Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Geshaluolin Estate, Medical Bay.

Slender fingers gripped the edge of the pod as Li Wei sat up, her green hair brushing her fingertips before slipping away as she stood.

Taking the towel handed to her, the soaked female wiped herself roughly before turning to the steward beside her.

"This is the third message today—if there's still no reply, Prince Fei Luo might not be able to resist coming to find you soon." Meeting Li Wei's gaze, the old steward wore a satisfied and pleased smile.

Indeed, it was no surprise the old steward was pleased—his own offspring had managed to capture Prince Fei Luo's attention so thoroughly, and the plan was progressing smoothly.

After all, this undoubtedly demonstrated Li Wei's importance in the other's heart.

Thinking this, the old steward chuckled softly.

"Since His Highness might visit soon, it would be best not to use the treatment pod any longer."

Leaving some scars visible would undoubtedly stir more sympathy and worry from the male.

Besides, certain scars from disciplinary measures were inherently difficult to remove in the short term, so there was no fear of arousing suspicion.

It had to be said—when it came to these females' ways of handling males, the steward was quite skilled.

But—

Releasing the towel, Li Wei gathered the still-damp strands of hair in front of her and lowered her gaze. Her green pupils resembled a lake reflecting emerald ripples, hiding her true feelings.

"Why didn't I receive word about Fei Luo’s incident yesterday?"

Unexpectedly, though the old steward had been discussing today’s affairs, Li Wei’s question concerned yesterday’s incident.

Yesterday’s incident…

The smile on the old steward’s face faded slightly as he raised his eyes, his voice low.

"By the time the Geshaluolin Family received news of yesterday’s events, the Inspectorate had already deployed all units. Compared to us, the Inspectorate is undoubtedly better equipped to handle such matters—"

"Uncle Sean."

Without waiting for the old female to finish, the green-haired female released her hair and turned to the elder who had raised her. Her voice remained as gentle as ever, but—

"Do you realize what Fei Luo means to me?"

Importance?

Of course, he understood.

As a fellow female of the Geshaluolin Family, Sean also eagerly anticipated welcoming this outstanding and rare mate into their household as soon as possible.

But as he looked at Li Wei, the old female—long accustomed to weighing everything by advantage—seemed to belatedly realize something.

Benefits could indeed be measured, and even sentiments could be calculated.

But Prince Fei Luo’s safety was different.

Completely different.

"This time… I was derelict in my duty."

Bowing his head, his streaked green hair hanging low, the elder apologized to the heir of the Geshaluolin Family with the same quiet deference as any attendant.

Turning away, Li Wei looked back at her damp hair, her voice as cold as the low-temperature nutrient solution.

"Let the family laws decide. You know them."

"Yes." The old female bowed deeper, offering no objections.

But rather than dwelling on assigning blame, Li Wei twisted the ends of her hair and continued without looking at the elder beside her.

"Notify all intelligence officers in the family. Within three days, I want complete dossiers on the insect who abducted Fei Luo."

Indeed, the Geshaluolin Family was outmatched in military strength—whether compared to the Tulas Family, the Aogutale Family, or even the Inspectorate where Li Qi served.

Similarly, in the political-legal arena of the Alliance, the Geshaluolin Family could not compete with the capital planet’s various families, represented by Qi Mengtu.

However, the two core strengths of the Geshaluolin Family—wealth and technology—had granted them extensive intelligence networks.

Who could deny that swift and comprehensive intelligence was a weapon in its own right?

Not leaving the medical bay, Li Wei—who had just finished a session in the nutrient pod primarily for healing wounds—seemed unwilling to exit just yet. Instead, she turned to prepare another session of nutrient solution.

This time, its purpose was… to reduce bruising and scarring.

Frowning, though the old female had just accepted punishment for neglecting the male’s safety, he couldn’t help but voice a quiet objection upon seeing Li Wei seemingly deviate from the plan.

"Li Wei, if Prince Fei Luo is so worried that he plans to visit today, wouldn’t healing all your injuries now be defeating the purpose?"

In truth, ever since returning Fei Luo to the Tulas Family, Li Wei had been confronted by Bernice—who had also been released from detention—upon arriving back at the Geshaluolin Mansion.

Of course, as a D-Class Male Insect, Bernice couldn’t inflict any real damage on a high-level female’s mental domain. Instead, he merely resorted to his typical behavior of smashing Li Wei’s belongings—including all her communication devices, which was why Fei Luo had been unable to reach her.

As for Li Wei’s injuries…

Releasing the button she had pressed to configure the settings, the green-haired female revealed arms where most wounds had already healed, leaving only livid bruises.

These injuries had, of course, been inflicted by Bernice.

But to be precise, they were "accidentally" sustained with her own complicity.

This way, Li Wei would first become unreachable—prompting Prince Fei Luo, knowing his nature, to inevitably visit. Then, she could subtly reveal her injuries in his presence, even staging an incident where Bernice accosted her. The male’s reaction at that point would be a foregone conclusion.

Though the method was admittedly transparent, it might just work on Prince Fei Luo.

Unfortunately, for some reason, His Highness had not visited the Geshaluolin Family yesterday as anticipated, instead going to some Alliance museum. But today, the young master should be about to arrive.

Thinking this, Sean couldn’t resist pressing the matter further, but—

"Tell Fei Luo I’m fine. We’ll meet tomorrow."

Pressing the pod’s activation button again, the green-haired female didn’t turn around, making it clear the conversation was over.

But this…

Opening his mouth, the old steward found his words died in his throat as he stared at her retreating back. Yet, recalling the latest message he had received, Sean glanced at her before finally adding,

"Understood. However—"

"Prince Fei Luo’s latest message also mentioned that Lieutenant General Gore from the Aogutale Family will accompany him tomorrow. Apparently, it’s for His Highness’s safety—the lieutenant general will stay by his side until his psychic energy fully stabilizes."

After speaking, the Old Female Insect finally refrained from further persuasion and stood quietly in place, waiting for the Young Female Insect to make a decision.

Unlike Wei Er, Sean had never had a male master in his lifetime, nor had he truly pursued a male insect.

However, it seemed that chasing after a male insect might differ from corporate competition, but there were similarities as well.

With coveted projects, if one’s side didn’t act decisively enough, they might be snatched away by competitors at any moment.

Whether to act first this time or let the child decide for himself—he lowered his head, and the old female insect fell silent.

The air went still for a moment, though perhaps only for a moment.

Looking at the medical pod filled with green nutrient fluid, the female insect tossed aside the towel on her shoulder and gripped the pod door again.

"Philo was tired yesterday. Don’t disturb him today."

These were her only words.

Without another look at Sean, she pressed the settings button and lay back inside the medical pod.

The clear fluid completely enveloped the female insect once more. As the pod door sealed, the room fell silent again.

In the end, the female insect still couldn’t bring herself to trouble him.

Outside the pod, watching the Young Female Insect who had already closed her eyes, the elderly steward bowed his already hunched frame even deeper. After softly answering, "Understood," he quietly withdrew.

Tulas Mansion, Philo’s bedroom.

Originally planning to visit the Geshaluolin Mansion to see if Li Wei was in trouble, the male insect received a reply from the female insect—who had been unreachable for the past two days—just before stepping out.

Brief explanation and ready agreement.

She reassured the male insect while also accepting his invitation for the next day’s outing. With that, the male insect was reassured and began planning the next day’s itinerary.

Unfortunately, on Capital Star, Philo’s intention to host the heirs of the Geshaluolin and Aogutale families was destined to prove difficult.

"So… this shop is also under your Geshaluolin Family banner?"

His mouth twitched, the male insect—with the most common golden hair among insects and equally ordinary features—glanced at the green-eyed female insect seated to his left.

Smiling slightly, the female insect, still wearing a disguise tech though her eyes remained unchanged, replied softly,

"Yes. Aside from virtual industries like the Star Network and full immersion games, we’ve also invested in offline physical businesses."

Invested… in?

Hearing this overly modest explanation, Philo—who had just taken the two insects to several shops only to find many were Geshaluolin-owned—finally grasped what it meant for a family to rank among the top three in Capital Star’s wealth rankings.

However—

Turning his head, Philo also smiled in surprise at the blue-eyed female insect on his right.

"Gore, I didn’t expect your family to have business ventures too. Why didn’t you mention it last time we went out?"

"The Aogutale businesses are managed by the branch families. I’m not very familiar with them."

Shaking his head, the blue-eyed female insect answered honestly.

Hearing this, the green-eyed female insect beside them chuckled and added,

"Actually, one of the smart mechanical manufacturing shops we visited earlier belongs to your Tulas Family, Philo. But the shop’s manager probably didn’t recognize you, so they didn’t formally greet you."

"The Tulas Family? That simulated android insect shop?"

"Exactly. That shop—"

When accompanying a male insect, it was usually the female insects who took the initiative in conversation.

But compared to Li Wei, Gore wasn’t much of a talker. Fortunately, their male host was skilled at maintaining balance, ensuring neither insect felt neglected.

Besides, Li Wei and Gore weren’t exactly strangers.

Watching Philo insist on standing up to personally select ingredients as the host, the two female insects could only sit back and relish the unusual experience of being served by a male insect.

However—

The semi-transparent, translucent polymer walls of the upscale restaurant divided the interior into several sections. At first glance, the guests in different sections seemed close, but in reality, they were quite far apart.

Leaving aside other impressions, this design certainly enhanced privacy.

Such an environment—more suited for conversation than dining.

Turning away, the green-eyed female insect withdrew her gaze from the male insect now in the buffet area and looked at the blue-eyed female insect across from her. Her expression was gentle, her tone sincere.

"Thank you for your help during the last banquet, General Gore."

She didn’t specify what help, but mentioning the banquet made some things left unspoken.

Such a confident expression of gratitude… Indeed, the Geshaluolin Family’s intelligence network was formidable, even aware of certain traits of S-class Female Insects.

"There won’t be a second time."

Raising his eyes, the blue irises shimmered like sunlight on the sea.

The female insect’s gaze was firm and clear, markedly different from the deep, forest-green eyes opposite him.

But then again—

Compared to Li Wei, Gore’s origins and experiences might have been more violent, but as a Military Female who had long been stationed on border worlds, dedicating her life to protecting the insect race, she lived with more transparency.

Smiling slightly, the green-eyed female insect didn’t respond to his words, only saying lightly,

"General Gore truly acts by principle."

The word "principle" was a compliment that was always appropriate when describing a Military Female.

"The Border Military Females on the border worlds have never forgotten the contributions of the Geshaluolin Family."

Meeting his gaze, the blue-eyed female insect’s words sounded like a promise—or perhaps an explanation.

Explaining why he chose to remain silent this time.

Odd? Not really.

The Aogutale Family seemed to breed female insects who always prioritized the alliance above all else in their hearts.

But… every Military Female?

The smile on the green-eyed female's face deepened slightly, as if she did not oppose the blue-eyed female's words. After all, it was at least partially true.

But tell me, how many military females are there in the insect race? And how many in the capital star...?

"Our Geshaluolin Family fully supports the construction and development of the military."

"But the blood our family has shed... has never been solely for the sake of military females."

So many names lost in the vastness of space.

So many insect race legacies nearly severed.

The ones who ultimately benefited... were never just the military females. It's just that, it seems, many insects have forgotten this now.

Silence spread in the wake of the female insect's final words.

The weather on the capital star today was pleasant, and this restaurant happened to have translucent walls.

Bright light from outside the building filtered through the walls, and the refractive index of the unknown gelatinous material refracted light surprisingly well, instantly transforming the hazy interior into a dazzling space that glittered with refracted light.

And in such a beautiful environment, in such a brilliant and awe-inspiring space, the females on either side of the table locked eyes, as if saying nothing—yet saying everything.

The blue-eyed female insect lowered her gaze and softly spoke the final words before the male insect returned.

"Li Wei Geshaluolin."

"The Alliance may owe you, but Philo does not."

"If you ever forget these words, I will personally remind you."

The light refracted even more beautifully.

Turning her head, the green-eyed female insect looked toward the male insect, who was now smiling as he walked back to them.

Watching the brilliance of the male insect's smile—so radiant it seemed to outshine the light in the room—she curved her lips slightly, her voice low.

"Thank you for the reminder."

"Ta-dah!"

"Guess what I found in the ingredients section? My god, I’d only ever looked at the menu before and never the raw materials. Now I know the capital star actually has fruit with these effects! Do you know what happens if you eat this—"

Returning to the table with a bright smile, Philo happily pulled out the treasure he had discovered in the ingredients section, eagerly sharing the interesting information he had just learned from the restaurant attendant.

His eyes bright, the young male insect, recently returned from a frontier world, had no idea that the treasure he held was nothing more than a commonplace item in the eyes of the two aristocratic females.

But even so, even if the object in the male insect's hands was completely ordinary, even if both insects had dined in this restaurant countless times before, the sight of the male insect's delighted smile and the sound of his cheerful narration made the tension between the two females dissipate as if it had never existed.

Smiling, the three insects finished the meal laughing together.

As a security precaution, after all the day's activities concluded, Gore and Li Wei first escorted Philo back to the Torras Mansion before preparing to leave separately.

However, before Li Wei could depart, Philo pulled him aside for a private moment.

"The gift you gave me—I really loved it."

As if at a loss for words, the male insect could only put extra emphasis on his tone to convey just how much he appreciated the gift.

Only now did Li Wei understand why Philo had invited him to dinner today.

So it was because of that gift?

At the time, the female insect had simply been wandering through the starter zone of the Green Algae Star System game when he suddenly remembered the male insect mentioning his interest in historical artifacts. That was why he had sent the collection of ancient texts as a gift.

But Li Wei had never expected Philo to like it so much.

"But I really don’t know what to give you in return. If I let you choose, you’re already wealthy, and you’d probably politely decline. So I thought—why not just give you a promise?"

Patting Li Wei on the shoulder, Philo smiled at the female insect who had, quite by chance, helped him find hope.

"In the future, if you ever need help—as long as it doesn’t violate the law or common decency, and as long as it’s within my power—I’ll help you."

Were a male insect's promises valuable?

Not particularly.

Especially for those male insects who enjoyed taking concubines—if one were to tally up the promises they made each year, they might outnumber the waste in the capital star's landfills.

Promises were just that—promises. The insect race did not believe in oaths, and such things were practically meaningless.

But—

Looking at Philo, at the male insect who had now regained his true appearance, at those eyes that held not a trace of deceit—even though Li Wei knew his actions hardly warranted such a promise, even though he knew he should refuse—

"Alright."

I am not usually a greedy insect.

Even in family business, I am one who believes in mutual benefit and long-term development.

But, Your Highness—

Allow me this one act of greed.

Permit me to be selfish with you, just this once.

The preparations for Philo’s military academy enrollment were nearly complete.

Apart from that, the only other matter he needed to attend to was the previously mentioned plan to take Gore along to observe other male insects performing Psychic Soothing at the Male Insect Management Committee.

This matter was both difficult and not.

Philo’s abduction was currently known only to himself and the officials in charge at the Male Insect Management Committee—even Yi Jia Fa remained unaware for the time being.

Precisely because of this, as the director of the Male Insect Management Committee, Du Dafei was well aware of the situation.

Thus, when he received Philo’s communication, though Du Dafei frowned involuntarily upon hearing that Gore would be constantly at Philo's side, the older male insect ultimately approved the request.

After all, only once Philo’s psychic powers stabilized would the Aogutale Family’s General Gore have no reason to stay by his side. Otherwise, if Gore were to remain with Philo indefinitely, the two might very well become attached. And if Gore were not allowed to accompany him, and Philo were abducted again, Du Dafei would likely be held accountable.

Regardless of how other insects considered the situation, in the end, Philo’s weekly observation sessions at the Male Insect Management Committee with Gore were successfully finalized.

Without hesitation, on the very day he received the confirmation, Philo eagerly confirmed the date of his next observation session with his head assistant at the Male Insect Management Committee.

For the head assistant and deputy assistant, who had been responsible for overseeing all of Philo’s affairs at the Male Insect Management Committee but had found little work to do, this finally marked the end of their period of boring inactivity.

"Your Highness, we respectfully greet you."

The two female insects Philo had met months ago now stood in the private lounge prepared for him by the Male Insect Management Committee, bowing in greeting.

Nodding, Philo looked at the two somewhat familiar yet still mostly unfamiliar insects before him and responded with a smile.

"Leslie, Roy, hello. It's been a while."

Indeed, compared to the relationships other male insects had with their chief and deputy assistants from the Male Insect Management Committee, Philo's interactions with his two assistants could hardly be called familiar—they had barely even met.

But this was hardly surprising.

After all, Philo had neither been required to fulfill the Psychic Soothing duties of a male insect nor frequently caused trouble that required the Committee to clean up after him. Naturally, he hadn't interacted much with the two.

But that was then, and this is now.

The gold-haired female insect, Leslie, Philo's chief assistant from the Male Insect Management Committee, nodded again with a smile.

The insect lifespan was long. In time, they would surely become more acquainted with His Highness.

"Today, there are thirty-five male insect lords performing Psychic Soothing within the Male Insect Management Committee. Among them, twenty-four are C-class Male Insects, ten are B-class Male Insect Highnesses, and one is an A-class Male Insect Highness."

After speaking, Leslie, who was responsible for guiding them, thoughtfully explained further.

"The A-class Male Insect Highness visiting the Male Insect Management Committee for Psychic Soothing today is Lord Wenfeide from the Erosco family. His Highness is nearing the mandatory retirement age for duties, so the duration of his Psychic Soothing sessions is slightly shorter compared to younger male insect Highnesses."

"Additionally, since the venue for A-class Male Insects' Psychic Soothing is quite large and the number of participating insects is also considerable, you might find it a bit noisy later. If you feel any discomfort during the observation, you can inform me at any time, and I will promptly escort you out."

At this point, the gold-haired female insect also appropriately turned her gaze to the blue-haired female insect trailing Philo and added politely,

"Of course, General Gore, if you experience any discomfort during the process, you may also inform me at any time."

Unlike the usual arrogance of the Male Insect Management Committee's working insects, this A-class Male Insect senior chief assistant showed unusual gentleness and courtesy toward Philo's companion.

"Thank you."

Nodding, the blue-haired female insect replied just as politely and briefly.

Hearing this, Philo was just about to ask how big the Psychic Soothing venue was that the gold-haired female insect mentioned when, in the next moment, as the three insects turned the corner of the corridor, they came upon a wide arched doorway.

Peering inside, Philo no longer needed to ask.

So this was where A-class Male Insects performed Psychic Soothing?

It was... absolutely massive.