After the drink was thrown, the once noisy bar fell silent in an instant, and even the troublemaking male zerg sobered up considerably. His earlier tantrum had been nothing more than relying on the Empire’s biased laws, but You Que was also a male zerg. If it came to a real confrontation, he might not fare well.
The air was thick with tension.
Just as everyone nervously stared at You Que, expecting him to explode with anger, he unexpectedly broke into a smile, his demeanor surprisingly calm: “My apologies, sir. He’s a beginner and doesn’t know how to mix drinks. How about I make you a new one to make up for it?”
Sanya had already noticed You Que’s expression darken when the drink was thrown, and hearing him apologize to the male zerg only made his mood more grim, as if it could drip with water. He was about to step forward when You Que subtly grabbed his wrist: “Don’t get involved in this. I’ll handle it.”
The bar was a business open to the public, and regardless of the reasons, it wouldn’t look good if news got out about a physical altercation with a customer. There were plenty of opportunities to take care of this male zerg privately, without making a scene. After all, it might end up costing them more in medical fees in the end.
The male zerg, who had been worried that You Que would fight him, was surprised to find that he was actually an easy target. His previously subdued arrogance flared up again: “You’re smart to back down! Let me tell you, if that drink had harmed me in any way, don’t think your bar can just wash its hands of this!”
You Que only smiled. “Don’t worry, it won’t happen.”
He finished speaking and pushed Sanya to the back, then began to mix the drink. The bartending tricks of later generations were dazzling, with a single bottle able to be tossed in intricate patterns. You Que, who earned his living through his craft, naturally mastered it to perfection. With high throws, spins, and backhanded flips, each bottle landed securely in his hand.
The onlookers couldn’t take their eyes off him, completely forgetting about the earlier commotion. You Que finally took a larger, straight-edged glass and slowly poured the amber-colored liquid into it, stopping only when the drink nearly spilled over the rim.
“Your drink, please enjoy.”
You Que pushed the glass towards the male zerg, his face still damp with the spilled drink, and droplets from his hair continued to fall. Many of the female zergs couldn’t help but stare at his wet, form-fitting shirt, swallowing hard. In their hearts, they sighed at the wasted opportunity: How could such a handsome male zerg end up mixing drinks?
The male zerg, perhaps psychologically affected by Sanya’s drink, took a cautious sip from the glass. He found it slightly sweet, with a strong fizzy sensation, and as the aftertaste hit, it was surprisingly smooth and pleasant.
You Que deliberately asked, “How does it taste, sir?”
The male zerg replied, “Not bad. Much better than that last glass of piss.”
Sanya crossed his arms and leaned against the side, casting a cold, icy glance at him upon hearing those words.
You Que lightly tapped his fingers on the table, as if considering something: “This drink is a new addition to our menu, and the price…”
The male zerg immediately widened his eyes upon hearing those words: “Price?! What price?! You actually tried to rip me off with that cheap alcohol and still want to charge me?! Dream on!”
After speaking, he tilted the glass and turned to head into the nearby dance floor, putting the word “shameless” to its fullest use. You Que, seeing that the male zerg had entered a booth inside, silently took note of the location before calmly averting his gaze.
Sanya clearly disapproved of You Que’s approach, his tone cool as he asked, “Is this your solution?”
You Que walked to the corner behind the bar and casually grabbed a few napkins to wipe his clothes, appearing unbothered by what had just happened: “That drink had quite a strong aftertaste. Let him drink himself into a stupor, not a bad outcome, right?”
When he’s drunk, everything will be easier to handle.
Sanya, unaware of You Que’s private thoughts, saw him focused only on wiping his new work shirt. He frowned, took a clean towel from the drawer, and walked over to help him dry his hair: “If your clothes are dirty, just change into a new one. No need to keep wiping it.”
You Que noticed Sanya coming over to help and obediently lowered his head. A small drop of alcohol trailed down from his hair, sliding over his handsome face, then dripping off his chin before quietly disappearing into his collarbone. The translucent shirt clung tightly to his chest, and Sanya could even make out the muscle lines on his body. His movement involuntarily paused for a moment.
Not understanding why Sanya had stopped, You Que softly reminded, “Could you help me wipe my face?”
As he spoke, his slightly prominent Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, covered with a layer of glistening alcohol, moist and sensual.
“…”
Sanya hadn’t expected You Que’s physique to be so well-defined. He raised his hand to brush away the alcohol from You Que’s eyelashes, his fingertips trailing down the side of his face, seemingly casual as he flicked the droplet of alcohol off his chin. His tone carried a hint of regret:
“Alcohol is meant to be drunk, not wiped away.”
Hearing the words, You Que froze for a moment. Without thinking, he raised his eyes to look at Sanya, only to catch a glimpse of him lowering his head and gently biting his fingertip. His crimson lips, glistening with moisture, silently captivated the heart.
You Que, seeing this, paused before speaking: “Your hands are injured, don’t touch the alcohol.”
After speaking, You Que gently pulled Sanya’s hand away from his lips, seemingly trying to stop such an action. However, for some reason, he didn’t release the grip on Sanya’s hand.
Sanya’s eyes darkened. “Why did you stop the drink for me earlier?”
You Que remained silent, because he didn’t know the answer either.
Sanya, sensing the tension, briefly struggled before pulling his hand away. He carefully wiped the alcohol stains off You Que’s face, each stroke so meticulous it seemed as though he were caring for a priceless work of art. Smiling, he said, “Your Excellency, an unmarried female zerg’s hand isn’t something to be grasped casually. You’re being rather rude.”
You Que, slightly lowering his head due to the motion of the wipe, felt his lashes cast a shadow over his eyes. “Apologies, my hands have never been very obedient.”
“I can tell.”
Sanya tossed the towel aside and noticed a light stain of alcohol on You Que’s shirt, which he found somewhat unsightly. “I’ll go upstairs and find you a change of clothes. Don’t want you catching a cold.”
Lately, the weather had been gloomy and rainy, with the temperature dropping lower and lower. While the bar was warm, stepping outside later into the cold wind might not end well.
After saying that, Sanya left the bar and went upstairs. Little did he know that not long after he left, the troublesome male zerg had already drunk himself into a stupor. Clutching his burning stomach, he stumbled and staggered toward the restroom.
You Que, however, seemed entirely unsurprised. He walked to the control room in the back and turned off the surveillance camera outside the restroom door. Then, he retrieved a slender empty bottle from behind the bar, wrapped it in a towel, and, making sure no one was watching, quietly followed him inside.
Due to the rarity of male zergs, the male’s restroom in the bar was typically empty. When You Que entered, there were no other zergs inside—only the troublesome male from earlier, hunched over the sink, vomiting violently.
“Ugh—!”
You Que’s drink was clearly not easy to handle. Even a female zerg would be drunk for half a day after drinking it, let alone a spoiled male. As he vomited, he cursed under his breath, gasping between heaves: “Damn it… Should’ve known better than to drink that…”
You Que chuckled softly at the words, thinking to himself that it was too late now—there was no such thing as a free lunch. Holding the bottle, he silently approached the male zerg from behind. Without hesitation, he swung it cleanly at the back of the other’s head:
“Bang—!”
With a dull thud, the male zerg collapsed to the ground like a limp noodle, unconscious and seemingly half-dead.
You Que gave him another kick to ensure he wouldn’t wake up, then casually tossed the bottle into the trash bin. After all, the other party was a male zerg—if something serious happened, it would be difficult to deal with. Right now, he was drunk enough that even if he woke up tomorrow with a splitting headache, he’d probably just assume he had fallen and hit his head by accident.
You Que washed his hands, closed the restroom door, and walked out, only to unexpectedly run into Sanya coming down the stairs. His steps halted instinctively.
Sanya was holding a brand-new shirt, the tag still attached. Seeing You Que away from the bar, he asked, “Why did you come out?”
You Que calmly pointed to the nearby changing room. “Oh, I just went to check if there were any spare uniforms, but I couldn’t find any.”
“Each zerg only gets one uniform, so there aren’t any extras. For now, wear this.” Sanya handed the shirt to You Que as he spoke, giving him a once-over. “The size should fit.”
You Que took the shirt and asked, “Whose is this?”
Sanya paused subtly for a moment. “Mine. I haven’t worn it yet.”
You Que chuckled lightly. “Thanks. I’ll wash it and return it to you later.”
After speaking, You Que turned and headed to the changing room with the shirt. Sanya, hands in his pockets, leaned against the hallway to wait. It wasn’t long before You Que emerged, now dressed in the clean shirt, which fit him perfectly.
You Que casually rolled up the wet shirt he had taken off. “I’ll take this one home to wash.”
Sanya directly took the shirt from his hands. “No need. The bar has cleaning staff; I’ll have them take care of it later.”
After the earlier commotion, the next few hours passed peacefully without any further trouble. Sanya sat by the bar, his gaze sweeping across the dance floor, searching for the male zerg from earlier. However, no matter how carefully he looked, he couldn’t spot him, causing him to frown unconsciously.
It wasn’t until Kevin and the others discovered the male zerg unconscious in the restroom that they came over to inform Sanya. “Sanya, the cleaning staff found that male who caused trouble passed out in the restroom. How should we handle it?”
Sanya glanced over at You Que, who was busy in the distance and hadn’t noticed them. He then gave a cold order, “Wake him up by pouring some water on him, and make sure to force another bucket of alcohol down his throat.”
Kevin clicked his tongue. “What if he can’t drink it all?”
Sanya closed his eyes with a calm expression. “Then we’ll break one of his arms. Either drink the alcohol or be crippled—he can choose.”
Sanya didn’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble. Otherwise, if it had been his old self, the male zerg would have been beaten half to death right after the drink was thrown. If it hadn’t been for You Que holding him back…
If it hadn’t been for You Que holding him back…
Sanya snapped back to reality, his thoughts interrupted as he felt a sudden warmth behind him, followed by the distinct tug of someone pulling on his braid.
Sanya: “…”
It didn’t take a guess—It had to be You Que.
As it was already the end of You Que’s shift, he noticed Sanya sitting there in a daze. He casually tugged at his braid. “I’m off work now. I’m leaving first.”
Sanya turned his head and flicked his ponytail to the side with a sharp, forceful motion. It was so powerful that it seemed more threatening than a whip. Luckily, You Que managed to dodge just in time, or he would’ve been struck squarely.
Sanya glanced at You Que as he dodged, giving him a sideways look. “You better not mess with a female zerg’s braid. If you get hurt next time, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
You Que, however, looked down at his right hand, deliberately showing the red mark on it. With a half-serious, half-teasing tone, he asked, “But I’ve already been injured this time. What should we do about it?”
Sanya paused, realizing that he had actually hurt You Que. “You…”
But You Que had already pulled his hand back, saying casually, “It’s fine, it’s not serious. It’s getting late. I’ll head home now.”
After saying his goodbyes with a wave, You Que draped his coat over his shoulder and turned to leave the bar. Once he was a distance away, he couldn’t help but shake his head slightly, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Sanya seemed sharp, but how easily he was tricked. The red mark on his hand had actually come from working too long at the bar, not from being hit by a braid. How could it look like an injury from that?
Sanya couldn’t shake the thought of You Que’s actions that evening, lingering on it until nighttime. He filled the bathtub with hot water, and soon, steam filled the room. Only when the water began to spill over did he finally undress and settle into the bath, allowing his mind to take a brief rest.
The shirt You Que had changed out of was tossed aside, and Sanya, without much thought, reached over and grabbed it. He could still vaguely catch the scent of alcohol lingering on it, mixed with a faint trace of the pheromones unique to male zergs. It was a subtle, almost intoxicating scent, like the finest aphrodisiac.
Sanya’s breath faltered for a moment, a seductive flush spreading across his face. The moment he closed his eyes, his mind uncontrollably replayed the scene from earlier that day—wiping You Que’s face, watching the amber-colored drop of liquor slowly slide down his sharply defined jawline, its speed hastening as his Adam’s apple moved, until it finally disappeared into the fabric of his shirt.
Such a shame…
Sanya should have discarded the shirt in his hand; a female zerg nearing his estrus could hardly endure such provocation. Yet, he slowly buried his face in the shirt, his fingers tightening around it. In the end, his body gradually sank deeper into the bathtub, drowning along with the shirt.
Prolonged suffocation brought about a rebirth.
After an unknown amount of time, Sanya finally emerged from the water with a splash. Transparent droplets slid down his flushed cheeks, dripping with a rhythmic sound, more beautiful than the legendary merfolk by a few degrees.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing erratic, and it took a long while before it finally settled. Sanya leaned against the edge of the bathtub, frowning as he touched the burning skin at the back of his neck, wondering if he had been stirred into estrus by that male zerg.
Damn it…
The shirt floated in the bathtub, perfectly covering Sanya’s lower body. Eventually, it drifted upward with the current, wrapping around his back.
It was as if the male zerg was embracing him from behind.
Sanya leaned against the edge of the bathtub, frozen for a moment when he sensed the damp fabric against his back. He reached behind, only to touch his own shoulder blade—
There, two raised, grotesque, and hideous scars marked his skin.
This patch of skin, hidden beneath his clothes, had never been touched by another, a secret more concealed than that beautiful braid…
The moon was bright, the stars few, and the fading rain dripped steadily.
A breeze passed, as if carrying the distant chill from the North.
When You Que returned home today, his mood was fairly good, as he had received quite a bit of tip money. After roughly counting, he found that it amounted to over three thousand star coins—almost the equivalent of half a month’s salary.
If things continued like this, life seemed to have more promise than before.
You Que sat at the edge of the bed, counting the money carefully, then casually tucked it under his pillow. His gaze landed on the clothes he was wearing, and he ran his fingers over the fabric, clearly of fine quality.
Sanya had said that he bought the clothes but didn’t want to wear them, telling You Que not to bother returning them.
But You Que couldn’t help but overthink. Sanya usually wore old clothes, and he had never seen him in anything new. This shirt was quite expensive—could it be that it was something Sanya had kept hidden, reluctant to wear?
Although it was new, even if he washed it and returned it, it would still be considered used.
You Que took the money out from under his pillow again, counting it once more, contemplating whether he should buy a new one to return to him.
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![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
