Li Xi didn’t respond to Duan Zhen’s words, casually diverting the conversation to another topic.
Duan Zhen didn’t press further, realizing Li Xi’s mindset and knowing that words alone couldn’t shake his thoughts. He silently made a decision.
After dinner, the team gradually gathered in Duan Zhen’s room, accompanied by a young man Li Xi didn’t recognize.
“This is Shen Su, who cleared the ninth level of Senafel,” Xia Qirong introduced. “And this is our captain, Duan Zhen, and Li Xi.”
Li Xi, now seated on the sofa with a satisfied expression, his cheeks still faintly flushed, looked like a large SD doll1It’s a brand of ball-jointed dolls, Super Dollfie, they’re usually marketed to collectors!. Shen Su’s gaze fell on him, and he couldn’t help but be struck by his beauty.
“Li Xi is my lover,” Duan Zhen stepped forward without a trace of hesitation, positioning himself in front of Li Xi. “He won’t be participating in the game this time.”
Li Xi lazily acknowledged with a grunt.
With the message clear that Li Xi was taken, Shen Su shifted his gaze away and addressed Duan Zhen, “I’ve heard of you, your reputation precedes you.”
He extended his hand. “Truly remarkable individuals shine wherever they go.”
“Do you know me?” Duan Zhen raised an eyebrow, briefly shaking his hand before quickly letting go under Li Xi’s watchful gaze.
“You’re the eldest son of the Duan family, a model child for everyone else,” Shen Su sighed. “I grew up hearing my father use your name as a benchmark.”
“You’re from the Shen family,” Duan Zhen quickly searched his memory. Although he didn’t find this name, there was indeed a Shen family in the capital.
“Yeah,” Shen Su smiled and nodded. “But that’s not important now.”
“Let’s discuss the plans for the future,” Duan Zhen swiftly projected a screen in the air and gestured for them to take seats. “Xia Qirong has already briefed you on the key points. We plan to individually pass through the tenth level of the remaining three demon lords to force the system to reveal its exact location.”
After explaining, he turned to Shen Su. “Could you tell us what the ninth level of Senafel was about?”
“It was just a haunted house with powerful ghosts inside,” Shen Su explained. “We had to avoid them because once caught, you’d die. Very few manage to escape.”
He continued without waiting for further inquiries, “Many of my teammates died during that mission, and only a few survived. The high-level challenges frightened them, and they didn’t dare to continue.”
“Aren’t you afraid?” Li Xi asked with interest.
“I’ve been preparing for the tenth level all along, and besides, no matter how we try to avoid it, it’s something we have to face,” Shen Su shrugged. “And I’ve never been one to run away.”
The other people in the room looked at him more kindly.
“The world of Senafel is mostly inhabited by ghosts. I’ve compiled a list of the supplies and weapons we’ll need,” Duan Zhen’s screen displayed a list of items. “If you’re short on points, we can pool our resources together.”
This was directed at Shen Su, as Duan Zhen was well aware of their teammates’ financial situations, and the list took into account their economic strength.
“I’m good with everything,” Shen Su said.
They discussed a series of details until late at night. Li Xi had boredly slumped onto the sofa, half-closing his eyes, whether asleep or listening to them talk, and towards the end, Duan Zhen deliberately lowered his voice and quickly ended the meeting.
As they were leaving, Shen Su glanced back and saw Duan Zhen bending down, seemingly talking to Li Xi. He watched for a couple of seconds, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes, before quickening his pace to catch up with Xia Qirong ahead.
“Li Xi is quite handsome, isn’t he?” Xia Qirong was waiting at the door, and upon seeing him, he lowered his voice and chuckled, “The first time I saw his face, I was completely stunned. It’s a pity Li Xi only has eyes for Brother Duan.”
“Why isn’t he participating in this game?” Shen Su asked.
“I don’t know either, but there must be a reason,” Xia Qirong scratched his head. “Anyway, we’re enough, aren’t we? If we can’t make it, having Li Xi with us won’t make a difference.”
He finished and added, “Wait a few days, and we’ll tell you a big secret.”
“Is it bigger than knowing the exact location of that thing?” Shen Su raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Xia Qirong waved to him. “I’m heading back. See you tomorrow.”
Shen Su maintained a smile on his lips until Xia Qirong’s figure disappeared completely, his expression gradually fading.
“That Shen Su seems off,” Li Xi lounged on the sofa, letting Duan Zhen massage him, speaking in a nonchalant tone.
“How so?” Duan Zhen asked.
“I don’t believe you didn’t notice,” Li Xi turned over, and Duan Zhen’s hand immediately landed on his stomach. Li Xi didn’t mind, only squinting his eyes slightly, resting his hands on the back of his head. “He’s too fake. My intuition tells me he’s hiding something.”
“There is indeed a Shen family in the capital,” Duan Zhen said. “Dan Zuo just sent me Shen Su’s information. It’s not fake. He does have some unknown secrets, but we’re mutually benefiting from each other. It might not be as bad as we imagine.”
“After all, there’s no purpose that can make this world worse,” Li Xi smiled. “Besides, the next world is mine to control. There won’t be any trouble.”
Seeing Li Xi’s smug expression, Duan Zhen couldn’t help but lean in and lightly peck his lips.
Li Xi returned the kiss, and the two rolled into a bundle on the sofa.
Having his boyfriend in his arms but not being able to do anything was quite frustrating for Duan Zhen. He wanted to tease him more but reluctantly raised his head, sparing the poor, reddened flesh that had been sucked on.
“Stop licking,” Li Xi gently pulled his hair, his voice hoarse.
Duan Zhen wanted to tease him more, but he obediently raised his head, sparing the pitiful soft flesh that had been sucked red.
“It’s time to sleep,” Li Xi’s Adam’s apple rolled twice. “Are you sleeping here tonight?”
“Yeah,” Duan Zhen nodded, pulling out a set of pajamas from the wardrobe. “Here.”
It was an exquisite set of silk pajamas, clearly Li Xi’s style. Duan Zhen had even prepared clothes for the past half month, which surprised Li Xi. He licked his dry lips, feeling a bit feverish.
Without saying much, they each turned their backs to change into their pajamas. However, in the silence filled only with the sound of clothes rustling, the atmosphere grew increasingly ambiguous.
Li Xi’s mind had already begun to think wildly of inappropriate content, but lacking experience, he only knew that men could be intimate with each other, but the specifics were a blank.
Duan Zhen’s mind was also racing, but he restrained himself, softly saying to Li Xi, “Sleep early, don’t stay up too late.”
Li Xi’s brain, which had been running at full speed, abruptly stopped. He thought he might have been overthinking it, blushing, he buried his face in the blanket, mumbling, “Goodnight.”
He decided to use sleep to alleviate the awkwardness.
Beside him, Duan Zhen lay on the bed, completely awake. After a while, once he was sure Li Xi had fallen asleep, he turned slightly and ran his fingers across the young man’s cheek, sighing softly.
How could he make his two-hundred-year-old lover understand that his first reaction upon arousal shouldn’t be to cast a fire-suppressing spell?
In his sleep, Li Xi smacked his lips, feeling particularly sweet with Duan Zhen warming the covers beside him.
The next morning, Li Xi adeptly arranged everything with magic, almost including Duan Zhen in the process. However, Duan Zhen refused his help and went to the bathroom by himself.
Li Xi sat at the table drinking milk, not understanding why the usually practical Duan Zhen was unwilling to accept his help.
Both of them couldn’t understand each other’s thoughts, but their days were still harmonious. They had set a date to enter the game world in half a month, and during this time, they were preparing and training diligently. Duan Zhen even shared the knight’s training methods with the rest of the team, but their progress was clearly incomparable to his.
“Dan Zuo would definitely excel at learning magic,” Li Xi mumbled with a sweet in his mouth. “He’s very intelligent and focused, willing to study. If I could, I really want to take him as my disciple, teach him for a few years, and maybe we’ll have another great mage.”
Duan Zhen, who had been running on the treadmill, stopped abruptly, his movements so fast it seemed like he left afterimages. But he still heard Li Xi’s words. Suddenly jumping off the treadmill, he lifted Li Xi onto the bar, gave him a kiss, and stole his candy, crunching on it.
Li Xi was left with his mouth hanging open, resembling a child whose lollipop had been snatched away, disbelief in his eyes.
After Duan Zhen finished eating, he kissed Li Xi again and went back to continue running.
Li Xi smacked his lips, looking at him suspiciously. “Are you jealous?”
Duan Zhen didn’t say anything, only the sound of the treadmill echoed in the gym.
Deep in thought, Li Xi took a piece of candy from his pocket and put it in his mouth, continuing, “But Dan Zuo…” He didn’t finish his sentence before he was kissed again.
But after Duan Zhen stole his candy, his brow furrowed.
“Sour?” Li Xi looked at him with a smile.
Knowing he was being teased, Duan Zhen felt helpless. He even wanted to kiss the mischievous Li Xi again to shut him up and prevent him from saying anything else that would make him jealous.
His jealousy wasn’t because Li Xi praised Dan Zuo, but because Li Xi casually mentioned teaching him for a few years. Li Xi could teach Dan Zuo for a few years, but he was unwilling to make a commitment to continue being with him after this matter was over.
Sometimes Duan Zhen even wondered if Li Xi’s memories were unsealed, would he still give up on him so easily.
This matter remained unresolved until the half-month deadline was reached, and the group gathered again to prepare for the next game. Duan Zhen and Li Xi bid farewell at the teleportation array, Li Xi kissed Duan Zhen’s cheek, smiling with narrowed eyes. “See you later.”
The group disappeared into the teleportation array, and then Li Xi disappeared in place.
The new mission location was in an ancient castle, reminiscent of the residence of vampires in legends, with dark exterior walls, pointed roofs, and surrounding shrubs and trees. A path paved with stones extended from their feet to the castle. Despite being nearby, the castle seemed to be enveloped in mist, obscuring the view inside.
Duan Zhen looked around. There were only the five of them here, no one else.
After all, it was the tenth level. If there were really so many people daring to come, he wouldn’t have taken half a month to find Shen Su.
【Welcome to Senafel – Zzzzt -】
The system’s voice suddenly distorted, and the noisy sound of electrical currents lasted for more than ten seconds before stopping, returning to its flat, indifferent mechanical tone.
【Welcome to Senafel·Hest·Moduna World Tenth Level, all game rules are personally formulated by the Demon Kings. Please strive to complete the Demon King’s requirements and survive. Good luck to you.】
“What does this mean? Did the tenth levels of the twins and Senafel merge?” Xia Qirong exclaimed.
Dan Zuo rapidly tapped on his portable laptop. “From the energy fluctuations, it seems so. When we entered, the frequency of energy fluctuations was around 5000. When the main system malfunctioned, the frequency of fluctuations even rose to twenty thousand.”
Both he and Duan Zhen knew that Li Xi was Senafel. Li Xi couldn’t have lied to Duan Zhen about such a thing, so there was only one possibility: The twins forcibly integrated into this world.
“Sorry,” Shen Su seemed to have just returned to reality from the announcement, smiling bitterly. “I did clear the ninth level in Hest and Moduna, but I didn’t expect it to cause the merger of the tenth levels of both worlds… I’m the one who caused this for you.”
“It’s not your fault,” Duan Zhen said, staring at Shen Su for a few seconds, his gaze sharp. “There’s no precedent for world fusion, and this clearly wasn’t set by the main system; it was done by the twins themselves.”
He didn’t miss the slight dilation of Shen Su’s pupils when he said this.
That line when Duan Duan felt frustrated that Li Xi would train Dan Zuo but not keep in a relationship with him for years … why’d you do this to me :’))))
BUT STILL THE TWINS ARE FINALLY GETTING TO BE MISCHIEVOUS lol!!! I wonder if they promised to give Shen Su everything he’d want if he did what they wanted~
Thank you for reading
