Of course, the most delicious and sweet treat, Yu Deng himself—had absolutely no idea. He hadn't realized that the "dessert" Cheng Chaolin was talking about was actually him.
So, Yu Deng grew even more confused. He turned his head to look at his ghostly dead husband. "Where's the dessert? Isn't it not finished yet?"
"It's already the best there is." Cheng Chaolin smiled brightly as he described his little wife, "Very sweet, very fragrant. Just one bite, and it'll make your mood better."
Yu Deng was already feeling dizzy from being trapped between the two men, and after hearing Cheng Chaolin's description, he became even more dazed.
This was so weird. Was he and his ghost husband really on the same wavelength? Why couldn't he understand a thing? What did he mean by "just one bite and your mood improves"—he hadn't eaten anything at all!
On the other side, Lin Qinxu, who had been ignored, wasn't too happy. He rested his chin on Yu Deng's shoulder and gave his neck a little bite.
"Mm… Why'd you bite me?" Yu Deng turned his head and glared at him.
Now that he finally had Yu Deng's attention, Lin Qinxu wrapped his arms around Yu Deng's waist and expressed his love for the "Yu Deng-flavored dessert" without backing down. "It's indeed soft, fragrant, and delicious. Especially tasty."
Yu Deng's brain went into a full knot. He really couldn't make sense of it all, so he gave up trying and returned to the more serious question from earlier.
"You still haven't answered me… What exactly are you two doing?" Yu Deng asked hesitantly, unfamiliar with the current situation. "Are you bullying me…?"
He was sitting on the kitchen island, held between the two men. His mouth hurt a little from being kissed too roughly by his dead husband, and he felt like he'd been bitten somewhere else too…
His short, thin apron had been tugged into disarray. The neckline was pulled wide open, exposing a large area of pale skin, with his pink buds trembling slightly. The lace ties at the back were about to come undone, seemingly ready to fall off at any moment.
His pretty little face was flushed red. Being teased and touched from both sides made Yu Deng tremble slightly. As he sat there on the island with his legs dangling, even the soft flesh of his thighs quivered from the shivers.
There wasn't a single part of him that wasn't enticing.
Sandwiched between two men both much older than him, Yu Deng felt confused and wronged. He tilted his head up and looked at them.
"I was just making dessert, and you guys won't let me finish. You made me feel all weird… You are bullying me, aren't you?"
Cheng Chaolin shook his head. "Other people might, but how could I bear to bully my dear wife?"
Hearing the implied jab, Lin Qinxu clicked his tongue silently. He lowered his eyes and softened his voice a little. "Baby, I wasn't trying to bully you. It's just… it's rare for me to see you, and I just want to be close to you a little longer."
Yu Deng tilted his head in confusion. "Eh?"
"When I can't see you, I'm stuck in a dark, narrow place. There's nothing in there. Every day feels unbearable."
Yu Deng blinked a few times, taking a few seconds to process that.
A very dark place... is it referring to his contract's illustration, or is there something else?
Cheng Chaolin didn't deny the rival's accusation, and took the opportunity to kiss Yu Deng's earlobe, looking quite dejected.
"So, after such a long time to finally see my wife, I couldn't help but want to kiss him."
Yu Deng was a little stunned, staring at them blankly, forgetting to continue scolding them as bad guys.
They're really this pitiful...?
Behind Yu Deng, where he couldn't see, a black mist surrounded Cheng Chaolin, and Lin Qinxu's sleeve slid out a sharp surgical knife.
The two didn't dare to startle Yu Deng, instead silently exchanging swift, fierce moves, clearly aiming to completely eliminate the other.
It wasn't until a shallow crack appeared on the island counter with a "crack" that they stopped.
Yu Deng thought for a while, then softly said, "Is it because I made a contract with you that made you feel this way...?"
Upon hearing Yu Deng's words, the expressions of the two men became serious.
"No, that's not it. I'm very grateful that you took me away from there." Cheng Chaolin said solemnly, "Without you, I would have been sealed there forever."
Lin Qinxu glanced at Cheng Chaolin and seemed to ponder for a moment. He then coaxed the tearful, pretty baby.
"That's right. Although it's a bit hard to endure in the dark, thinking about being able to meet my baby makes it all worth it."
"So, let me get a little closer to my baby, okay?"
Yu Deng was so flustered by their coaxing. He bit his lips, looking conflicted as he stared at them.
He wasn't good at dealing with or rejecting others, especially when it came to these mission targets. Every time these guys acted like stray dogs, he got a bit dizzy and couldn't help but agree to their requests.
Clearly, he still had some boundaries when it came to others...
"Alright..." Yu Deng eventually softened. He stammered a little, "But you can't hurt me."
"Of course."
The two rivals were somewhat disappointed that they couldn't settle the score with each other, so they had to maintain a delicate balance.
The clumsy little pastry chef still had a lot of sweet cream on him, and they carefully cleaned it off, even taking the time to tenderly touch places that hadn't been covered in cream.
Yu Deng's apron was more disheveled, his fair skin slightly reddened, and his lips were a bit swollen. He unconsciously squirmed, feeling his pants were a little tight.
"This belt is so tight..."
Cheng Chaolin's gaze grew darker, gently turning Yu Deng's face and brushing against his lips again.
"..." Lin Qinxu sneered, opened the fridge, and took out a bottle of chilled fruit juice, feeding Yu Deng a few sips. "Baby, drink some juice to stay hydrated, it'll also help rinse your mouth."
Yu Deng was confused and didn't understand why he had to rinse his mouth, but still followed his actions and drank a few sips, then had his mouth wiped clean.
Afterwards, Lin Qinxu took the opportunity to kiss Yu Deng's lips, kissing him fiercely.
Cheng Chaolin: "..." Tsk.
The black mist erupted in fury, yanking the annoying rival away.
Yu Deng was oblivious to their subtle battle, sitting on the island counter, continuously being kissed and licked.
Suddenly, Lin Qinxu felt an invisible pulling force, and his figure began to fade.
Lin Qinxu's breath grew heavier, realizing that he was about to leave.
Cheng Chaolin, however, remained steady and calm, smiling gently: "Is this your first time? Then it's time for you to leave."
Lin Qinxu's breath became even heavier, because the evil spirit had completely embraced Yu Deng, clearly showing off.
Dr. Lin was willing to sacrifice a little to hurt the enemy more.
"By the way, baby, your ex-boyfriend and his roommate have been mentioning you, but they probably won't be able to find you for a while, so don't worry about them."
Lin Qinxu didn't bother to mention the names of those two boys, simply and cleverly hinting a few words, and finally brought up himself.
"The previous restraints have been repaired. If you want to tie me up again, I'll bring it next time."
Yu Deng thought of Dr. Lin's hospital bed, frowned and thought for a moment. "We'll talk about it next time."
"Anything you say, baby."
Lin Qinxu, satisfied, saw that the evil spirit was showing a change in expression and was upset. However, his figure was also about to disappear.
He smiled at Yu Deng: "Baby, see you next time."
"Oh... bye bye."
A few seconds later, Lin Qinxu's figure disappeared from the kitchen, leaving Yu Deng and Cheng Chaolin alone.
"My wife, he's already gone. Don't look anymore."
Cheng Chaolin completely wrapped Yu Deng in his embrace, his gaze dark: "What he said is true? You still have an ex-boyfriend?"
"Hmm? What?" Yu Deng sluggishly reacted, "Oh, you mean Lu Yan and them? Yes, it's true."
Cheng Chaolin fell silent for a moment. The evil spirit mimicked his rival's actions, coaxing Yu Deng to drink a few sips of juice, rinsing his mouth again, and wiping his mouth dry.
"Do they keep bothering you, my wife?"
Yu Deng was kissed into a daze, unaware of the deceased husband's jealousy, obediently answering a few words. But when it came to making food, he was still determined to finish the cake.
"Stop kissing me, you, let me finish making the sweets first..."
Cheng Chaolin watched Yu Deng for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled: "Alright."
Finally, Yu Deng got off the island counter. He took the puff pastry shells from the oven, preparing to pipe in cream for the final step.
Cheng Chaolin stood behind him, embracing his soft waist beneath the apron, occasionally lowering his head to nuzzle.
With the evil spirit's interference, Yu Deng's hand shook, and he ended up overfilling one of the puffs with too much cream, which spilled out and almost broke the pastry shell.
Yu Deng pointed at him angrily: "Cheng Chaolin! It's all your fault, I put too much..."
"Hmm, my fault."
The evil spirit lowered his head and apologized in a mild tone, but the jealous evil spirit wasn't someone who could be easily appeased.
Cheng Chaolin coaxed Yu Deng with a gentle voice, his fingertips tracing along Yu Deng's back, causing the shorts that were constricting him to fall down.
The ghost's eyes were filled with a thick, morbid obsession, and the black mist eagerly stretched out at the edge, cautiously allowing Yu Deng to adapt.
"...Hiss!" Yu Deng suddenly shuddered, his voice trembling as tears welled up in his eyes. "Don't move around… I still need to make the cake."
The ghost seemed agreeable, but the black mist was already excitedly writhing, impatiently hovering at the edge.
"I'm not stopping you from making the cake," the ghost murmured as he kissed the side of Yu Deng's face, gently pleading. "It'll be a long time before I can see you again, can't we be just a little closer? We've already held our wedding ceremony—this kind of thing is long overdue."
"They all got to be close to you. I want to as well."
The redness on Yu Deng's face hadn't subsided, it was even redder now. He turned his head and saw Cheng Chaolin's eyes filled with longing.
"But..."
Although he was somewhat used to doing this kind of thing, this was the kitchen, and he still wanted to make a cake.
Cheng Chaolin assured him, begging for his little wife's consent: "I'll be gentle, okay?"
Yu Deng thought about it for a long time before finally nodding: "Alright then."
...
At first, Yu Deng could still manage to continue making the cake, but later on, he completely forgot about completing his sweet treat masterpiece.
The temperature in the kitchen seemed to rise, and the air was filled with a scorching and sweet, seductive atmosphere.
Yu Deng initially leaned against the ghost's embrace, being pulled into a position from behind, but he soon couldn't stand anymore.
The various foods on the island table were once again swept aside, and Yu Deng lay down on the marble countertop.
The countertop should have been cold, but he was so hot that the countertop actually felt comfortable to him.
His clothes were all taken off, only the lace apron was still hanging loosely around him, half-covering him, making him look like a beautifully unwrapped gift, or a delicious cake waiting to be tasted.
The ghost's things were also a little cold, giving Yu Deng a strange feeling he had never experienced before.
Yu Deng was swayed by the ghost, his whole body glowing with a faint pink, his fair skin glistening with sweat.
He thought hazily, this seemed to be the first time he had done this kind of thing in the player center.
"Wife, we've finally become one," Cheng Chaolin sighed.
Of course, the ghost didn't just want to become one. Throughout the process, he enjoyed himself immensely, soothing his little wife in his arms again and again, speaking sweetly in a soft tone, kissing him tenderly, leaving marks along his neck and collarbone.
"Wife, I love you so much."
"..."
Yu Deng's voice was already hoarse, his ending tone a little off-key.
"Ugh...Cheng Chaolin! You're so bad!"
The ghost gently bit Yu Deng's nape, filling him with icy white frost.
"Wife, try this. The sweets the wife makes are especially delicious." The ghost's eyes were full of satisfaction, feeding Yu Deng cream puffs and small cakes.
Yu Deng turned his head weakly and took a bite of an overfilled cream puff, tears spilling from his eyes.
Huhu… He was worse off than that poor, squished cream puff.
He'd been filled up by the bad man so much again.
...
Although Yu Deng was stuffed by his ghost husband, and the process of making sweets was also a bit bumpy, but in the end, he achieved his initial goal, his anxiety subsided a lot.
Cheng Chaolin stayed in the player center for a whole day this time. The ghost took over System 01's job, taking meticulous care of Yu Deng, willingly serving him, until he left the next day.
Yu Deng was exhausted from being tossed around, so he stayed home for two days, and soon it was time for the meeting at the Death Bird Guild.
In the past two days, Cheng Xiao and Qin Jun had both sent him messages one after another to report in, saying it was time for them to enter the dungeon again and that they'd made plans to visit him next time. Naturally, Yu Deng didn't refuse their small request.
On the day of the player meeting, Yu Deng had to start thinking about what kind of disguise he should wear. For a moment, he was at a loss, standing there deep in thought.
[Host?]
The round-headed, chubby robot that System 01 could control had moved with Yu Deng from the intermediate player residence to this new large flat.
The little robot's green light blinked, and it balanced a cup of freshly squeezed juice on its head: [You've been standing here for fifteen minutes. Is there anything I can help you with?]
"…No, I was just thinking—if I'm not wearing the cloak, what kind of disguise could I use?"
Yu Deng took a sip of juice, his gaze falling on the little robot—and suddenly, inspiration struck.
He had it! He could disguise himself as a robot! This kind of high-tech appearance was completely different from the primitive, simple cloak—it definitely wouldn't be recognized!
Yu Deng shared his brilliant idea with the system: "System, I remember the shop has that kind of robot outfit—do they still sell it?"
[Yes.] System 01 immediately pulled up the product page. [The price is 100,000 points.]
This price might be too steep for other players, but Yu Deng had tens of millions in points. He bought the new outfit without even blinking.
He struggled a bit to put on the lightweight but metallic-looking gear, transforming himself into a brand-new form. He looked pretty cool—even gained three centimeters in height.
Perfect! That blurred his height too.
Yu Deng was full of confidence in his new disguise. After packing up, he took a self-driving hovercar to the headquarters of the Deathbird Guild.
He stood across the street from the main entrance and observed for a few seconds. The building was tall, its dark exterior cold and forbidding, with quite a few players going in and out.
...Shouldn't be some kind of scam operation, right?
While observing the building, Yu Deng even overheard some passing players talking about him.
"I heard a few guys reported Yu Deng to the main Infinite World system for cheating."
Yu Deng caught his name and perked up his ears nervously. The two passersby continued:
"Yeah, someone did report him, but the system ruled that he wasn't cheating."
"Damn, then how strong is he really?"
"No idea. Anyway, best to stay far away—he's one cunning old fox."
Although his reputation had changed, at least he hadn't been recognized. Yu Deng relaxed a little and sent a message to Huo Yanzhou, asking him to come out.
[.] I'm here, right across from the Deathbird building—by that scratch-off lottery shop.
Huo Yanzhou replied almost instantly, arriving at the entrance two minutes later. When he saw Yu Deng's new disguise, the man looked surprised for a few seconds before a deep smile appeared in his eyes.
Liya and Shi Yi followed stealthily behind him, trying to figure out who the guild leader had personally invited.
When they saw the guild leader bring back what looked like a robot, both of them fell into a strange silence.
Shi Yi awkwardly spoke, "And this is…?"
"He's a…" Huo Yanzhou paused to find the right words. "A mechanical enthusiast."
Shi Yi: "?"
This usually slick and sociable peacock of a man was unusually quiet for once, and gave Yu Deng an approving nod: "Bro, you look cool."
Yu Deng lifted his chin and nodded silently.
After dismissing the two underlings, Huo Yanzhou led Yu Deng to his office.
"The meeting starts in an hour, people aren't here yet. You can listen from my office—I'll connect you to a conference screen," Huo Yanzhou said, then couldn't help but chuckle. "How'd you come up with this look?"
From behind the mask, Yu Deng's voice was muffled: "I'm smart."
"Indeed, very smart." Huo Yanzhou played along. "Who would expect the mysterious Yu Deng to be a mechanical enthusiast?"
Yu Deng nodded. "Exactly."
Just then, a service robot purchased by the Deathbird Guild knocked and entered, bringing in a tray of cream puffs and fruit. Following the robot was Shi Yi, clearly still curious and not ready to give up on figuring out the robot enthusiast's identity.
The robot scanned Yu Deng's appearance, paused for a few seconds, then proceeded to serve: "Please enjoy."
Seeing the tray of cream puffs, Yu Deng froze slightly. He couldn't help but recall what had happened in the kitchen two days ago.
Ugh, even his dead husband could be so bad, just like everyone else… stuffing his belly until he was completely bloated.
Now he was actually kind of scared of sweets.
Yu Deng felt fortunate to be in disguise. His mechanical mask covered his face completely, so no one could see the flush on his ears.
He stiffly nudged the tray of cream puffs a little farther away—though honestly, that stiff movement only made him look even more like a robot.
Yu Deng mimicked the robot's tone, declining rigidly and by the book: "Thank you, but… robots don't eat dessert."
T/N: This makes me crave cream puffs ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧