Chapter 25: Holographic Game (XII)

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Chapter 25: Holographic Game (XII)

Is he the reason? Of course he was, but he would not verbally admit it in front of Miao Lichen. He leaned against Miao Lichen again, feeling the cool touch gradually easing the rising irritation within him. He was aware of how intimate his actions made them look, and he wanted others to perceive them that way, even though the man beside him remained oblivious to it all.

“I understand. LunarBreeze, you will regret this. CangChen can use everyone with a smile. Ultimately, you’re just a pawn on his chessboard, just like me, but your value might not even be as high as mine. At least I am his fiancée, the one he promised to be with for the rest of his life.” Invite2Dream suddenly smiled gently. As long as she was around, Miao Lichen’s fiancée would always be her Miao Mengyao.

The desire to escape from Miao Lichen hadn’t disappeared, but that didn’t diminish the pleasure she felt when she saw the murderous intent and underlying worry on LunarBreeze’s face. Why was she the only one living in fear? Why was she the only one who wanted something she couldn’t have? Look at how beautiful that twisted expression was. If she was in pain, others should be too.

Suppressing the urge to run, she approached Miao Lichen. The person she had once approached without a care in the world now terrified her simply by standing a meter away. Miao Lichen was still smiling, but she felt a chill. She stopped, her voice trembling. “A’chen…”

“I didn’t expect you to understand me so well. I’m very relieved,” Miao Lichen said, stretching out a hand that wasn’t held by Qi Yingfeng. He wanted to pat her hair, but she dodged it. His expression remained unchanged. “No chess piece can be compared to you. After all, we will spend the rest of our lives together.”

A hint of amusement flashed through his eyes, as if he were watching a circus act, but it disappeared swiftly. He had done it deliberately, making sure she saw it.

Invite2Dream suppressed her urge to retreat in fear. Did he know what she was thinking? If so, why would he cooperate? Showing that he valued her would increase the likelihood of LunarBreeze helping her escape the Miao Family. Perhaps he was unaware of this? But that was impossible. Just like how he understood LunarBreeze’s thoughts, yet pretended not to know anything. He must be plotting something. Was she unable to escape his control no matter what? But regardless, she had to make one final stand to leave the family and sever ties with them.

“How could I not understand you? After all, we grew up together,” she said, the smile on her face becoming increasingly stiff.

“Mhm, as long as you behave,” Miao Lichen said, supporting Qi Yingfeng’s body as they walked towards their temporary residence in the game. Although Qi Yingfeng now held the position of elder, it was impossible for a building to suddenly appear in the realistic setting of Second World. So he had to sort out his lodging.

He was just a chess piece? Qi Yingfeng smiled even brighter, a hint of bloodlust coursing through him where no one could see. In truth, he had long known that Miao Lichen would never allow someone without value to remain around him, just as he had abandoned XiaoxiangGentleman without hesitation. But he didn’t care, and he didn’t have the status to care. Having Miao Lichen consider him a friend? In Miao Lichen’s dictionary, friends might simply be people he could use. Besides, he wasn’t satisfied with just the identity of a friend.

Miao Lichen gently placed Qi Yingfeng on his bed. The scent of the bedding carried a hint of Miao Lichen’s unique fragrance, though it was subtle. Not many players slept in the game. Miao Lichen dedicated most of his time to leveling up, and seldom lingered in the guild territory. There were few traces of Miao Lichen’s presence in the room.

“Let’s rest together.” Qi Yingfeng said as he grabbed Miao Lichen’s arm just as he was about to stand up. His tone was gentle, but the strength with which he held him made it clear he wasn’t allowing him to refuse. As their eyes met, a hint of suppressed madness showed in Qi Yingfeng’s eyes.

“Sure.” Miao Lichen nodded and lay down next to him. His fingers bumped into Qi Yingfeng’s, and they were not as weak as his pale skin suggested, nor were they soft. The impact sent a brief sting through his fingers.

“Let’s sleep,” Qi Yingfeng said. After that, there was no more movement. Qi Yingfeng seemed to be truly asleep as his breathing became steady. In the silent room, his breath rose and fell until their breathing became synchronized.

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Yingfeng opened his eyes, and traced Miao Lichen’s face with his eyes. His lips were rosy pink and moist, appearing thin when he wasn’t smiling. Despite that, his expression was not stern, but rather comforting. From head to toe, this person seemed to exude a sense of inner peace.

He leaned closer, but then shifted at the last second and pressed a kiss to his forehead. No matter what, he didn’t want their first kiss to be unknown. Carefully, he got up, walked out of the room and closed the door.

Miao Lichen brushed his forehead with his fingertips, smiling with some understanding. Was it not enough? For now, it was only a strong liking; something was still missing.

…

“You’ve been waiting for a long time, haven’t you? What do you want to tell me?” Qi Yingfeng walked out of the room, and as he expected, spotted Invite2Dream not far away. She wore a pale blue dress, but no longer possessed the carefree and indifferent air she had when they first met. Her gentle demeanor remained, but it was inevitably stained with dust.

“You knew I was waiting for you?!” A flicker of surprise and embarrassment crossed her face, then disappeared under his calm gaze.

“If I don’t leave, you will never have Miao Lichen. In his heart, I am the only one who can stay by his side. You should know that.” Invite2Dream stated directly, looking greedily at Qi Yingfeng’s face. His sharp features had lost the initial hint of innocence from their first meeting, and were now as determined and strong as she had hoped.

Black was indeed his perfect color, the color of the dark night as she had imagined. Unfortunately, none of this would be hers. She didn’t know how to leave Miao Lichen and have Qi Yingfeng. As they say, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Now what she wanted most was to leave.

“I always knew that even though he treated you as a tool, a responsibility, there was no denying that you held the most important place in his life,” Qi Yingfeng spoke, as if discussing something unrelated to himself. His voice had its usual hint of indifference, but his eyes remained fixed on her. That scrutinizing gaze, filled with malice and destructive intent, made her tremble.

“So you can only have him if I leave. You’re just an ordinary person, and he’s a young master. That’s an unimaginable gap in itself, but I can help you.” Invite2Dream said as she gripped her fists. “I know many company secrets. As long as you can obtain them, you can even change the name of the company to your own. The premise is that you use it wisely, of course, or you will destroy yourself and the company.”

The information she obtained wasn’t related to Miao Lichen or his parents, but rather to the company’s top executives. From the beginning, the Miao Family had tried to limit her contact with the business world as much as possible. However, with the internet being so advanced these days, there was nothing she couldn’t learn if she tried.

She could satisfy Miao Lichen’s parents and at the same time, secretly acquire things they didn’t want her to have. Her original plan was to give these things to Miao Lichen. By eradicating the cancers within the Miao Company, he would have complete control over the company.

“The Miao Company?” Qi Yingfeng was quite doubtful. He didn’t believe Miao Lichen would allow this woman to obtain blackmail material on him.

“Yes. You would never be able to get him with just your power.” Invite2Dream felt confident. She wasn’t sure whether what she possessed was real or valuable, but LunarBreeze was just a normal person. With the right manipulation, she could pass it off as real. LunarBreeze was very skilled at gaming, but that didn’t mean he was equally good at business.

“Then let’s meet in person. If I get what I want, I’ll naturally help you. But can you really give me what I want under his surveillance? I doubt your ability.” A hint of a smile showed on Qi Yingfeng’s lips, a smile with a distinctly cold edge that revealed his dangerous nature. Seeking the skin of a tiger, what will the final outcome be?

“That’s my own business. I hope to meet you soon. You know where the company is. Let’s meet at the nearest cafe.” Invite2Dream let out a soft breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Her heartbeat couldn’t help but quicken as she relaxed her grip on her hem uneasily.

“In that case, we can meet now. He’s resting in the game.”

“You’re in the city?” Invite2Dream asked, surprise evident.

“Not only that, I also live close to the company,” Qi Yingfeng said, reaching out his hand. “I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation.”

“Likewise.” Invite2Dream reached out, their fingertips barely touching before Qi Yingfeng withdrew his hand. The man in front of her started to fade, clearly logging off. Miao Mengyao bit her lip, realizing success or failure hinged on this moment. From now on, she and Miao Lichen would be nothing more than strangers. A faint sense of bitterness rose in her heart. It wasn’t that she had no feelings for Miao Lichen. They were simply overshadowed by fear.

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