“Big Boss, please have some tea.”
“Big Boss, would you like some fruit?”
“Big Boss, would you like me to massage your shoulders and legs?”
The new recruits running laps on the training field suddenly saw an unfamiliar zerg approaching from a distance. Immediately, the veteran members of the assault team, as if possessed, surrounded the zerg and began fawning over him, their gestures excessively flattering. Even the usually stoic and serious Captain Julian squeezed in among them to join the commotion.
This was truly bizarre.
They unconsciously stopped in their tracks, standing at a distance and whispering among themselves:
“Who is that zerg? Why is the squad leader being so servile toward him?”
“Could it be a superior officer coming for an inspection?”
“Bullshit, that zerg isn’t even wearing a uniform. How could he be an officer?”
Ah Sui also felt that he no longer truly counted as the Big Boss, considering that the Klayt Alliance had long since fallen. He gently declined the concerned greetings from his old subordinates, his delicate and harmless face beneath the brim of his hat making it hard for anyone to imagine that he had once been an interstellar pirate: “I’m here to see Blairand today. You all can carry on with your business, no need to worry about me.”
Upon hearing this, Quike reluctantly tossed his military water bottle aside and looked up at the sky: “Big Boss, it seems like it’s starting to snow. Should I find you a place to sit? This area is usually reserved for new recruits’ training, and the passageway to the conference building requires a card to access, so we can’t go up.”
These days were the coldest, with the snow having only just stopped falling in the morning, but now light snowflakes were starting to drift down again. Ah Sui had initially wanted to refuse, but suddenly remembered that he was still holding something in his hand: “Just help me find a place to put this bag, I’m afraid it might get wet.”
Quike noticed that the bag contained a bouquet of flowers and gave Ah Sui a knowing wink: “These flowers are for Major General Blairand, aren’t they?”
Tch, where in all of Salaranfa could you find a zerg like their Big Boss—so romantic, good-looking, skilled in combat, and, on top of it all, pure-blooded? Quike and the others could only regret not making their move sooner back in the interstellar pirate hideout, letting such a potential prospect slip away.
They couldn’t help but wonder how the Strategist was doing now—was he also a pure-blood?
Quike had long suspected that during the interstellar pirate group’s mass prison break, Major General Blairand had taken advantage of the chaos to eliminate the “rival” by killing the Strategist out in the outskirts. After all, how could two zergs return when three had left? It didn’t add up. Unfortunately, he could only speculate in his mind, and would never dare to mention it to Ah Sui.
As they walked toward the rest area next to the training field, Quike suddenly noticed that the new recruits were slacking off and not running their laps. He couldn’t help but assert his authority as the squad leader. With a stern face, he blew his whistle and called out, “What are you all standing around for? Did you finish the extra laps I assigned you?!”
As soon as his words fell, a cold, sharp voice suddenly rang out from the ranks, sounding unusually harsh and abrupt:
“Report, Squad Leader! I don’t believe this kind of basic physical training will be of any help when it comes to fighting on the battlefield!”
Everyone was taken aback by the sudden outburst, turning to look in the direction of the voice. They saw that the speaker was a tall, muscular female zerg with short hair. His face was sharp with defined features, his eyes gleaming with intensity—he was clearly different from the other soft targets around him.
The new recruit speaking was named Guy, and he had the best physical abilities among this batch of trainees, as well as the most rebellious personality. He had already been dissatisfied with Quake’s endless punishment laps, and now, seeing the squad leader focus all his attention on flattering a handsome male zerg, deliberately showing off in front of them, he stepped forward to challenge his authority:
“I hope you’ll stop this useless punishment running. Right now, the other recruits of the same rank are already in the virtual room, engaging in combat training, while we’re still stuck on basic physical drills. We’re falling way behind. I don’t want to be eliminated during the year-end selection, and if you disagree, I’ll have no choice but to file a complaint with the higher-ups!”
Quike narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing him up from head to toe: “Guy, are you implying that there’s a problem with my training methods, and that they could very well lead to your elimination during the year-end selection?”
Guy coldly corrected him: “Not ‘could,’ but ‘definitely’!”
The other recruits fell silent, bracing for a storm of anger. However, to their surprise, Quike neither got angry nor upset. After thinking for a moment, he instead turned to the handsome male zerg standing nearby and quietly spoke:
“What should we do, Big Boss? He says your training methods are flawed.”
Quike could swear on his life that, back when they were in the interstellar pirate hideout, it was exactly this kind of training that Ah Sui had put them through.
“Superior martial skills require enough strength to back them up. If you’re lacking in strength, even if I give you a sword, you won’t be able to execute any techniques. The reason I have you all running is for your own good—get your physical fitness up first, and then we can talk about the rest.”
The words above were exactly what Ah Sui had said back when they were in the interstellar pirate hideout.
Ah Sui seriously suspected that Quike was stirring up trouble. He shot him a suspicious glance and asked, “Are you sure you’re training them according to my methods?”
Quike replied, “Of course. Weight-bearing runs, horse stance training, punching posts—these are all basic endurance drills. But these recruits are so full of themselves, they look down on them. They never take them seriously, or else we wouldn’t still be stuck running laps like this.”
Although Ah Sui suspected that Quike was subtly stirring the pot, he couldn’t help but feel a bit angry. These training methods had been passed down to him by his great-grandfather, who had learned them from his own great-grandfather. They had never caused any problems over the years—how could they suddenly be useless?
Ah Sui placed the bag on the ground, then walked directly in front of the recruit who had spoken. He lifted his hand to adjust the brim of his hat, frowning as he said, “The training methods you’re following now were set by me. If you have any issues, say it to me.”
Guy, furious to the point of laughing, found it absurd: “Are you a male zerg?”
Ah Sui thought for a moment before replying, “I suppose so.”
He had always considered himself a man, but now that he was among the Zerg Race, he figured he might as well adapt to the local customs.
Guy, thinking to himself that it made sense now why the training methods seemed so childish—after all, they were set by a male zerg—didn’t want to give the impression of being disrespectful toward a male. He merely coldly muttered two words: “No wonder.”
As soon as his words fell, Ah Sui suddenly shot toward his face like lightning, causing the recruits to gasp in surprise. Guy, hearing the rush of wind near his ear, immediately paled and tried to dodge. However, Ah Sui had already retracted his move swiftly. In front of everyone’s eyes, he flicked his sleeve, and between his fingers, he held a strand of orange-brown hair.
“Your hair.”
Among this group of recruits, Guy was the only one with orange-colored hair. Upon hearing this, he instinctively reached for his head, his expression betraying his surprise.
Ah Sui raised an eyebrow slightly, loosening his grip. The strand of hair was carried away by the cold wind. “Your speed is lacking, your reaction is slow, and your endurance isn’t enough. If this were the battlefield, your skull would already have been exposed to the enemy.”
The instructors, including Quike, were watching the spectacle with great enthusiasm, eager for Ah Sui to put these new recruits in their place. Seeing the scene unfold, they immediately started cheering and clapping: “Good! Big Boss, you’re magnificent! Show them what you’ve got!”
Guy, unable to save face, turned pale with embarrassment. Hearing this, his expression became a mix of green and white: “I wasn’t prepared just now. But try it again, and I won’t let you get away with it!”
Ah Sui thought to himself that it wasn’t even worth the effort. He could rip Guy’s hair out in three seconds, so he pointed to the duckbill cap on his head and said, “I won’t take your hair. If you can take my hat off within ten minutes, you win. How about it?”
The target of the hat was much larger than the hair—one flip, and it would be gone. Guy, feeling insulted by what he perceived as the male zerg mocking him, gritted his teeth and replied, “I don’t need ten minutes. One minute is enough!”
Guy’s personality wasn’t rigid at all—in fact, he was quite quick-witted. As soon as he finished speaking, he took advantage of Ah Sui’s momentary lapse in attention and swiftly lunged for the cap, aiming to snatch it off. However, Ah Sui leaned back and spun with an almost supernatural fluidity, evading his attack effortlessly. His movement was so precise and elusive that not only did Guy fail to grab the hat, he didn’t even manage to touch the corner of Ah Sui’s clothes.
The recruits watching from the sidelines gasped in surprise and quickly scattered, clearing the space for them. They had originally thought that Guy would have the hat off the male zerg in no more than ten seconds, but to their surprise, after nearly a minute of intense back-and-forth, Guy hadn’t even managed to touch the edge of the hat.
Quike had been timing the whole ordeal from the sidelines and purposely called out, “Big Boss! One minute’s up!”
Guy was taken aback upon hearing this.
Ah Sui’s gaze sharpened, and in an instant, he changed from evading to executing a swift, sharp grappling technique, locking Guy’s wrist. He followed up with a forceful kick to the back of Guy’s knee, and with a muffled thud, Guy collapsed to one knee, letting out a grunt: “Ugh!”
Ah Sui gave a serious critique: “Your strength isn’t enough. If it were, you should have been able to break free from my hold by now! Your base isn’t stable either—one kick and you lost your balance!”
He then shook his head. “Impatient and rash. You need to go back and practice.”
Guy, hearing Ah Sui’s words, was seething with anger. In a fit of rage, he disregarded the gender difference entirely and swung a punch at Ah Sui. With a quick, agile dodge, Ah Sui seized his other arm, twisting it forcefully in a cross-lock. As Guy screamed in pain, Ah Sui executed a swift shoulder throw, sending him flying.
“Boom—!”
Guy’s tall frame crashed heavily into the snow, sliding several meters before finally coming to a stop. Dazed and disoriented from the fall, he could barely stand, only managing to get up with the help of his comrades. With a mix of shock and fear, he looked at Ah Sui and asked, “You… are you really a male zerg?!”
Damn it, all the male zergs in the Imperial Capital were delicate and weak, when did one like this, who could actually fight, emerge?!
The rest of the recruits were equally stunned, wide-eyed in disbelief. Guy was one of the rare A-level female zergs in this batch, and his strength was no joke. Not only had he failed to take Ah Sui’s hat, but he had also been thrown out by him. Who would believe that if they heard it?!
Just as Ah Sui was about to speak, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through, flipping the hat off his head and revealing his strikingly noticeable black hair.
Damn! His hat!
Ah Sui was startled and quickly picked up his hat, putting it back on. However, it was too late. Guy and the others had already seen the black hair hidden under his cap, and their hearts simultaneously jolted in shock.
Black hair, black eyes?! There was a report on the Imperial StarNet recently about the discovery of a 100% pureblooded male zerg, who also had black hair and black eyes. Could it be… Ah Sui?!
Guy, still shocked, asked, “You… you can’t be…”
Ah Sui, curious, responded, “What?”
He hadn’t even considered the possibility of his identity being the focus. He simply thought his black hair was too unusual, and didn’t want zergs staring at it, so he wore the hat to cover it.
At that moment, Blairand had just finished his meeting and was walking out of the building with a group of generals. He suddenly spotted a circle of recruits gathered on the training field, and the figure standing in the middle seemed oddly familiar. His expression changed slightly, and his voice, tinged with surprise, couldn’t hide his astonishment:
“Ah Sui?!”
Ah Sui’s keen hearing picked up the voice, and he instinctively turned around. There, standing beneath the office building, was Blairand. Forgetting about Quike and the others, Ah Sui quickly ran toward him.
“Blairand!”
The joy in Ah Sui’s voice was unmistakable, and anyone could hear the happiness radiating from him. Holding his gift bag, he hurried to Blairand, his eyes bright with a beaming smile. His demeanor was in stark contrast to the swift, decisive fighter he had just been moments before.
Blairand was still a bit stunned, unable to fully process the situation. “Aren’t you at home? How did you come to the military base?”
Ah Sui raised his hand to adjust his hat, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I came to pick you up after work.”
As he spoke, something seemed to come to mind. He took out a bouquet of artificial flowers, neatly wrapped, from the shopping bag and handed it to Blairand. The bright red color stood out against the snow, almost dazzling. “Do you like it? I bought it on the way here, just for you.”
Blairand was momentarily stunned when he saw the bouquet in front of him. “For me?”
Ah Sui’s sudden appearance at the military base had already left him bewildered, and now, on top of that, he was holding out a bouquet of flowers? It was hard to comprehend.
Ah Sui was about to say something in response, but then he noticed the other generals standing beside Blairand, all staring at him intently. His words caught in his throat for a moment, and he hesitated before asking, “…Are these your colleagues?”
Upon hearing the question, Blairand finally realized what was happening. He subtly pulled Ah Sui to his side and introduced the generals one by one. “Ah Sui, this is General Ellis. The ones next to him are Colonel Nick and Director Coleman, all of them are my colleagues.”
As Blairand paused, unsure of how to introduce Ah Sui, General Ellis suddenly smiled and spoke warmly, “This must be His Highness Ah Sui, right? When I visited the palace a few days ago, His Majesty mentioned that Salaranfa had gained another pureblood male. Unfortunately, I’ve been tied up with duties and haven’t had the chance to visit. I never expected you to come to the military base today. It’s truly an honor.”
As Ellis spoke, he reached out and shook Ah Sui’s hand, his attitude warm and respectful. Even the nearby Colonel Nick and Director Coleman smiled and echoed, “Your Highness, it’s a great honor to meet you.”
Ah Sui, not very skilled at socializing, could only awkwardly respond, “I’m also very glad to meet you all.”
Ah Sui spoke and gently pulled his hand away from General Ellis, offering an awkward smile before quietly retreating behind Blairand. He lowered his voice, saying, “Blairand, I need to talk to you.”
Blairand sensed something was off with Ah Sui today. Seeing more and more onlookers gathering around, and likely realizing that many of the military females had figured out Ah Sui’s identity, he could only excuse himself from General Ellis and the others, saying, “Sorry, I just remembered there’s a document I forgot to grab. I’ll take my leave for now.”
General Ellis and the others quickly understood what was going on. Their eyes briefly shifted between Blairand and Ah Sui, thinking to themselves that the military had been gossiping about Blairand being unmarried and unrequited in love. So why did it seem like this male actually cared quite a bit about Blairand?
General Ellis said, “Go ahead, Your Highness Ah Sui is here for the first time at the military base. You can show him around.”
Blairand nodded. “Yes.”
After speaking, he took Ah Sui’s hand and turned to leave, speaking in a low voice, “If there’s anything, we can talk in my office.”
Major General Blairand’s office was upstairs, but it was lunchtime, and the hallway was filled with soldiers heading to the cafeteria. As they passed by, they attracted a lot of attention, especially since Blairand was holding a large, eye-catching bouquet—there was no way anyone could overlook it.
As for A Sui, it was unclear whether he did it on purpose, but he took off his hat and, hand in hand with Blairand, walked all the way to the office door, leaving behind a trail of murmurs—some surprised, others envious.
“Who is that male zerg? Why is he so close to Major General Blairand?”
“With black hair and black eyes, could he be the legendary pureblood male?”
“Who said Major General Blairand was being neglected and rejected? That male not only gave him flowers but also had a smile on his face. They seem to be in a really good relationship.”
Blairand led Ah Sui into the office, shutting the door behind them to block out the noise of the discussions outside. He looked down at the carefully selected artificial flowers in his hands, feeling a strange emotion rise within him. Unable to help himself, he raised his head and looked at Ah Sui. “Why did you come out today?”
Ah Sui, sitting behind the desk, was examining Blairand’s swivel chair. He slowly spun around in it, not explaining his reasons but instead asking seriously, “Do you like them?”
Blairand naturally liked it. He even found a vase and arranged the bouquet in it, trimming the stems with the scissors on the desk. “Mm, I like them. It’s the first time I’ve ever received flowers.”
Upon hearing this, Ah Sui suddenly stopped spinning in the chair. He stood up and moved to sit beside the desk. Leaning in toward Blairand, who was still trimming the flowers, he shyly admitted, his ears turning red, “Actually, the money for the flowers was yours~”
Blairand put down the scissors upon hearing this, shaking his head slightly. He didn’t understand why Ah Sui was always so concerned with these things. His voice was low and sincere as he said, “Ah Sui, there’s no need to keep things so clear between us.”
If they were to really count every detail, Blairand knew that if it hadn’t been for Ah Sui saving him back then, he might not have even survived to this day. Their bond was one of life and death, and bringing up such matters now would only risk making it feel like the emotional connection was being strained.
Ah Sui instinctively touched the small box in his pocket, feeling a bit shy as he asked, “Really? Actually, I bought something for you, but I’m not sure if you’d like it.”
Blairand was curious and asked, “What is it?”
Ah Sui hesitated for a moment before pulling out a black velvet box from his pocket. When Blairand saw what was inside, his heart skipped a beat. But before he could process it, Ah Sui gently took his hand and slowly slid an iridescent mother-of-pearl ring onto his ring finger. “Blairand, this ring is for you.”
It was Ah Sui’s first proposal, and he stumbled over his words a bit, his nervousness showing. “My great-grandfather said that when proposing, you have to use a ring. So… would you… would you marry me?”
After saying those words, Ah Sui’s cheeks slowly turned red. He tightly pressed his lips together, anxiously waiting for Blairand’s response.
“…”
Blairand lowered his head, carefully examining the ring in his hand. His eyelashes fluttered for a moment, and he remained silent for a long time. In the depths of his eyes were surprise, disbelief, and eventually, an indescribable joy, like moonlight gently filling the dark night—pure and soft.
After an unknown amount of time, Blairand finally raised his head to look at Ah Sui. His gaze was so gentle that it was almost impossible to meet his eyes, as if one glance would drown you in it. His voice was low and captivating: “Ah Sui, do you really want to become my partner?”
Ah Sui, with his face flushed, nodded seriously and answered softly, “Mm.”
As soon as his words fell, Ah Sui’s cheeks were suddenly covered with warmth as Blairand leaned in and kissed him. Ah Sui’s pupils dilated slightly, only to feel something cold slipping onto his finger. He raised his hand and looked, only to see that a ring had appeared on his ring finger. The ring was antique in design, with a gem embedded in the center. He couldn’t tell what material it was made of, but it glimmered spectacularly in the sunlight.
Ah Sui was surprised and asked, “What is this?”
Blairand paused for a moment at the question, but he didn’t stop the kiss, instead mumbling two words, “A ring.”
Ah Sui blinked. Of course, he knew it was a ring. “When did you buy this ring?”
Blairand had no choice but to sit up slightly, lowering his voice to explain, “I didn’t buy it. It’s a family heirloom.”
His long fingers gently traced the gem embedded in the ring, as if caressing the history of the southern lands spanning thousands of years. His voice, tinged with an unspoken meaning, murmured, “Inside it, there’s a piece of my wing.”
Since the day Ah Sui had proposed to marry him, Blairand had prepared this ring, waiting for the male zerg to make the first move. He had even been ready for a long wait, but he never expected that the day would come so quickly.
Look, the ceremony was already complete.
Blairand knew he hadn’t made the wrong choice from the start.
Ah Sui was always especially happy when receiving gifts, and upon hearing Blairand’s words, he didn’t need any encouragement. He pushed the female zerg onto the desk, kissing him from head to toe, as if completing the partner ceremony right there.
Blairand followed his lead, gently cupping Ah Sui’s face, kissing him over and over again.
This was quite a struggle for the female soldiers waiting outside the office, eager to watch the spectacle. They stood there until their legs went numb, only to see Major General Blairand and the male zerg finally come out. Given their skills in intelligence, it didn’t take long for them to notice a few subtle anomalies.
For instance, the flowers that Major General Blairand had been holding seemed to have disappeared.
For another thing, both he and the male zerg were now wearing rings on their fingers.
And lastly…
Both of them had a slight flush on their faces, looking as though they hadn’t been up to anything innocent.
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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]")
Proposal~ double proposal~