Playing His Lover

Shen Ru looked at Mo Yu with undisguised hostility, the curve of his lips growing wider.

The people beside them sucked in a breath at the young man's actions.

Murmurs instantly rose all around them.

"This guy's got some serious guts. That's the president of the Dark Night Guild!"

"Does he have something on the president? Why's Mo Yu letting him act so smug?"

"Holy shit, badass! A newbie with balls like that-did he get in through connections?"

"Are you fucking insane? Who uses connections to get into this game???"

"..."

Mo Yu had indeed come as promised, but he had also silently brought Shen Ru a lavish gift.

Shen Ru himself might not have known that his name had caused a sensation among all the B-rank players, and even A-rank players were paying him particular attention.

Although the process of clearing Newcomer Instances was not shown to others, as the largest guild in the eternal life game, the Dark Night Guild had far more sources of information than anyone might imagine.

That was why certain A- and B-rank players had been watching the Dark Night Guild from the start, keeping a close eye on its every move.

Mo Yu's trip to a Newcomer Instance was no closely guarded secret among the other guilds. With the latest dark horse emerging from a Newcomer Instance, many people inevitably connected the dots.

Could this young man who dared get handsy with the president be Shen Ru, the player at the top of the B-rank leaderboard?

Once the seeds of suspicion fell, they would take root and sprout.

"Thank you for missing me. Speaking of which, I should congratulate you."

The man wore an elegant smile, a chill glinting in his black eyes, his bearing noble at every moment.

Shen Ru sensed trouble, but his expression remained unchanged as he asked flatly, "What do you mean?"

Mo Yu's smile deepened. He stepped back, putting a little distance between himself and the young man, and smoothed the creases in Shen Ru's collar with his slender fingers before offering his sincere congratulations:

"You've only just left your Newcomer Instance, and you're already first among the B-rank players. Isn't that worth celebrating?"

Shen Ru casually swept his gaze over the astonished faces around them, his dark red eyes now blazing with anger.

He had assumed the sick pervert was simply used to showing off, which was why he had made such a spectacle of coming here.

Now it seemed this had been a gift prepared for him, using the guild's fame to expose Shen Ru completely to the public.

Sheng Ziyao really did have a wonderful boss.

Meeting those malice-filled black eyes, the young man slowly narrowed his own. He gritted his teeth, suppressed the anger in his eyes, and said with a smile:

"If this is your congratulatory gift, it's rather cheap."

Mo Yu seemed to have been waiting for those very words. He gently took Shen Ru's hand and pressed his own thumb against its back.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, he slowly lowered his head and pressed his lips to his own thumb.

Where the kiss actually landed did not matter. What mattered was what everyone saw-

Mo Yu had kissed the back of Shen Ru's hand and warmly invited him to visit the guild.

That was enough.

"This is the gift I prepared for you."

The man wickedly rubbed the young man's fair, soft skin with his fingertip and said cheerfully, "Get in. I think it's time we discussed business."

After the car drove away, the surrounding crowd could no longer keep their voices down, and a clamor of discussion erupted.

"Holy shit, who gets that kind of reception???"

"I was close enough to hear President Mo say he was the top B-rank player."

"What!? That was Shen Ru???"

"Shen Ru's a total beauty!!! I fucking couldn't stop staring the second I saw him."

"Wait... what's Shen Ru's relationship with the Dark Night Guild? The president came to pick him up himself..."

Just as Mo Yu wished, rumors never lacked opportunities to take root. Shen Ru's relationship with the Dark Night Guild became shrouded in mystery, and some even claimed to have seen Shen Ru in person, describing him as a gorgeous, alluring woman.

The Dark Night Guild.

Whatever else could be said, the top guild's decor certainly resembled Mo Yu himself, every detail bearing the traces of time and the imprint of art.

Delicate, intricate floral carvings adorned the surroundings, their sumptuous lines lending depth to the space.

Most striking were the doors at the main entrance, over two meters tall, which slowly swung inward with a heavy rumble, exuding grandeur and authority.

Shen Ru and Mo Yu entered the room.

Most of the time, Mo Yu disliked other people encroaching on his territory, but today was an exception.

Sheng Ziyao looked at the tightly shut door. Remembering the cold look the beautiful Shen Ru had given him earlier, he swallowed and quietly edged closer to Gu Changming.

"And the boss said he wasn't interested in him. One trip outside, and there are already dating rumors."

Gu Changming adjusted his glasses and said unhurriedly, "The boss was right. Read fewer gossip magazines."

Sheng Ziyao scrunched up his face and asked in confusion, "Then why did Mo Yu do all that stuff to the beauty in front of everyone?"

Gu Changming sighed. Rather than explain in detail, he posed a question. "How many people do you think consider the Dark Night Guild their enemy?"

"Do you even need to ask? Too many to count."

"There's your reason."

"????"

An unreadable glint flashed through Gu Changming's eyes. "The boss's actions conveyed two things today. First, he told everyone that this was Shen Ru. Second, he showed that Shen Ru had close ties to the Dark Night Guild. Think about it. If you were an enemy of the Dark Night Guild and had such a clear target, would you sit back and do nothing? Besides, he's the top B-rank player. He's not just a threat to B-rank players; even A-rank players are wary of him."

"...It's actually that complicated?"

Sheng Ziyao's eyes darted around. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Changming, if you're so smart, why are you working as someone's second-in-command?"

Gu Changming was already used to Sheng Ziyao's erratic leaps of thought and ignored his joke.

They both knew full well that they followed Mo Yu for more than his terrifying combat prowess or exceptional intelligence.

It was because Mo Yu fiercely protected his own.

That was also why Mo Yu had made such a grand spectacle of picking Shen Ru up today.

Perhaps even that pretty young man, Shen Ru, had seen through their boss's intentions. Only an idiot like Sheng Ziyao had failed to notice.

He had gone to settle the score.

After all, getting kicked out of a Newcomer Instance, in the eyes of veteran players...

Really was far too humiliating.

Inside the room.

Shen Ru sat down without ceremony, casually surveying the furnishings.

Unlike the lavish decor outside, Mo Yu's room had an extremely austere palette. Its minimalist black resembled thick, spilled ink, slowly seeping into the exquisitely beautiful young man within.

The young man gave a cold snort and teased, "Are we already that close?"

The man said nothing, merely looking at him with a smile.

His long, slender fingers swept through the air, and an exhilarating symphony instantly filled the spacious room.

As countless sounds interwove and collided, a rich, colorful melody burst forth, stirring and soaring.

At the same time, the shadows lurking in the darkness lay dormant like countless ribbons during the music's low passages. Then, with a searing swell of sound, they suddenly lunged at the young man.

They twined and tangled, gradually spreading throughout Shen Ru's body.

The instant the darkness invaded him, the young man's pupils constricted sharply. He had never imagined the man's ability would work outside an instance.

The beautiful doll, now under another's control, could only be forced to approach the man.

Laughter colored Mo Yu's voice as his fingers parted Shen Ru's clothes. Despite the intensely intimate atmosphere, he made no unnecessary moves.

To the impassioned music, the man effortlessly took possession of the S-rank card.

"Perhaps we're about to become that close."

The moment he finished speaking, a mechanical system notification suddenly sounded in both their ears:

"Ding. S-rank card use detected."

"The Secret Garden Tea Party invitation has been activated."

"The annual Tea Party is Mr. and Mrs. Leon's favorite occasion. This year, they have prepared a special surprise for everyone. We hope you will all attend on time."

After the system notification ended, the S-rank card transformed into a handwritten letter.

Dear Mr. Mo Yu:

You are cordially invited to visit the Secret Garden in three days. Mr. and Mrs. Leon eagerly await the arrival of you and your lover.

A chill flashed through the man's pitch-black eyes as he said in an even tone, "You see, my love."

His dark red eyes brimming with malice, the young man lowered his head, barely restrained madness hidden in his smile as he replied in a low, husky voice, "My pleasure."

The feverish music stopped abruptly.