Chapter 26 Covering Mouth

Chapter 26: Muzzled

After outlining the content for the next update, Samuel withdrew his hand poised to unleash tragedy and switched back to the live stream. He hadn't forgotten there was a major announcement to make today.

Thus, the netizens who had been jumping around and fighting fiercely in the live stream were surprised to discover that characters had once again appeared below the main text.

"What's this, some kind of book?"

"Lin An: '...Uh, on August 20th, the physical book of 'When a Male Insect Decides to Die' will be released."

"What?? The physical book is out? Oh my god! Finally, we don't have to rely on those few blurry, crappy pictures anymore!!"

"Good thing I've already finished reading it! Hahaha! I don't really like physical books... Wait?! What's this?"

"Extra chapters?!"

"Lin An: In addition to the revised main text, the physical book includes an extra HE (Happy Ending) chapter. The first 50,000 pre-orders will also receive a bonus: daily life at the military academy, the Anatole family crest... The first 5,000 pre-orders will receive an additional author-drawn illustration and a portrait of Anatole. The first 1,000 pre-orders will receive an extra bonus: daily life during heat."

"Lin An: Pre-order link is below. First come, first served. Limited time offer."

"What?! Daily life during heat? Is this something we're allowed to see?!! Where's the link!"

"Wait, only 150,000 copies? Is the Streamer joking?"

"Damn! Everyone was saying they wouldn't buy the physical book, but now you're all scrambling for it! You have no shame!"

"F*ck! My daily life during heat!! Ahhh! Who the hell is hogging my internet line!"

For a moment, the comment section was both unusually harmonious and extremely agitated.

Following the Super Administrator's requirements, Samuel finished posting the text edited by the company line by line. Ignoring the chaotic live stream, he switched to the backend.

As expected, YS was poking him. Besides that, N·YD had also sent a message.

Skipping over a string of constantly flashing red dots, Samuel opened N·YD's private message.

"N·YD: I just checked the documents issued by the MPA. There's no regulation prohibiting male insects from being together. However, the opening content involves harming a male insect, which crosses a line. Those fanatics at the MPA will probably try to dig up your address. For safety, I've added a special layer of protection to your account. Write without worry."

"Lin An: Thank you, Mr. N! But is the MPA really that idle? Do they monitor online content like this every day?"

"N·YD: They don't need to monitor manually. They have an information filtering system. Once content related to male insects appears online, it automatically analyzes and traces the source."

"Lin An: ... Then they are quite diligent."

"N·YD: ..."

After thanking him again, Samuel opened YS's message. The first thing that met his eyes were several rows of ellipses, followed by several rows of question marks about twenty minutes later. Scrolling to the end, he finally saw some proper text.

Samuel was rarely amused. Were insect people this averse to homosexuality? He had only written the beginning, and the netizens were already breaking down. They seemed even more feudal than the ancestors from thousands of years ago in his homeland.

"YS: Switching the situations of male and female insects, writing about male insects being forced and abused, and even writing about male-male relationships... you did it on purpose. I can tell, you want to infuriate those female insects at the MPA."

"Lin An: I'm not! I didn't! Mr. Y, you can't slander me!"

"YS: ... I don't believe you."

"Lin An: Wailing!"

"YS: What are you crying about? I'm praising you. However, you need to be careful not to get caught by the MPA, or you'll be in for a world of hurt. If you need anything, you can come to me."

"Lin An: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Y!"

YS gave a few more instructions, expressing high praise and anticipation for the new novel before leaving. Samuel switched back to the live stream, posted the announcement about the three-day update schedule, ignored the netizens' wailing and howling, and promptly closed the live stream and logged off.

By now, it was nearing sunset. The sprawling fiery clouds spread across the horizon like lava flowing after a volcanic eruption, slowly spreading across the sky.

The sunlight, neither warm nor hot, scattered by the window. Gazing at the fragmented light on the windowsill, Samuel suddenly remembered his childhood, when his brother would step through the evening glow to pick him up from school.

"Mu: Brother, what time do you get off work today? Can I come to the military department to pick you up?"

After waiting ten minutes with no reply, Samuel went to the wardrobe, rummaged through his clothes, selected a set that was neither eye-catching nor too plain but still elegant, put it on, and left the house.

Idris saw the message just after finishing a meeting. Recently, the empire's borders were unstable. Star beasts frequently attacked surrounding planets, causing many military male insects to be injured.

Additionally, some military male insects, having been stationed at the border for years without receiving mental soothing, had developed severe mental rampages. Among those with mental rampages, several S-rank and above military male insects had already shown signs of initial insectification.

Insectified military male insects can generally only be soothed by A-rank and above male insects. Moreover, if the soothing fails, the male insect also risks being attacked and killed.

Therefore, once a military male insect becomes insectified, unless a miracle occurs where a high-ranking male insect is willing to voluntarily soothe them, the only thing waiting for them is death.

This is also why most military male insects, after earning military merits, are willing to become male concubines, register for dates, and become obsessed with male insects.

Idris had seen many unmatched high-ranking military male insects die after insectification. He knew he would face this day too, but he didn't expect his comrade to walk this path before him.

Frowning, Idris returned to his office. As soon as he sat down and opened his Stellar Ring, he saw an unread message in his special notifications.

The male insect wanted to pick him up and take him home?!

Idris found it hard to believe. How could a male insect have such an idea? This kind of thing was rare even in ordinary male-female relationships, let alone between a Male Master and his primary husband, or between a father and his child?

Why was the one he knew so unconventional?

Staring at Samuel's name for a while, Idris finally snapped back to reality. Immediately, a sudden idea was born in Idris's mind, but he quickly suppressed it, lowered his eyes, and quietly typed.

"Idris: My apologies, Your Excellency. I was just in a meeting and had my Stellar Ring on silent."

Idris was about to reply that he had matters to handle today, wouldn't be back too early, and to refuse the pick-up, when he saw a new message pop up in the dialog box.

"Mu: No need to apologize. I know you're busy, brother."

"Mu: Brother, how much longer until you get off work?"

"Idris: It might be a bit late today, Your Excellency. If you're bored, you can take a walk around the villa. I'll return as soon as I finish my work."

"Mu: Okay, then take your time, brother. No rush."

Seeing that the male insect wasn't insisting on coming, Idris felt relieved, but a trace of disappointment also arose.

The sprouting emotions were too complex, tangled and unclear. Idris didn't bother to analyze them, simply crumpled them into a ball and tossed them into a corner, focusing on the work at hand.

It wasn't until the red clouds in the sky were about to disperse that Idris stood up, picked up the things Ray had delivered on the coffee table, opened the door, and headed downstairs.

While passing through the corridor, Idris ran into a few colleagues. Strangely, the insects who usually at most nodded to him in greeting today greeted him with unprecedented enthusiasm. The looks they gave him were also filled with inexplicable envy, which was utterly baffling.

The same scene repeated several times along the way.

Suppressing his confusion, Idris arrived at the military district gate. The moment he stepped out of the main entrance, his mind buzzed as if a nuclear bomb had exploded.

Everything before his eyes gradually faded away in the fiery light, leaving only that insect, smiling, full of vitality, waving and running towards him.

Those emotions that had been tossed into the corner instantly heated up and boiled over the moment the insect ran to his side and called him "brother." Idris's throat and very being felt as if scalded by boiling water, rooting him to the spot, unable to react for a long while.

"Brother?" Samuel called again.

Idris finally found his voice from the momentary yet seemingly endless shock, his voice tinged with bewilderment as he asked, "Your Excellency, why have you come? When did you arrive?"

It was rare for Samuel to see such an animated expression on Idris's face. He secretly admired it for a few seconds and was about to say he had just arrived when the sentry insect on the side beat him to it.

"This Excellency arrived around four o'clock. We wanted to call Vice Officer Ray, but the Excellency didn't want to disturb you, so he waited at the entrance until now." As he spoke, the sentry insect tsked repeatedly, the envy in his eyes practically visible.

It was no wonder the sentry insect was astonished. In his years at the military department, this was the first time he had seen a male insect specifically come to pick up a male soldier after work.

Today was truly an eye-opener.

The sentry insect's words caused Idris's usually calm face to show rare cracks.

Four o'clock?

That meant when he replied to the message, the male was already at the military department, yet the other had said nothing and waited for nearly three hours.

Having waited so long... wasn't the male insect angry?

Samuel indeed wasn't angry; he even enjoyed the process of waiting for Idris to finish work. However, the entrance to the military department was gradually becoming crowded with insects, not a place to talk.

So he grasped the soldier's wrist, pulling him along as they hurried forward. With their steps growing increasingly rushed, Idris had no choice but to follow closely, breaking into a light jog alongside the male insect.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the two of them ran, one after the other, toward the front. The evening breeze passed by, kissing the corners of their clothes before lingering wistfully, swirling and carrying fallen petals into the distance.

*Click.* At the military department entrance, a bystander insect raised their Stellar Ring, capturing the moment Samuel looked back.

In the photo, the male insect gazed at the white-haired male soldier behind him with a smile in his eyes. That gentle gaze, like the newly sprouted antennae of a larva, tugged at the heartstrings.

And made one unable to help but feel jealous.

"Five minutes! I need to know this black-haired Excellency's information!!!!"

"Ahhh, this Excellency looks so gentle! So different!"

"I so want to swap souls with that white-haired male soldier!! Wuwu (biting handkerchief)"

"Feels like the white-haired male soldier's position as primary consort is secured!"

"Furious request for the white-haired male soldier to open a class, teaching skills to attract male insects!!"

"Such a beautiful scene! Such beautiful faces! Such a heartwarming picture! And, the Excellency actually took the initiative to hold the soldier's hand! Ahh! I'm going to faint!"

"How can you tell?"

"The position of the hands!!"

Samuel was unaware that the scene of him pulling the insect along as they ran had been photographed and posted online. It wasn't until he was ushered into the hovercar by the soldier that he let go.

His palm suddenly empty, Idris felt a pang of reluctance, though he betrayed none of it on his face. After settling the male insect, he returned to the driver's seat, started the hovercar, and flew toward the villa.

On the way back, Samuel noticed the box in the back seat. He couldn't help but shift his gaze repeatedly between Idris's profile and the box, yet he never asked a single question.

Noticing Samuel's actions, Idris spoke up, "Your Excellency... Mmm!"

Samuel leaned over and covered Idris's lips.

The accident happened in an instant. With nowhere to dodge, Idris could only stiffen his body, allowing those fingertips to rest cloud-like against his lips.

So soft, both Idris and Samuel thought simultaneously.

The next second, their gazes collided—one hastily withdrawing his hand, the other feigning composure.

In the awkward silence, the hovercar slowly stopped outside the villa gate. Before Idris could assist him, Samuel pushed the door open himself and hurriedly got out of the car, stumbling in his hurried, eager exit.

Watching the male insect scurry out like a mouse seeing a cat, Idris couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

He didn't know why he felt so delighted deep down, but seeing that fleeing figure just made him want to laugh.

However, that genuine and gentle smile lasted only a few seconds. By the time Idris parked the hovercar, picked up the items, and walked to Samuel's side, he had returned to his usual seriousness and calmness.

Seeing Idris get out of the car expressionlessly, Samuel couldn't quite gauge the soldier's mood.

Memories of past rejection surged within him. Unable to control the worry, he asked anxiously, "Brother, are you angry?"

He had made similar intimate gestures toward his brother when he was young, but this time, with Idris, it felt strange, and he was especially afraid the soldier would dislike him for it.

"No," Idris replied casually, placing the items on the living room table before turning to beckon Samuel over.

With such a cold tone, it would be strange if he weren't angry.

"Brother, just now, I didn't mean to." Samuel pursed his lips, slowly approaching and stopping a step away from Idris, explaining in a fluster, "The Starnet says you shouldn't talk casually to the driver; it can easily cause accidents. I was afraid you'd get distracted, so I covered your mouth."

After listening carefully to the reason, Idris remained silent for a while. He recalled the last time the male insect was injured; he had also been this apprehensive and repeatedly sought confirmation.

Why?

Was his attitude that important to the male insect?

Idris's silence intensified the unease in Samuel's heart. An inexplicable emotion slowly welled up. His nose stung, and his voice trembled slightly, "Brother, don't ignore me. I won't do this again in the future."

"Your Excellency, you are a male insect of noble status. Even if you did something to me, it would be my fault." Idris raised his hand, using his fingertip to lift Samuel's chin. He pulled out a tissue and gently wiped away the rolling teardrops, asking, "So why are you always afraid I'll be angry?"

Samuel said matter-of-factly, "Because you're my brother."

Idris's hand, wiping away tears, paused, "Just because of that?"

"And also because..." Samuel secretly glanced up to observe Idris's expression. Seeing no familiar disgust, he felt reassured enough to continue, "If brother dislikes me, I can't stay here anymore."

After saying this, he tentatively placed his hand over Idris's, pulled out the tissue the soldier was holding, tossed it into the trash bin, and then took hold of Idris's hand. After thinking for a moment, Samuel added softly, "And I don't want to leave brother either."

"Is that all?" Idris didn't withdraw his hand, indulging Samuel as he freely played with his fingers, his tone becoming even gentler.

Samuel hesitated for a moment, nodded blankly, then quickly assured, "Brother, don't drive me away. I'll change!"

The male insect's black eyes, misty with tears, were filled with panic, like a deer lost in a dense forest.

Idris felt a softening in his heart. He withdrew his hand at the right moment, didn't press further, and said gently, "Your Excellency, I am not angry, and I will not drive you away. You haven't done anything wrong; you don't need to always be so cautious."

Samuel obediently hummed in agreement. His gaze drifted and landed on Idris's lips again. He secretly rubbed the fingertip that had touched there against another finger, and with the confidence from the promise, he slowly asked, "Then, in the future, can I still cover brother's mouth?"

Idris: ?

Is that what I meant?

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Author's Note: After testing the waters until now, Xixi has gained a bit of confidence.

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Stellar Calendar 4056, August X, Clear, Weekday X

Excessive. (Crossed out)

Cute.