Chapter 5 Shopping

Chapter 5: Shopping

Sexia's ear tips instantly flushed crimson. Xierlan smiled and gently kissed his fingertips—the gesture wasn't suggestive, but rather like casually bringing a flower to one's nose for a light sniff. It was peaceful, faint, and utterly detached from the fierce demeanor he had shown just moments before.

Sexia’s ears were now alarmingly red, a fact Xierlan noted clearly, along with the faint blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Sexia is so adorable," Xierlan thought, his heart bubbling with affection. But having just put on a show for his spouse, he simply smiled, folded his hands under his chin, and blinked. "I really don’t want anyone bullying my primary consort, so acting a little tough in front of others is understandable, right?"

Sexia visibly reddened even more, his cool, pale complexion now tinged with a peach-blossom hue. His long, snow-white hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, and his usually dignified, aloof expression melted away like spring ice, as if he were deeply flustered.

Xierlan smiled. "What time did you wake up? It’s a bit late for making all this—have you eaten yet?"

The food in the insectoid race was quite similar to that of humans. His primary consort had gotten up before him to cook, preparing shrimp congee and multigrain steamed rolls, which looked very appetizing. Beside them was a cup of prepared black rice and purple sweet potato milk drink.

He remembered that female insectoids took cooking classes—his wife must have scored very well.

Sexia seemed stunned, shaking his head honestly. "No."

Xierlan found him adorable again and nodded, splitting the food into two portions to share with his wife. "I was going to cook for you, but since you made this, I won’t hold back. It looks delicious—I really like it."

He naturally picked up the food and ate. When he tasted the delicious chicken breast, he made a point to praise it specifically, then used a fork to feed a bite to his primary consort.

Sexia had never experienced such a dining atmosphere before. His cooking scores were barely passing because the instructors often said things that demanded female insectoids be submissive—things Sexia didn’t want to hear. At home, he was always required to eat with proper etiquette; being casual or noisy would have been punished.

But when Xierlan naturally engaged him in conversation, Sexia ignored his upbringing and chatted with Xierlan as if no one else were around, unable to resist pricking up his ears to listen.

All this in the small courtyard where Beilin could start cursing loudly at any moment.

Xierlan was used to being casual, and since he hadn’t had the chance to learn about his primary consort yet, he simply asked whatever popped into his head.

"Does Sexia have a nickname?"

Sexia shook his head. "I don’t have one. Do you, Primary Male?"

Xierlan grinned. "I don’t either, but you can call me 'Xiao Bai' or 'Xiao Lan' if you like. In public, just use 'Primary Male.' At home, you can call me husband—whatever you prefer. If you’re upset or angry, just call me Xierlan. I’ll know and comfort you."

His parents were like that. Anyone in his family who got angry would come home and call the others by their full names, venting noisily, and the other two would then comfort them—maybe go out for a meal, go shopping, or take a trip.

Xierlan had grown up in a relaxed and harmonious family environment. Now that he was married, he wanted to bring that same atmosphere to his wife.

Thinking this, Xierlan really wanted to ask something. "Baby, do you have a place to stay? We need to find somewhere to stay first. If we don’t have time to buy a place, should we check into a hotel for now?"

Sexia’s eyes widened. "Baby…?"

Xierlan blinked, unable to hold back a smile. "Yeah, baby. I’m calling you baby, Sexia."

Sexia felt like he was about to die. His whole body seemed to steam up. His elegance, his reserve, his aloofness—all vanished, leaving only endless embarrassment and shame. Sexia felt like he was breaking, lowering his head without a word, like a shy, shrinking mimosa plant.

How… how could a male insect be like this?

Sexia’s expression became incredibly charming, like an aloof stray cat suddenly given a treat—all the prickles turning into soft fluff, purring like a motor at the slightest touch.

Xierlan never had an ideal type before, but now he did.

His wife was super adorable!!!

After chatting for a while, they finished eating. Xierlan tossed the dishes into the trash and naturally took his primary consort’s hand to call a ride at the community entrance.

"Will the new place be dusty? Should we hire a cleaning company first?"

Xierlan was genuinely curious about the lives of the wealthy. Although his former self might have been, he wasn’t—his family was only moderately wealthy.

Holding Xierlan’s hand, Sexia saw his truly curious expression and slowly blushed. "No, it’s always been cleaned. Maintaining a villa doesn’t cost much. I own many properties."

Xierlan’s eyes sparkled as he nodded. "Is there a cozy one? I’d like to live there. Is there a shopping street nearby? It’d be convenient for us to go out together."

Sexia felt like he was attached to something incredibly sweet, and he loved it. His ears reddened as he nodded.

Xierlan got the address and requested a ride. Insectoid technology was far more advanced than Blue Star’s. Soon, a hovercar hovered before them. Xierlan observed it briefly, then easily opened the door.

"Baby, you sit inside."

The redness that had barely faded from Sexia’s face returned in full force. He never imagined he could be like this—too embarrassed to speak, yet loving every moment.

"Okay."

He’d aced his culture classes, but now he was always tongue-tied. Sexia prided himself on his meticulous thinking and strategic skills, but all of that dissolved away in the face of straightforward affection, leaving only adorable clumsiness.

Sexia felt he couldn’t stay passive anymore—he’d been letting Xierlan do most of the talking.

The vehicle was empty. Sexia lowered his eyes and, as Xierlan sat beside him, reached out to hold the hand resting nearby.

The female insectoid’s hand was cool, with only a faint warmth, completely different from the heat of emotion.

Xierlan hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Sexia. Sexia wasn’t looking at him, his eyes downcast, those beautiful pupils hidden. When he noticed Xierlan’s gaze, he pursed his lips innocently, visibly nervous, as if he’d worked up the courage.

So obedient.

Xierlan smiled and quietly laced their fingers together. "Let’s go home and rest first. The marriage registry office doesn’t open until afternoon."

Number 99 was utterly enthralled, snapping pictures of their clasped hands and secretly taking close-ups of Sexia’s reddened ear tips.

It stealthily sent the photos to Xierlan’s communicator. "Your wife really likes you. A female insectoid’s heart rate is usually under 158, but with you, it spikes to 279."

No wonder he blushed so easily.

Xierlan blinked and quietly thanked Number 99 for the message.

Number 99 happily pocketed the sweetness and scurried off.

The hovercar was fast, arriving at Xierlan’s desired home in just five minutes. Many vehicles whizzed by outside, their special film shielding the occupants from view.

Xierlan didn’t hide his wonder and inexperience, happily leading Sexia out of the hovercar. "It’s so beautiful! Baby, after we update our marital status, come out with me to play."

Sexia’s ears turned crimson at being called "baby," but he only responded with a reserved, cool "mm," tightening his grip on Xierlan’s hand. A slight tug was all it took for Xierlan to follow, his attention fully back on Sexia.

Sexia led him to their home.

It was a 500-square-meter apartment with architecture very different from human styles. The advanced technology was everywhere, and Xierlan was amazed by the high-speed panoramic elevator shooting upward.

So beautiful! His wife was so impressive!

He’d basically married into wealth (not really).

They reached their floor and walked straight in—one residence per floor. Sexia programmed all the access permissions for the home. As soon as the door opened, Xierlan was captivated by the warm, soft interior design.

His eyes widened, and he eagerly touched everything, his dark eyes sparkling. "Wow, so pretty, so pretty!!!"

It was like the cozy living room you only see in videos—large enough to play badminton in.

How adorable!

Sexia found Xierlan's curiosity about everything adorable and endearing. He opened his smart device and bought the male insect many games for all ages. Not knowing what Xierlan liked, he also purchased dolls and some educational toys.

If the delivery was fast, everything could arrive today.

After finishing his shopping, Sexia realized the male insect was gone. Hearing noises from the bedroom, he walked over and saw Xierlan marveling at the bed, saying, "So this is what the 800-square-meter bed the CEO wakes up on looks like?"

Sexia didn’t understand.

Xierlan finished exploring the house and ran over to find him, his face full of anticipation.

"Sexia, are you tired? If not, let’s go out and buy some daily necessities. We can eat out for lunch and buy groceries to cook dinner at home."

Xierlan blinked; he really loved the feeling of being at home—it gave him a strong sense of security.

Thinking this, Xierlan tilted his head with a smile. Sexia looked utterly charmed, his ears turning red as he turned his head away and said softly, "Sure."

Xierlan couldn’t help but beam, quickly pulling his partner out the door.

Xierlan happily shopped all morning. He was taller than the average male insect, so passersby almost mistook him for a handsome female insect. Combined with Sexia’s striking appearance, they attracted a lot of attention on the street.

Xierlan didn’t pay it any mind. The business model of the insect race was similar to the human world, but their advertising was pretty bad—perhaps this was where the protagonist steps in.

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Male insects were generally fragile, fond of expensive things, hard to satisfy, and required a lot of money and effort to care for.

But Sexia only felt that his primary male was very affectionate, asking for whatever he liked. When it came to things for both of them, he asked Sexia what he thought, smilingly wrapping his limbs around him and sticking close. After a full round of shopping, Sexia, who originally disliked going out and shopping, found himself starting to enjoy it, even crouching down with Xierlan to pick out things they liked, completely ignoring others.

While waiting for the scan at checkout—payment could be made via eye scan—Xierlan noticed certain items, slowly shifted his gaze away, then honestly looked back.

It turned out this world didn’t have condoms—only intimacy enhancers.

Xierlan blinked, picked up a box of sensitivity-increasing gel—a very safe but poor-selling product. He thought it might be useful later and planned to try it on himself first.

Author's Note: