Chapter 203: Did they kiss?
Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Addis
The main brain announced the list for the third round, while some users on StarNet had already focused their attention on the departing archdemon. The camera was boldly capturing the main venue, but who would have thought that there were such “good things” happening in the small corridor from corner to corner?
[Damn it, I didn’t see it!! Did they really kiss?!]
[From my years of watching dramas, that was definitely a kiss!]
[Help, I just glanced at the list and missed such a good moment. Was that really UnchainedWanderer? What does he look like?!]
[That must be UnchainedWanderer!! The only ones at the scene were either staff or players!]
[The angle was too off; I could only catch a glimpse of his profile, but I’m sure that guy is definitely handsome!]
[Main brain!!! Main brain!! Can you zoom in on the corner? I know you can!]
[You think you’re so clever hiding in the corner! If you’re brave enough, do it in front of me!]
[I feel like a crazed mother; does Momo even know he’s being live-streamed to the entire internet?!]
Su Mo had no idea that what happened in the corridor had been captured by the camera. It was perfectly normal for a boyfriend to give a kiss after waiting for him so long. After leaving the corridor and arriving at Area 1235, he had already put on his mask and hat, quietly blending into the crowd of people watching the casual match as he joined ScarletFruit and the others.
ScarletFruit glanced at him with a complicated expression.ClearWind had nothing to say but gave Su Mo a thumbs-up.
During the conversation, several messages popped up on Su Mo’s terminal. In the school study group, the class leader and others were frantically @ mentioning him. Su Mo opened the messages and realized they had been sent since he took the stage, and the group was asking if he was really Momo.
“Be careful,” Yu Zhen slightly pulled Su Mo closer to him, avoiding the somewhat crowded area, as there were more players in Area 1235 than before.
Su Mo stood on the inner side next to Yu Zhen and caught a glimpse of the class leader and others looking over from not far away, so he made a simple explanation to his classmates in the group.
Yu Zhen asked, “What are you talking about? You seem so serious.”
“My classmates found out my ID and are asking me about it,” Su Mo replied as he edited his message and sent it. “I didn’t have a good opportunity to mention it before… This time I can finally clarify it with them.”
[You rascal!!!]
[Why did we chat for so long without asking for your ID?!]
[I don’t know why either.]
[Your summoner is really strong, okay!!!]
[The top student is too impressive; he’s good at studying and also a newbie at gaming!]
[Momo, do you really think this is just average playing?!]
[“My Classmate is Ranked First in Gaming”]
[Momo, go back and run some quest books! Take us in a ten-person team!]
After chatting for a while, Su Mo collected a bunch of his classmates’ IDs and planned to add them after the meetup was over.
“I can’t believe it! Is this FireworksAndLanterns!?”
“Goddess Haitang!!!!”
Suddenly, ScarletFruit’s surprised voice came from beside him. Su Mo slightly lifted his head and noticed that while he was chatting with his classmates, the entertainment match had already progressed to the fourth round. This time, two players from the leaderboard had been drawn: the summoner Second Senior Brother and the mage Senior Sister.
Haitang was dressed neatly and wearing a mask, but her aura was very striking. Her eyes were sharp, exuding a mature and confident vibe.
FireworksAndLanterns’ appearance exceeded everyone’s expectations; the lively little figure in the game turned out to be over 1.9 meters tall in real life, even taller than the marksman standing beside Su Mo just moments ago. The key was that his outward demeanor felt different as well. In the game, FireworksAndLanterns was lively and energetic, while in real life, he seemed indifferent and aloof, standing there in silence like an unreachable flower on a high mountain.
Of course, that was only when he wasn’t speaking.
Once he opened his mouth, he spoke with a handsome voice and said something funny.
[Haitang is so cool!! Sister, marry me!!]
[I love this version of Haitang!! So handsome!!]
[FireworksAndLanterns? Am I seeing things? Is this the little Second Senior Brother?!]
[I thought FireworksAndLanterns was a cute little kawaii! Every time I read his posts on the forum, I thought he was so kawaii!]
[So it turns out that even aloof guys love to act cute in games?]
“Is this for real?!” ClearWind, standing nearby, calculated the distance and said, “Isn’t FireworksAndLanterns underage?”
ZenSlasher replied, “…You can’t play games for that long if you’re underage.”
ScarletFruit looked at the venue with a complex expression and said, “As expected, every little shorty is a potential stock.”
ClearWind added, “In the blink of an eye, he has grown into someone untouchable.”
The basic revelations had come to an end, and the next segment would be entertainment-related, with the main system randomly selecting players from the leaderboard and random players. After finishing his match, Su Mo had nothing to do, so he and a few others sat in a lounge area in Zone 1235, watching the entertainment matches and chatting.
In addition to the surprising FireworksAndLanterns, they also encountered players like Midnight Bell and Sleep. Su Mo became engrossed in watching the match, and by the latter half, he felt drowsy and leaned against Yu Zhen’s shoulder to take a short nap.
Exploration Group—
-HealsFor25000: I feel like I’m eating dog food.
-Global Purchasing Agent ScarletFruit: I’m quite happy eating it.
-apple: Is it happy to be kicked on the way?
-WhatAHugeWatermelon: You’re happy being kicked yourself.
-apple: …I’m used to it; after all, the fanfic kids I chase all have their own.
-Excellent Livestreamer ClearWind: ??? You have other fanfic kids?
-Global Purchasing Agent ScarletFruit: Borrowing a floor to speak.
-Milk Mixed with Bitter Melon: So what dog food are we talking about?
-HealsFor25000: It’s nothing much, just that momo fell asleep, that, you know.
-WhatAHugeWatermelon: ?
-ChatMasterWu: Don’t just talk! If you have the ability, post two photos!!
-Global Number One Kawaii: Not really possible.
As more players took to the stage, there was even a chaotic 10 vs. 10 match later on. The atmosphere in the venue was vibrant, and many fans on StarNet began calling for the main system to include other players from the leaderboard. After all, well-established masters like CloudTraveller and ReturnToSimplicity hadn’t been featured yet.
[Why! You could have picked ReturnToSimplicity or UnchainedWanderer!]
[momo had already gone up, so why shouldn’t our array master brother get some attention!]
[I want to see CloudTraveller too!!]
[@Main System, are you there? Please fulfill the audience’s request.]
[@Main System, my smart device isn’t as rigid as you!]
The exploration group was also buzzing with discussions. CloudTraveller glanced at the person next to him and thought it might not be that the main system hadn’t selected players; more likely, Yu Zhen simply hadn’t included the entertainment matches. Given his status and position, it was already impressive that he could participate in the game meeting; showing his face publicly would have some impact on reality, especially with something like revealing his ID.
“Why can my brother sleep so soundly?” ClearWind asked, puzzled.
ZenSlasher nodded, “He’s probably the only one who could sleep at a meeting like this.”
The meeting continued until after five in the afternoon. When it ended, there were many people. Su Mo was awakened by Yu Zhen, and everyone followed the crowd toward the exit, where they encountered a bit of a delay due to a minor scuffle up ahead.
ClearWind said, “The last match was really good; that Doaist priest played exceptionally well, showcasing a bit of BrokenOracle’s style.”
“BrokenOracle isn’t even in the group to share a photo,” ScarletFruit remarked. “I want to see what kind of handsome guy he is tonight.”
ZenSlasher added, “Haitang said he looks pretty good.”
ClearWind replied, “ZenSlasher, when did you start getting close with Haitang!”
ZenSlasher responded, “We added each other as friends in the game; we’ve been chatting lately…”
HealsFor25000 joked, “Haitang actually looks for someone to chat with!? As expected, men won’t make her heart race; she only likes pretty girls.”
…….
ScarletFruit said, “There’s still some time before the gathering tonight; we can go wander around Vicinity first.”
CloudTraveller replied, “We have to head back first; the offline gathering for Veiled Cloud Sanctuary is starting soon. We’ll come to Feiqiong to find you later.”
Yu Zhen responded, “See you later then.”
Su Mo woke up still a bit dazed. He was being led by Yu Zhen and leaned against his shoulder to rest when the group stopped. Even though he had coffee at noon to boost his energy, the side effects of his upgraded physique still made him feel drowsy and lazy, and after his nap, he remained sleepy. Throughout the journey, he was somewhat confused and just followed along.
In his dazed state, he heard something drop and slightly perked up, looking back to find that a guy standing behind him had dropped his things, but the guy hadn’t noticed.
“What’s wrong?” Yu Zhen asked.
“Just a moment,” Su Mo said, feeling a bit more awake. He slightly turned to remind the player who was chatting with his friend, “Hey, is this thing on the ground yours?”
The player snapped back to reality at the sound of someone speaking to him, looked down, and saw his game merchandise on the ground. “Ah! I dropped that, thanks!”
His friend teased him, “You didn’t even notice your stuff fell.”
The player picked up his things and looked up to see that the boy who had just reminded him had already turned around, seemingly talking to someone beside him.
The surrounding lights were dim, so the player could only see the profile of the person in front of him.
“What’s wrong?” the friend asked.
The player replied, “Nothing, I just thought he looked a bit…”
A bit familiar.
He was about to ask if he was someone he knew when the stalled group started moving again, the flow becoming smooth, and in a moment, the crowd had parted.
Once they reached a well-lit area, the player suddenly remembered.
“Wait! That person was momo, right?”
“The voice sounds like him! It really is him!”
“Fuck, he was just standing right in front of me!”
“Isn’t the guy next to him UnchainedWanderer?”
“Where did they go?”
“They walked off.”
By the time they got outside, Su Mo had already woken up. CloudTraveller and the others had left for their guild gathering, and the remaining five were led by ScarletFruit as they wandered around for quite a while.
For the first time, Su Mo walked openly down the street with people other than Yu Zhen, feeling a sense of novelty. The exhibition hall, Vicinity, had some antique-themed shops, and since most people in the Star Alliance preferred online shopping, these physical stores had mostly become popular spots for people to check in and have fun.
ClearWind and ScarletFruit knew how to enjoy themselves, and the atmosphere became lively as the group strolled through the unique shops in Vicinity, trying street food that Su Mo had never eaten before.
While they were eating, Su Mo noticed that Yu Zhen had secretly taken some photos to send to Dr. Wu and had even made a video call to him. Seeing them in such high spirits, Dr. Wu smiled and explained, “E-class is different from F-class; the food isn’t so restricted. If you’re worried, just don’t eat too much. His body has already started to recover, so there’s no need to worry so much. Just treat him like a normal E-class.”
So, Su Mo tried these delicacies in real life for the first time. Compared to the food in the game that lacked satiety, the real-life street food provided a much richer stimulation for the taste buds. Wherever ScarletFruit and ClearWind went to eat, Su Mo followed.
“There’s only this Vicinity that has such a street food scene in the whole Capital Planet. You can’t visit exhibition halls and museums every day in the main city. The unique attractions are all here. I heard that during the ancient Huaxia period, there were plenty of these street food markets, just like our game’s market streets,” ScarletFruit said. “When we come here, we can’t miss out on roasted duck, roasted chicken, and spicy diced meat…”
ClearWind said, “There are even more antique-style streets on Blue Star. One day when we go to Blue Star, I’ll take you guys around.”
ScarletFruit replied, “I’m fine with that. Players running shops can take breaks whenever they want, but Brother Wanderer has to work, and both the big guy and ZenSlasher are still students. We should choose a holiday next time.”
ZenSlasher added, “I can do it during the holidays.”
Su Mo glanced at Yu Zhen and said, “There are designated rest periods. I might have an internship during the holidays, but I should be able to find time to go out and have fun.”
ClearWind responded, “Alright, then we’ll go when we’re on break.”
By the time they reached the party, Su Mo surprisingly felt a bit full. The gathering was set at the restaurant in the Flying Horizon Hotel at Vicinity, and when Su Mo and the others arrived, there were already some people there.
Su Mo’s gaze was first drawn to a man who looked to be in his thirties, wearing glasses and exuding an air of scholarly sophistication. He was talking with the restaurant manager.
Noticing that people had arrived, the man turned to greet them, saying, “You must be momo, right?”
After explaining some details, Bitter Melon noticed the five people at the entrance. Among them, the boy wearing a beige coat was the only one who had appeared at the meet-up before. He walked over to greet them, saying, “Nice to meet you, I’m Bitter Melon.”
Su Mo nodded and replied, “Hello, Momo.”
Kuguo spoke very kindly, just like he did in the game. Using his appearance and manner of speaking, he called out the IDs of Yu Zhen and the others, saying, “Apple and the others will be here shortly, so just sit down for now; they’ll be here soon.”
ScarletFruit noticed a beautiful woman walking in behind Kuguo and immediately remarked, “Kuguo, is that your wife?”
“Yes, she is my wife,” Kuguo replied with a hearty laugh. “It should be fine to bring family to dinner, right?”
The woman smiled and said, “Hello, everyone.”
As the gathering time approached, other players from the exploration group gradually arrived. Some had met at the meet-up before, while others had also made appearances. Old Banana and Hami Melon entered together, looking like ordinary young men. BrokenOracle wore a white shirt and black pants, appearing somewhat student-like but was actually an elite employee from a publicly traded company.
The last to arrive were Watermelon and ChatMasterWu.
Before the meet-up started, ChatMasterWu, who had always wanted to keep a low profile, turned out to be quite a handsome guy and a rich second generation. He was one of the only two people at the venue dressed flamboyantly, sporting a somewhat flashy floral shirt underneath.
ChatMasterWu said, “Sorry for being late; there was traffic on the way. I ran into Watermelon, and we walked over together.”
ClearWind’s eyes lit up, and he immediately approached to chat, saying, “ChatMasterWu!! That shirt of yours is really stylish! Is it a custom piece?”
What surprised everyone was Watermelon.
Those who were familiar with Watermelon knew he was a working professional who occasionally went on business trips. He was known for being righteous and straightforward, and despite having a bit of bad luck, he held a certain level of authority in the hearts of the fruit guild members. However, in reality, Watermelon had a buzz cut, wore athletic clothes, and had a somewhat fierce expression. He appeared shorter than most people who were around 1.8 meters tall, especially when standing next to FireworksAndLanterns, making him look like a problem student who had skipped school.
“Wait a minute,” ScarletFruit began to ask, “Watermelon, are you an adult yet?”
Watermelon’s eyelids twitched. “I’m 28! I’m 28, okay! Remember this number!”
Apple sighed and said, “He’s already explained his age no less than ten times today.”
ScarletFruit replied, “But he looks even younger than Little Silver Flower.”
Kuguo chimed in, “Looking youthful is actually quite nice; it’s called having a baby face.”
Watermelon responded, “They just don’t understand.”
The others were speechless.
“No! Is this even a matter of understanding? Besides, there’s still a bit of a difference from having a baby face!”
The gathering had a large number of people. After everyone introduced themselves, they started to have fun. There were many people from the exploration group. The game Celestial Horizon had been around for some time, and there were both new players and players who had already reached level A. This time, only about ten people attended the gathering, and some had even come from other star systems two days early.
Although it was only their first day getting to know each other in reality, once they started chatting, it felt like they had known each other for several years. They talked about everything, from the game updates during the day to the new movements introduced in the main quest, and even began to share recommendations for fun places in various districts of Capital Planet.
“Is that really momo?” Watermelon nudged ScarletFruit. “Is it for real? He looks so young!”
ScarletFruit glanced at Watermelon in front of him. “Do you even need to ask? His voice sounds just like him.”
“So they really kissed this afternoon? Apple, tell us the details.”
“Damn, how am I supposed to recall that? Didn’t you see it the way it was?”
“How could you see anything from that corner? The main system didn’t even zoom in.”
“And what about that thing little two mentioned this afternoon?”
“What thing? Just that thing!”
“Which thing?”
“What are you guys discussing? If you’re whispering, count me in!”
Su Mo listened to Yu Zhen and the nearby CloudTraveller’s conversation, occasionally chiming in. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that ScarletFruit, Watermelon, and the others sitting on the other side were initially fine, but later, their gazes towards him grew increasingly strange.
After a few more instances, Su Mo had no choice but to turn his head to look at their side. Those people quickly averted their gazes and pretended to look around nonchalantly.
“Did you drink?” Yu Zhen suddenly asked.
Su Mo came back to his senses and noticed that Yu Zhen, who had just finished talking to CloudTraveller, was staring at the wine glass in his hand. “I asked the waiter, and they said the alcohol content isn’t high.”
After all, it was an adult gathering, and most people in the Star Alliance had strong constitutions. The beverages in the venue contained varying degrees of alcohol. There were also specially provided juices, but after listening to Dr. Wu in the afternoon, Su Mo, feeling a bit mischievous, chose the drink with the lowest alcohol content. Previously, he couldn’t drink such beverages due to his physical condition, but since Dr. Wu said he could relax the restrictions, he thought a small amount shouldn’t be a problem.
Seeing Yu Zhen’s gaze, Su Mo quietly explained, “I asked the waiter. There are no extra additives; it’s all specially mixed on-site.”
Worried that Yu Zhen wouldn’t believe him, he even offered the wine glass to him. “Why don’t you try it? I’ve never had it before, but I think it tastes pretty good.”
Yu Zhen took a small sip from his hand. “Don’t drink too much.”
With Yu Zhen’s permission, Su Mo relaxed and took a drink.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed those hurriedly averted glances again.
Su Mo asked, “Is there something on my face?”
Yu Zhen looked at him sideways. “No, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Su Mo decided to ignore it. He found the drink quite enjoyable; it was a bit sweet and tasted much better than juice.
As the gathering entered its later stages, the atmosphere became lively, with drinking games and chatter continuing until nearly midnight. The restaurant had been booked exclusively, and those who were having fun could go on into the early hours of the morning, but Su Mo felt a bit dizzy.
Yu Zhen noticed something was off with him. “Mo Mo?”
Su Mo whispered, “Bro, I think I might be drunk.”
Yu Zhen was surprised to hear someone could get drunk on a beverage; when he later inquired about Su Mo’s drink, he found out it was a fruit juice mixed with a small amount of alcohol.
In reality, drinks like that could sometimes be hard to control.
Su Mo wasn’t noisy when he got drunk; he just leaned against Yu Zhen’s shoulder, looking sleepy. Seeing that everyone around was getting more and more excited, Yu Zhen had no choice but to ask his assistant to book a room at Feiqiong, planning to take Su Mo there to rest.
“Huh? Aren’t we going to play a bit longer?”
“The nightlife has only just begun!”
ScarletFruit noticed that Su Mo really looked tired. “You guys know my brother’s standard routine; come on, let’s keep having fun!”
The dining place was not far from Feiqiong Hotel, and since Yu Zhen hadn’t driven, he carried Su Mo over.
Yu Zhen had a fixed room at Feiqiong that he used for work or when he came to hold meetings. After his assistant had made the arrangements in advance, the room was already prepared.
The boy on his back seemed to have fallen fast asleep, his warm breath gently blowing against Yu Zhen’s neck.
Su Mo groggily opened his eyes and asked, “…Are we home?”
The room was softly lit with warm lights, and the boy’s voice behind him was weak and lazy, wrapping around Yu Zhen’s ear and causing his heart to tighten slightly.
“Awake? You can rest here tonight.” Yu Zhen half-squatted down to let Su Mo get off his back, saying, “I’ll help you change into some clothes so you can sleep more comfortably.”
The warm light cast long shadows of both their figures, and to Su Mo, Yu Zhen appeared as a fading glow beneath the lamp, walking toward him step by step from a distant place. Su Mo sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a strange warmth that softened every limb and bone, although he didn’t quite understand why.
Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the alcohol, but he felt a slight warmth in his eyes.
He couldn’t remember when it had started, but every time he opened his eyes, he could always see Yu Zhen beside him.
As he followed Yu Zhen’s movements, Yu Zhen removed the heavy outerwear, and in the moments of their bodies touching, the man’s unique scent mixed with the slight drunkenness tickled Su Mo’s nose.
“Bro,” Su Mo rested his chin on Yu Zhen’s shoulder, “why did you end up liking me?”
“I thought I’ve already answered this question. Why ask again?” Yu Zhen’s hand rested on Su Mo’s neck, and the weight of the person in his arms fully leaned against him, feeling soft as if all his bones had melted away. He lazily leaned against Yu Zhen, and the breath of his words brushed against Yu Zhen’s neck, both cute and irresistible.
He didn’t fall in love at first sight; it was the gradual attraction through their interactions.
The boy in the hat focused on the candy in his palm; the polite boy treated him with courtesy… the summoner holding a fishing rod among the mob, the figure leaping and challenging limits in the Misty Cave, the smile of the boy amid the bustling crowds of Sunset City…
He felt pity for the strength that the boy bore through his illness, sympathy for his optimistic growth against the wind, and he also admired the tenacity of not giving up and the carefree spirit of youth.
If asked what he liked, there were simply too many things he adored about him.
Yu Zhen gently stroked the back of the boy’s neck, applying pressure with his knuckles, and said, “If you have a headache, just sleep for a bit.”
“I want to tell you a secret.”
Hearing this, Yu Zhen slightly loosened his grip and turned his head to look at him. He saw that the boy’s eyes were clear, the corners slightly red, and his gaze held a hint of a smile.
They were close enough that Su Mo’s eyes seemed to be filled with light.
“What is it?” Yu Zhen asked.
Su Mo moved closer to his ear, pretending to speak, but suddenly turned and planted a kiss on Yu Zhen’s lips.
Seeing that Yu Zhen didn’t move, he kissed him again.
“Are you tricking me?” Yu Zhen countered, flipping him over so that they fell onto the bed.
“I’m really tired,” Su Mo said innocently, blinking his eyes, “but I wanted to kiss you before sleeping.”
His face turned slightly red, but he was very bold. “Isn’t it okay for my boyfriend to kiss me?”
“Sure,” Yu Zhen replied, kissing him back, his lips moving against Su Mo’s as he spoke in a broken whisper.
“Don’t touch everywhere.”
“Su Mo, you’re not being good.”
In that moment, mischief and boldness thrived in the indulgence, as if he had never been obedient in the first place.
