After He Mingxue spoke, she pointed at the window with a serious expression. "Right there! I saw it clearly, a dark figure, and it was exceptionally tall! It just stood there, watching me!"

Hearing this, Liu Ergou looked over carefully again. After confirming there was truly nothing there, he turned to He Mingxue with an earnest look. "President He, there's really nothing there. You must have been seeing things."

With that, Liu Ergou pulled He Mingxue back to the bed. "Wait to take your shower," he said. "Let me check your pulse first. I want to see if your nerves are shot."

"If it's just exhaustion, that would explain why you felt like someone was following you before."

He Mingxue didn't argue. She obediently held out her wrist. Liu Ergou wasted no time and immediately began to take her pulse. After a moment, he looked at her and said, "President He, I've checked. There's nothing physically wrong with you. At worst, you're in a state of suboptimal health, but that's a common issue for everyone nowadays, not just you. As for your nerves, they're perfectly healthy."

At this, Liu Ergou couldn't help but rub his chin, murmuring to himself, "Tsk, then why would you see a shadow? I really can't figure it out. It can't really be a ghost, can it?"

On the subject of ghosts, Liu Ergou suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He had received his deceased great-grandfather's legacy, after all, so he couldn't just dismiss certain things outright. For a moment, he didn't know what to say and could only remain silent.

Seeing the quiet Liu Ergou, He Mingxue said nothing, simply getting up and walking toward the bathroom. Soon, she finished washing up and slipped under the covers. Liu Ergou followed close behind, and soon they were both lying in bed. Just like the night before, they each stayed on their own side, not disturbing the other.

However, just as Liu Ergou was drifting off, a soft body suddenly snuggled into his arms. The sensation jolted the drowsy man awake. He looked down and saw He Mingxue curled up in his embrace, like a little kitten.

Seeing her in his arms, Liu Ergou felt a little awkward. "Um, President He, what are you doing?" he asked, embarrassed. "Didn't we agree? We each sleep on our own side. What's this about?"

He Mingxue replied, "It's nothing. I'm just scared. Every time I think about what just happened, I get terrified! Er Gou, can you just hold me tonight? I'm really so scared!"

Naturally, Liu Ergou had no desire to refuse her request. No man would refuse to hold a beautiful woman, especially one as stunning as He Mingxue. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.

"Alright, President He. But let me get one thing straight. I'm a man. Holding a beauty like you, I'm bound to have a reaction. You can't get mad about it."

He Mingxue immediately nodded to show she understood.

Liu Ergou continued, "Also, President He, please be still while you're in my arms. Don't fidget. Is that okay?"

"Of course, that's no problem!" He Mingxue replied immediately. "I sleep very soundly. I absolutely won't move around, you can rest assured!"

After getting her promise, Liu Ergou closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep. However, no sooner had his eyes shut than He Mingxue began to squirm restlessly in his arms. It was subtle at first, but as time went on, her movements became more pronounced until she had squirmed him awake.

Looking at the restless woman in his arms, he said irritably, "President He, didn't I tell you to be still?"

"If you keep this up, I might not be able to control myself! If one thing leads to another, what then? Let me tell you, an accident like that might not be a big deal to other people, but it is to me! So I advise you to behave yourself!"

Having said his piece, Liu Ergou closed his eyes again, not waiting for her reply.

But He Mingxue whispered, "Er Gou, I don't want to be like this either, but I get so scared when I think about what happened earlier. I can't control it. And if one thing does lead to another... well... that wouldn't be a problem..."

The moment those words reached him, Liu Ergou's eyes snapped open.

What the hell? Did I hear that right? He Mingxue said it wouldn't be a problem if one thing led to another. Is... is she serious?

As he was pondering this, a pair of small hands came to rest on his body.

He Mingxue spoke again. "Er Gou, you must be uncomfortable like this. Here, let me help you. That way, you can get some good sleep."

Liu Ergou was about to say something, but He Mingxue gave him no chance, burrowing completely under the covers. The next second, he sucked in a sharp breath.

At that, Liu Ergou stopped thinking altogether.

「The next morning.」

He Mingxue was curled up in Liu Ergou's arms, sleeping sweetly. Liu Ergou, for his part, enjoyed a rare chance to sleep in. He didn't even get up to do his cultivation practice. By the time they both woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.

Upon waking, He Mingxue couldn't bring herself to look at Liu Ergou, her eyes darting away whenever he was near. Watching her reaction, Liu Ergou found the stark contrast hard to believe. She had been the one to take the initiative last night, yet this morning she was so shy. At the thought, he let out a chuckle.

Hearing his laugh, He Mingxue instinctively looked up. "Er Gou, what are you laughing at?" she asked, a little confused.

Liu Ergou shook his head. "Nothing. I wasn't laughing, you must have misheard!" As he spoke, he gave her bottom a firm smack.

At the contact, He Mingxue's face instantly flushed red. She quickly wriggled out of his grasp, sat up, and headed for the bathroom.

"Picking on me so early in the morning," she muttered as she walked. "I'm not talking to you anymore. I need to get ready for work. You can just stick with me today."

Without giving Liu Ergou a chance to reply, she disappeared into the bathroom. Liu Ergou didn't say anything, simply sitting on the bed and watching the bathroom door with a grin.