ISWTDB Ch146

Chapter 146: The BOSS is always acting up (26, 27)

He Yue thought, since that’s the case, she definitely wouldn’t let the other party have it easy.

Since this season’s competition would start the next night, Ying Zhao returned to the hotel with Flame Dragon after finalizing everyone’s equipment, agreeing to meet again the next day.

Unexpectedly, early the next morning, Wang Qi hurriedly sent a message, asking Ying Zhao to check out the forum immediately.

Hearing Wang Qi’s words, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow and went to the forum, where he found that the female lead was stirring up trouble.

However, she was clever enough to use others and not directly post under her own name. Instead, she anonymously used a new alias, claiming to reveal secrets about the well-known guild leader, Zhu Mengshi.

Because of the original character’s fame, people were naturally curious, and the post quickly gained traction.

The post told the story from a third-person perspective, describing how the guild leader Zhu Mengshi pursued Yue Yingying, how Yue Yingying rejected him, and how Zhu Mengshi, out of spite, ambushed her and lowered her level to zero, causing a veteran player to miss the season and have to start over.

Even though He Yue’s combat ability wasn’t strong, she was known as the “Koi Goddess.” Moreover, unlike other roles that focus on combat power, for a support class like the female lead’s healer role, reaching her level and strength was already impressive.

Many people who didn’t know the truth sympathized with the female lead, and naturally, they all blamed Ying Zhao.

The original character had always kept a low profile, with a good reputation only within the guild. Outside the guild, people only knew him as a strategy expert and the leader of the largest solo player guild, Zhu Meng. 

Unlike the female lead, who was a social butterfly in Journey, making connections with several major guilds while using the equipment Ying Zhao had obtained for her. She often teamed up with them, hoping to find new targets.

So, for a while, outsiders believed He Yue’s story. People from other guilds who didn’t know the truth started attacking Ying Zhao, accusing him of being a scumbag who resorted to underhanded tactics after being rejected.

Some even mocked that Zhu Mengshi had been active in Journey since its launch, always wearing a mask. They said he must be hiding his ugly face and that only an unattractive person would behave so poorly, thinking he could win over their beautiful “Koi Goddess.”

Seeing the comments, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow. Not long after, several members from his own Zhu Meng guild couldn’t stand it anymore and started arguing back against the people from other guilds.

Wang Qi, the guild’s vice president, even rallied everyone to defend Ying Zhao, leaving him both amused and touched.

Ying Zhao had always found online trolls to be the most cowardly and brainless type of people. Seeing the female lead’s petty tactics only made him think she was incredibly boring.

However, seeing his guildmates actively defending him warmed his heart. But instead of going on the forum to deny anything, he pulled his freshly woken lover, who was about to order food, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Flame Dragon, still groggy, was overjoyed to receive his lover’s kiss first thing in the morning. He embraced Ying Zhao tightly and returned the kiss with a deep one before letting go.

Seeing Flame Dragon’s excitement, Ying Zhao smiled, interlaced his fingers with his lover’s, then turned around, kissed him on the cheek again, and activated the camera function on his communication device.

He captured the moment and posted the picture on the forum, with the title:

“Very happy. My first time falling in love, and I’ve met the love of my life. We will always be each other’s only one! 💖”

The ID he used, of course, was Zhu Mengshi’s.

As soon as Ying Zhao’s message hit the forum, it exploded.

Although Ying Zhao had shown his face before, only those within the original character’s guild knew what Zhu Mengshi really looked like. Even if someone ran into him on the street, they would’ve just thought he was a stunning passerby. Who would’ve guessed he was the famous Zhu Mengshi?

Clearly, those who hadn’t seen Ying Zhao before were left speechless by his appearance.

Those who had mocked Zhu Mengshi for being ugly were immediately proven wrong.

His appearance, even if not otherworldly, was clearly much better than Yue Yingying’s. Some users were both admiring and complaining, saying, “So Zhu Mengshi is actually this good-looking? Why didn’t he show his face before?”

The members of Zhu Meng immediately responded proudly, “Our guild leader just likes to keep a low profile,” leaving the others with nothing to say.

Moreover, this couple photo was clearly a response to the situation. See? He has a lover, and they’re each other’s first and only one.

In other words, before this, Zhu Mengshi had never loved anyone at all.

Looking at the two handsome men in the photo, closely leaning into each other, the love in their eyes was so intense it seemed ready to overflow from the screen.

The tender atmosphere between them was palpable, and anyone could feel just how deeply in love they were.

Seeing that Ying Zhao was with a man, it was obvious that his orientation was toward men and that he wouldn’t be interested in women. As a result, many people began to doubt the post about He Yue being bullied.

Seeing this, He Yue became furious and spent a lot of money hiring someone to write an article dissing Ying Zhao. The article claimed that after Ying Zhao failed to win her over, he played with others’ emotions and manipulated Flame Dragon. It repeated the self-centered narrative she had used when she confessed to Ying Zhao, with enough details to make it seem credible.

Even Ying Zhao, after reading the analysis, thought that if he didn’t know the truth, he might have believed he was that kind of scumbag.

Seeing that He Yue wasn’t giving up, Ying Zhao narrowed his eyes. This time, instead of responding on the forum, he released a video he had previously saved, showing He Yue confessing her feelings to him while he rejected her, only for her to persist unrelentingly.

In the video, the female lead appeared narcissistic, leaving viewers speechless. But that was just the beginning. Soon after, communications between He Yue and several others, plotting to ambush Ying Zhao and lower his level, surfaced. There were even videos showing them attempting to ambush him.

People then began to doubt the authenticity of the earlier post that had gone viral. Evidence emerged that He Yue had changed her ID, paid others to write articles, and hired trolls to smear Ying Zhao.

At this point, everyone who saw the truth was utterly shocked.

Especially those who had supported He Yue; they never expected that all of this was her self-directed performance. The so-called Yue Yingying was nothing more than a “white lotus”!

People began to feel sorry for Zhu Mengshi, thinking how pitiful it was that he had been smeared by such a manipulative woman. Even though Yue Yingying might have been beautiful, her venomous heart made her repulsive.

With that, He Yue’s reputation was completely ruined. Even the people who had tried to ambush Ying Zhao were implicated.

Seeing He Yue’s confessions to Ying Zhao and her ambiguous relationships with others, her former admirers woke up to the truth. Realizing they had been manipulated by such a cunning woman, many became furious, and He Yue became a target for public criticism.

Some people even dug up her real name and the company she worked for, exposing her unprofessional behavior and poor character at work. They revealed that she often flirted with male colleagues, did not take her work seriously, and always made excuses or blamed others when her own performance was lacking, creating trouble for everyone.

People concluded that He Yue was exactly the same in real life—a typical “green tea” white lotus.

He Yue faced unprecedented online bullying, and the worst part was that she had no way to refute it since all the evidence was laid out in front of her.

Finally, He Yue could no longer stay in the game and had to quit *Journey*, not daring to log in again. She even canceled her account, hoping that the events in the game wouldn’t spill over into her real life.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao felt that as long as the female lead stopped causing trouble, he wouldn’t pursue the matter further. He focused wholeheartedly on enjoying the season with his teammates.

Although they were now short one healer after He Yue left, they could give Xiao Bai the equipment dropped by the female lead when she was killed. The equipment wasn’t gender-specific, so it could be transformed into male gear.

With Ying Zhao, Flame Dragon, and the male lead Lu Chenhui in the team, their combat power was already overwhelming, so there wasn’t much need for Xiao Bai to do extra damage. He simply switched to a half-archer, half-healer setup, focusing on support.

The team was perfectly coordinated and effortlessly made it to the finals.

Although Ying Zhao was busy with the game, he also kept an eye on real-life matters. He noticed that the male lead, Lu Chenhui, hadn’t taken any action against the department manager or his assistant.

However, Ying Zhao didn’t think Lu Chenhui would let them off the hook. He was likely waiting for the right moment to expose the Canglin Group behind them.

What surprised Ying Zhao, though, was that Lu Chenhui’s assistant somehow learned about what had happened in Journey. The assistant approached He Yue, hoping to work with her.

At first, He Yue refused. She still had feelings for Lu Chenhui and dreamed of becoming his wife. But after learning that the target of the assistant’s plan was none other than Ying Zixi, Zhu Mengshi in Journey, He Yue quickly changed her mind.

The promise of a large reward and assurances that they wouldn’t be caught convinced He Yue, and she eventually agreed to the scheme.

Watching these two quickly form an alliance, Ying Zhao rubbed his chin in amusement.

He naturally knew that the assistant was not a simple character. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to stay under Lu Chenhui’s radar for so many years without being discovered.

It was likely that He Yue was being used as a scapegoat this time. After all, she already had a grudge against him, so there was no need to fabricate any other reason to let her take the fall.

The amusing thing was, He Yue still thought this was a great opportunity to get revenge on him. But everything was her own choice.

Hearing what they were plotting, Ying Zhao understood that the male lead, Lu Chenhui, would soon close the net.

After the commotion He Yue caused on the forum ended, Ying Zhao’s days in Journey became even more comfortable. The only inconvenience was that every so often, he had to return to the real world. After all, this was just an online game world; his consciousness existed here, but his body remained in reality. If he didn’t go back, his physical body in the real world wouldn’t be able to hold up.

Additionally, there were tasks at work that required his attention as the team leader. However, leaving Journey for eight or nine hours in the real world was equivalent to eight or nine days in the game.

For Ying Zhao, this wasn’t much of a problem, but for Flame Dragon, it was definitely torment. Flame Dragon was naturally someone prone to overthinking and insecurity. If he didn’t know that Ying Zhao’s health would be affected if he didn’t return to reality, he wouldn’t have been able to tolerate his absence for so long.

Flame Dragon had seriously considered following Ying Zhao to the real world, entering the outsiders’ realm, but couldn’t figure out how.

Ying Zhao was well aware of Flame Dragon’s frustration. However, aside from not yet knowing how to fulfill such a desire technologically, if his lover really returned to the real world, where would his physical body come from?

Moreover, in Journey, Flame Dragon thrived. This world was designed for him, so Ying Zhao felt that it might not be a bad thing for him to stay here. Thus, how to overcome the divide between the two worlds was something they had to consider for the long term.

Although the time apart wasn’t long for Ying Zhao in terms of time flow, he still couldn’t bear for Flame Dragon to endure it continually. After thinking it over, Ying Zhao finally came up with a solution: he isolated the temple area in the Dragon Burial Grounds, making its time flow identical to that of the real world.

Now, when he had to return to reality, he would have Flame Dragon wait for him in the Dragon Burial Grounds.

After busying himself with adjusting the temple’s data, Ying Zhao also modified their communication devices, allowing Flame Dragon’s to link with his. This way, they could communicate anytime, even when Ying Zhao was in the real world, without being affected by the time difference.

After this adjustment, Flame Dragon would feel that Ying Zhao’s absence was the same as his own time. Upon learning this, Flame Dragon was overjoyed. After all, having gone through a period where he couldn’t see or contact Ying Zhao for days, it had nearly driven him mad.

So, when Ying Zhao was about to leave again, he explained his plan to Flame Dragon, who eagerly insisted on accompanying him to the temple. However, what Ying Zhao didn’t anticipate was that his modifications to the Dragon Burial Grounds to eliminate the time difference would unexpectedly affect Flame Dragon.

For some unknown reason, upon entering the temple in the Dragon Burial Grounds, Flame Dragon’s body was suddenly enveloped in a red glow, and his aura began to fluctuate.

At first, Ying Zhao was a bit worried, but soon he realized that Flame Dragon didn’t seem to be in real danger. Rather, the synchronization of time between the two worlds, combined with certain changes in the spatial code, acted like a key, unlocking the sealed memories in Flame Dragon’s mind.

Ying Zhao stood anxiously by, waiting, feeling somewhat nervous. Although he knew there shouldn’t be any danger, when something involved someone you cared about, it was hard not to feel uneasy.

After about fifteen minutes, the red glow around Flame Dragon finally dissipated. At that moment, he had remembered his true identity and even recalled the reasons why he had been placed in the world of Journey.

Journey had been running for five years, yet it still dominated all online games. When Lu Yan had been kidnapped, he was only sixteen. Shortly after his death, Lu Yan’s consciousness was placed into Journey by Lu Chenhui.

Now, with his memory fully restored, and combining his knowledge of this continent, a flash of white light passed through his eyes. Instantly, his authority rose to the highest level, allowing him to control the entire world of Journey. After all, this world had been created for him.

After absorbing all his memories, Flame Dragon’s gaze toward Ying Zhao became somewhat complicated. After all, he wasn’t entirely just a character from the game. While his understanding of the continent surpassed anyone’s, he also knew he had once been a real person in the world. Through all this time spent together, he had realized that Ying Zhao’s identity must not be so simple. With Ying Zhao’s deep familiarity with the game, it was likely he was a staff member working on Journey.

So, did his lover truly not mind that he was just a fragment of consciousness, a virtual NPC within a game?

For a moment, Flame Dragon didn’t know how to broach the subject.

Ying Zhao, unaware of what Flame Dragon was thinking, only saw his slightly melancholic expression. Worried, he walked over and softly asked, “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s form of address, Lu Yan suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Thinking of all his past immature actions, his face flushed slightly.

Although he had been young when he was kidnapped and murdered, Lu Yan now felt that his behavior as Flame Dragon had been far too immature.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, he shook his head at his beloved, just hoping that Ying Zhao wouldn’t look down on him.

The thought that he was merely a remnant consciousness in a virtual world, while Ying Zhao was a person from the real world, darkened Lu Yan’s expression. He held Ying Zhao’s hand and anxiously asked, “Ying Ying, you won’t leave me, will you?”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao opened his mouth but then nodded firmly at the man. He guessed that since Lu Yan’s memories had returned, he was feeling insecure about not being a real person. A surge of heartache rose in Ying Zhao, and he quickly wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist.

Resting his head gently on Lu Yan’s shoulder, he spoke softly, “My love, no matter who you are, I love you, and I will always, always be by your side!”

Lu Yan was momentarily stunned by Ying Zhao’s words. He lowered his head and said uncertainly, “You… you knew all along, didn’t you?”

Ying Zhao didn’t want to completely hide the truth from his lover, so he came up with an explanation and nodded at Flame Dragon, saying, “I didn’t know at first, but later, by chance, I realized that you were different from the other data.”

“But it doesn’t matter whether you’re data or something else. All I know is that I love you, and nothing else matters to me. Or… did you remember something?”

As he said this, Ying Zhao raised his head and looked intently into Flame Dragon’s eyes.

Seeing Ying Zhao’s sincere expression, Lu Yan began to explain his background to his beloved, telling him everything in detail.

After hearing it all, Ying Zhao looked shocked and exclaimed, “I never imagined Journey had such secrets, or that the Canglin Group has actually been attacking Shengheng Corporation. Just a few days ago, I intercepted two of their codes and reported them to headquarters.”

At this point, Ying Zhao’s expression turned serious, and he spoke with a face full of anger, “They dared to harm you! Don’t worry, I’ll avenge you!”

Lu Yan gently shook his head upon hearing this. He didn’t truly want Ying Zhao to avenge him; in fact, he didn’t even feel hatred. As long as his misfortune had led him to meet this person and fall in love with him, Lu Yan felt it was worth it—even if he was just a wandering soul in a virtual world.

Lowering his head, he lightly kissed Ying Zhao’s lips and softly said, “I think I need to inform my brother about my recovered memories, and then I’ll revive the Dragon Clan’s continent.”

“I know you have to return to the real world to handle things, but when you come back, can we get married? I want to have a grand wedding with you in Journey. Is that okay?”

Hearing his lover’s somewhat apprehensive words, Ying Zhao understood that Lu Yan was still feeling unsettled inside. So, he kissed his beloved back with a smile and happily replied, “Really? I’ve been waiting for this day for so long!”

Seeing the bright smile on Ying Zhao’s face, Flame Dragon finally breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them lingered in each other’s company for a while longer, but Ying Zhao didn’t leave right away.

Since he planned to be with his lover for the long term, it was indeed necessary to have a candid conversation with the male lead, Lu Chenhui.

Lu Chenhui was not only his lover’s brother but also his boss. To make things easier in the future, Ying Zhao thought it was important to have a proper discussion with him.

Given how much Lu Chenhui cared for his younger brother, he would probably agree to let Ying Zhao stay in Journey for extended periods to accompany Lu Yan. They could arrange for Ying Zhao’s role to be focused on internal maintenance and inspection within Journey, rather than having to return to the real world to handle company affairs.

After all, with the male lead’s approval, who in the entire corporation would dare defy him?

With this thought, Ying Zhao immediately suggested to Flame Dragon that they unseal the Dragon Clan’s continent.

Flame Dragon had originally planned to wait until Ying Zhao returned to discuss it, but after hearing Ying Zhao’s reasoning, he agreed. Without hesitation, he followed Ying Zhao’s instructions and lifted the seal on the continent.

In an instant, the ground shook and the mountains trembled. The entire world of Journey began to shift slightly. The gray area that belonged to the Dragon Clan was finally bathed in vibrant new colors.