Sanya teased again and again, and if You Que remained indifferent, it would hardly be fitting of a man. He flipped the female zerg over, pressing him beneath him. An inexplicable surge of anger rose in his chest, though he couldn’t tell if it was directed at the other’s provocations or his lack of self-respect.
Sanya lay sprawled on the edge of the bed, his eyes reddened from the sudden intensity of pheromones thickening the air. By his ear came You Que’s deliberately low, hoarse voice, tinged with restrained frustration:
“Speak. Who taught you to do this?”
Sanya only shook his head, his body shifting restlessly in discomfort. “No… no one…”
He had only ever acted this way toward You Que.
Under the light, the scars on the female zerg’s back stood out vividly, grotesque yet strikingly clear—some fresh, some old, some deep, some shallow—exuding an almost unbearably cruel beauty.
You Que wasn’t sure if he had been bewitched, but he found himself slowly lowering his head, pressing a kiss to the old scar on Sanya’s shoulder blade. The instant his lips met Sanya’s skin, Sanya trembled violently, an uncontrollable urge to escape surging within him. His voice, tinged with panic, stammered:
“Don’t—”
He struggled to move away, but You Que’s hands firmly gripped his waist. It was Sanya who had seduced him by shedding his clothes earlier. It was Sanya who had allowed You Que to kiss him. Now, if he wanted to flee, there was no way You Que would let him.
You Que carefully avoided the freshly treated wounds, his lips tracing along the scars on Sanya’s shoulder blade and trailing downward. The damp tip of his tongue brought an unbearable tickling sensation as he alternated between kissing, licking, biting, and grazing his lips. Sanya’s breathing grew rapid, his body trembling uncontrollably with suppressed tension. A faint sob escaped from his throat.
“You Que…”
Unable to contain himself any longer, Sanya turned over. Reaching up, he wrapped his arms around You Que’s neck and pressed his lips firmly against the corner of You Que’s flushed mouth. Their teeth clashed in a collision of pain and urgency, as if this kiss were meant to drown them both.
You Que, too, lost control. He cupped the back of Sanya’s head, his deft fingers skillfully unfastening Sanya’s braid with a single motion. His long, elegant fingers wove gently through the strands of Sanya’s silver-gray hair, slowly and deliberately tightening his grip. It wasn’t painful, but it carried a distinct sense of being firmly, inescapably held.
Sanya was forced to tilt his head back in response, his silver eyes shimmering with unshed tears, like fragments of broken light. He thought the male would claim him, but instead, You Que only pressed him against the edge of the bed, venting his emotions through a series of desperate kisses. Finally, his movements slowed and came to a stop.
You Que buried his face in Sanya’s neck, his breaths uneven and chest heaving. It was clear he hadn’t expected to lose control and shatter the unspoken tension between them today. He had kissed Sanya, touched him—by the rules of Salaranfa, the next step should be marriage.
In this country, with its alarmingly low birth rate, there was little room for romance or courtship. The process resembled a primitive reproductive system: as long as both parties were satisfied, they could proceed directly to mating.
But there were too many obstacles You Que had to consider, with his status alone being an insurmountable one. At the last moment, he forced himself to stop, veins standing out on his forehead from the effort of restraint, his discomfort painfully visible.
Sanya, having recovered from the suffocating intensity of the moment, noticed You Que motionless, still buried against him. His gaze darkened slightly as he reached out to cup You Que’s face, lifting it gently.
“Why not mark me?” he asked.
If You Que wanted to, Sanya wouldn’t mind giving himself to him today.
Living a life with no guarantee of tomorrow, what was the point of overthinking everything? Seizing pleasure while it was within reach seemed the most reasonable choice.
You Que looked at him seriously for a moment before replying, “We’re not married. How could I mark you?”
Sanya: “…”
Who would’ve thought—You Que turned out to be such a traditionalist.
But if marriage was on the table, Sanya couldn’t deny he had his own reservations. He had planned to live out the rest of his days in this quiet little town, leading an ordinary life. Find a male he liked, have a little one, and rely on the bar to make a stable living. Yet, no matter how much he wanted to settle down, he couldn’t erase the stain of his past.
There was blood on his hands. He had been an interstellar pirate, done time in prison. These were things he couldn’t possibly hide from You Que. But if he were to come clean, he feared it would scare him away for good.
You Que noticed Sanya’s silence, his fingers gently tracing the scars on his back. His tone was unreadable as he asked, “How did you get these scars? Were you a military female?”
In Salaranfa, only females who had served on the battlefield would bear so many marks. You Que couldn’t help but connect the dots, recalling the major who had visited Sanya at the bar earlier. This seemed like the only plausible explanation.
Sanya’s body stiffened at the question. He lifted his eyelids slightly, countering with a question of his own: “Do I look like a military female to you?”
Sanya acted purely on his own whims, without the rigid discipline or rules of the military. If there had been any traces of that once, they had been ground away during his years in Blackstone Prison, leaving only a sharp-edged defiance behind.
Seeing that Sanya wasn’t giving him a straight answer, You Que stood and began tidying his clothes, clearly intending to leave. Sanya’s expression darkened at the sight, his brows furrowing as he asked, “You Que, what do you take this place for? Enjoy yourself and then just walk away like nothing happened?”
You Que almost wanted to correct Sanya’s choice of words—he hadn’t exactly enjoyed himself, and in fact, he was feeling painfully pent up. Lowering his gaze, he adjusted his cufflinks, thinking to himself, Every pitiful zerg has its own maddening flaws. Sanya had been wincing in pain from his wounds just moments ago, but now, in the blink of an eye, he was bristling like a hedgehog.
“What do you expect me to do if I stay? Sleep here with you?” You Que replied coolly.
Sanya didn’t expect You Que to do anything, but at the very least, he didn’t want to be left like this after being touched. He grabbed the white shirt from the bedside, pulling it on as he stood and walked over to You Que. His cold feet made contact with the floor, and the chill seeped through his skin, inch by inch, all the way to his heart.
“I used to be a military female. But not anymore.”
Sanya suddenly realized that You Que didn’t like to keep things hidden. After a brief silence, he finally spoke the truth. His low voice broke the stillness of the room, sending a shiver through the air, like a knife falling to the ground, making the heart tremble.
“Never again…”
You Que frowned as he looked at him. “Were those scars from the battlefield?”
Sanya replied, “No.”
You Que pressed, “Then where did they come from?”
This time, Sanya didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his gaze to meet You Que’s, his voice soft as he spoke, “A secret. If you want to hear it, you’ll have to pay the price.”
You Que’s interest was piqued. “Such as?”
Sanya raised his hand and grabbed You Que’s collar, pulling him closer with a slight force, speaking each word clearly: “Marry me.”
“You Que, if you’re willing to marry me, then I’ll tell you.”
Otherwise, if this male were scared off, wouldn’t he be left with nothing?
You Que hadn’t expected Sanya’s condition to be this. After a pause, he replied, “Then let’s leave that question for now. If I want to know later, you can tell me then.”
He couldn’t marry right now.
Sanya keenly sensed something and furrowed his brows. “Are you hiding something from me?”
You Que replied, “Every zerg has its secrets.”
After saying this, he pulled Sanya’s hand off and began to turn to head downstairs to work. If he continued slacking off, he feared he would be fired in just a few days. But to his surprise, Sanya suddenly grabbed hold of him again.
You Que paused in his steps. “What is it?”
Sanya didn’t say anything at first, and after a long moment, he finally spoke, “You Que, there are some things I can’t tell you right now, but I won’t hurt you.”
“…”
You Que understood. Although Sanya seemed dangerous, he wouldn’t harm anyone unless provoked. “I never said you would hurt me.”
You Que glanced at the slightly empty white shirt on Sanya’s frame before finally bending down to lift him back toward the bed. Affected by his heat, Sanya couldn’t control the urge to lift his head and kiss him. You Que placed his hands on the bed’s edge, leaning down to return two soft kisses before saying, “Stay upstairs and rest your wounds. Don’t run off.”
He knew Sanya had a good relationship with Fei Wen, so even if he didn’t show up for work, the other wouldn’t mind.
Sanya, sensing the briefness of the kiss, felt a strange sense of disappointment. Still, he didn’t argue. “Got it.”
You Que gave his braid a light tug before pulling his hand back. “If you don’t cause trouble, I’ll give you a gift tonight.”
Sanya raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What gift?”
You Que smirked. “We’ll talk about it tonight.”
After speaking, You Que couldn’t help but gaze at Sanya’s reddened lips. Unable to resist, he leaned down for a deeper kiss, only pulling away when he heard Sanya’s muffled, lustful sound. His throat tightened, and he quickly ended the kiss, hurrying out of the room.
As You Que descended the stairs, the bar was eerily empty. He paused near the stairwell, and only then did he remember that Fei Wen had mentioned earlier that the bar wouldn’t be open for business today. He exhaled, realizing how distracted he’d been by Sanya.
Fei Wen was downstairs, playing pool. Upon seeing You Que emerge from the room, he teasingly approached and asked, “Oh, you finally decided to come out. What medicine were you taking up there that took so long?”
As soon as Fei Wen’s words left his mouth, he suddenly caught the lingering scent of You Que’s pheromones. He quickly held his breath and took two steps back, not daring to make a sound.
Well, looks like things got intense upstairs.
You Que, oblivious to the lingering pheromones on his own body, didn’t respond to Fei Wen’s teasing. He simply turned and walked into the changing room. From there, he retrieved a neatly packaged paper bag and handed it to Fei Wen. “Since we’re not open today, I’m heading out. Can you do me a favor and give this to Sanya later tonight?”
Fei Wen took the bag without asking what was inside. He simply said, “You’re not staying for a bit longer?”
You Que replied, “No, I’ve got other things to do when I get back.”
His relationship with Sanya wasn’t out in the open yet, and with the bar closed today, it would be awkward for him to stay. Besides, there was that old zerg living in his rental, and You Que couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Seeing You Que leave, Fei Wen had no choice but to head upstairs to find Sanya. However, he was surprised to find that Sanya had already gotten dressed and was sitting on the front steps, seemingly lost in thought.
Fei Wen noticed Sanya’s disheveled hair and swollen, reddened lips. He reached out to push the hair aside, only to notice that the zerg markings on the back of his neck hadn’t changed color yet. He couldn’t help but feel a little speechless. “You two stayed upstairs for so long, and didn’t do anything?”
Sanya didn’t like anyone touching his hair, so he turned his head to avoid the contact. “Stop gossiping. Where’s You Que?”
Fei Wen gave a straightforward reply. “He left. The bar’s not open today, so what would he stay here for? By the way, he asked me to give this to you tonight.”
Fei Wen had already seen inside the bag—it was just some clothes, so it didn’t matter whether it was delivered now or later.
Sanya paused when he heard Fei Wen’s words and reached out to take the bag. To his surprise, inside was a neatly folded white shirt, and underneath it, a lifelike red rose, standing out vividly. His thoughts stirred.
This was You Que’s gift?
Sanya couldn’t help but think that he still preferred the shirt You Que had worn earlier, but he was always happy to receive gifts. He took a careful look at the rose before putting everything back into the bag. “Did he say anything?”
Fei Wen sat beside him on the doorstep. “No. But honestly, it’s rare to see a male willing to give gifts to a female these days. You’d better make your move before other females get their eyes on him.”
Sanya furrowed his brows at Fei Wen’s comment. “What if he asks about my past?”
Fei Wen thought Sanya was being foolish and couldn’t help but scold him, “Faeus has already pardoned you, your record is clean. If you don’t tell, I don’t tell, how will You Que know about your past? Just keep it hidden.”
Sanya fell silent, but his expression clearly showed that his inherent pride wouldn’t allow him to do that. His face darkened as he muttered, “It can’t be hidden.”
Fei Wen glanced at him sideways, his tone sharp. “Can’t hide it? If you can’t, then you might as well wait for things to end. In Salaranfa, no male would want to marry a female who’s been in prison, especially one with a charge of killing a male. Do you really think You Que won’t be scared?”
Sanya narrowed his eyes. “He’s not that cowardly.”
But deep down, he was worried that You Que might care about his dark past.
Thinking of this, Sanya couldn’t help but recall the secret You Que was hiding. He turned to Fei Wen and said, “Get a few zergs to investigate You Que’s background. When he signed his work contract, his name was listed as ‘Eugene,’ and something about it doesn’t sit right with me.”
Fei Wen chuckled. “I always thought something was off with him. I told you to investigate before, but you didn’t listen. If he’s a fugitive too, it would be perfect. You two would make a great pair, and neither of you would have room to judge the other.”
Fei Wen finished speaking, then got up and went off to take care of things.
Meanwhile, You Que had returned home. As soon as he entered, he saw the old male, Mackey, sitting by the window, staring at the sunset. He looked lost in thought, and there was a sense of loneliness in his posture.
You Que closed the door behind him, intentionally making some noise to catch Mackey’s attention. “What are you doing sitting by the window?”
Mackey turned his head at the sound of his voice, and when he saw it was You Que, he stood up with the support of his cane. “Didn’t you say you were going to work? Why are you back so early?”
You Que casually replied, “There was some issue at the bar today, so we closed early.”
He then glanced at the table and noticed the two hundred star coins he had left before leaving, now returned to their original spot. The hard bread he bought in the morning was completely gone. “Did you just eat bread for lunch?”
Mackey, the old male, always had a quirky temperament. “What else would I eat? Is there something else on the table?”
You Que immediately regretted asking, tossing his keys onto the table. “I’ll go downstairs later to buy some food.”
But Mackey, still sitting at the table, waved his hand at him. “Come here, don’t rush to buy food. Look at the females you like, it’s time to start matchmaking and find a partner. That’s the proper thing to do.”
You Que’s attitude remained cold. “I’m not looking for a partner right now.”
Mackey, frustrated, puffed out his cheeks and scowled. “You’re an adult now, how can you not look for a partner? Even if you’re not looking now, it wouldn’t hurt to at least see who’s out there, right? I’m the only elder left in the family, if I don’t care about your marriage, who will?”
He said this as he opened a nearby matchmaking book, pulling out a few photos he had already selected in advance. “Take a look at these females, they’re all quite handsome. I don’t believe there isn’t one you like.”
You Que turned to leave, but Mackey quickly grabbed him and pulled him back to the table. Reluctantly, You Que sat down and glanced at the photos, replying with a dismissive tone, “I don’t like any of them.”
Mackey raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “You don’t like any of these handsome ones?”
He hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a stack of photos from the booklet. “What about these? Although they’re good-looking, their conditions are a bit lacking.”
You Que was about to say he didn’t like them, but as his gaze casually swept over the stack, he suddenly noticed a familiar face at the very bottom. His movements froze.
You Que, a moment behind, picked up the photo. It showed a female zerg with gray hair and silver eyes, his gaze sharp and cold, with a kind of widow-like beauty. Who else could it be but Sanya?
“…”
Mackey saw You Que staring at the photo, lost in thought, and figured the kid had sharp eyes. He had immediately chosen the most beautiful one from the pile. Stepping closer, he asked, “You like this female zerg? It’s not impossible, but his conditions are a bit lacking. No money, no house. If you’re interested, I can have the matchmaking agency set up a date for you tomorrow.”
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