Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Unbeknownst to Nevi and Barlow in the hovercar, the sliding glass door on the balcony of the quiet house next to Nevi's had just been opened the moment they left.

Wenoy stared blankly at the direction the hovercar had gone, muttering to himself, "Why is he avoiding me? That doesn't make sense. Didn't they say Nai Nai never even looked at the list? So what went wrong... Nai Nai... did he catch on to something?"

Unfortunately, Wenoy's whispered words faded into the breeze in the courtyard, with no one around to answer his questions.

Just then, a burst of cheerful laughter came from the neighboring yard—Mei Mei's childish voice cut through Wenoy's thoughts.

"Little Black, Little Black! Bai Bai won't come out, so you gotta play with me!"

Wenoy looked over at the chubby little kid in the next yard, squatting by a flowerpot and digging in the dirt with a tiny shovel.

Next to him stood a black-haired smart caretaker with a helpless look, apparently trying to coax Mei Mei back inside, but the chubby little guy wasn't budging.

Wenoy's gaze darkened, a sinister malice swirling in his eyes.

Why does that little brat look so damn annoying—just like their father?

He wasn't a petty bug. If Nevi's kids belonged to some other male, whoever it was, he could accept that.

But why did it have to be Kaisisen's, of all bugs?

Watching Nevi look at those two little ones who looked just like Kaisisen with so much love, Wenoy couldn't hold back his fury.

That damn bastard—why had he always been against him since they were kids? Didn't he publicly say he'd never take a male? Yet of all the males he could've fallen for, it had to be one tied to Wenoy.

A sick obsession crept onto Wenoy's face, a cruel glint flashing in his eyes.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his light brain and called a private number. "Hey, move the plan up. There are two smart caretakers in the house—the one with black hair is the security model. Don't tip it off."

Once the other side confirmed, Wenoy hung up without hesitation. A smile finally spread across his face, but it was the kind that made your skin crawl.

"Little brats, blame your bad luck—why'd you have to have a father like that..."

Wenoy left the balcony window and went to a hidden door, turning a switch to enter. Inside the empty room, every wall was plastered with clear screenshots from Nevi's livestreams and candid photos of his everyday life!

Wenoy walked up to the biggest life-sized photo, his eyes full of adoration and obsession. He pressed a reverent, precious kiss to the figure's forehead.

As if in prayer, he whispered, "Nevi, please like me. I'd give everything for you."

"You like kids? I can give you one, two, three. As many as you want—I'll have them all for you!"

*

On the hospital bed, Kaisisen was strapped down tight with special restraints, unable to move.

His head was covered in electrode patches hooked up to various machines. Dimuk stood nearby, his face heavy with worry.

"Kaisisen, are you ready? Stimulating the subconscious with electric currents is extremely painful. In the old days, this was a torture method. You—it's not too late to back out now!"

Dimuk's voice was full of persuasion, but Kaisisen's determined eyes showed no trace of hesitation.

"Begin, Dimuk."

Seeing Kaisisen's persistence, Dimuk had no choice but to agree, though his expression turned serious. "Kaisisen, if you can't take it anymore, call out to stop at any time. If your reaction gets too intense, I'll force-stop it depending on the situation."

With that, after confirming Kaisisen was ready, Dimuk gritted his teeth and slammed the machine's start button.

In an instant, a powerful current surged through the patches and into Kaisisen's body.

Visibly, Kaisisen's whole body began to tremble slightly. His eyes were shut, teeth clenched tight, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Under the intense stimulation, Kaisisen's brain felt like a blade was mercilessly splitting it open—the pain was unbearable.

Kaisisen's hands gripped the restraint straps tightly. While enduring the excruciating pain, he felt himself sinking into a strange, otherworldly state.

The seals that had locked away his memories began to loosen, and those unforgettable moments started flashing through his mind, one after another.

'Don't cry. Wanna come with me...? Pretty male, finders keepers—you're mine now...'

'Thank you for saving me. Can I know your name? You don't remember your own name... Hmm, how about I give you one? Aesop—meaning the bug god's blessing and hope...'

'Aesop, this is our cabin. We've got a home!'

'Aesop, why are you so nice to me...'

'Nai Nai, Raphael said you'll find a female someday. My heart hurts so much. Nai Nai, can you not find someone else? I'm a female—I'll treat you right!'

'Nai Nai, I like you.'

'Aesop, we'll be together forever!'

'Nai Nai, my stomach hurts... I feel so bad...'

'Aesop, w-what is that?! An egg?! Aaaah—you, you laid an egg?!'

'Aesop, I'm so happy! I'm gonna be a father! Aesop, sob sob, I never thought this day would come. I'm so happy—I'm really happy right now. Thank you, Aesop. Thank you for giving me a family...'

'Aesop, after this, we can move to Biyue Star. Be careful on the way—don't get hurt. The egg and I will be waiting at home for you to come back.'

'Nai Nai... Male Master... our child... come back home...'

'Someone come quick! Isn't this Young Master Kaisisen?! Oh my god, the young master's badly hurt! Someone help! Hurry—report to the family head...'

"AAAAAH!"

Kaisisen started thrashing violently on the bed, his face twisted in agony as he let out a pained scream.

"Kaisisen, are you okay? Can you hold on?!" Dimuk watched Kaisisen's extreme suffering, asking frantically, but got no response.

Kaisisen's veins bulged on his forehead. He seemed to have lost all reason—his once emerald-green eyes were now bloodshot and crimson, looking absolutely terrifying.

Dimuk paced anxiously in place. The time had already far exceeded the normal operating duration of the machine, yet Kaisisen was still holding on.

He watched Kaisisen's condition closely, his expression torn and conflicted. A pang of regret rose quietly in his heart, but he didn't know if he should force-stop the machine.

Once the machine started running, abruptly stopping it could cause irreversible damage to Kaisisen's brain.

'Beep, beep, beep'

Suddenly, the machine let out a piercing alarm. Dimuk's face went pale.

Forgetting his tangled thoughts, he snapped his head toward Kaisisen.

To his horror, Kaisisen was now convulsing all over, his eyes slowly glazing over—clear signs that Kaisisen's endurance was hitting its limit!

Dimuk didn't hesitate another second. He shut down the machine, hastily tore the patches off Kaisisen's head, unbuckled the restraints, and gently propped him up, speaking urgently: "Kaisisen, Kaisisen, how are you feeling now? Can you hear me?"

Kaisisen's lashes trembled slightly, his unfocused pupils moving. He looked at Dimuk—whose face was full of worry, mouth opening and closing—but he couldn't hear a single word.

The buzzing in his ears made Kaisisen's head throb with pain.

The images flashing through his mind were fragmented and disjointed, but he remembered.

Life in the cabin on Numbered Star, Raphael, Nevi, and the egg—and that fleeting glimpse during the recent aerial lane blockage.

He remembered it all.

'Drip... drip... drip...'

Big tears kept sliding down Kaisisen's cheeks.

Dimuk froze, not daring to breathe. In all these years, he'd never seen his friend cry.

He stammered cautiously, "Kai... Kaisisen, are you... are you feeling sick or something?"

Kaisisen's whole body shook. He tried to force a faint smile, but his expression was utterly devastated. "Dimuk, I remember... I remember everything now. My male master... my babies..."

Kaisisen's voice was hoarse and choked. He trailed off, unable to go on.

He curled up, clutching his head, letting out a pained, guttural roar as he tried to suppress his emotions, his voice nearly bleeding.

"Why... why did you do this to me..."

*

"Mei Mei, you're playing in the dirt! You're all dirty! I'm telling Papa!"

A childish voice rang out, and the chubby little one, who'd been playing with great enthusiasm, suddenly froze. His round eyes went wide, and he turned to see Bai Bai hugging a blonde-haired doll, his chubby cheeks puffed out as he glared at him angrily.

"Mei Mei is NOT dirty!" Mei Mei shot back instinctively.

But when he looked down, his arms and hands were caked in mud, and his once-clean clothes were filthy too.

Mei Mei looked at Bai Bai, who was spotless, then at his own dirty self, and immediately felt guilty. He whispered, "Then... then I won't play anymore. Can you... can you not tell Papa?"

As he spoke, Mei Mei scrambled to his feet, grinning at Bai Bai ingratiatingly, instinctively trying to sidle closer.

But before Mei Mei could get close, Bai Bai stopped him.

"Don't come over! You're dirty, Mei Mei! If you wash yourself clean, I won't tell Papa." Bai Bai backed away several steps, afraid the dirty little one would cling to him and get him all grimy too.

"Okay, Bai Bai, you're the best! I like you the most!" Mei Mei's eyes sparkled, and the little guy was visibly thrilled.

Bai Bai let out an awkward huff, frowning at his younger brother, confused and puzzled.

He didn't get why Mei Mei liked playing with that dirty dirt. Papa didn't allow it, but he still snuck around to play.

But if Mei Mei washed himself clean, he'd still like him.

"Little Black, go to the bathroom and run the water for Mei Mei, and get his toiletries ready. I'll take him to wash his hands and feet first," Little Blue said gently.

Little Black nodded, agreed without hesitation, and headed back inside.

Little Blue had just stepped up to Mei Mei's railing, about to take his hand, when a large hand suddenly grabbed Mei Mei by the collar and yanked him out.

Little Blue froze, a flash of red light flickering in his eyes. He was about to raise the alarm and alert Little Black in the room when—

A dark shadow lunged forward, appearing right in front of him, and with lightning speed, pressed down hard and precisely on the number mark at the back of Little Blue's neck.

Little Blue's eyes dimmed, his vision went black, and the whole insect went limp, collapsing to the ground.

He'd been forcibly shut down.

Not far away, Bai Bai, still clutching the blonde-haired doll, was frozen in shock.

"Tsk, there's another one over here."

With that, the dark shadow snatched up Bai Bai, spread his wings, and was gone in an instant.

Soon after, Little Black, who'd been waiting in vain for Little Blue and Mei Mei, came out to the courtyard.

He saw the blonde-haired doll lying on the ground, stained with dirt, and Little Blue collapsed nearby. His whole demeanor shifted.

His eyes flashed red. After scanning the area and confirming that Bai Bai and Mei Mei had vanished without a trace, he quickly alerted Nevi and called the police.

At that moment, on the hovercar nearing its destination, Nevi heard the vibrating alarm from his optical brain and instinctively tensed up.

He pressed his lips together and quickly opened his optical brain. The moment he saw Little Black's alarm message, Nevi's pupils contracted, and he felt like he'd been plunged into an ice pit.

Nevi's lips trembled, and he nearly shouted, "Barlow, stop! We need to turn back now!"

Barlow, though he had no idea what was going on, instinctively slowed down and turned around.

"What's wrong, Nevi? What happened?"

Nevi's face went pale. He clutched his optical brain tightly, barely able to choke out the words in a hoarse voice.

"Barlow, Bai Bai and Mei Mei, the little ones, they're gone."

*

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Author's note: Well, they're about to meet soon. But Kaisisen will see the little ones first~

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