That night, they both slept in the same bed. Li Xi tried to play a prank by sticking his icy feet into Duan Zhen’s leg space, but they were promptly caught.
Feeling a bit flustered, Li Xi closed his eyes and buried his head into Duan Zhen’s chest, pretending to be asleep.
Duan Zhen didn’t think much about it. He simply felt Li Xi’s cold hands and feet and subconsciously wanted to warm them up. But seeing Li Xi burying his head in his chest like a small ostrich, he found it quite adorable.
“Goodnight,” he whispered softly next to Li Xi’s fair ear, knowing that Li Xi was still awake.
Li Xi’s ears turned slightly red, but he continued to pretend to be asleep, not saying a word.
After a few minutes, he actually fell asleep.
When he woke up again, it was already bright outside. They were still in the same position as last night, with Li Xi’s feet still nestled between Duan Zhen’s legs. Due to the angle, he could feel the warmth of Duan Zhen’s body and a certain part of him.
“…” Li Xi swallowed nervously.
Although he had a reaction himself in the morning, feeling someone so close and sensing a certain danger inexplicably made him uneasy.
“Let’s get up,” he whispered softly. “We have a lot to do today.”
Duan Zhen leaned over to kiss his face, grazing his stubble against Li Xi’s cheek, causing Li Xi to instinctively move back.
As he moved back, their legs shifted, causing some friction between them, and both of them stiffened.
An awkward yet ambiguous atmosphere gradually filled the air.
“This isn’t my fault,” Li Xi quickly blinked his eyes. “Or should I help you with that?”
By ‘help,’ he naturally meant using a spell to cool things down. Duan Zhen looked at him deeply for a few seconds, his gaze as if he wanted to devour him whole.
Li Xi cautiously withdrew his leg.
“You’re not a child anymore,” Duan Zhen suddenly said.
For some reason, his voice sounded a bit husky, making it sound quite sexy.
Li Xi licked his lips, instinctively speaking softly, “I’m forever eighteen.”
Duan Zhen took a deep breath. “I’m going to take a shower.”
He reached out to ruffle Li Xi’s hair, refraining from kissing him good morning, afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
Quietly, Li Xi cast a spell to clean himself up and changed his clothes, sitting obediently in a chair drinking milk by the time Duan Zhen finished.
“Let’s have breakfast,” Li Xi looked up at him, his face slightly flushed. “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”
“I just took a shower,” Duan Zhen said. “Do you have any clothes I can wear?”
Blushing, Li Xi went to open the wardrobe, momentarily forgetting that he could use magic to summon the clothes.
As he was about to pick out an outfit, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed the clothes hanging on the outermost part.
“This set looks good,” Duan Zhen said, “It matches yours.”
Li Xi felt his heart race as Duan Zhen, shirtless, hugged him, the scent of the shower gel on him still lingering, causing his face to burn up. “That, that’s fine.”
While he was lost in this enchanting moment, Duan Zhen was watching him, making sure that his “charm” wasn’t failing on Li Xi’s side. Only then did he leisurely put on the clothes.
Duan Zhen now believed that Li Xi hadn’t been reading adult material before. His understanding of sex seemed unfamiliar for someone who was over two hundred years old, even more inexperienced than some teenagers nowadays.
And he seemed quite accustomed to using spells to cool things down… Duan Zhen found that aspect a bit hard to understand.
With thoughts of danger swirling in Duan Zhen’s head, he maintained his calm exterior and ate the heart-shaped eggs.
Li Xi drank several large sips of milk before finally calming down, quietly casting several spells to calm his mind and cool himself down. Only then could he discuss today’s schedule with a straight face. “I’m planning to go find Hewlett today. You can come with me. While you search for other qualified individuals, I’ll check the location range of the main system that Dan Zuo gave me. If we can find it directly, it’ll save us some trouble.”
“Are you planning to hand me over to Hewlett?” Duan Zhen keenly sensed his intention.
“I want him to teach you the methods of being a knight,” Li Xi said. “This is the fastest way for you to become stronger in a short time. Whether it’s for future challenges or for subduing others when we return to our original world, strength is crucial.”
Duan Zhen remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “Can you travel to my world?”
“Then, when I reach a certain level of cultivation, I’ll also be able to travel between worlds?” Duan Zhen continued to ask.
Li Xi nodded.
Duan Zhen’s brows relaxed, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
“But that’s something for the distant future,” Li Xi shook his head. “It’s too early to discuss it now.”
“At least it means our relationship won’t just end like this after the game is over,” Duan Zhen remarked.
“I hope so,” Li Xi pursed his lips, choosing not to dwell on the topic any longer. Instead, he said, “Let’s go to Hewlett’s after breakfast.”
Duan Zhen’s heart felt a bit heavy. He realized that Li Xi didn’t seem to intend to continue their relationship after the game ended, especially after their conversation just now. This feeling became even more apparent.
Li Xi could clearly travel to his world, yet he hadn’t mentioned it at all and showed no interest in the matter.
“Maybe in the future,” Li Xi said, noticing Duan Zhen’s lowered mood. He then explained, “As the Demon King, my image is bound to be exposed by the main system. Even though this game is unlikely to result in any deaths, our relationship would still not be accepted by the public, especially considering the impact it would have on you. So, at least for the next few years, I won’t be going to find you.”
How long could human emotions last? Perhaps when the influence of the game disappeared from the world, Duan Zhen’s feelings for him would fade away with the passage of time, and then Li Xi wouldn’t have any reason to go back.
Duan Zhen knew Li Xi was telling the truth. He wasn’t afraid of being influenced himself, but he didn’t want Li Xi to face the hostile gaze of the world.
Li Xi leaned in and gently kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
Duan Zhen embraced him, holding onto his shoulders, his eyes lowered in contemplation. After a moment, he whispered softly, “You’re right. Everything will be fine.”
Li Xi felt that they had reached an agreement on this matter, so he quickly resumed his cheerful expression and took Duan Zhen’s hand to find Hewlett.
Hewlett had barely slept for a few days and looked like he hadn’t fully woken up yet, with a grumpy expression on his face.
“You want me to guide a human?” Hewlett’s expression seemed to say, ‘Is this a joke?’
“Not just any human, my lover,” Li Xi raised an eyebrow. “You name your price.”
Hewlett squinted slightly, a smirk playing at his lips. “That’s what you said. If you want me to do something, the price won’t be low.”
“Other than the changes brought about by cultivation, I won’t accept any other injuries on him,” Li Xi said. “I’ll make sure to check.”
“Don’t worry,” Hewlett said lazily. “As the Demon King who’s willing to do this for a human, you’re probably the first.”
“Don’t speak as if you’re not a human,” Li Xi defended humans. “You’ve experienced firsthand the heights humans can reach.”
Hewlett chuckled. “You’re right.”
He then turned his gaze to Duan Zhen not far away. “I’ll take a good look. Let’s see what makes a human worthy of your attention.”
I would’ve never thought he’d trust Hewlett to train Duan Duan, what a surprise lol!
Thank you for reading