Chapter 42

Chapter 42

"Hehe, you're here so early. Mei Mei's here to see the fish again, huh, Nevi? Let me take Mei Mei to see them!" Joelson jogged up to Nevi with a bright smile on his face.

Before Nevi could reply, Chubby Mei Mei had already excitedly stretched out his chubby little arms, his young voice calling out repeatedly, "Bubba, hold, fishy, see!"

Clearly, from how chummy Chubby Mei Mei was acting, this wasn't the first time Joelson had held him to watch the fish.

Seeing this, Nevi could only pat Mei Mei's chubby head and say politely, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Joelson. Mei Mei is always bothering you."

Nevi thanked him politely, sounding a little embarrassed.

Ever since Mei Mei had inexplicably fallen in love with the colorful ornamental fish in the lake, he was always yammering to see them. But Bai Bai was afraid of the seemingly deep lake water, so Nevi had to initially hold Bai Bai a bit further away, securely strapping the ever-stronger Mei Mei into his stroller to watch the fish through the railing.

But watching that way wasn't as satisfying as being held by a grown-up—better view, more fun. Ever since Joelson had held Mei Mei to watch the fish once, whenever Joelson wasn't around, it was fine, but the moment he showed up in front of Mei Mei, Mei Mei would refuse to sit in the stroller to watch the fish.

Hearing Nevi thank him, Joelson quickly waved his hands, almost flustered, saying, "No, no, I'm just glad to help. I really like Mei Mei and Bai Bai too—they're so adorable."

With that, Joelson scooped Mei Mei out of the stroller, one hand under his butt, the other around his belly. He gave him a little bounce to get a better grip, then carried him over to the railing.

Mei Mei reached out his chubby little paw, dug some fish food out of the pouch hanging around his neck, and tossed it down.

Within moments, the once calm, clear lake was suddenly swarming with plump, colorful ornamental fish.

The fish thrashed and fought over the food Mei Mei tossed, including red-and-white striped ones, black-and-purple striped ones, and even some with translucent little wings that could briefly leap out of the water—stunning little goldfish.

These ornamental fish were hefty, clearly well-fed on the regular. Some were even nearly half as big as Mei Mei. Nevi felt a little nervous just watching, but Mei Mei wasn't scared at all. Instead, he babbled excitedly in baby talk, bouncing his whole body, with bursts of bright, cheerful laughter.

Clearly, Mei Mei was over the moon, and he genuinely loved these pretty fish.

Joelson, being a female insect, had broad, strong arms. He held Mei Mei steady the whole time, not even breaking a sweat. Joelson was also super into it, excitedly pointing out the pretty fish that leaped out of the water every so often, urging Mei Mei to look quick. His over-the-top gestures and playful talk might've seemed silly for an adult, but for a baby just over a month old, they were perfect, drawing another peal of silver-bellied laughter from Mei Mei.

Nevi pushed the stroller, standing not far off, watching the cheerful pair—big one and little one—his expression complicated. A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but then his gaze hardened with resolve.

*

Finally satisfied after seeing the fish, Mei Mei was carried by Joelson over to Nevi on the lawn.

By then, Nevi had already spread out a picnic blanket loaded with toys and snacks, plus a little tent for shade.

Still full of energy, Mei Mei rolled around happily twice inside the tent, then half-crawled, reaching out a chubby paw covered in fish food crumbs to grab a snack off the picnic blanket.

Luckily, Nevi caught his hand just in time. After wiping Mei Mei's hands clean with a wet wipe, Nevi gave his chubby paw a gentle squeeze and said softly, "Mei Mei, Daddy told you to wipe your hands before eating, remember? Otherwise, you'll get germs in your mouth and get sick."

Nevi reminded him patiently until Mei Mei nodded, then he picked up a piece of pastry and placed it into the eager little paw.

Mei Mei immediately opened wide and chomped down, his mouth and chin covered in crumbs—a stark contrast to Bai Bai, who was leisurely nibbling berries nearby.

Nevi patted both babies' heads, then asked Paz and Budlay—who he'd just roped into helping—to keep an eye on the little ones.

Then Nevi turned to Joelson, who was standing by the babies, and said gently but firmly, "Joelson, can I have a word with you?"

The warm sunlight bathed Nevi, draping him in a faint golden glow, making his already fair skin look even more translucent, like jade. Nevi seemed to glow, as beautiful as a celestial being stepping out of an ancient painting—almost unreal.

Joelson stared at Nevi, his heart pounding faster and faster. He quickly lowered his head and mumbled a reply, not daring to look at him, as if afraid of sullying Nevi.

The two walked to a spot a little further from the lawn, and Nevi said softly, "Joelson, how long does it take you to commute from school every day?"

Joelson was momentarily stunned, then replied, sounding flattered, "Not too far—about two hours round trip on the hovercar. My coursework this semester isn't too heavy anyway. Everyone's out doing practical stuff to gain experience, hehe."

Joelson rubbed his red hair, a big, beaming smile spreading across his face.

This made the otherwise somewhat wild-looking female insect seem adorably goofy and simple.

Joelson couldn't contain his joy—this was the first time Nevi had ever asked about him on his own.

Two hours...

Nevi went quiet for a moment at that.

Yet Joelson often showed up at the Male Insect Association bright and early. Recalling how Joelson's smile sometimes couldn't hide how tired he was, Nevi finally couldn't help saying, "Joelson... maybe you shouldn't come anymore from now on."

Joelson froze, completely caught off guard by Nevi's words. Once it sank in, his expression turned panicked and lost. "Nevi, why do you say that? Did I do something to upset you..."

Before Joelson could finish, Nevi cut him off, "Joelson, I already know."

As Joelson looked confused, Nevi went on, "Your volunteer work at the Male Insect Association doesn't count toward your social practice—you don't get any credits for it. Your actual social practice site... isn't here, is it?"

Nevi hadn't known at first—he'd never attended university. It was only yesterday that he happened to overhear a conversation between Paz and Budlay.

Spending hours every day coming to the Male Insect Association, and in the remaining time juggling both his practical activities and coursework—even a strong female insect couldn't withstand the mental exhaustion of such a grueling schedule.

So why was Joelson doing all this thankless work?

Recalling Joelson's enthusiasm and initiative over this period, Nevi understood everything.

Joelson looked stunned, his eyes darting away, standing awkwardly in place with his head hung low, like a child caught misbehaving. He mumbled shamefully, "So you know..."

Nevi said softly, "Joelson, I have a male mate. I love him deeply. He's forced to be away from me right now, but I and the babies will wait for him."

Nevi didn't say it outright, but the meaning was clear.

Realizing his feelings had been seen through and gently rejected, Joelson felt his mind go blank with a loud "boom."

The shy female insect hadn't even thought that far ahead—he just wanted to get close to Nevi, to be good to him, to... see him every day.

Heat rushed to Joelson's face, turning it bright red. Looking at Nevi's beautiful, earnest face, Joelson felt a sudden impulse and stammered, "Nevi, I like you. I really like Bai Bai and Mei Mei too. I want to stay by your side, to take care of you and the babies. I—I'll be really good to you all... I—could I be your secondary mate?"

Joelson's first confession trailed off into a near whisper at the end, but his expression was full of caution and deep hope.

Nevi was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "Joelson, I'm just a low-grade male insect with children. I'm not worth you doing this. With your qualifications, you could easily find a better male to be his primary mate."

Joelson was a B+ grade female insect from a good family, doted on by his parents. Whether it was his future or marriage, his family would help him. He naturally wasn't like most ordinary female insects who had no choice but to become secondary mates picked by others.

"No! Nevi, you're the best in my heart!" Joelson said almost urgently, trying to convey his sincerity.

But Nevi only said calmly, "Joelson, what do you like about me?"

Joelson was stunned.

"Is it my looks? We haven't known each other long. You don't really understand me—you're just drawn to me. That's not love." Nevi sighed and continued gently, "Joelson, I have no plans to take a secondary mate, nor do I want to develop any other relationships. Right now, I just want to focus on raising the babies and waiting for my male mate to return. I'm sorry, Joelson, but you shouldn't come here anymore for a while. You should focus on your studies and practical activities, and stop wasting your time on me. Thank you for everything you've done for me and the babies during this time."

With that, Nevi nodded at Joelson and turned to leave.

Leaving Joelson standing there in a daze. He wanted to call out to Nevi and explain—no, maybe at first he had been drawn by Nevi's looks.

But over this time spent with Nevi, he had become increasingly captivated and moved by Nevi's gentleness, patience, and the way he smiled and laughed softly with the babies.

This was the perfect male master he had dreamed of in his youthful fantasies.

But when Joelson heard Nevi's blunt and resolute rejection, and saw the love in Nevi's eyes that he couldn't hide when mentioning his male mate.

Joelson stood as if frozen, helplessly defeated, watching Nevi's retreating figure until his own eyes slowly welled red.

He didn't want to admit it, but the truth was painfully clear—there was no possibility between him and Nevi.

Joelson finally couldn't hold it in anymore. He crouched down, burying his head in his arms, and let out a low, muffled sob, mourning a first love that had been cut short before it ever truly started.

*

"Well? How'd it go? How'd it go?"

Before Nevi even reached them, he could see Paz and Budlay craning their necks, buzzing with gossipy curiosity.

Nevi shook his head.

He'd heard Joelson crying too, but he never once looked back.

Since it was doomed from the start, he couldn't give Joelson any hope—which was exactly why Nevi, usually so soft-spoken, had been so blunt this time.

Joelson's sincere, pure affection was nothing like the disgusting, malicious stares and covetous leers of those other females.

Nevi was taken aback, but not repulsed.

And so, having played the "evil insect" and broken someone's heart for the first time, Nevi didn't feel good about it either—but he stayed firm in his decision.

Aside from Aesop, he would never love another female—never again, for the rest of his life.

Paz and Budlay's faces immediately fell in disappointment.

"Ah, Joelson seemed really great though—good family background, high rank, young, handsome, and sincere. The way he looked at you with his whole heart... only you, Nevi, were oblivious."

"You're really not gonna consider him? Such a shame."

Nevi listened to their regretful remarks but stayed silent.

Seeing that Nevi seemed down, Paz and Budlay quietly went quiet too.

They said their goodbyes to Nevi and headed off.

By now, a worn-out Bai Bai and Mei Mei were sleeping peacefully in the tent. Nevi's gaze drifted, as if he were lost in thought.

Actually, his bad mood wasn't just because of Joelson.

It also had to do with his friend Kaisisen.

As their bond deepened and their chats grew more frequent, three days ago, Kaisisen had made a request that completely blindsided Nevi.

He wanted to meet Nevi and the kids in person.

Nevi panicked on the spot. Staring at Kaisisen's excited plans and arrangements for their meeting on the screen, Nevi, his head spinning, rejected him outright—without even bothering to make up a decent excuse.

Nevi had never even considered meeting Kaisisen in person. Even though they now chatted almost daily, sharing life's ups and downs like close friends, Nevi had just never thought about meeting him face to face.

Because—he wasn't the female Kaisisen and the netizens thought he was. He was a low-ranking male hiding his true identity.

Nevi could feel that Kaisisen genuinely treated him as a friend, which was exactly why Nevi couldn't stand to imagine Kaisisen's reaction when he found out about the deception—nor did he dare think about how Kaisisen would react to finding out Nevi was just a low-ranking male.

Kaisisen had never made a secret of his wealth.

Would he look at Nevi with the same contempt and disdain as those other females—or like Makaji?

Nevi simply didn't dare think about it, and he didn't dare gamble on it either.

He was like a wounded hedgehog—at the slightest hint of danger, he curled up tight, afraid to poke his head out again.

With his mind in a mess, Nevi stopped replying to Kaisisen. Kaisisen stayed silent for a long, long time before finally sending a single message: "I'm sorry, that was presumptuous of me."

And after that message, they hadn't spoken since. These past few days, Nevi had been streaming absentmindedly, constantly checking the viewer list, but that familiar gold-trimmed avatar never showed up again.

Nevi pulled out his light device and opened the chat with Kaisisen again. His heart felt like it was being squeezed, aching something fierce.

Countless times he tried to type out an explanation, but he'd type and delete, delete and retype, feeling like anything he said would sound weak and hollow.

In the end, he could only set the device down, defeated.

What was he even supposed to do?

*

At the same time, in his office, Kaisisen—radiating a heavy, oppressive energy—was also staring at his chat with Nevi.

These past few days, he'd refreshed it countless times, but Nevi's reply never came.

Had his request been too sudden, too presumptuous? Was that why Nevi was upset?

Kaisisen hadn't even dared log into his main account these days. Instead, he'd been switching between several alt accounts, sending Nevi gifts nonstop.

He hoped it might cheer Nevi up, but Nevi's mood stayed low no matter what.

Kaisisen pressed his lips together, a flicker of dejection crossing his face.

He'd held back for so long before finally asking to meet Nevi and the kids.

Kaisisen knew that meeting someone from the internet always came with hesitation.

But they'd been chatting so well. He'd imagined Nevi agreeing happily, or hesitating a little.

Kaisisen had even prepared a dozen or more ways to persuade Nevi if he wavered.

But the one thing he never expected was for Nevi to reject him so decisively, so completely. To the point of not even replying to his messages anymore.

A flicker of hurt crossed Kaisisen's face.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Just then, the closed door to Kaisisen's office was knocked on.

Kaisisen quickly composed himself, returning to a calm demeanor.

"Come in."

The moment he spoke, his assistant—who had been on leave for nearly half a month—walked in.

The assistant's family was on the capital star. This time, a blood relative had gotten married, so he'd taken his annual leave to return for the wedding.

Now he was carrying bags upon bags, clearly having come straight to the company upon arriving at Rose Star.

"Boss, I'm here to report back from leave. These are some gifts I brought for you..."

Kaisisen lowered his head and gave a casual acknowledgment. Just as the assistant was setting down the gifts and about to leave, Kaisisen's gaze happened to drift upward—and suddenly froze.

"Wait!"

Kaisisen called out to his assistant, his gaze locked onto the all-too-familiar object on the assistant's bag, and he blurted out, almost stunned, "Where did you get that charm?"

Kaisisen would never mistake it—he had an identical one too.

He carried it with him every day, treasuring it dearly, and it was in his pocket at that very moment.

Kaisisen yanked it from his pocket—and there it was, a lucky knot identical to the one dangling from his assistant's bag!

*

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Author's note: Haha, the secret's about to be revealed! Guess why the assistant's got one, hehe.

Thank you all so much for your support. I'll keep doing my best!