Chapter 14

Chapter 14

However, there was a pressing issue at hand –

He was broke.

After purchasing the necessary ingredients, Yale realized that he only had two thousand star coins left in his account, which equated to one-fifth of his monthly salary.

In two days, he would need to take Xi Ze for a follow-up appointment, and this amount was far from sufficient.

After freshening up, Yale returned to his room and switched on his light computer, browsing through online temporary part-time job opportunities.

Live-stream product promotion... Fake shopping sprees... Sweet wake-up calls... Cat-eared headset voice gaming companion...

"..."

Each one seemed more absurd than the last. He swiftly scrolled past them, yet after looking through dozens of listings, not a single one seemed suitable.

Perhaps it was due to the platform. Yale exited and searched for one with official certification.

Pin: "Title: %#gd#$XX, Solve for Compensation."

Yale felt intrigued and tapped in.

Inside, there was only one question with a button for submitting answers – simplicity epitomized. Not even the specific amount of compensation was mentioned.

He exited and glanced at the app's icon again, which seemed to represent a university. Scrolling down, he saw that most posts were requests for help in solving problems, along with discussions on various issues.

Yale began to understand.

I see, it's similar to the X Solver or Little X Question Checking apps he used in high school, where users upload problems to the platform and receive paid solutions.

However, this particular question pertains to the core algorithms in genetic editing within the field of life sciences, which is quite intricate and involves numerous steps.

Would the academy actually pose such a complex problem to its students...?

During the previous three years, he had coincidentally been working under an esteemed mentor researching precisely this topic, so he has some understanding. It was due to his mental health issues that he eventually bid farewell to his mentor.

Presumably, more money would be offered for more challenging questions.

Yale intended to dip his toes into this challenge.

With a tap on his quantum computer, several hovering screens of blue light emerged in mid-air.

He uploaded the problem onto the screen and began solving it with the tip of his pen.

...

As night deepened, snow fell silently.

The room was shrouded in darkness, save for a softly glowing azure light screen suspended in mid-air, upon which a torrent of intricate calculations flowed continuously, flipping to a new page in no time.

Yale's face remained impassive, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow on his eyelids. Unceasingly, his hands danced across the screen, manipulating an array of algorithms.

Thud—

A muffled thud echoed in his ears, shattering the tranquility of the room.

Yale's movements stilled, and he snapped back to reality.

A familiar crackling sound echoed from the living room, causing him to drop his pen and stride towards the door with determination.

The curtains on the balcony were open, casting a dim light over the living room. The couch was barren, devoid of the presence of the male insectoid.

"Xi Ze?!" Yale called out the male's name in alarm.

Upon entering, he noticed that the heavy glass coffee table had been knocked askew, and the male was curled up convulsing in a narrow crevice, seemingly oblivious to the objects that had fallen on him.

The charging 015 robot, sensing the commotion, activated itself automatically and hastily unplugged itself to lend assistance.

Yale's expression darkened as he stepped aside to make space for the robotic butler. "Use your mechanical arm to hold him down."

He attempted to release a calming mental energy, hoping to alleviate Xi Ze's intense aggression and sharp resistance.

"…!"

However, the moment he was restrained, Xi Ze struggled even more fiercely. His barely healed wounds tore open once more, fresh blood seeping through the blankets.

Yale tried to assist in holding Xi Ze down, only to find his hands covered in warm blood amidst the chaos.

"Stay still!"

A turbulent mix of emotions, neither anger nor frustration, surged within him as he gritted his teeth and growled at Xi Ze.

His calming mental energy carried a hint of compulsion, causing the trembling body beneath his hands to shudder even more before curling up tighter.

He instructed 015 to carry the male back onto the sofa, but before he could thoroughly examine him, a hovering vehicle suddenly sped past overhead.

"Huh—"

The bright headlights illuminated the living room for a brief moment, casting a glow on the male on the sofa.

Yale noticed that Xi Ze's eyes were closed, seemingly still asleep and not in the midst of a loss of control like last time. Instead, he was trapped in some sort of nightmare.

The male, wrapped tightly in the blanket, was tense all over, with his expression concealed in the darkness, barely discernible.

Yet, Yale could hear his rapid breathing, damp and heavy, resembling a panicked fish stranded on the shore.

For an instant, Yale thought he had been crying, but another flash of headlights illuminated the male's face.

Only then did he realize that, just like in the previous live broadcast, the female insect was drenched in cold sweat, gritting his teeth and silently resisting the pain without showing any sign of weakness.

Yet, whether it was 015's efforts to rouse him or Yale's sharp reprimand, nothing could awaken him from this nightmare. It was like a tangled web that held him captive in a terrifying alternate world.

"Switch on the lights."

Yale tilted his head, gesturing for 015 to turn on the lights and simultaneously boil a pot of water.

He pulled the blanket off Xi Ze, gently nudging the tense shoulders and back in an attempt to rouse the sleeping male. But suddenly, the back of his hand stung.

In an instant, his vision blurred, and the quilt rose up, enveloping him completely.

"?!"

A damp, metallic scent of blood wafted from the warm quilt, leaving Yale momentarily dazed. He was then knocked backward.

In the next second, a chilling intent to kill pierced through the soft cotton, heading straight for his face.

His pupils constricted, and he erected a mental barrier in front of him, deflecting the incoming assault.

In the blink of an eye, it climbed up that arm and precisely invaded the male's mind, attempting to render him unconscious.

He succeeded, but not entirely. He took a punch to his shoulder, causing him to suppress a groan.

015, sensing the danger, swiftly returned, extracting a taser from its body to deliver the finishing blow—

"Zzzzt! Zzzzt!"

The intense buzzing of electricity rang in his ears, followed by a heavy body collapsing limply into his arms.

Yale, in a panic, reached out to catch the male, feeling the soft yet warm texture beneath his hands, like hugging a giant teddy bear that filled every corner of his embrace.

His heart trembled, but before he could savor the moment, his aching spine gave way, and he slowly sank towards the ground.

"..."

With only his right hand able to hold onto the male's body, Yale used his other hand to grip the coffee table for balance, all while a thick blanket was still draped over his head, leaving him feeling suffocated.

"015... come quickly, lend me a hand."

He muttered softly.

With great effort, Yale managed to move the male partner back onto the sofa. Pulling the blanket off his head, he took a deep breath of the cool air and asked, "Is he awake? Did he come to?"

The little robot butler hesitated, "I'm not sure... It looks like he's awake... But then again, he might not be..."

"What do you mean?" Yale frowned, pushing aside 015 to check on the male partner's condition.

Xi Ze was curled up on the sofa with his eyes open, though his expression remained dazed.

The signs of pain were still visible on his face, but they were significantly less intense than before. He appeared exhausted and weighed down.

015 had rushed over without turning on the lights earlier. Consequently, the living room was still dimly lit.

By the faint light filtering in from outside the balcony, Yale caught sight of those dull golden eyes. The glassy orbs seemed empty and unfocused, like an expanse of snow-covered wilderness after a heavy snowfall.

Yale suddenly realized that the male partner was blind.

Whether the lights were on or not made no difference, and the line between being asleep and awake wasn't so clear-cut.

In the darkness, horrors lurk, and if Xi Ze was afraid of the dark, then every moment would be an ordeal, a nightmare from which he could not awaken.

"Are you awake?" Yale whispered. "How are you feeling?"

Xi Ze didn't respond. Just as Yale was about to call out or nudge him again, the male insect in front of him blinked slowly, a tear suddenly falling down his cheek, sliding along the edge of his hairline.

Yale's heart jolted, his eyes involuntarily widening.

"Male parent..."

Xi Ze murmured, his damp, muffled voice trapped in his throat like the delirious whispers of a dying man, filled with identical pain and despair.

But after just one sound, he clenched his teeth, silencing himself.

...

Xi Ze knew he was trapped in a nightmare.

He expected to dream of a cramped and dark interrogation room, unbearable pain and hunger, and icy cold snowfields...

Yet, in reality, none of them existed.

He dreamed of the spiral staircase in his childhood home, an antique rose hue that could break a leg with a single misstep.

He dreamed of his stern female parent forcing a gentle smile, softly calling his name.

He envisioned the perpetually gray sky and battlefields, comrades fighting alongside him, their radiant glory medals shimmering in the light.

He saw himself lost and alone amidst the revelry, and the subtle yet deadly clashes in grand conference halls.

Until all scenes and faces blurred, overwhelming solitude, terror, sorrow, and fear followed him like a shadow.

It felt like a relentless pounding on his heart, his flesh and blood bursting and mangled, his fragmented soul scattered across an endless wasteland.

His mental landscape was in shambles, precariously holding on to the brink of collapse. A fierce blizzard swept across the wilderness, threatening to collapse the tiny mountain cabin.

Yet, in a daze, he found himself embraced by a warmth potent enough to crumble all emotional barriers.

He was held so tightly that the hollow space within him was finally filled, a joy indescribable began to overflow from his heart.

Like the birth of a soul, he was gently cradled in his Father's arms, feeling a long-lost sense of comfort and ease.

He basked in it, but the embrace only lingered briefly before departing.

A greater fear surged forth, breaking through his fragile defenses—

"Father..."

As if in response to his quiet plea, that departing hand returned to his forehead, brushing aside damp strands of hair with its fingertips, tracing a gentle path downward.

A strange yet soothing melody echoed intermittently, dissolving into the deep, tranquil night.

The monotonous tune was soft and ambiguous, repeating in cycles with the gentle patting rhythm.

The shadows and fears lurking in the darkness gradually dissipated, as if his entire body was immersed in warm amniotic fluid, syncing his heartbeat with the steady throb of his mother's.

His parched and aching mental landscape drank in the balm, submitting to the unfamiliar yet familiar spirit energy that quelled the raging blizzard within.

"... ."

Yale hummed an indistinct tune, his eyes veiled beneath his lashes, casting a tender glow on his profile in the dim light.

His fingertips brushed the crease between the male's eyebrows, causing the tense line to soften, erasing the pain-filled restraint that had been there before.

This episode of loss of control hadn't resulted in partial transformation; aside from the injured coffee table, no more damage was done, a significant improvement compared to the last disastrous event.

Yale finally exhaled in relief, a hint of weariness seeping into the corners of his eyes.

"…Goodnight."

He mouthed almost silently, preparing to rise and depart.

However, in the next instant, a firm grip seized his wrist.

Yale paused, and in the dimness, he saw a pair of molten gold eyes staring back at him.

"…Don't go."

Peering through the disheveled strands of hair and the narrow gap of the male's outstretched arm, the male was fixedly looking at him, his eyes holding a deep, enigmatic emotion.

"Are you awake?"

Yale hesitated, unsure if the male was truly conscious or if this was a precursor to another episode of loss of control.

Xi Ze blinked slowly, acknowledging Yale with an 'um', but still holding onto his hand tightly.

"It's late. Let's sleep first. We can tidy up the living room tomorrow."

Recalling the nightmare, Yale thought that the male might not want to fall asleep again. "Or would you like to listen to some news to pass the time? The smart home system can project it for us."

"…No need." Xi Ze seemed to have finally come back to his senses, his voice low and hoarse.

However, he didn't release Yale's hand. His knuckles clung tightly, enclosing Yale's hand in his palm, and the calloused tip of his finger unconsciously rubbed gently.

"What's wrong?" Yale sensed something amiss and asked softly.

With Yale's hand held against his forehead, Xi Ze's expression lost its coldness and detachment, revealing a soft weariness and confusion.

"Yale,"

Xi Ze enunciated each word deliberately, savoring them on his tongue, slowly and meticulously chewing, "Yale."

Yale appeared dazed. This was the first time Xi Ze had called his name.

Ever since he found out that Yale was a male worm, the female had addressed him with formal titles like 'Your Excellency' and 'you,' maintaining a distant and cautious attitude.

This was also the first time Xi Ze had shown a willingness to initiate conversation, though he didn't seem entirely rational at the moment.

Yale instinctively held his breath, as if afraid of disrupting this fragile tenderness.

"So cold..."

Xi Ze's voice was hoarse, his hot breath murmuring through the gaps in his fingers, making the skin there prickle with a fine itch.

"Pain..."

His voice seemed submerged underwater, all its sharpness washed away by gentle waves, almost an unconscious reliance.

Yale blinked, hesitated for a moment, then gently placed his free hand on the back of the female's head, stroking his soft hair as if soothing a restless cub.

"Cover yourself with the blanket, and you won't feel cold," he reassured. "The pain will fade when you fall asleep. Just bear with it for now."

There was a long silence from the male, as if he had drifted off to sleep once more.

Just as Yale was about to get up and leave, a barely audible whisper came from within his embrace, "Can I trust you?"

Yale's pupils constricted slightly, and he instinctively turned to look at him, "What did you say?"

The male changed his words, "… Never mind."

He finally released Yale's hand, his weary golden eyes half-lidded as he murmured softly.

"Sweet dreams, milord."