Chapter 29 Passion

Chapter 29: Emotional Stirrings

"Mu: Thanks for earlier."

"Mu: Let me know when you're free, and I'll help you repair your spiritual damage."

"Lean: ...Let's hold off for now."

"Mu: ? Wait for what?"

"Lean: ...Major General Idris doesn't allow me to seek you for damage repair while you're recovering."

"Mu: ?!"

"Brother." Closing the Stellar Ring, Samuel happily wandered into the kitchen. At the counter, Idris was preparing a late-night snack.

"Hungry?" Idris glanced sideways at the bug clinging to his arm and reassured, "It'll be ready soon."

"Oh." Samuel responded, recalling Idris's reaction at the banquet earlier. He asked, "Brother, aren't you curious about what Prince Augus and I discussed?"

The hand holding the pot lid trembled for a moment. Idris placed the lid on the countertop. A cloud of steam rose, passing through his half-lowered eyelashes, soon dissipating into a damp mist.

Idris blinked uncomfortably. His heart felt like fermenting plums, bubbling with sourness, yet his tone remained as steady as usual: "It's not my place to ask about your private matters, Your Excellency."

Scooping the cooked white-skinned meatballs into a bowl and sprinkling them with scallions, Idris carried the food and led Samuel out, casually adding, "However, if Your Excellency is willing to share, I would be very happy to listen."

The food emitted an aromatic steam. Samuel divided a portion into another bowl and pushed it to the opposite side, then eagerly picked up a spoon, scooping one meatball and sending it into his mouth, inevitably gasping from the heat.

The male insect's reaction pleased Idris. Concealing his surprise at him sharing the food, he helplessly reminded, "Your Excellency, slow down. Be careful of the heat."

Samuel nodded vaguely a couple of times. After shifting the food around in his mouth, he finally swallowed it. The familiar taste made him impulsively give Idris a thumbs-up: "Delicious! For your first try, brother, this is amazing!"

Having been in the insect world for so long, Samuel had never grown accustomed to their food. Therefore, he occasionally jotted down recipes of his favorite dishes for Idris. Thanks to the male insect's exceptional culinary skills, even with not entirely identical ingredients, he managed to recreate a similar deliciousness.

Eating, then lounging, lounging, then eating—during this recuperation period, he had gained a noticeable amount of weight.

After leisurely swallowing a few more wontons and noticing Idris staring at him without starting to eat, Samuel urged him to try quickly before unhurriedly returning to the topic: "Prince Augus wanted to apply for a match with me. He demanded the position of primary consort and high-grade offspring."

"He promised to protect my safety, provide me with substantial assets, and not interfere with the number of male concubines or servants I take."

"However, I refused."

Idris abruptly looked up, somewhat surprised. The conditions offered by Prince Augus were quite favorable. Male insects of the royal family rarely allowed their master to take concubines or servants, which would divide favor.

Receiving a large sum of assets, being unrestricted, and gaining protection—for a male insect, it couldn't be better.

Yet the one sitting across from him had refused.

Why?

Suppressing the strands of relief welling up in his heart, Idris urgently wanted to understand the reason for the male insect's refusal.

Based on his understanding of male insects, refusing Prince Augus certainly wasn't due to dissatisfaction with the proposed conditions.

As for possible reasons for refusal, Idris already had a vague guess, but he felt he might be overthinking it.

"Prince Augus offered excellent conditions. Why didn't Your Excellency agree?" Idris asked casually, holding the spoon handle.

"Why should I agree?" Samuel lowered his head to take a sip of hot soup and asked strangely in return, "Do I not even have the right to refuse a match?"

"Of course, you have the right to refuse." Idris stirred the cloud-like white-skinned meatballs in his bowl. The clear soup rippled, mirroring his fluctuating heart. "I just thought Prince Augus, whether in status, appearance, or position, is very compatible with Your Excellency. So, I was somewhat surprised by your refusal."

Samuel put down his spoon and looked up at the opposite side. Many times, Idris could have directly asked him the reason but always chose to probe indirectly.

Samuel thought he hadn't done enough.

Otherwise, brother wouldn't distrust him so much.

"Brother wants to know the reason I refused Prince Augus, right?" Samuel sighed softly, reached out to hold the male insect's hand, and said sincerely, "If you want to know, you can ask directly. I won't keep any secrets from you about life here."

"Such trivial matters aren't worth brother's extra effort. No matter what happens outside, I hope at home, brother can relax a little."

"Is that okay?"

The male insect's voice was like lightning, striking the eardrums in a flash, then flowing down to knock on the heart. A long-sealed dark door cracked open amidst the chaotic heartbeat.

Surprise and sourness intertwined, drilling into the heart, causing Idris to lose his usual composure. His fingertips trembled slightly. The spoon slid along the bowl's edge, and a crisp sound echoed in the quiet dining room.

It was almost midnight.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like silver, pure as water. Inside, the lamplight was like frost, enveloping Samuel's sincere brows and eyes, casting a soft halo around him.

Idris gazed at the male insect opposite, trying hard to suppress his softening heart and the uncontrollable urge to draw closer. Once again, he wondered: How could there be such an obedient, understanding, and tender-hearted male insect?

Such a male insect—what if other insects discovered him?

If only he could lock him on the bed, shut him in the room, making him belong only to himself.

The male insect's possessiveness towards the male insect gradually tore at Idris's reason after that initial jolt.

He wanted the male insect. He wanted him to belong to himself.

"Brother, are you unwell?" Seeing Idris's somewhat pale complexion, Samuel quickly leaned over to touch his forehead.

Idris didn't avoid it. Maintaining the posture, his gaze fell on the male insect's slender neck exposed due to leaning over and the faint red mole beside the collarbone.

With each breath, a cool, slightly bitter scent drifted from the front, much stronger than before.

Had the male insect's pheromones recovered?

Before Idris could sort out the confusion in his heart, a surge of passion from deep within his body struck him like a hurricane, catching him off guard.

Realizing something was wrong, Idris almost retreated in disarray, avoiding the hand on his forehead. Only when he was far enough away did he calm down, but he still kept his eyes lowered, not daring to look at the opposite side more.

Ha, how ironic.

He, who had always despised male insects for their restraint, had actually developed feelings for a male insect who hadn't undergone secondary differentiation and always called him "brother."

Even more ironic, he didn't feel repulsed. Instead, his body felt excited and expectant.

Concealing the surging emotions, Idris replied evasively, "I'm fine."

"But brother's forehead is so hot! Could it be a fever?" Samuel grew anxious. Back home, delaying treatment for a fever could be fatal!

"No fever, Your Excellency, don't worry." Idris didn't know how to explain his abnormality to the male insect. The other hadn't undergone secondary differentiation yet; he didn't want to expose him to such topics, so he could only repeat dryly, "I'm fine. Male insects occasionally experience this."

Idris's reassurance didn't have its usual effect. While asking, Samuel had already jumped off the stool, pulling the male insect's almost scalding wrist as he headed out.

"Whether something's wrong or not, we need to see a doctor."

Idris: !

No way we're going to the hospital!

Just as the man and the insect were arguing, music suddenly rang out in the living room. Idris tapped his Stellar Ring, and Ray’s anxious voice came through.

“Major, it’s bad! Luoken and Aosen are about to undergo bug metamorphosis!”

But fortunes change, and Samuel ultimately failed to drag the female to the hospital. After ending the call, Idris hurried upstairs with quick steps, changed his clothes, and rushed out the door.

Samuel shadowed the female, witnessing for the first time such raw emotion on the usually calm and gentle Zerg.

Samuel thought, the bugs in trouble must be very important to Idris.

Perhaps, even more important than him.

This realization felt like a damp, cold lump of cotton had been stuffed into his heart, so stifling he could barely breathe.

Samuel felt he was pushing his luck, being spoiled and overstepping. It was perfectly normal for Idris, as a normal bug, to have friends, and to be worried when they were in trouble.

He had no right to be jealous.

Idris had taken him in, cared for him, and even given him gifts—that was already more than enough kindness toward a stranger. He shouldn’t overstep his bounds by interfering in the female’s life.

Samuel told himself over and over to be content, listing again and again all the kindness Idris had shown him.

By the time he saw Idris to the door, he had finally managed to console himself, though still feeling aggrieved.

“I’ll probably be back very late tonight, your Excellency. Please be careful at home alone. If anything happens, leave me a message. If I don’t reply within half an hour, just call my Stellar Ring.” Remembering the last mix-up, Idris added uneasily, “I’ll give you Ray’s contact code later. If my Stellar Ring is unreachable, contact Ray, understood?”

“Mm, I remember.” Even though the female was clearly anxious, he still calmly gave him instructions point by point.

Samuel thought, perhaps he wasn’t that unimportant after all. With this thought, the lingering sense of grievance in his heart quickly dissipated like mist.

“Don’t worry, brother. I’ll be okay here by myself. Time is urgent, you should go quickly.”

Idris hummed in acknowledgment, turned, and strode quickly toward the gate. On the way, he glanced back and found the male still standing in the same spot. Across the eaves and under the moonlight, those dark eyes were fixed on him—focused, affectionate, as if nothing else in the world mattered except him.

His recently calmed heart began to pound again, and even his steps slowed hesitantly. After about two or three seconds, he turned around, quickened his pace, and ran back.

Carrying the coolness of the night breeze, Idris pulled the male, who was half a head shorter, into an embrace. He rarely initiated hugs, so he was a bit clumsy, but fortunately, the male was very obedient and didn’t struggle, leaning against his shoulder like a clinging vine.

Idris was amused by his own thoughts. Suppressing his wild, improper thoughts, he counted the time and held on for two seconds longer than planned.

“I’ll come back as soon as possible. Your Excellency doesn’t need to wait for me tonight, alright?”

“Alright.”

Samuel stood at the door, waiting until the lingering scent of wisteria on him had faded before turning and returning to the empty house.

Sitting on the sofa, he stared blankly at the vase Idris had arranged for a long time. It wasn’t until Unit 99 had finished cleaning the dining room and kitchen and came to urge him repeatedly that Samuel finally stirred.

Snapping out of his daze, he glanced past the speckles of blood on his fingertips from digging his nails in, checked the time—it was already 1 a.m.

Once again, he hadn’t waited for his brother.

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Author’s Note: Stellar Calendar 4056, August X, Bright and sunny, Weekday X

So obedient.

I want him.