It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 185

 

ITOTIABSAM | Infinite Flow | 185

With a click, the sound-controlled lamp illuminated the room, casting a warm yellow soft light. The water, warmed with hangover medicine, swayed back and forth in the transparent glass. 

The towering wall that Gu Cong had built in his heart just a few minutes ago collapsed with Xie Ye's words.

Lifting the arm that had been hanging by his side, he no longer felt like a stiff piece of wood. Instead, he actively encircled Xie Ye's waist. There wasn't much force, but it perfectly demonstrated his sincerity.

The young Xie Ye, getting the response he wanted, seemed delighted.

He probably didn't expect the man's attitude to change so quickly. After all, when the man had left just now, he seemed angry and didn't even spare him a glance.

So he simply hung onto the man, cooperatively letting him embrace him and lead him into the room.

With a gentle push of his left foot, the door closed softly, shutting out the light from the corridor. In the dimness, Gu Cong and Xie Ye said in unison:

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

With no need for any acting skills, a genuine smile appeared at the corner of Gu Cong's mouth. He lowered his gaze and met Xie Ye's gaze as he looked up. The black but pure eyes met his: "You go first."

"Men can't hug each other casually," seizing the moment while the other went to fetch water, Xie Ye carefully analyzed the rules of human society, believing he had found the crux of the matter. 

He spoke seriously, "But I didn't do it casually."

As if making a solemn vow, he emphasized, "I haven't said these words to anyone else."

Gu Cong murmured softly, "I know."

He understood Xie Ye, not to a hundred percent certainty, but definitely more deeply than anyone else in this world.

Precisely because of this understanding, he couldn't restrain the stirrings in his heart.

Due to the influence of the villain label, Xie Ye had been on an isolated island by himself. The few instances of kindness he had received, no matter how small, were always treasured in his heart. 

But this didn't mean Xie Ye would confuse gratitude with other emotions.

The villain is also human; they can be curious, feel sadness, loneliness, and desire companionship. However, Xie Ye has always been clear-headed and has never been misled by the carefully designed "emotional lines" by the author.

Shen Qingshu from "Immortal Cultivation" is the best example. There was no coercion or falling in love with the other party. Xie Ye only ever treated the protagonist as a friend throughout.

—Though it was Xie Ye's one-sided "friendship."

"I'm sorry too," holding the cool, life-size doll in his arms, Gu Cong took a few steps inward, placed the water glass on the table, and patted Xie Ye's back. "I shouldn't have shut the door so loudly just now. I shouldn't have left you alone."

But Xie Ye's focus was elsewhere. "Aren't you angry?"

Gu Cong shook his head.

His thin lips formed a straight line, as if finding it difficult to articulate. He remained silent for two seconds before continuing, "I'm just... afraid."

Xie Ye, who had been sniffing around Gu Cong's neck curiously, suddenly froze.

Surreptitiously glancing at the other's expression and confirming that his ghostly identity had not been revealed, he dared not delve deeper into the conversation. Immediately, he awkwardly changed the subject, "Did you smoke?"

Gu Cong spoke truthfully：“Only one.” He went to the restroom on the first floor to rinse his mouth, but unfortunately, the drunken person's sense of smell was as keen as an animal's.

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, the arm that had been holding him by the back of his neck loosened. While relieved that Xie Ye didn't press further, Gu Cong couldn't help but conceal a subtle sense of regret. The atmosphere tonight was just right, and if he missed this chance, there were things he might never say.

Xie Ye was an NPC, and it was normal for him to evade certain topics.

Watching Xie Ye tturn towards the table, Gu Cong thought.

However, soon he saw Xie Ye gather his courage, gulp down a whole glass of water, then turn back and take Gu Cong's hands, placing them on his chest. "It's okay."

"No matter what you're afraid of, I'll protect you."

"No, that's not right. We should be facing it together..."

Hastily correcting himself, before he could finish his sentence, the energetic Xie Ye from a moment ago was suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of drowsiness flooding his brain. His eyelids drooped, and without any warning, he fell asleep.

Quick to react, Gu Cong extended his long arm and caught Xie Ye just as he was about to collapse:

[Do you really give me sobering medicine?]

0028: "I didn't mess around. It's the latest model from the system store. The slogan is 'Colorless, tasteless, clears hangovers.' Don't believe me? See for yourself."

After waiting for a while without a response from Gu Cong, it continued, "Putting a drunkard to sleep is also a way to prevent them from causing trouble."

It just didn't expect this thing to be so effective that it could even knock out ghosts directly.

"Causing trouble?" Gu Cong laid Xie Ye down on the bed horizontally, squatting halfway, carefully taking off his slippers. "0028, I think I might like him a little."

0028 dared not speak.

But it couldn't help but think: Might like? Is that just a 'might'? Your gaze towards Xie Ye earlier was so tender, it was practically dripping water!

Moreover, based on its years of experience accompanying Gu Cong, if it were someone else, any hint of ambiguity, let alone hugging or kissing, would have been met with a smile and smothered in the cradle.

【Are you sure it's not just an obsession?】As a diligent quick transmigration system, 0028 finally poured some cold water on its host, "I know, you've never forgotten."

He hadn't forgotten the sword that pierced the white-robed immortal.

【I want to kiss him.】

Calmly, Gu Cong uttered. In the kitchen, his head lowered as if bewitched. If Xie Ye hadn't approached first, perhaps there would have been a different development in the bedroom by now.

A development that would have blocked out the system.

【Can obsession create desire in me?】As his gaze lingered inch by inch over Xie Ye's lips, he asked, as if talking to himself, yet seeking an answer.

0028 remained silent.

No matter how regretful he felt or how much he wanted to compensate Xie Ye, pure appreciation alone could not create the current situation.

It understood, but it didn't really want Gu Cong to realize. Unawakened NPCs couldn't be brought back to the main world. If Gu Cong could let go in the future, it would be fine. If not...

Letting out a sigh, it simply sank into Gu Cong's consciousness. Out of sight, out of mind.

The system was just a system. It could provide advice to the host, but ultimately, the choice was up to the host.

"Have a good dream." Restraining himself, Gu Cong smoothed out Xie Ye's disheveled hair behind his ear, then got up, drew the curtains closed, and quietly left the bedroom:

"Goodnight."

---

Cheng Xiaorong felt that there was something strange about the atmosphere between the captain and Xie Ye recently.

Even though they didn't live together and didn't engage in any overly intimate behavior, these two had the ability to turn anyone, including herself, into high-wattage light bulbs, shining brightly.

Under normal circumstances, there was a full half-month break between dungeons, and as long as the points were enough to cover the basic expenses at the transit station, the system would remain quiet as a chicken until the countdown ended, not urging players to proceed through the levels.

Having been in the world of infinite games for almost three years, Cheng Xiaorong was seeing the captain not working like a machine for the first time. Instead, he was wandering around the inner city with Xie Ye like an ordinary player.

For this, she even recommended a few dessert shops and cafes where she often visited. Some were run by NPCs, and some were run by players. The decoration, location, and atmosphere were vastly different, but the only common point was that they were all delicious.

As for the bars, casinos, and red light districts... well, she had no plans to get beaten up for now.

Xie Ye was very happy.

His pure black wristwatch functioned as usual, and after clearing the level, he finally had his own points, not obtained through competition or given by others, but earned like any other player through fair exchange.

Not wanting Cheng Xiaorong and the others to worry about his neck, which had long since healed, Xie Ye bought a new shirt with a high collar, removed the bandages, but still wore Gu Cong's jacket.

With a cup of excessively sweet cotton candy hot chocolate in hand, he walked side by side with Gu Cong on the way back to the villa. In the bag Gu Cong was carrying were various flavors of fruit juice for Cheng Xiaorong, Zhao Dong, and Cheng Qing—a gift for them.

"Are you really sure you don't want any?" He turned his head back every few minutes, Xie Ye's expression looking somewhat regretful. "I have plenty of points, and I won't be penalized for washing dishes."

"Washing dishes?"

Gu Cong laughed as he gently placed his hand on the back of Xie Ye's head, applying a slight pressure. "Focus on the road."

He continued, "Did Cheng Xiaorong get you hooked on another drama?"

After pondering for a moment, Xie Ye mentioned a long and very sweet-sounding drama title, characteristic of a typical romance.

Gu Cong nodded. "That indeed sounds like her way of entertainment."

In a game where one gambled their life every half month, people always sought out a way to relax, lest the tension became too much to bear. Watching dramas and indulging in sweets were considered one of the healthiest and harmless ways to do so.

"I rarely used to drink these." Gu Cong's steps faltered slightly, and he turned his head, bending down slightly. "But now I can take a sip."

Xie Ye was meticulous about cleanliness; there wasn't even a trace of tooth marks left on the straw after he used it, only a faint shimmer under the sunlight that revealed its prior use. 

However, Gu Cong, with a mischievous intent, purposely clenched his teeth, leaving behind a small but unmistakable mark that was hard to ignore.

The rich and smooth cocoa slid down his throat as he stood upright, naturally reaching out to grasp Xie Ye's drooping left hand. "Sorry, got carried away there."

— His food had been touched.

With his lips.

Xie Ye should have been repulsed.

But he couldn't bring himself to feel any repulsion at all.

He liked when the man trusted him, liked when the man got close to him, and even felt that the apology was unnecessary, as if it suddenly created a distance between them.

Silently staring at the tiny dent on the straw, he suddenly felt the urge to leave a similar mark on the man, so he tilted his head and carefully examined him.

Forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose... Under the scrutiny, the man raised an eyebrow and made a questioning sound from his nostrils:

"Hmm?"

Xie Ye immediately made a decision.

But with the Jiang Chuan Team's villa just a stone's throw away, he hesitated, staring at the man's lips, slightly curled and tinged with the sweet aroma of cocoa.

It was precisely this brief moment of hesitation that caused him to miss the opportunity to act on his impulse.

[Ding dong—]

The wristwatch vibrated, and the long-lost mechanical sound, which had been as dull as "Dreamtown," now sounded cheerful, almost pleasant, resonating in the ears of every player: "Server-wide quest issued, BOSS has escaped, please help the system debug."

[Inventory unlocked.]

[Clear target: NPC Xie Ye.]

[Quest reward: One hundred thousand points.]

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