ISWTDB Ch162

Chapter 162: The End of the World (23, 24)

In the sea of consciousness, Xiao Bai was staring at his host in shock, watching him turn the tables with complete audacity.

He thought to himself, indeed, his host had gone through many small worlds, and his cunning had grown deeper and deeper.

At this moment, Ying Zhao was suppressing his laughter, mischievously watching his man fumble in confusion.

The man was trying hard to explain himself, saying he really didn’t know why the button ended up on the bed.

In this matter, Situ Ran didn’t intend to deceive Ying Zhao, so he didn’t make up any excuse to cover it up.

However, he truly didn’t know how the button ended up there.

Seeing his lover sweat nervously, Ying Zhao finally hid the smile in his eyes.

He nodded, signaling that he accepted the man’s explanation.

But then, Ying Zhao looked out the window, his gaze becoming distant.

He softly said, “I never thought that even now, someone could still come in and find you.”

“It seems like this place isn’t safe enough after all.”

The young man looked somewhat despondent, as if his whole being had emptied out, making Situ Ran feel a twinge of heartache.

But before he could say anything to comfort him, the other suddenly hugged him tightly.

With a choked voice, he said, “What should I do, Situ Ran, I’m so scared!”

“I’m so scared that when I leave, someone will come to find you and tell you to leave me! Will you leave me, my dear?”

Seeing the young man’s fragile appearance, Situ Ran immediately shook his head vigorously.

Leave his precious baby? How could that be possible!

Even if someone put a knife to his neck and forced him to leave, he would refuse.

At this moment, there was nothing and no one in the world that could compare to the young man in his heart.

Situ Ran wanted to confess his feelings to Ying Zhao, but before he could say a word, the other kissed him fiercely on the lips.

That desperate posture left Situ Ran momentarily stunned, and then he realized that the young man seemed to have truly made up his mind.

The man had always deeply loved Ying Zhao, and before, because his arm wasn’t healed, it was inconvenient.

Recently, his arm and body had fully recovered. With their growing closeness every day, how could he not have looked forward to this?

But now, the young man’s intentions were too obvious, causing Situ Ran to swallow nervously.

Although this was what he had hoped for, he didn’t want it to happen under the pressure of certain emotions.

The young man was clearly emotionally agitated, and he was afraid the other would act impulsively and do something he would regret.

So, Situ Ran restrained one of Ying Zhao’s arms, gazing deeply into his eyes.

Even though it was hard to hold back, he had to confirm one more time.

“Baby, have you really thought it through? Do you really want to do this?”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, the young man pouted and his eyes reddened.

With a slight sob, he said, “You don’t want me, do you? You were lying when you said you loved me, weren’t you!”

Hearing Ying Zhao say this, Situ Ran was utterly shocked by his little fool’s twisted logic.

He had been concerned for him, but it had been completely misinterpreted. The man didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

But he knew his lover could be quite obsessive about such things, so he hurriedly kissed him gently to reassure him.

Whispering sweetly in his ear, he coaxed, “How could that be? Can’t you feel how much I love you?”

As Situ Ran spoke, he tightened his embrace, letting Ying Zhao feel the depth of his affection.

Clearly, the young man in his arms felt it keenly.

His eyes immediately lit up again, and he eagerly moved to assert his rights as a partner.

After confirming once more, Situ Ran naturally didn’t refuse, gazing at the excited little guy in front of him, finding him utterly irresistible.

So, naturally, the two deeply in love came together once again in this lifetime.

Afterward, Ying Zhao nestled in Situ Ran’s arms, exhausted and already asleep.

Situ Ran held him tightly, gently kissing his smooth forehead, feeling as though his entire life had been fulfilled.

At first, seeing the little guy’s eagerness, Situ Ran had thought that having his baby take the initiative like this for the first time might actually be a wonderful memory.

However, when things really started, he realized this little fool didn’t understand anything at all.

If he didn’t intervene, the young man might seriously hurt himself by being so reckless.

So, seeing things going wrong, Situ Ran quickly stopped the young man from continuing.

Who would have thought this little fool would assume he was regretting it, and instantly, tears flowed freely, making Situ Ran feel nothing but heartache.

After soothing him with kind words and taking the initiative himself the whole time, only then did his little treasure finally smile through the tears.

Watching the young man in his arms with his eyes closed, cheeks flushed, and a slight smile on his lips, Situ Ran couldn’t suppress the joy in his heart.

He had obtained the most precious treasure of his life, and he was determined to protect his baby.

At this moment, he didn’t want to sleep at all. He just stared at Ying Zhao’s face, like a dragon guarding his treasure.

Although the young man’s obsession and intense infatuation were strong, no one understood better than Situ Ran himself.

His own possessiveness toward the young man was no less than the other’s, maybe even more.

He wished he could be with him every moment, seeing him every second.

The young man was so perfect and outstanding, that sometimes he really wanted to lock him up, so that only he could see, touch, and own him.

He was afraid others would see how wonderful the young man was, afraid of losing the person in his arms.

After tonight, Situ Ran was even more certain in his heart—he couldn’t live without the young man and loved him deeply.

To him, the young man wasn’t just a lover, but even more precious than his own life.

The little guy sleeping beside him seemed to do it out of habit, holding his hand tightly.

Situ Ran, worried that he might be uncomfortable, tried to gently pull away.

But he found that the other’s grip was strong, and he couldn’t break free.

The young man’s hand held on tightly, and if he moved even slightly, it seemed like the other would wake up, so Situ Ran had no choice but to let him be.

He knew this was a sign of the young man’s insecurity. It seemed that even though they now had each other, his baby still couldn’t fully relax.

Usually, even in his sleep, he would cling to the hem of his clothes. Now, with no clothes to cling to, he was holding his hand instead.

This total dependence and fear of losing him softened Situ Ran’s heart into a puddle, while also making him feel a sweet warmth.

Before he knew it, he had spent the entire night just watching the person in his arms.

Due to the previous night’s exhaustion, Ying Zhao slept until the sun was high in the sky before slowly waking up.

When he did, the first thing he saw was a broad chest like a wall.

Looking up, he saw Situ Ran’s deep gaze and couldn’t help but blush, softly saying, “Good morning.”

But no sooner had the words left his mouth than someone eagerly swallowed them.

**Translation:**

Ying Zhao let out a surprised whimper, then obediently complied.

Si Tu Ran had been staring at his beloved all night. Even though he had fulfilled his wish yesterday, it was still far from enough for him.

In fact, a long time ago, the man had already been struggling to hold back. However, since his precious one was still asleep, he forced himself to endure.

Now that he saw that the other person had finally woken up, he naturally couldn’t wait to engage in a deeper communication with his beloved.

Si Tu Ran thought that as a responsible partner, he had to take good care of his precious one. At times like this, it was perfect to start with some pre-meal fruits before breakfast.

So, the man happily fed Ying Zhao a big, juicy navel orange. 

Seeing his lover enjoy the sweet taste, the man was very satisfied. He strongly expressed his hope that Ying Zhao would eat more of such beneficial fruits in the future.

However, Ying Zhao thought it would be better to eat fewer navel oranges in the future, as they seemed much more troublesome to eat compared to other fruits. 

After eating, he felt too exhausted and didn’t want to eat anything else. 

Seeing the pitiful look on his precious one’s face, Si Tu Ran felt a bit heartbroken for his struggles. However, inexplicably, that appearance of being bullied was also quite cute.

So, he forced Ying Zhao to eat another navel orange.

Thus, Ying Zhao, who had turned the tables yesterday, was now in a pitiable state. 

Before breakfast, he was already stuffed from the two navel oranges.

Completely collapsed, Ying Zhao looked at the man beside him, who was grinning and looking pleased, and he couldn’t help but grind his teeth in anger.

He bit down hard on that handsome face, leaving a tooth mark.

However, it was obvious that the thick-skinned man didn’t care about Ying Zhao’s actions at all. 

In fact, he thought this was a badge of love from his precious one, and after being bitten, his mood soared even higher.

Ying Zhao lay there for a long time, and after being fed breakfast by Si Tu Ran, he finally recovered.

Then he remembered he still had serious matters to discuss. He hugged the pillow, pursed his lips, and asked Si Tu Ran, “Old Attack, do you want to go out?”

Si Tu Ran didn’t expect Ying Zhao to ask him this question. He was momentarily stunned but still shook his head at him.

He didn’t know if this was a test from his lover, and he didn’t want Ying Zhao to think he wanted to leave him, nor did he want him to be sad.

In reality, Si Tu Ran didn’t have much desire to leave the house. Being with Ying Zhao was what he yearned for the most.

The only reason he needed to go out was so he could better protect his beloved when they were outside.

After all, he still needed to handle matters on the Si Tu side and reclaim the northern base.

Si Tu Ran even thought that once everything was settled, living in a small space with his precious one forever would be the greatest happiness of his life.

Seeing Si Tu Ran refuse was within Ying Zhao’s expectations. He knew his lover was considering his feelings.

So, he put on a worried look and said to the man, “But, when I’m not here, someone could break in. I feel uneasy when you’re not by my side.”

“I’m always worried about what those people might say to you. What if you believe them and think I’m not good…”

“I won’t!” Before Ying Zhao could finish, Si Tu Ran immediately interrupted him.

With a determined look, the man said to Ying Zhao, “No matter what others say, I only believe what I see.”

“Precious one, we’ve been together for so long; don’t you understand my feelings for you?”

“No matter what has happened, I love you! No one knows my feelings for you better than I do.”

“Don’t say those people are lying. Even if you really hurt me before, I still won’t let you go!”

“Precious one, you belong to me! As long as you’re willing to stay by my side, I don’t care about anything else!”

Si Tu Ran’s words were so heartfelt that Ying Zhao couldn’t help but be moved. 

With red-rimmed eyes, he nodded gently and said, “I… I understand. I believe you!”

“However, you should still go out with me. After all, I’ll have a lot of matters to deal with during this time.”

“I might not be able to stay here for long and will need to frequently go to the research institute. But if I can’t see you regularly, I can’t calm down.”

Si Tu Ran nodded upon hearing this. In fact, he also didn’t want to be apart from his precious one for too long.

However, he frowned a bit, troubled, and said to the young man, “But with my current condition, is it really okay to go out?”

Ying Zhao naturally knew what Si Tu Ran was worried about, so he shared his thoughts with him, saying he had a way to ensure others wouldn’t recognize him.

Even if others discovered him, he could explain that Si Tu Ran was just a friend of his, someone with great abilities, who he hired to protect him.

However, the issue of Si Tu Ran not having a left arm still needed to be resolved, as that identification was too obvious.

Fortunately, although Ying Zhao couldn’t make a particularly refined arm due to a lack of materials, he could still create a substitute for now.

On ordinary days, wearing gloves and hiding it in his sleeve, no one would notice it was a fake arm.

Of course, this arm wouldn’t be as flexible and wouldn’t have the same feel.

To Ying Zhao, it was just a defective product meant for disguise.

When Si Tu Ran heard that Ying Zhao had a solution, he immediately agreed.

This way, it would be much easier for him to contact his brothers after going out.

Plus, he could protect his precious one closely; it was a win-win situation.

After discussing everything with his lover, Ying Zhao spent another day in the room, starting to create that decorative left arm.

It hardly took any time; the left arm was finished.

Since it wasn’t a very complex project, Ying Zhao found it very easy to install it for Si Tu Ran.

When it was time to go out the next day, Ying Zhao helped Si Tu Ran with his disguise, happily announcing to the man that the task was accomplished.

However, Si Tu Ran noticed that although Ying Zhao claimed it was a disguise, he didn’t seem to change at all.

The only change was the installation of the mechanical arm on his left side.

Moreover, this mechanical arm was much better than he had imagined; it was quite sensitive from a mechanical standpoint.

If it were in the eyes of others, it would be a very satisfactory prosthetic arm.

However, considering the genius of his beloved, such an arm was clearly insufficient.

No wonder the youth had not installed this arm for himself earlier; after all, in the youth’s eyes, it was merely a defective product.

Aside from the arm, the outfit his lover had changed into was not much different from usual.

There was no disguise on his face either; he had walked out so boldly—was it really okay?

Thinking this way, Situ Ran showed his doubts on his face. However, he didn’t dare to ask Ying Zhao.

After all, in his heart, he believed the youth was always perfect.

Perhaps his beloved had been immersed in research and was naive about the world.

Maybe he thought that with an extra arm, others wouldn’t recognize him.

Upon realizing that his little one could be so innocent, Situ Ran felt an inexplicable fondness in his heart.

He couldn’t help but grab the little fool who was tidying up his clothes and kissed him repeatedly.

Only when the person in his arms pushed him away in exasperation did Situ Ran loosen his grip a bit.

Still helpless, he reached out his right hand and lightly scratched Ying Zhao’s nose.

Ying Zhao naturally knew his lover’s doubts, so he assured him, “Don’t worry, dear! We can just go out like this, and you won’t need any disguise; no one will recognize you.”

Hearing Ying Zhao say this, Situ Ran was a bit surprised, thinking that perhaps his lover had some special way to conceal himself.

He completely trusted the youth, so without further thought, he followed Ying Zhao out the door.

And as it turned out, just like the youth had said, after they left the residence, no one around them showed any strange expressions upon seeing him.

In fact, their gazes hardly lingered on him, as if he didn’t exist at all.

In reality, Ying Zhao indeed didn’t need to apply any disguise on Situ Ran.

After all, his current identity was that of a flying corpse; as a demon, how could he not use simple spells?

Although it was better not to use large spells due to the influence of the realm.

However, simple illusions to lower Situ Ran’s presence posed no problem at all.

Only, such illusions weren’t 100% effective against everyone.

For those with exceptionally strong will or extraordinary abilities, it was possible they might notice Situ Ran.

But as long as Situ Ran didn’t want to expose himself actively.

Then those who could notice him, even if they could perceive him, wouldn’t be able to recognize his appearance.

Thus, Ying Zhao made a fake arm for his lover, so even if they saw him, they wouldn’t detect his obviously defective left arm.

However, such people were probably hard to find in the entire small world, so Ying Zhao didn’t worry too much.

While casting the spell, Ying Zhao found these so-called demon spells to be very convenient.

Situ Ran was somewhat curious about Ying Zhao’s abilities, even speculating if there were some other devices on his newly installed arm that could block perception.

However, even if the youth had some other unknown magical traits, if the other party didn’t take the initiative to tell him, he wouldn’t ask more.

Speaking of which, a man’s thoughtfulness remained unchanged across so many worlds.

His trust in Ying Zhao had never wavered.

The bond between the two of them could traverse countless worlds, inseparable from their mutual resolve.

Thus, Situ Ran quietly followed Ying Zhao and accompanied him to the research institute.

The researchers in the institute were diligently working on the projects assigned by Ying Zhao.

Of course, their main task was still to study the antidote for the zombie virus.

Upon seeing Ying Zhao, everyone paused their work and respectfully greeted him.

However, it seemed as if they did not see Situ Ran at all.

Seeing Ying Zhao gesture for them to continue, they resumed their serious work.

Ying Zhao arrived at his workbench, allowing Situ Ran to sit in his usual resting spot.

After all, that spot was exclusively his, and usually, no one would touch it.

From there, Situ Ran could see himself up close without worrying about disturbing others.

Once he had arranged for his lover, Ying Zhao immersed himself in work.

Of course, he didn’t deliberately restrict Situ Ran; if the man had any matters to attend to, he could handle them himself.

However, his lover did not immediately go to find his brothers, as he had thought.

Instead, he quietly sat in the corner, his gaze fixed on himself the entire time.

It must be said that Situ Ran quite enjoyed accompanying Ying Zhao.

After all, this way, he could see his beloved at all times, which gave him a sense of reassurance.

However, there were other people in the research institute that made Situ Ran feel somewhat obstructed.

If it were just him and his beloved enjoying a world for two, he would feel much happier.

Watching the youth diligently working, Situ Ran’s entire focus was drawn to him.

He gazed adoringly as Ying Zhao skillfully operated the instruments nearby.

He appeared so professional and adept, full of charm.

However, just as he was lost in admiration, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived at the research institute.

Situ Ran recognized this person; it was Deng Wendong, the leader of the Southern Base.

Originally, he was wondering why Deng Wendong had suddenly come to the research institute.

Could it be that he thought the antidote for the zombie virus was here and wanted to come personally to check on the situation?

But soon, Situ Ran realized he was mistaken.

The other party’s intention was indeed related to the research institute, but it wasn’t about the antidote; it was about his beloved f-in-law, Ying Zhao.

Since Situ Yuan was present, everyone knew that this group from the Southern Base were esteemed guests.

Although the research institute was not to be intruded upon recklessly, he came under the pretext of visiting Ying Zhao, so no one would stop him.

Thus, Situ Ran witnessed the scene before him.

Deng Wendong stood at the door with an intentionally dressed flamboyant appearance, smiling gently at Ying Zhao.

However, the newcomer also knew that the research institute was an important place and that he, as a person from the Southern Base, couldn’t just enter freely; he still needed to avoid suspicion.

So, he only stood at the door, looking at Ying Zhao with deep affection, saying, “A-Heng, I came to find you. Do you remember what you promised me the day before yesterday?”

Upon hearing Deng Wendong’s words, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow, fully aware of what Deng Wendong was referring to.

Yesterday, when they parted, Deng Wendong had indeed said that he would come to find him when he had time to give him an out.