Chapter 6 Mutual Exposure

Chapter 6 Unmasking Each Other

The tent area was a chaotic mix of time periods, with people dressed in all sorts of styles.

Solace was currently dressed in a black outfit with a vintage Gothic charm. The outer coat was crisp, while the inner layer had ornate hemlines, sinister embroidery, distinguished only by silver piping. As he walked, it was a bit hard to tell where one ended and the other began, but saying they were stuck together or something would be nitpicking.

The intimate space between them was ripped open. Solace remained calm, lowering his gaze to look at the red-eared, stunned person in his arms, counting silently in his head.

Three, two, one.

When the countdown ended, the person in his arms did not struggle to get down and stand properly as he had expected. Instead, he moodily pressed his face back into Solace’s neck, stealthily letting out a long, hot breath into his collar without a word.

Solace turned his head to glance at the tousled head, curling his lips into a smirk.

"I really didn’t see this coming."

Spine wished he could move closer to get a better look, teasing, "Your hand’s healed? Playing around like this."

Solace looked away and lifted his right hand without any force: "Single hand."

Moulder snatched up the fallen weapon and hoisted it over his shoulder, and asked in a low, ominous voice: "Is this how you kept your promise last time?"

The person in his arms looked thin but felt warm and soft to hold; presumably, he neither liked to eat nor exercise. Solace took a step forward and said, "Alright, we’ll talk about it next time."

Spine, Moulder: ???

What's 'alright'? How is that 'alright'?

Every time Solace spoke, including when he later responded in a low, muffled voice to the guards who greeted him along the way, Luo Qingxi could feel the reverberation in his chest. The voice transmitted to his ears was slightly deeper and more hushed than usual, carrying an indescribable ambiguity and intimacy.

After enduring the onlookers all the way and entering Solace’s tent, Luo Qingxi finally lifted his head. He drew in a few breaths of chilly, fresh air and felt that the suppressed real-world emotions in his heart had mostly been driven out.

The atmosphere of the holographic world had seeped in along the way; there were minor interruptions, but nothing major. Now, his mind was filled only with the Custom Boyfriend in front of him, knowing that this would be a wild and joyful game night.

Luo Qingxi asked Solace, "What happened to your hand?"

Solace placed him on the soft daybed and waved his right hand, which was only slightly scraped, his voice carrying a smile: "Just another accidental little injury, nothing serious."

Luo Qingxi nodded thoughtfully while skillfully picking up a nearby pillow and propping it behind himself, his gaze following Solace as he walked toward the wooden cabinet.

Solace’s attire was very different from last time. This time, his clothes were layered, with a cold silver necklace wrapped several times around his neck, dangling a cross and an antique key that made crisp sounds when they collided as he bent over. The outer jacket and inner top covered his excellent figure completely, revealing only broad outlines, but the simple straight-cut wide-leg pants on his lower half made his legs appear long and powerful.

And Solace’s ID number was at the top of his thigh, hidden by the layered hems, appearing and disappearing with each step.

To view the more private scenery on that skin, the long pendant around his neck didn’t need to be removed, but one would have to lift the layers of the dark black top’s hems and then take off his trousers.

In truth, Luo Qingxi didn’t know Solace very well; he had only seen one side of Solace in a certain state. When Solace changed into a different style of clothing, and his eyes lacked their usual smile, it gave him a momentary sense of unfamiliarity.

Luo Qingxi asked, "Why did you hug me when I asked you to?"

Solace: "Why wouldn’t I hug you?"

Instead, Luo Qingxi was stunned by his question. He pursed his soft lips and inexplicably felt a bit regretful.

He had a gut feeling that Solace was a person with secrets. Peeling him like an onion, layer by layer down to his core personality, would be interesting. Falling in love with him would surely bring a sense of security... If only he could fully play through this game rather than stopping at the superficial surface.

But if he didn’t speak, he wouldn’t even be able to touch the surface of the game.

Luo Qingxi said directly, "I want to see your ID."

Solace raised an eyebrow, walked over to the daybed, and showed no surprise at his sudden request. He just placed a bag of small cookies he had selected beside Luo Qingxi and said, "Eat something first. Dinner will still be a while."

Luo Qingxi’s fingers picked through the cookie bag, and finally he reluctantly put the smallest piece in his mouth.

But as he licked it, the rich milk flavor of the cookie made his eyes light up. He took a few whole pieces and realized the small cookies were actually cake-shaped.

He bit into them one by one, chewing with a crunchy sound.

Solace sat on the edge of the daybed, his clothes bunched up, his thigh firm. Watching Luo Qingxi eat a few cookies, he said, "I can show you."

He agreed so easily that Luo Qingxi was caught off guard. He'd originally made this his intermediate goal for the night.

Luo Qingxi chewed the cookie and said, "It’s a bit inconvenient."

Following his fleeting glance, Solace looked down at his ID imprint. His fingers lifted the pendant that was blocking the view, and with his other hand, he brushed aside the intricate clothing, messing up the originally neat and almost ascetic hems.

Every move was exactly what Luo Qingxi wanted to do, and wanted to go even further.

"It’s convenient." Solace's eyes crinkled, casually adjusting the clothes as if confirming, and said, "But first, answer me a question, okay?"

Luo Qingxi tapped the System Butler and said, "Mm-hmm."

Solace: "When you first arrived, why were you unhappy?"

Luo Qingxi softly "ahhed," recalled, and stammered, "Maybe... the wind was too strong, I felt a bit dizzy."

Solace didn’t speak, just raised an eyebrow. Luo Qingxi felt inexplicably guilty.

He stuffed another cookie into his mouth and added, "Looking at this place from the high slope, I couldn’t see a single person. And the temperature was very low, so my heart felt a little cold too."

"The barrier has an illusion function; the outside can’t see the interior scenery. The strong wind and dizziness are also because you just stepped into the boundary, and the space changed." Solace prompted him gently. "But what I want to ask is, before coming here, did you encounter something unhappy?"

Luo Qingxi was silent for nearly a minute. The intimate privacy of the holographic world slowly wore down his resistance. Finally, picking and choosing, he selected the most urgent thing from his list of unhappy matters.

Luo Qingxi hedged: "I have to go to work as soon as I open my eyes tomorrow, and I don’t want to go."

Solace: "Why?"

"Our job requires immersive learning, hands-on practice, project contributions, and innovation, but..."

As he spoke, Luo Qingxi felt he was getting too specific and gradually trailed off. But at that moment, he heard the person beside him say: "IPCI model? You’re a holographic company?"

The cookie in Luo Qingxi’s fingers slipped slightly, and his gaze stiffened for a moment.

In the AI-based holographic world, his identity was also generative—like Schrödinger’s cat. If no one investigated, it remained in an uncertain state, gradually enriched by his own statements. Only when someone observed it would it be completely settled.

So describing his real-life situation with a mix of truth and falsehood wouldn't give him away.

And Solace knowing the jargon of the holographic industry surprised him but did not confuse him.

Because the biggest difference between the holographic games under Senze and those of other companies was that they relied on powerful computing power to give game NPCs their own consciousness. They were like real people, knowing they were in a created holographic world, and could live stably in this world, even studying holographic studies and building their own homes.

This setting made it impossible to distinguish between holographic NPCs and players, thus making the holographic world more realistic.

In other words, Senze had actually constructed a holographic universe. Different games would be assigned to different holographic regions based on their characteristics.

His Custom Boyfriend was exactly what the system matched for him in the holographic world. Not only did he perfectly meet his basic needs, but he also had a natural liking for him.

Could his work be related to the holographic industry? Seeing him nod, Solace continued, "Are you having trouble with IPCI?"

Luo Qingxi spoke up, then blurted out: "I feel like the 'deep immersion' step is already very difficult."

Solace gazed at his downcast eyes and called it: "Boss giving you trouble?"

With that, Luo Qingxi's playful side popped back up: "Yeah. He's making me handwrite a recent work plan statement, and I don't want to. You know holographics—write it for me."

To be honest, he didn't actually expect Solace to help him. He just thought that, judging by how deferential the guards along the way were to Solace, Solace must hold a high position. Making someone so high-ranking and slightly cynical handwrite a work report for a superior would create a fun contrast.

Luo Qingxi wasn't sure if Solace would agree, since the request was so ridiculous.

But to his surprise, Solace just grabbed paper and pen, placed them on the bed table, and even produced a small piece of actual cake, smiling as he said, "Sure, I'll write it for you. Tell me about your boss."

It all happened so fast that Luo Qingxi didn't have time to react. His mind actually followed Solace's lead and conjured up the image of his direct superior, Yuan Duye: "He..."

The second the words left his mouth, under that intense gaze, Luo Qingxi, now snapped back to reality, had no choice but to continue: "Uh, he usually doesn't show much emotion."

"Mmm, super fake," Solace summarized with a grin. "And then?"

Solace gave him an encouraging look, ready to help him trash-talk the boss.

Luo Qingxi never trash-talked anyone in real life, and this was a strange feeling.

He thought back to this morning, describing it in a vague but accurate way: "He's very decisive and doesn't mince words. If someone makes a mistake, he'd probably fire them on the spot."

Solace spun the pen, listened closely but didn't write a thing. He only commented: "How can you not give someone a chance? This guy is power-hungry and too nasty."

Luo Qingxi wasn't familiar enough with Yuan Duye to hold a grudge or feel bitter, but he still laughed at Solace's remark. "Why'd you ask about him?"

Solace: "The holographics industry is all pretty similar. With AGI assistance, work plans are basically the same, no matter what you do. So you have to tailor it to the direct boss."

Luo Qingxi found that somewhat reasonable, but the next second, Solace asked again: "What does he look like?"

Luo Qingxi gave him a confused look.

Yuan Duye's perfect, cold face popped into his head. He blinked in confusion and said, "Do I have to tailor for that too?"

Solace tilted his head and smiled. "I want to know."

Luo Qingxi looked at Solace's not-so-friendly smile and nodded slowly, only half understanding. After thinking a moment, he tried to spare his Custom Boyfriend's pride: "Not as good-looking as you."

Solace raised an eyebrow. He finally set the pen to the paper and wrote the first line. "If he's even comparable to me, he must not be bad-looking."

The hardest part was starting, but Solace finished the first paragraph naturally.

He chatted easily with Luo Qingxi while writing nonstop. When he found something amusing, he'd read it out loud: "I humbly beg you to provide valuable guidance in the initial stage of the project. Will that go to his head?"

Luo Qingxi, playing hooky, eating cake, laughed, his eyes crinkling.

Just as the paper was more than half full, a guard by the entrance called out, "Solace, someone's looking for you."

Solace finished writing that sentence, then casually set down the fountain pen and said to Luo Qingxi, "Wait for me a moment. The holographic books I ordered have arrived."

Luo Qingxi nodded, a little surprised. "Okay."

Solace stood up, smoothed his clothes, and walked out of the now-dark tent.

The moment he stepped out, Spine, grim-faced, pulled him aside, dragging him into an empty, private tent.

"Yuan Duye, I really owe you one," Spine shoved a stack of books into his hands. "Next time you have such a thankless task, find Moulder! I'm still looking after someone."

Solace leafed through the books. "Moulder's main job isn't this. Where would he get books?"

Spine was at a loss for words. After a three-second pause, he asked, "How did the last check go?"

"I couldn't trace the data. Either it's a holographic NPC that needs to stay for study, or it's Senze's internal account." Solace pulled a token from his pocket, the word "Audit" etched in gold. "I've passed my clearance to Qingshan for further investigation. It'll take more time."

"Damn, that's serious," Spine said, expressionless. "If it's an NPC, fine. But if a player teleported here alone into our core zone, that's a huge problem."

"Don't worry. I think I've got another lead." Solace said calmly. "We'll work from both ends. If he's inside Senze, we might be able to track him down directly."

…………

Inside the tent, Luo Qingxi had finished the cake and was lying there, reading the work plan statement Solace had written.

Solace wrote in running script—a graceful blend of strength and elegance. The strokes were firm, the style flowing, just like himself: light and clear.

As for the content, it was far more professional than Luo Qingxi had expected.

He'd thought it'd be like one of those AIGC outputs—superficially advanced but full of padded vocabulary and empty meaning. But to his surprise, it was more professional than what he'd come up with after days of thinking. It even made him worry whether he'd be completely replaced by AGI after graduation.

He wouldn't dare show AGI-generated content to Yuan Duye, who specialized in holographic tech. But using it to fool his father? That should be fine. An unexpected gain.

Luo Qingxi sat up, leaned over the bed table, finished the ending of the work plan, and had the System Butler read the text, revise some phrasing, and send the document to him.

After finishing all that, Luo Qingxi felt increasingly relaxed. He sat cross-legged on the soft couch, looked around, and observed Solace's living space for a while before his Custom Boyfriend finally returned.

Solace set a pile of books gently beside him. Curious, Luo Qingxi flipped through them. They were all niche professional books from within the holographic industry, some in Chinese, some in English, ranging from beginner to advanced. They even included a few obscure treasures his university professor had enthusiastically recommended.

Such a collection could only have been curated by a senior professional in the field.

Luo Qingxi had the System Butler note down the book list. He looked up to see Solace also reading the continuation of his recent work plan statement.

Luo Qingxi interrupted: "Now, can I finally see your ID myself?"

Solace tucked the work plan into the flyleaf of a book and smiled. "Anything else you want to do?"

Hearing that, Luo Qingxi checked his daily tasks and level. He was just a little short of leveling up to unlock the "System Store," one of Senze's main revenue sources. He wondered what they'd sell there.

Luo Qingxi lay back down and raised his arm. "Hold my hand."

The next moment, his palm touched cool skin. Solace's long, well-defined fingers lightly squeezed his hand for two seconds before letting go.

"System: Experience +1"

A bit surprised, Luo Qingxi pursed his soft lips. He aimed for the "+3 experience" task of "lips touching" and probed further: "Kiss me."

Solace: "Where?"

Luo Qingxi's head slowly formed a question mark. He pinched his fingers, then subtly pouted his lips. "Where else?"

Solace: "Anywhere."

Luo Qingxi's ears turned bright red, but he kept teasing: "Then everywhere?"

Solace let out a soft laugh. He knelt on one knee on the edge of the soft couch beside Luo Qingxi, closing the distance between them. "I originally thought you just wanted to know my ID. But now it seems you want to sleep with me?"

Luo Qingxi's pupils shook. A tidal wave of shock churned inside him, but his mouth remained stubborn: "Can… can I?"

Solace said nothing. His gaze landed on Luo Qingxi like a physical weight, moving from his startled eyes down to a certain sensitive spot. Luo Qingxi instantly felt his whole body heat up.

Solace: "Do you only feel this way about me, or could you feel this way about anyone else?"

As he was stared at like that, Luo Qingxi's stomach involuntarily tightened.

Originally, he had thought that since it was the last night anyway, if Solace didn't let him see, he would simply rush over and insist—there was no way his Custom Boyfriend would hit him, right?

Now, however, the situation had completely slipped out of his control; he was at a loss for words and didn't know what to say: "You... you."

Solace: "But you don't even know me yet. Are you really going to make such a rash decision?"

Luo Qingxi truly didn't know him.

There were many things he felt Solace shouldn't have agreed to, but in the end, he ended up agreeing anyway, and he didn't know why.

Perhaps it was because he had initially set his personality to be gentle and fond of smiling.

Aside from that, he knew nothing about Solace's work, family background, or even his age.

But then again, as someone who just does a one-night speedrun, did he really need to know?

Solace's words cut into his thoughts: "Do you still remember the two friends who died I told you about last night?"

Luo Qingxi certainly remembered.

Last night, after checking Solace's status, he found the other was a bit sad and tried to take the chance to comfort him, only to find out that two of his good friends had died while Solace was on a mission.

The topic was heavy, and his attempt at comfort fizzled out, achieving nothing.

Luo Qingxi tried to pick up the conversation: "So... is your job high-risk?"

"Not exactly."

Solace lifted the hem of his elaborate garment, pressed his hand on his thigh, and drew a sharp combat dagger.

He spun the hilt playfully, then casually tossed it. The blade shot out with a "whoosh" and embedded itself straight into the wall beside the bed. The weapon's ringing echoed; it was clearly buried deep in the wall, and the thrower must have been extremely skilled in combat.

"They were indeed my friends, and they did die in that mission," eyes downcast, Solace said calmly. "But I killed them." That was too much information to process; Luo Qingxi was utterly dumbfounded on the spot.