The next afternoon, Yichen completed his discharge procedures and left the hospital. It was 4 PM, and Shiyue hadn’t finished school yet, so he walked home alone.

"Woo-hoo! Finally free!!!"

Stepping outside, warm sunlight hit Yichen’s face directly. He felt reborn.

Actually, it was more like ending lazy days. Shiyue had pampered him nonstop during his hospital stay—it was just too comfortable.

Yichen silently vowed to turn over a new leaf. He’d be a diligent, hardworking student—fearless of hardships, ambitious yet down-to-earth, idealistic and responsible. He’d make his country proud.

Back home, Yichen found the house spotlessly clean.

Gratitude surged in his heart.

Then he realized: Shiyue was his biggest obstacle to starting anew.

Lost in random thoughts, Yichen headed to his room. He opened the door, took two steps inside, and sensed something was off.

His eyes locked on the bed. The quilt was unmade; his pillow tilted slightly. Most shockingly, an extra pink pillow sat there—a girl’s pillow.

A faint, sweet fragrance filled the air. Yichen’s heart pounded; his face flushed. He recognized this scent—it always appeared when he was close to Shiyue.

Shiyue never cleaned his or Zixuan’s rooms. Yichen clearly remembered tidying his room before leaving.

To confirm, he rushed to Shiyue’s room. Sure enough, one pillow was missing from her neat bed.

Yichen’s mind spun. How would he bring this up when Shiyue arrived?

***

After school at Skyvoid Academy, Shiyue headed straight to Yichen’s house post-club activities.

"Ah… are days like this ending?" she murmured while walking.

For a month, Yichen’s hospitalization gave her excuses for alone time with him. Now that he was discharged, those moments would fade. Shiyue felt a pang of regret—but she couldn’t let him see her disappointment. She slapped her cheeks hard to force a natural expression.

Soon, she reached Yichen’s house. A savory aroma drifted from the kitchen. Peeking in, she saw Yichen cooking dinner.

Shiyue suddenly missed his meals. Her stomach growled.

"Shiyue, you’re back."

"Mm. Congrats on your discharge."

"Thanks. Sit tight—dinner’s ready in five minutes."

Though Yichen said that, Shiyue couldn’t help stepping into the kitchen to watch him.

"S-Shiyue? What are you doing here?"

"Just watching you cook."

"Ah… okay."

Shiyue noticed Yichen acting stiff.

"Yichen?"

"Ah!"

She softly called his name, but he yelped like he’d been startled.

"Yichen, what’s wrong?"

"Ah, haha… nothing." He turned back, forcing a laugh before resuming cooking.

Watching him, Shiyue grew more confused.

"I’ll set the table."

"Mm. Thanks."

Once dinner was ready, they sat down to eat.

"Shiyue," Yichen suddenly blurted, "is there a problem with your room?"

"Problem?"

"If it’s unlivable, switch rooms. Plenty are empty."

"Huh? My room’s fine. Why?" Shiyue’s confusion deepened.

"Th-then… why… did you sleep… in my room?" Yichen stammered.

Shiyue froze. Her face flushed visibly red.

She remembered—she’d slept in his room for two weeks, planning to tidy it before his return. But this morning, she’d forgotten completely. He’d found out.

"S-Shiyue?"

Yichen saw her tear-filled eyes, on the verge of crying. Guilt washed over him. He wanted to apologize but didn’t know how—or even what he’d said wrong.

"S-so… how’s the food? After that old hospital stay, my cooking might’ve slipped, ahahaha." He desperately changed the subject.

"I’m full." Shiyue blurted and dashed to her room.

Yichen sighed, seeing her half-full bowl. He quickly finished his meal, saved leftovers in the microwave, washed the dishes, and returned to his room to study.

A month in the hospital had left him far behind. He needed to catch up fast.