looked almost grim.
The two security guards restraining the raving middle-aged man were pale as sheets.
They struggled with all their strength to drag him back, but no matter how tightly they held him, they couldn’t stop the endless stream of venom spilling from his mouth.
And yet, amidst this storm of insults, the person at the very center of it all remained utterly unmoved.
Inside the black Maybach, Yan He sat in the rear seat with the same calm composure he always carried. His face was expressionless, his eyes lowered, as if none of those words had ever touched him.
He didn’t spare even a single glance toward the man outside. His voice, cool and detached, sounded from the back seat as he addressed the driver:
“Drive… ”
But before the driver could even step on the pedal, a shadow burst forth like a cannonball.
From the narrow crack of the half-open car window, a small figure shot out like a streak of lightning, hurling itself straight at the middle-aged man’s head.
Yan He instinctively turned his head, eyes widening ever so slightly.
The one who had launched himself like a projectile was none other than the little ghost who usually spoke in the softest, most well-behaved tone, who always appeared obedient and easy to coax.
But now, that same ghost had flung himself out with all the force of an exploding shell.
Mu Bai landed squarely on the middle-aged man’s skull, both feet stamping down with all the fury in his small frame.
His expression was fierce, his pale face flushed red with anger, every hair on his ghostly body bristling like a cat with its back arched.
Each time he stomped down, he shouted in rage, “You’re the cursed one!”
“Your whole family is cursed!”
His tiny frame quivered with wrath. He looked truly, genuinely angry,so angry that his eyes were blazing red, so angry that his voice shook.
But for all his emotion, his vocabulary was limited. In the end, he could only throw back the same words the man had spat earlier, hurling them back again and again like weapons.
“You’re the jinxed star!”
“Your whole family are jinxed stars!”
Like a little cannonball dropped from the sky, Mu Bai jumped up and down on the man’s head, stomping with all his strength, his ghostly face flushed scarlet.
Finally, he shouted furiously, “Just wait until tonight!”
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ChaptersChapter 1 · New TargetChapter 2 · Pervert Little Ghost?Chapter 3 · Little one is MischievousChapter 4 · New MountChapter 5 · Fake Master?Chapter 6 · Blanket StolenChapter 7 · A presentChapter 8 · Rhino HornChapter 9 · Clinging like body PillowChapter 9 · Meeting Old FriendChapter 11 · Just like ChildChapter 12 · New AddictionsChapter 13 · Jinxed StarChapter 14 · Creeping out the old IdiotChapter 14 · Creeping out the old IdiotChapter 15 · New Set of ClothesChapter 16 · Big Wife, Little WifeChapter 17 · Chapter SE 17: Raising as A SonChapter 18 · Another Ghost?!Chapter 19 · Scared away the Evil ghostChapter 20 · NingNing’s SoulChapter 20 · Chapter SE 20: NingNing’s SoulChapter 21 · Green TeaChapter 22 · VisitChapter 23 · Turned into DollChapter 24 · Reunited with Yan HeChapter 25 · I’m UglyChapter 26 · I will stomp youChapter 27 · Ghost AgainChapter 28 · Looking for new HostChapter 29 · Just a BiteChapter 30 · Chapter SE 30: BurnChapter 31 · Trapped Again!Chapter 32 · Call me Lord Official….Chapter 33 · I devote myself to you completely…Chapter 34 · Husband or son?Chapter 35 · Ghost sleep during Day time….Chapter 36 · You could buy more than four thousand sticksChapter 37 · Gu TingChapter 38 · Looks familiarChapter 39 · You’re sleeping with my ancestor?!Chapter 40 · Great great great great GrandsonChapter 41 · We can afford itChapter 42 · HotpotChapter 43 · New StoryChapter 44 · Past Memories…Chapter 45 · Kidnapping Ancestor!Chapter 46 · Copy Buddhist scripturesChapter 47 · Ancestor Flew away…Chapter 48 · Xiao He might not be spending his birthday aloneChapter 49 · May everything go as you wishChapter 50 · I lied…Chapter 51 · Young Master turned into half humanChapter 52 · LettersChapter 53 · Lord OxChapter 54 · Male… destined love???Chapter 55 · A kindred spiritChapter 56 · Chapter SE 56: I like YouChapter 57 · Yan ZhangChapter 58 · Is two hours a bit too short?Chapter 59 · Going down the middle is indeed the correct choiceChapter 60 · Excel spreadsheetsChapter 61 · He had forgotten to tell A’Sheng.Chapter 62 · The person he disliked most had become the young mistress?Chapter 63 · Rip him to shredsChapter 64 · I was wrongChapter 65 · Lord Mu is very happyChapter 66 · I’m about to get marriedChapter 67 · I want to go on a date with youChapter 68 · You’d probably overturn the entire underworldChapter 69 · Head tableChapter 70 · It was meChapter 71 · Junior King of HellChapter 72 · His wife is a little ghost who lies on the bedChapter 73 · Chen LanChapter 74 · Sister in LawChapter 75 · Chapter SE 75: Pick up my boyfriend from workChapter 75 · Extra 1Chapter 76 · Can you still talkChapter 77 · Aren’t you going to ask about yourselfChapter 77 · Extra 3Chapter 77 · Extra 2Chapter 78 · How many ordinary little spirits dare fall in love with the Yan King?Chapter 78 · Extra 4Chapter 79 · I never realized that the bird man’s status was so high… Yan KingChapter 79 · Extra 5Chapter 80 · I’ve ridden on the little Yan King’s headChapter 80 · Extra 6Chapter 81 · Is… this very important?Chapter 81 · Extra 7Chapter 82 · Extra 8Chapter 82 · Young master… will you marry me?Chapter 83 · He’s just a stubborn little old manChapter 84 · End of Main StoryChapter 93 · Extra 9Chapter 94 · Extra 10