What?! The Gamemaster And The Top Player Are Dating?!

Once they were out of the level, Li Ling decided to call it a day since it was already late and he seemed to be busy with something and when he had left, Zhihao couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. 

He was looking forward to exploring the last level. He wanted to know more about the story of this vampire and his bellboy. He had so many questions, but they were all left unanswered. 

His dissatisfaction could be justified. After all, who'll want to play a game and be thrown out of it without exploring everything inside the game? Zhihao was always the curious type and this just did not sit well with him. 

The most important questions he wanted to ask were: What were Carmen and Lord Versailles fighting about? And Why the hell was Carmen called bellboy when he wasn't a bellboy?! 

It just made no sense and Lord Versailles was the only one calling him that which meant the name 'bellboy' had a story behind it that Zhihao never got to know. 

For a second, he wondered if he should replay the level, but Li Ling wasn't available right now and he didn't want to play alone. If Li Ling wasn't gonna play the part of the vampire, there was no way Zhihao would try to protect anyone else, so if Li Ling wasn't here, the chances of him losing the game were more. 

Just as he was thinking this, he got a text from Li Ling. 

[Li Ling: Are you free tomorrow?]

[Zhihao: I don't have anything important planned.]

[Zhihao: Why?] 

[Li Ling: Then want to check out that sensory room?] 

[Zhihao: Sensory room?]

[Li Ling; The one at the arcade] 

[Li Ling: T.I.A.D. Sensory gaming room] 

[Li Ling: Didn't you promise to go with me?] 

[Zhihao: I promised?]

Zhihao remembered seeing such a thing in the arcade that Li Ling had taken him to but no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't remember when he had promised to go there together with Li Ling. 

[Li Ling: Let's go tomorrow.] 

[Zhihao: Sure.]

Zhihao's lips unconsciously curled upwards as he thought about going back to that arcade. 

It sure was a fun place and he couldn't wait to experience that so-called amazing sensory gaming room that was equipped with the latest technology to help the players experience a more immersive virtual experience. 

[Li Ling: Then it's a deal!] 

[Li Ling: You can't go back!] 

[Zhihao: Hehehe] 

[Li Ling: Btw, thanks for not being mad at me anymore.] 

Zhihao's fingers froze up as he read the message. 

[Li Ling: I really thought you were gonna avoid me forever] 

[Li Ling: I'm so glad to see that we can talk normally like this.] 

[Zhihao: Um... Me too.] 

Somehow, Zhihao felt his heart drop. 

'Talk normally like this' 

Was this an indirect way of saying Li Ling didn't want to be anything more than a friend? But... He had already agreed to be Zhihao's future boyfriend! 

There was no way Zhihao was going to let the man go back on his words! 

He had already said it! 

[Zhihao: It's not like I can be mad at my future boyfriend forever.] 

[Li Ling: Cough~ Cough~] 

[Li Ling: A-Zhi had this side of him too? Wah~]

[Zhihao: I have a lot of sides.] 

[Zhihao: Do you want to know more?] 

[Zhihao: I can show you each one of them.] 

[Li Ling: That sounds rather... Suggestive.] 

Zhihao's smile grew wider as he took his sweet time to respond. 

[Zhihao: Who said it wasn't?] 

Li Ling, who was currently rushing to his office couldn't help but choke on empty air as he read the last message. 

This man... Was going to be the death of him! 

[Li Ling: That was... Unexpected.] 

[Zhihao: I'm going to be more forward from now on] 

[Zhihao: You should prepare yourself] 

[Zhihao: Cuz the top player is in love with you.] 

[Li Ling: I thought the top player was in love with the Gamemaster] 

[Zhihao: Well, if Li Ling is the Gamemaster, the top player would be in love with the Gamemaster] 

[Li Ling:...] 

Li Ling suddenly panicked a bit as he read the message for the first time. He had to read it a few more times to understand what Zhihao meant to say and just as he understood the meaning, he couldn't help but sigh in relief. 

Zhihao almost gave him a mini heart attack and made him think that his cover had been blown. 

Sometimes, he was really glad that Zhihao trusted him so much cause if he didn't, guessing that Li Ling was the Gamemaster would be as simple as doing elementary grade maths for Zhihao. 

Just because the man trusted him, he was able to fool the man and it was also the reason why he felt so guilty about fooling the man. 

Somehow, he felt as if he was betraying that trust and letting the man down. 

[Li Ling: Hehehe] 

[Li Ling: If I was the Gamemaster, we would've made it to the headline of tomorrow's newspapers] 

[Zhihao: The top player and the Gamemaster are dating... It would have been an interesting piece of news.] 

[Li Ling: You forgot to add some exaggeration.] 

[Li Ling: It should be 'What?! The Gamemaster and the top player are dating?!'] 

[Zhihao: Lol] 

[Zhihao: Why does that sound so funny?] 

[Li Ling: hehe]

[Zhihao: Thank god you're not the Gamemaster] 

[Zhihao: I would have been featured in that ridiculous headline] 

[Zhihao: Lol]

Zhihao really knew how to make Li Ling feel more and more guilty. 

[Li Ling: Yeah lol] 

[Zhihao: But I think we'll be able to make a headline too] 

[Li Ling: Hmm...] 

[Li Ling: Something like 'the great Mastermo has found his master?!'] 

[Zhihao: Haha] 

[Zhihao: So you wanna be my master? *winks*] 

[Li Ling:...] 

[Li Ling: Look what you're making me say!] 

[Zhihao: Hehe] 

[Zhihao: This is fun, Master Li Ling.] 

Li Ling felt the blood rush up his ears as he imagined Zhihao using this prefix. He really could hear the man's soft yet deep honey-like voice whisper these words in his ears and for some reason, he really liked this idea. 

[Li Ling: Then you'll be this Master's pet?] 

[Zhihao: Getting super kinky, are we?] 

[Li Ling: *hides away* What are you talking about?] 

[Zhihao: If the owner is Li Ling, why not?] 

[Zhihao: I'll be your pet]

[Zhihao: I'll be the cutest, hottest pet ever.] 

[Zhihao: But I still won't be as hot or as cute as my master.] 

[Li Ling: You're making me blush so hard right now] 

[Zhihao: Really?]

[Zhihao: It was my intention to] 

Zhihao would be lying if he said he wasn't proud of it. 

Since he had already decided to fully chase after this man, there was no way he was gonna back down from it. He was gonna make sure that Li Ling knew exactly what Zhihao felt for him. He was going to yell it out loud, the words: I love you, till it was etched across Li Ling's memory forever. 

He didn't care about what the world said, he didn't care about the people either. He would yell it till the whole world knew! He needed to tell people that he wasn't gonna die alone! He finally had someone he liked! He wasn't gonna be called a freak who'll end up marrying a game character. 

[Li Ling: You're probably too tired] 

[Li Ling: You should go get some rest] 

[Li Ling: I'll catch you later] 

[Zhihao: Hmm] 

[Zhihao: My future boyfriend is the type to run away when embarrassed?] 

[Li Ling: Lol] 

[Li Ling: Definitely not!] 

[Li Ling: I'm the type who'll make you embarrassed!] 

[Zhihao: Oh really?] 

[Zhihao: Why don't you try?] 

Li Ling took a deep breath in as he wondered what to write next and after a whole minute, he knew the perfect response to Zhihao. 

[Li Ling: Mastermo the top player] 

[Li Ling: Are you really the top player?] 

[Zhihao: Of course I am] 

[Zhihao: You can check the official ranks.] 

[Li Ling: Hehe] 

[Li Ling: That's not the rank I was asking.] 

[Zhihao: Eh?] 

[Li Ling: I was asking about your position outside the game. The unofficial rank.] 

[Zhihao:...] 

It took Zhihao an entire three minutes to finally understand what the man was implying and just as he did, his ears turned the color of cherry peppers and he could no longer type a response to that. 

This Li Ling... Was surely going to be the death of him! 

[Li Ling: Kek] 

[Li Ling: Told you I can make you embarrassed.] 

[Zhihao: Then what about you?] 

[Li Ling: Huh?] 

[Zhihao: What type of player are you?] 

It was now Li Ling's turn to blush like a tomato. How in the hell did their conversation shift like this?! 

[Li Ling:...] 

[Zhihao: You're not gonna tell me?] 

[Zhihao: But I wanted to know.] 

[Li Ling:...] 

[Li Ling: Why did you wanna know?] 

[Zhihao: You know why.] 

[Li Ling: Okay! Who the hell are you? Where's my innocent A-Zhi?!] 

[Zhihao: A-Zhi's dead. You're talking to the top player Mastermo now.] 

Li Ling suddenly felt as if he liked this 'Mastermo' better than his innocent A-Zhi but he wasn't gonna say that out loud. 

"We're here." It was Xia who turned around from the driver's seat and looked at Li Ling who certainly didn't look normal. Xia cringed as he asked, "Stop smiling like that."