Chapter 15

Chapter 15

To offer a simple illustration: during exams, students might forget well-mastered concepts due to excessive anxiety, only for that knowledge to resurface effortlessly the moment the bell signals the end of the test.

Such occurrences are exceedingly common among humans.

However, within the Insectkin, this phenomenon is rare.

More precisely, for high-caste female Insectkin, forgetting is not an easy feat.

They are pathologically obsessive; once provoked, if they fail to attain their desires, they will either erupt in furious madness or endure suffocating, silent torment, ultimately leading to their demise.

Nair Inan mentally replayed his actions upon entering the washroom, suddenly realizing that his anger over Lu Cian’s absence today had caused him to deviate from his long-established routine.

His mind, intensely focused on why Lu Cian hadn't appeared, had mindlessly tossed his discarded underwear into the basin.

Nair Inan: "..."

He was stunned that he had broken a habit cultivated over such a long period!

Habits were second nature to female Insectkin; they could perform daily routines flawlessly, even with their eyes closed.

Though such ingrained behaviors typically required at least a year to form.

Yet, even before his arrival at Larenha Prison, he had disliked showering with his clothes on and had always placed his soiled underwear on the clothes rack.

But today, because of an insect he’d known for less than a month, he had broken that habit.

Nair Inan’s grip on the clothes rack tightened abruptly, the metal rod bending and deforming under the force.

The sudden clang startled Nair Inan, causing him to release his grip and accidentally knock the clothes rack to the floor.

Then he remembered: the underwear had fallen into the basin.

And he had handed that basin of dirty clothes to Lu Cian, instructing him to wash them.

Nair Inan: "..."

Nair Inan could only press his hand to his forehead. What on earth was wrong with him today?

Left with no choice, Nair Inan returned to Lu Cian’s cell door, only to find it seemingly empty.

Nair Inan grew even more silent.

Lu Cian, of course, had no idea Brother Nan had returned for his underwear—and even if he had, he wouldn’t have cared.

Since both possessed male physical characteristics, even if Lu Cian was constantly brainwashed into believing he was female, he still considered himself male.

Between members of the same sex, what difference did it make to see a little more or a little less?

Besides, he hadn’t personally hand-washed the underwear, so it wasn’t a big deal.

When Lu Cian saw Brother Nan waiting at his cell door, clearly for him, he was both surprised and delighted.

"Brother Nan, perfect timing! The clothes are washed—I was just about to bring them to you!"

Nair Inan stiffly took the basin and left without a word.

Lu Cian didn’t sense anything amiss, instead thinking how truly considerate Brother Nan was, even coming down personally to spare him the trouble.

Nair Inan, however, couldn’t let it go so easily.

He might be displeased with subordinates who didn't show him proper deference, but in prison, having an underling like Lu Cian was already quite fortunate.

The problem was, Nair Inan had inadvertently had his underling wash his underwear…

This was truly a deeply humiliating and utterly disorienting situation for an insect.

And not long ago, Nair Inan had even wronged this very underling.

So, how was he supposed to navigate this predicament now?

Nair Inan rigidly pondered the situation for half the night but couldn’t come up with a solution. The next noon, when confronted with a beaming Lu Cian, his expression was naturally anything but "pleasant."

To an uninformed outsider, this simply looked like the Big Bug was in a foul mood, treating Lu Cian with extreme disdain and dissatisfaction.

This continued for two full days. After all, for a top-tier figure, a peculiar and unpredictable temperament was perfectly normal.

Lu Cian didn’t perceive anything amiss, but in the eyes of other insects, this was a clear sign that he was about to be abandoned by the Big Bug.

On the third afternoon after Blair’s departure, Nair Inan didn’t ask him to prepare dinner because he had conceived of a form of apology for Lu Cian.

It involved sparing him from one of his meals and presenting him with another box of nutrient solution.

From previous observations, this "little female insect" seemed quite fond of the nutrient solutions he provided.

This action further solidified the belief among the lurking female Insectkin that the Big Bug had indeed abandoned Lu Cian.

That evening, in the washroom.

Three insects and their leader, Huai En, had been lying in wait nearby since earlier.

Lu Cian, carrying his newly issued basin, approached the washroom entrance. He instinctively felt something was off about the atmosphere, but he merely attributed it to his own excessive happiness.

Both his eyelids had been twitching since that morning. Lu Cian wasn’t superstitious, but ever since arriving in this absurd world, he had been forced to become so.

He recalled a time at his grandmother’s house when, due to an eyelid twitch, she had lectured him about which eye twitching signified wealth and which foretold disaster.

Lu Cian’s memory was somewhat hazy; he couldn’t recall which eye brought fortune and which brought calamity.

However, since both eyes were twitching now, perhaps one fortune and one disaster would cancel each other out?

At noon, Lu Cian had learned that Nair Inan was granting him a day off—no need to prepare dinner that evening—and had even gifted him a box of nutrient solution.

To Lu Cian, this was absolutely wonderful news.

Lu Cian’s mood remained excellent throughout the afternoon, and he worked with exceptional diligence.

The prison guard praised his efficiency and even issued him a new basin.

The previous basin had been discarded by Lu Cian for certain reasons after an incident where he was harassed, and he hadn't had one since, nor had the prison issued a new one.

This particular guard likely had a good relationship with Captain Luo. Blair had informed Captain Luo, who then relayed the information to his colleagues, leading to this small favor for Lu Cian.

Lu Cian was genuinely grateful to Captain Luo, and equally thankful to his friend, Blair.

His luck was truly not bad; to encounter so many good insects in this alien world!

Overwhelmed with joy, Lu Cian had completely forgotten that a "disaster" still awaited him.

Upon reaching the washroom entrance, Lu Cian, though vaguely sensing unease, merely attributed it to his excitement over Blair’s impending return.

This only emboldened the four insects to corner him—and indeed, Lu Cian was successfully ambushed.

The timing of this incident was truly coincidental: Blair was absent, and an apparent "discord" had arisen between Lu Cian and Nair Inan.

No insect dared to inquire about the affairs of the Big Bug, nor would any think to concern themselves with the trivial matters of a small insect like Lu Cian, leading to their collective misunderstanding.

The three junior insects even convinced themselves that their previous fears had been exaggerated and that they had been overly paranoid.

While the Big Bug was indeed formidable, he had never explicitly declared his protection over anyone. Perhaps he simply found Lu Cian’s cooking delicious, and Lu Cian was merely leveraging the Big Bug’s reputation as a shield to protect himself.

Having grasped this perceived truth, the trio had long planned to find an opportunity to corner Lu Cian. Even if they couldn’t keep him permanently, a single encounter would suffice.

Now, believing that the Big Bug had abandoned Lu Cian, they were overjoyed, sensing their opportunity had arrived, and were eager to get their hands on him.

Their leader, Huai En, was eventually persuaded by the relentless arguments of the three insects.

"Well, well, pretty boy, we meet again. How about a little chat with us?"

Recognizing them, Lu Cian frowned. "Sorry, I’m in a hurry to shower. I still have to give Brother Nan a massage, so no time for talk."

The three insects exchanged glances and then all laughed. "Oh, sweetheart, we’ve been watching you for a long time. You never go to that so-called '54188' Big Bug for massages at night. Still trying to fool us, are you?"

"We advise you to be sensible. That Big Bug won’t protect you at all. If you follow our boss, not only will you not have to grovel like you do for him, but you’ll also enjoy our boss’s special privileges…"

"Otherwise," one insect sneered, "you’re in for a bad time!"

When he first realized he was cornered, Lu Cian remained relatively calm, believing that with Brother Nan’s protection, they probably just intended to intimidate him.

However, to his surprise, the four insects not only refused to leave but slowly advanced towards him, subtly forming a circle, intending to corner him against the wall.

It was then that Lu Cian understood: they truly dared to lay hands on him.

Lu Cian reacted decisively, immediately throwing the basin in his hand towards them, turning, and bolting for the exit. As he ran, he shouted, "I’m Brother Nan’s insect! You dare corner and bully me? If Brother Nan finds out, you all don’t want to live, do you?!"

The leader chased for a few steps but halted upon hearing Lu Cian so brazenly invoke the Big Bug’s name—especially with so many insects within earshot. If Lu Cian was deliberately lying, and the Big Bug learned someone was falsely using his name, the consequences would likely be far worse than anything he himself could inflict.

So, perhaps Lu Cian wasn’t lying?

Huai En realized that the situation might not be as the three insects had described. He slowly came to a stop.

He valued his life. Regardless of the truth, he had no intention of getting involved until he confirmed the facts.

Huai En, who managed to be a minor leader in the prison without attracting trouble from other insects, clearly understood when to advance and when to retreat.

But the three insects were unlike Huai En; they lacked foresight and blindly continued their pursuit, thinking that since their boss wasn’t ahead, they could take advantage of the situation.

Even if their boss blamed them later, they could simply say he ran too slowly, and they couldn’t resist the charm of this prisoner who resembled a male insect.

What level of intelligence could one expect from three insects who willingly served as lackeys?

Such followers were either lacking in strength or in brains. Calling them stupid was almost a compliment; at least they wouldn't resort to petty schemes, form factions, or turn the prison into a chaotic mess.

Lu Cian desperately wanted to run back to his own cell, but it was quite far from the washroom. He could only sprint towards Brother Nan’s cell, accidentally twisting his ankle in the process.

Lu Cian felt his luck was truly terrible!

Several times, Lu Cian felt as though he was about to be caught, yet the three insects didn’t immediately close in, instead toying with him like a cat playing with a mouse.

Lu Cian was too exhausted to complain, hobbling towards Nair Inan’s cell.

Behind him, one of the three pursuers spoke: "Shouldn’t we just grab him directly? What if he begs the Big Bug for help, and he actually steps in?"