Chapter 120: Acting

Boros did not have to wait long for the demon he summoned. He casually sized up the canid demon, who belonged to a vastly different breed, and his indifferent gaze revealed the other's concealed fear.

Boros frowned. Could he really learn anything from this? If it weren't for the fact that final exam results were crucial, even he would prefer to avoid a bad start and not have to come here to study.

"Sit," Boros gestured with his chin towards the chair across from him, indicating for the demon to take a seat. He then continued staring at him.

The summoned demon was on the verge of tears. Under the gaze of those blood-red eyes, all attempts at flattery and persuasion evaporated, leaving only stammered words, which was already a blessing considering how tongue-tied he had become.

Boros grew even more dissatisfied. He was about to call over the shop manager when a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind him, laced with accusation, causing Boros' hair to stand on end.

"Boros, so you like this type of demon, huh?"

Boros almost shot up from his seat. He whirled around to see the one demon he least wanted to see standing right behind him.

In the dimly lit store, the silver mirror demon's face was shrouded in shadows, and the emotions hidden deep in his eyes were indecipherable. Boros felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, his heart pounding like a drum.

"How did you get here?" Boros asked first, his gaze sharp.

Without hesitation, Wen Ying replied, "Muershi asked me to come and see a different kind of scenery."

This was something they had agreed upon earlier.

Muershi, hiding behind Wen Ying with Beros's glare that seemed to devour him, chuckled and said, "This shop belongs to Essence. Isn't it normal to play in a friend's shop?"

Beros appeared calm on the surface but was actually quite anxious inside. He had initially thought that Wen Ying came here for the same reason as he did, so he wouldn't need to explain anything. However, if Wen Ying wasn't here to learn how to coax someone, then using this excuse might only make things worse.

The malevolent bird was still present, and this chaotic species would surely make the situation worse. Beros's face darkened as he stared at Muershi, who was hiding behind Wen Ying, wishing he could send him to the hospital right there and then.

Beros experienced a sense of unease and guilt that he had never felt before. He hadn't done anything wrong, but looking at Wen Ying's expression made his eyelids twitch, and he subconsciously felt inferior to him.

Wen Ying lifted his chin slightly, looking down on Beros. "So this is what you mean by not liking weak devils? And saying I should wait until you're an adult before we can take our relationship further?"

Beros, who had never been in such a situation and lacked experience, wished he could vanish on the spot. He tried to maintain his usual confident tone and said, "I came here…."

His words trailed off halfway. To come here and learn how to coax someone? The words that he thought he could say with pride now seemed impossible to articulate. If it got out that the mighty three-headed hellhound was learning how to coax someone from a weak devil in such a shop, Beros felt that his reputation would be ruined. Lan Jiaying and the others would definitely not let this opportunity to mock him pass.

Wen Ying could sense the turmoil in Berros's mind. He raised an eyebrow, deliberately leaning closer, and drawled, "Why did you come here—?"

Muershi sighed. "Berros, that's not right of you."

Veins popped on Berros's forehead. Clenching his fists, a terrifying aura swirled around him, making ordinary demons and staff members cower in fear. The pressure was like a mountain crushing down, but Muershi, with his demonic heritage, remained unfazed. He pulled at his clothes, feeling a bit chilly.

He was being too accommodating to his friend, Muershi mused, and he probably wouldn't escape a scolding later.

Berros scowled, reaching out to grab Wen Ying's hand, dragging the standing Wen Ying down onto him.

Wen Ying had already been leaning forward, so when Berros pulled, he lost his balance and fell onto Berros's lap. Ignoring the suggestive position, Berros forcefully pinned Wen Ying down and whispered into his ear, "I came because of the final exams. I don't want any bad luck at the start, got it? You're not allowed to tell anyone."

Only after finishing his words did Berros release his grip.

Wen Ying sat up, brushing his messy hair back and smoothing it out. Looking at Berros's solemn expression, he chuckled.

Berros trembled whenever he saw Wen Ying smile, instinctively knowing trouble was brewing.

Sure enough, Wen Ying wrapped one arm around Berros's neck, draping it over his other shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "Just now, I took a photo."

Boros looked puzzled.

Wen Ying sat on Boros' lap, one hand around his shoulder, and gave Muershi a look. Muershi passed the phone to Wen Ying's left hand, which was free.

Wen Ying showed it to Boros. The latter's face turned even greener, initially illuminated by the green light nearby, now appearing even more so.

On the phone screen was a picture of him sitting face-to-face with the Canine Demon. It seemed to have been taken from a distance, capturing the entire store in the background, and from this angle, it resembled a paparazzi shot.

If such a photo were to circulate, even if the truth was eventually clarified, his reputation would still suffer!

Wen Ying sighed and said with drooping eyelids, "When I saw you happily chatting with this demon just now, I was very angry."

Boros: "... Which eye of yours saw me having a great time with him?"

The Canine Demon trembled in his seat.

Wen Ying pretended not to hear and continued, "You were shouting at me to kill, yet you were so friendly with him."

Muershi chimed in, "Exactly."

Boros: "..." He now wanted to kill these two deaf and blind idiots.

"Wen Ying is entitled to compensation," the young man said with an air of righteousness, "I want to create a new magic card, themed around hot springs, featuring you. Will you agree to it?"

A secret sigh of relief escaped Boros. Since Wen Ying had already created so many cards featuring him and they'd sold well, Boros didn't mind using this as a solution. He inwardly agreed but hesitated before reluctantly saying, "Alright, consider it hush money." It wasn't unexpected for Boros that Wen Ying's motives had been revealed to be this.

Wen Ying revealed his true intentions: "And you have to pretend to be my boyfriend beforehand."

"Okay..." Halfway through his response, Boros abruptly stopped himself, "No way!"