When You Que saw this female zerg, there was a momentary daze, but it wasn’t due to his unique appearance; it was because of his attire: a set of clothes that were half-worn and outdated, a shabby, tattered backpack, and nothing else of note.
When You Que was released from prison years ago, his outfit had been similar.
But the other zerg could hardly have just come out of prison as well.
The rain grew heavier, and the dark, oppressive clouds hung low overhead, swallowing the last trace of light. The small town, built of steel and concrete, was also enveloped in shadows, as if a giant beast had silently retreated back into the dark corners of its cave.
You Que showed no sign of panic from being soaked by the rain. His suit, having absorbed the water, had turned completely black, and the red rose tucked in his pocket had fallen into a puddle on the ground. He stared at the female zerg before him, his deep voice blending with the steady patter of the rain, briefly swallowed and lost in the sound:
“Aren’t you leaving yet?”
You Que’s kindness was rarer than the roses of this country, and he didn’t always offer help so readily. After speaking, he averted his gaze, preparing to turn and head home. However, a fleeting glance from the corner of his eye revealed that Gu Yigu and John were still standing there, foolishly lingering.
You Que held no favorable opinion of these two troublemakers. His voice grew colder, sharper: “Aren’t you leaving yet?!”
Gu Yigu and John were startled by his words, quickly scrambling to flee, as if there were wolves chasing them. Once You Que saw them leave, he entered the dilapidated rental building, his figure gradually vanishing into the misty rain.
The female zerg stood in place, staring at the direction You Que had gone for a few seconds. Then, he bent down and picked up the backpack that had fallen on the ground. He noticed a red rose, wet from the rain, lying in a puddle. Against the dull, gray pavement, it stood out sharply. As he picked it up and examined it, he realized it was made of folded paper.
In Saint Lieux, a poor and backward town, flowers were rare. Even in the snowstorm-filled prison of Blackstone Mountain, there was no color beyond black and white.
The female zerg tucked the rose into his pocket and carried his backpack as he left. He followed the roadside sign, winding through several turns, eventually stopping in front of the largest bar in Saint Lieux. Though the glass doors were tightly shut, the sounds of clinking glasses and dice rolling from inside were still easily audible.
Gambling, alcohol, and smuggling were the three most lucrative businesses in Saint Lieux. Even though the rain poured endlessly outside and most of the shops on the street were struggling, the bar and the casino remained the busiest places on the block.
The female zerg pushed open the door and walked into the bar, heading straight for the counter. Despite being soaked through, he didn’t appear disheveled. Instead, he exuded a certain refined elegance. He placed his backpack on the table with a dull thud and asked the bartender, “Where is your boss?”
The bartender paused in his movements, instinctively looking up at him. His expression grew slightly wary. “What do you want with our boss?” he asked.
The female zerg’s face remained unchanged as he replied, “Tell him to come out. A friend has come to see him.”
Having worked in such a mixed and dangerous place, the bartender had more than a little sharpness. He could tell the difference between zergs who had seen blood and those who hadn’t, and it was clear that the female zerg before him belonged to the former.
The bartender hesitated for a moment. “Wait here, I’ll go pass the message.”
After speaking, the bartender quickly left. It wasn’t long before a blue-haired female zerg walked out from the back room—none other than Fei Wen, the owner of the bar and the wealthiest zerg in Saint Lieux.
Fei Wen’s expression had shown a hint of impatience when the bartender called for him, but as soon as he saw the female zerg standing by the bar, his face instantly changed. He let out a low, startled exclamation: “Sanya?!”
He spoke as he quickly walked over, his expression barely concealing his surprise and joy. “When did you come to Saint Lieux? Why didn’t you call me in advance and let me know?”
From his tone, it was clear they were familiar with each other.
Sanya casually grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the bar and with a sharp pop, twisted off the cap, his actions swift and decisive—quite different from the delicate appearance of his face. “I just arrived today. Where are Kevin and the others?”
Fei Wen replied, “Their sentences were short. They were released half a year ago and came straight to Saint Lieux. They’re in the back. I’ll take you to them.”
Fei Wen seemed to hold a great deal of respect for Sanya, even going so far as to grab the old, wet backpack from the bar and carry it himself as he led him into the back room. The bartender, witnessing this, was left wide-eyed in astonishment. It seemed this female zerg was truly someone of importance—fortunately, he hadn’t offended him earlier.
At the back of the room, there was a recreational pool table, its lighting dim and adorned with the bar’s signature, colorful glow. Three or four female zergs were gathered around the table, energetically playing. When they noticed someone entering, they instinctively looked up toward the door, and one couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise: “Sanya?!”
A golden-eyed female zerg was the first to drop his cue and rush over, his voice tinged with excitement. “Boss, when did you get out? Why didn’t you let us know beforehand?!”
Sanya, his expression unreadable, responded with a question, “Is getting out of prison some kind of glorious achievement?”
Kevin gave an awkward smile, scratching his head. “It’s not exactly a glorious thing, but at least it’s a good thing. By the way, boss, Faues promised to give you a new identity. He didn’t lie to you, did he?”
Sanya didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head back and took a long drink from the bottle, as if the sharp, stimulating liquid could pull him back from the eerie, ghostly depths of hell to the realm of the living. He frowned as he swallowed, then pulled an ID card from his jacket pocket and tossed it onto the pool table. The new card glowed faintly under the lights. “He gave me a new ID card, canceled the criminal record in my files, and said…”
Kevin looked puzzled. “He said what?”
Sanya paused for a moment, then slowly exhaled and spoke, “He said to live as an ordinary zerg…”
Kevin fell silent for a moment, then picked up the ID card and handed it back to Sanya. “Boss, actually, living as an ordinary zerg isn’t so bad. We’re all out of prison now, and we can’t go back to the military. Saint Lieux may be poor, but it’s peaceful enough. We can live just fine here, hiding our identities and relying on this bar.”
Fei Wen shared the same sentiment. “Sanya, even though your record has been cleared, the noble male zerg who took your wings still has a lot of influence in the capital. If you’re recognized, it could lead to trouble.”
Sanya frowned slightly. “I know.”
After speaking, he set the bottle aside, took the cue from Kevin’s hands, and bent down to line up a shot on a red ball. As he leaned over the table, his wet clothes clung to his body, outlining a seductive, smooth waistline, and revealing the old scars on his back, which had already begun to scab over.
“Bang—!”
A sharp crack echoed as the cue ball sank into the pocket.
Sanya suddenly recalled the zerg with the mask from earlier in the rain and, with a vague expression, murmured, “This place isn’t bad, the zergs are simple and honest.”
Perfect for him to turn over a new leaf and live a clean life.
Fei Wen gave him a strange look upon hearing this. “Simple and honest? Are you sure about that?”
Damn it. Ever since he came to Saint Lieux, he’d had his wallet stolen clean eight out of ten days just walking down the street. Not to mention the frequent street robberies and shootouts he stumbled upon. And yet, Sanya actually had the nerve to call this place “simple and honest”?!
…
“Speak up! Did you deliberately ruin my business just because you thought that Southern female zerg looked pretty?! Oh, so that’s how it is, You Que! This is how you repay your lifesaver? I should’ve let you die back then!”
When You Que came out of the bathroom after washing his face, he saw Gu Yigu stomping around in the living room, fuming with anger. From the moment they walked in, he hadn’t stopped ranting, and even after half an hour, he didn’t seem the least bit tired or out of breath. In stark contrast, the silent and stuttering John sat quietly nearby, as if the two had become complete opposites.
You Que used a towel to dry his wet hair, revealing his strikingly handsome features. Without the earlier disguise, his appearance was worlds apart from the ugly facade he had worn during the blind date at the restaurant that afternoon. “I already told you, that female zerg doesn’t have money. Trying to extort him is a waste of effort.”
Gu Yigu was so frustrated he was at a loss for words. “I hadn’t even started yet! How do you know he doesn’t have money?! Zergs from other towns always pretend to be poor here to avoid getting robbed. That backpack of his was heavy—it’s bound to be full of good stuff!”
You Que lay back on the sofa, covering his face with the towel, clearly indifferent to the matter. “Is that so?”
“Of course it is!” Gu Yigu ground his teeth in frustration. “The South has always been wealthy. That female zerg might just be a fat sheep!”
Hearing an unfamiliar term, You Que pulled the towel off his face and glanced at him. “The South? What South?”
Gu Yigu had long noticed that You Que was a complete idiot when it came to basic knowledge of the world. He started counting on his fingers as he explained, “We’re in the western borderlands, right next to the South, and across from the North. That female zerg had long hair and a clean, fair face—obviously from the South. Female zergs from there all love looking pretty and keeping long hair. It’s easy to tell.”
You Que thought to himself that it didn’t matter anymore—the zerg was already gone. Closing his eyes again, he said lazily, “Fine, next time I won’t get involved.”
Gu Yigu shot him a middle finger. “Next time? Who knows if there’ll even be a next time? It’s been years since any outsiders came to this town.”
Sensing the growing tension, John awkwardly stepped in to change the subject. “Y-You Que… d-didn’t you… g-go to a blind date today? H-How did it go?”
You Que replied calmly, “It fell through.”
Hearing this, John gave him a sympathetic look. “W-Well… w-with your face l-looking like this n-now, it’s definitely h-hard to find a partner. If the first attempt d-doesn’t work out, the matches the agency arranges for you l-later will only get worse… Th-They might even send you to one of those group mixers.”
Gu Yigu pointed at You Que’s face and teased, “With the way You Que looks every time he leaves the house, is there really anyone worse than him? Oh, Zerg God, I’m starting to feel sorry for those poor female zergs who had to go on blind dates with him.”
John’s words weren’t without merit.
After the first blind date fell through, the matchmaking agency arranged two more for You Que. The second was with a female zerg who was 1.9 meters tall and built like a steel tower, while the third was a dark-skinned female zerg from the North who could crush a table with a single punch. All of these dates ended in failure, without exception.
After all, a partner is someone you’re supposed to spend your whole life with. No one wants to wake up every day to a face that’s unpleasant to look at. You Que’s face was so ugly that no one could bear to look at it.
The investigator responsible for arranging matches for You Que instinctively felt he had encountered the biggest challenge of his Zerg life. He silently clenched his fists, thinking, Damn it, there are only three single male zergs left in the entire town of Saint Lieux, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find matches for these three cancers!
Without a doubt, You Que was the most difficult one among these males.
When the investigator came for a follow-up visit, he looked at You Que with a serious expression and assured him, “Your Excellency, please rest assured. I will definitely find a partner for you. If blind dates don’t work out, there are always social mixers. If three attempts don’t work, we’ll try thirty! There are fifteen female zergs for every male in Saint Lieux, so I don’t believe we won’t be able to find you a suitable match!”
You Que: “…”
You Que didn’t understand why these investigators were so persistent. “Actually, you don’t need to…”
The investigator interrupted, “Your Excellency, there’s no need to feel embarrassed. This is our responsibility. I will continue screening suitable match candidates for you. Please make sure to keep your contact information open.”
The investigator quickly left after speaking, clearly afraid that this ugly male zerg might ruin his job.
“…”
You Que couldn’t help but feel a tinge of melancholy. It turned out that even being single had become a crime, even if he didn’t steal anything. He took a low-quality cigarette from the empty pack on the table, lit it with a lighter, and turned to walk into the bathroom.
This cheap rental apartment clearly hadn’t had time to buy any major appliances. You Que could only wash his clothes the most primitive way. When Gu Yigu and John came to visit him out of boredom, they found him squatting next to a basin, seriously scrubbing his clothes with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
So pathetic.
Gu Yigu and John both had the same thought at the same time. In Salaranfa, male zergs lived a life of luxury, and tasks like cooking and laundry were always done by females. With the thought of You Que failing three times at matchmaking, they couldn’t help but feel even more sympathy for him.
Recently, Gu Yigu had unexpectedly made a bit of money. Standing outside the bathroom door, he called out to You Que, “You Que, stop washing clothes. Come on, let me buy you a drink.”
You Que raised his hand, took the cigarette from his mouth, and flicked off the ash to prevent it from falling into the basin. “Not going. I haven’t finished washing my clothes.”
Gu Yigu clicked his tongue. “Tch, what’s the point of washing clothes? A grown male zerg squatting at home doing laundry—don’t you have any pride? I came to comfort you, since you’ve failed three blind dates.”
You Que straightened up and glanced at him. “Aren’t you the one who also failed three blind dates?”
Gu Yigu sneered and retorted, “I’m different from you. I failed because I couldn’t be bothered with those female zergs. You failed because they don’t find you attractive.”
That was true.
You Que couldn’t be bothered with washing clothes anymore. He stood up, washed his hands, changed into a fresh outfit, and said to Gu Yigu, “Let’s go, which bar?”
John stammered, “The… Kulture Bar. They’re offering a 30% discount on all drinks today.”
Then he added, “Only for males, though.”
Salaranfa have always been favorable to males, with entertainment venues offering discounts during holidays and special occasions. Even when You Que initially rented his apartment, he got it at half price. Bars offering such promotions are typically aimed at attracting males, who in turn draw in more females to the venue.
When You Que, Gu Yigu, and John walked into the bar, it was already packed with zergs, though 99% of them were female. They struggled to squeeze into a spot near the bar and sat down, quietly complaining, “If we had known there’d be this many zergs, we wouldn’t have come.”
Although a bar full of zergs could be fun, too many of them was suffocating.
You Que spoke softly, “I told you not to come.”
He wasn’t interested in drinking; he was simply bored of staying at home and came out for a change of scenery. With that, he grabbed a small dice cup from a nearby shelf, tossed in five dice, and skillfully shook it in his hand, absorbed in his own game.
A female zerg nearby noticed the three of them and subtly nudged his companion, whispering, “Hey, over there are three male zergs. Should we try our luck?”
His companion looked over and, as expected, spotted the three male zergs sitting by the bar. His eyes gleamed with a seductive glint. “Alright, I’ll go for the one in the black clothes. The other two, you can choose.”
The one in black was, of course, You Que. With a figure that could rival male models, his tall, slender frame was strikingly attractive. Even though he wore a mask and hadn’t turned around, his back alone was enough to exude undeniable charm.
The female zerg had clearly taken an interest in You Que, but upon hearing his friend’s request, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly agreed, “Deal!”
Without wasting any time, they each took a glass of wine and approached with determination. One positioned himself on You Que’s left, the other on his right, deliberately softening his voice to make it sound more delicate, “Gentlemen, may I have the honor of inviting you to dance?”
Gu Yigu was never one to shy away from opportunities, and seeing that this female zerg was fairly attractive and had approached them without hesitation, he casually draped an arm around his shoulder. “Of course, but I’ve never learned how to dance. You’ll have to teach me.”
The female zerg gave him a flirtatious glance, his voice sweet and teasing, “Of course, my lord~”
The female zerg beside You Que, seeing that his companion had succeeded, couldn’t help but feel a bit more confident. With a subtle look, he turned to You Que and asked, “Handsome, I wonder if I have the honor of asking you for a dance?”
You Que calmly declined, “Sorry, I don’t know how to dance.”
The female zerg, unwilling to give up, subtly reached out to touch his hand. “Your Excellency, what’s so fun about dice? I can teach you how to dance if you don’t know.”
You Que, not wanting to waste any more time, directly removed his mask, giving him a half-smile as he asked, “Are you sure?”
The female zerg froze, his eyes wide in shock: “?!?!!!”
The impact of You Que’s face was like something out of a horror film. The female zerg, seeing his face, nearly fell off his chair in fright. He forgot about his drink and scrambled away as fast as he could, throwing aside any thoughts of dancing or a flirtatious encounter.
Damn, when did such an ugly male zerg arrive in Saint Lieux? He scared the life out of him!
You Que, seeing the female zerg run off, calmly put his mask back on and resumed playing with the dice on the table. His skill was all in the wrist—he flicked and spun, rolling a pair of sevens in eight out of ten tries, impressively intricate and dazzling to watch.
John, leaning in to watch, stared in amazement. Stammering, he said, “You… You Que, there’s a betting table nearby… you… you want to give it a try?”
You Que declined, “I don’t gamble.”
The casino was the kind of place that was never truly clean—whether you won or lost, you’d end up under the watchful eye of the behind-the-scenes bosses. Though stealing wasn’t exactly honorable, it still kept You Que away from gambling.
John, feeling a little bored, asked, “Then… then I’ll go find… Gu Yigu?”
You Que gave a brief “Mm” in response, “Go ahead.”
He sat alone at his spot, practicing stacking dice into a tower, which seemed a bit odd. The bartender came over to collect the glasses from the bar counter and asked, “Your Excellency, would you like something to drink?”
You Que didn’t lift his head, his voice distracted as he replied, “Anything.”
The bartender seemed to smile, though the hint of it was subtle in his voice, barely noticeable: “Your Excellency, we don’t serve ‘anything’ here.”
You Que paused at the bartender’s words, instinctively lifting his head. Beneath the dim, blue-toned lighting, he saw a gray-haired, silver-eyed female zerg standing behind the bar. His long hair was tied into a high ponytail, but it still cascaded down to his waist.
Their eyes met, and You Que immediately found his face strikingly beautiful, almost otherworldly—like a fairy. It was unmistakably the same female zerg who had nearly been the target of Gu Yigu’s scam that day.
You Que’s gaze lingered on the female zerg, noting that he wasn’t dressed in a bartender’s uniform, but rather in a set of remarkably plain clothes.
You Que asked, “Are you the bartender here?”
Sanya furrowed his brows slightly at the question. “Bartender?”
He didn’t confirm or deny, instead answering, “If you put it that way, I suppose I am.”
You Que’s long fingers lightly tapped the black shaker, seemingly deep in thought. Sitting here, he felt it would be awkward not to order anything, so he spoke up, “A soda.”
Sanya gave a soft “oh,” and replied, “Please wait a moment.”
But it seemed that he wasn’t sure where the soda was. After rummaging through the bar for a while, he finally found a few bottles of low-alcohol drinks in the ice chest. Sanya poured some unknown liquor into a jigger, added ice, and shook it in the shaker. He then placed a glass of pale blue liquid in front of You Que, garnishing it with a slice of lemon. “Please enjoy.”
You Que raised an eyebrow slightly. “Is this soda?”
He could be absolutely sure that this female zerg had no idea how to mix drinks. The chaotic combination earlier clearly indicated that he was a beginner. Although You Que had seen little of the world, he could still tell the difference between alcohol and soda.
But Sanya said, “No, this drink is called ‘Casual’.”
He mixed it casually, and You Que drank it casually.
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Casual 😆😂