Li ZouXing lazily sat by the dining table.
His posture was casual, almost slouching in the chair.
The mental fog that had just been suppressed heavily gradually approached, but it didn’t dare to get too close, lingering about a meter away from Li ZouXing, showing signs of hesitation.
Li ZouXing lifted his gaze to give a glance at Gu WenCheng, sniffed the air, and paused for a moment, “Why are you standing there?”
With his prompt, Gu WenCheng finally took a seat diagonally across from him. Compared to usual, this was a slightly greater distance.
Loyalty reflexively reflected the inner turmoil of its master, stepping into place not far away.
The scent was still there in his nostrils, refusing to dissipate.
Who would ever sniff the scent of a good friend? Gu WenCheng’s mind was a jumble of thoughts, and he mechanically ate his meal, feeling like he was chewing on wax.
Li ZouXing looked at him several times, a look of surprise flashing briefly.
The protagonist only started dinner after coming out. The table was full of delicious dishes emitting a tempting aroma. Li ZouXing shifted his gaze from Gu WenCheng and smiled, his eyes narrowing, “Is it that good? You guys want me to be captured by Walter a few more times like this.”
“Hahaha, get lost!” His teammates were both frustrated and amused, wondering what kind of talk this was.
After finishing their meal, they headed towards the direction of the dance party. The place was crowded, and many classmates greeted them along the way. Luckily, everyone was considerate and didn’t approach to disturb them.
The dance party at Chengyang Military Academy wasn’t just the traditional style of enjoying dancing and romantic conversations. That was just a small part of it. Apart from that, there were simulators used by the military to train soldiers. Most of the virtual worlds in these simulators were dangerous and thrilling. Most of the boys who flocked to the dance party were there for this reason.
Li ZouXing and his group were no exception. They had already made a plan that once Ling Nian and his two friends finished dancing with their partners, they would all enter the virtual world for an adventure together.
When they arrived at the dance party, the first thing they saw was Bai Tong standing on a raised platform, singing.
Her black hair curled charmingly on either side of her face, and her eyes were moist and bright, containing a smile. Her gentle singing voice filled every corner of the venue, and her pure white dress flowed to the ground.
With the sound of her voice, a powerful healing energy spread, making everyone feel invigorated and all fatigue dissipate.
“The goddess is here so early!” Xi Nan exclaimed, pulling Li ZouXing along to greet her. “Goddess Bai Tong!”
Bai Tong looked over, smiling and waving at them while continuing to sing professionally.
With his keen eyes, Li ZouXing recognized that this was the same cross-dressing expert.
He waved at the person, indicating that they should leave and giving a thumbs-up of encouragement.
Xi Nan grinned foolishly, “Haven’t seen her in a while, and the goddess is still so beautiful and gentle.”
Li ZouXing had a mischievous thought, “Do you want to confess to your goddess later?”
“Not a good idea,” Xi Nan blushed, fidgeting and hesitating, “We don’t really know each other yet.”
“But you should seize the opportunity,” Li ZouXing seemed genuinely concerned for his friend, “Who is Bai Tong? There are definitely a lot of guys in our school who like her, and you’ve already gotten to know her ahead of them. This is your chance.”
Xi Nan hesitated, “But… will she like me?”
“If you’re a man, don’t be a coward,” Li ZouXing casually looked behind him, “Bai Tong is still looking at you right now.”
Xi Nan subconsciously wanted to turn around to look, but Li ZouXing pulled his face back, “Are you so foolish as to directly look back when a girl is stealing glances at you?”
In reality, Bai Tong wasn’t actually looking at Xi Nan; she was looking at a cute girl passing by next to Xi Nan.
“You’re right!”
After much internal struggle, Xi Nan finally made up his mind. His gaze turned determined, and he clenched his fist, as if he was about to step onto a battlefield in the next second, “I’m going to take this opportunity to confess to her!”
“But before confessing,” Xi Nan scratched his head with an embarrassed smile, “I need to dance with my partner first. ZouXing, let’s meet at the simulator area later. Remember to go line up with WenCheng and Si Wo Lin.”
“… ” Li ZouXing suddenly felt like smoking a cigarette. This big goofball Xi Nan was actually living a better life than him.
But there’s no cigarette in this world.
On the dance floor, young couples were dancing gracefully, while in the area waiting for the simulators to start, there were lonely single guys and enthusiastic gaming enthusiasts.
Dozens of people sat quietly. After a while, a group of cheerful and beautiful girls walked over hand in hand, “Hey, want to play a game?”
“It won’t take up much of your time,” the leader of the girls had two ponytails on the sides of her head, “Number King, it’s really exciting. Do you want to play?”
Nana was there too. She approached Li ZouXing and his friends, lowering her voice, “Mary really wants to get to know you. Come on, it’s fun. The more people, the merrier. They’re all looking forward to Dream Team joining.”
However, the Dream Team is left with just three people, and Li ZouXing looked at the expressions of WenCheng and Si Wo Lin and agreed readily, “Sure.”
Number King is somewhat similar to Truth or Dare. There were a total of 35 people playing the game, regardless of gender. That’s 35 numbers, from 1 to 35. The person who draws number 1 becomes the King, and they can command others with different numbers to do what they want, but the King can only make one request each time.
Adolescent boys and girls enjoy this kind of dynamic game. They anticipate close contact with strangers, longing for sudden romance and love.
The first game started, numbers were drawn, and Li ZouXing was disappointed to find that he drew 2. So close.
The person who became the King was a stranger girl. She jumped excitedly in place and began to think about what command to give.
Suddenly, Li ZouXing heard a voice, “What’s your number?”
It wasn’t words spoken out loud; instead, the voice seemed to originate from within the mind, carrying a compelling force that made one involuntarily respond, as if… as if it were hypnotic.
“Number 2,” Li ZouXing replied calmly.
He glanced at Gu WenCheng, who was sitting beside him, with this kind of ability.
Gu WenCheng sat with his eyes lowered, his long fingers playing with the grass on the ground, the number card held between his fingers.
The first King of the game exclaimed loudly, “I want numbers 16 and 30 to kiss my cheeks.”
“Wow!”
Setting the tone from the start, the first request ignited everyone’s excitement.
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as the two boys who drew the numbers blushed and stood up hesitantly, each planting a kiss on the King’s cheeks.
The King’s face turned rosy, and he let out a small sigh.
As the second round began, Li ZouXing hadn’t had a chance to look at the numbers yet when the boy next to him exclaimed, “Am I the King?!”
This guy couldn’t believe it, flipping back and forth to check several times. “I’m really the King!”
Sighs of lamentation echoed, and someone shouted loudly at him, “Play something exciting!”
“I want…” the new King shouted, “I want the people who were drawn to dance a sexy dance around me!”
“Wow! This is awesome!”
“Did you hear that, my friend? It must be sexy, no sexiness, no passing!”
The King called out a number, and the one drawn was still a boy. With a sullen face, this boy danced around the King, turning a romantic scene into a comical one, causing several people to burst into laughter.
Even the normally crowd-averse Si Wo Lin couldn’t help but curl his lips, amused this time.
The more they played, the more immersed they became in the game. Luckily, Li ZouXing and his friends had neither been Kings nor commanded yet. As the simulator was about to start, luck finally shone upon the Dream Team. This time, Si Wo Lin was chosen as the King.
Si Wo Lin instinctively looked at the guy beside him, Gu WenCheng, his face clearly saying, “Baby confused” and “Baby doesn’t dare to move.”
“You can avoid mentioning numbers related to you,” Gu WenCheng smiled, “choose others.”
Si Wo Lin nodded cautiously, “Then let’s say 6 and…”
Out of the blue, Li ZouXing interjected, “I’m number 6.”
Gu WenCheng was taken aback.
The next second, a voice echoed in Si Wo Lin’s mind, “Numbers 6 and 32.”
Unconsciously, Si Wo Lin echoed, “Numbers 6 and 32.”
Mary on the opposite side quipped, “What would you like these two to do, Your Majesty?”
The voice in his mind continued, “Be casual, avoid actions related to admiration or intimacy, and don’t make requests that would cause significant reactions from them. The best is to avoid making each other uncomfortable.”
The sentence was too long, and Si Wo Lin was influenced and remembered it vaguely. He didn’t even know what he was saying, “These two… use intimate actions… to provoke a reaction from each other.”
Gu WenCheng’s expression twisted for a moment.
Li ZouXing looked at Si Wo Lin in surprise, as if he had just gotten to know him today, “Si Wo Lin, I never expected you to be so hidden.”
Cheers and whistles erupted from the students, “Exciting!”
“Si Wo Lin, you’re quite bold!”
Si Wo Lin, who had come to his senses, was at a loss and tried to explain, “No, no, no, I didn’t mean it like that…”
But his voice was drowned out by the excited crowd.
“Number 6, who’s number 6?”
Li ZouXing slowly raised his hand.
Only then did the others look over in shock, “Oh my goodness…”
This was getting a bit explosive.
“Si Wo Lin, you’re truly amazing.”
“Did you just set up your teammates?”
The girls began to secretly get excited, busy applying makeup and fresh-scented lipstick. The boys were even more thrilled – among the new students, among the top students of Three Stars – praised highly by His Highness and Walter – it was Li ZouXing!
This was simply too exhilarating, making people’s blood boil, making them crave gossip about him!
Si Wo Lin had a mournful expression, “Erh, I’m sorry, ZouXing…”
“It’s okay,” Li ZouXing smirked. He elegantly stood up from the grass, unbuttoning his coat, indicating that he was ready. “Who’s number 32?”
Gu WenCheng sat still until others were about to check their number cards one by one. Then, he stood up and walked to Li ZouXing’s side.
“Wow…”
It turned out to be Gu WenCheng.
One king from the Dream Team, two unfortunate souls from the Dream Team.
How coincidental!
Nana and Mary exchanged glances.
“At least the person you’re sharing the dream with isn’t a girl,” Mary shrugged, “If it were two boys, this situation would surely become comical.”
Nana gave a faint smile, “They’re so familiar with each other, I’m afraid they’ll feel awkward.”
“Boys tend to be better at playing around than we are,” Mary mused with a different perspective, “and they’re bolder too.”
The surrounding people gradually quieted down. Some were already struggling to hold back laughter. They guessed that these two would definitely burst into laughter. No matter how funny it got, they had to make them complete the request. This opportunity was hard to come by, so they had to seize it.
Amidst the gazes of the crowd, Li ZouXing walked towards Gu WenCheng.
Strange.
Whether it was the previous kiss or the desires that fogged his mind, Gu WenCheng had been aggressive and proactive.
And now, he was trapped in an odd loop.
Li ZouXing reached Gu WenCheng, his gaze serious and focused. His fingers, slender and elegant, slowly grasped Gu WenCheng’s hand.
“Hahaha,” some people burst into laughter, “Oh my goodness!”
And then, his other hand lifted Gu WenCheng’s chin, right in front of everyone’s eyes, and pressed his lips against his.
Gu WenCheng’s expression kept shifting between “Are you this weak?” and “What kind of reaction am I supposed to have to this?”
“Before we ate, did you catch a whiff of my scent?” Li ZouXing asked.
Gu WenCheng’s breath hitched.
“Does it smell good?” Li ZouXing tilted his head and deeply sniffed the nape of his neck, a bit sheepishly, “WenCheng, does my scent smell good? Does it affect you?”
Gu WenCheng thought about that scent again.
After he took a few deep breaths, the scent seemed to rush from his nose into his throat, staying there for so long that Gu WenCheng began to doubt if he was having a hallucination.
He didn’t answer, but the expression on his face, filled with memories, revealed the answer to Li ZouXing.
Li ZouXing’s smile grew even wider, almost dazzling Gu WenCheng.
Looking at the expression on the protagonist’s face, Li ZouXing sighed inwardly. Gu WenCheng was reminiscing, showing a faintly indulgent look.
Indulging in…
Indulging in Li ZouXing’s scent, remembering the moment when he had inhaled that scent.
So straightforward, there was no one more straightforward in the whole world than Gu WenCheng.
Not a bit twisted, but very cute.
“No, not at all,” Gu WenCheng replied, “It’s fine, it hasn’t affected me.”
Li ZouXing pondered for a moment and then said slowly, “Do you know…”
Gu WenCheng asked, “What?”
“Occasionally,” Li ZouXing began in a deliberate manner, “a fragrance emanates from your body. Did you know that?”
Gu WenCheng was surprised, “Fragrance?” He genuinely didn’t know.
“During dinner today,” Li ZouXing continued with that deliberate tone, “when you came out of my room and sat at the dining table.”
“And then, WenCheng,” he continued, “You were emitting my scent from head to toe.”
“The entire restaurant was filled with your scent, you were giving off the fragrance while having your meal.”
“—You even had a glass of milk.”
So, that’s why the scent had lingered?
Gu WenCheng’s expression twisted, “How is that even possible—!”
“Alright, I was just messing with you,” Li ZouXing stepped back with a cheerful smile, and shrugged helplessly toward the onlookers, “We’ll call it a draw on this one, we really can’t figure it out.”
Gu WenCheng’s expression froze on his face as he looked at Li ZouXing, perplexed.
Even Si Wo Lin had turned into a broken record, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Poor Si Wo Lin.
In the eyes of outsiders, they had only shaken hands and touched lips, but that had already sent everyone into fits of laughter. Si Wo Lin’s requested action was really too strict, hahaha. After everyone had their fill of laughter, they finally realized their conscience and pretended that they had fulfilled the request.
Meanwhile, at the dance floor, Ling Nian and the other two who had been dancing had hurried over. They arrived just in time to witness the last game and burst into laughter, “Oh my god, hahaha, ZouXing, you’re so weak!”
The simulator had already started, and the teams entered the virtual world one by one.
Li ZouXing, Gu WenCheng, and Xi Nan walked at the forefront. After half a minute of silence, Gu WenCheng suddenly asked his teammate beside him, “Do I occasionally emit a fragrance?”
—He didn’t even dare to ask if there was any scent on him during dinner.
Ji Yu looked surprised and immediately denied, “No.”
Ling Nian nodded, “No.”
So, was he really being deceived?
Gu WenCheng let out a slight sigh of relief.
Haha, true. Even if he did possess the ability to emit fragrance occasionally, it would definitely not be that kind of scent.
The virtual world within the simulator was entirely generated by the system. After they were ready, they pressed the start button, and in the next moment, the world spun around them, and in the blink of an eye, they were in the game.
Li ZouXing opened his eyes to complete darkness. He cautiously sensed his surroundings and realized that he seemed to be enclosed in a box. No, this was more like a coffin.
He exerted force to push open the lid of the coffin, and the heavy wood emitted a creaking sound.
The room where the coffin was placed was just as pitch-black, but as soon as he stood up, the lights in the room illuminated brightly.
Li ZouXing: “…”
He was amazed by the opulent and intricate decor of this room.
Then, he noticed the changes in his own body. He touched the silky fabric covering his body and the long black curls cascading down to his waist. Was his character a vampire?
So, this appearance must be extremely sinister.
He raised the corner of his lips, allowing the cognitive augmentation to take a picture for a keepsake.
“Master,” an elderly voice sounded by the door. A frail-looking old man with an old-fashioned appearance slightly bent at the waist, addressing him, “My lord, the Dark Lord, you’re awake.”
…So, are they saying that the one sleeping in the coffin is the Dark Lord?
Li ZouXing responded with a casual “Mm” and waited for the AI assistant to send him a task.
However, one minute, two minutes passed, and the system didn’t respond at all.
Author’s Note:
The Dark Lord’s long hair is super handsome and exudes an overwhelming aura.
