Chapter 55: A Husband

After lunch, Tingting obediently helped her father tidy up.

“Put me down, go rest in your room for a while, you’ll need energy for afternoon classes.”

Hearing this, Tingting didn’t insist further; she set down her bowl and chopsticks and asked, “Dad, what time will you be back tonight?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll definitely be back before eight.”

Although they stopped taking orders before six, that only applied to individuals—some businesses only packed and shipped their goods right before closing.

These major clients naturally received different treatment; they had to receive the goods the same day and deliver them to the courier station, so they usually worked very late.

“Oh, then I’m going back to my room.” Tingting turned toward her room.

Zhu Guangfa scratched his head; the older his daughter grew, the less she talked to him. He sensed something was wrong between them, but he didn’t know what.

After washing the dishes, Zhu Guangfa stepped out of the kitchen and walked to the bedroom door, reaching out to knock—but hesitated, then lowered his hand, afraid of disturbing his daughter’s rest.

He went to the bathroom, dampened a towel with water, and hastily wiped his face and neck, then brewed a large cup of coarse-leaf tea in his big mug and set it aside to cool; the weather was too hot, and he’d drink it during his afternoon shift.

Leaning back on the sofa, exhausted from the day, he felt as if he were sitting on clouds—light and floating—and soon began snoring loudly.

Half-asleep, Zhu Guangfa seemed to hear a door closing; he jolted awake, realizing he’d fallen asleep on the sofa. Thinking of his daughter, he started to sit up.

He saw his wife sitting beside him, smiling at him.

He instinctively said, “Tingting went to school…”

Before he finished speaking, he realized—his eyes widened, his face lit up with surprise.

He reached out and hugged his wife tightly, exclaiming with delight, “Xiuzhi, I’m dreaming about you again.”

Du Xiuzhi gently patted his broad back, offering no explanation.

They embraced warmly for a long while, until Zhu Guangfa finally seemed to snap back to reality.

He pushed Du Xiuzhi away and said, “Xiuzhi, I forgot—I’m filthy, reeking of sweat.”

“It doesn’t matter. Didn’t you used to say that’s the smell of a real man?”

“Hahaha, Xiuzhi, you still remember!” Zhu Guangfa burst into laughter, grinning like a child.

Still, he added, “Wait for me—I’m going to take a shower.”

He rose hastily toward the bathroom, but tripped and kicked his foot hard against the table leg.

He gasped in pain, about to look down at his injured toe—then suddenly froze, his mind going numb.

He whipped around and saw the woman still seated on the sofa, smiling gently, her face soft and serene.

He limped back over, voice trembling, “Xiuzhi… I’m not dreaming, am I?”

Du Xiuzhi nodded slightly, then asked with a smile, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

Zhu Guangfa, like a child, burst into tears instantly, sobbing, “W-why would I be afraid of you?”

“I’m dead now—I’m a ghost. Aren’t you afraid, brother?” Du Xiuzhi asked softly.

Zhu Guangfa shook his head frantically.

“Of course not. You’re my wife,” Zhu Guangfa said.

Du Xiuzhi took his hand and guided him to sit down.

His palm was thick, rough, and calloused; hers were slender and fair, each finger like a spring onion.

Yet when their hands clasped together, they fit perfectly in harmony.

“You’re still so clumsy. Does it hurt?” Du Xiuzhi looked down at his toes.

“No pain, hehe…” Zhu Guangfa grinned, tears still on his face, but his smile radiant.

“You’re such a grown man, why are you still such a crybaby?”

Du Xiuzhi reached out to wipe his tears, but he caught her hand with his own.

“I’m not crying—I’m just happy to see you again,” Zhu Guangfa said.

“Aren’t you curious why you’re seeing me?”

Zhu Guangfa shook his head, then nodded.

“What does that mean?” Du Xiuzhi frowned.

The burly Zhu Guangfa bowed his head submissively before Du Xiuzhi.

He hurriedly explained, “I shook my head because seeing you again is all that matters—yet I’m also a little curious…”

Du Xiuzhi volunteered, “It’s because I happened to meet Mr. Shen.”

“Mr. Shen?” Zhu Guangfa looked puzzled.

“The company you visited this morning…”

Du Xiuzhi briefly explained what had happened.

Then she said, “Mr. Shen is a powerful man. He felt pity for your devotion, so he let me meet you one last time.”

Zhu Guangfa finally understood, then beamed with joy: “So you’ve always been beside me—I knew it!”

“How did you know?” Du Xiuzhi gave him a look, her eyes like autumn water.

“Because every day I work with boundless energy, never tired—I’m sure it’s because you’re with me…”

“Nonsense. You’re so foolish—you don’t even care for yourself. What if you collapse from exhaustion? Who will Tingting rely on?” Du Xiuzhi poked his forehead, exasperated.

“By the way—Tingting.”

Hearing this, Zhu Guangfa remembered his daughter and jumped up, eager to find her.

But Du Xiuzhi held him back.

“Tingting already left for school,” Du Xiuzhi said dryly.

“Right—I heard the door close earlier, half-asleep,” Zhu Guangfa chuckled foolishly.

Speaking of their daughter, Du Xiuzhi sighed inwardly; Zhu Guangfa didn’t know what was wrong, but she did.

So she said, “Take a day off, pick her up after school, and let’s have a proper family reunion.”

She had so much she wanted to say to her daughter.

“Yes, yes…”

Zhu Guangfa immediately stood up—then sucked in a sharp breath. Only then did he remember his toe still hurt.

“Are you in a lot of pain?” Du Xiuzhi asked, worried.

“It’s fine, it’ll pass soon.”

He limped toward the door to put on his shoes, but never let go of Du Xiuzhi’s hand.

As if afraid that if he released her, she’d vanish.

Du Xiuzhi didn’t resist; she let him hold her.

After putting on his shoes, Zhu Guangfa suddenly remembered something and turned back. “Can Tingting see you too?”

Du Xiuzhi nodded. Her lips parted slightly, and a faint blue mist drifted out, swirling around her like a living thing.

“Mr. Shen gave me two strands of this energy. With this, you can see me,” Du Xiuzhi said, then drew the mist back into her mouth with a soft inhale.

Shen Siyuan, having learned from Jiang Wenxin’s earlier experience, used another method—he gave Du Xiuzhi two strands of yin energy to ingest and nurture within her.

Once the yin energy absorbed her essence, it could be passed to those who wished to see her.

And it wouldn’t cause ghosts to appear everywhere.

Hearing this, Zhu Guangfa relaxed, and continued holding his wife’s hand as they headed out—until they reached the elevator.

He suddenly grew anxious: “Is Mr. Shen really just being kind? Could he…?”