Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A calm yet expectant mood accompanied the insect-folk downstairs for several hours.

Making the most of their time, they managed to handle the most urgent matters. Now, the elderly butler, Dave, responsible for delivering snacks to Philo, had gone upstairs again to inquire if there was anything else he needed, while also reminding him that dinner would soon be served.

As the first true family reunion meal since their return, Butler Dave had prepared it with great care.

Thus, upon receiving Philo’s reply that he would come downstairs shortly for dinner, the old butler hurried down smiling to inform the others.

Moments later, Yi Jia Fa, who had descended before Philo, sat formally in the living room. Zhousha sat beside him, while the brothers Xing Hua and Qian Hua stood at attention behind the two elders.

In such a hushed atmosphere, the sudden sound of footsteps from upstairs became particularly distinct.

Lifting their heads almost instinctively, the already quiet insect-folk held their breath when they saw the male descending the stairs.

Philo hadn’t touched the expensive jewelry—truth be told, he couldn’t immediately treat himself as a complete outsider. Moreover, this wasn’t an important occasion.

The male had simply cleaned up. Instead of wearing the ornate noble-style outfits prepared by Yi Jia Fa, he had donned a crisp white shirt pulled from some forgotten wardrobe.

The pale white shirt was lightly colored, with an asymmetrical hem. The longer end was tucked into his waist, making the only bright accent on his body the spine-like crystal chain adorning his shoulder.

Walking across the smooth, dark hardwood floor, Philo descended step by step. Compared to the outfit Yi Jia Fa had prepared that morning, his current attire seemed much plainer and more casual, yet his movements inexplicably brought to mind a saying:

*Youth in spring robes, so light and carefree… None could rival such effortless grace.*

“How do I look?”

The young man, all too familiar with others’ gazes, looked at the insect-folk staring at him. Not at all bothered by their lingering attention, he did a little spin with ease, smiling at everyone around him.

*Yes… very handsome.*

*Really, really… exceptionally good-looking.*

But the most striking thing wasn’t the clothes, nor the glittering jewels on his sleeves—it was the easy confidence the young male unintentionally displayed, the distinct openness and brightness in his eyes.

Other males were confident and proud too, but… why was he different?

*Why?*

*No—*

They abruptly lowered their heads, the surrounding insect-folk broke into cold sweat. They had overstepped their bounds, forgotten the rules set by their lord, and dared to stare so rudely at the young lord.

Raising an eyebrow, Philo didn’t have time to ponder their abrupt reactions before Yi Jia Fa, who had been gaping at him, suddenly bounded over excitedly.

“You look amazing! Where did you find this outfit, dear? I’ve never noticed this brand before—it fits you perfectly! Tucking the shirt in like that was brilliant. How did you think of it?”

Every male had their own preferences, but most loved beauty. They adored flaunting their attractive females and enjoyed dressing themselves up.

Unfortunately, compared to females, most males didn’t have such refined features. Take Yi Jia Fa, for example—though he also had silver hair and purple eyes, his wide-set eyes and uneven facial contours became more pronounced with age.

So, seeing Philo, who looked like he’d stepped into a new filter just by changing clothes, Yi Jia Fa couldn’t help but beam.

“Heh, I just grabbed it from the closet. Listen, Dad, even if clothes seem plain, the key is matching them to our style…”

Slinging an arm over Yi Jia Fa’s shoulder, the two males—similar in height—pressed together as they headed toward the dining table.

Laughter bubbled from their huddled heads, their matching silver hair and similar silhouettes making it impossible to doubt they were father and son.

Hearing the cheerful voices and watching the two males laughing freely side by side, even the females who had once shrunk under Yi Jia Fa’s glare couldn’t help but feel their eyes moisten.

Females’ affection, closeness, and obedience to males were hardwired into them. From birth, resisting this instinct was nearly impossible.

Yet, even at home, Yi Jia Fa had rarely spared anyone—aside from Zhousha and his favored consorts—a kind word, let alone a smile.

Even his own daughters, Xing Hua and Qian Hua, were no exception.

So, seeing Yi Jia Fa beaming under Philo’s influence, the females couldn’t help but stand more proudly. For them, just getting to see a male was already a blessing.

“Philo, from now on, I’m counting on you for fashion advice!”

“Don’t worry, leave it to me. Styling is a piece of cake for me!”

“A piece of what?”

Ah… Earth slang. Seems the translator isn’t all-powerful.

“Just means it’s easy. Come on, Dad, let’s eat. Mother, you sit too. Brother Xing Hua, little bro Qian Hua, everyone, take a seat.”

Afraid of being questioned further about the phrase, Philo quickly changed the subject.

Noticing his brothers’ visible hesitation—especially Qian Hua—he simply drew his younger brother to sit beside him, patting his shoulder.

“Sit here. We haven’t seen each other in years—let’s catch up.”

He… he touched him.

A male… touched him.

Watching this scene, while Yi Jia Fa remained absorbed in Philo’s styling tips, the others couldn’t help but react with complicated expressions.

Qian Hua stiffened, Xing Hua looked like he wanted to speak, and Zhousha… recalling the full report from the border planet where Philo had been found, his eyes darkened.

Generally, males disliked physical contact with their female relatives.

Unless… the insect-folk who raised Philo hadn’t taught him proper social norms. Or worse—had he grown up thinking he was female?

A shadow of concern passed through his eyes, but Zhousha, ever poised, didn’t glance at Qian Hua. Instead, he addressed the cheerful male softly.

“Philo, rest early after dinner. Tomorrow, Dr. Gu De will examine you.”

Dr. Gu De—a renowned specialist in male care, long employed by the Male Management Committee, serving the capital’s males. If he was coming, other committee officials would likely follow.

Nodding with a smile, Philo didn’t find this concerning. In fact, he hoped to learn a thing or two from the doctor.

Back on the barren planet, when the insect-folk first found him, he’d been near death. Yet after some time in a medical pod, he’d recovered completely without even needing surgery.

Hmm. If only I could take one of those pods back to Earth—might even cure cancer…

His thoughts drifting, Philo couldn’t help but grin. Seeing this, the insect-folk around him brightened as well.

Some even mused wistfully: *If only His Highness Philo had returned sooner… much sooner.*

In this rare harmony—with Yi Jia Fa in good spirits, Zhousha speaking gently, and a male chatting cheerfully throughout the meal—the reunion dinner at the Torras estate concluded perfectly.

Sitting on the bed, watching Yi Jia Fa retract his psychic energy, Philo felt his body lighten once more. Thanking him with a smile, he saw the older male out, escorted by Zhousha.

Yes—*psychic energy.*

His rapid recovery can indeed be attributed to the advanced medical pod technology of the Interstellar Era, but it is also thanks to Yi Jia Fa.

Simply put, physical issues can be resolved with medical pods, but Insectkin are not humans.

The reason Insectkin hold the most dominant position in the vast universe of the Interstellar Era is twofold: the formidable physique and combat prowess of female insects, and their unique psychic abilities.

Both female and male insects possess psychic abilities, but they differ significantly.

The psychic power of female insects is akin to an unstoppable blade, obliterating everything in its path—controlling massive mechas or slaying ferocious Starbeasts. They are the most fearsome warriors created by the Insect God for the entire Insectkin race.

Male insects, however, are different. They lack hardened spines or chitinous armor and do not possess formidable combat strength. Instead, they wield psychic abilities that can dominate female insects.

Though the psychic power of female insects is potent, it is also unstable. In their psychic realms, the frequent use of these raw power can gradually disrupt their orderly flow, sometimes leading to a Psychic Outbreak that harms both themselves and others.

Fortunately, the psychic abilities of male insects can remedy this weakness.

Male psychic power lacks offensive potency—they cannot fight like them. But just as a butterfly cannot kill the insect trying to devour it, it can attract a lion to guard it.

By extending their psychic energy into the psychic realm of a female insect, male insects can effortlessly soothe these volatile forces. Though only male insects of equal or higher rank can enter and perform Psychic Soothing for female insects of corresponding levels, this is already enough to bring relief to those suffering from Psychic Outbreaks.

Currently, since many female insects in the military require regular Psychic Soothing, one of the duties of the Male Insect Management Committee is to register and record every adult male insect, scheduling them to perform their soothing duties within set timeframes.

After all, male insects enjoy the highest privileges within the Insectkin society, and this is their only obligation.

As for Philo, since his psychic development had been neglected during his upbringing, even though Yi Jia Fa’s own psychic power is now waning, he still insists on daily psychic conditioning and soothing for him after his return.

Thinking of this, Philo touched his forehead, recalling the scenes of Yi Jia Fa soothing his psychic realm.

Perhaps due to his soul and body not yet being fully synchronized, as Yi Jia Fa explained, he should be able to freely control his psychic energy now that he’s an adult.

But in reality, he only detects something faintly emerging from his mind when Yi Jia Fa soothes him. The sensation is too intangible—when alone, he can barely perceive it at all.

Pfft, and here he was hoping to experiment with this almost mystical ability.

Patting his forehead, Philo gave up on further thought and closed his eyes, deciding to simply ask the specialist in male insect diseases tomorrow.

But while Philo slept soundly and comfortably, the Starnet had already erupted into chaos over him.

"I can’t sleep—can any insect sleep right now?"

"Same here, not a wink! Any more pics? Any pics? I’ll pay top creds for them!"

"Are you all poisoned? Shouting in the middle of the night—what’s wrong with you?"

"To the one above—check Starnet’s top eight trending topics. If you can still sleep after that, I’ll stay an unmated female for life!"

"Holy crap, what kind of bet is that? I’ll go look!"

"Just checked—AHHHH!! Damn, you Capital Planet females eat this well?! Send me all this lord’s photos within a minute—I’ll pay top creds!"

"Hah, your account’s gone now! Serves you right!"

"Keep it low-key, everyone. Even though this lord is an adult, trading male insect photos privately still risks getting banned by the moderators!"

"Just logged in—too lazy to open the Starnet. Which lord made an appearance? How did so many lurkers get dragged out?"

"Posting pic—save it and thank me later. Reporters stay unmated females for life."

"...Holy sh*t!!"

Late at night, in the major female insect forums, many were still wide awake despite the hour.

Unlike usual, whether in entertainment, emotional, or the most active military forums, today’s discussions all went off the rails.

At first, the moderators frantically banned accounts and deleted images, but they couldn’t keep up after a certain male insect’s unrestricted public exposure—no concealment measures, not even a scan dampener to prevent photography.

Thus, HD photos of a certain newly identified male insect lord spread uncontrollably. Eventually, even the moderators secretly saved the most coveted and viral photo in their personal collections.

At the starport today, many ordinary female insects who had never seen a male insect in person not only saw one but even captured photos.

Among them, one shot—taken from a perfect angle by some high-level photographer—truly left a lasting impression.

Against the backdrop of a massive Starship, cold machinery reflected blinding sunlight. Under the radiant glow, the surroundings in the lens blurred slightly, making the focused male insect stand out even more.

A slightly raised chin, alabaster skin nearly blending with the sky’s hue. In the soft light, the faintly flushed collarbones and the faintly visible nape markings became all the more striking.

Higher up, the male insect’s lashes lowered slightly, allowing only a glimpse of deep purple through the black fringe. Though his features weren’t captured in sharp detail, though he never even looked directly at the lens—

Yet, it was the swan-like curve of his neck, the delicate-looking throat, the faintly upturned pink lips.

Breaths grew heavy, psychic energy bled uncontrollably, and amid ragged panting, an insect shattered the screen displaying the full photo.

Philo Tulas—

A newly identified male insect.

The first male insect to become a Starnet sensation even before his official registration and announcement by the Male Insect Management Committee. Thanks to a certain viral leaked photo, despite his recent debut, countless homebound insects had already crowned him as their new unattainable ideal.

Philo—his appeal too great for one insect’s heart to contain!

Author’s Note:

The netizens in the Interstellar Age are just as wild.