Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Yale woke up, the sky outside the window was already bright.

He rubbed his forehead for a while before he recalled that after he finished guiding the drone's mental energy yesterday, he felt dizzy and then lost consciousness.

However, there was no pain from overusing his mental energy in his body; instead, he felt unprecedented comfort and satisfaction.

Perceiving something, Yale sat up on the hospital bed. With a thought, his tangible mental energy condensed into a glowing orb, bouncing lively in the palm of his hand.

"My mental energy has grown stronger…?"

He rarely used his mental energy, but he knew that what he had yesterday was normal: it was scarce and unskilled.

Now, it seemed as though he had broken through some barrier. The sensation of being separated vanished, replaced by a warm abundance flowing through his limbs.

Yale focused and clenched his hand, causing the orb to pop and split into several smaller balls.

He squeezed each one, but still found nothing abnormal.

At that moment, the door to the infirmary room was knocked on, and an androgynous nurse poked their head in. "Good morning, Sir. How are you feeling?"

Yale snapped back to reality, casually swatting away the light orb. "Much better, where's Doctor Huys?"

Huys was the attending physician of the female insect who suggested him to undergo mental force conditioning yesterday.

"Doctor Huys is currently in the Intensive Care Unit. Breakfast will be served shortly, Sir. You may visit him after you've had your meal."

"I see, thank you."

Yale rolled out of bed, picked up the neatly folded new clothes by his bedside, and entered the bathroom to begin his grooming routine.

As for those forgotten little spheres of light, one of them had bounced into a vase beside the patient's bed.

Seconds later, a somewhat wilted lily gradually straightened its stem, with tender petals regrowing from it.

*

Following his memory, Yale walked to the ward he had been in the previous day. Pushing the door open, he found that the curtained area where the male insect had lain was now drawn shut.

"Doctor?"

He spoke hesitantly, and the curtain bulged momentarily before quickly smoothing out once more.

Yale's brows twitched. His hand was already on the curtain, but he hesitated, wondering if Huwais was examining something. "Doctor Huwais?"

"Here, here, here."

The curtain was pulled open from inside. Huwais's brown hair was disheveled, but his expression was normal. "I just closed the curtain while examining some... more private areas."

"Private... areas?" Yale froze for a moment. "And how were the results of the examination?"

Huwais's eyes flickered for an instant. For some reason, he paused before turning his head to continue, "Everything is fine. Don't worry."

Lowering his head to flip through the records, he changed the subject. "The female drone's condition has stabilized slightly, but it's still not optimistic."

"The hospital can't do much more, sir. Do you wish to take him with you?"

Yale looked at the female drone on the bed. His complexion was still pale, but his wounds had started to heal, making him appear less terrible. At least, there was assurance that he wouldn't die in the next second.

After a moment of silence, Yale asked, "If I don't take him away, will the hospital still dispose of him as they did before?"

"Yes."

This was the attitude of not only the hospital but also society towards a drone who had lost their "value." They wouldn't waste resources on rescue, nor would they offer any excess sympathy. At most, they'd ensure a relatively painless death.

Cold and ruthless.

Yale fell silent for a moment, suddenly recalling a slogan he had seen in his previous life about pet owners:

"Raising stray animals can be troublesome. Please thoroughly understand before deciding to take them in. Once you commit, you cannot give up halfway, or it will only hurt them again!"

He had initially intended to lend this drone a helping hand without any plans for long-term companionship or taking him as a drone servant. However, his hand was currently only halfway extended. If he let go, the drone would still die.

"Alright," Yale sighed softly. "I'll take him with me."

Xuais's eyebrows lifted slightly, seemingly relieved. "Okay, then I'll prescribe some emergency medications for you and give you some precautions."

In the end, a large number of medications were prescribed.

Antihemorrhagic, fever reducers, first aid, sedatives... It was a comprehensive list, even including treatments for hair loss.

Yet compared to his past life's experience of raising cats and dogs, these were necessities, so he could only watch helplessly asHughes scribbled away, filling the page with prescriptions.

Yale glanced at his balance. Excellent, it had directly decreased by a third compared to before coming to the hospital.

Even raising a small dog required neutering, he thought indifferently. At least with a female insectoid, they could save that expense.

Hughes smiled warmly. "Sir, don't worry about how to transport the medicine back. The hospital will deliver it for you, of course, including the female insectoid."

"The precautions have already been sent to your optical brain. If there's anything, feel free to contact me for free remote guidance."

"I understand."

Yale took the prescription and examined it carefully, then added another item. "Get an extra dose of sleep aid."

...

On the way back, Yale sent a message to 015, asking it to wait at the entrance to assist.

The hovercar stopped smoothly at the door. Yale opened the door and got out, gesturing towards the resting female insectoid in the back seat. With a clunk, 015's two mechanical arms extended, cradling the insectoid like a princess as it carried her inside.

"Thank you." He closed the car door and nodded to the driver who had transported them back.

But the car window hastily rolled down, "W-Wait, Sir..."

Yale turned his head, "What's the matter?"

The male insect's face flushed red as he stammered, "Before... Before, I misunderstood the situation and had an ill impression of you. I'm truly sorry!"

Yale gave him a closer look and realized that he was the worker insect who had complained about his treatment of the female insects during the transaction.

"It's alright, don't worry about it." He glanced at the embarrassed insect out of the corner of his eye, his eyes crinkling in a smile as he spoke gently.

The initially awkward female insect froze, then gradually widened her eyes.

Mesmerized by the male insect's profile and that glance, she stood rooted to the spot for a while. In the next second, she inadvertently slammed her face into the control panel—

AAAAAAH, Lord Male Insect smiled at me! He even spoke soothingly!!

AAAAAAH, Lord Male Insect is so good-looking, and so polite too! How can I possibly apologize to him normally now? AAAAHHHHH!!!

The rustling noise drew the curious gaze of passing insects. The male, with his reddened forehead, finally calmed down and reluctantly drove away.

*

Upon entering the room, Yale saw a huge cocoon that had formed on the couch.

The male was tall, and when he curled up on the sofa, it was as if a snow leopard was desperately trying to squeeze into a puppy's nest, looking extremely aggrieved. Covered in a thick cotton blanket, the sofa appeared even more cramped.

This house was allocated by Yale's workplace and only had one room, leaving no extra space to accommodate the male. Thus, they could only lay a thick layer of blankets on the sofa as a temporary bed.

"On the first try, he shrunk right away... I didn't have time to hold him down."

A weeping emoji scrolled across the robot's screen, clearly expressing its guilt for not completing its task.

Hughes had mentioned that the male's injuries were mainly on his back and legs, causing him to curl up subconsciously. However, this might worsen his condition and required closer monitoring.

"It's alright. I'll hold him down." Yale handed the coat in his arm to 015 and rolled up his sleeves.

In the hospital, various treatments were carried out, but with Hughes always at his side, Yale had never truly been alone with the male.

This thought briefly flashed through his mind, but before he could dwell on it further, his hand touched the surface of the blanket.

A peculiar warmth seeped through the blankets, staining the skin of his fingertips with its distinct vitality.

It was breathing, warm-blooded, and to some extent, an adult sentient being, much like himself.

Yale suddenly paused.

This sensation was too alien, both in his past life and now.

After a long moment, he exerted a gentle pressure with his fingers and hesitantly shook the bundle of blankets. "Hey... you..."

Yale's voice wasn't loud, yet strangely, the tightly curled cocoon cracked open a slight gap. Seizing the opportunity, he lifted the covers—

The female insect's soft white hair was slightly mussed. He had buried his head in the blankets, revealing only a fraction of his striking profile, his lips pressed together firmly, and his eyelashes trembling uneasily.

His breathing was uneven, indicating the endurance of pain, but his breath still held an incredible vitality, akin to a robust snow leopard momentarily resting from its wounds.

...His presence was overpowering.

Yale's grip on the blanket tightened as he waited for the numbness in his spine to subside.

In times of urgency, it didn't seem like much, but bringing the male drone home and placing him on the sofa felt too much. He felt like a cat whose territory had been invaded by a wild beast, every hair on his body ready to stand on end.

While he was in a daze, perhaps due to the pain in his wounds, the drone shifted his position to lie flat on his back.

The sofa was small, and with this turn, he was almost pressing against Yale, their bodies almost touching. The warmth and soft rustling through the blanket made Yale feel as if he was being nuzzled by a snow leopard, causing an indescribable shiver to rise from his waist to his abdomen.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and the cotton blanket slipped from his palm, covering the drone's head and body entirely.

"..."

Yale sat down on the edge of the sofa, exchanging looks with 015 beside him.

"What should we do now?" 015 looked up at him, seemingly at a loss with the new addition to their home. "Hmm... should we just ignore him?"

"I don't know," Yale replied, his expression somewhat dazed. Unconsciously, he asked, "What do you think we should do with him?"

This question was too complex for the tiny-minded little machine, so it connected to the Star Network, seeking help from the vast online community.

"Searching the Star Network... What to do after acquiring a female slave, how to treat a pitiful little male drone found on the street, what specific actions to take with the newly added handsome female slave at home..."

The small screen rapidly flashed through numerous replies, and 015 eventually condensed them into:

"Check his educational background, seduce him at the supermarket, indulge him in thick cream, dote on him, enjoy the sight of his tears, let him carry and hatch eggs, then keep flirting with him day and night!"

It spoke with great passion and conviction.

The room fell silent.

"..."

Yale covered the lower half of his face, struggling to respond after a long while, "…You should limit your internet usage in the future, especially avoid getting hacked by the dark web."

"Alright." Though 015 was confused, it obediently disconnected from the network.

In the end, Yale took a deep breath and decided to carry on with his usual tasks, letting nature take its course. He would deal with anything else once the female insect woke up.

Sending 015 off to recharge, he activated the holographic computer on his wrist. A flood of 99+ messages scrolled by, accompanied by a series of beeping sounds.

"Sir, why have you taken leave? Are you unwell? May I be allowed to visit you? [Smiling Face][Flowers]"

"Ah ah ah ah ah, adorable, charming, kind, pure, and innocent Sir Male Insect!!! I adore you so much, ah ah ah ah ah! Please allow me to express my boundless admiration and affection!!!"

"Have you accidentally caught a cold, Sir? I have imported cold medicine from the home planet. If you need it, just respond, and I'll send it to you immediately! [Heart]"

At first glance, the screen was filled with "Sir"s and "Sir"s, intertwined with excited shrieks resembling a chicken's squawks, causing Yale terrible headaches.

He navigated back to the initial leave request page and reassured the concerned librarian before sending out the message en masse. Before his communication channel exploded again, he activated the do-not-disturb mode and switched to the shopping interface.

The female insect currently had only a hospital gown, and without it, they'd be left running around naked. Yale's clothes were too small for them, so he hurriedly purchased two sets as a temporary solution.

Yet when he searched for clothing suitable for a male partner, the results were filled with military uniforms or camouflage, occasionally interspersed with shirt and trouser sets for professional attire. Comfortable casual wear was virtually nonexistent. After much effort, he managed to find a few sets, only to discover that the fabrics were rough and uncomfortable.

Yale picked for quite some time but couldn't find anything suitable. He clicked his tongue in both frustration and amusement, "I might as well just buy a piece of cloth and wrap it around him like an ancient Greek insect."

"Silk fabric is soft and comfortable, it won't put pressure on any wounds and won't hinder daily activities. Plus, there's no need to worry about size, it can be adjusted to fit any size, big or small..."

He had initially said this casually, but as he spoke, he found the idea increasingly appealing. His expression became subtly intriguing as he fell silent.

The image of the male partner draped in a single piece of cloth appeared before his eyes. Soft white hair cascaded across his brows, his handsome face radiating like the sun god. His supple, plump body was enveloped by the thin, delicate cloth.

Tall and slender, his legs and ankles were visible beneath the fabric, each contour perfectly proportioned.

In contrast to his honey-saturated physique, his expression was stern and solemn, reminiscent of a high-ranking Archangel who, despite his exalted status, remained diligently devoted. There was an unintended sensuality that permeated his seriousness.

...What am I even thinking?

"..."

Yale pressed his fist against his lips, attempting to alleviate the indescribable awkwardness.

Author's Note:

Yay, Overly Imaginative Yay: Lecherous... Oh my, what am I thinking... Adorable... Stop it, brain, stop it (Pained Mask.jpg)

Suddenly, I wonder if it's too plain? Will it seem like a boring chronicle when read... (Cosmic Cats) No, I must always keep in mind my goal: to gently portray intimate moments, to reasonably depict affection, and to seize every opportunity!