Yes, I missed you so much

Fortunately, livestreams of Newcomer Instances were not yet open to the public, so no one had a complete picture of Shen Ru's appearance, abilities, or methods.

That meant Shen Ru would remain safe and undisturbed until he entered his next instance.

There were tens of millions of players in the living zone, and tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, shared his name. After all, it sounded simple and casual enough.

This was also a benefit beginner instances offered new players. They had only just entered the game, and even those with extraordinary abilities still faced gaps in information and ability cards. Throwing them straight into the public eye could hasten their demise.

Whether from the perspective of game development or the new players themselves, that would benefit no one.

The Dark Night Guild.

Brilliant sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, scattering dappled light and shadow across the floor indoors. Such a peaceful sight could only be found in the living zone.

The man sat leisurely at his desk. Despite his relaxed posture, he still exuded elegance and nobility. His slender fingers tapped slowly against the desktop as he hummed an unfamiliar tune.

Light and shadow fell across his flawless, luminous skin. A faint, icy smile lingered in his eyes, making him look like a demon who held the entire human world in the palm of his hand.

"Boss!!!"

A clear male voice shattered the tranquility, followed by the office door swinging open.

Mo Yu narrowed his eyes. Rather than getting angry at the boy's rudeness, he curled his lips into a smile and looked him over.

"I heard the system booted you out of the Newcomer Instance?"

Sheng Ziyao was shrewd as a monkey. From the man's tone alone, he could tell his boss was in a good mood, so he flopped onto the sofa and rolled around.

"I only went in for a look! Just one little look! Who knew that gorgeous guy would be so blackhearted? Not only did he drag me into doing his dirty work, he even exposed me himself at the end!"

His golden curls rubbed against the sofa until they stood up with static. He had felt pretty good about himself, and had even taken special care with his clothes before their first meeting. He simply couldn't figure out how he had offended him.

Getting forcibly kicked out of the Newcomer Instance had made him the laughingstock of the guild. Just a moment ago, the second-in-command had cornered him, insisting on meeting the legendary figure who had gotten the better of both him and his boss.

After pawing miserably at the sofa for a while, Sheng Ziyao suddenly remembered that the gorgeous guy had also given him a message for his boss.

"Mo, that gorgeous guy asked me to pass something on to you."

At last, the man looked interested. He raised his eyes slightly and asked with evident curiosity, "What did he say?"

Sheng Ziyao thought for a moment, then happily flashed a mouthful of gleaming white teeth. "He sends his regards and wants you to come find him."

That perked him right up. His eyes darted furtively around, and he asked with gossip written all over his face:

"Boss, is that gorgeous guy my sister-in-law?"

"What?"

Mo Yu's expression froze for an instant. Then, as if something had suddenly clicked, he chuckled softly. "So what did you call him when you met?"

"Sister-in-law! Is there a problem?" Sheng Ziyao scratched his head, bewildered.

The man offered no further explanation. He simply rose, straightened his clothes, and prepared to leave.

At the door, Mo Yu suddenly stopped and considered for a moment. "Team Three is tackling A-rank instances now. As their captain, take them through more runs and spend less time looking at nonsense. If your brain's gone rotten, step down from that position."

Sheng Ziyao pouted and pitifully murmured that he understood.

What had he ever done to deserve this...

Once the system finished calculating his results, Shen Ru was teleported to the living zone. There were plenty of people around him. At a glance, most wore dazed, bewildered expressions, probably newcomers entering the game for the first time.

It seemed this location had been prepared specifically for them.

Shen Ru keenly noticed several groups nearby whose expressions and movements clearly marked them as experienced players, yet they were waiting at the designated arrival point for newcomers.

Some newcomer must have caught their attention.

It seemed the game system did have protective measures for new players. Keeping Newcomer Instances private was the greatest safeguard of all.

Unfortunately, Shen Ru stood out in the crowd. His round, grape-like eyes made him look young, framed by fine, thick lashes, and his dark red irises gleamed like gemstones. Standing at 183 centimeters, he was breathtakingly beautiful.

Having just emerged from an instance, he wore a disheveled shirt with a button torn off by something unknown. It hung loosely on him, making him look like an angel defiled by a god.

Shen Ru had barely taken two steps before several burly men in suits blocked his way. Their leader wore gold-rimmed glasses, his face a picture of harshness and cold indifference.

"Mr. Shen, our guild leader has been waiting for quite some time."

Shen Ru showed little expression. He merely stood motionless, watching him.

His dark red eyes looked exceptionally sharp now, like rubies covered with a thin layer of crushed ice.

"Oh? And who might your guild leader be?"

Disdain colored the young man's gaze. He had a particular trait: he absolutely hated rude people, himself excepted.

The man paused. Looking at the flamboyant rose before him, he seemed to realize something. He bowed slightly in apology and said quietly:

"My apologies, Mr. Shen. I was rude to you just now. I'm Gu Changming, deputy leader of the Dark Night Guild. Guild Leader Mo Yu asked us to wait here for you. He would like to invite you to visit our guild."

No player other than the one standing before him had ever gotten the better of both their guild leader and Sheng Ziyao in succession.

Had he been any more overbearing just now, there might well have been a third victim.

Gu Changming was a very astute businessman, particularly skilled at reading a situation and analyzing human nature. At its core, all business was built on controlling people's minds and behavior, encroaching on their lives and time, and ultimately achieving one's goal.

Before meeting Shen Ru in person, he had underestimated the young man's value. That was why he had acted so rashly and arrogantly just now.

Now he could only hope that making amends in time would change the outcome already taking shape.

Shen Ru found him interesting, and the more interesting someone was, the less inclined he was to let them off.

The young man ignored the man's apology. After all, how did that saying go?

Belated affection was worth less than dirt.

He blinked and said with feigned wistfulness, "Your Guild Leader Mo Yu is so busy! Actually, I'm very busy too. I wonder whether any other guilds would be interested in an invitation to the Tea Party?"

The beautiful rose had no qualms about showing his thorns. After all, he hadn't been the one to start things off with a show of intimidation.

The atmosphere froze once more. Just as Shen Ru decided to leave, a deep, pleasant male voice sounded from behind the crowd:

"It seems you really do want to see me."

Hearing their guild leader's voice, the men stepped aside, leaving ample room for him.

Shen Ru carefully noted that, apart from Gu Changming, all the other burly men had lowered their heads. Even their clenched fists trembled slightly.

The young man curled his lips and slowly approached the man under everyone's horrified gazes. His slender fingers pressed lightly against Mo Yu's lips, then slid downward suggestively. His fingertip traced two gentle circles over his Adam's apple, and an absurdly intimate atmosphere spread around them.

His striking features softened with affection. Shen Ru moved a few steps closer to the man, and his sugary voice rang in everyone's ears:

"Yes, I missed you so much."