Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The bathroom tiles were cold beneath his knees, while the hot water cascading down his back burned. Xi Ze's mind swam in the contrast of temperatures.

He leaned against the wall, half-kneeling on the floor with his eyes tightly shut, his expression stoic. With his other hand, he awkwardly reached around to wash himself, lacking any real experience.

"Ah..."

Having only known the theoretical knowledge and never actually applying it to himself, especially with his blindness, the process was rather clumsy.

Perhaps he had touched a wound, a sharp pain pierced through him, causing the male insectoid to gasp. His face paled, and all his muscles tensed up.

Xi Ze's nostrils flared for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the sudden wave of nausea.

He had never told the alpha that the torment hadn't been limited to superficial wounds; it had also damaged deeper, more hidden parts of him. And he didn't know if the damage was permanent.

Yale probably didn't know either, otherwise, he would have asked or mentioned it by now.

It was better this way... He had always had a high tolerance for pain. He could endure it until it passed without letting the alpha suspect anything.

Droplets fell from the ends of his hair, splashing into small puddles on the floor.

Countless thoughts swirled chaotically in his mind, yet none could be grasped. A mysterious sense of urgency hung over him like a scythe, fueling Xi Ze's irritation.

His expression was somewhat vacant as he washed his right hand mechanically and roughly, seemingly numb to any sensation of pain.

"Xi Ze?"

The male insect's voice echoed through two doors, muffled and distant, abruptly snapping the female back to reality, realizing that he might have been washing for too long.

He croaked a response, snatching the towel hanging nearby.

...

It was his first time lying on Yale's bed, but beneath him was not the softness of a quilt, but a thin, cold waterproof sheet.

Xi Ze paused, reaching out to feel around, confirming that the blankets and pillows had been removed, the entire mattress covered in plastic.

Unconsciously, the female insect pressed his lips together, a hint of embarrassment and indescribable loss flickering in his eyes.

"I'll leave you to it then. Call me if you need anything," 015 said routine-wise before closing the door behind him.

The sound of running water echoed from the nearby bathroom, indicating that the male insect had just entered.

Xi Ze carefully adjusted his position. The waterproof sheet crinkled softly with each movement, causing him to freeze in discomfort.

Unable to see the edge of the bed, he accidentally lost his balance and nearly fell, but his hand suddenly touched a hard corner beneath the bed.

Xi Ze frowned and, propping himself up, fumbled to open the box. His fingertips brushed against something solid, its shape ominous, and he could even detect a lingering hint of blood.

It was something sent by the Insect Guardians Association.

The female insect's fingers clenched, and his muddled thoughts began to clear.

He couldn't stand up, nor kneel down. Always clinging to his fragile self-respect, he would rather endure torment and abuse than beg for favor in humility.

But... Yale had never treated him as a mere slave.

Yale had given him a second chance at life, providing a safe home, ample food, clothing, and, most importantly, respect.

So, it didn't matter.

- As long as the one holding the whip was him.

With this thought, Xi Ze's tense shoulders relaxed as if he had given up resistance.

He took a deep breath and fumbled to retrieve an item, undoing its cold, metallic clasp.

...

Yale opened the bathroom door, only to widen his eyes in shock at the sight before him, then quickly shut the door again.

What was going on? Had he entered the wrong room or traveled through time?

He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.

Xi Ze was kneeling on the bed with his back to Yale, bound by intricate scarlet ropes that looped around his neck, down to his lower back, and tied his wrists together, forming a bow.

A silver chain was attached to the collar, with the other end secured to the headboard, making him resemble a snow leopard willingly restrained and collared, awaiting either affection or punishment, crouched and ready.

"..."

Merely catching a fleeting glimpse was enough to astonish him; Yale couldn't even fathom what it would be like to see it up close.

But he didn't want to keep Xi Ze waiting too long. After a moment of hesitation, he opened the door.

The male on the bed must have heard his approach, or perhaps it was due to the injury on his knee, as his spine trembled slightly, involuntarily forcing his body downward.

Only when Yale reached the bedside did he notice the box that had been dragged out from beneath it, now empty as its contents adorned the male's body.

With a hint of helplessness in his gaze, he almost sighed, "What are you doing?"

The male's eyes were covered with a black cloth, leaving only his tightly pressed lips and the rolling Adam's apple visible, betraying the subject's tension.

There was no response for a while. Xi Ze froze, unable to discern whether the alpha was pleased or displeased.

Yale had originally been examining the ropes, contemplating how to untangle them, but soon, he also heard the sound and caught a faint whiff of blood.

"What's that noise?"

His brow suddenly furrowed as he gave the female insect a closer look, realizing that something seemed off.

Following the sound, his expression shifted instantly, and his voice turned cold, "Are you insane? You dared to use this?"

Without bothering to carefully untie it, Yale snatched up the sharp pronged tool and sliced through the red rope binding the female insect, freeing her reddened wrists and ankles.

"Ugh!"

Xi Ze suddenly let out a muffled groan, his tone wavering slightly, as if filled with pain or some other emotion.

Clang.

Holding the trembling body of the female insect in one arm, Yale pulled the object out and threw it to the ground. Seeing the blood on his fingertips, anger flickered across his brow.

"Do you believe me when I say I won't let you off easily unless you give me a reasonable explanation today?"

With the object removed from his mouth, Xi Ze was freed from suffocation and collapsed into the male insect's embrace. At Yale's words, his body tensed, and his voice came out hoarse and hesitant.

"Today... the Insect Guardians Association came over, and then... the Master brought this box into the room..."

The drone spoke hesitantly, but Yale instantly understood, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

"So you think I'm going to start tormenting you tonight?"

"Is that how you see me, as a drone who enjoys abusing other drones?"

He was almost amused by the absurdity, but he didn't bother hiding or beating around the bush for the drone to guess.

"Hughes just informed me today about your injuries in your reproductive chamber, so I needed to perform a deep treatment on you."

The drone in his arms froze, his expression a bit dazed.

Then, he abruptly lifted his head, as if he wanted to say something, but Yale interrupted him.

"I put this box outside because I was worried you might accidentally touch it. There's no storage room at home, so I placed it under the bed to gather dust."

"Does that clarify things for you?"

Yale gazed down at the drone, and as he saw the faint hint of blue in those golden eyes, his anger deflated like a pricked balloon, vanishing silently.

Xi Ze was still in a daze, nodding instinctively before shaking his head. He reached out to grasp the alpha's forearm, as if afraid that the other would withdraw.

"I'm sorry... I'm not, Alpha..."

Desperate to explain, he found himself disoriented by his emotions, his apology muffled and hoarse, with a hint of a choked sob in his thickened voice.

Yale sighed and laid his hand on the bare shoulder blade.

Beneath his palm, the warm body trembled slightly, like a tamed beast, its wild nature still intact but submitting to have its belly stroked.

"Let this be a one-time exception."

He removed the tight decorations from Xi Ze's body and returned them all to the box.

After a moment of hesitation, he still released his soothing pheromones, enveloping the female insect in his arms.

"Are you feeling better?"

Tonight, Xi Ze's emotions were unusually volatile, as if he was experiencing some kind of stress response. Thankfully, he managed to stop things in time before any worse consequences arose.

"Are you terrified of this kind of torment?"

While no insectoid was unafraid, this fear was different from that experienced on the battlefield or when facing the brutality in the female slave exchange.

It was like a deep void in one's chest, perpetually oozing black blood, an unhealing wound that couldn't be touched.

Yale gentled his tone, his palm gliding from the neck of the male insectoid down to his tailbone, as if soothing a frightened snow leopard.

"There, it won't happen again, I promise... I despise it too, it's so bloody and cruel. Those who enjoy such things are sick, aren't they?"

"Take a deep breath, calm down. We still have to attend to your wounds later..."

The male insectoid in his arms continued to tremble slightly, nodding as he clung tighter to Yale's waist, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"..."

...This was too peculiar.

Xi Ze kept his eyes tightly shut, the pain from his clenched teeth barely registering amidst his overwhelming stress response.

The pounding of his heart brought both suffocation and dizziness, a cascade of adverse reactions.

He had thought he could hide it well, but apparently, he was far more vulnerable than he'd imagined.

Perhaps the problem didn't lie with him but with the male insect before him.

Each time, each and every time he teetered on the edge of a degrading abyss, Yale would grasp him firmly and powerfully—

How could there be such a male insect?

His mental landscape trembled violently, a fragile region now in shambles, yet surprisingly, it didn't cause much pain.

Beneath this complete upheaval, a vast tide of springtime sensations surged forth.

...

It took considerable effort to soothe the female insect, and by then, the sky had grown dusky.

Yale arranged the medications in a row on the bed and, after counting them, instructed the female to lie supine while he wrapped his legs around him.

"The wounds from before haven't fully healed, and you've just torn them open again. There might be some pain later, so bear with it a little."

He sanitized his hands and donned gloves, stealing a glance at the male insect before commencing, giving a gentle reminder.

"Okay."

Xi Ze still appeared somewhat dazed. Blurred traces of tears lingered on his face, his lips pressed together as he breathed rapidly, but signs of losing control were no longer present.

Although darkness still veiled his vision, it was as if he was enfolded in a vast, fluffy cotton candy, evoking a sense of long-lost security and relaxation.

"I'm starting."

With a gentle warning, Yale applied the translucent ointment on the outside of his glove, commencing the first round of treatment.

Xi Ze let out an indistinct groan, his breaths gradually becoming rapid.

Feeling somewhat uneasy, he looked down to see the male insect's other hand resting on his leg.

The warm palm encompassed his injured kneecap, its heat almost scorching the wounded flesh.

The male insect's fingers were cold yet gentle, their presence so vivid that it momentarily eclipsed the pain, occupying all of his thoughts.

"Male Sovereign..."

He spoke in a dazed, hoarse voice.

The suppressed weakness brought tears to his eyes once more; he couldn't resist leaning on one knee and biting the curved knuckle.

"Ah...!"

Author's Note:

The climax hasn't come yet, it's in the next chapter! I feel like Yeye is already exhausted.