1048  DON'T TEMPT ME

LUO YAN excitedly explored the new app on his phone. He didn't assign any task to Eclipse because it would feel too much like he's treating the other like some kind of AI system. Instead, he made it so Eclipse could communicate with him whenever he wanted.

When he first tried the app earlier, his guess about how the NPCs inside the game would continue on with their lives, as if they were complete living entities, was finally proven. While he had long held that belief, it's gratifying to witness firsthand that it was indeed true.

For him, NPCs like Eclipse and Dusk were not a bunch of data. To him, they're real. So, having this kind of app where he could interact with Eclipse in reality was like god send.

"Can Eclipse really contact Master whenever I wanted?" the chibi version of the kid asked, with his eyes literally shining like stars. "Eclipse always wanted to communicate with Master whenever Master went away. So, now we can do that, right?"

"Yes. But there were certain hours in the day when you shouldn't," he said and then told Eclipse about the usual time he went to sleep and whenever he had class.

Chibi Eclipse tilted his head. "Eclipse understands. But where is Master right now?"

Luo Yan pondered for a bit. It seemed a bit difficult to explain to Eclipse about 'reality' and 'virtual'. He didn't want Eclipse to question his own existence. Because for the NPCs in Arcadia, their lives inside the game were something that was very much real. Their lives didn't stop just because a player logged out of the game. As long as Arcadia was still in service, the NPCs would continue existing.

After thinking of a plausible answer, he finally said;

"I'm in another dimension different from Arcadia. In this dimension, everyone is just a normal person. That's why a lot of people from here traveled to Arcadia to experience such a magical world. I'm also one of them. Captain too. For us, Arcadia is a place where we can turn the impossible into reality. So, isn't it amazing that Eclipse is born in such a wonderful world? Unlike us, you don't have to travel dimensions. You're already in a world where you can do anything.

"But since we're not from your world, we have to go back to our dimension from time to time in order for the will of heaven to not erase us. That's why the others and I couldn't stay in Arcadia all the time. But miraculously, great people managed to find a way for us to communicate even if I'm in my dimension and you're in Arcadia. Now, we can freely communicate whenever we wanted, no matter if I'm here in my dimension or not. Isn't it amazing?"

Eclipse looked totally confused, as if it was hard for him to digest all the information Luo Yan had said. Was that too complicated? - Luo Yan thought. Should he make it much simpler? But in what way? What would be a good, simple analogy for that?

But before he could think of one, Eclipse had already made one for him.

"Is it like living in separate rooms of a grand mansion? Master is in a room with everyday scenes, and Eclipse is in a room where every fantasy comes to life. Thankfully, we found a special phone that lets us chat between rooms, so we're never too far apart. Is it like that?"

Luo Yan stopped and then chuckled at the simple yet accurate analogy. "Yes. Just like that."

Eclipse grinned. "Then Eclipse is glad there could now be a way for us to talk to each other even when Master is not here in Arcadia. Although Eclipse was really surprised to know that Master and Eclipse don't belong to the same world. Master should explain everything to Eclipse properly."

"Don't worry, I'll be back at Arcadia later. I'll explain everything to you as clearly as I could."

Chibi Eclipse raised his pinky. "Promise, okay?"

Luo Yan also raised his pinky. "Promise."

The two of them talked a bit more before Luo Yan closed the app.

"That's a good explanation you give him," Shen Ji Yun said.

Luo Yan turned to the driver's seat. The two of them were currently on the way back to the Bai family mansion. He was about to respond to what Shen Ji Yun had said, but before he could, he suddenly noticed the slight pout on the other's face.

If the one here was some stranger and not him, they would definitely not notice the difference between Shen Ji Yun's current expression and his usual expressionless face. But the one here was him. If he didn't notice the difference, then he had no right to call himself Shen Ji Yun's boyfriend.

He first wondered why the other could be sulking. But he quickly realized what the reason might be.

When they left Moonlight Media, the first thing he did was to explore the app. Then he had been talking to Eclipse after. In short, he hadn't given Shen Ji Yun any attention as soon as they got into the car.

Luo Yan smiled helplessly, thinking how adorable the other was. If Shen Ji Yun was not concentrating on driving, he might just lean over and give the other a long, deep kiss. But they might end up in an accident, so he better control himself.

"I'm sorry if I was only giving Eclipse my attention since we left Moonlight Media," he first said. "If Brother Ji Yun can take us to somewhere we can be alone, I promise to give you all my undivided attention. You can even do anything to me if you want. And when I say anything, it means 'anything'."

Although he said that in a teasing manner, if Shen Ji Yun took him up on that offer, he wouldn't be a tease and go back on his words.

As expected, Shen Ji Yun's whole face turned red. With clenched jaw, he said, "Don't tempt me too much, Yan Yan. I'm already holding back as hard as I could, you know?"

"What if I don't want you to hold back?"

Mini-theater:

YanYan: What if I don't want you to hold back?

JiYun stopping the car and jumping onto YanYan: Let's get down to business then.

*kissing noises (and other things) ensue* ( ˘з˘)(˘ε˘ )