In Salaranfa, there may be male zergs who marry only one female monarch, but their numbers are few, barely counting on one hand. Blairand had never imagined that he would be one of them, but Ah Sui’s words today stirred up a small, hidden desire within him, one that lingered and was hard to quell.
Seeing that Ah Sui remained silent, Blairand took another step forward. His military boots made no sound on the ground, but his expression could hardly hide his seriousness. “Ah Sui, will you really marry only me from now on?”
Ah Sui, upon hearing this, looked at Blairand under the light of the streetlamp, deliberately remaining silent. He slowly stepped back, climbing the stairs, then extended a hand toward Blairand.
“Do you really want to know?”
Blairand truly cared about this question. He walked over and took Ah Sui’s hand, feeling oddly shorter than him as he stood on the lower step. “Mm, tell me.”
But Ah Sui leaned in close to his ear, his expression teasing, and whispered a sentence, “I’ll tell you when you marry me.”
Blairand: “…”
This male zerg had clearly learned his lesson.
Blairand lifted his gaze to look at Ah Sui. His pale blue eyes were softer than the moonlight, and with an enigmatic expression, he said, “Your Excellency, you must tell me the answer first, so I’ll know whether I should marry you.”
Ah Sui thought to himself, Is there really any need for hesitation about this? He exerted a slight force, pulling Blairand into the room. He didn’t turn on the lights; in the darkness and shadows, he held onto Blairand, stumbling as they ascended the stairs. His eyes were bright and sly, like a cat that had stolen a fish. “Uncle said it’s fine for the two of us to get married.”
Blairand paused for a moment, then finally realized who Ah Sui was referring to as “uncle.” “Did the female father really say that?”
Ah Sui nodded, “Mm-hmm. He said it while we were shopping today. You were behind us, so you didn’t hear.”
Blairand sighed helplessly. “He’s lying to you.”
Chief Harrington was always smooth in his dealings—he spoke the language of zergs when with zergs, and that of ghosts when with ghosts. What was the harm in giving an empty promise? Ah Sui had definitely been deceived by him.
Ah Sui, however, didn’t believe it. “Uncle is so nice, why would he lie to me?”
Chief Harrington wore a smiling expression, looking especially kind. Ah Sui had lost his parents at a young age, and he always felt an inexplicable sense of dependence and trust toward older individuals. He believed that Blairand’s female father was a good zerg and would never deceive him.
Blairand and he stood on the steps, kissing, their lips lingering as they refused to part. The words they uttered were indistinct. “Fool, you just met him today, how do you know he’s good…”
Hadn’t Ah Sui learned his lesson after being tricked so badly by Quike and the others back in the pirate nest?
Ah Sui’s reasoning was simple: “He’s your female father.”
‘Love the house and its crows,’ was probably how it worked.
Ah Sui, having spoken, embraced Blairand and stumbled into the room. Following the experience and memories of the previous night, he pressed Blairand against the window and kissed him, seemingly forgetting that Blairand had mentioned the second marking would have to wait until next week.
Blairand pressed his hand over his abdomen, covering the area of his reproductive organs through his clothes. There was still a faint, lingering pain. His voice was hoarse as he spoke. “Ah Sui, can we wait until next week?”
Ah Sui buried his face in Blairand’s neck, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. When he looked up, his eyes met the moonlight outside the window, his gaze bright and moist, like a harmless little creature. “Can’t we do it today?”
It seemed like he was acting spoiled, though it wasn’t very obvious.
Blairand suddenly realized that he couldn’t refuse this male zerg. He lowered his gaze, hesitating for a moment. A faint blush spread across his fair cheeks. In the end, he could only take off his military jacket and, with a sigh, turned to brace himself against the window sill.
Blairand felt a sense of embarrassment, his heart uncontrollably pounding in his chest. He whispered, “Come here.”
In the darkness, Ah Sui silently embraced him, his arms like a strong, powerful snake, tightening around his waist. Blairand found himself breathless from Ah Sui’s kisses, and in a daze, he seemed to hear the male zerg whispering sweetly in his ear, each word piercing:
“Blairand, marrying only you is enough for me…”
At these words, Blairand’s gaze momentarily lost focus, as if he were stepping on clouds, and a sense of unreality suddenly welled up within him. He blankly repeated, “Marrying… only me is enough?”
Ah Sui smiled and replied with a soft “Mm-hmm,” “You alone are enough.”
Ah Sui wasn’t greedy; he didn’t want many things.
He used to only want a sword, but now, all he needed was Blairand. In this unfamiliar, foreign world, the other would never abandon him or leave him behind. On the battlefield, amidst the chaos of gunfire, he would escape with him. In the endless snowstorm, Ah Sui had never worried about losing his way.
He would continue heading west, far into the distance, to find everything he had once lost…
The spring of Salaranfa had long passed, and winter quietly descended on this silent night, covering everything in a blanket of white snow by morning.
The next morning, Blairand stepped onto the cobblestone path in front of the garden gate, covered in fresh snow. However, instead of going to the hospital to pick up Ah Sui’s test report, he hurriedly boarded an aircraft and headed straight to the residence of Chief Harrington in the Imperial Capital.
“Smack—”
A stack of arrest warrants was thrown heavily onto the coffee table. The sharp sound echoed through the large mansion, making it seem especially jarring. Chief Harrington sat on the sofa with a dark expression, no longer the gentle and smiling figure from yesterday when he had been shopping with Ah Sui. His voice was serious as he said, “Blairand, aren’t you going to explain what this arrest warrant is all about?”
Having worked in intelligence for so many years, Chief Harrington knew that while the portrait on the arrest warrant might not be entirely accurate, the words “black hair, black eyes” were enough for him to narrow the suspect down to Ah Sui.
The zerg he had carefully raised and nurtured was actually with an interstellar pirate? How could this be possible?!
Chief Harrington spent the entire night trying, but he just couldn’t accept this fact.
Blairand, on the other hand, was surprisingly calm. He knew that this matter could be concealed from all the zergs, but it would never be hidden from Chief Harrington. He bent down and picked up the scattered arrest warrants from the table, glancing at them—one belonged to Ah Sui, the other to Xu Cengfeng. He suddenly smiled.
Chief Harrington frowned. “Blairand, do you find this funny? You’ve been marked by an interstellar pirate!”
The last sentence was almost spat out through gritted teeth.
Blairand didn’t even know why he asked such a question. “Ah Sui said that you agreed to our marriage yesterday?”
Chief Harrington said coldly, “Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. What’s wrong with me lying to him?”
Blairand: “…”
See? He knew it. That big fool Ah Sui didn’t believe him.
Blairand slowly rolled up the arrest warrant in his hand. “Female father, Ah Sui isn’t the kind of interstellar pirate you think he is. He was tricked into joining the Klayt Alliance by accident and has never done anything wrong.”
Chief Harrington frowned. “Blairand, telling me this won’t help. You need to tell the judge. Not long ago, His Highness the Eighth’s male lord was almost assassinated on the outskirts, and those two assassins were members of the Klayt Alliance. Now, not only is His Highness the Eighth investigating this matter, but even the Zerg Emperor has given a direct order to root it out. No matter what, Ah Sui won’t be able to escape involvement.”
The male lord of His Highness the Eighth was named Ashya, one of the new rising stars in the Imperial Capital. He was skilled and had interfered with many zergs’ business dealings, blocking their profits. One noble, bearing a grudge, contacted the black market to hire an assassin to kill him. The Klayt Alliance took the job, and when the two interstellar pirates attempted the assassination on the outskirts, they were caught. Their identities were thoroughly exposed.
Ashya was a member of the royal family and highly favored by the Zerg Emperor. Now, the authorities were determined to thoroughly investigate the case. No matter the severity of the interstellar pirates’ crimes, they would be treated harshly. No one would care if Ah Sui was truly innocent.
Chief Harrington said coldly, “Blairand, you’d better not get involved. Do you understand? While there are few male zergs in the Imperial Capital, that doesn’t mean there are none. Take your time, and you’ll eventually find someone better.”
He admitted that Ah Sui was indeed likable, but the identity of being an interstellar pirate was like a ticking time bomb, likely to explode at any moment. They had no reason to take that risk.
Blairand quietly watched him. “Do you want to report Ah Sui?”
Chief Harrington stood up from the sofa, his tone meaningful. “Blairand, I don’t want to do this, so you’d better watch your words and actions. It’s best to sever all ties with that male zerg as soon as possible.”
This warning was what Blairand had expected. He didn’t seem overly surprised. Instead, he tore the arrest warrant in his hands into pieces and, in a low voice, said word by word, “Female father, I’ve already been deeply marked by him. According to the laws of Salaranfa, from this moment on, until the end of my life, he will be my only male lord.”
“I hope you won’t do anything that would harm him.”
After speaking, Blairand paid no attention to Chief Harrington’s grim expression. He bent down and gave him a bow. “I still have matters to attend to, so I won’t trouble you any longer.”
Blairand had known Chief Harrington as his son for many years, so they understood each other’s personalities. While the future was uncertain, in the short term, Chief Harrington likely wouldn’t report Ah Sui. The chief had always been reluctant to get involved in any messy situations. Over the years, he had stayed far from the center of the Imperial Capital and had epitomized the principle of “self-preservation.”
After leaving the residence, Blairand went straight to the hospital to collect Ah Sui’s blood test results, only to be told that the results wouldn’t be available until 3 PM. He glanced at the time and saw that he still had two hours left. Originally, he had planned to find somewhere to wait for a while. However, as he passed by a café, he noticed a familiar figure sitting inside.
Recently, the military had been posting wanted notices everywhere, on every street and alley, and the café’s entrance had posters featuring the images of Ah Sui and Xu Cenfeng. Blairand stood at the door for a moment, glanced at them, and then quickly looked away before pushing the door open and walking in.
At a window-side booth sat a silver-haired, red-eyed female zerg, with a delicate and androgynous appearance. It was none other than His Highness the Eighth, Gaien. Blairand was somewhat familiar with the zerg and walked over to greet them.
“Your Highness, what a coincidence to meet you here.”
After speaking, Blairand suddenly noticed a blue-haired male zerg sitting across the table, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He looked quite refined. It took Blairand a moment to realize that this might be Gaien’s male lord. He slightly leaned forward and gave a polite bow. “Your Excellency Ashya, it’s an honor to meet you.”
Ashya clearly hadn’t expected Blairand to know him. He froze for a moment before coming to his senses, standing up and nodding slightly. He greeted him in a neutral tone, “Hello.”
Seeing this, His Highness the Eighth, Gaien, also stood up from his seat. It seemed that his right foot was slightly impaired. He looked at Blairand with some curiosity and asked, “I heard from the Intelligence Department that you were still chasing interstellar pirates near Hossburgh. How come you’re back so soon?”
At the mention of the space pirates, Blairand paused for a moment. “Several key perpetrators from the Klayt Alliance have been apprehended and taken into custody. I’ve just escorted them to the prison. The remaining criminals may be handed over to General Saphir for pursuit.”
Gaien suddenly noticed that Blairand was holding a white hospital test report.
Blairand noticed his gaze, and without changing his expression, he neatly folded the report and tucked it into his pocket. He smiled and explained, “As you know, my psychic stability isn’t reliable, so I might have to spend some time in the hospital.”
A female zerg with unstable mental strength must seek comfort from a male zerg. His Highness the Eighth, Gaien, vaguely remembered that Blairand seemed to be single, so he couldn’t help but ask, “You’re going to start selecting a male lord?”
In the Salaranfa, no matter how outstanding a female zerg is, it seems that in the latter half of their life, they can only bind themselves to a male zerg. Blairand thought of Ah Sui’s identity and then recalled Chief Harrington’s opposition. His mood darkened slightly, and with a self-deprecating smile, he said, “It’s the fate of a female zerg, Your Highness.”
When Gaien got married, Blairand had been on a mission and couldn’t attend the wedding. He had thought that life for the prince, who had a disability, wouldn’t be much better after marriage, and he felt quite a bit of sympathy. However, he hadn’t expected to run into him here today.
Blairand subtly assessed Gaien’s condition and, genuinely sincerely, said, “Your complexion looks much better than before, Your Highness.”
“Perhaps,”
The atmosphere around the Eighth Prince was somewhat gloomy, and he didn’t appear to be one who smiled often. Hearing Blairand’s words, he glanced at the blue-haired male zerg beside him. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips as he lowered his gaze and softly said, “It might be because the sunlight is particularly lovely today.”
It had snowed all night, and by morning, it gradually stopped. The golden sunlight poured through the window, creating a warm illusion.
Blairand had originally planned to stay a while in the café to pass the time but didn’t want to disturb the Eighth Prince and his companion. In the end, he had the server quickly pack a small cake to go, and after a moment, he took his leave.
As Blairand walked out of the dessert shop, his terminal on his wrist suddenly vibrated. He looked down and saw that it was a message from Ah Sui.
This male zerg still didn’t know many words, so his messages were usually just a word or two:
[Blairand]
[I]
[Feel a bit dizzy]
[I think I’ve caught some fur][mfn]likely meant to be “感冒了” (caught a cold), but written with “毛” (fur) instead of “冒” (cold)[/mfn]
Ah Sui probably meant to type “caught a cold,” but he mistyped it.
Blairand furrowed his brows instinctively upon seeing the message. Ah Sui’s physical condition had always been good; he had never complained of pain even when his calf was blown to pieces on the battlefield. Now, suddenly receiving a message from him, it was likely that he was quite sick.
Blairand quickly sent a message back to Ah Sui, telling him to stay at home and wait for him, then hurriedly piloted his aircraft toward the residence.
On the other side, Ah Sui was indeed quite ill. Since waking up in the morning, he had felt a feverish heat spreading throughout his body, as if his internal organs were being roasted by a furnace. His legs were weak, and he could barely walk without swaying.
At first, Ah Sui thought it might be a cold, but after taking several pills that didn’t seem to help, he vomited them all out. His fever was so high that he felt like his head might start steaming. He even wondered if he had caught a cold after fooling around with Blairand by the window for too long the night before.
Ah Sui mustered up the strength to send a message to Blairand and then put on his jacket, sitting on the doorstep waiting for him to return. It had snowed the night before, and the cold air outside still carried a chill. The cold wind blew directly at him, finally offering some relief to his feverish skin.
…
Johnny had been troubled lately by his marriage plans. The female zerg he wanted to marry was too old, and both his male and female fathers were firmly opposed to the union. There was not a day that passed without arguments at home, so he decided to temporarily move to his elder brother’s house to avoid the noise.
Today was the weekend, and he should have been on leave, but out of nowhere, he received an urgent phone call from the company. They said there had been some issues with a construction project and asked him to come over and take a look.
Johnny could only resign himself to the situation and climbed out of bed. He quickly threw on some clothes and headed out. However, as he reached the garden gate, he spotted a small, snow-white pet cat stuck on the neighbor’s fence. The poor thing was yowling, its fur tangled in the protective electric wires at the top of the wall.
Johnny walked over and clapped his hands at the cat. “Meow, meow, meow, jump down. I’ll catch you.”
The kitten clearly didn’t understand his words. It stood atop the high wall, too scared to jump down. Its front right paw was tangled in the netting, and it kept letting out pitiful little cries: “Meow!”
Johnny: “…”
Johnny sized up the height of the wall and realized it might be a bit difficult for him to climb. Just as he was about to call the building manager for help, a shadow flashed in the air, and a figure effortlessly jumped onto the wall, freeing the little white cat from the netting.
It was Ah Sui, drawn over by the kitten’s cries. He crouched above the wall, looking down at the red-haired male zerg standing below, holding the kitten in his hands. He asked, “Is this cat yours?”
Ah Sui, with his fever, had a hoarse voice. His hair glimmered with a faint brown hue under the sunlight, and his eyes were dark, like polished black jade.
Johnny was taken aback when he saw him, pointing at Ah Sui in surprise. “Hey, aren’t you the zerg I bumped into at the hospital yesterday? How come you’re staying here too?”
Ah Sui furrowed his brows at Johnny’s words. “I didn’t bump into you. You’re the one who tripped and fell.”
He added with a shrug, “You deserved it.”
Johnny, feeling irritated, was about to turn and walk away when Ah Sui casually tossed the little cat into his arms. “Hey, here’s your cat.”
Johnny fumbled to catch the cat, his voice flustered. “Who says it’s my cat? It was on your wall, so it’s obviously your cat!”
Ah Sui, propping his chin on his hands while squatting on the wall, casually replied, “Impossible. I don’t have any cats at home.”
Johnny, not in the mood for pet ownership, shot back, “Well, this cat’s in your place, so you figure out who its owner is.”
Ah Sui shook his head. “I can’t go out.”
Johnny thought to himself that even if a male zerg was precious, it surely didn’t make them so precious to this extent. “Why can’t you go out?”
Ah Sui simply replied, shaking his head, “For reasons, I just can’t.”
Johnny was about to say something when he suddenly noticed several wanted posters posted on the wall opposite. They all featured notorious interstellar pirates. The number one wanted criminal was a male zerg with black hair and black eyes, and the number two wanted criminal was also a male zerg with black hair and black eyes. He froze in place, staring blankly.
Ah Sui hadn’t noticed that his own wanted poster was on the wall just below where he was squatting. Curious, he asked Johnny, “Hey, what’s your relationship with the zergs who live across the street? Did you live here before?”
Johnny looked down at the wanted poster, then up at Ah Sui, who was crouching on the wall with a smile. The more he looked, the more he felt like something was off: “…”
Ah Sui found Johnny’s behavior strange. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Johnny swallowed hard, struggling to speak. “Did… did you live here before?”
Ah Sui: “No, I just moved in a couple of days ago.”
Johnny’s legs nearly gave out for a moment. He struggled to steady himself against the wall, trembling as he asked, “Then… what did you do before?”
Ah Sui gave a shy smile. “I can’t tell you that.”
Johnny, hearing this, forced out a smile that was more awkward than a frown. He waved his hand in embarrassment while backing away, saying, “Well, it’s nice to meet you. Since we’re neighbors now, be sure to drop by sometime. I have something to take care of, so I’ll head out now.”
He finished speaking, not bothering to pay attention to the struggling cat in his arms, and quickly slipped away. As he ran, he nervously glanced over his shoulder, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat.
Oh my god! The last time he was on a starship with Ashya, they were ambushed by assassins from the Klayt Alliance. How is it that now there’s another one next door? Could they be after his life too?!
Johnny sprinted all the way to the security booth. As he burst through the door, he thrust the cat into the arms of the startled security guard and dove toward the control panel, frantically dialing the emergency line.
“Hello?! Is this the military? I just spotted a wanted criminal from the interstellar network—a male zerg with black hair and black eyes, the leader of those interstellar pirates… Yes, that’s him! Hurry up and send someone over!”
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![He Lived Like You [End of the World]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/HLLY.jpg "He Lived Like You [End of the World]")
