ICAWZ Chapter 171

Sanya didn’t allow him to pull his braid.

But not only did You Que pull it, he even broke it.

He noticed that Sanya’s hair was smooth, clearly well-maintained. Additionally, Gu Yigu had once mentioned that female zergs from the southern regions all liked to look beautiful. You Que thought to himself that he must be especially protective of his hair. No wonder he wouldn’t even allow anyone to touch it.

You Que found a reason for his earlier actions: “Sorry, I just thought your hair was really beautiful.”

Sanya heard You Que compliment his beauty, and his figure faltered ever so slightly. The old injury on his back suddenly felt like it was being pricked by needles, a sharp, dense pain that made him unconsciously furrow his brows. Cold sweat gradually soaked through his clothes.

There was no doubt that female zergs from the southern regions were beautiful—whether it was their priceless wings, their stunning looks, or the long hair they had been growing since birth. Each of these things, when revealed, was enough to provoke envy and competition.

But the word “beautiful” had already become a derogatory term for them, even representing the source of disaster.

Because he was “beautiful”, Sanya had his wings forcibly taken away. Because he was “beautiful”, he betrayed the honor of being a military female. Because he was “beautiful”, he was supposed to be a promising young general, but now he was nothing more than a prisoner, one whose shame could never be washed clean.

He—

hated this word the most…

You Que didn’t know that he had unknowingly triggered a huge bomb. He only noticed that Sanya had fallen silent, sensing that something was off with his emotions. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Sanya’s face appeared somewhat pale under the light. He knew that the pain in his back was just a psychological effect, but that feeling clung to him like a parasite, impossible to shake off. Upon hearing the question, he slowly exhaled, lowering his head so his expression was unclear. After a moment, he let out a light chuckle and said:

“Beautiful? Such a thing is of no use.”

Contempt, mockery, and gloom flashed one by one in his eyes, only to vanish without a trace.

By the time Sanya lifted his head again, his expression had returned to normal. He turned his gaze toward You Que, only to find him playing with the slender strand of hair, his long fingers deftly twisting and winding it, slowly wrapping it around his own little finger.

Flirtatious, suggestive.

Sanya froze for a moment. “What are you doing?”

You Que twisted his wrist, showing him his finger, and said, “My hand doesn’t quite listen. Once it’s tied, it behaves.”

He had a pair of natural thief’s hands—whenever he saw something precious, he just wanted to steal it, to touch it. However, with this new job, he wouldn’t be involved in theft anymore.

It was getting late, almost time to head home. You Que pushed open the cabinet door and walked to the bar counter, looking toward Sanya as if confirming something. “So, I’ll come in to work tomorrow?”

Sanya’s gaze first fell on You Que’s little finger, then on his handsome, indescribable face, before finally pulling away. “You can come next year,” he replied.

You Que knew he was joking. “It’s getting late, I’ll head out first.”

When You Que left the bar, Gu Yigu and John happened to be playing in the dance floor. They both thought that You Que was interested in the beautiful female zerg with silver-gray long hair, so they tactfully didn’t approach to interrupt him. However, they didn’t expect You Que to leave so soon, and quickly followed him out of the bar.

“You Que! You Que!”

Gu Yigu and John quickly caught up, panting for breath. “Why are you walking so fast? We haven’t had enough fun yet.”

You Que glanced at the time and saw that it was already 9 PM. “You guys can go back and play, don’t worry about me. I’ve found a job, I have to get up early for work tomorrow.”

Gu Yigu was startled upon hearing this. “A job? What kind of job?”

You Que pointed to the bar behind them. “This bar. They were hiring bartenders, so I just went and applied.”

Gu Yigu looked at You Que as if he were a fool, surprised. “Are you crazy? The ID photos are already taken, and you don’t even have to pretend to be ugly anymore. There were so many female zergs in the bar just now staring at you. Why not just find a rich and beautiful one to marry? Why settle for being a bartender?”

John stammered, “But… but finding a job… it’s… it’s not bad… better than… than stealing… I… I want to find a job too…”

Gu Yigu was furious. These two zergs were twisting everything around, making it seem like he was the one not striving for anything. He angrily slapped John on the back of the head. “You want to find a job? Even if you want to, they wouldn’t hire you. You can barely speak, and you think they’d trust you to run a business?!”

John, also angry now, retorted, “None… none of your business!”

You Que saw the two of them almost ready to start fighting and intervened, saying, “The patrol teams on the streets are increasing more and more lately. You guys should think of other ways to make money. Finding a job isn’t a bad idea, at least it’s stable.”

Gu Yigu, somewhat unwilling, responded, “I’m a male zerg. Why should I go out and work?”

You Que couldn’t help but laugh at his response. “So, what do you plan to do?”

Gu Yigu replied matter-of-factly, “Of course, I’ll find a beautiful female zerg, one with a house, savings, and an aircraft.”

You Que countered, “Then why would such a female zerg go for a male zerg with nothing in his pockets? Why wouldn’t he choose a tall, handsome, and employed male instead?”

Gu Yigu was stung by his words, his face flushing with both embarrassment and anger. “So, are you saying I’m neither tall nor handsome?”

His pocket originally had two hundred star coins, but that had been stolen by You Que, the damn thief!

You Que realized that Gu Yigu completely missed the point and decided to give up on trying to persuade him. “Well, then you should focus on matchmaking. Find a beautiful, wealthy female zerg who’s willing to marry you. I have things to do, so I’ll head home first.”

Gu Yigu, trailing behind, hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself. “Hey! You…”

The wind howled through the night, but You Que didn’t hear the calls from behind. He walked back to his rented place along the same street he had before. When he opened the door, the room was still as shabby and empty as it had always been. But for some reason, his restless heart seemed to finally settle.

Could it be because he had a job now?

After showering, You Que came out of the bathroom, casually drying his hair as he lay down on the bed, yet sleep eluded him. He pulled the job contract from his jacket pocket and flipped through it over and over, as if it held the rewritten future of his life and his completely new fate.

He found a pen, carefully signed his name in the signature space, the same name as on his ID. Then, after setting an alarm, he finally turned off the lights and went to sleep, feeling satisfied.

Saint Lieux was often rainy, and in the late hours of the night, the drizzle began again. The watermarks on the glass window formed winding trails, blurring the clear world outside. The silence was like the water puddles accumulated in the street corners, shattered by the raindrops falling from the sky.

Sanya was always a late sleeper, or perhaps, more accurately, he couldn’t sleep at all at night. The Blackstone Prison housed a group of beasts, and if one let their guard down even slightly during the night, they could be swiftly bitten in the throat by the lurking jackals. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to staying vigilant, and to the lifeless, oppressive nights.

Fei Wen and the others clearly couldn’t sleep either, as they were gathered downstairs drinking and playing ball. The loud noises drifted up from below, faint and unclear.

Sanya stayed in the room on the second floor of the bar. He had never liked mingling in crowds or joining in on the commotion. After closing time, he would return to his room to rest.

This room had been lavishly decorated by Fei Wen, with every detail exuding elegance and luxury, but Sanya treated it as just a regular space. The luggage he had brought with him when he first arrived barely filled half of the wardrobe. His clothes, either white or light-colored, had faded over time, making them feel completely out of place.

Sanya walked into the bathroom and untied his hair in front of the mirror. His silver-gray locks cascaded down like a waterfall. He raised his hand to remove his short-sleeved shirt, revealing a sleek, graceful physique. The hidden strength within his form was evident, but there were also numerous old scars scattered across his body, all remnants from his years in Blackstone Prison.

“I just thought your hair was really beautiful.”

The words You Que had said echoed in Sanya’s ears.

He stared thoughtfully at his reflection in the mirror. His brows and eyes resembled a rose covered in poisonous thorns—beautiful yet sharp. His bare upper body was half hidden by the silver-gray cascade of his long hair, exuding a kind of hazy sensuality.

Beautiful?

Sanya raised his hand and pushed his hair to the side, turning slightly to glance at the mirror. There, on his shoulder blades, were two gruesome scars, dark and scabbed over. Like poisonous vines, they snaked across his skin, almost covering his entire back.

These scars were left when his wings were forcibly removed, a wound that had never been properly treated—just hastily stitched together, nearly costing him his life.

Sanya rarely looked at the scars on his back, even intentionally growing his hair long to hide them. Because every time he saw them, the hatred flared up again. The bitterness burned through his mind like a raging fire, so intense that even breathing became a luxury.

Even though he had sliced that noble male zerg a thousand times over, it still couldn’t quell the hatred in his heart.

The scar was truly ugly.

Sanya lost interest and let his hair fall. He turned on the shower, letting the hot water soak his body. Since arriving in this small town, his mind had finally settled into some semblance of peace, but You Que’s words suddenly stirred everything up again, like the endless rain outside, refusing to stop no matter what.

The next morning, the heavy rain gradually subsided, and even the dark sky was washed of some of its color.

The bar usually operated late, so Sanya didn’t wake up until noon. When he lazily walked out of his room in his pajamas, he glanced down from the railing to the first floor and saw a familiar figure sitting at the bar. It was You Que.

Seeing this, Sanya froze for a moment, his sleepiness fading slightly. The bar didn’t open until the afternoon—what was You Que doing here so early?

Fei Wen happened to walk past Sanya and snapped his fingers by his ear, teasing him on purpose: “Little bartender, why are you still dawdling here instead of getting to work?”

Sanya frowned. “Bartender?”

Fei Wen nodded towards the first floor. “That male zerg has been here since eight in the morning. Aren’t you supposed to be working here as the boss’s relative? He’s already started, so why aren’t you downstairs?”

The teasing tone in Fei Wen’s voice was unmistakable. He thought Sanya had really lost his mind. If he wanted to pursue a male zerg, just go for it, why bother making up an excuse about being a bartender? Now, with that male zerg showing up every day for work, Fei Wen was curious how Sanya would handle it. Was he going to wash glasses alongside him?

Sanya wiped his face, realizing the reason he had come up with earlier was rather silly. He frowned and asked, “Didn’t you tell him the bar opens at two in the afternoon?”

Fei Wen shot back, “You’re the one who hired him. Isn’t this something you’re responsible for?”

Their conversation was quite noticeable. You Que, who had been daydreaming at the bar counter, instinctively glanced up and saw Sanya standing at the railing on the second floor, talking to the boss, Fei Wen.

The female zerg clearly had just woken up. His hair hung lazily over his shoulders, and his already exquisite features gave off an androgynous allure, making it hard to tell whether he was male or female.

You Que couldn’t help but think to himself, being the boss’s relative sure had its perks—sleeping until noon without anyone bothering you. He stifled a yawn. He had stayed up late last night and, wanting to make a good impression on the boss, he woke up at seven this morning, skipping breakfast altogether.

Sanya went back to his room to change, then headed downstairs to find You Que. He saw the male zerg dutifully standing by the bar counter, and for a moment, he couldn’t quite pinpoint what he was feeling. “Why did you come so early?”

You Que didn’t understand. “What?”

Sanya clarified, “The bar doesn’t open until two in the afternoon.”

You Que was momentarily speechless. “…”

Damn.

You Que wasn’t someone who would let himself be taken advantage of. After snapping out of it, he responded, “It’s fine, I just wanted to come early and get familiar with the work environment.”

Sanya couldn’t help but think how naive and earnest he was. He glanced at the time and noticed it was already noon, then asked, “Have you had lunch?”

You Que replied, “No, I’ll just grab a bite at a nearby restaurant later.”

He didn’t have much money left, just enough to buy a couple of bread rolls to nibble on.

Sanya didn’t let You Que go out for food. “They’ll probably order soon. You should come upstairs and eat with us.”

Fei Wen and the others never cooked; they always ordered meals from a hotel, and each time they’d order a large spread that they couldn’t finish, far more extravagant than the cheap fast food outside.

You Que felt something was off with Sanya today. To be precise, Sanya had been acting strange since last night. For instance, he stopped addressing him as “Your Excellency” or “You”[mfn]in a formal way[/mfn]—the innocent and harmless aura that usually surrounded him was gradually fading, as if the rain from last night had washed it all away.

Sanya met You Que’s gaze without hesitation, his eyes unwavering: “What are you staring at me for?”

You Que snapped out of his daze a beat later: “…It’s nothing, I just feel a bit guilty since you’ve helped me so much.”

His own parents had never been this kind to him.

Sanya said ambiguously, “As long as you wave your hand, countless female zergs will be willing to help you—giving you houses, cars, and even their bodies, Your Excellency. All I did was help you get a job.”

You Que seemed somewhat doubtful, “Really?”

Sanya replied, “You’ll know when the bar opens.”

You Que shook his head slightly, thinking to himself that he wasn’t some heartthrob or scumbag, so why did Sanya make it sound so exaggerated? His right hand, with distinct knuckles, had been resting on the edge of the bar, but now he crooked his finger toward Sanya, half-seriously and half-jokingly saying, “Well, I’m waving my hand at you now. Why don’t you give me a house, a car… and even some company?”

He paused for a moment before saying the last word, lowering his voice by two tones. It sounded unclear, but it stirred a chaotic flutter in the heart.

Sanya wasn’t sure if You Que was deliberately teasing him because he suddenly noticed a shiny circle on the tip of the male zerg’s finger. It resembled the hair that had been cut off yesterday, wrapped tightly in multiple circles, like a ring.

Sanya paused for a moment. “What’s wrapped around your finger?”

You Que spread his hand out. “Your hair. Want it? I’ll give it back to you.”

Who picks up hair and gives it back?

Sanya reached out, about to take it back, but as soon as his fingers touched You Que’s palm, the latter hooked his fingertips, and no matter how hard Sanya tried, he couldn’t break free.

Sanya had never been in such close contact with the opposite sex before, and his heart raced for a moment. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this male zerg was toying with him. The more he struggled, the tighter the grip became, and eventually, he stopped moving, silently meeting You Que’s gaze.

You Que was just joking with Sanya. After a moment, he released his hand. He slowly untangled the hair from his little finger and asked with a smile, “Give it to me. It doesn’t matter, with how much hair you have, losing one strand won’t make a difference.”

Sanya’s right hand was slightly sweaty, and he inconspicuously hid it behind his back. “It’s just a worthless strand of hair. What do you want it for?”

You Que’s reason was simple: “The color is quite special. I want to collect it.”

Sanya finally turned and went upstairs. He felt it was strange to continue tugging with You Que over a single strand of hair, but when he reached the corner of the stairs, he couldn’t resist looking down one last time.

You Que lowered his head, wrapping the long strand of hair around his fingertips in neat loops. Finally, he tied it into a pretty knot and carefully placed the bundle of hair inside his shirt pocket.

It seemed as though he was reminding himself of something, or trying to remember something. It was as if that strand of hair had become tangled with his conscience, which had been stained by the mud for so long. Little by little, it was being pulled out, reminding him not to steal, not to rob, and not to forget this tugging sensation.

Since last night, without knowing when it would end.

But You Que hoped that this constraint would remain, that it would continue. Since his childhood, he had longed for someone to pull him up, to tug at him, to remind him. Although it came a little late, and although the strength of that hand wasn’t great, for You Que, even a little was enough.

What mattered to him was whether there was anyone willing to support him.

 

 

 

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