Pitiful Widower (09)

Xue Ci arrived near the market and immediately spotted Qin Zhou.

The boy's appearance and red hair were particularly eye-catching, attracting a lot of attention. Unfortunately, passersby who wanted to stop and look were deterred by his grumpy face.

Qin Zhou's bag was already full, so it seemed he hadn't been slacking off.

This was beyond Xue Ci's expectations.

Qin Zhou's appearance was simply too arrogant and rebellious; he didn't seem like the kind of person who would appear in such a bustling, mobile vegetable market.

The boy looked very impatient, but his expression softened noticeably when he saw Xue Ci.

"Where have you been? I'm going to call the police if you don't come back soon." I don't know what's wrong with this game, there are so many tall, strong male NPCs, almost all of them can easily pick Xue Ci up and do whatever they want. "Don't wander off, there are so many bad people outside."

He, an 18-year-old high school graduate, was giving advice to Xue Ci, who was four years older than him, like an older brother.

Xue Ci responded and looked at the bag, "You bought everything?"

"I bought it a while ago." Qin Zhou even bought an extra small bread roll. "One store had a promotion, it was a free gift."

Yeah, right.

He waited in a long line to buy it.

For some reason, Qin Zhou didn't want Xue Ci to know, especially since Xue Ci had asked him directly, "Do you also want to kiss me?"

If people find out that he specifically queued up to buy this bread, they'll probably think he has romantic feelings for her.

How could he possibly want to kiss?

Eating your tongue and licking your saliva is disgusting.

However, Xue Ci's mouth must have tasted sweet; he could smell it.

No... even if it's sweet, a straight man like him would never kiss it.

He simply dislikes seeing people get scammed. Xue Ci is so naive; she was kissed by that disgusting otaku in just a few days. If he coaxed her a bit more, she would probably give him everything.

By then, that shut-in will have taken advantage of Xue Ci her pregnant, and then just walk away after clearing the game.

Xue Ci... even if she's an NPC, she shouldn't be treated like this.

His disapproval of this behavior has nothing to do with whether he wants to kiss her or not.

The bread was wrapped in clean newspaper, emitting a sweet aroma. Xue Ci sniffed it lightly like a small animal, then pursed her lips into a beautiful smile.

Thank you.

Do you want some?

"Um..."

Qin Zhou answered absentmindedly.

Xue Ci had no idea what Qin Zhou was thinking and focused on dividing the bread.

Foreign bread is usually a bit hard, so he struggled to break it open, and then patiently divided the newspaper into two parts, carefully wrapped them up, and handed them to Qin Zhou.

"I divide it according to your appetite. If you're not full, just ask me for more."

... So cute!

How can dividing a loaf of bread be so cute?

Qin Zhou took the bread with his ears burning red and took a bite casually.

It tastes awful.

But he seemed to taste sweetness in it.

The two went to a bench, Xue Ci took a few bites of bread and put it aside, then checked the ingredients against the list.

These things are less important than the mission; even if he buys the wrong thing Joel will just yell at him a few times.

Ke Xue Ci is a very serious and responsible young servant, no matter what he does.

After taking inventory, the two headed towards the castle.

Xue Ci currently has Bill's connections with her husband, but the suspicious matters at the castle still require further consideration... Then, as if remembering something, he asked Qin Zhou, "Why did you leave your room last night?"

"I heard the sound," Qin Zhou replied truthfully.

Xue Ci: "Is that a little girl's voice?"

Qin Zhou didn't hear the little girl. "I heard footsteps downstairs, so I opened the door. I was just about to go downstairs when you and Lu Min came down one after the other. Lu Min was behind you—"

It's drooling like a dog.

Xue Ci in surprise, "Were you already here before we went upstairs?"

Qin Zhou said "Oh," with a hint of sourness in his voice, "I had the door half open, didn't you notice me?"

Xue Ci finally noticed something strange—he was certain that all the room doors were closed when he went upstairs.

Qin Zhou didn't seem to be lying.

In other words, Qin Zhou can see them, but they cannot see Qin Zhou.

Why?

Xue Ci wanted to confirm the details. "Fu Chengsi... when did he open the door?"

Qin Zhou paused for two seconds. "I don't know."

Xue Ci in surprise, "He should have made a sound when he opened the door, didn't you hear it?"

Of course he didn't hear it. Qin Zhou wasn't paying attention to anything else at the time; his attention was entirely on Xue Ci.

Having never kissed before and not watching those kinds of movies, seeing Xue Ci being kissed like that was so shocking that he stood there stunned, ignoring all the sounds around him.

All he could hear was the sound of Xue Ci's saliva being sucked.

It's so astringent, why does being kissed on the lips feel so astringent?

The tender tip of her tongue was eaten until it turned a deep red.

Her little face was wet and soft from the impact, and her eyelashes were covered in sticky tears, making her look like a broken doll.

He only noticed the change in his body when he looked down and caught a glimpse of Fu Chengsi out of the corner of his eye.

Fu Chengsi maintained his indifferent and disdainful expression, but his lips were pursed tightly, and his aura was much colder than usual.

"They probably came out when you were almost finished kissing."

Just thinking about it makes him break out in a sweat.

Xue Ci noticed a vein bulging on his forehead. "Are you hot?"

"Fine."

Qin Zhou's voice was a little hoarse.

The item was probably too heavy.

Xue Ci out her hand. "I'll carry it."

Qin Zhou didn't give it to him, but grabbed him. Just then, a carriage passed by.

"Watch where you're going."

Xue Ci asked for more details, but Qin Zhou's answers didn't provide any clues.

He simply remained silent all the way home.

Upon arriving home, Xue Ci did not immediately hand over the ingredients to Joel. Instead, he found Lu Min, who was still helping him in the garden.

Looking at the neat and orderly garden, Xue Ci's eyes widened.

He felt that Lu Min might have channeled his social skills into this ability.

They even fed the rabbits properly.

The morning sun was strong, Lu Min was covered in sweat. When he saw Xue Ci, he smiled and said, "You're back, Xiao... Xiao Ci?"

He tentatively uttered the affectionate nickname, cautiously glancing at Xue Ci's face. Relieved to find no embarrassment or displeasure, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've finished all this work; you can rest today."

Xue Ci didn't hold back her praise, "You're so amazing, thank you for helping me with all this."

"You're welcome..." Lu Min scratched his hair sheepishly.

Qin Zhou, standing in the living room, snorted coldly.

What's with the pretense of innocence now?

Weren't you the one who sucked Xue Ci's tongue like that last night?

Seeing the two of them enter from the garden side by side, Qin Zhou immediately sat back on the sofa, casually picked up a magazine from the side, and let his long legs rest lightly on the ground, looking relaxed and carefree.

He kept his head down and only put the magazine down after observing the two people go upstairs out of the corner of his eye.

idiot.

A mocking smile appeared on Fu Chengsi's lips.

He even held the magazine upside down.

His gaze fell on the two people on the stairs.

Xue Ci's figure was completely obscured by Lu Min.

Occasionally, a glimpse of her fair arm would appear.

What one would do upon going upstairs to their room at this time is self-evident.

Fu Chengsi crossed his arms, looking indifferent and aloof.

To his surprise, this NPC, who had been seducing people from day one, didn't even know how to kiss.

It looked very awkward; it couldn't breathe properly, its face turned red from holding its breath, and when its mouth was blocked, it could only make soft whimpering sounds.

I don't know if they were pretending on purpose or if they really didn't know how.

She might even tell that it was her first kiss to that clueless nerd.

If she's really faking it, then she's certainly very good at seduction.

Fu Chengsi opened the panel and refreshed all the information about Song Xueci.

--She is a very honest and timid character, even careful when communicating with others, let alone getting into arguments with players.

He opened the forum.

The first few rows on the homepage are almost entirely posts about Song Xueci.

After sifting through countless screenshots and players' casual remarks, he finally found a useful tip.

[How could I possibly leave my baby there alone! I'd risk my life, even destroy the game, to get my baby out!]

Fu Chengsi narrowed his long, narrow eyes.

*

Lu Min nervously led Xue Ci into the room, the scene of their kiss last night still vivid in her mind.

He unconsciously swallowed, looking at the young servant boy who was very close to him. "... Xiao... Xiao Ci?"

Xue Ci looked up at people with an exceptionally innocent and pure expression. "Could you lend me some money?"

For some reason, he'd been working here for almost half a year, but hadn't saved a single penny. The money he gave Bill today was money Joel had given him for groceries.

Now we have no choice but to ask Lu Min for help.

He just hooked her up last night, and today he's asking for money. His ulterior motives are too obvious.

Xue Ci didn't know if he could borrow the money, but Lu Min actually gave him a large sum of money.

Is this enough?

Lu Min asked cautiously.

"That's enough!" Xue Ci took the money, tiptoed, and kissed the man's lips. "I'll pay you back when I get paid."

"No need..." Lu Min's lips curled into a wide smile as he grasped Xue Ci's hand. "My money is your money. I don't usually spend much money, so it's all yours."

The otaku is too honest.

Xue Ci felt too embarrassed to lie to him.

Of course, he immediately retracted the idea.

"Xiao Ci... I want to kiss you."

After pinching his fingers repeatedly, Lu Min finally spoke his mind.

Xue Ci thought about the fierce kiss last night and really wanted to refuse him.

But I just got the money...

He had to make an excuse. "I have to see Mr. Joel later, so I can't kiss him with my lips so red."

He thought Lu Min would be disappointed and refuse, but the man didn't let go of his hand. Instead, his ears turned red and he stammered, "I... I... can I kiss other places?"

"..."

Xue Ci felt there was no way to avoid it, so she didn't waste any more time.

"Hurry up."

Lu Min's apple bobbed back and forth. "... What?"

Xue Ci grabbed his clothes. "Hurry up and kiss me."

Lu Min had large hands and easily lifted the little servant into his arms.

My head was buried in my clothes, and my nose was filled with a sweet fragrance.

In the end, Xue Ci was almost limp, her breathing was short, and she wanted to get away, but Lu Min pressed her back firmly, forcing her to straighten up.

It's like she's actively feeding it to the man.

The soft, pink filling was quickly eaten until it became round and plump, spreading out in a circle.

"Xiao Ci, you... you're so beautiful..." Lu Min's eyes showed an infatuated expression.

After all, encountering a succubus right after leaving the starting village is bound to be a temptation.

Lu Min was in pain all over, but he didn't dare let Xue Ci see his embarrassing reaction, for fear of being disliked.

He certainly didn't do these things to be with Xue Ci; he genuinely liked her and wanted to live with her in the future, which is why he did them.

Although the decision was made in a short time, it was indeed a result of his careful consideration.

We need to find clues and take Xue Ci out of the game.

*

Xue Ci into loose-fitting clothes.

After making up the difference in the cost of the groceries, he took the ingredients to find Joel.

Joel, true to his acerbic nature, was reprimanding one of the servants.

Xue Ci out to him and boldly asked for leave.

Joel disagreed and took his anger out on him, assigning him extra work cleaning the warehouse.

Xue Ci carried the bucket to the garden.

Lu Min seemed to be watching him all the time. No sooner had he stepped out than Lu Min followed him, making a move to take the bucket of water from his hands.

Xue Ci insisted, "I'll do it myself."

Lu Min's arm froze, and he followed Xue Ci in silence.

Xue Ci angrily entered the warehouse, which had been cleaned recently and was almost dust-free.

He wrung out the rag and wiped away the dust bit by bit.

Lu Min stood to the side, looking both helpless and anxious. "I... I'll help you. Your fingers are all red."

Xue Ci was still upset about not being able to get leave. "No need."

Lu Min remained silent for a moment.

In a humble tone. "Did I make you unhappy?"

Xue Ci then realized that she was just throwing a tantrum.

People seem to be more temperamental in front of those who unconditionally pamper them.

Xue Ci felt this was wrong. He looked at Lu Min, who looked like a large dog that had done something wrong, with his head drooping, his curly hair covering his eyes, and listless.

"You'll leave after you clear the level, right?"

Xue Ci suddenly asked.

The player's identity is public knowledge; every NPC knows it and will assist the player in finding clues.

The NPC simply doesn't know that it is an NPC.

As if remembering something, Lu Min immediately said, "I... I won't leave. Even if I do, I'll take you with me!"

His tone was firm.

Xue Ci deliberately feigned a dependent expression. "I already let you kiss me there..."

"If you leave, you must take me with you."

He spoke softly, his cheeks pale, and called out in a sweet, gentle voice, "Husband."

Lu Min was completely captivated by that "husband" address.

"... I will never abandon you!"

Once they're out, he'll register his marriage with Xue Ci.

[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission.]

[Progress bar has reached 35%].

Xue Ci was finally satisfied.

*

The next day he went to Joel again and asked for leave once more.

Unsurprisingly, Joel rejected him.

The same thing happened on the third day.

Xue Ci felt that this might be a pre-programmed procedure that couldn't be changed.

He cannot go out to look for clues about his husband for the time being, which can only delay the progress of several players.

Lu Min no longer needed to deliberately delay; the other person was love-struck, her mind was always on him, and the progress bar hadn't been used in a long time.

Fu Chengsi and Qin Zhou's progress bars have both moved forward in the past few days.

Especially for Fu Chengsi, it has reached 60%.

Xue Ci was getting a little anxious, so she exchanged a few board games from 11 to stall them.

Fortunately, the other players were quite accommodating and willing to play along.

They probably wanted to get clues from him.

Xue Ci bought a Western game, which is basically a Monopoly game set in a different era, with similar rules.

Everyone was quite engaged.

The other NPCs automatically disappear from the living room by the afternoon.

The temperature difference in the castle is huge; it's hot enough to wear short sleeves at noon, but by evening you need to light the fireplace.

Perhaps there is something unclean here.

Xue Ci's shoulders trembled slightly at her own thoughts, and she leaned closer to Lu Min.

Lu Min's face turned bright red the moment his body was suddenly pressed against hers.

Xue Ci has begun to no longer hide their relationship.

He also subtly pressed himself against Xue Ci's body.

Their subtle actions naturally didn't escape the notice of others.

"It's your turn," Qin Zhou reminded Lu Min in an unfriendly tone.

After several rounds, Xue Ci discovered to his surprise that he had lost all his money.

"..."

He looked helplessly at the two piles of punishment signs.

Do you know what Truth or Dare is?

Qin Zhou explained the possible penalties for each set of cards to him, and Xue Ci pretended to be just learning the rules. "Then I'll choose Truth."

"The truth is the red ones."

Xue Ci drew a card, then froze upon seeing the card.

Lu Min, standing to the side, frowned deeply. "Isn't this a truth-or-dare game?"

Qin Zhou leaned closer and read aloud, "Sit on the lap of the player to your right, facing each other for ten seconds."

This is clearly a dare card.

Moreover, Xue Ci's right side is Fu Chengsi.

Qin Zhou and Lu Min rarely agreed on the same thing, "I guess there was a mistake with the card. Since you chose truth, then this card is invalid. Xue Ci, draw another one."

Fu Chengsi remained silent, seemingly having no objection to this.

Xue Ci drew another card.

Upon seeing the cards, everything went black.

How could he be so unlucky?

Unbeknownst to him, the card he drew had already been secretly switched by someone.

"If you are selected, you must read it aloud."

Fu Chengsi, who had been mostly silent, suddenly spoke up.

Xue Ci's eyelashes trembled, and she bent her knees, wishing she could bury her face in them.

The living room fell silent instantly, with the fire in the fireplace crackling softly.

He concealed the heavy breathing of the several players present.

The men's pupils contracted to varying degrees at the sound of Xue Ci's weak and awkward voice.

"Please... please describe in detail one of your intimate experiences."

Author's Note:

Say more, say it nicely, say it enjoyably.