When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 389: Kiss Me, Maybe?

Chapter 389: Kiss Me, Maybe?

Amidst the ruins of the once elegant and thriving palace, the Nightmare descended like the embodiment of darkness itself, casting an eerie shadow over the sun. Its formless grasp reached out to the Earth, creating a phenomenon akin to a destructive typhoon as it firmly and intimately coiled itself around the boy’s body. The mind-blowing scene looked like one straight from a fantasy movie.

Despite the blood surging in his throat, Song Yunshi forced himself to watch until the Nightmare wrenched the boy away and took him together with it, disappearing into the colossal crack in the sky.

Why would the Nightmare be here? Had it come personally to claim the boy? For what purpose?

Song Yunshi had initially assumed that the Ninth Prince was just an ordinary nightmare creature, if not stronger than average. But if the Nightmare was involved, then it was a different case altogether.

In this world, there was nobody who did not want to discover the origins of the Nightmare Cycle, as well as the Nightmare itself. The never-ending games and tasks were akin to a noose tightening around their necks, threatening to suffocate them to death. Before that dire day arrived, they must seek a way to sever the rope once and for all.

"That was the first time I ever saw the Nightmare with my own eyes," Grandpa Song chuckled dryly. "Well, I guess it was just a fraction of its real self, but it was already enough to send me bedridden for a week upon my return. And as soon as I recovered, I immediately took action. I used my network to inquire if any players had encountered a similar boy in their Cycles, but the responses were nil. At that time, I was also preparing for my advancement test so I was extremely occupied for quite some time. It wasn’t until much later, when I had already become a Legendary player, that I thought of seeking the Divine Oracle. But..."

At this point, he suddenly trailed off and asked the trio, "Have you met him?"

They shook their heads in unison.

"Well, unless absolutely necessary, try to steer as far away from that person as possible. He is..." Song Yunshi’s expression turned strange at that split second. "...a weirdo."

Even more than this damned husky beside me?

Shen Nianzu almost blurted out, only to hold himself back in the nick of time. To have someone as forthright as Song Yunshi calling them a weirdo, this person must have quite a personality.

"Why do you say that, Grandpa?" Gu Luoxin asked curiously.

"For starters, he’s really difficult to find, and you can only cross paths with him if you enter high-level Cycles. Additionally, he always put a charge for every divination. You must be asking what’s wrong with that, right? After all, it’s not strange for someone to ask for payment in return for their service, just like the Broker. The main problem is, this person..." Song Yunshi sighed. "He charges not with points. When all is said and done, he is the oracle. If he wants, he could glimpse into a little bit of your life, and he uses that to..."

"To...?" Gu Luoxin prompted, tense with anticipation.

"To make you run difficult errands, to put it simply. Setting that point aside," Grandpa quickly steered the conversation back to the matter in hand. "I asked the Oracle to help me find out who the boy really is, and he gave me clues to enter the ’Chrono Junction Express’. He said I might find my answers there, and indeed, I think I’ve already gotten some answers to my question."

He gazed at Jin Jiuchi with a meaningful smile. "Young man, you’re directly connected to the Nightmare itself, aren’t you? No, that’s not right. The question I want to ask is— how are you connected to it?"

***

Shen Nianzu stepped out of the en-suite bathroom clad in a silk robe while toweling his wet hair.

Due to the hot shower, his pale purple eyes held a watery glint and his cheeks flushed in a pretty pink hue. He was replaying the earlier conversation they had with Grandpa in his mind when he sensed a heated gaze coming his way.

Raising his head, he found Jin Jiuchi sprawled on the bed, propping his head up with a hand. His intense and smoldering gaze was fixated on Shen Nianzu, shamelessly appreciating his appearance from head to toe. The main light in the room had been turned off, leaving only the lamp on the nightstand that cast a gentle golden glow upon the man’s proportional figure.

Shen Nianzu felt warmth creeping up his cheeks and this time, it had nothing to do with the shower he had just taken. Under Jin Jiuchi’s bold scrutiny, he felt strangely naked despite the robe covering his body.

Geez, Shen Nianzu, until when will you keep acting like this around him?!

Clearing his throat, he tossed the towel onto the couch and snapped his fingers. In an instant, his wet hair turned dry, fluffy and silken, draping over his body akin to a divine cloak.

Jin Jiuchi let out a long whistle, a wolfish grin stretching across his face. "Nian’er, do you know how hot you are everytime you did that?"

"Shut up." Shen Nianzu glared at him, though the red tint on his cheeks betrayed the bashfulness he was feeling within.

Climbing into the bed, he lay down beside Jin Jiuchi. And Jin Jiuchi, who was dissatisfied with the distance between them, extended an arm to pull the jade doll closer until their bodies were flushed against each other. Shen Nianzu released a contented sigh and made himself comfortable in his lover’s arms, their legs entwined intimately.

Meanwhile, Jin Jiuchi leaned in and began sniffing his hair like a starving puppy, complaining, "Nian’er, you smell different."

"Of course, I do," Shen Nianzu rolled his eyes, amused and exasperated at the same time. "I’m using the guest room’s shampoo after all." He raised his head and ran his fingers through Jin Jiuchi’s smooth hair, and upon finding it still partly wet, he dried it for the man too. Jin Jiuchi’s eyes narrowed in bliss as he enjoyed the sensation of Shen Nianzu’s soft fingers caressing his hair, purring loudly from his throat.

Amidst the comfortable and intimate silence, Shen Nianzu’s quiet voice echoed, "What do you think about our discovery so far?"

"I don’t know..." Jin Jiuchi replied nonchalantly. "What does Nian’er want to hear?"

"You..." Shen Nianzu gazed at him with a helpless look. Unable to help himself, he pinched Jin Jiuchi’s cheek, "What should I do with you?"

Ever the cheeky one, Jin Jiuchi decided to test his luck, "Kiss me, maybe?"

With an amused yet indulgent huff, Shen Nianzu tilted his neck and pressed his lips on Jin Jiuchi’s.

"Mnnn..." a breathy sigh escaped him when Jin Jiuchi licked the seam of his lips, and he subconsciously parted his mouth to welcome the man’s gentle intrusion.

Their lips and tongues interlocked in a passionate dance for a while, until Shen Nianzu forced himself to withdraw when he sensed himself growing restless. They were in Song Yunshi’s house after all, and the legendary player’s keen senses meant that he was aware of everything that happened within the vicinity, so they’d better hold themselves back for now.

Alas, Jin Jiuchi did not seem to share his sentiments as the man proceeded to kiss and nip at his jaws and neck. The sensation of the man’s sharp canines grazing his sensitive skin felt so good that Shen Nianzu couldn’t resist a shudder.