Chapter 25: The Widow in the Mansion

Outside the office window, the faint sounds of car horns and the cries of street vendors drifted in, muffled and indistinct. Everything from the past felt ethereal and illusory, yet the sensation against Yu Deng’s palm was chillingly real.

Cheng Zhaolin bowed his head, exposing even the vulnerable nape of his neck to Yu Deng without reservation. It was a posture of complete and utter submission. Yu Deng looked at his late husband kneeling before him and blinked slowly. He felt as though he were looking at a ferocious, giant dog. The vicious beast had been wounded, covered in scars, and had finally come whimpering to its master, seeking gentle comfort.

Thinking this, Yu Deng unconsciously tightened his grip, giving the ghost husband’s cheek a pinch. Cheng Zhaolin showed no annoyance or impatience; instead, he leaned closer to Yu Deng and reached out to gently cradle the back of Yu Deng’s hand.

"Madam."

Yu Deng and Cheng Zhaolin locked eyes for a moment. For now, Yu Deng set aside the ghost’s immense power and malevolent nature, and he momentarily forgot the sinful acts of kissing and biting that Cheng Zhaolin had committed earlier. The sweet, beautiful darling’s heart softened.

"My heart aches for you...? Then, what, what should I do?"

The evil spirit looked up at Yu Deng, a glint of pleasure surfacing in his eyes.

【...】 System 01 remained silent for a long time, eventually deciding to remind Yu Deng: 【Host, the other party is an evil spirit. Please do not let your guard down too much.】 Being soft-hearted toward an evil spirit was an easy way to be devoured whole.

Yu Deng thought about it and felt his system made sense. If the request was too excessive, he wouldn't agree to it! While he was pondering, Cheng Zhaolin spoke, making his request: "Let me hold you first, Madam, may I?"

Oh, such a simple request? Yu Deng had braced himself for his late husband to take advantage of the situation and demand something outrageous; he hadn't expected the request to be so modest. He froze for a few seconds, let go of Cheng Zhaolin's cheek, and slowly opened his arms.

"Alright then, just a hug."

The evil spirit rose with a radiant smile, then bent down to embrace his little wife, who had voluntarily opened his arms to him. Yu Deng nestled quietly in his late husband’s cold, broad chest, his round black eyes watching the other with a hint of concern. Cheng Zhaolin’s nose was filled with the sweet scent of Yu Deng, and his black mist drifted about happily.

Madam is so well-behaved and adorable. Madam agreed to a hug. Madam has Him in his heart.

"Baby," the evil spirit murmured.

Yu Deng seemed to be hearing Cheng Zhaolin call him that for the first time; he愣 for a few seconds before looking up in bewilderment. The evil spirit loved calling Yu Deng "Madam" because it made Him feel that there was an inseparable bond between them. But trying a different term now also offered a new kind of pleasure.

"Is there anything else my baby wants to know?" Cheng Zhaolin asked.

Yu Deng searched his brain, which had been forcibly stuffed with various plot points, and felt that he basically understood what he needed to know. Oh, there seemed to be one point he didn't quite grasp.

"Why did you adopt Cheng Xiao? You couldn't have been that old yourself back then, right?" It had made Yu Deng think at first that his late husband was someone who lived a chaotic life.

Cheng Zhaolin clicked his tongue lightly. He didn't really want to mention his foster son, but he explained briefly: "He is the grandson of a family that had long-standing ties with the Cheng family. After that family met with disaster, he was raised in the Cheng household. My father insisted on registering him under my name."

As for the reason, it was likely to give Cheng Zhaolin another burden, so he could be kept in check if necessary.

Unfortunately, those people had miscalculated. They didn't account for the fact that Cheng Xiao was a troublemaker, someone who even dared to covet his father’s widow. The character of Cheng Xiao was also one of high risk and high opportunity. He could actively explore the Cheng family, but because his position was naturally opposed to the boss, and they even had a history of grievances, he was inherently more dangerous.

With his doubts resolved and combined with the plot he had seen in the deep illusion, Yu Deng struggled to piece everything together from the beginning. Miss Lin’s plight was the main plot line, and Cheng Zhaolin’s past was the hidden plot line. Both shared the same enemy, which eventually evolved into the current situation.

Good, everything was connected! In that case, had he finished his mission? Oh wait, he still had the special mission.

Yu Deng frowned. His two mission targets weren't causing trouble right now, so was it really necessary to go through with that seal or contract?

"System, I don't think it's necessary." Yu Deng told the system his thoughts.

【I will report this to the Main System and ask.】 System 01 processed this quickly.

"Okay."

In the gap between Yu Deng’s conversation with the system, Cheng Zhaolin held him, kissing his earlobe before slowly moving down to capture Yu Deng’s lips.

"Mm?"

Cheng Zhaolin was quite restrained this time, and Yu Deng didn't feel much discomfort, so he didn't scold or struggle, closing his eyes and letting himself be kissed. After a while, Yu Deng opened his eyes drowsily and glanced at Cheng Zhaolin’s eyes, only to find that the evil spirit was not the least bit sorrowful or lonely. Those phoenix eyes were filled entirely with excitement and satisfaction.

Yu Deng: "?" Something felt wrong.

"Madam," Cheng Zhaolin asked in a low voice once he had his fill of kissing, a question that had been weighing on his mind, "Are you still going to seal me away?"

Yu Deng opened his mouth but didn't answer his late husband immediately. He didn't know how the Main System would judge the situation yet.

Wait. The days of the instance were coming to an end, and Yu Deng finally realized another important issue—or rather, a conflict. The side mission was to seek revenge for "ta," meaning Cheng Zhaolin, but the system also required him to seal Cheng Zhaolin again. If there was a conflict between the two, how was he supposed to complete the mission... Oh, the side mission didn't seem mandatory, so maybe he could just ignore it?

Yu Deng’s head felt dizzy.

【Host.】 System 01 saw Yu Deng’s dilemma. 【In terms of mission priority, the special mission takes precedence over all ordinary missions within the instance.】

"Oh..."

Cheng Zhaolin stared at Yu Deng. Not receiving a clear answer, the evil spirit bit down lightly on Yu Deng’s collarbone in dissatisfaction.

...

Inside the illusion, the other players were still diligently working on their missions. Zhang Ziyun and Ke Qi had teamed up and uncovered many overlooked details. For example, the molestation incident at the Fourth Concubine’s schoolhouse was related to Miss Lin’s sister, and the reason Miss Lin lived in the Cheng mansion before marriage was because the Lin family had abandoned her, and the Cheng family elders were afraid she would run away.

The whole matter was now basically clear. Zhang Ziyun was almost exhausted, her body covered in new wounds. She stared blankly, breathing evenly, and suddenly had an epiphany: "Wait, our mandatory mission is to find the murderer and uncover the truth."

Ke Qi nodded: "Yes, what about it?"

"But what we've organized and guessed is basically the same as the plot we saw in the second stage, so why did we bother going through all this?"

The missions given by the instance and the various changes were all leading the players to explore deep into danger. In short, it was constantly goading the players to court death. It was quite malicious. The two players looked at each other, their desire to just give up growing stronger.

"Big Brother, what do you think?" The two simply asked Cheng Xiao, who had just reunited with them.

The young man didn't speak, his gaze searching inch by inch for where Yu Deng might be. At that moment, the Main System’s electronic voice rang out again.

【Ding. One hour remains until the end of the instance. After players confirm the completion of their tasks in half an hour, they may leave the instance early.】

The two novice players immediately flashed weak smiles of relief. Great, this damn, broken instance was finally coming to an end. They grinned for a moment, then turned to see Cheng Xiao heading in a certain direction.

"Let's leave as soon as the time is up. I'm so afraid the instance will pull some stunt right before the end. Hey, wait? Where are you going, Big Brother?"

...

At this moment, Yu Deng had just received the Main System’s response. The Main System carefully weighed Yu Deng’s request, the electrical hum pausing for a moment. The ferocious, evil spirit was obsessed with his sweet, soft little wife, showing no signs of aggression, and the other player didn't seem to be causing any destruction either. It seemed, perhaps, that there might not be a problem...?

During the silence, Cheng Zhaolin thought of something, and his black mist churned restlessly for a moment. The Main System became immediately alert.

Not long after, the space fluctuated, and a gap was torn open, revealing Cheng Xiao’s figure before Yu Deng’s eyes.

Cheng Xiao’s gaze was fixed on Yu Deng... Sure enough, whenever he wasn't around, Yu Deng would completely forget him and be intimate with another man. The young man looked like a puppy caught in the rain, wilting and dispirited, yet still desperate for Yu Deng’s attention and favor.

"Baby," Cheng Xiao called out, "I'm here."

Yu Deng turned his head and blinked at Cheng Xiao: "Wow." As expected of a top player, he could even find his way into the deeper layers of the illusion.

Cheng Zhaolin hugged Yu Deng tighter, subtly blocking his view, and said to his foster son: "Always thinking about someone else’s wife—that’s not good."

Cheng Xiao: "Heh."

Cheng Zhaolin’s presence was overwhelming, far stronger than it had been on the day he broke the seal. However, considering Yu Deng was still present, Cheng Zhaolin barely restrained himself, avoiding taking on a form too terrifying to behold. Cheng Xiao did not back down, meeting the hostility head-on.

[Was the baby kissed again just now? The screen went black the whole time, but seeing this Shura field is not bad, hehe.]

[The boss is so scary... The last time I felt this kind of fear through a screen was when I was watching an A+ difficulty instance.]

[The stepson is actually able to break through the deep illusion; he’s pretty impressive too.]

The space began to shake violently; air currents stirred the debris on the ground, and a wall collapsed with a roar. The Main System let out a sharp, piercing sound: 【Player Yu Deng, please execute the special mission immediately! Contain both sides and ensure they do not destroy the instance! Failure to complete the mission will result in punishment!】

Yu Deng frowned and told the Main System to be quiet. If he had to do it, he would, but there was no need to be so loud; it was deafening. Fortunately, he had already lectured these two men earlier that they weren't allowed to fight, so they were still maintaining a precarious peace.

"You two..." Before Yu Deng could say anything, the scene shifted abruptly.

The illusion shattered bit by bit, and they returned to that Cheng mansion which had borne witness to countless sins. Outside, the sky was dark, pale lanterns swayed in the wind, and the sound of the suona was unclear. The people in the mansion didn't seem to know that the players had entered the illusions of the past; they remained in a state of anxious unease, not daring to look at Cheng Zhaolin.

But under the pressure of Cheng Zhaolin’s aura, they couldn't take any action, frozen in place with expressions of panic, unable to even move against the players, appearing both ridiculous and absurd.