ISWTDB Ch147

Chapter 147: The BOSS is always acting up (28, 29)

All players received a system announcement and were astonished when the long-awaited Dragon Clan Continent was suddenly unlocked without any warning.

At the same time, Lu Chenhui, who was having a meal with Xiao Bai, widened his eyes in disbelief as he stared at the system message before him.

Was there something wrong with his younger brother?

Lu Chenhui felt that the sudden occurrence was unexpected, and he understood that only Lu Yan possessed such power. No matter what, he had to go check it out.

So, the protagonist immediately excused himself to Xiao Bai, saying he had an urgent matter to attend to, and rushed to the Dragon Clan’s tomb.

Upon arriving, he saw Flame Dragon, now fully restored in his Dragon Clan regalia, standing intimately with Ying Zhao.

Seeing Flame Dragon in this state, Lu Chenhui finally confirmed his earlier suspicions. This person really was his younger brother, Lu Yan.

He couldn’t quite believe it. Ever since their parents passed away, Lu Yan had been his only family, and they had grown up relying on each other.

Although he treated everyone else with indifference, he held a special bond with Lu Yan—the familial love between brothers.

After hesitating for a long time, Lu Chenhui finally stepped forward, pursed his lips, and said, “Lu Yan, do you recognize me?”

Hearing Lu Chenhui’s words, Flame Dragon clenched his fists to hide his excitement, trying to calm his emotions before nodding at the protagonist.

This man was his brother. Without him, he would have long since ceased to exist, so how could he still be alive in this world?

He felt immense gratitude toward his brother, but before he could say anything, Lu Chenhui’s eyes reddened, and he said, “Lu Yan, I’m sorry! It’s all my fault. If I had gone to pick you up myself back then, none of this would have happened!”

Moved by Lu Chenhui’s heartfelt remorse, Ying Zhao also felt a wave of emotion.

Flame Dragon’s eyes softened as he heard these words. He walked over and embraced the man, speaking softly, “Brother, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t exist anymore.”

“I’m doing well now, and I’ve met the love of my life. Brother, don’t blame yourself. None of this is your fault!”

Looking at the tall, handsome Flame Dragon before him, Lu Chenhui’s heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

He had dreamed countless times that his brother would awaken, but all this time, he had never found the right opportunity.

After all, converting consciousness into this virtual world had too many uncertainties, so he had always been afraid to act, worried that something might go wrong with Lu Yan.

Yet unexpectedly, it was Ying Zhao who had awakened him.

Seeing that Flame Dragon was perfectly fine and even stronger than before, Lu Chenhui felt deeply relieved. He turned to Ying Zhao and sincerely said, “Thank you.”

Ying Zhao nodded and then explained his plan to adjust his work duties, which Lu Chenhui readily agreed to.

Having said everything he needed to, Ying Zhao returned to the real world to take care of his matters, leaving the brothers to reconnect.

Lu Chenhui and Flame Dragon talked for a long time before parting. After the protagonist left, Flame Dragon immediately returned to the temple to wait for his beloved.

Though he had just parted ways with Ying Zhao, Lu Yan already couldn’t help but miss him. He sent a couple of messages to Ying Zhao, and seeing his lover’s replies helped calm his heart.

On the other side, Lu Chenhui, still feeling emotional, returned to the hotel. As soon as he saw Xiao Bai, he embraced him tightly.

Xiao Bai didn’t quite understand why Lu Chenhui was suddenly so emotional, but he patted Lu Chenhui’s shoulder in support, hoping to help him relax.

Xiao Bai was considerate and didn’t ask too many questions, and the two of them stayed in each other’s arms for a long time.

Lu Chenhui had already been informed by Ying Zhao that the data in the Dragon Clan’s temple had been readjusted so that the flow of time there matched the external world, so he didn’t plan on disturbing them.

After all, he had created this world just to ensure that his brother could live comfortably.

Meanwhile, he stayed in Journey, peacefully accompanying his beloved while thinking of ways to win Xiao Bai’s affection.

The season was long, and though it didn’t seem like much time in the real world, in the game, one hour in reality equated to an entire day in the game.

This setup allowed players to step away from the game to handle real-life matters and replenish their energy through meals.

Although Ying Zhao had returned to take care of things, Lu Chenhui, due to his connection with Xiao Bai, never stayed away from the game for long.

He would quickly deal with his physical needs and company affairs before rushing back to spend time with Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai knew that Lu Chenhui was a real-world person, different from himself. While he was touched by how much time and effort Lu Chenhui put into being with him, he also worried that it might interfere with his life.

After a few failed attempts to dissuade him, Xiao Bai gave up.

During the time when Ying Zhao and Flame Dragon were away, they couldn’t complete any season missions, but there were still many secret realm maps that could be explored individually.

Wang Qi, noticing that the guild leader was absent, often came to find Xiao Bai, joining him and others to hunt for equipment and explore maps together.

After spending more time together, Wang Qi increasingly felt that their guild leader’s friend was truly a great person.

Though not as strikingly handsome as the guild leader, Xiao Bai had a pure and adorable charm that gave off a sense of innocence.

Wang Qi was naturally gay, and when he first entered the game Journey, he was initially impressed by Zhu Mengshi’s skills and exceptional strategic abilities.

However, as time passed, Wang Qi gradually developed feelings for Zhu Mengshi. Yet, he never dared to confess his feelings.

He thought that Zhu Mengshi was a reserved person, especially after He Yue came into the game at someone’s request. Zhu Mengshi’s special attention to He Yue made it even harder for Wang Qi to express his feelings.

Wang Qi could tell that Zhu Mengshi liked He Yue, and he assumed that since their guild leader liked women, there was no way he would accept him. Thus, he had no choice but to bury his feelings.

But just a few days ago, he was told by Ying Zhao that Zhu Mengshi didn’t actually have feelings for He Yue. However, Wang Qi then discovered that their guild leader already had a deeply loving partner, and more importantly, that partner was a man.

When Wang Qi learned this, he was utterly shocked and felt a mix of bitter emotions.

So, what had all his years of burying his feelings because of their supposed incompatibility even been for?

Yet, Wang Qi understood that now he truly had no chance. As much as he hated to admit it, Flame Dragon was an incredibly strong and capable person who clearly deserved their guild leader.

Wang Qi wasn’t someone who would blindly persist without reason. Over the past few days, he had come to terms with the situation.

He felt that as long as their guild leader, such a wonderful person, found happiness, he could be happy for him too.

As a result, Wang Qi began spending more time with Bai Mangmang and Yin Jiuke, teaming up with them and using these activities to clear his mind.

However, as they spent more time together, Wang Qi found Xiao Bai’s personality increasingly endearing and irresistibly attractive.

Unintentionally, Wang Qi developed a liking for Xiao Bai.

With his past experience with Zhu Mengshi in mind, Wang Qi decided not to hesitate again. If he liked someone, he had to confess quickly and take his chance; otherwise, someone else might seize the opportunity.

Thus, Wang Qi decided to boldly pursue Xiao Bai.

Though he wasn’t as wealthy as Flame Dragon, he still tried his best to show care and attention, always staying by Xiao Bai’s side. From time to time, he even bought small, fancy in-game gifts and snacks to express his feelings.

However, Xiao Bai didn’t have any special feelings for Wang Qi. Faced with Wang Qi’s gestures, Xiao Bai wasn’t able to reciprocate.

Even so, after spending time together, Xiao Bai still thought Wang Qi was a good person and didn’t want to hurt him. So, he tried his best to politely convey that he wasn’t looking to develop a romantic relationship.

Unfortunately, Wang Qi, being rather oblivious, didn’t catch on to Xiao Bai’s rejection. He continued with his efforts, confident that his persistence would eventually win Xiao Bai over.

What Wang Qi didn’t realize was that Lu Chenhui’s expression was growing increasingly displeased whenever he looked at Wang Qi.

Watching Wang Qi, once again, showering attention on his beloved elf, Lu Chenhui clenched his fists.

He wanted nothing more than to slash Wang Qi’s levels down to zero and banish him back to the beginner’s village.

However, he knew he couldn’t do that, or else Xiao Bai would surely be upset.

After all, Xiao Bai still seemed to consider Wang Qi a friend.

If Xiao Bai hadn’t consistently refrained from responding to Wang Qi’s advances, Lu Chenhui wasn’t sure he could have held back this long.

Originally, Lu Chenhui had planned to slowly and patiently win Xiao Bai over, to gently warm his heart like a frog in slowly heating water. He wanted Xiao Bai to fully accept him.

But Wang Qi, this orc, had barged in unexpectedly, throwing off Lu Chenhui’s carefully planned pace and filling him with anxiety.

Xiao Bai was so gentle and kind—what if, in a moment of hesitation, Xiao Bai couldn’t find a way to reject Wang Qi’s emotional advances and ended up agreeing out of fear of hurting him?

The more Lu Chenhui thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and his heart grew more restless.

The result of all this was that Xiao Bai had recently been feeling a bit troubled.

He couldn’t understand why his two teammates were suddenly so clingy.

Every day, they each tried their best to please him in all sorts of ways.

The protagonist, Lu Chenhui, would order an endless array of delicious meals at the hotel for Xiao Bai. After eating his fill, when he went outside, Wang Qi would bring him specialty snacks.

If Xiao Bai ate a little less from one person, that person would show a downcast expression.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bai’s inventory was filling up with cosmetic gear. Due to their different classes, neither Wang Qi nor Lu Chenhui could obtain equipment suited for elves, but there were still some general cosmetic items they could give him.

There were also rare materials that the two of them competed to gather and offer to Xiao Bai.

Clearly, Lu Chenhui was far wealthier than Wang Qi.

But Xiao Bai didn’t accept everything they gave him. After all, many of the rare materials weren’t really useful to him, and he didn’t like feeling indebted.

So, he only took the materials needed for upgrading equipment during the season, and refused the rest.

Even so, the two continued to compete, presenting him with more and more interesting items, leaving Xiao Bai unsure of what to do.

It became clear that Wang Qi had realized that Lu Chenhui had the same intentions as him—both were pursuing Xiao Bai.

However, since Xiao Bai hadn’t shown any preference for either of them, Wang Qi believed he still had a chance, so his advances became even more aggressive.

For a while, because of Xiao Bai’s neutral attitude, the two were evenly matched.

But this balance was broken after just a few days.

One day, Lu Chenhui’s company encountered an urgent situation, and he had to temporarily leave during a dungeon run with Xiao Bai and Wang Qi. He asked them to wait for him at the entrance of the map.

It only took him a few minutes to resolve the issue, but he knew that time in the game might have already passed by an hour or two.

When he hurried back, he found that Wang Qi and Xiao Bai were no longer waiting at the palace entrance of the dungeon map.

After searching for a bit, he found the two of them in a hidden corner not far away.

More importantly, Xiao Bai was being held in Wang Qi’s arms.

The sight struck Lu Chenhui like a lightning bolt. He couldn’t believe that everything had changed in just the short time he’d been away.

Had the treasure he had spent so much time seeking already fallen for someone else?

Lu Chenhui couldn’t accept this reality. His eyes turned red as he slowly approached the two.

He saw Wang Qi not only holding Xiao Bai but also whispering in his ear, “Xiao Bai, I really like you. I truly like you!”

To make matters worse, Xiao Bai even patted Wang Qi’s shoulder in a gesture of encouragement.

In that instant, Lu Chenhui felt as if he was about to go mad. All the calm and restraint he had carefully maintained evaporated in that moment.

He pulled out his necromancer’s weapon and, glaring furiously at the tall orc, unleashed a full-force attack on Wang Qi.

Wang Qi, completely unaware of the danger behind him, was killed instantly.

Because they were not in death mode, Wang Qi was simply sent back to the respawn point without even losing any experience, only a few pieces of his equipment.

However, Lu Chenhui understood that in that moment, he hadn’t cared whether it was a virtual world or not—he had genuinely wanted to kill that orc.

Xiao Bai was stunned by what had just happened, staring blankly at the scene before him. He saw Lu Chenhui, his eyes bloodshot and glaring at him like a demon, and for some reason, Xiao Bai felt a pang of guilt.

But then he remembered that his teammate had just been inexplicably killed. Swallowing hard, he tried to keep his voice calm as he asked, “Chenhui, what are you doing? Why did you attack Wang Qi?”

To his surprise, the usually gentle protagonist didn’t respond to his question. Instead, Lu Chenhui walked straight up to Xiao Bai and forcefully grabbed his arm.

Xiao Bai had no idea what Lu Chenhui intended to do, especially after having spent so much time together and growing to trust him.

Xiao Bai didn’t resist Lu Chenhui. He had always felt a sense of familiarity and comfort with him. Even now, with Lu Chenhui looking so fierce, Xiao Bai didn’t believe he would be hurt, so he allowed him to act, curious to see what he would do.

But in the next second, Lu Chenhui’s actions shocked Xiao Bai.

Lu Chenhui suddenly pulled Xiao Bai into a strong embrace and lowered his head, pressing a fierce, scorching kiss to Xiao Bai’s lips. Xiao Bai froze in place, completely stunned that Lu Chenhui would suddenly kiss him.

He had completely forgotten that, in the game, such intimate contact wouldn’t happen unless he subconsciously allowed it.

The stirrings from the awakening of his soul imprint made Xiao Bai’s eyes widen in shock.

At that moment, he couldn’t think of anything else. His mind was flooded with one question: Why him? Why here?

After what felt like ages, Lu Chenhui finally lifted his head again, panting heavily. His gaze on Xiao Bai had completely changed—now filled with darkness and madness.

In a voice tinged with desperation, Lu Chenhui asked, “Why? Why did you choose another man?”

“What did you tell me before? You said you didn’t understand what true love was yet. You said our positions were different, so you couldn’t accept me.”

“So, does that mean that man shares the same position as you? He’s just a person from a small world! Why can you accept him but not me?”

“Bai! Do you know what those days were like for me after you left? Do you know how hard I worked to find you?”

Lu Chenhui’s pained expression filled Xiao Bai’s heart with sorrow. He wanted to comfort him but didn’t know what to say. All he could do was listen as Lu Chenhui’s voice, filled with unshakable sorrow, questioned him.

“You said before that it was because we’d spent so much time together that I’d developed possessiveness, and that was what I called love.”

“But you’re not me! How do you know my feelings were just an illusion?”

“I followed you to this world because of what you said. I sealed my own memories on purpose. I wanted to be born into this world like a human, to see if what you said was true.”

“But for all these years, I’ve always felt like a passerby in this world. Until I met you, I still couldn’t let go!”

“Xiao Bai, if this isn’t love, then I don’t know what love is!”

“Why couldn’t you choose me? Why are you with him? What makes him better than me?”

Lu Chenhui’s grip tightened on Xiao Bai’s shoulders, and Xiao Bai felt like his shoulders were about to be crushed.

Yet he didn’t feel the slightest urge to resist. His old conflicts and hesitations gnawed at his heart, leaving him paralyzed.

Suddenly, Xiao Bai really hoped the man would hurt him in a fit of anger, just so the other person could feel a little better inside.

But it was clear that the man’s hand only tightened unconsciously. If he truly knew it would hurt him, the man would probably feel more pain than Xiao Bai.

Yes, he didn’t know when it started, but the man had always been doting on him, as if trying to hold him carefully in the palm of his hand.

He remembered when they were still living in that world, he had casually mentioned that he thought the sacred tree of Xiling Kingdom was beautiful. That madman went and conquered the entire country.

Wrapped in blood-stained bandages, the man had cheerfully told him that from then on, he could see the sacred tree every day.

He even built a courtyard near the tree, making that national sacred tree his private backyard, all just to make him happy.

The man had done many such things. To say he wasn’t touched or moved would be a lie.

That man would never let him suffer even the slightest harm.

“Chen Tian!” Xiao Bai opened his mouth, his voice involuntarily trembling.

Chen Tian was the name Xiao Bai had personally given to the Heavenly Dao during their time together. He never thought that Chen Tian would actually follow him into this world.

At that moment, Xiao Bai suddenly didn’t know how he should feel toward this person.

The warmth of the other’s embrace was so comforting, so addictive, that he couldn’t lie to himself.

This guy had previously forcefully engraved a soul mark on him, so as long as they engaged in something intimate, they could recognize each other.

And after being kissed by the man, he felt only closeness and dependence, to the point that he didn’t even want to let go of him.

However, their positions were ultimately different. Seeing the madness in the man’s eyes, Xiao Bai knew Chen Tian’s stubbornness, afraid that he might really go crazy and destroy the planes.

He hurriedly changed his words and said, “I’m not with anyone! Just now, when you left, Wang Qi confessed to me, and I rejected him. He only asked for a hug, and that’s all.”

Hearing Xiao Bai say this, the Heavenly Dao’s anger slightly eased.

He stared into Xiao Bai’s eyes, took a deep breath, and asked, “Really? You really rejected him?”

Xiao Bai nodded firmly in response, and only then did the Heavenly Dao’s emotions calm a little. But he still hugged Xiao Bai tightly, overbearingly.

Over and over again, he whispered in Xiao Bai’s ear, “Xiao Bai, love me, will you?”

“Please, please don’t push me away anymore, I really can’t take it!”

“I only want you, I can give up everything else. Really, I’ll give up everything, as long as you don’t leave me. Anything is fine.”

The Heavenly Dao’s voice was low, with a barely noticeable hint of choking.

He kissed his beloved’s lips softly, again and again, as if pouring out the joy of recovering what he thought was lost.

His cautious demeanor made Xiao Bai’s eyes redden uncontrollably.

Someone who had once been so wild and carefree had changed into this, all for him.

So humble, as if he wanted to crawl before him, just to beg for a sliver of his affection.

Thinking of this, Xiao Bai felt his throat tighten and his sore eyes blinked, as if tears were about to fall at any moment.

In his heart, he sighed, realizing how fate can sometimes exceed everyone’s expectations. No one can know what the future holds.

Who could have imagined that two people, who were once so impossible, would now be so deeply connected?

Actually, in his heart, he had long understood his feelings for this person, hadn’t he?

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Author’s note:

There won’t be any angst. This small world features more side couples because the Heavenly Dao plays a significant role in the main storyline. Tomorrow, I’ll plant a major plot twist.

Their story will have an epilogue, and the connections between the Heavenly Dao and Xiao Bai will trigger a very interesting event once the entire story concludes, and this trigger will set off a chain reaction, hehehe.

Am I giving away too many spoilers, ORZ?