ICAWZ Chapter 181

“No need.”

You Que snapped out of his thoughts and tossed the photo back onto the table. He and Sanya met at the bar almost every day—why would he need a matchmaking agency to connect them? It was completely unnecessary.

Mackey stroked his short white beard, silently cursing You Que for not recognizing a good thing when he saw it. Wealthy? He didn’t want it. Beautiful? He didn’t want it. His standards were ridiculously high. “If you miss this chance, you won’t get another! A female this gorgeous—if you don’t want him, plenty of males will.”

You Que pulled out his chair and stood up. “In any case, you don’t need to worry about this.”

With that, he grabbed his keys and prepared to head out. Mackey called after him, “Hey, where are you going?”

Without turning his head, You Que replied, “Going downstairs to get some food.”

The door shut behind him, and the room fell silent once more.

Mackey angrily banged his cane against the floor. “Rude little brat!”

After grumbling, he walked over to the table, picked up the photo of the female zerg, and studied it carefully. He thought to himself: Just now, You Que didn’t spare a glance at anyone else. He only stared at this photo for ages. He must be interested but is too thin-skinned to admit it.

After mulling it over for a moment, Mackey opened his terminal and directly dialed the matchmaking agency’s number from the dating registry. It didn’t take long for someone to answer. “Hello, is this the matchmaking agency? … Yes, I’d like to arrange a date for my grandson … His name is Eugene. You were just here this morning…”

You Que had no idea what that sneaky old zerg Mackey had done behind his back. After buying food, he went straight home. By then, Mackey had already finished his phone call and was sitting obediently at the table, waiting for the meal with a rather cheerful expression.

Not thinking much of it, You Que set the food containers on the table and said, “Go ahead and eat. I’m going back to my room to rest for a bit.”

With that, he arranged the bowls and utensils, tidied up the cluttered table, and then turned to head back to his room.

After closing the door, You Que leaned against the door panel. With a flick of his wrist, Sanya’s photo appeared between his fingers.

Mackey’s words from earlier echoed in his mind:

“A female this gorgeous—if you don’t want him, plenty of males will.”

You Que had been to plenty of matchmaking events and knew well that such things were unavoidable. Male zergs had no say in the matter, let alone females. Sanya’s photo was blatantly placed in the dating registry, making it impossible to ignore. If some other male did take a liking to him, Sanya would have no choice but to attend the meeting, even if he didn’t want to.

The thought of it left You Que restless and agitated, keeping him awake all night.

The next morning, just after he’d finally managed to fall asleep, a sudden knocking on the door jolted him awake.

“Eugene! Get up! Stop sleeping! You’ve got a date later—don’t be late for it!”

You Que was naturally alert and immediately woke up at the sound of knocking. Frowning, he threw off the covers, walked over, and opened the door, only to find Mackey fully dressed and standing outside.

A vein pulsed in his temple. “What did you just say?”

What date?

Mackey, however, had no intention of explaining further. “I contacted the matchmaking agency yesterday and set up a date for you. It’s almost time! Come on, come on—go brush your teeth, wash your face, and change your clothes, or you’ll be late!”

You Que’s voice lowered slightly. “Didn’t I tell you not to meddle in this?”

Mackey huffed, his beard practically bristling as he glared. “Not meddle? If I didn’t step in, you’d probably stay single your whole life!”

With that, he tapped You Que’s leg with his cane to hurry him along. “Move it! Go get changed!”

You Que, thoroughly worn out by the ordeal, couldn’t bring himself to lose his temper at an old zerg. Resigned, he quickly freshened up, changed clothes, and headed out with Mackey. They eventually arrived at a restaurant where You Que had endured countless matchmaking sessions before.

Standing at the restaurant entrance, You Que wiped his face, feeling an almost visceral aversion to the place. “Just go back. I’ll go in by myself.”

But Mackey had no intention of leaving. “You’re still young. You don’t know how to judge a good match. Let me help you assess them first.”

With that, he grabbed You Que and marched him straight into the restaurant. Scanning the room, Mackey spotted a female zerg sitting in one of the booths, a rose pinned to the pocket of his shirt. Without hesitation, he pulled You Que along toward him.

Sanya had already been waiting in the restaurant for half an hour but showed no sign of impatience. He sat quietly at the table, an unusual sight in itself—he had replaced his usual faded and worn-out clothes with a brand-new shirt, looking so elegant that it turned heads. Yet his mind was preoccupied with the phone call he had received the day before.

“Is this Mr. Sanya? I’m an investigator from the matchmaking agency. Considering your current single status, we’ve arranged a blind date for you. The meeting location is Kino Restaurant, tomorrow at 10 a.m. Please make sure to bring a red rose and arrive on time. We wish you a pleasant experience.”

The investigator’s tone was far from courteous, as was typical when dealing with female zergs. It felt more like a routine announcement. They hung up as soon as they finished speaking. Not long after, Sanya’s terminal received the identity details of his blind date.

There was no photo, only the most basic physical data and blood purity level. In the name field, the word “Eugene” were prominently displayed.

Eugene?

Sanya picked up the glass of water in front of him and took a sip, his eyes thoughtful. Could it be You Que?

While Sanya was lost in thought, a commotion came from the restaurant entrance. A white-bearded male zerg was pulling along a brown-haired male zerg as they walked in. Before Sanya could take a closer look, the pair had already made their way to his table.

Adjusting the reading glasses perched on his nose, the old male asked, “Are you Sanya?”

Mackey, despite his age, still maintained a semblance of politeness. Upon hearing the question, Sanya pulled out his chair and stood up. “I am. May I ask who you are…?”

You Que, whose gaze had been elsewhere, instinctively turned his head when he heard the familiar voice. Their eyes met in the air, and both were unable to hide their surprise.

Sanya hadn’t expected that the male zerg for the blind date today would be You Que. He gave him a long, meaningful look.

You Que, too, hadn’t expected his blind date to be Sanya. He felt an awkward silence fall between them. He had held this zerg in his arms and kissed him just yesterday, and now, here he was, facing him in a matchmaking scenario. If anyone didn’t know better, they’d think he was some kind of heartless playboy.

Mackey, completely unaware of the tension between them, pushed You Que toward the table and said, “This is my grandson, Eugene. He’s a bit shy and didn’t want to come out for the blind date today. I had no choice but to accompany him. Please don’t mind if he’s a bit quiet.”

Sanya smiled at this. “No need to be so polite, Your Excellency.”

With that, he gave You Que a slight nod, offering a formal shoulder bow. “Lord Eugene, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sanya.”

Sanya had clearly come well-prepared, and every action he took appeared calm and unhurried. Mackey, observing this, nodded in satisfaction, clearly very pleased.

You Que noticed that Sanya was wearing the shirt he had given him the day before. He hesitated for a moment before replying, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Inside, You Que couldn’t help but worry whether Sanya would figure out his true identity.

You Que didn’t say much, remaining rather silent throughout the entire interaction. Mackey, sensing the awkwardness, took over the conversation, subtly probing for information about Sanya’s family: “How many zergs are there in your family?”

Because the male zerg sitting across from him was You Que’s grandfather, Sanya was extremely polite. His demeanor was so courteous that no one could have guessed he had once been cold and distant. “My female and male parents currently live in the southern region. I have several brothers working in the military. If we’re not counting the extended family and only considering the main line, there are probably around a dozen zergs.”

This was the first time You Que had heard Sanya talk about his family, and although he appeared silent, he was actually listening intently.

When Mackey heard that Sanya’s brothers worked in the military, his eyes lit up slightly. After all, the benefits for military females were quite good. He couldn’t help but ask, “So why aren’t you staying in the south, but instead came all the way to Saint Lieux?”

You Que was also curious about this question.

Sanya explained, “I wanted to start a business, so I left the south with some friends to try my luck, and we opened a bar here in Saint Lieux.”

You Que’s eyelids twitched as he thought to himself: Wasn’t Sanya supposed to be running to a poor relative’s bar? How did it turn into a bar he started with Fei Wen?

Mackey was also taken aback. “But your profile at the matchmaking agency said you have no money, no house, and no car. It even mentioned you’re working elsewhere. How do you own a bar?”

Sanya was slightly surprised upon hearing this, then smiled faintly. “Is that so? It must have been an error on the investigator’s part. If we’re not counting the family-assigned properties, I still have three properties in Yinchatait in the south. My savings are around six million star coins—though it’s not a huge amount, it should be enough for two zergs to live together. As for the aircraft, I haven’t gotten around to buying one yet, but we can discuss that later.”

In order to avoid being set up for a blind date, Sanya had intentionally portrayed himself as poor and destitute. He figured that male zergs would avoid him if they saw his poor condition. But now that the male zerg in front of him was You Que’s grandfather, he felt it was necessary to reveal his actual assets, laying a foundation for future interactions.

Mackey was momentarily stunned by Sanya’s wealth, unable to snap back into reality for a while. His mind went blank. “You… So you…”

Mackey couldn’t think of anything else to ask for a while.

Sanya, well-versed in the Salaranfa’s marriage laws, glanced at You Que, who was sitting across from him, still as a mountain. With a faint, almost teasing smile, he said, “Of course, if I am fortunate enough to become a partner with Lord You… Eugene, those properties can be transferred to his name, and our funds could be shared. What do you think?”

With that, Sanya’s shoe lightly brushed against You Que’s ankle under the table, slowly circling and nudging. In response, he received a sharp, warning look from the male zerg across from him.

Mackey thought this was simply too good to be true. It was so good that he even felt like he was getting an incredible deal. After all, his grandson had no house, no money, and only a 26% blood purity level. Though he was quite handsome, blood purity was the most important measure for male zergs.

With Sanya’s background, he could easily find a male zerg with a higher blood purity level.

Mackey was so pleased that he couldn’t stop smiling. “Alright, alright, of course! Don’t be fooled by Eugene’s quiet demeanor, he’s actually very filial and has a good character. If you end up with him, you won’t regret it.”

Although You Que appeared distant and unapproachable, Mackey could always rely on him at home. Whether it was complaining about something or calling him up in the middle of the night to make a late-night snack, You Que always complied without once losing his temper.

With just this one fact, Mackey was confident that his grandson could outdo 99% of the male zergs in Saint Lieux.

After gathering all the information he needed about Sanya, Mackey felt comfortable enough to encourage a deeper connection. Satisfied, he stood up from his chair and made space for them. “I’m getting old and tend to feel sleepy. I’m going to head home to rest. You two take your time, take your time.”

After saying that, Mackey subtly tapped You Que with his cane, signaling him to behave well, before turning and leaving the restaurant.

Once Mackey had left, You Que broke the silence, furrowing his brow as he asked, “Why are you here for a blind date?”

And dressed so nicely, too.

If the male zerg in question had been anyone else, there was a high chance that Sanya would have caught their eye.

Sanya replied nonchalantly, “The matchmaking agency called, so I came. What about you? Why did you suddenly come for a blind date, Lord Eugene?”

He deliberately dragged out the last two words, leaving them hanging in the air with an ambiguous meaning, his expression half-smiling, half-mocking. “No wonder you refused to marry me yesterday. Turns out you were planning to ‘ride the donkey while looking for a horse,’ taking your time to pick the right one.”

You Que remained unphased, adjusting his posture slightly. “This blind date wasn’t arranged by me.”

Sanya seemed to realize something. “So, the gentleman from earlier… is your grandfather?”

You Que remained silent, which was as good as an acknowledgment.

Sanya moved his water cup aside, leaning slightly toward the edge of the table. His silver eyes fixed on You Que, as though he could see right through him. His tone was suspicious. “But your name is You Que, isn’t it? Why did he just call you Eugene?”

You Que quickly came up with a fairly plausible explanation. “Eugene is my formal name, and You Que is my nickname.”

Sanya was momentarily caught off guard, instantly realizing that You Que was making up an excuse.

However, You Que, concerned that further questioning might reveal his lie, decided to cut the conversation short. He called the waiter over to pay the bill, not bothering with the change, and then pulled Sanya up from his chair, leading him out of the restaurant.

Seeing this, Sanya didn’t resist, but instead asked, “Where are you taking me?”

You Que didn’t answer, simply guiding him toward the road. “You’ll know when we get there.”

When You Que first arrived in town, he made a living by stealing. He had become so familiar with the streets and alleyways that he knew them like the back of his hand. He led Sanya through winding paths, eventually turning into a secluded dead-end alley. There, he pressed Sanya against the wall and asked, “What you said in the restaurant—was it true, or was it a lie?”

Sanya frowned as he glanced at the old, worn wall behind him. “Can we talk somewhere else?”

You Que pressed his hand on Sanya’s shoulder. “Talk first, then we’ll go.”

Sanya, irritated, growled, “What if my clothes get dirty?”

You Que paused when he heard this, finally realizing that what Sanya cared about was the new shirt he was wearing. With a somewhat unreadable tone, he asked, “You already have six million in savings, and you’re still worried about this one shirt?”

This shirt wasn’t worth much.

Sanya thought to himself, Of course I care. Irritated, he tried to push You Que away, but instead, the male zerg pressed him even harder against the wall, the heat of his breath enveloping him. “Didn’t you say you were a poor relative of Fei Wen? How come the bar turned into something you two opened together?”

Sanya turned his head to avoid his gaze. “You want to know? Then tell me about the name first.”

Why should he answer You Que’s questions just because he asked? When he had asked You Que, the other had never answered once.

You Que raised his hand and pinched Sanya’s chin, frowning as he thought to himself, Really sharp-tongued. “If it hadn’t been me who came today, would you have worn this shirt to go on a blind date with another male zerg?”

Sanya looked up at You Que upon hearing this, a faint smile curving at the corners of his lips. “What’s this? Are you jealous?”

You Que didn’t answer. He only pressed Sanya tighter against the wall. His voice, deep and elegant like a cello, whispered in Sanya’s ear, but the words were full of menace. “Do you believe I can strip you clean right here?”

“…”

Sanya really didn’t believe it. You Que was the type with the mind of a thief but not the guts. If he truly had that kind of courage, he would’ve marked him yesterday. “You’re going to strip me?”

You Que was momentarily speechless.

Sanya smoothly flipped his ponytail behind him, lifting his eyelids slightly, and smiled as he looked at You Que. “I guarantee I won’t resist, but I’m afraid you might not dare…” Mmm!

As soon as Sanya’s words fell, he suddenly felt a chill at his waist. You Que swiftly pulled the hem of his shirt out of his waistband, and with a quick flick of his fingers, the buttons on his chest popped open one after another, revealing a large expanse of his chest.

Sanya’s expression changed at the sight, and he hurriedly covered his collar, worried that others might see. But You Que seized his wrist, pulling him tightly into his embrace, pressing him against the wall, and gave him a deep, suffocating kiss.

Amid the entanglement of their lips and tongues, You Que’s voice was muffled:

“Don’t be afraid, there are no other zergs here…”

 

 

 

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