ISWTDB Ch140

Chapter 140: The BOSS is always acting up (15, 16)

That guy, aside from looking a bit delicate, He Yue didn’t think Bai Mangmang had anything that deserved special treatment from Lu Chenhui. They had never completed a mission together; this person was merely a friend of Mengshi they had just met.

Moreover, it was obvious that the other party’s account was a new one. Although the level was not low, it was likely that their battle experience was insufficient.

He Yue hadn’t seen this name on other leaderboards, so why did Yin Jiuke think of letting him be the healer instead of having himself join the team?

Thinking of this, He Yue felt quite unbalanced in her heart, and she looked at Xiao Bai with a hint of disgust in her gaze.

The season would start two days later in game time. After the sky in Journey gradually darkened, Ying Zhao took the Flame Dragon back to the hotel where they had previously stayed.

Xiao Bai naturally went along since they had agreed to team up. As a teammate and Ying Zhao’s nominal friend in this world, Xiao Bai also didn’t want to be too far apart from him.

He Yue and Wang Qi hadn’t expected that Ying Zhao would stay in such a luxurious hotel, as the currency required to stay here was much more expensive than other hotels.

Although the game currency was not particularly tight, with the high demand for gold coins for advanced equipment forging, ordinary players wouldn’t waste their gold coins in such places.

Wang Qi sighed in admiration of Ying Zhao’s wealth. While he really hoped to team up with Ying Zhao, thinking about the few gold coins left in his pocket after just forging weapons made him sigh again, deciding to go fight some small monsters in the wild.

Yin Jiuke, however, paid without blinking at the front desk and even chose the same suite as them, which was somewhat unexpected for Ying Zhao.

He didn’t expect the male lead to choose to stay in the same hotel as them, and even specifically selected such a suite.

Of course, a suite couldn’t be occupied by just one person. Did the relationship between the male and female leads progress faster than he had realized, to the point where they could already stay together?

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao’s gaze swept between Yin Jiuke and He Yue. He Yue clearly thought the same way.

Seeing that Yin Jiuke had booked a suite, joy immediately appeared on her face, mixed with a hint of shyness as she looked at him.

He Yue felt that in the past, during the night, she had never seen Yin Jiuke stay in a hotel in Journey. Even when they were together, it was always out in the field doing missions.

Unexpectedly, thanks to Mengshi, there was such a good opportunity. The female lead thought she must seize this chance to win over the male lead.

However, before He Yue could enjoy her happiness for long, she saw Yin Jiuke walk over to Xiao Bai and say, “Let’s go; we’re in one room.”

Xiao Bai was momentarily stunned by this remark, instinctively looking at Ying Zhao beside him. Ying Zhao also didn’t expect Yin Jiuke to do this and raised an eyebrow at the male lead.

Then they heard the male lead expressionlessly say to him, “Are you going to let him stay with you?”

Yin Jiuke cast a glance at the Flame Dragon and slightly frowned at Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao understood; clearly, Yin Jiuke had already noticed that he and the Flame Dragon were a couple. As soon as the Flame Dragon saw the male lead’s gaze on Ying Zhao, he instinctively wrapped an arm around Ying Zhao’s shoulder, asserting his claim.

Seeing the man do this, Ying Zhao knew that there was no way to let Xiao Bai stay with them. Not to mention that the suite only had two rooms; if Xiao Bai came, he might only be able to sleep on the sofa.

Even if he was willing to share half of his bed with Xiao Bai, his possessive husband would probably explode with anger on the spot. The scene would be difficult to manage then.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Lu Chenhui point at Xiao Bai and say, “We are teammates this season. Don’t worry; I’ll take care of him.”

Ying Zhao didn’t quite understand the male lead’s intentions, but seeing him so businesslike, he could only suppress the doubts in his heart for now.

He thought to himself, could it be that the male lead actually had a favorable impression of him and the Flame Dragon because of their abilities and the Flame Dragon’s resemblance to his brother?

From today’s interactions, he could sense that the male lead didn’t seem to have any fondness for the female lead, He Yue; he could even say there was some aversion.

He couldn’t understand why, despite that, in the original plot, Lu Chenhui still ended up with the female lead. What kind of opportunity changed his mindset to eventually fall in love with her?

However, coming to this world, the last thing Ying Zhao wanted was for the female lead to have her wishes fulfilled. Looking at He Yue’s gnashing teeth beside him, Ying Zhao curled his lips and nodded at Xiao Bai.

After all, the small world wouldn’t follow the plot as it was laid out, so at first, Ying Zhao was worried that it might be because of Xiao Bai’s appearance that Lu Chenhui would develop other thoughts. Because even though he seemed indifferent, you could never truly know a person’s heart.

But then he thought, in this game world, Xiao Bai, as a system, could manipulate the entire Journey.

Furthermore, according to the game’s settings, unless consent was given, others indeed couldn’t do anything to someone else. That’s why Ying Zhao felt reassured and agreed to the male lead’s suggestion.

Xiao Bai also understood that wanting to stay with Ying Zhao was impossible because of the host’s partner. Following behind him without being part of his mind’s sea would just make him a huge light bulb.

Even as a system, he understood that interfering in someone else’s love life was quite inappropriate. Xiao Bai originally planned to book a room in the same hotel. Although he didn’t have many gold coins, he didn’t have a particularly strong concept of currency.

However, with insufficient gold coins, he might still need to alter some game data, which always involved a certain risk. Now that someone was willing to pay for him, it was naturally a good thing.

Thinking of this, Xiao Bai couldn’t help but smile gratefully at Yin Jiuke and said, “Thank you then.”

He sighed inwardly, realizing that the male lead in this world was truly a good person.

Yin Jiuke replied flatly, “No need.” He tossed the room card directly to Xiao Bai and then walked ahead alone.

After chatting a bit with Ying Zhao, Xiao Bai followed Lu Chenhui. The two of them returned to their designated room, completely ignoring the female lead, He Yue, who was watching them with a dazed expression.

In the end, He Yue could only stomp her feet in frustration and painfully pay for a room, choosing a single room that was not far from Lu Chenhui.

However, due to the female lead’s financial constraints, she naturally couldn’t afford accommodations as luxurious as Ying Zhao’s. Nevertheless, the hotel itself was not of ordinary standard, so all the room environments were quite good.

Watching the female lead’s frustrated and angry expression, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile, finding Lu Chenhui rather interesting.

Flame Dragon, seeing Ying Zhao’s persistent gaze on Lu Chenhui and Xiao Bai, pouted in displeasure and pulled Ying Zhao back into their room, saying with a frown, “Why do you keep staring at those two?”

Looking at Flame Dragon’s somewhat childish demeanor, Ying Zhao felt a mischievous urge to tease him. He smiled and said to Flame Dragon, “Maybe it’s because they’re both quite handsome.”

“What? Do you have a crush on them?” Flame Dragon was shocked by Ying Zhao’s words.

Initially, after seeing Xiao Bai’s respectful demeanor toward him and the words exchanged, he hadn’t given their relationship much thought. But now, hearing Ying Zhao praise other men right in front of him, Flame Dragon couldn’t remain calm. He recalled how Yin Jiuke had eyed his servant and how Ying Zhao had been so close and warm with Xiao Bai.

Flame Dragon instantly felt a burning jealousy, thinking angrily, This ungrateful little thing already has a good master like me; how could he still flirt with other men?

He completely failed to realize that his possessiveness toward Ying Zhao had strayed far from that of a master.

Flame Dragon stared hard at Ying Zhao and said fiercely, “You’re my servant; you can’t have feelings for anyone else!”

He was eager to assert his dominance, believing that he absolutely couldn’t allow anyone else to claim what belonged to him. Flame Dragon didn’t want to see Ying Zhao exhibit any closeness with anyone else. He wanted Ying Zhao to belong to him forever, always by his side.

Hearing this, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow and pretended to be confused, asking Flame Dragon, “Why not? Your Highness, I remember that there’s never been such a rule for any servant. I can be with whoever I want; that’s my freedom!”

This was just a game world, so players naturally had the highest degree of freedom. Even if an NPC had signed a master-servant contract, personal will was certainly not subject to interference.

However, when Flame Dragon heard Ying Zhao’s words, he became thoroughly enraged. He grabbed Ying Zhao by the shoulders and growled angrily, “I won’t allow it! You belong to me!”

The moment he thought about his little servant being with someone else, Flame Dragon was driven nearly mad with rage. He grabbed Ying Zhao’s chin and forcefully pinned him against the door frame.

A voice in his head screamed frantically that this person would run away, would leave him, and that one day he would lose him.

Once such thoughts emerged, Flame Dragon felt a deep heartache. His red eyes, already crimson, were now filled with bloodshot veins, and his entire face looked terrifyingly ferocious.

He then clutched his head and suddenly squatted down, seemingly unable to control his emotions, causing the entire dragon’s data to start going haywire.

The once calm ground began to tremble slightly, and Ying Zhao watched as everything in the room shook. A mechanical warning sound echoed in his mind, indicating that the small world faced the danger of collapsing.

At this moment, Ying Zhao realized that things were far more serious than he had imagined. He hadn’t expected that a few joking words would have such a severe impact on his lover.

With his lover’s power, even if it was just a fragment of a soul, once unleashed in fury, it could definitely destroy this virtual world.

Seeing Flame Dragon’s painful expression, Ying Zhao felt an immense ache in his heart. He scolded himself for knowing that his lover had a tendency to overthink, and for not being more careful to avoid triggering him in a world that lacked their usual memories together.

It was all his fault; he found his lover in this little world to be both childish and adorable. Their time together was so much fun and so pleasant that he had unknowingly made such a serious mistake.

Just as Ying Zhao was at a loss for what to do, Flame Dragon suddenly stood up. He took a few steps back and shouted at Ying Zhao, “Go! Get away from me; I don’t want to hurt you!”

Flame Dragon felt that he could no longer control the energy within him. His data was wildly spiraling out of control, and he realized that he could affect the entire world.

He found this power terrifying; if it erupted uncontrollably, it might harm the person standing in front of him.

No, he couldn’t allow this person to be hurt!

Flame Dragon couldn’t bear the thought of Ying Zhao suffering even the slightest injury, so he shouted for him to leave quickly.

He had already made up his mind: once his little servant left, if he still couldn’t control this power, even if it meant self-destruction, he would protect this world just to ensure that Ying Zhao could live well.

Seeing the resolute look in Flame Dragon’s eyes, Ying Zhao, who had interacted with many men across countless worlds, could hardly miss his intentions.

He thought that his lover might want to do something foolish to protect him, and his heart skipped a beat.

Then, he rushed toward Flame Dragon, throwing himself into the man’s embrace.

“Xiao Bai! Didn’t I tell you to leave? Let go of me!” Flame Dragon, frightened, felt himself on the verge of losing control, angrily growling at Ying Zhao.

“I won’t! Even if I die, I’ll die with you!” Ying Zhao’s eyes were red, and his gaze was filled with unyielding determination.

Even if it was just a small world, he didn’t want to be apart from the man, no matter life or death. Having lost before, he understood the kind of heart-wrenching pain it caused. This kind of suffering, he didn’t want to experience again.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao reached out his hands, touched Flame Dragon’s face, and then revealed a gentle smile as he kissed the man’s lips heavily.

The soft sensation was like a stone thrown into the heart’s lake, creating ripples. The kiss from the one in his embrace seemed to have magical powers, calming the man’s restless energy, allowing him to gradually settle down.

Flame Dragon took a deep breath of Ying Zhao’s cold fragrance and looked at the trembling wings of the other. He felt as if he had been redeemed and slowly tightened his embrace.

After a long kiss, the two finally parted. Ying Zhao lay in Flame Dragon’s arms, holding his beloved tightly. Watching as the surrounding energy finally calmed down and the alarms in his mind faded away, he let out a sigh of relief.

However, he then heard Flame Dragon, who seemed somewhat exhausted, say to him, “Yingying, you should leave.”

Ying Zhao was taken aback and quickly lifted his head, only to see the evident pain in the man’s eyes.

Flame Dragon had truly scared himself. He never expected that he would have such uncontrollable moments. He didn’t know what had gone wrong with the data inside his body, but the thought that he might harm the one in his arms was unbearable.

He couldn’t hurt him, not even a little bit. Flame Dragon knew this was his bottom line, a line he could never cross.

Although he didn’t know when it had happened, the beautiful elf in his heart had become so important to him, and Flame Dragon didn’t reject this feeling.

But now, this potential threat that could harm the other was himself. So even if he felt a thousand and one reluctances in his heart, Flame Dragon had to let go.

It took all his strength to say the words that would push the other away, as if just saying it had drained him completely.

Watching as the man’s eyes dimmed in an instant, Ying Zhao guessed the worries in Flame Dragon’s heart. He bit his lip, and with tears in his eyes, he sank his teeth hard into the man’s shoulder.

Hearing the muffled groan of pain from the man, Ying Zhao finally let go. He raised his head to see the sadness on Flame Dragon’s face and sighed softly, asking, “You want me to leave? Where do you want me to go?”

Seeing the fleeting confusion in the man’s eyes, Ying Zhao lowered his gaze. “Do you really want me to leave you? Are you willing to watch me be with someone else?”

Noticing Flame Dragon’s increasingly grim expression, Ying Zhao decided to stoke the fire. He stood on tiptoes and kissed Flame Dragon’s lips, softly saying, “Would you be willing to see me kiss someone else like this?”

Hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Flame Dragon’s pupils contracted sharply, and his aura turned terrifying again.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao smiled gently. He tightly hugged Flame Dragon, nestled into his embrace, and softly said, “But even if Your Highness is willing, I’m not. Your Highness, can you truly endure seeing me with someone else?”

Flame Dragon shook his head vigorously. He only didn’t want to hurt the other. But just thinking about another person hugging his little servant, kissing him, and being intimate with him made Flame Dragon feel insane with jealousy.

“I just… don’t want you to be hurt.” Flame Dragon felt his throat dry. He had just uttered the words asking the other to leave. But his body was more honest than his words, tightening its grip around Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao could naturally feel his beloved’s reluctance, so he wrapped his arms around Flame Dragon’s neck and gently kissed his forehead, soothing him, “That was just an accident.”

“Your Highness, I believe in you. I know you would never hurt me! Please believe in yourself for my sake, okay?”

As Ying Zhao spoke, he held Flame Dragon’s hand, their fingers interlocking tightly.

Looking into the man’s eyes, which had clearly wavered, Ying Zhao earnestly gazed into his beloved’s eyes and said, “Your Highness wants me to be happy, right? But do you think anyone else could care for me more than you do?”

Ying Zhao’s words were enticing, and Flame Dragon dumbly shook his head, feeling indignant: Yes, in this world, he must be the one who treats Yingying the best! How could anyone be stronger or care for his little servant more than he did!

Even if he let go, could Ying Zhao be happy? If he weren’t by his side, what if someone bullied him? His beautiful elf, what if he encountered someone with bad intentions?

Thinking of this, Flame Dragon’s brows knitted tighter and tighter.

Seeing the serious expression on the man’s face, Ying Zhao licked his dry lips. Remembering the cute dream his beloved had before, Ying Zhao leaned closer to Flame Dragon’s ear and whispered, “Your Highness, I like you the most, the most, the most!”

The reality and the dream oddly overlapped, causing Flame Dragon to pause his breathing. He stared blankly at Ying Zhao, watching the perfect smile on his face, and couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Then, before Ying Zhao could say anything more, he lowered his head and fiercely captured the lips of the one he adored, kissing the elf he loved to madness.

Unfortunately, the man was still inexperienced, only knowing how to touch their lips together. But even so, Flame Dragon felt immense joy and satisfaction. After a long while, he finally let go of Ying Zhao.

Seeing the teasing smile in the other’s eyes, Flame Dragon’s face turned slightly red. He cleared his throat and said, “I was just expressing my gratitude for my liking you. This… this is how Yingying taught me.”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao blinked and felt that indeed, his beloved was the cutest. He then nodded affirmatively at Flame Dragon and said, “Then, Your Highness, there are actually even more heartfelt ways to express gratitude. Would you like to try?”

The enchanting smile of the one in his arms bewitched Flame Dragon completely. He obediently lowered his head as Ying Zhao pulled on his hair, and he decisively received a fiery deep kiss.

The unprecedented experience made the man feel as if he could fly. The soft sensation on his lips almost drove him insane.

Taking a deep breath, Flame Dragon raised his head, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Ying Zhao.

This made Ying Zhao feel as if he was looking at a wolf dog that had just seen a piece of meat.

Just as he was about to say something, Flame Dragon leaned down again and began to practice the new way of expressing gratitude he had just learned repeatedly on Ying Zhao.

Flame Dragon was like a child who had found a new toy, pecking at Ying Zhao’s lips over and over. He even naturally kissed every inch of Ying Zhao’s face: his brow, forehead, nose, and cheeks, leaving no spot untouched.

Raindrop-like kisses fell onto Ying Zhao’s face, allowing him to feel the deep affection and fondness the man had for him. His heart immediately softened, and he allowed the other to do as he pleased.

The wonderful taste of the one in his arms left Flame Dragon wanting more. After a long time, the two finally parted.

The satisfaction in the man’s eyes shone brightly, and his expression had softened considerably. He looked at Ying Zhao with joy and said, “Yingying, I like this way of expressing gratitude. I’m your master, and I command you to express this kind of gratitude to me every day!”

Hearing this, Ying Zhao twitched his lips and then nodded expressionlessly. Sure enough, once the man showed weakness, it was easy for him to dig his own grave.

However, seeing Flame Dragon’s joyful expression, Ying Zhao didn’t think it was a bad thing. Being intimate with the one he loved always brought a sense of happiness.

After spending so long together, whether in the routine of an old married couple or in this sweet romantic feeling, as long as it was brought by this person, Ying Zhao found it enjoyable.

This moment of sweetness finally eased the man’s inner turmoil. Thinking that there was still much to do tomorrow, Ying Zhao gently said to Flame Dragon, “Your Highness, it’s quite late. We should get some rest.”

Flame Dragon nodded in response but did not return to his room. Instead, he childishly said to Ying Zhao, “Yingying, let’s change rooms today. I want to sleep in this bed.”

Seeing Ying Zhao’s puzzled expression, Flame Dragon’s face flushed as he pouted in dissatisfaction, saying, “I tried it yesterday, and this bed is much more comfortable. You sly little thing, did you know that all along and chose to sleep here!”