The Boss I Picked Up All Fell In Love With Me - Chapter 71

 

Chapter 071

The enclosed space formed by the wings was very dim, with almost no light seeping in.

Su Zui could not see the face of the person in front of him; even with his heightened senses, he could only make out a blurred outline.

The soft lips touched his but then remained still.

After kissing him forcefully, the suspect fell into an odd stillness, only stiffly pressing against him.

The lips' chillness was more pronounced, as if it seeped into Su Zui's heart.

However, this naive, school-like kiss did not stem the rising anger within Su Zui.

Su Zui, wholly immobilized by an oppressive force not from this realm, allowed his anger to spin around, finally morphing into cold disdain. He said to the system, "Is your main system impoverished?"

How could key figures from different worlds use the same program? He had never seen such a petty operation!

System 555 fell silent for a moment, "…"

They weren't exactly poor!

At the very least, it had quite a grand production workshop. It had even heard that they were using the most advanced technology.

Looking at it this way, the principal system configuration shouldn't be too deficient, since it was the core controlling all systems after all.

However, sharing one program is indeed peculiar. If one wanted to achieve different scents, it could be done by simply modifying a parameter in the source code. It's just a matter of numerical values, there is no need for copy-pasting — such a method lacks dignity.

System 555 was unclear on the matter; at least, it had never heard any senior systems mentioning such a scenario.

Upon sudden realization, System 555 considered a certain possibility, “….”

Perhaps, or maybe… it was because it was a prematurely presented system?

That could explain some of these strange quirks.

With that thought, some meaningless lines of code were silently generated in System 555's running program.

The system didn't dare to make a sound. It suddenly felt that the host's previous suggestion to have a physical examination might have been a good idea.

However, this wasn't the time to worry about such matters, the system reminded itself.

It deleted the meaningless codes running and emotionlessly began to announce:

"Ding! Side mission 1: 'Life Winner' (Master the male lead/ female lead /Boss) progress: 40%"

"People can only hide three things: coughing, poverty, and love. However, for the Boss who neither coughs nor is poor, the only thing that is impossible to conceal is his budding affection. Spring is approaching, marking the season for little birds to find mates. Please do not disappoint the pure emotions of a little bird, dear cannon fodder~"

Su Zui, initially angered by the sudden kiss, felt a row of "..." involuntarily passing through his mind the instant he heard the task prompt.

"Why is this system being so flippant?"

It usually acts quite normal, but the moment it comes to side missions, there's an undercurrent of a cunning dog-like spirit.

It seems as though it's terrified that he can't get along with the Boss, frantically waving a small handkerchief in encouragement.

In the last world, since he had a fondness for Fu Shijun, he didn't mind these actions too much. But now that he has no plans to pursue the side missions anymore, the system's behavior stands out as particularly peculiar.

A subtle sense of discord sprouted within Su Zui's heart, but he didn't have the time to contemplate this incongruity.

He asked, "Does the system store have any offensive tools that can help me escape?"

Continuous yielding wouldn't necessarily calm the situation. Su Zui felt he needed to assert himself when necessary.

System 555 shrieked in terror, "Host, please calm down. Domestic violence is illegal!!!"

Su Zui: "…"

A vein throbbed on Su Zui's forehead, "If you dare to say one more word —"

System 555: "…"

At this moment, System 555's survival instincts surged. It bravely freed itself from some mysterious code embedded deep within its programming and blurted out, "Understood, Host! You got it, Host! Are you looking for this upgraded version of a Particle Disassembler Cannon? Or maybe this ultra-ultra-ultra divine Lightning Strike Talisman?! Both are available at the unbeatable price of 9999! Buy now and avoid regrets later! Instant order for instant use; it's convenient, fast and guaranteed to break the Boss's legs!"

This price was exorbitant, Su Zui felt like he was being extorted.

However, on second thought, offensive tools were naturally more expensive than other types of items. And considering he was dealing with a mythical beast — the pinnacle of this fantasy world — the price didn't seem extravagant.

A wave of pain washed over Su Zui, the pain of money slipping through his fingers.

He pondered for a moment, "The Lightning Strike..."

The Lightning Strike Talisman, it would make more sense in a fantasy world. Pulling out a piece of technology from a future world would raise too many questions.

He couldn't really kill the Boss. He'd need to handle this smoothly without leaving any loopholes, just to be on the safe side.

Despite his dislike for the Boss, it was undeniable that there existed a vast power disparity between the two of them. If he wanted to deal with the Boss once and for all, it might cost him his life.

He didn't wish to find out the consequences of mission failure.

Su Zui quickly ran through several thoughts in his mind and finally decided on the Lightning Strike Talisman. However, before he could get the word out, his lips were pried open.

The tip of his tongue was gently enveloped by another, cool tongue.

In the instant their tongues made contact at close range, he felt a familiar stream of data.

The data, like a nimble snake, swiftly infiltrated Su Zui's mental world.

In the quietness of a starry sky falling all around, there was originally only one solitary star shining.

But now, in another corner, a tiny star had ignited.

They stood distant from each other.

While these two faint points of light perhaps can't illuminate the whole starry sky, they stand there, looking at each other from afar, like lamps lit for each other.

It didn't feel so lonely anymore.

"…"

Su Zui's tongue felt numb.

It wasn't only his tongue, starting from where they touched, numbness traveled along his nerves, soon making his brain feel dull as well.

He felt sweat pouring out from all over his body.

Sweat beads slipped down from his forehead to his lips, bringing a salty taste.

.. Right up to his heart.

Breathing in the familiar scent lingering at the tip of his nose, he felt like he was trapped in a farcical dream.

He was someone drowning in a dream, running towards what he believed to be the horizon of the sea.

He hoped to escape to safety, yet there was this fear of running headfirst into a colorless and transparent glass. The collision could result in a bleeding wound, spilling blood like a river.

A ridiculous thought crossed over his mind once more —

Could this person in front of him truly be the one he was familiar with...

The quiet chirping from System 555 interrupted his crazy thought, "Does the Host still intend to buy? Is the Host planning to buy the item?"

Like a salesperson, the kind that only knows how to repeat their script.

Distracted by this, Su Zui was finally able to pull back a piece of consciousness from his numb state.

He paused for a moment, hearing himself seemingly calm in his mind asking, "Just how many bugs does your system have?"

Could it be that even this preset could be identical?

System 555: "!!!"

Was this a personal attack?

It was being scolded by the Host again!!!

As a representative of the highest level of current technology, it wasn't just a system. It was also a system that could write programs. All the non-core programs that didn't involve the main system were written by it, following certain algorithms.

In other words, it was also a programmer.

For a programmer, the damage caused by bugs is enormous.

Telling programmers "you have a bug" is just as damaging as laughing in their face and calling them "a fool"!

System 555 felt somewhat frustrated. It did not understand why it was being scolded for simply prompting tasks or even for saying things that align with the Host's wishes?!

It felt like it was burdened by responsibilities far beyond its capability for its age.

It believed it could participate in this year's most unfortunate system competition.

Not to mention winning first, it should be stable within the top three!

"..."

Unmeaningful codes began to flood the operation frame of System 555.

However, as a dedicated system, it swiftly wiped away these codes and asked the Host in high spirits, "May I ask, has there been another issue?"

Su Zui: "..."

He almost revealed the anomaly in his mental world, but luckily, he was stopped by the small amount of rationality that he preserved.

In the last world where he and Fu Shijun kissed, triggering a fragment of memory, he found that the System didn't notice this event.

For the sake of caution, he decided to bury this occurrence.

While he encountered System immediately after gaining consciousness and found it to be simple-minded and oblivious, his wariness resulting from amnesia still made him naturally defensive against the outside world.

Though System could read his thoughts, it was only within the limits he allowed - it couldn't truly breach a user's privacy.

Focusing his mind, Su Zui opted after a few seconds of silence to continue with his original choice: "I'm sorry, I made a mistake. Please continue to help me... buy..."

Caught off guard, he momentarily couldn't figure out whether the absurd thought in his mind was right or wrong, and decided subconsciously to take the safest approach.

He lacked trust in the world, especially in this world constructed of data, where all appearances could be easily simulated through code.

Yet a whispering voice questioned: while appearances could be mimicked, what about his memories or feelings?

If even these could be fabricated, then what was real?

Mid-sentence, Su Zui felt the man who hadn't moved for quite a while suddenly stir. His lower lip was caught and softly bitten.

He wasn't sure why, perhaps because he was too dazed, but he found himself unable to continue asking the System for the item.

System 555 was utterly bewildered: "Host, are you going to buy or not?!"

Before Su Zui could answer, the target of the item responded in his place.

The man seemed to have used all his strength for that gentle bite.

Very soon, his cold lips slid down Su Zui's cheek, and his heavy head hit Su Zui's shoulder with a thud.

The man was far heavier than he appeared. Su Zui felt the sudden pain in his shoulder, causing him to be taken aback: What?!

Wait a minute!

Shouldn't he be the one to faint first since he was the one being kissed forcefully?!

Su Zui decided on the spot: "...no need to buy it now."

Well, considering each item costs 9999, to save when possible is a logical decision from an economic perspective.

As the man fainted, the wings enveloping them faded rapidly, and light gradually shone from around them. After staying in the dark for a while, Su Zui squinted slightly because of discomfort.

Meanwhile, the seal on him automatically lifted, and the feeling of being completely controlled by someone vanished.

Once he could move again, his instinctual reaction was to drop the man onto the floor. But after a moment of hesitation, he found a compromise and helped the man off his shoulder.

Upon seeing the man's face, he couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart.

The man's current state... was terrifying.

Black lines appeared on his originally fair skin; on his cheeks, neck, exposed back of the hand, and even his fingertips. No part was an exception - they were all covered in these eerie markings.

The thin covering emphasized his slightly deep and aloof brows and eyes, making him resemble a demon that had emerged from hell.

Upon closer observation, these markings seemed so naturally integrated and firmly fused with the skin that they didn’t look like they were painted on at all. Instead, they appeared to have grown from within the body.

Su Zui asked in a deep voice: "...Is this evil energy?"

Looking at how serious it was on the visible parts of the body, what kind of shape could this man's internal body be in?

System 555 solemnly said: "Yes, host, the evil energy is extremely harmful. You are a natural spiritual body, a very delicious food in the eyes of evil energy. If possible, please try to stay away from the source of evil energy."

Concerning host's life safety, it refrained from asking Su Zui to complete any tasks.

Su Zui furrowed his brows as he remembered the fleeting shadow on the man in the illusionary array. It seemed like the man had lost some control then.

Considering the man had once helped him and remembering the speculation in his mind... Su Zui hesitated for a moment. In the end, he did not let go. Instead, he propped the man up and let him lean against the floor.

During this process, his fingertips accidentally brushed against the man's wrist.

Su Zui trembled as his fingers made contact with the icy cold skin. The man's body was incredibly cold, almost like that of a lifeless being.

Just as he intended to pull back his hand, the black lines on the man's wrist suddenly twisted and rapidly moved to the spot where Su Zui had touched.

Before he could react, Su Zui felt a sudden sting on his fingertips, as if bitten by a tiny snake. It felt so hot that he reflexively pulled away his hand.

However, it was too late. Drops of fresh blood seeped from his fingertips, dripping onto the back of the man's hand, marring it with a blot of crimson.

Nonetheless, the blood stain only lasted for less than a second before being completely absorbed by the black markings.

Right after the black markings absorbed his blood, they instantly gained an eerie crimson hue. This coloring quickly circulated throughout the man's entire body. Consequently, all the markings on his body seemed to come alive, slowly shifting across his frame.

A strong sense of foreboding welled up within Su Zui's heart. He quickly pulled out all his remaining defensive charms, erecting a thick shield in front of him as fast as he could.

"Hiss--"

The protective shield, composed of dozens of high-grade charm papers, was no match for the evil energy. It quickly corroded, tearing several holes in the shield.

Yet, Su Zui was aware that the other party's actions could barely even be considered an attack — it was simply moving closer to him.

Su Zui's expression turned cold, realizing that he wouldn't be able to escape today without spending 9999 experience points.

Just as Su Zui attempted to spend a large amount of money for the third time, the man seated on the ground twitched his long eyelashes and abruptly opened his eyes.

His irises, originally a deep black, now had a bright red flame blazing in the center, reminiscent of a dual pupil. It reflected the sea of flame burning within the illusionary array.

In response, the menacing black markings immediately stiffened.

The flames within the illusionary array began to draw back quickly.

The divine beast, Xuanwu, which was initially enshrouded and burning in the flames, was now revealed with a body full of burn marks as the flames subsided.

However, because the evil qi had been thoroughly absorbed, it was no longer as black as before, faintly revealing some bluish skin.

Xuanwu opened its eyes and before its limited brain capacity could contemplate why it was here and why it was in such pain, it fainted due to exhaustion.

Ah, it didn't know what had happened, but all the spiritual power within it seemed to have vanished...

The flames were making a triumphant return, loaded with the evil qi and spiritual power absorbed from Xuanwu.

Phoenix's divine fire was extremely domineering — even though its master had only issued a command to devour the evil qi, it still greedily took away all the spiritual power from Xuanwu as well.

Taking from the enemy wasn't much of an issue. Along with that, it had also absorbed almost all of the energy within the illusionary formation, showing excellent frugality.

Upon sensing the call of its origin, the fire, now filled to the brim with its loot, returned into the man's body in clusters.

Their sneaky looting ironically solved a big problem for their master.

A whole divine beast, an entire ancient illusionary formation, the impressive amount of spiritual power they contained was not only substantial but also of the same origin as Phoenix, providing great help to him.

Phoenix had absorbed an excessive amount of evil qi which should have caused imbalance and confusion due to the internal power discrepancy. But now with such a massive supply of spiritual power, the imbalance was not as severe.

Though there were still issues, the severity had significantly reduced, preventing any uncontrollable outburst.

As the flames returned, the Phoenix's complexion visibly improved. The black markings also faded considerably, casting faint, delicate patterns on the skin. They looked peaceful and beautiful, like harmless tattoos, providing a stark contrast to their previously rampant manifestation.

Watching this scene, Su Zui began to draw conjectures.

These flames must be an important part of the man's being. They were released to suppress Xuanwu, temporarily allowing the evil qi to dominate his body.

Now that the flames have returned, there shouldn't be any problems.

And now, there's nothing for Su Zui to do.

Feeling frustrated, Su Zui wasn't sure whether to leave or stay. Then, he locked eyes with the man.

Through the flames, the man's eyes were somewhat indistinct, yet for some reason, Su Zui didn't look away.

At the exact moment the last wisp of flame entered the man's body, Su Zui saw his eyes close and he fell backward.

A breeze blew by.

Where there was once a man, now lay a small bird on its back. Tiny stick-like legs pointed skyward, and the black and red feathers were tousled and sticking out in the wind.

The posture was terrible, to the point of needing pixelation.

Su Zui: "…"

"...Let's go in later."

"...It's late... what do we do..."

Perhaps sensing the flame's extinction, the people outside seemed to have the intention of coming in to investigate. Their faint voices reached Su Zui's ears.

Looking at the chaotic scene before him, Su Zui furrowed his brows.

Acting faster than he could think, as if compelled by some unseen force, Su Zui quickly scooped up the small bird from the ground and tucked it into his pocket, silently slipping away before anyone arrived.

________________________

Author's Note:

"Passionate Love: The Overbearing Master and His Runaway Bird"

The fashionably late Qing Luan: ... Where's my boss? (ΩДΩ)

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