Chapter 21: The Widow in the Mansion, Part 21

Yu Deng’s intention was actually quite simple: he wanted these "bad dogs" to stop obsessing over kissing him and instead focus on helping him complete his tasks.

However, shortly after he spoke, Cheng Zhaolin and Cheng Xiao moved simultaneously, as if they had received some sort of signal. Before they clashed, the two reached a silent consensus—they gathered the black mist, fashioning it into a chair hovering about two meters off the ground, and then rolled Yu Deng up and placed him inside.

Yu Deng’s gaze suddenly rose: "??"

Eh?? Why did they lift him up?

Cheng Xiao tore away a piece of the black mist that was rubbing against Yu Deng and draped his own jacket over him. The jacket, carrying a fresh scent and the warmth of a human body, enveloped Yu Deng.

"I will win, I will find a way..." Cheng Xiao silently swallowed the rest of his sentence and quickly kissed Yu Deng on the lips. He would find a way to take Yu Deng out of this instance.

Yu Deng tilted his head, looking at Cheng Xiao in confusion, not understanding what kind of "way" he was talking about.

In the wasteland filled with dark, thick fog, surrounded by treacherous danger, Yu Deng sat securely in his safe corner, the only bright and vivid splash of color. He looked like a beautiful, soul-captivating sprite born from the desolation.

Cheng Xiao stared at Yu Deng. This naive, beautiful little widower held a fatal attraction for anyone who coveted him. The playfulness and flippancy he felt when they first met had, within just a few days, uncontrollably transformed into a deeper, paranoid desire. Every smile, every tear, and even every scolding from Yu Deng made him feel... exhilarated.

The vicious dog had long been tamed and leashed. Cheng Xiao could not accept the idea of never seeing Yu Deng again. Therefore, the first step was to get rid of this obstructive "father."

Yu Deng watched as his young stepson leaped onto the flat ground. He hastily reached out to grab him, but missed. "Cheng Xiao!"

Cheng Zhaolin looked down at the interaction between his foster son and Yu Deng, clicking his tongue; he could barely suppress his murderous intent. The black mist stretched itself, firmly encircling Yu Deng on the chair. The piece that had been swatted away stubbornly drifted back, slipping under the hem of Yu Deng’s clothes to nuzzle him.

"...Ugh."

Yu Deng felt a chill and his soft waist shrank back. He tried to avoid the black mist, forgetting that the entire chair was made of it; moving backward was equivalent to voluntarily falling into an embrace. The black mist, representing Cheng Zhaolin’s will, twisted and pressed against Yu Deng, then curled into a roll, secretly trying to pull off the jacket Yu Deng was wearing—and not just the jacket, but his other clothes as well.

Yu Deng quickly pinned the mist down. "Don't move, I'll be cold."

The black mist obediently stopped, curling into a ball at Yu Deng’s side, looking like a well-behaved little accessory.

The black mist was obedient before Yu Deng, but not before Cheng Xiao. The two from the Cheng family began their assault. Their attacks stirred up howling winds as they struck at each other.

*Clang, clang.*

The sharp blade met the black mist, producing a metallic hum. They were aiming to completely eliminate one another. One was a vicious ghost with a destructive nature, while the other was scheming to kill the boss to obtain rewards. Most importantly, it involved... who could exclusively possess the beautiful and delicate little widower. In short, their stances were naturally opposed.

The dagger Cheng Xiao used must have been scavenged from the mansion, and he wielded it with great skill. During the fight, Cheng Xiao revealed his lean, sturdy arm muscles—youthful and full of vibrant power. Although slightly at a disadvantage, he was trading blows evenly with Cheng Zhaolin.

Before Yu Deng could react, his late husband and his young stepson had already exchanged several rounds.

[Damn, this kid Cheng Xiao is actually something. Is this really the level of a newcomer?]

[He must have been well-trained before entering the instance; he has a solid foundation. And he seems even stronger than that night on guard duty.]

[The boss is also terrifying; I don't even dare to look directly into his eyes.]

[Deng-deng is sitting in the only safe spot watching the battle... Damn, our Deng-deng looks like a little princess waiting for the winner of the competition.]

[Who remembers that they are an unruly youth and a ruthless boss? How is this any different from males competing for a mate?]

[I just love watching fierce beasts fight over a baby!]

Yu Deng, inexplicably placed on the spectator stand, watched the two men fight, finally transitioning from confusion to anxiety. Wait, they are actually fighting?!

"System, they are fighting... Is it because I said something wrong earlier?" Yu Deng fell into deep thought, calling out to his system.

System 01: [It is not your fault.] No matter what the host says, or even if he says nothing at all, they would still fight over him.

Although the system said it wasn't his fault, Yu Deng felt this fighting was not good. Seeing that the two were about to land lethal blows, Yu Deng clutched his hem, took a deep breath, and tried his best to raise his voice: "You two! Stop fighting!"

The man and the ghost stopped for a moment, turned their heads, and upon seeing Yu Deng’s tense little face, silently ceased their battle and walked over to him.

Cheng Xiao had several slashed wounds on his arms, and Cheng Zhaolin’s collar was torn, revealing pale skin with faint bloodstains beneath. Yu Deng patted the black mist he was sitting on; the mist reluctantly loosened its hold, protecting him as he carefully slid down.

Yu Deng looked from one to the other, his delicate eyebrows knitted. "Don't be like this, okay?"

This put him in a difficult position; he wasn't good at handling such things and could only offer dry, simple pleas.

Cheng Zhaolin and Cheng Xiao stood on either side of Yu Deng, watching him in silence. The fierce dogs, having just finished fighting, still carried the scent of blood, but having been reprimanded by their master, they could only hang their ears in defeat.

Yu Deng looked up, his voice soft and light: "Please be more harmonious with each other."

The two remained silent for a few seconds, glanced at each other, and their expressions filled with disgust. Who would want to live in harmony with another dog eyeing Yu Deng?

"Besides, fighting hurts." Yu Deng blinked, reached out to touch Cheng Xiao’s wound, and then brushed Cheng Zhaolin’s bloodstain, speaking earnestly. "It looks very uncomfortable... don't you hurt?"

There was genuine worry in his soft voice, sounding as if he were truly concerned for them. The beautiful little widower’s words had a magical soothing power; in just a few dozen seconds, the men’s irritation at sharing the same space with a rival dissipated somewhat.

The two men reached another consensus: next time they fight, they must avoid Yu Deng.

System 01: [.] As expected of the host, a few words were enough to turn these men into mush.

Cheng Xiao was the first to react, immediately lowering his head and admitting his mistake in a submissive manner: "So Deng-deng doesn't like fighting; I won't do it again." He played the part of an obedient, tamed dog perfectly.

Cheng Zhaolin glanced at his foster son, took Yu Deng’s hand, and placed it back on the wound on his chest. He requested in a low voice: "It does hurt. Would you mind blowing on it for me, my dear?"

Yu Deng’s palm rested completely against the torn collar. Cheng Zhaolin’s skin was pale and his body temperature ice-cold, but the texture under Yu Deng’s hand was unexpectedly firm and solid. The older man was elegant and composed, his narrow, phoenix-like eyes slightly closed, as if he were completely unaware of his own physique.

Cheng Xiao gritted his teeth: "..." *Fine, fine, using seduction, I see.*

The viewers in the live stream exclaimed in shock.

[What have I done to deserve seeing such a Shura field in an infinite instance live stream...]

[I want this male competition! It’s already a blessing that these bad dogs can kiss the baby; fighting to win is only natural!]

Yu Deng thought for a few seconds. Seeing that Cheng Zhaolin was so pitiful, he leaned over, parted his rosy lips, and carefully blew on the wound. "Like this?"

...Such a good, obedient treasure.

The warm breath brushed over him, accompanied by the sweet fragrance of Yu Deng. The veins on the back of Cheng Zhaolin’s hand bulged as he restrained himself from immediately doing something that might frighten Yu Deng. He kissed Yu Deng’s fingertips: "Thank you, my dear."

Yu Deng murmured and slowly pulled his hand back, feeling a bit puzzled. This is strange; was this how things were supposed to go?

"..."

Cheng Xiao cracked his knuckles, countless ways to deal with this shameless old man flashing through his mind. Cheng Zhaolin glanced coldly at Cheng Xiao and raised an eyebrow.

The two from the Cheng family wanted to go all out to undermine each other and attract Yu Deng’s attention, but at that moment, the electronic broadcast of the main system suddenly rang out.

[Ding. It is detected that the instance plot is more than halfway through and the number of important character deaths has exceeded three. The instance has entered an abnormal state.]

[Recalculating... Adjusting the instance...]

[Ding. The 'Cheng Mansion' instance has two days remaining and is about to enter the second phase. Players, please be prepared.]

All players: "?"

Yu Deng’s eyes went dark: "???" Ah? This instance had a second phase?!

All surviving players in the instance suddenly stopped, waiting for the system to continue the broadcast.

[Ding. Players, please note: due to instance adjustments, you are required to identify the murderer fifteen minutes in advance.]

Finding the murderer was one of their main tasks. Yu Deng listened to the broadcast in a daze and subconsciously glanced at his young stepson, who was also a player.

Cheng Xiao finished his analysis quickly and temporarily put aside his jealousy, though not entirely. He invited Yu Deng: "Deng-deng, I might need to go back to the room first to discuss some things with the guests. Would you like to come back with me?"

This suited Yu Deng’s wishes perfectly, and he nodded, ready to leave.

Cheng Zhaolin could not hear the system broadcast and could only see his little wife making a decision after just a few words with that bastard. And, he was left behind.

"What about me?" Cheng Zhaolin brushed his fingers across the corner of Yu Deng’s eye. "Has my dear forgotten me?"

Yu Deng’s steps faltered, and he guiltily glanced at his late husband. He had been so preoccupied with the instance changes that he had indeed forgotten him...

Cheng Zhaolin understood Yu Deng’s meaning, ground his teeth, and withdrew the black mist completely, his clothes returning to a clean and intact state. At a glance, one would only think of him as a noble young master from some family, not a dead, vicious ghost.

Cheng Zhaolin said unhurriedly: "What is there to discuss? I’ll come and listen as well."

...

On the way back, with the vicious ghost Cheng Zhaolin guarding them, the monsters naturally dared not approach, and Yu Deng returned to the mansion in just ten minutes.

The players gathered once again in the spacious hall. Judging by their expressions, they were clearly uneasy about the changes in the instance.

Seeing Cheng Xiao return, some players wanted to say something, but before they could open their mouths, they saw the widower NPC, who stunned them every time they looked at him, and a handsome, noble-looking man.