Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Nevi pursed his lips and briefly explained the reason for the visit from the childcare association's worker bug.

But whether it was because Vitkay's final veiled warning had struck too hard, or for some other unnameable reason, Nevi instinctively hid the fact that he now knew about the mastermind.

He just lowered his eyes, looking exhausted, and said the childcare association's worker bug had been temporarily dismissed by his smart butler.

Despite trying to appear calm, his beautiful face showed no sign of panic or fear.

But his slightly trembling voice and the way he held himself together were enough to make anyone feel sorry for him.

Wenoy immediately flew into a rage, condemning the childcare worker bug's cold-heartedness.

Nevi's eyelashes trembled slightly, but he said nothing more.

Seeing Nevi was down, Wenoy considerately dropped the topic and instead brought up what he'd found out on his trip home—the thing Nevi cared about most.

"Nevi, about your... female spouse, I managed to figure out most of it on this trip. It's rather complicated, which is why I took some extra time." Wenoy explained carefully.

Nevi snapped his head up, a spark of hope lighting his eyes. His voice was tight as he asked, "Wenoy, how is my female spouse now? Is his injury healing well?"

Nevi's tone was urgent, and his heart was pounding.

It was obvious Nevi was anxious and excited. His eyes shone as he looked at Wenoy—a look Wenoy had never seen before, and it made him pause.

Wenoy's blue eyes grew dark.

The jealousy in his heart burned hotter.

Nevi truly loved Kaisisen that much. But what was so great about that guy, anyway?

If only Nevi would look at him like this forever.

A flash of malice crossed Wenoy's mind, but he put on a hesitant look. As Nevi grew more anxious, Wenoy said reluctantly, "Nevi, your female spouse... I hope you can prepare yourself mentally."

*

Little Black and Little Blue gently carried the chubby cubs, who were drooling in their sleep in the stroller, back to their beds.

Nevi and Wenoy sat facing each other at the dining table, the atmosphere heavy and tense.

"Nevi, your female spouse Aesop is doing well. He's still going to the hospital for treatment, but it's clearly not serious. He's still working and socializing normally. It's just... he doesn't seem to want to talk about his time stranded on the numbered star. The official story is that three years ago, his ship was destroyed in an accident, and he suffered severe brain trauma. He recovered at home for three years before waking up."

Wenoy paused, then added indignantly. "Nevi, you came all this way to find him, worrying about him the whole time. But he and his family seem determined to erase your existence and that part of your history. And that's not all—he's about to..."

Wenoy stopped mid-sentence, looking at Nevi with concern.

At that moment, Nevi seemed to zone out, detached. He listened quietly as Wenoy talked about Aesop, but it all felt so foreign—as if he were hearing about some stranger's life, not the Aesop he'd been searching for all this time.

When Wenoy stopped speaking, Nevi asked in a dull, dazed voice, "Wenoy, what about him?"

Wenoy looked reluctant. He hesitated, a flicker of conflict in his eyes. Finally, he sighed and pulled some photos out of his briefcase, handing them to Nevi.

"Nevi, he's been spending a lot of time with this High Excellency lately. He's about to get engaged. Nevi, you should... just forget about him."

The moment Nevi saw the photos, he couldn't look away.

In the photo, the tall female bug was wearing a tailored suit. His beautiful, silky silver hair was no longer tied back messily like before, but was now neatly styled. His emerald-green eyes gleamed with sharp vitality, no longer looking simple and vacant.

The tall female bug was like a treasure washed clean of dust—his full presence and sharp edge on full display, dazzling in the sunlight.

He was truly breathtakingly handsome.

Nevi stared blankly at the familiar yet strange handsome female bug in the photo. Despite the huge change, he barely needed to confirm it.

This was his Aesop—his beloved female spouse he had waited for so long.

But Aesop, who had always had eyes only for Nevi, was now in the photo gazing down tenderly at the male bug clinging to his arm. His expression seemed fond, almost resigned.

There was no sign of forced disgust on his face. Aesop was doing this willingly.

Nevi knew Aesop. Toward bugs he disliked, Aesop would only show contempt or indifference. No one could force him to get close to someone he didn't want.

Nevi's heart was a mess.

The black-haired male bug in the photo was dressed ornately, covered in glittering, expensive accessories. He looked beautiful and adorable, clearly someone who'd been pampered and spoiled in a life of luxury.

A handsome female and a pretty male—they looked perfect together, but it was also unbearably painful to see.

Nevi's eyes reddened as he clutched the photos tightly.

A wave of bitter grief surged up from his heart, churning endlessly.

He could barely take in what Wenoy had said.

His Aesop was getting engaged?

That was impossible—that was his female spouse!

But the photos in his hands were like sharp blades, stabbing into him mercilessly, sending piercing pain through his chest.

The female spouse he had searched for so long had found someone else to love.

Nevi's vision blurred. The tears he had been holding back finally spilled over, uncontrollable.

Scalding tears fell onto the photos, and an overwhelming despair and panic gradually enveloped Nevi's entire being.

"Nevi, you're wonderful—you truly are. But he is a noble male Excellency. Their families are well-matched, their ranks align. It's not hard to understand why Aesop would make such a choice under his family's pressure. But such a faithless bug isn't worth your grief. You're still young, and in the future..."

Wenoy coaxed gently, his warm voice seemingly laced with a strange magic.

But the next moment, Nevi, his face streaked with tears, jerked his head up and cut off Wenoy's consolation.

"Wenoy, I don't believe it. I don't believe he would do this. Can I ask you—can you take me to see him? Maybe there's some misunderstanding in all this. I need to ask him clearly. I have to ask him!" Nevi pleaded, his words tumbling out incoherently.

But Wenoy's face showed difficulty. "Nevi, Aesop is currently very close with that Excellency—inseparable, in fact. That Excellency isn't easy to deal with. If he were to learn of your existence and the cubs'..."

Wenoy trailed off, his final words left unspoken, but the implication was clear.

Wenoy continued to persuade him. "Nevi, you've been on the capital star for this long. With the power of Aesop's family, if he truly wanted to find you, how could he not have located you and the cubs? Especially after your livestream appearance recently—how many bugs don't know who you are by now? Aesop is deliberately avoiding you."

Wenoy's voice was soft, but the meaning behind his words was sharp and blunt.

Nevi looked at the photo of the female bug he loved so deeply, and tears streamed down his face once more. His flawless, beautiful features were filled with a heart-wrenching emptiness and bewilderment.

Nevi murmured, his voice hoarse and despairing, "I... what am I supposed to do..."

"Nevi, forget him. I know it may be painful for you, but a short pain is better than a long one. Nevi, you deserve better..."

Wenoy's voice was full of seduction. At some point, he had quietly moved to stand before Nevi, and with a gentle motion, he reached out to wipe away the tear at the corner of Nevi's eye.

Nevi was stunned, the residual warmth on his face making him feel an unsettling discomfort.

Instinctively, he turned his face away from Wenoy's rather forward gesture.

"Nevi, I know this might seem sudden, but let me take care of you and your cubs." Meeting Nevi's bewildered gaze, Wenoy spoke with nervous urgency. "Nevi, given Aesop's family standing, even if he would never admit you exist, he would never let his own children be left adrift. He'd find a way to snatch your cubs and have them raised under his family's side branches. That child welfare organization's move was probably his first test. At that point, he'll definitely escalate to more aggressive tactics!"

"Nevi, even though we haven't known each other long, I've been watching you and crushing on you for ages. I catch every single one of your streams. Every time I watch, I get so happy and excited. At first, my curiosity and attention toward you were about wanting to become your friend, until you recently showed your real face. I never dreamed there could be a male bug as amazing, gentle, and gorgeous as you in this world. Nevi, I truly like you." Wenoy's cheeks flushed, his face full of the nervous excitement and careful reverence of someone facing the bug he loves.

"Nevi, I'm currently a researcher at the Imperial Research Institute, with my own private research lab. Nevi, I can keep you and your cubs safe, and I can give you a comfortable life with plenty of resources. I'll take good care of you, and I'll raise your cubs as if they were my own flesh and blood! Nevi, can you give me a chance?" Wenoy pledged with earnest sincerity.

His words were forceful and resolute, his sentences so nervous they came out jumbled, making his genuineness unmistakable.

But Nevi remained silent for a long time.

Caught up in his nervous confession, Wenoy failed to notice the flash of panic that flickered in Nevi's eyes at his self-introduction.

Just as Wenoy's expression was shifting from hopeful to hurt and disappointed, Nevi finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, Wenoy. My mind is a mess right now, and I'm exhausted. Can you give me some time to think?"

Nevi speaking up seemed to give Wenoy hope again, whose face lit up with joy. "Of course, of course. Nevi, take your time to think. I'm sorry, I was too bold, saying this at such a bad time. I apologize for troubling you. Nevi, get some rest. I'll head back now. If you need anything, just call me anytime."

With that, Wenoy cast one reluctant look at Nevi before slowly taking his leave.

Only after Wenoy had completely disappeared did Nevi, with shaking hands, slam the front door locked.

Leaning against the door, Nevi's legs gave way beneath him, barely able to hold himself up, his back soaked with cold sweat.

His trembling pale hands had been clenched so hard his nails had dug in, turning them purple and drawing blood, which was the only way he had managed not to betray himself in front of Wenoy just now.

Nevi took a deep, heavy breath, struggling to steady himself.

He pulled out his light brain and immediately called Barlow.

Barlow answered quickly—within seconds, his bright, cheerful voice came through Nevi's ear.

"Hey, Nevi, why are you calling me at this hour? Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet." Nevi replied to Barlow hastily, then asked with near desperation, "Barlow, do you know Wenoy?"

With that, Nevi held his breath, waiting for Barlow's answer to confirm the terrifying suspicion taking shape in his mind.

"Know him? Of course. Isn't he the first name on the matchmaking list the chairman gave you? He's a powerful noble female from the capital's largest medical equipment family. He's also highly accomplished himself, having earned his own independent laboratory at the Imperial Research Institute at such a young age..."

Nevi's hand went slack, and the light brain clattered to the floor.

Barlow's voice continued to stream from the device, but Nevi had no mind to pay attention anymore.

His face had gone pale, and he felt as though he had plunged into an icy abyss.

When he had first met Wenoy, he had vaguely felt that the name sounded familiar, but no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't place it, so he had let it go.

It wasn't until Wenoy introduced himself as a worker bug at the Imperial Research Institute that a flash of insight struck Nevi, and he suddenly remembered Barlow's exclamation that day, holding the matchmaking list beside him.

Wenoy, with his independent laboratory, seemed to be among those names.

"Be careful of those around you... Think about what you've recently refused..."

Vitkay's cryptic words, which had lingered in Nevi's mind and eluded his understanding, finally came into clear light.

*

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Author's note: The photo is real, but it's not what you're imagining, ah ah ah.

Thank you all so much for your support! I'll keep working hard!