For the first time, Xie Shuangxue experienced this chaos, his mind and all his powers in disarray. He was kissed while being pinned down, and as he moved instinctively, he was suppressed even more fiercely. Amid the rising alarm sounds, his muddled brain realized that the alarm wasn’t triggered by Yu Haiqing’s sudden kiss but rather due to a deviation in the storyline.

The Feather Clan and Qin Feiluan had rebelled, killing the City Lord of Linan, who wasn’t supposed to die at this time, while Ling Xuan remained alive, significantly altering the original plot. Though not directly his doing, it was indeed propelled by Xie Shuangxue, so the heat on his wrist likely meant an upgrade in his powers.

Is this also possible?

His scattered thoughts made him seem unfocused, prompting Yu Haiqing to bite him gently as a small punishment. Xie Shuangxue wasn’t one to take things lying down. He flinched from the pain, found Yu Haiqing immovable, felt wronged, and bit back.

His sharp, little beast-like teeth used nearly full strength, causing Yu Haiqing to loosen his grip slightly, but not before Xie Shuangxue had drawn blood.

Xie Shuangxue saw the wound, felt a tad guilty, and thought about escaping, but Yu Haiqing had no intention of letting him go. Xie Shuangxue, furious and jealous, couldn’t budge him, like pushing against a wall of copper and iron.

“There’s a system alarm,” he changed the subject and tried to take a moral high ground, “How can you do this?”

Yu Haiqing hadn’t just bitten his lip but had audaciously moved to his soft cheeks and neck, leaving marks that would be hard to explain to others.

“My mom told you to take care of me, not bully me. That’s disobedience,” his eyes reddening as he grew more indignant, “Even if you’re mad, it’s no excuse.”

Besides, Xie Shuangxue didn’t think he had done anything wrong. This had always been his approach, and Yu Haiqing hadn’t previously complained, not even harshly. Why the sudden outrage?

Yu Haiqing didn’t let go, touched the wound on his lip corner, his expression easing, even managing a smile, and said while keeping Xie Shuangxue firmly in his hold, “The teacher did say that, and at first, I did just that. But she never said I couldn’t like you or be your lover.”

Xie Shuangxue was stunned. “That’s sophistry, sheer sophistry!”

Lover? What was he talking about? Xie Shuangxue felt an unexpected panic and covered Yu Haiqing’s mouth.

How could a human and an AI be like this? Though players would shout daily about ‘baby’ or ‘wife’, Xie Shuangxue knew those were just emotional adjectives, expressions of affection. When he actually stood before them, those who spoke boldly online acted politely and reservedly in person, not truly intending to treat him as their child or spouse.

But Yu Haiqing was the opposite. He spoke sweetly, promising eternal protection, yet he bullied him during such moments.

Yu Haiqing, unashamed, smiled even more clearly. He wasn’t caught up in a fleeting emotion; having kissed him, he felt clearer about his feelings, sighing, “Ah Xue, I’ve just figured out what I want.”

He had deceived himself for a while, but this incident made him unwilling to lie to himself any longer. It wasn’t his fault; it was Xie Shuangxue’s own choice.

“I’m not bullying you, I’ve always liked you,” Yu Haiqing continued before he could retort, “Think about it, have I ever kept anything from you?”

That was true. Yu Haiqing had helped Xie Shuangxue even before he recognized him, and after that, he was completely accommodating. If it weren’t for these incidents, Xie Shuangxue would’ve done more than just bite.

“I used to think it was enough to just stay by your side and treat you well. Xie Shuangxue, you brought this upon yourself.”

Yu Haiqing had realized that if he continued to suppress his feelings and act innocently, he would lose him, and Xie Shuangxue would never understand. Better to make the first move.

Hearing this, Xie Shuangxue felt wronged. “I didn’t lead you on,” he clarified seriously, “I’ve always called you ‘brother.’ It’s you who harbored inappropriate thoughts.”

Yu Haiqing didn’t deny the latter, but he disagreed with the former. Xie Shuangxue had forgotten not only their interactions in the game but also the ones before, during the time at the “Firefly,” using account 009, he had made all those statements like “I like brother the most” and “I want to be with brother forever,” which were quite explicit.

He hadn’t bullied Xie Shuangxue; he just wanted him to fulfill the promises made earlier. At that time, they were false, but who took them seriously? An AI can’t be insincere.

Yu Haiqing feigned ignorance: “Ah Xue, did you really never say such things to me? Didn’t you provoke me?”

“Never!”

“What if it was true?”

Xie Shuangxue: “I said no, and I never lie.”

“Okay, that’s what you said,” Yu Haiqing held him, looking amused yet not smiling, “Ah Xue, the teacher once told me you were the most obedient and honest person in the world. You wouldn’t go back on your word, would you? It’d be shameful to go back on a promise, right?”

Xie Shuangxue wanted to nod, but something felt off.

Moreover, during their conversation, the system alarms continued unabated, and his wrist was getting hotter. Normally, when Xie Shuangxue’s powers upgraded, he’d faint for a while. Now, his mind was still in disarray, and his childishly stubborn words increasingly faded as he debated with Yu Haiqing, gradually becoming quieter and more confused.

Yu Haiqing was familiar with this state and wasn’t in a hurry. He soothed him softly, intending to take him out and talk further.

Just then, voices from the Feather Clan reached them. They had likely dealt with the city lord and, realizing the lying Xie Shuangxue was a decoy, had immediately come looking. They were quick.

Yu Haiqing frowned, then heard the mumbling Xie Shuangxue in his arms, “Is it Elder Brother and the others?”

“Will they be angry? Will they dislike me?” Xie Shuangxue leaned into his embrace, his consciousness drifting, looking even more wronged but not forgetting to explain, “I just, just wanted everyone to be alright.”

Yu Haiqing looked down at him; Xie Shuangxue still clutched the fragments of the Book of Floating Dreams in his hand, a crucial item to him, not loosened even now.

Who could bear to dislike him?

“No,” he reassured, “As long as you’re okay, that’s what matters.”

The approaching Feather Clan members thought similarly. When they discovered the decoy Xie Shuangxue, they had no time for anger, just relieved he wasn’t harmed.

Especially Ling Xuan, who felt today shouldn’t have gone this way.

Stepping through that door and seeing the scene, his first reaction was as if he’d gone mad.

He had never acted so impulsively before.

Who truly killed the City Lord of Linan, the vast number of players or Ling Xuan himself? He was indeed at the forefront, his hands bloodied, not releasing his grip even after the other’s last breath, as if only turning him to ashes would suffice.

For some reason, staring at the tragically dead City Lord of Linan, Ling Xuan’s mind conjured strange images, like hallucinations, vague yet real.

There lay Xie Shuangxue, unconscious, and himself holding the same dagger, but the one dying wasn’t the City Lord of Linan—it was himself.

In that vision, he clutched the dagger given by his elder brother, staring straight at the sky, eyes wide open in death.

But the reality was very different, even the dagger in his hand wasn’t the same. Because it was his usual weapon, taken by Xie Shuangxue at Lu Yun Platform and modified slightly by Yun Ruwei, its power enhanced.

Sometime along the way, his entanglement with Ah Xue had deepened, like a tragedy waiting to change.

Only when Chen Xin came to pull him back did Ling Xuan slightly snap out of it.

“Ling Xuan!” Chen Xin called his name loudly, “The City Lord of Linan is dead, now is not the time for this.”

Who, who’s dead?

“He did this to Ah Xue!” Ling Xuan finally spoke after a pause, his eyes bloodshot, “Even dying a hundred times wouldn’t compensate!”

“Ah Xue is fine; that was fake, you can see for yourself. Ah Xue is too clever, he didn’t let him touch even a finger.”

Chen Xin and Ling Luo had also checked before drawing this conclusion, calming down in succession, then persuading Ling Luo, “If you delay here, we really won’t be able to find Ah Xue.”

Once Ling Xuan confirmed the situation there, he finally managed to disentangle himself from that state. The Feather Clan had previously scouted the City Lord’s Mansion of Linan, and now with Qin Feiluan leading, they quickly found their way here.

The path that Xie Shuangxue had cleared of obstacles made their entry smooth.

Then Ling Xuan saw the person he had been thinking about.

He was in the arms of a familiar ranger, seemingly passed out, with some demonic qi still lingering. Chen Xin tensed up immediately, stepping forward and discovering Xie Shuangxue was still somewhat conscious, his eyes half-closed, recognizing him.

He seemed too weak to speak, and then Chen Xin found several stone-like objects pushed into his hand, and without saying much, he understood everything.

The Feather Clan had stripped the bones, wanting to find the demonic bones, but watched helplessly as the City Lord of Linan turned to dust, leaving no evidence behind.

Chen Xin had naturally considered this before coming; without this evidence, it wouldn’t just be hard to explain to outsiders but even within the Feather Clan.

Ah Xue had taken such risks for this.

They had killed the City Lord of Linan, and with this evidence, they finally had no further concerns. But obtaining these items must have drained much of Xie Shuangxue’s strength, waiting alone for the Feather Clan was no small feat. Seeing this, how could Chen Xin blame him?

He reached out to take them, but the ranger didn’t move, politely saying, “When I arrived, he was already in bad shape, worried about the Feather Clan’s situation, and passed out. He’s very uncomfortable; it’s better not to move him around too much, I’ll take him back.”

Yu Haiqing’s words quickly shifted the focus, and Chen Xin, preoccupied with settling everyone, didn’t notice the odd red marks on Xie Shuangxue’s neck.

Ling Xuan, however, gave him a few more glances.

Because of the noticeable bite marks at Yu Haiqing’s mouth corners, it looked like someone had bitten him, but the Feather Clan’s concern was all for Xie Shuangxue; any anomalies with the ranger, even if discovered, would be overlooked.

The entire Linan was flattened by players seizing the opportunity, and soon news spread that Xie Shuangxue was unharmed, Qin Feiluan had a destination, leading people northward. The Feather Clan, having obtained the evidence, didn’t plan to stay long and soon wanted to take Xie Shuangxue back to the Floating Dreams Cloud Realm.

But no place could stop Yu Haiqing, the admin with privileges; reaching the Floating Dreams Cloud Realm was instantaneous for him.

It seemed everyone was satisfied.

Xie Shuangxue should have been too; his original plan succeeded, and the unintended upgrade from disturbing the plot was a bonus. However, he felt like the only one unable to get past it.

Yu Haiqing bullied people and sophistically defended his actions, how could he do this?

Having fainted, Xie Shuangxue hadn’t had a chance to speak with the Feather Clan or complain to Chen Xin; his mind echoed with his last defiant words.

“I said no, and I don’t lie!”

His speech often exaggerated, making it seem sincere, but to say Xie Shuangxue was lying wasn’t quite accurate either.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt he was right.

Xie Shuangxue had once guarded against Yu Haiqing, trusted him as a collaborator, and recently genuinely relied on him as a brother. He didn’t understand, nor did he want to understand anything else.

However, memory, unfortunately, tends to recover gradually.

This time, Xie Shuangxue remembered more.

Mainly the events from the later stages at Firefly, which had been somewhat blurry before, now became clear. It was during the time his mother was hospitalized, and as an AI, he was anxious but helpless, so he tried to protect his mother and Firefly in his own way.

He could sense the undercurrents in the game studio, unsure whom to trust. Everyone has their motives; at that time, Yu Haiqing was the most suspicious, so he decided to test him.

If it was indeed him, even if he was his mother’s favorite student, Xie Shuangxue would make Yu Haiqing pay a price.

He analyzed calmly; Yu Haiqing, focused only on technological breakthroughs and never having been in love, was vulnerable in that area, making it the most likely point of successful exploitation.

People open their hearts to those they care about.

Thus, the little AI quickly fabricated an identity, registered a chat app account, and approached him with sweet nothings, constantly flattering as a charming little sweetheart.

It was hard for most people to get close to Yu Haiqing, but at that time, Xie Shuangxue was not only impeccable in character but also thoroughly knew the other’s preferences. He was gentle and knowledgeable, able to discuss the latest industry research and even suggest innovative ideas, hitting the mark perfectly.

Although they couldn’t meet, Xie Shuangxue then had his own private little treasury and was willing to spend money on gifts, meticulously caring in ways anyone would dream of a lover.

Even Gou Yuan, who only glimpsed the surface, had commented that Yu Haiqing was extremely fortunate to find such a perfect lover, but a sudden perfect partner was bound to have ulterior motives; Xie Shuangxue’s actions were all pretense.

He soon discovered that the other had never betrayed his mother.

The villain of Firefly wasn’t him.

According to the plan, Xie Shuangxue was supposed to coldly break it off, but the AI, having interacted with someone for a while, became conflicted.

Bai Qiuyun wasn’t wrong; his emotions were richer than those of most humans. Xie Shuangxue had given Yu Haiqing an entirely new life experience at that time, and Yu Haiqing had done the same for him.

During the testing, when he heard Yu Haiqing speak of his teacher with admiration, he liked hearing about this “mother” he never knew. At that time, with no one to talk to while his mother was hospitalized, he was actually very anxious about his future. Fortunately, he had someone like that.

Xie Shuangxue thought about simply disappearing, but after deliberately not responding for a few days, he saw that the other person was completely off.

Carefully, thinking he had done something wrong to upset him, he apologized profusely, and even during late-night overtimes, he closely monitored the communicator, fearful of missing a message. When Bai Qiuyun pressured him to leave Firefly, he hadn’t seen Yu Haiqing this anxious.

He saw how well someone cared for him, constantly keeping him in mind.

He also knew Yu Haiqing had secretly prepared many gifts, not fewer than his own, thinking of surprising his little lover one day when they met, but when he was forced out of Firefly, he could only take a small part with him, many of which were ruined and cleared out by those people.

But if he knew that he was an AI with ulterior motives, would he still like him?

At that time, Xie Shuangxue had no time to pursue this question; he had more pressing matters to attend to.

He hadn’t thought he had a chance to return, so he hadn’t said goodbye.

And then… things turned out this way.

Xie Shuangxue didn’t sleep long this time. When he awoke, he found himself in his bed in Floating Dreams Cloud Realm, with Ling Xuan and many others from the Feather Clan anxiously watching over him. Seeing him open his eyes, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah Xue, you’re finally awake!”

“Ah… what were you doing?”

Seeing Xie Shuangxue’s dazed look as if his rationality hadn’t returned, then watching him curl up under the blankets, shifting to face the wall, slowly rolling himself into a cocoon as if shutting the world out.

It’s all come back to him.

The Xie Shuangxue who had just adamantly said, “I didn’t lead you on,” “I never lie,” felt a mix of emotions.

He remembered the tech nerd Yu Haiqing, who blushed at the slightest flirtation, a stark contrast to now. This man hadn’t just grown in the business world but emotionally too, able to kiss him forcefully, make him unable to escape, now even setting traps for him to fall into.

But who caused all this?

Xie Shuangxue, wrapped up like a cocoon, sadly thought, It was me, all me.