ISWTDB Ch142

Chapter 142: The BOSS is always acting up (19, 20)

“There’s nothing important; just get lost.” Flame Dragon scolded.

He had always been a self-important person, caring only for Ying Zhao while disregarding everyone else. Naturally, he didn’t understand the concept of cherishing delicate feelings.

He Yue didn’t expect Flame Dragon to treat her this way. She felt so aggrieved that tears welled up in her eyes.

She looked at Ying Zhao with a pitiful expression, seemingly hoping he would come to her rescue. Meanwhile, Ying Zhao had initially planned to toy with this woman, so he wanted to see how she would dig her own grave.

He turned to Flame Dragon, gently squeezed his hand, and said, “I’ll step outside with her for a moment. Just wait for me in the room; I’ll be back soon.”

Upon hearing this, Flame Dragon felt very reluctant. However, seeing Ying Zhao’s soft gaze, he could only agree, albeit begrudgingly.

Yet, as he watched Ying Zhao and the female lead walk away together, Flame Dragon’s expression darkened. He didn’t follow Ying Zhao’s instructions to wait in the room but quietly trailed behind the two.

As the boss in the game “The Journey,” he was the strongest character, naturally possessing skills that allowed him to stealthily track others without being noticed.

If it weren’t for Ying Zhao having a system bug, he might not have even noticed that his partner was secretly following them.

With a slight smile, he shook his head. He didn’t mind his lover’s possessiveness. Moreover, no matter what He Yue intended to say, he had no intention of letting her have her way.

Rather than allowing Flame Dragon to fret alone in the room, it was better for Ying Zhao to hear everything directly and ease his worries.

Ying Zhao and the female lead walked into an empty corridor, stopping in their tracks. He Yue opened her mouth, looking at Ying Zhao with an expression of hesitation, her eyes shimmering with tears. Her pitiful appearance was like an oversized, pristine white lotus.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but feel a bit repulsed, so he bluntly said to the female lead, “Xiao Yue, just tell me what you want to say.”

He Yue pouted at his impatient tone and softly replied, “Zhu Mengshi, you used to be so different with me!”

“Oh? How was I different?” Hearing her words, Ying Zhao had already guessed her motives.

Sure enough, He Yue quickly adopted a pouty expression and said in a charming voice, “Zhu Mengshi, I know you were unhappy when I teamed up with the drinker. But I’ve explained that there was nothing between us.”

“How could you find some random guy to make me jealous? You clearly like me, right?”

“Okay, I apologize! There was really nothing between me and the drinker, so don’t be mad at me anymore!”

At this point, He Yue displayed a helpless look, as if Ying Zhao were the unreasonable one.

From a distance, Flame Dragon was stunned by her words. He felt a surge of panic, thinking, did that woman just claim that his beloved spirit servant liked her? Is that true?

Listening to her, he glared at He Yue with crimson eyes, filled with resentment. What did this woman even have that was appealing?

Short and unattractive, with no grace or strength, her voice was grating and made him want to gag.

How could she compare to him? Tall and handsome, with high combat power, he had no rivals in the entire continent. What could this woman possibly offer?

Let alone comparing her to him, his beloved servant was stunning, completely out of her league.

Someone as perfect as Ying Zhao should… should be treated how?

Flame Dragon felt an answer stirring within him but was momentarily lost in confusion. Then, he recalled He Yue saying that Ying Zhao might have been in a bad mood and found someone randomly.

Who was that man? How come he didn’t know? The thought of who Ying Zhao might have been with while he was unaware was driving him mad.

Flame Dragon felt like he was on the verge of losing his mind; he desperately wanted to confront Ying Zhao and demand to know who he had been with without his knowledge.

On the other hand, Ying Zhao found He Yue’s words amusing. He thought to himself that this world’s female lead might be a bit too self-absorbed.

Did she really think he was with someone else just to spite her? How much arrogance did that take?

He smiled at her and said, “I don’t quite understand what you mean. You don’t think I’m with Flame Dragon because of you, do you?”

Just as He Yue was about to respond, she noticed a familiar garment fluttering from behind a nearby building.

She recognized it—it was the style of clothing worn by Flame Dragon. After all, the equipment he wore was quite distinctive and clearly of high value.

Seeing Ying Zhao’s unconcerned demeanor, He Yue’s eyes flickered. Compared to using Ying Zhao, she was even less willing to let go of Flame Dragon, that superior man.

So, the female lead immediately switched tactics, feigning heartbreak as she looked at Ying Zhao and said, “Isn’t it true?”

“Zhu Mengshi, you clearly like women. How could you suddenly be with a man? You can’t be doing this just to spite me. More importantly, this is unfair to Flame Dragon! How can you toy with someone else’s feelings like this?”

Hearing her words, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but find it amusing. A person who habitually manipulated others’ emotions was now accusing him of playing with feelings.

At the same time, Flame Dragon was taken aback by what the female lead said. He hadn’t expected that the man He Yue had referred to as someone Ying Zhao was with just to anger her was actually himself.

So, this woman thought that he and Ying Zhao were in a romantic relationship?

Romantic relationship. As he pondered these words, Flame Dragon suddenly realized something.

His possessiveness was not simply a master-servant dynamic. As a noble dragon, according to the memories he had been given, other races had historically feared or were enslaved by dragons.

And since he had no experience with emotions, he hadn’t considered the direction of love. He only knew he couldn’t bear to part with Ying Zhao. However, the female lead’s words unexpectedly enlightened him.

While he was thinking, he looked at his elven servant from a distance, feeling that Ying Zhao was so adorable and perfect in every way.

Not only was he exceptionally handsome, but he also had a delightful scent, and his voice was enchanting. Moreover, when he was around, Flame Dragon felt a sense of happiness and security.

So, had he actually fallen in love with Ying Zhao without realizing it?

Thinking of this, Flame Dragon paused for a moment, finally understanding the nature of his feelings for Ying Zhao.

His little servant was so loyal, willing to stay by his side even after he lost control. Not only did he refuse to leave, but he also comforted Flame Dragon. Therefore, Ying Zhao must also like him, Flame Dragon surmised, unconsciously breaking into a silly smile.

Such a sweet and warm person certainly deserved to be his lover, to be the partner of the dragon king.

From a different perspective, Flame Dragon observed Ying Zhao again and thought to himself, Who else on this continent could truly belong to Ying Zhao? Besides him, who else was worthy of such beauty?

With this thought, his gaze towards Ying Zhao grew fervent. He felt even more disgusted with the female lead, believing that He Yue’s private visit to discuss feelings with Ying Zhao was absolutely insidious.

But then he heard Ying Zhao tell He Yue, “I think you’ve misunderstood; we’re not in a romantic relationship.”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s denial, Flame Dragon clenched his fists. Could it be that he was mistaken? Did his little servant really only have a master-servant relationship with him?

Before he could feel too upset, he saw Ying Zhao smile self-deprecatingly. “He Yue, you’re indeed mistaken about the relationship between me and Flame Dragon. However, I must admit that I have indeed fallen in love with him, but he doesn’t love me. I think, to him, I’m not qualified to be his lover.”

As Ying Zhao spoke, his eyes brimmed with sadness, and Flame Dragon felt his heart shatter at those words. Looking at Ying Zhao’s dimmed eyes made him feel as if his heart was being twisted.

He wanted nothing more than to rush over and hug his little servant tightly, kissing those beautiful eyes, telling him that there was no way he would think he was unworthy.

He realized that he had been too foolish. Although he always wanted to be with Ying Zhao, he had foolishly fixed his thoughts on the idea of a master-servant relationship, which led to him hurting his precious treasure.

But just thinking that his little servant also loved him filled Flame Dragon’s heart with immense joy.

He unconsciously swallowed, realizing that they were truly reciprocating each other’s feelings!

“Impossible!” He Yue exclaimed upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, immediately displaying an incredulous expression. She said to him, “That’s not possible! Didn’t you always say you liked me? You’ve been pursuing me, showing me kindness, haven’t you?”

But upon hearing this, Ying Zhao looked puzzled, frowning as he shook his head and replied, “No, I’ve only regarded you as an ordinary friend! I have very few friends, so I cherish them all. Plus, I don’t recall ever saying that I liked you?”

Ying Zhao wore an innocent expression, and seeing He Yue’s dumbfounded look, he continued, “If I led you to misunderstand, I apologize. I’ve only loved one person in my life, and that is Flame Dragon!”

At this point, Ying Zhao’s expression became serious. He Yue finally recalled that although Ying Zhao had often blushed around her and appeared shy, despite all he had done for her, he had never outright said he liked her. Could it be that he was truly just shy and didn’t actually like her?

Had she been deluding herself all this time?

He Yue still couldn’t believe it, unwilling to accept that she had been so embarrassing in her misunderstanding.

She raised her voice to Ying Zhao, saying, “But you’ve been with me through so many secret realms, and almost all of these exquisite equipment pieces I have are because of you!”

“If you don’t like me, why would you put in so much effort? Why do you keep helping me?”

Ying Zhao felt a bit speechless at He Yue’s words, finding it both funny and exasperating as he replied, “Isn’t it normal to be sincere to friends? Everything I did for you was out of care for a friend.”

“You know I like Flame Dragon, so I don’t like women, and I certainly wouldn’t like you. Even if Flame Dragon doesn’t love me now, just being by his side makes me content.”

When Ying Zhao mentioned Flame Dragon, a hint of happiness crossed his face, but it was mixed with sadness. If Xiao Bai were here, he would surely praise Ying Zhao’s excellent acting skills.

But upon hearing Ying Zhao’s humble words, Flame Dragon felt his heart soften. He thought that when his elven servant returned to the room, he had to tell him that he also loved him.

He wondered how his little servant would react, whether he would rush over to hug him and give him a sweet kiss!

The more Flame Dragon thought about it, the more excited he became, eagerly waiting for Ying Zhao to finish this meaningless conversation with the woman.

“No! I don’t believe it! You’re lying to me!” He Yue shook her head vigorously, as she had always been a woman with a strong sense of pride.

Since childhood, she had hoped to live better than others. Unfortunately, she was born into an ordinary family that couldn’t provide her with a comfortable life.

However, she was fortunate enough to have a pure and beautiful appearance, which had allowed her to gain many advantages since she was young. As she grew up, she had countless pursuers.

But she looked down on all of them. What she sought was a man who could truly offer her a quality life. So when she discovered Lu Chenhui’s game account, she had no hesitation in getting rid of Wang Qi.

Although she was puzzled as to why Wang Qi didn’t like her, his mother wanted to matchmake them. At her request, Wang Qi reluctantly became her guide in The Journey.

For her, manipulating other people’s feelings had become her weapon. Therefore, when Ying Zhao suddenly said something like that, it truly struck a nerve with He Yue.

But then she heard Ying Zhao say to her, “Xiao Yue, I already have someone I like. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding I caused you earlier, but after the season ends, please don’t look for me anymore.”

Ying Zhao’s words completely stunned He Yue. Ever since she came to the Journey, she had been taken care of by the original owner.

Even if Ying Zixi’s combat power was not the most outstanding, she was quite famous here. Being looked at differently by the leader of the strongest casual guild had given He Yue a sense of superiority.

Seeing this so-called “god” bowing and scraping before her had satisfied her vanity, but she never thought that one day she would be told that the situation that had inflated her vanity was merely her imagination.

What was even more important was that the female protagonist had always regarded Mengshi as her golden key in the Journey. Without this person, it would be impossible for her to acquire such high-quality equipment relying solely on her own strength.

One had to know that to team up with a person, even if it was just as a support, one had to possess excellent skills and equipment. However, He Yue’s gameplay was mediocre, and she was merely relying on her gear for appearances.

With her current abilities, teaming up with the male protagonist was already quite a struggle; without good equipment, she would eventually be discarded by him.

Even though He Yue’s gear was still decent for now, equipment in games became outdated quickly. In a while, her current outfit would no longer suffice.

Thinking of how hard she had worked just to barely connect with Lu Chenhui, Ying Zhao’s unrestrained attitude would mean that all her efforts would go to waste.

He Yue clearly didn’t want to accept such a result, and in her excitement, she forgot that she had noticed Flame Dragon not far away, secretly watching.

The female protagonist was now only thinking about how to keep Ying Zhao, so she immediately reddened her eyes and put on a sorrowful expression, saying to Ying Zhao, “Mengshi, please don’t joke around. I’ll admit it; I actually like you a lot.”

He Yue knew where her advantages lay. As she calmed down and recalled their past interactions, she felt that Mengshi must have some feelings for her. Why not take this opportunity to make him care about her a bit more?

One had to know that in the past, as long as she used this demeanor with those men, she had always succeeded.

As He Yue spoke, she leaned her body toward Ying Zhao, wanting to lean against him. However, just as she was about to touch him, she was suddenly pushed away and slammed into a nearby pillar.

Ying Zhao was momentarily stunned by the scene; he had initially intended to dodge, but he didn’t expect to witness such a dramatic moment.

Fortunately, this was just in the game, and being hit by a boss in a non-combat area wouldn’t cause real damage, but pain was still unavoidable.

Moreover, since Flame Dragon had suddenly acted with considerable force, the noise when He Yue crashed against the pillar was quite loud.

Luckily, this was an open area, and there wasn’t anyone around, which helped avoid some trouble.

He Yue lay on the ground, covered in dust. Her previously glamorous appearance had suddenly become a mess. Although her health points hadn’t dropped, she still felt sore all over.

At that moment, Flame Dragon was completely indifferent to He Yue’s situation. Initially, he had planned to wait until that woman made the point that made him realize something, then he would speak.

Unexpectedly, that annoying woman actually coveted his precious one, persistently confessed her feelings, and even attempted to touch his future partner.

Thinking of this, Flame Dragon didn’t care about exposing his identity and directly sent the woman flying. Then, he possessively scooped Ying Zhao into his arms.

“Your Highness, how could you be here?!” Ying Zhao looked at Flame Dragon in shock, his expression one of disbelief.

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Flame Dragon stiffened and then forced a smile at him.

Thinking of the sadness in Ying Zhao’s tone just now, he apologetically said, “I’m sorry, I never knew your feelings for me! I didn’t realize you liked me.”

Flame Dragon felt a bit embarrassed as his face turned red. However, seeing Ying Zhao’s increasingly dim eyes, he quickly continued, “No, I’m not rejecting you! I just didn’t think it through earlier; in fact, I’ve long been in love with you!”

“Yinying, I like you! My little servant… no, my wanfei, be with me!”

As Ying Zhao listened to the man’s words and saw him knock the female protagonist away at a moment’s notice, his mood became exceptionally pleasant. On the surface, he still pretended to be touched and at a loss.

He pinched his thigh hard and instantly felt tears welling up, looking at Flame Dragon dreamily as he nodded and said, “Your Highness, I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“No, of course it’s not a dream!” Flame Dragon said as he tightly embraced Ying Zhao, kissing his forehead, feeling an overwhelming sense of pity for the person in his arms.

He regretted that he had foolishly made his precious one sad. But thinking that the other person was no longer his servant but had become his lover—and would eventually be his wife, his wangfei—filled him with joy from the bottom of his heart.

He rested his chin on Ying Zhao’s head and softly said, “Baby, don’t cry. This is all real, and from now on, I will treat you well!”

The two exchanged affectionate words and kissed passionately without caring about the female protagonist, who was still lying on the ground not far away, grinding her teeth as she glared at them.

He Yue didn’t want to passively consume their dog food any longer, so she struggled to stand up and limped back to her room.

Ying Zhao stole a glance at He Yue’s retreating figure, secretly curling the corners of his mouth. This time, he had to thank the female protagonist for giving him a good opportunity to make his lover realize his feelings.

The two of them, now on the same page emotionally, felt quite good. Even without any intimate gestures, the sweet atmosphere between them made it clear how much they loved each other.

Flame Dragon gazed affectionately at Ying Zhao, unable to resist leaning down to kiss his beloved’s alluring lips. Just as he was about to touch them, the door nearby suddenly swung open, and Xiao Bai and the male protagonist, Yin Jiuke, walked out.

Ying Zhao pretended to push Flame Dragon away, but Flame Dragon, having seen who was coming out of the room, had a glint in his eyes. Ignoring Ying Zhao’s attempts to reject him, he fiercely kissed his lips.

Then he picked up Ying Zhao and turned around, using his back to shield his lover’s alluring appearance from Xiao Bai and Yin Jiuke. In front of them, he shared a passionate deep kiss with Ying Zhao.

After a long while, Flame Dragon finally released the panting elf in his arms and provocatively raised an eyebrow at the two men across from him.

Knowing it was his lover’s possessiveness at play, Ying Zhao, with his swollen lips, smiled helplessly at the two men.

Xiao Bai saw the affectionate posture between Flame Dragon and Ying Zhao and waved his hand, his face flushed. Although it was somewhat embarrassing to directly watch others kiss, he was still happy for Ying Zhao.

Even though he had already been informed through messages last night that his host was fine, seeing him in person today finally put Xiao Bai’s mind at ease.

However, he didn’t notice that the man beside him, upon seeing the two embrace and kiss, had a deep look in his eyes as he lowered his head.