Chapter 36 Naivety

Chapter 36 Youthful Inexperience

Ximodo only stayed for two hours. A message had come in, preventing him from staying for a meal. After a brief explanation, he left the correctional facility with the larva.

Ximodo rose, bowing his head in apology. He then glanced at the fuming Miao Qie, a flicker of silent contemplation in his eyes. Slowly, he stated, "Matters in the Third Army require my attention, so I cannot linger."

"Take care, gentlemen."

Xierlan noted the time and, finding nothing amiss, politely bid farewell to the other male bugs.

Miao Qie stood in the center, his face a thundercloud, as if the entire world had conspired against him. Pouting and silent, he detested anyone taking the female bug away from him.

They had been chatting pleasantly, and seeing Ximodo depart so abruptly clearly displeased him.

If there's something to do, then there's something to do! Why didn't he say when he'd visit next time?! So dense—didn't even consider it! Annoying!

Miao Qie's resentment intensified.

Xierlan observed this, finding it amusing. "Even if you're unhappy now, Ximodo can't see it. Why didn't you speak up before he left?"

Once exposed, Miao Qie deflated like a punctured balloon. He snapped angrily at Xierlan, "I don't care! I gave direct hints, and if he still doesn't understand, it's his fault!"

Haibi gave him a pitying look, shaking his head disdainfully.

"That's definitely not enough."

Liposi nodded. Having heard Xierlan's relationship advice frequently, he naturally understood. "But I sense your consort is quite afraid of you, though not in the usual sense of fear or dread."

"I don't know the specifics, though. You should pay more attention and not prioritize saving face so much."

Upon hearing this, Miao Qie's eyes widened in disbelief. "What should a male bug care about if not face?!"

Care about female bugs?

Ximodo seemed too indifferent to bother with him!

Miao Qie worked himself into a frenzy, feeling it was impossible to reason with these male bugs who enjoyed harmonious relationships with their consorts!

Xierlan blinked. "Don't be angry. I think he seems indifferent to you because he doesn't know you well, or perhaps he thinks you're always losing your temper. He probably wants to avoid mistakes by doing less."

It's quite understandable—isn't holding back for this very reason? To first gauge Miao Qie's attitude.

Xierlan pondered for a moment, looking at the stunned Miao Qie. "Does he often let you hit him?"

Miao Qie stiffly nodded.

Xierlan thought that was likely the reason. "He probably isn't the type to understand these subtleties. Perhaps you need to be more direct. Otherwise, he'll just treat you according to general norms. I recall that during training, female bugs are taught rules that forbid them from overstepping boundaries."

Miao Qie completely wilted.

So he needs to be direct? Fine! If that bad guy Ximodo still doesn't get it, then he's finished!

How infuriating, this stupid female bug!

The matter passed, and in the following days, Miao Qie could often be seen making a concerted effort to chat with Ximodo.

Sang Li and Liposi's conversations returned to their previous state, seemingly unaffected by Liposi's earlier request to meet.

The fastest progress was between Haibi and Suo Lunluo. During the day, besides classes, Haibi spent his time noisily messaging Suo Lunluo, accumulating piles of messages for the busy bug to reply to. At night, Haibi went home with Suo Lunluo to make insect children, diligently providing pheromones.

During this time, Haibi fully understood what kind of bug Suo Lunluo was.

He had high demands for himself, was meticulous, and once immersed in research, found it hard to break free. But when it came to Haibi, Suo Lunluo became very indulgent, especially with Haibi's extremely annoying behavior just to get him to say a few more words, squeezing out time to cooperate.

To verify his conclusions, Haibi bothered Suo Lunluo quite a bit but was never criticized, belittled, or discouraged. When Haibi overstepped, Suo Lunluo would just rub his temples in frustration and even coaxed the male bug not to disturb him during work.

Haibi lacked family affection in his youth. Suo Lunluo's steady and tolerant nature undeniably made Haibi fall harder, feeling joy and happiness from it.

Of course, when Xierlan saw him always so childish and mischievous, he gave him a friendly reminder.

"I think being childish when it doesn't hinder his work and life helps the relationship develop. If you always keep pulling him into conversation, Suo Lunluo won't finish his work and can't fully devote himself to you."

It's normal to come on too strong at the beginning of a relationship.

Haibi fell silent. "Okay."

Listening to Xierlan is always right!

Haibi asked for advice from Xierlan for a while before being sent off. Xierlan needed to fully focus on exam preparation, with many theoretical knowledge points to consolidate. He couldn't relax—time was running short. He wanted to finish early, so he planned to go all out for the batch a month later.

These days, Sexia had him perform several surgeries, learning while practicing. Even though Xierlan had strong learning abilities, he couldn't help but worry about the huge workload.

Xierlan pushed his glasses up with a finger and returned to his review.

Time flew by, and the A-round exam was approaching. Xierlan had already written a leave request ready to submit when Lippel next to him noticed.

"You're taking leave too?"

Xierlan blinked, very frankly. "Yeah, I'm going out with my consort tomorrow for a day."

Liposi murmured, seeming somewhat distracted. "I'm taking leave too, but I'm going out the day after. Have fun with Sexia."

Xierlan thanked him, then remembered something. "I recall you mentioned meeting Sang Li before? Where are you going to see him tomorrow on your leave?"

Liposi paused. "I hadn't thought about it. I plan to pick him up at his home, and we'll decide the rest then."

Xierlan was slightly surprised by his decision but found it normal. From the insect race's perspective, date plans and emotional support aren't usually considered.

He sincerely suggested, "Sang Li probably doesn't like crowded places. Pick a good place. He might open up if he feels safe. You could bring him some gifts when you go."

Xierlan left it at that. Liposi indeed hadn't considered some things, so he thanked him and watched Xierlan submit his leave request.

The exam was tomorrow. Xierlan didn't think 45 days were enough to learn most of it, especially since the total score was 220, and the passing line was 190.

Liposi had already left. 99 emerged from behind the sofa, curious. "Host, last time when Sexia proctored, you scored 182, right? Why nervous? You can review more today. If you don't pass, there's another chance. No need to worry."

Xierlan rubbed his temples. As the exam got closer, he had been staying up late recently, fully immersing himself in studying in the time-accelerated room of the Holographic Pod.

He rarely committed to things, but studying was what he did most and excelled at. Yet, seeing his current state, Xierlan couldn't relax.

Although he didn't say where to go, he told him to prepare well.

Xierlan, accustomed to excellence, couldn’t just scrape by. He felt tons of pressure.

99 agreed. Learning such thick material in 45 days was no different from pushing his limits.

The system hovered around him a few times. "If you pass, I think you could even teach classes to other bugs."

How to efficiently extract key points from unfamiliar fields of knowledge, absorb them in a short time, and skillfully handle various transformed exam questions—just creating tutorials would attract countless insects willing to pay for it.

—The exam-taking skills of children from Zhonghua are still excellent.

Xierlan was amused by the idea of selling courses.

"I'll consider it."

His most important task now is to learn on the sly, so it's better to keep a low profile.

Just then, it was time to finish, and Xierlan spotted a familiar figure at the door.

Sexia was waiting for him as usual. They would spend an hour heading to Aster in advance, a research hub and the location of the Satel Research Institute.

"I'll take you to dinner first. Is there anything you’d like to eat?"

Sexia took the backpack from him and straightened Xierlan’s slightly crooked glasses. "There will be insects to guide you at the exam venue, so no need to stress. You can rest well today."

Xierlan suddenly felt as if he had returned to his childhood.

His father had always worried about his grades slipping—not to pressure him to excel, but out of concern that he might struggle with the increased difficulty at a new stage.

At such times, his father would buy Xierlan whatever he wanted, which made Xierlan love talking about his scores with his dad, coaxing his father, who had only a meager amount of pocket money left, into buying him all sorts of things.

Xierlan now felt the same way, though the emotions were different. Just as Sexia lowered his hand, Xierlan hugged him tightly.

Xierlan gave him a light kiss on the cheek before letting go, his eyes shining brightly. "Now I feel like the exam is just a small, small matter."

Sexia smiled softly, tightened his grip on Xierlan’s hand, and said gently, "That’s even better. I’ll take you to the booked restaurant."

Xierlan thought it would be a regular restaurant, but upon arrival, he realized it was a luxurious hovering island restaurant.

Xierlan was too stunned to speak.

This kind of restaurant requires a credit check to enter, right?!

Noticing Xierlan’s obvious astonishment, Sexia gently shook his hand and whispered, "Anyone with money can enter. Don’t worry. The dishes here are quite special, and I wanted to bring you to try them."

The hovering island soared into the clouds, and from the window, they could see the most vibrant district of the main planet, so brilliant it blurred the line between reality and illusion.

Perhaps because the clouds were gathering, the sunset resembled rolling waves, filtering through the specially made glass like rippling, glittering light.

Unaware he was bathed in the light, Sexia seemed to glow like a brilliant crystal, his cool, pale skin radiating a soft, multicolored glow.

Xierlan sat across from him, his gaze calm, unconsciously resting his chin in his hand as he watched him.

Sexia ordered a few dishes and then handed the menu to Xierlan. "Anything else?"

Xierlan glanced at it and felt it was enough, but his eyes lit up when he saw jasmine ice cream, so he ordered two small cups.

"Have this with me."

Sexia didn’t expect him to order dessert and agreed with a soft laugh before handing the menu to the waiter beside them.

The dishes arrived one after another. It had to be said that the steep cost was worth it—the taste and ambiance were excellent. The ice cream had a unique texture, unlike any Xierlan had tasted at various price points, and it was absolutely delightful.

"99," Xierlan called out to the system quietly, "can you get the recipe for this ice cream?"

99 immediately popped up, scanned it, and signaled OK.

Xierlan’s mood improved even more. From time to time, he imitated Sexia’s elegant demeanor, eating with refined manners.

Xierlan’s small gestures were obvious, and Sexia, having spent years on the battlefield, noticed them easily. He didn’t react much, but the smile at the corners of his lips was barely contained, and he fought to hold it back.

He slowed his movements, simply wanting Xierlan to enjoy himself, and his usually ingrained dignified posture began to take on a playful exaggeration.

Xierlan’s eyes curved into smiles.

"You noticed it all along and still tease me," Xierlan said, having done eating. "I’m done eating."

"Let’s go, then," Sexia stood up and naturally offered his hand. "We’re going home."

Xierlan’s ears flushed as he placed his hand in Sexia’s, feeling it slowly tighten around his.

Xierlan was guided out, and they spent an hour journeying to another planet. Compared to the brightness and bustle of the main planet, Aster had a cooler climate, shrouded in mist and clouds, giving it a somewhat dimmer, more subdued atmosphere.

The Satel Research Institute was located here. Xierlan’s insect identity was Mi Xie, which he would use for the exam and to open a research institute.

"Don’t be nervous."

Sexia opened the door to the room. There was an inn near the research institute, dedicated to exam-takers.

"Rest well today."

Xierlan murmured in agreement. After bathing, he lay on the bed with Sexia, holding each other quietly.

He wasn’t really nervous, but he wasn’t sleepy either.

Xierlan moved closer to Sexia, gently resting his chin on his shoulder. His voice was soft, almost like a whisper, more like an affectionate request than a question.

"I want to sleep like this, holding you."

Sexia slowly opened his eyes. "If you want to, just hold me while you sleep."

Xierlan began to feel a warmth spread through his chest. Unconsciously, he shifted and turned Sexia, who had been facing away, toward him, and burrowed into him, pressing close against his neck.

"Then I’ll hold you like this."

It was a sleeping position that was less than ideal for sleep for either of them, but Sexia showed no objection. He raised his hand and gently stroked Xierlan’s face.

He lowered his head, his icy blue eyes gazing slowly into Xierlan’s. His fingers, resting on Xierlan’s face, gradually slid down and came to rest under his chin, tilting it up slightly as if positioned for a kiss.

"Did you want to talk to me?"

Xierlan was incredibly clingy, as if he wanted to attach himself permanently to him.

"I was going to say I really love just holding you like this, simply being together."

Xierlan loved expressing himself, but with Sexia’s fingers under his chin, he fell speechless, as if his former shyness had resurfaced from his former insect self to his human form.

He nuzzled against Sexia’s hand gently and said slowly,

"Now I want you to kiss me."