(post-NSFW Chapter 142 on my Patreon!)
Qiu Yunru jolted awake.
Fuck...!
He was immediately aware of how incredibly uncomfortable he was. His body had become drenched in cold sweat as he tossed and turned, and the air here on the side of the volcano was hot and heavy, causing him to feel sticky. On top of all this, his heart was pounding in his chest so hard that it was nearly painful!
Raising a hand to his cheek, he found that it was burning hot.
It definitely wasn't because of the hot air. No...
It was because he could still feel Li Chenyuan's hand on his dick!
He groaned, rolling over and burying his face in his bedroll.
What the hell? I can't believe he actually...that actually...
Even though he was sure that it had been more a vision than a dream, he found himself almost wishing that it had been just a dream. At least that way, neither of them would have gotten into such an awkward situation!
He kicked at his blankets and rolled about on the floor of his tent for a while, rubbing his temples and shaking his head. No matter how hard he tried not to think about it, his mind could help but be drawn back to the feeling of Li Chenyuan's cool lips on his own, and his fingers rubbing him insistently.
This was almost too much to process. Did it count as a first kiss? Qiu Yunru had never kissed someone before, much less a man. Did it not count, seeing at it was a dream, and Li Chenyuan hadn't been aware at first? On top of that...
What kind of dreams had Li Chenyuan been having all this time?!
Although Qiu Yunru wasn't completely innocent himself, and had found himself wondering about Li Chenyuan's body here and there, he'd never had a dream where they'd slept together. On the other hand, it seemed Li Chenyuan had been having such dreams non-stop! Qiu Yunru could hard stand to imagine what that kid had been dreaming up. Fucking every other night, doing who-knows-what kind of things in his imagination!
And even more than this, Li Chenyuan seemed to always be dreaming of being on top!
Even though Qiu Yunru had never slept with a man before, that didn't mean he was a complete bottom! Right?!
Qiu Yunru threw an arm over his face, groaning. What a mess! The next time they met, it would surely be painfully awkward...
However, one thing, at least, eased his mind. Li Chenyuan was alive, and seemed healthy and well. His complexion had been good, and though he had seemed tired, he hadn't seemed completely miserable.
On the other hand, he was now leading that group of mysterious folk in black, which just so happened to be the remnants of Li Guiren's Eight Winds Sect. Qiu Yunru felt his stomach sink at the thought.
What was it Lei Ruolan's father had said?
Indeed, the Eight Winds Sect exists to serve you.
The sinking feeling in his stomach grew sour, and his jaw tightened painfully. A strange feeling rose in his chest, tightening it. Protectiveness?
Nothing good could come from working with those kinds of people. Qiu Yunru was sure of it. In xianxia plots, cults never turned out well. These people had already tried to kidnap Li Chenyuan multiple times instead of simply asking him to join them. There must certainly be something strange or sinister going on...
Sighing, Qiu Yunru rolled onto his back. In the end, there wasn't much he could do besides continue to try to escape the Demon Realm. As long as he was here, there wasn't much he could do to protect that kid.
Eventually, after tossing and turning for another hour, Qiu Yunru managed to fall back asleep.
***
"Good morning."
Liao Li was smiling warmly by a smile fire he'd built. Over the fire, he turned four buns on a long stick, roasting them. He was always like this, waking up before Qiu Yunru to make breakfast and make their camp comfortable.
As they ate together, Liao Li cleared his throat.
"Are you all right, Qiu-wanbei? You're quiet this morning. Something on your mind?"
"Huh? No! No, nothing at all!" Qiu Yunru said hurriedly, stuffing the rest of his bun into his mouth. His face had gone a bright red.
Soon after, they set back off up the volcano. With their pace, they should make it to the top today.
Indeed, it didn't take them long at all. Soon enough, the air grew stiflingly hot, and a the red glow that infused the demon realm intensified, causing the air to be bright and heavy. Small patches of green grass and little trees peppered the ground here--all rare plants known to only grow here at the mouth of The Bloodred Maw.
"We made it!" Liao Li noted cheerfully, setting down his pack. "See any Blackened Yellow Flowers? I'm sure Madame Red will be pleased. You'll definitely get a job at the Three Herb Apothecary after this!"
Qiu Yunru blinked. "A job? I am hoping word about my healing skills will spread, but it won't guarantee me a job there..."
Liao Li blinked in return. "...Didn't you know? That courtesan Shao Lu is the daughter of the owner! Isn't that why you agreed to find a cure for her?"
...
Qiu Yunru's jaw dropped open. A fly or a volcano spark might have flown inside, and he wouldn't have even noticed. He felt suddenly incredibly stupid. Rubbing the back of his neck, he laughed awkwardly.
"Yes, yes...I knew that...Ah, I actually, I didn't." Qiu Yunru's face was red with embarrassment. He was a person who could rarely bring himself to lie. "But this is good, then--I'm not wasting our time, then. Let me look for some flowers, they should be around here..."
Was this a subtle helping hand from the rotten game system? After shoving him into the dirt so many times, had it led him to the exact right path to land a job and get closer to meeting a noble demon?
You should have told me! Qiu Yunru scolded the game menu. Now I look stupid...!
Whatever. It wasn't the time to gripe. Since they didn't know whether The Bloodred Maw would sense them, it was best to pick those flowers quickly and get out!