Whether it was in the remote backwater of Saint Lieux or a central city like Yinchatait in the South, matchmaking agencies were an indispensable presence. The difference lay in the fact that agencies in central cities wielded real authority; if any zergs disobeyed the empire’s assignments, they could be directly reported and punished. It was no wonder, then, that the male zerg in front of him was so brazen.
Aegis swaggered into the living room and plopped himself down on the sofa. He glanced around but didn’t see Laimi and Laixing. Instantly understanding the situation, he chuckled softly and said, “Russell, call those two little female brats of yours down here. I’m not going to eat them.”
Russell suppressed his anger and snapped, “If you have something to say, say it to me directly!”
Aegis pulled a business card from the pocket of his jacket and tossed it onto the table. “Talk to you? Fine, I’ll talk to you. Tomorrow evening at six, have Laimi and Laixing go to Lord Marlon’s residence for a matchmaking meeting. The address is on the card.”
You Que, who had been silently standing nearby, picked up the card and glanced at it. At last, he spoke. “If it’s a matchmaking meeting, why are both of them required to go? And why isn’t the meeting in a public place?”
Back in Saint Lieux, You Que had been tormented by matchmaking agencies and was familiar with the rules. Matchmaking was supposed to be a one-on-one meeting between a male and a female zerg, and the age gap between the two parties couldn’t be too significant. Aegis’s arrangement clearly violated those rules.
Aegis froze for a moment upon hearing this. He had been too preoccupied dodging the vase earlier to notice You Que’s presence. Now, as he finally took note of him, he frowned and asked, “And you are…?”
Seeing You Que’s dignified and imposing demeanor, Aegis refrained from speaking rashly or offending him outright.
You Que replied calmly, “Don’t mind me. I’m just a distant relative temporarily staying here.”
Hearing this, Aegis immediately let down his guard. After all, the Russells were a family of fallen nobles—what powerful connections could they possibly have? “Laimi and Laixing are twin brothers. What’s so bad about marrying the same male? Lord Marlon values them highly, which is why he chose his private residence as the meeting place. You really should advise Lord Russell not to be ungrateful.”
Russell was about to explode with anger, but You Que discreetly tugged on his arm to stop him. You Que gazed at Aegis quietly, his eyes as deep as a bottomless pool, as if they could see right through him. “Lord Marlon, you say? May I ask how old this Lord Marlon is?”
Aegis froze, momentarily at a loss for words.
Russell gritted his teeth and growled, “That old geezer is already 56 years old and still shamelessly wants to take Laimi and Laixing as his consorts. Let me tell you right now—forget about it!”
You Que hadn’t expected the proposal to be this outrageous. Though the Zerg race had a lifespan of 200 years, Laimi and Laixing were only 18. If the Imperial Matchmaking Agency had arranged the meeting, the male partner assigned to them wouldn’t be older than 30 at most. This Lord Marlon was clearly an old zerg preying on the young.
You Que glanced at the slender-necked vase on the coffee table and was tempted to smash it over Aegis’s head. However, mindful of his “future father-in-law” sitting nearby and not wanting to reveal a cruder side of himself, he forced himself to hold back.
“If I’m not mistaken, according to matchmaking agency regulations, the age gap between a female and male zerg cannot exceed fifteen years. Furthermore, to ensure the safety of both parties, the meeting must take place in a public setting…”
As You Que spoke, his eyes flicked to the name badge on Aegis’s uniform. It displayed his name and his position as a mere team leader. With a faintly mocking tone, You Que added, “Team Leader Aegis, could it be that you’re mistaken? Perhaps Lord Marlon is looking for a partner for his son, not a consort for himself?”
“You!!”
Aegis shot up from the sofa, his face twisted in anger. Pointing a trembling finger at You Que, he spat, “How dare you! How dare you mock Lord Marlon! His only male offspring was killed by Sanya, and yet you not only refuse to atone or compensate but dare to sneer at him here?!”
You Que’s words had hit a sore spot for Aegis. It turned out that the male zerg who had forcibly stripped Sanya of his wings back then was none other than Lord Marlon’s son.
After the incident back then, Lord Marlon’s family harbored a deep grudge and relentlessly tried to suppress them. However, Chairman Croney’s work was flawless, leaving no gaps for them to exploit. Even Russell kept a low profile, rarely leaving his home. With no other options, they set their sights on Laimi and Laixing.
It didn’t take much imagination to see the outcome: if Laimi and Laixing were forced to marry into that family, they would undoubtedly be tormented to death.
Aegis was a distant relative of the Marlon family, and they were thick as thieves. His repeated visits were all aimed at pressuring Laimi and Laixing into marrying into that family. Hearing You Que’s mockery now, he could no longer hold back his temper.
“I’ll tell you this—Lord Marlon has taken a liking to Laimi and Laixing, and that’s their fortune. They’ll go, whether they want to or not. If they refuse, they’ll end up in prison…”
“Bang—!”
A sharp, cracking sound of the vase shattering suddenly echoed through the room, and the entire living room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the sound of the fragments hitting the floor.
Another vase had been destroyed on the table, but this time it wasn’t Russell who had smashed it—it was You Que. He threw the half of the vase he had been holding onto the floor, the sharp clink of it ringing through the room. Coldly, he uttered a single word:
“Leave!”
You Que never expected that the Marlon family was behind the harm done to Sanya. The anger in him surged to a boiling point. Not only had they forcibly taken Sanya’s wings, but now they wanted to claim two more brothers for themselves—this was pure shamelessness.
Aegis felt a warm, trickling sensation on his head. Instinctively, he raised a hand to wipe his face, only to see his palm covered in bright red blood. His entire body froze in shock. Pointing at You Que, he stammered, “You… you actually…”
You Que, seeing that Aegis was frozen, reached over and grabbed a decorative porcelain bottle from the nearby cabinet. “Still not leaving? Looks like you want me to send you off properly.”
Aegis, clutching his head, stumbled backward toward the door in panic. “You, you, you… who the hell are you, a madman?! Do you have any idea what the consequences of hitting me will be?!”
“I don’t know, but I’m about to find out.”
You Que casually tossed the vase in his hand twice before throwing it directly at Aegis. The sound of the vase cutting through the air was sharp, and it was clear that You Que’s aim was far superior to Russell’s. The blow hit its mark without a hitch.
“Bang—!”
Aegis failed to dodge in time and felt a sharp impact before everything went black. His body lurched backward, tumbling out the door, rolling down the stairs like a ragdoll.
“Ah! My butt!”
Aegis cried out in pain as he awkwardly scrambled to his feet, his body sore from the tumble. He looked up and saw You Que standing in the doorway. Fearing that this madman might throw another vase, he panicked and shouted, “You just wait!” Without another word, he turned and fled from the scene.
You Que, standing at the door, calmly slammed it shut with a decisive bang, feeling that even a second more of looking at that mess would be a contamination of his eyes.
Meanwhile, Russell, still in the living room, was utterly stunned. You Que had been nothing but polite and composed these past few days, but now, when he acted, he was even fiercer than Russell himself. The sound of the vase smashing had been deafening, and even hearing it made Russell wince in sympathy. “You Que, you…”
You Que returned to the living room and saw Russell’s surprised expression. His heart sank with a sudden realization: this was bad. Over the past few days, he had been trying to make a good impression on Sanya’s parents, but he hadn’t expected his temper to flare just now, revealing his true nature.
He awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to salvage the fragile image he had left. “Uncle, I apologize, I got a bit angry just now… so I… actually, I don’t usually like to resort to violence…”
As he said this, You Que trailed off. Even he didn’t believe his own words. If a thief didn’t like to get their hands dirty, they would have been unemployed long ago.
Russell felt even more embarrassed than You Que. He didn’t know whether to scold him or not. On one hand, it wasn’t necessary, but on the other, You Que’s sudden outburst had caught him off guard. He hesitated for a long moment before finally managing to say, “If Aegis comes again, just ignore him. He’s a relative of the Marlon family, always showing off. Just kick him out.”
You Que figured Aegis probably wouldn’t show up anytime soon, considering he would need to stay home and recover for at least a month. He didn’t argue, simply nodding. “You’re right. I was too impulsive just now.”
Russell, feeling awkward himself, couldn’t help but feel a little sheepish. After all, it had been him who had thrown the first vase. If anyone had been impulsive, it was him, but You Que was gracious enough to cover for him.
The shards of the vase were too hard for the household robot to clean up, so in an effort to salvage his “gentlemanly” image, You Que took it upon himself to sweep the living room and get rid of the pieces, making sure to completely dispose of the evidence.
It was a little strange, though, that the house had now lost three vases in one day—it felt rather empty.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Sanya was meeting with an “old friend” at the military department.
“You mean, you want me to help that male zerg get a residence permit for Central City?”
Blairand sat behind his desk, utterly surprised that Sanya had come to him for this. He stood up, pulling his chair back and walking toward Sanya, his expression slightly puzzled. “In that case, why not just take him to the Bureau of Affairs to apply for it? He only needs a family certificate, and you could easily help him with that.”
Sanya, dressed in military uniform to conceal his identity, stood quietly by the window, the shadow cast above him obscuring his dim, unreadable eyes. His voice was low as he spoke, “I’m going to marry that male zerg. I can’t use my family certificate.”
In the South, zergs with too close a blood relation are forbidden from marrying.
Blairand raised an eyebrow. “Is that the only reason?”
Sanya nodded quietly. “That’s the only reason.”
He exhaled slowly, as though recalling something from the past, and turned to look at Blairand. “If you hadn’t helped me back then, I would never have escaped prison. You know I have no power or influence now. Consider this me owing you a favor. If you ever need anything, just ask.”
Blairand placed a hand on his shoulder, frowning and shaking his head. “We’re brothers, no need for formalities. I just didn’t expect you to suddenly return to the South, and find a partner. Though Faeus issued your pardon, there are still many enemies in the South watching you. Your timing couldn’t be worse.”
Sanya nodded, understanding. “I know, but hiding forever isn’t a solution. My dad’s health is getting worse, and Laimi and Laixing have suffered because of me. I can’t just leave them behind while I enjoy myself out there.”
Blairand let out a bitter laugh. “Enjoy yourself? Blackstone Prison is worse than hell. If they knew how you’ve been living these past years, they’d only feel heartbroken for you.”
Not wanting to dwell on painful memories, he quickly changed the subject. “By the way, when will you bring that male zerg here for me to meet? I’m curious how he managed to make you fall for him.”
Sanya, hearing this, seemed to remember something. He handed Blairand a manila envelope. “We met in Saint Lieux. I’ll introduce him to you properly when there’s a chance. This is his information. Just fill out the details on the ID card like this.”
Blairand took the envelope, quickly scanning the scattered information on the papers. His gaze finally stopped at the one-inch photo in the top right corner, next to the name column—
“You Que?”
He looked up, surprise flashing across his face. “His name is You Que?”
Sanya, not understanding why Blairand was so surprised, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Blairand snapped back to reality, shaking his head as he put the papers back into the envelope. “Nothing, just thought the name was unusual.”
But internally, he couldn’t help but wonder at the coincidence—this male zerg’s name was exactly the same as one of Ah Sui’s friends.
Sanya, noticing the oddness in the name, said, “His hometown is far away, and their naming conventions are different from ours.”
Unbeknownst to Sanya, this question sparked Blairand’s curiosity further. “His hometown is that far? Have you ever been there?”
Sanya thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly. “No, he never mentioned it to me.”
Blairand pressed on, “Then do you know his blood purity?”
This question left Sanya momentarily speechless. It seemed he really didn’t know You Que’s blood purity. When his male and female fathers had asked, he had simply reported the information based on the false identification card. “…It should be low. The highest blood purity among the males in Saint Lieux doesn’t exceed 36%.”
Blairand, however, didn’t appear disappointed. In fact, a smile crept onto his face, as if he had finally confirmed something. “I’ll take care of it for you. Tomorrow, bring him to the military hospital. I’ll arrange for a doctor to test his blood purity.”
Sanya sensed something unusual in Blairand’s tone. “Why not go to the Interstellar Hospital?”
Blairand shook his head slightly, not offering further explanation. “The Interstellar Hospital has too many rumors, the military hospital is safer.”
Sanya didn’t think much of it. He thanked Blairand and prepared to leave. However, just as he was about to step out the door, Blairand suddenly called out to him from behind. “Sanya, if there’s a chance in the future, would you want to return to the military?”
“…”
Sanya paused at the sound of Blairand’s voice but didn’t turn around. He seemed like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to respond. After a brief moment of silence, he finally closed the door and left.
Bang—
A soft sound echoed as the door shut.
As evening approached, the corridor in the military headquarters felt eerily empty.
Sanya, dressed in the most ordinary officer’s uniform, walked alone through the corridor. The dim, fading sunset light from the horizon spilled across him, casting a sense of solitude and quiet.
When he had served as a general, he had walked this path countless times, able to navigate it with his eyes closed. But now, years later, so much had changed, and many things felt unrecognizable…
His wings had been removed, so it was impossible for him to return to the battlefield. Even in a civilian position, given his current sensitive status, entering the military headquarters would likely stir up a storm.
Blairand’s earlier words felt like a fantasy—there was no need for the question to be asked, nor for him to answer. The best outcome for Sanya was simply to live the rest of his life quietly and peacefully.
Sanya left the military headquarters, occasionally passing a few new recruits on the training field who didn’t recognize him. Only the cook, resting in the corner by the wall, vaguely felt that the back of the gray-haired female zerg resembled a former general. The name had slipped his memory, but he remembered that the female zerg had been very beautiful. On the first day of enlistment, he had been predicted to be a promising candidate, well-known among the recruits for his fighting ability, and perhaps destined for a future rank of general.
When Sanya returned home, it was already evening. He pushed open the door and saw Russell sitting on the sofa, reading a book, while Laimi and Laixing were setting dishes on the table. Though nothing had changed in the house, there was a sense of emptiness, as though something was missing.
Sanya changed into his slippers and asked, “Dad, where’s You Que?”
Russell looked up at the sound of his voice, realizing that Sanya had returned. He closed the book in his hand and replied, “Where have you been today? Why are you back so late? Things aren’t very peaceful outside lately. Don’t go running around. You Que is in the kitchen, washing fruit.”
Sanya asked again, “What about Father?”
Russell replied, “He hasn’t finished work yet. He’ll be back later.”
Laimi and Laixing also said, “Big brother, the meal is ready. Go wash your hands and come eat.”
Sanya nodded in response, then walked into the kitchen. You Que had already heard the noise outside and, noticing Sanya returning, paused what he was doing and asked, “You’re back? How was it? Didn’t run into any trouble, did you?”
Sanya, who was already used to You Que’s lack of typical male zerg behavior, wasn’t surprised to find him washing fruit. “No trouble at all. I already told you, I’ll take you to get your ID tomorrow.”
After speaking, for some reason, he suddenly reached out and embraced You Que, burying his face in the male zerg’s neck. Not a word was spoken, as if he simply wanted a place to rest.
You Que, sensing the shift in Sanya’s mood, reached out and returned the embrace, asking softly, “What’s wrong?”
Sanya shook his head, his voice quiet. “It’s nothing, I just… missed you a little.”
Support me on ko-fi for more additional updates~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
