Shen Zhizhou, have you never held a girl's hand before?

On a rare sunny winter day, sunlight streamed onto the magnolia branches in the courtyard that were just beginning to sprout. Shen Zhizhou, who hadn't thought of Wong Tai Sin in a long time, suggested that they go to the nursing home to visit him.

As soon as I entered the building, I was drawn to a loud singing voice. The energetic chorus, accompanied by youthful and high-spirited tones, made the whole building feel vibrant, completely different from when I first came here.

Shuyi walked to the window of the choir room and looked inside. She saw a young man with blond hair conducting the elderly people singing with his back to him. The young man was immersed in the atmosphere of singing. Whenever he heard a wrong pitch, he would leave and stop to correct it and demonstrate the singing.

The more Shen Zhizhou looked at the man's back, the more familiar he felt. He then looked up at the doorplate and a hint of disbelief appeared in his eyes.

Wong Tai Sin...is he teaching elderly people to sing revolutionary songs?!

How could someone so steeped in feudal superstition be teaching retired seniors to sing patriotic songs with impeccable revolutionary ideals?!

Because they were so engrossed in their singing, an older woman in the choir noticed them standing there and alerted them. When she turned around, she was a young and energetic person, seemingly in even better shape than the last time they met. She grinned and waved at them.

"Did you come to see me? I'm so touched, my buddy!" Huang Daxian gave Shen Zhizhou a bear hug, and didn't forget to pat Shuyi's head as a gesture of goodwill.

After letting the elderly people in the choir practice or rest on their own, Wong Tai Sin led them to his lounge and made them a cup of tea in a very professional manner, using two paper cups.

Shen Zhizhou held the tea that Huang Daxian had brewed, his heart filled with mixed emotions. It had only been a short time since they last met, but Huang Daxian's social integration had left him speechless.

I really underestimated Wong Tai Sin's social skills. I feel that if he had come a little later, those retired old men and women would have supported him to be the director of the hospital.

Seeing that Wong Tai Sin's room was messy, Shu Yi thought that he was probably too busy to clean up, so she helped him tidy up. When she lifted the sheet, she found various books and notes scattered on the bed. Shu Yi picked them up and saw four big characters on the cover: "Helping Others Technology".

Shen Zhizhou put the cup aside, picked up a book from the bed, and casually flipped through a few pages. They were all books about psychological counseling. He carefully considered his words before speaking: "Master Huang, have you been working too hard lately?"

Shen Zhizhou was reflecting on whether he had arranged too much work for Huang Daxian, which had caused Huang Daxian to have psychological problems recently. If that was the case, he would have to have a good talk with him.

"No, it's not that. I mainly want to get a psychological counselor certificate so that I can better serve everyone..." Huang Daxian rubbed his hands and leaned closer to them to reveal what he had observed. "I found that the elderly people living here are actually very lonely. Their children are not around all year round. I thought that if I could get this certificate, I might be able to help these elderly people solve their problems."

Looking at Huang Daxian, whose level of enlightenment was so high, Shen Zhizhou was filled with respect and clapped his hands in delight. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "How did you meet the application requirements? I remember you don't seem to have a household registration..."

Huang Daxian chuckled, scratching the back of his head somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Sorry, Mr. Shen, I used your ID to apply, and it was approved right away~"

Shen Zhizhou clenched his fists and took a deep breath. Shu Yi patted Shen Zhizhou's back and coaxed, "Don't be angry, don't be angry. It's a good opportunity to add another skill to your repertoire..."

"With such high awareness, why haven't you thought about joining the Party..." Shen Zhizhou said sarcastically.

"Is that alright?" Wong Tai Sin asked sincerely. Could a monster like him really join the Party?

"What are you doing, a monster, joining the Party? Are you crazy?! After the founding of the People's Republic of China, no one is allowed to become a spirit, and you are not allowed to join the Party and undermine human organizations and beliefs!" Shen Zhizhou really didn't know what to say. Should he praise Huang Daxian for being so ambitious, or should he scold him for having such grand dreams that he had broken the skylight?

Seeing how hard Huang Daxian was working, Shuyi felt relieved. She had been worried that Huang Daxian wouldn't adapt well to human society, but he was thriving. It was a lucky accident.

On his way back, Shen Zhizhou received a phone call and changed his route from his original plan to the company to a rural villa.

The idyllic mountain village was located at the foot of the mountain, sparsely populated, with rough roads. Occasionally, a few stray dogs would dart out and stand curiously by the roadside, watching them.

Shuyi followed Shen Zhizhou, trudging through the mud, until they arrived at a field. They were greeted by He Yong, who warmly welcomed them and showed them around the vegetable garden.

Nudging Shen Zhizhou beside her with her elbow, Shu Yi asked curiously, "What's He Yong doing here? Is this his garden? The vegetables are growing really well."

“This isn’t my garden, it’s Mr. Shen’s garden. I’m here to look after it for him,” He Yong replied.

After showing He Yong the entire rural resort, Shen Zhizhou shared his ideas with them: "This rural area can be developed into a farmhouse resort, and the resort can develop some supporting tourist facilities. He Yong and the other monsters will also have a place to stay here."

He Yong wiped away his tears and thanked Shen Zhizhou: "I really have to thank Boss Shen. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be living such a good life. Yingcao's tuition is also covered. I never dared to dream of such good things before..."

"No need to thank me. As long as you do your job well and don't cause me any trouble, you'll lighten my burden. Otherwise, I'll have to risk my life to eliminate you every time."

Shen Zhizhou was willing to help the demon race only to reduce the difficulty of his demon-slaying. His father was physically weak and had to recuperate for many years because of demon-slaying, while he had to inherit the family business because of family reasons.

"Ignore him, he's just a hypocrite." Shu Yi secretly told He Yong Shen Zhizhou's good intentions behind his back, and He Yong nodded gratefully to show that he understood.

On the way back, Shen Zhizhou didn't seem very happy. Shu Yi kept glancing at Shen Zhizhou like a thief, trying to guess what was wrong that made Shen Zhizhou unhappy.

Shen Zhizhou went back to his room without eating dinner. Shuyi went to ask Ji Yao if she had said something wrong. Ji Yao just looked at her and sighed for a long time. Her phoenix eyes, which could be both happy and angry, lowered slightly. She stroked Shuyi's hair, her eyes filled with deep loneliness and a hint of guilt.

"Let Xiaozhou have some peace and quiet, it'll be alright."

Shu Yi grasped Ji Yao's hand and mustered the courage to ask the question she had always wanted to ask, "Sister Ji, why did you stay in the Shen family to take care of Shen Zhizhou?"

Ji Yao was stunned. It was as if the image of that small child who couldn't speak very clearly could reappear before her eyes. The little boat from before... had the most lively and cheerful personality, as clear as crystal.

When did that child begin to close himself off emotionally?

"Are you a shikigami?" Apart from the contract, Shu couldn't think of any reason why a yokai would be willing to stay by a human's side.

Ji Yao neither craves worldly pleasures nor cares about entanglements; it seems she stays by Shen Zhizhou's side solely out of her own heart.

Ji Yao took out a cigarette from her bag and lit it, but she didn't put it to her lips to smoke. She just held it in her hand and watched the wisps of smoke rise. The light in her eyes was like thick silk ribbons wrapped around her.

"I am not a shikigami, I am a worshipper. I am the worshipper of two generations of the Shen family patriarchs."

As a member of the once-famous Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit clan, although she was demoted and fell into decline because she took the wrong path, Ji Yao's true form was still a Three-Headed Pheasant Spirit who had cultivated for thousands of years. Perhaps she was not willing at first, but when did she start to no longer want to leave?

Ji Yao didn't know, but she wanted to be Shen Zhizhou's sister Ji for a long time, not the three-headed pheasant spirit Ji Yao.

Stubbed out her cigarette, Ji Yao pinched Shuyi's cheek and said with a smile, "Little Shuyi, how about considering staying to be our Xiaozhou's wife..."

"No, Sister Ji, what nonsense are you talking about... I'm ignoring you." Shu Yi's face flushed instantly. Touching her reddened face, she ignored Ji Yao's teasing behind her and hurriedly fled the scene.

After washing her face with cold water, Shuyi calmed down. Remembering Ji Yao's words that she was an offering rather than a shikigami, she suddenly became curious about the Shen family.

I brought some food to Shen Zhizhou and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

Shu Yi secretly opened the door and saw Shen Zhizhou sitting on the floor with his knees drawn up, looking at the magnolia tree in front of the French windows.

She gently placed the food on the table, then went to the bed to get a blanket and draped it over Shen Zhizhou. She then sat down and quietly kept Shen Zhizhou company as they looked out the window at the magnolia tree.

"You like it that much? Then I'll go see it with you when it blooms, okay?" Shuyi looked at Shen Zhizhou's profile, trying to liven up the atmosphere.

"It will never bloom again. It hasn't bloomed since my mother passed away when I was twelve." Shen Zhizhou's voice was soft, but it struck Shuyi's heart like a series of drumbeats.

Shuyi gently hugged Shen Zhizhou from behind. She felt that Shen Zhizhou... needed a hug right now.

"It will bloom, really... I promise."

Shen Zhizhou snapped out of his daze and looked at Shu Yi beside him. He wanted to smile and put on his signature formulaic smile, but Shu Yi cupped Shen Zhizhou's cheeks and brought them close. His dark, bright eyes looked at Shen Zhizhou and said, word by word, "You don't have to smile when you don't want to. At least here with me... you can do whatever you want, Shen Zhizhou."

Looking at the earnest expression on Shu's face, with a hint of heartache in her eyes, Shen Zhizhou felt a stirring in his heart, as if a crack had suddenly appeared in the frozen ground.

Even a tiny amount, accumulated over time, is enough to thaw the permafrost and melt the ice and snow.

Shen Zhizhou covered Shuyi's head with the blanket he was wearing, and then ruffled Shuyi's hair through the blanket. When Shuyi turned the blanket away from her head, her hair stood up like a lioness's collar.

"Shen Zhizhou, you bastard, I'll fight you to the death!" Looking at herself in the mirror, Shu Yi threw down the blanket in her hand, ready to fight Shen Zhizhou.

Inside the door, Shen Zhizhou nimbly dodged left and right, which made Shu Yi scream again in anger. The two of them were quite a lively exchange.

Hearing the two bickering outside the door, Ji Yao's furrowed brows deepened. She stood at the door for a while before turning away, her lonely figure stretching out down the corridor like a self-absorbed, solitary soul.

Seizing the opportunity, Shu Yi pounced and pinned Shen Zhizhou to the ground, grabbing Shen Zhizhou's ears and cheeks in frustration: "You dare bully me again! Say 'King Mouse, I was wrong!'"

"You rat, defying the heavens, do you want a beating?! Get down here right now..."

During the struggle, Shen Zhizhou touched the soft flesh on Shu Yi's waist. Realizing what was happening, Shen Zhizhou suddenly blushed to the roots of his ears.

Looking at Shen Zhizhou, who had suddenly fallen silent and whose face was flushed, Shu Yi somewhat bewilderedly pressed her face against Shen Zhizhou's forehead and murmured, "You have a fever again?"

Shen Zhizhou pushed Shuyi away somewhat embarrassedly, pretended to be very hungry, and quickly walked to the table to drink some soup.

Seeing this, Shu chuckled mischievously and asked loudly, "Shen Zhizhou, have you never held a girl's hand before?!"

Shen Zhizhou was truly choked so badly that his face turned red and his neck bulged.