Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Watch your step, sir, the snow on the road can be slippery."

The reminder came with the rustling of an umbrella opening.

Yale turned his head and found almost every female insect in the bookstore watching him with warm smiles, their diverse eyes gleaming brightly, "Have a delightful evening!"

This kind of greeting happened daily. Yale's lips curled into a smile as he stepped out into the snow, holding his umbrella aloft.

"Phew..."

Moist white mist exhaled from his nostrils and lips, vanishing into the air without a trace.

Evening had fallen, and massive projections and neon lights flickered to life, weaving countless glittering star trails across the sky that intertwined, outlining the beautiful yet cold silhouette of this high-tech metropolis.

He had been gazing at this scene for over three years, yet it still felt foreign and bewildering to him.

Three years ago, he had transmigrated.

After collapsing from an all-night experiment and suddenly finding himself in a foreign insectoid society, Yale discovered not only was he linguistically challenged, but his very species had transformed.

In this world of insects, there were no males or females, only females and sub-females, both bearing the physical structure and appearance of human males.

With a societal hierarchy resembling that of bees, where dominant females and sub-females comprised the majority, holding lower status, male insects were scarce and thus held immense prestige due to their rarity.

Yale considered himself fortunate to have reincarnated as a male insect. When discovered on the battlefield, instead of being instantly killed, he was taken to a hospital for treatment. Later, to blend in less conspicuously, he changed his name to Yale.

A year ago, he settled in Etar, securing a job as a librarian to facilitate his learning while supporting himself. The female colleague who just greeted him was one of his coworkers.

But—

"Sir, has your shift ended? Have a pleasant evening!"

"Sir Yale, would you consider going on a date with me tonight... Alright, I knew it was a long shot. I'll try again next time."

"Sir...!"

The moment Yale stepped out of the library, a tidal wave of enthusiastic greetings engulfed him, akin to a giant panda being placed in a crowd, eliciting excited shrieks and commotion.

Resisting the urge to sigh, he nodded in acknowledgment and politely declined every invitation for a night together.

"Yes, thank you."

"Sorry about that."

"..."

However, his responses couldn't keep up with the stream of propositions, so he pressed on, hoping to bring this encounter to a swift end.

Unbeknownst to him, his helpless yet composed demeanor only fueled the desire of the females, who eagerly jostled forward, yearning to claim him as their own.

Yale took nearly twenty minutes to traverse the several hundred-meter stretch.

Just as he finally caught sight of a fork in the road, two figures entangled in a fierce scuffle suddenly tumbled into his path. "F*ck you...!"

"Screech."

Noticing a pair of boots halt before him from the corner of his eye, the two enraged females turned their heads, ready to pounce on this clueless intruder.

Yet the moment they turned their heads, their eyes widened in astonishment, their faces freezing into comical expressions.

"Excuse me," Yale frowned, speaking with a hint of helplessness.

"G-Gentleman, it's you! I'm so sorry..."

The female insect sprang up from the ground, hurriedly brushing off the dust from her clothes and smoothing down her disheveled hair.

"Good evening, sir. Where are you headed? If I may, I'd be honored to assist you!"

The insects on the side of the street found this scene quite ordinary, with one female insect even teasing them with a smile, "You two clumsy fellows, behaving like that won't win the heart of Sir Male Insect."

The teased female's face flushed red, then she glanced at one of the few male insects on this remote planet, feeling somewhat discouraged.

This male insect had suddenly appeared here a year ago.

A precious and rare male, who had yet to undergo secondary differentiation, and was breathtakingly beautiful. His arrival had caused quite a stir.

What the female insects were more concerned about, however, was... whether he would choose a few female attendants from among them.

This speculation stirred up the enthusiasm of all the females, but contrary to expectations, this male had been settled here for almost an entire year without forming any close relationships with any female, let alone becoming anyone's bonded servant.

Gentle yet dignified, casual yet distant.

This was the impression that the females of this planet had of Yale.

He stood there in the snow, his porcelain-white fingers holding the ribs of an umbrella, his delicate black hair framing a chiseled and handsome face. Even his long eyelashes were adorned with tiny ice crystals, making him appear as beautiful as frost and snow.

Anyone who laid eyes on him couldn't help but marvel and feel tender affection, wishing they could immediately envelop him under their protective wings.

"Excuse me, please make way."

Yale spoke up again, rousing the mesmerized females from their trance. They parted like the Red Sea, clearing a path for him.

—Yet, despite their longing, they lacked the courage to act. After a year, all they could do was watch, approach to greet him and become familiar, then watch him depart with reluctance.

As Yale vanished at the end of the road, the surrounding crowd gradually dispersed.

"How can there be such a beautiful and gentle male! I really doubt if what we're seeing is just a fantasy of us singletons who have been alone for too long..."

A young male insect stood transfixed, watching the departing alpha, nudging his companion with his elbow and voicing his thoughts aloud.

"Doesn't Sir Alpha feel lonely without any female attendants? Even if he's capable of living independently, it must be awfully isolating, don't you think?"

His friend shot him a sidelong glance, taunting, "Well spoken. The New Year is almost here. Why not sneak into Sir Alpha's window in the middle of the night to offer some warmth?"

"Get lost!"

*

"At last..."

After hurrying quite a distance, Yale finally slowed his pace, a slight relaxation visible on his face as he couldn't help but let out a sigh.

He hadn't anticipated that even a D-class alpha would be so sought after, especially considering he had no noble status and nothing particularly noteworthy about him.

"Sir, back for more groceries?"

Yale's musings were interrupted by an inquiry. Behind the supermarket entrance, the female owner lounged nonchalantly at the cashier, promptly sitting up straight upon spotting him.

Recalling the gentle reminder from his home's robotic butler, he tucked away his umbrella and entered the supermarket. "Hmm, I should get some vegetables and bread."

"Sir, you've arrived at just the right time! We've just received a new shipment of tomatoes and corn!"

The female insect owner led the way, "Everything else here is also fresh stock from today. Feel free to pick whatever you like."

Yale casually glanced around, but his peripheral vision caught sight of a sign with a familiar image. As he was about to take a closer look, the owner blocked his view.

"?"

"It's just a minor sales tactic," the female insect looked embarrassed, her eyes darting around uneasily.

"Of course, if it bothers you, I'll remove it right away!"

By now, Yale had seen clearly what it was—a small blackboard with a cartoon version of himself drawn on it. Black hair, black eyes, holding an umbrella and wearing a white down jacket, depicted in exceptionally clean and attractive lines.

It was his sketch, and below it were small words that read "Vegetables purchased by Sir Male Insect," with an arrow pointing to an empty vegetable rack, making it quite noticeable.

Yale's expression was a mix of emotions as he said, "You're quite skilled at trading."

In the end, he didn't touch the sign and let the drone leave to make its own choices.

The mini star beast's hind legs resembled those of a dinosaur... The meat looked decent, so he picked some up.

The colorful tomatoes... They seemed ripe, so he grabbed a few.

The burnt, elongated bread in the shape of a giant cockroach... He put that back.

Despite the insectoid civilization being technologically advanced by billions of years compared to Earth, thankfully, nutrient solutions hadn't replaced vegetables and meats.

As he was selecting items, the hovering display next to him turned on, broadcasting the latest news about the surrounding galaxy's safety.

"The latest reports indicate that the war has come to an end, and the neighboring small galaxies will finally enjoy long-awaited peace and stability... In the previous conflict, the First Legion suffered losses and is still in recovery..."

"Today marks the anniversary of the sacrifice of Admiral Monte, the shining beacon of the Empire. Since the late Admiral Mandel gave his life for the nation five years ago in the Mandel Battle, no such brilliant commander has emerged. Let us mourn their loss deeply..."

Yale froze, raising his eyes to look at the screen. There had been fewer war-related reports lately, but each time, there was a tribute to this admiral.

The image on the screen had been deliberately processed, barely revealing a figure standing tall and dignified amidst blinding sunlight and a billowing crimson cloak.

Someone praised by official media as the "Light of the Empire" must have countless achievements, invincible and adorned with roses and glory.

In the insectoid society, most females chose to enlist in the military. Besides their innate advantages, high-ranking military females with numerous merits had the right to choose their own partners, not to be casually reduced to a servant for any male insectoid.

Yet, none of this concerned him.

Though the insectoids adhered to the custom of male dominance over females, the root was still the oppression of the lower classes by the higher ones, a monopoly and struggle for power.

The equal distribution of resources and wealth had always been the empire's slogan to appease the masses. Low-ranking males were also considered resources, just priced at a higher premium.

He never felt that he was exceptional, especially since he was merely a human trapped within an insectoid shell, constantly vigilant and self-reflective, knowing that exposing his weakness would lead to being torn apart.

Yale lowered his gaze, staring at the tomato in his hand, unsure whether to feel fortunate that his rank was only D, distant from the treacherous center of power, allowing him to live peacefully.

...

As he left the supermarket, Yale caught a glimpse of the owner grinning and bending down to retrieve a stack of small blackboards from under the cash register. Each one featured his cartoonish portrait.

Next to those items he had just purchased, they were hung prominently, resembling a supermarket mascot.

Yale: "...."

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. He opened his umbrella and stepped back into the snow.

*

Just as Yale reached the entrance, the plump little robot butler, 015, rolled up to greet him, extending its long mechanical arm to take the items.

As he was about to close the door, something unusual caught the corner of his eye.

At the top of the door hinge, someone - unknown to Yale - had attached a chip.

A listening device?

Yale's gaze darkened slightly as he reached out to remove it. However, before he made contact, the chip sensed his proximity and activated a flat holographic projection:

"Massive sale! Huge discounts! The Male Slave Exchange will be launching a new member discount event on the third of this month!"

Yale: "?"

This was actually... an advertisement for electronic chips?

Yale was momentarily stunned by such a sophisticated form of spamming.

"Don't pay 19,999, don't settle for 9,999, get your obedient and adorable submissive for only 1,999!"

"What are you still hesitating about? Is it because our sub-females aren't attractive enough, or are our male worms not gentle and submissive..."

Before Yale could react, the projection started cycling through photos of slaves in the exchange, leaving him dizzy from the array.

He reached out to pull the chip off, accidentally pressing something that caused the constantly changing projection to pause on a single image.

Yale casually glanced at it, but in the next moment, he found himself captivated by a pair of molten gold eyes.

Those eyes shone brightly amidst the grime, their beauty transcending the world, yet they carried a sharp edge of hostility and aggression, piercing through the projection itself.

So fierce.

But so beautiful.

Upon seeing this image, anyone's first impression would be those eyes, followed by the finer details.

The male insectoid in the picture had a stern and chiseled silhouette, with handsome features, deep eyes, and a deep crease between his brows, resembling a solemn and majestic high-ranking general.

However, he was in disarray, barely covered, clearly not associated with nobility. This kind of aura only stirred up a stronger desire to conquer.

The trainers seemed to share this view as well. In all the displayed photos, none of the male slaves had as many and as severe injuries as he did, like shattered porcelain after a violent collision.

Yale was momentarily lost in thought, his gaze drifting down to read the red caption beneath the picture:

"Defective item: Selling at one-tenth the price"

Indeed, it was a pitifully low price, completely unmatched by those captivating eyes.

His heart was gently tapped, stirring a subtle flutter. Yale pressed his lips together and, surprisingly, genuinely felt a spark of interest.

"Why aren't you coming in?"

Unit 015 poked its head out, its reddish-brown eyes filled with confusion as it looked at Yale, who stood rooted to the spot.

"…He's here."

For a moment, he hesitated before completely pulling out the chip, casually snapping it and discarding it. The projection flickered and the image was severed entirely.

Forget it, he was already living in a daze, lacking the energy to engage in anything else.

Author's Note:

A sweet confection of an everyday tale, filled with warmth and redemption!

Yale's pet name is Yeye, while Xi Ze's is General!

The author dislikes the terms "gongbao" or "shoubao" for the characters. If possible, everyone is encouraged to use pet names instead!

Other endearing terms are also welcome, my little angels, feel free to be creative!

Please do take note, the roles are set with a beautiful dominant and a strong submissive— it's not to be reversed or altered, wink-wink.