Ah Sui had spent too much time in the unfamiliar hospital. At night, as he stared at the warm, yellow glow of the bedside nightlight, he finally felt a faint sense of long-lost familiarity.
Under the covers, he held Blairand, who had just finished bathing, burying his face in the other’s neck and taking in two light breaths. His slightly pursed lips, the heat of his breath, and the vitality of his young and vigorous body—all of it quietly nourished the burgeoning desire taking root in his heart.
Blairand’s breathing faltered for a moment. They had spent all this time in the hospital recovering, leading lives of restraint and abstinence—a situation that was undeniably cruel for a male zerg who had only recently tasted forbidden fruit.
“Ah Sui…”
In the darkness, Blairand suddenly rolled over and pinned him beneath him. His golden hair slipped silently from his shoulders, bringing with it a silky smoothness and a cool sensation. As Blairand pressed against him, he found himself contemplating two things at once: whether it was time to trim his overly long hair, and what Ah Sui’s future would hold.
There was no doubt that this male zerg had successfully achieved a leap in social class. He no longer needed to worry about the dangers brought by his identity as an interstellar pirate, nor did he have to hide in the shadows, altering his appearance.
And, more importantly, he no longer needed…
Blairand’s help.
Whether this female zerg remained by his side seemed to no longer matter.
Occasionally, Blairand would find himself on top. From this commanding position, he could better observe Ah Sui’s expressions. Supporting himself with both hands on either side of the male zerg, his pale blue eyes shimmered with an alluring and seductive light in the hazy glow. Between his breaths, he leaned closer and asked softly,
“Ah Sui, will you marry me someday?”
Ah Sui nodded earnestly. “I will.”
Blairand seemed to smile faintly. “When will you marry me?”
Ah Sui wrapped his hands around Blairand’s strong waist, pausing to think before replying, “When I’ve saved enough money?”
Blairand, however, shook his head, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. “That’s too long, Ah Sui. Try another answer.”
Ah Sui couldn’t think of an answer. Instead, he resorted to a playful tactic, sitting up to kiss Blairand and pulling him tightly into his embrace, their bodies fitting together seamlessly.
Blairand turned his head to evade the kiss, his sharp nose catching the faint glow of the light, adding depth to his already striking features. He cupped Ah Sui’s cheeks, his tone clear and deliberate, a mix of seduction and command as he coaxed the male zerg:
“Ah Sui, try again… give me another answer.”
“If you get it right, I’ll give it to you,” Blairand said.
Ah Sui ventured cautiously, “This year?”
Blairand remained silent.
Ah Sui quickly revised, “Within three months?”
Still no response from Blairand.
In desperation, Ah Sui blurted out, “Tomorrow?”
Both he and Blairand knew that answer was impossible, but that didn’t stop the female zerg from being pleased by it, finally letting down his guard, allowing the male zerg to take advantage.
Ah Sui watched as Blairand, like a serpent, tightened his hold around him, unwilling to let go. He gently stroked the flushed corner of his eyes, the faint sobbing sounds creeping into his ears, making it seem as though Blairand had really been crying.
Ah Sui inexplicably recalled what Chief Harrington had said earlier that day: that a female zerg’s unmarried marking would, if discovered, be an embarrassment. Blairand’s zerg markings on the back of his neck had already changed color, and anyone who looked closely could easily spot the signs.
Ah Sui tilted his head and kissed the back of Blairand’s neck, then held him close as they both sank into the pillow. In the moment of Blairand’s dazedness, it was as if he heard Ah Sui whisper something in his ear, though he couldn’t quite make it out.
Blairand gently massaged the back of Ah Sui’s head, his eyes closing lazily. His hoarse voice, soft and soothing in the night, whispered, “Good, get some rest. We still have work tomorrow.”
The next morning, Blairand got dressed as usual, preparing to head to the military department. He had expected Ah Sui to cling to him, ready with a reason to refuse, but instead, to his surprise, the other was quiet and behaved more obedient than usual.
Something was off, and Blairand could sense it.
He adjusted his tie with a raised hand, his brow furrowing slightly as he glared at Ah Sui, who was still curled up in the blanket, lazily sleeping. “Ah Sui, I’m going to work now okay?”
Ah Sui peeked out from under the blankets, his hair messy and his eyes still half-closed from sleep. “Then come back early,” he mumbled.
Blairand grew even more puzzled and asked in return, “Don’t you want to go with me?”
Ah Sui shook his head. “I’m so tired.”
He wasn’t stupid. Even if he wanted to go, Blairand wouldn’t agree, so Ah Sui decided it wasn’t worth the effort.
Blairand couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly. With time running out, he had no choice but to head to work. Before leaving, he reminded, “I’ll be back by noon. If you need anything, message me through the terminal.”
Ah Sui obediently nodded. “Got it.”
Blairand left, and the sound of the aircraft departing was particularly noticeable. Ah Sui remained lying on the bed, only getting up to walk to the window after the sound of the engine faded away.
Good, Blairand was already out of sight.
Ah Sui withdrew his gaze, quickly brushing his teeth and washing his face in the bathroom before changing into a set of clothes for going out. As he looked into the mirror one last time, he noticed his black hair still looked somewhat out of place. He grabbed a baseball cap and put it on, then turned and walked out the door.
Though Blairand didn’t approve of Ah Sui leaving the house, he had, just in case, left a star card and some cash in the drawer.
Ah Sui stepped out with a pocket full of money. As he searched for nearby mall coordinates on his terminal, he also made sure to memorize the route back. Before he knew it, he had arrived at Star Era Plaza.
It was a weekday, so the mall wasn’t as crowded as it would be on the weekend. With many stores just opening their doors, it gave the place a somewhat deserted feel.
Ah Sui strolled leisurely around, when suddenly, he caught a sweet fragrance in the air. He couldn’t help but inhale a few more times. Following the scent, he walked until he stopped in front of a dessert shop, where he saw the staff pulling freshly baked cakes from the oven, letting them cool before carefully arranging them in the display case.
Standing outside the counter, Ah Sui couldn’t help but feel a little envious.
The staff seemed to notice Ah Sui standing there and quickly called out to attract him in. “Sir, our freshly baked cakes are out of the oven. Would you like to try one?”
Ah Sui hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. “How much for one?”
With a cheerful smile, the staff replied, “56 star coins for one, and the second one is half price!”
Ah Sui silently measured the small cake, which was barely larger than the size of his palm, and thought to himself that the Zerg Race’s prices were quite high. He pulled out a 100-star coin bill from his pocket and handed it to the cashier, saying, “I’ll take two.”
As he spoke, the cashier couldn’t help but notice that Ah Sui’s eyes seemed to be black, and he stared at him for a moment in puzzlement. The sight triggered a vague memory of a recent headline circulating on the star network, reporting that the Empire had discovered another pure-blooded male zerg with black hair and black eyes. Somehow, it seemed to resemble Ah Sui.
But how could His Excellency possibly be out here buying cake alone? And without even a single protective female zerg by his side?
The cashier quickly dismissed the thought, deciding he must have been overthinking. He swiftly gathered the change, placed the cakes in a bag, and handed them to Ah Sui, saying, “Here are your items and your change. Please take care.”
Ah Sui, as if recalling something, looked around and asked, “Excuse me, is there a place nearby that sells rings?”
The cashier thought to himself that this male zerg was not only handsome but also quite polite. He enthusiastically pointed to the right. “If you follow the road to the right and keep walking straight, you’ll reach a shopping mall. Inside, there’s a well-known jewelry store that the royal family often visits.”
Ah Sui thanked the cashier and turned toward the direction he had pointed. Originally, he had planned to wait until he had earned enough money to buy a ring for Blairand to propose, but given the harsh environment for the Zerg Race, finding work was incredibly difficult for a male zerg. He couldn’t possibly keep postponing their wedding just because he hadn’t found a job yet.
He had been thinking about buying a ring since last night.
He followed the signs along the road and soon entered the mall, where, just as expected, he found a jewelry counter. Ah Sui leaned over the display case and carefully browsed through the selection. After a while, he pointed to a rose gold ring set with a mother-of-pearl and asked, “How much is this ring?”
The staff treated the male zerg with extra courtesy. Upon hearing the question, they carefully took the ring out of the display case and placed it on the counter, pushing it gently toward Ah Sui. They enthusiastically praised, “Your Excellency, you have excellent taste. This mother-of-pearl gold ring is our new seasonal collection. Although it isn’t as flashy as a gemstone ring, you won’t find a more elegant and unique design in the entire store. Plus, it changes colors in the sunlight, combining subtlety with grandeur.”
Ah Sui thought to himself, how coincidental—it seemed Blairand’s wings also shimmered with iridescent colors in the sunlight. He vaguely remembered that the size of a female zerg’s finger was about the same as his, so he picked up the ring and tried it on his finger. To his relief, it fit perfectly.
Ah Sui’s eyes lit up. “I’ll take this one. Can you wrap it up for me?”
The staff was taken aback, as it was the first time they had encountered such a straightforward customer. After a brief pause, they quickly recovered and asked, “Your Excellency, will you be paying by card, or…?”
Given the large amount, the staff figured the customer probably wouldn’t be paying in cash.
Ah Sui reached into his pocket and pulled out the star card Blairand had left for him. “I’ll pay by card.”
[Ding! You have a new transaction notification!]
Blairand, who had been sitting in his office decoding intelligence, felt his wrist terminal vibrate. He glanced at it casually and saw it was a spending notification from the bank. He didn’t think much of it.
It was just near the end of the month, so Blairand had been receiving various bill notifications daily—water, electricity, clothing, and even maintenance for his aircraft all of which added up to quite a bit. Compared to these, Ah Sui’s spending didn’t stand out much.
Blairand still had to rush back by noon, and he needed to clear up the pile of work on his desk before the morning was over. He picked up the decoded documents and left his office. As he passed through the corridor, he attracted several curious glances, but he paid them no mind, heading straight for the intelligence department. The passing military females behind him whispered quietly among themselves.
“Hey, did you see? The zerg markings on Major General Blairand’s neck seem to have changed color. Could it be that he’s really been marked by a male zerg?”
“Of course, haven’t you heard? He’s been hiding a pure-blooded male zerg at home. They spend all day together in the same room. If it were you, could you resist?”
“Tch, what a good thing—how come it’s never happened to me?”
The remark was clearly tinged with a bit of schadenfreude:
“Good thing? In the capital, countless noble females are eager to become His Excellency’s female monarch. There are still a few unmarried princes of the Zerg Emperor—who knows if Blairand will even get a chance.”
Although Blairand hadn’t been reprimanded for “harboring a criminal,” the military rarely kept secrets. If one asked around, the details were easy to uncover. Now, rumors were spreading like wildfire. Some even suggested that he had sheltered the male zerg for his own personal enjoyment, and no amount of explanations could clear that up.
Blairand, with his keen hearing, naturally overheard the mocking conversations of the military females. Yet, he showed no signs of emotional disturbance. He maintained his usual gentle smile, making it impossible for anyone to find fault with him.
In the depths of winter, large groups of soldiers were still running drills outside the military training grounds, their synchronized footsteps so loud that they could be heard even from the upper floors. Quike, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, stood by the track. Upon seeing this, he blew his whistle forcefully and, frowning in anger, shouted, “Run faster! Haven’t you eaten?! Another three laps for extra training!”
“Yes, sir!!”
The group of new recruits responded in unison, but they could only grit their teeth and continue the extra training, each one gasping for breath, nearly exhausted to the point of collapse.
The leading female soldier, clearly upset, lowered his voice to complain, “We were specially selected to join, so why are we being taught by an old soldier who doesn’t even have a company commander’s rank?! All we do every day is run, run, and run. What skills are we actually learning?”
One of his companions nudged him and whispered, “Stop complaining and just run. It’s normal for new recruits to get bullied. I heard Quike’s assault team is really strong. Ever since they went to Black Rock Mountain to wipe out the interstellar pirates, they’ve been unbeatable in battles. He and Julian will probably get promoted to major soon.”
The veterans in the unit took pleasure in tormenting the new recruits. Quike overheard their complaints but chose to ignore them. Stretching lazily, he was about to find a spot to sit and rest when he suddenly noticed a figure standing outside the training field, dressed in all black—black clothes, black pants, and a black hat, holding a bouquet of flowers. The zerg seemed suspicious. Frowning, Quike strode over and shouted, “Hey! What are you doing here? This is a military restricted area. Get out of here!”
The figure didn’t leave as expected. Instead, it paused for a moment. Quike, noticing this, let out a frustrated “Hey!” and quickly walked up to confront the person. “Damn fool, I told you to leave! Can’t you hear me? Do you want me to have the guards throw you in the brig—”
Before he could finish his sentence, he unexpectedly locked eyes with a pair of pitch-black pupils. The words froze in his throat, and his legs nearly gave out beneath him. Stunned, he stammered, “B-B-Big B-Boss! W-What are you doing here?!”
The zerg standing outside the training grounds was none other than Ah Sui.
He had just bought the ring from the mall and picked out a bouquet of artificial flowers from a nearby florist. Realizing it was almost noon, he decided to follow the navigation to the military base, hoping to catch Blairand after his shift. However, he hadn’t expected to run into Quike, who was busy training the new recruits.
Ah Sui expressionlessly tipped his hat, “Who were you calling a damn fool just now?”
Quike felt a wave of dread wash over him, his mind racing. “I… I’m the damn fool. I’m the fool, big boss! I thought… I thought you were already identified as pureblood. Why… Why are you here at the military base by yourself?”
Ah Sui leaned in slightly, glancing inside. “I’m here to find Blairand. Have you seen him?”
Quike, having grown accustomed to Ah Sui either looking for Blairand or being on his way to find him, responded quickly, “You mean Major General Blairand? He should be in a meeting at the Intelligence Department. He won’t be on break for another half hour. You can go in through the main entrance if you want…”
Before Quike could finish speaking, he saw Ah Sui use a burst of force to flip himself over and leap over the railing, landing beside him with a soft thud.
After landing, Ah Sui carefully checked the flowers in his hand, relieved that they hadn’t been damaged. “No need to go through all that trouble. I can just climb in myself. Where’s Blairand? Take me to him.”
Quike: “?!!!”
The military base had 360-degree surveillance with no blind spots. Ah Sui’s sudden entrance immediately caught the attention of the gate guards. Fortunately, Quike explained that Ah Sui was a visiting male, and by presenting his officer’s ID and filling out a form, they barely managed to avoid trouble.
Quike broke into a cold sweat. “Luckily you’re a male; if it were any other zerg sneaking into the military base, they’d be arrested and locked up for at least ten to fifteen days. Major General Blairand is in a meeting at the Intelligence Department, and unauthorized zergs are not allowed in. How about you wait downstairs for now? Once it’s break time, I’ll take you up.”
Ah Sui reluctantly agreed, “Alright.”
He finished speaking and followed Quike toward the training ground, noticing that the military females were running in perfect formation in the distance. After a moment, Ah Sui suddenly asked, “Why is it just you? Where are Julian and the others?”
Quike gave a short “oh” and pointed to a spot not far away. “Julian and the others are training the new recruits in the next class. Over there, by the obstacle course. Come, I’ll take you over to have a look!”
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