Chapter 87

Chapter 87

"Beep beep beep..."

After dinner in the evening, the family of four sat neatly dressed on the sofa in the cozy little home, waiting for the communication to connect.

Well-behaved Bai Bai sat quietly in his sire's arms, while the lively and active Chubby Meimei couldn't sit still at all. He squirmed around in Kaisisen's arms, reaching out to poke at his sire one moment, then quietly extending his chubby little paw to gently poke Bai Bai the next. When Bai Bai ignored him, Mei Mei would stroke Bai Bai's hair and little hands.

Only when Bai Bai finally turned to look at him with a puffed-up, annoyed expression did Mei Mei shrink back into his dam's arms and giggle secretly, clearly treating this as a fun little interactive game.

After playing for a while, Mei Mei calmed down, but his little mouth started chattering away again.

"Sire, Sire, who are we calling?"

"Oh oh, it's Grandpa Raphael, Mei Mei remembers!"

"Sire, Sire, why doesn't Grandpa Raphael come play with Mei Mei... Is the faraway planet too far to come from... Where is the faraway planet... Can Mei Mei go to the faraway planet..."

Facing Mei Mei's endless stream of questions, Nevi patiently explained over and over again. But when the communication connected and Raphael's familiar figure appeared before everyone's eyes, Nevi still let out an unconscious sigh of relief.

Since arriving at the capital star, Nevi had made it a habit to regularly contact Raphael to check on how he was doing, so Bai Bai and Mei Mei were no strangers to Raphael.

Not long ago, after Raphael moved to Biyue Star, he had sent quite a few local specialties and children's toys to Nevi and the kids on the capital star. This kindness moved Nevi deeply, knowing that Raphael wasn't exactly wealthy.

But even after Nevi became capable, the star coins he sent to Raphael's account were always returned without exception.

Raphael would always smile and say that he had savings as a single bug, with low expenses and no worries about food or shelter. Nevi, with two kids on the capital star, still needed to find Aesop and had expenses everywhere—they needed the star coins more. If not for Nevi's repeated insistence that he really had enough star coins, Raphael would have tried to send him even more.

"Grandpa Raphael!"

Seeing Raphael's familiar hologram before him, the chubby Mei Mei's eyes lit up. He immediately lunged forward a couple of times, pressing his whole body up against the comm device. In an instant, Raphael's hologram on the other side was completely filled with Mei Mei's plump, round little form.

The stern old military male Raphael was nearly beaming with joy. He said softly, "Good, good, Mei Mei is such a good boy, you can even say 'Grandpa' now. That was much louder than last time! Mei Mei is amazing!"

The praise-loving Chubby Meimei wiggled his bottom, his eyes curving into crescent moons as he excitedly called out "Grandpa Raphael" again, his voice even louder than before.

This made Raphael in the hologram smile even more warmly, the deep wrinkles on his face growing more pronounced.

"Good Mei Mei, have you eaten yet? What are your big brother Bai Bai and your sire doing?"

Raphael cheerfully chatted with Mei Mei, looking at him with a kind and doting gaze, just like he would his own younger generation, his eyes brimming with unconcealable affection.

"Eaten! Mei Mei just ate—milk porridge, fruit mush, yummy! Mei Mei is full!" Mei Mei tilted his head, introducing his dinner to Grandpa Raphael while also pulling open his clothes to show off his fair, chubby belly, physically demonstrating that he was truly stuffed full.

Mei Mei's adorable, innocent manner drew another round of hearty laughter from Raphael on the other side.

After another round of praise from Raphael, the happily giggling Little Chubby finally remembered his sire, dam, and big brother.

Mei Mei immediately scooted back a bit, and with his chubby body no longer blocking the view, the three bugs behind him appeared in Raphael's hologram.

"Raphael, good evening." Nevi said softly, relaxed.

Just as he finished speaking, the shy but polite Bai Bai sitting in Nevi's arms also spoke up timidly: "G-Grandpa Raphael, good evening."

The moment he finished, before Raphael could even react, Bai Bai with reddening ears buried his face back into Nevi's chest.

Nevi helplessly stroked Bai Bai's soft hair and back.

Raphael naturally didn't mind—not at all. In fact, he was grinning so wide he could barely close his mouth.

This was the first time Bai Bai had proactively greeted him, and the overjoyed Raphael couldn't stop praising him.

But soon, when his peripheral vision finally caught sight of the familiar yet unfamiliar figure slowly appearing in the hologram, his voice abruptly cut off.

Raphael was stunned. He stared in disbelief at the tall male bug with silver hair and emerald eyes, his handsome features sharp—he simply dared not recognize him.

The firm, steady gaze and the extraordinary aura radiating from this male bug were utterly incomparable to the simple, silly, clear-eyed Aesop of the past. So even though this male bug's appearance was identical to Aesop's, Raphael was too stunned to speak.

At this moment, Kaisisen looked at the dazed old male before him, memories flooding back unbidden.

Though his memories weren't complete, the scenes of Raphael interacting with them felt as vivid as if they'd happened yesterday. So Kaisisen felt no barrier at all as he almost instinctively said softly: "Raphael, it's me, Aesop. I'm back."

With Kaisisen's words, Raphael's eyes reddened in an instant.

"Good, good, good. Aesop, you're back, you're back—that's wonderful. Have your injuries fully healed? Do you have enough money to spend?"

Raphael's aged voice grew somewhat choked and urgent, but the deep concern and worry within it overflowed plainly, sincere and genuine.

Kaisisen was deeply moved, his expression slightly dazed. In his memories, Raphael had cared for him and Nevi with such warmth countless times—whether it was daily life or caring for the eggs, Raphael had truly helped them so, so much.

Raphael wasn't their blood elder, but he was closer than family.

Kaisisen's expression softened considerably. He said gently, "Raphael, my injuries are completely fine now, don't worry. And I have enough money to spend."

With that, Kaisisen paused, slightly embellishing and omitting his own family's misdeeds, then roughly explained the process of how he'd come to the capital star and reunited with Nevi and the kids.

Raphael listened intently, watching the hologram. The male bug before him was radiant, no longer bearing the exhausted, melancholy expression he'd once tried so hard to hide, and beside him stood a tall, reliable male bug and adorable children. The worry that had lingered in his heart finally began to slowly dissolve.

Raphael was nearly moved to tears, the happy, complete family of four before him making him repeat the meaningless "good, good, good" over and over.

Having lived most of his life alone, Raphael had been saved by Aesop by chance. What started as simply repaying a life debt turned into genuine care and support from the bottom of his heart. He truly came to regard these two innocent, naive bugs as his own younger kin.

When Aesop had gone missing and Nevi had traveled thousands of miles with the children, hadn't he been worrying and fretting over them every moment?

He truly feared that Aesop had met with an accident and would never return—then what would happen to the seemingly shy but actually stubborn Nevi and the children... Raphael never dared to think too deeply about it.

Having never believed in the Insect God before, he unexpectedly began devoutly praying to the Insect God in his spare time, hoping that the Insect God would let this ill-fated family reunite smoothly.

Thankfully, thankfully they truly had reunited.

At this moment, Raphael made a sincere vow in his heart that he would become a devoted believer from now on, thanking the Insect God for this blessing.

Seeing Raphael's emotional display in the hologram, Nevi's eyes reddened almost instantly, and Kaisisen's nose tingled as well.

But the complex emotions of adults were beyond a young bug's understanding. Right now, Chubby Meimei looked at the hologram, then at his sire and dam, blinked his eyes, his chubby face full of confusion.

He first leaned forward to touch the comm device, then clumsily tried to comfort like his sire: "Grandpa Raphael, don't cry, don't cry! You're the best!"

After mumbling for a while, Chubby Meimei hurriedly crawled over beside his sire and dam, stepping on the adults' thighs and tugging at their clothes, but still couldn't reach high enough. It wasn't until Nevi and Kaisisen, sensing the chubby one's intent, lowered their heads that Mei Mei could finally touch his sires' soft hair.

"Sire be good, Dam be good, don't cry. Mei Mei, Mei Mei will give you candy!" With that, Mei Mei carefully pulled three baby lollipops from the big pocket on his chest. His chubby paws clutched them, squeezed them again and again, and finally, with reluctance, handed them to his sire and dam. With one left, Mei Mei waved it at Raphael and said seriously, "Grandpa Raphael, Mei Mei will mail it to you. Don't cry."

Nevi was extremely strict about Mei Mei's lollipop consumption, so these candies certainly weren't saved up by the little glutton Mei Mei.

These candies had been secretly stashed away by Mei Mei just now when he'd followed his dam to grab snacks and gifts for Bai Bai.

But now that his family members were all crying, Mei Mei, though reluctant, unhesitatingly brought them out to comfort them. His chest pocket, previously bulging, instantly went flat.

Looking at the only fruit lollipop left in his pocket, Mei Mei sadly sucked in his belly and patted it protectively.

The adults present could not help but break into smiles through their tears, and in an instant, the somewhat heavy atmosphere lightened considerably.

"Hahaha, alright, alright, thank you for the candy, Mei Mei. Grandpa won't cry anymore..." The elderly male Raphael laughed heartily, his expression full of affection.

The group chatted for a long while longer, during which Kaisisen, following his heart, sincerely hoped that Raphael would move to the capital star to live with them, and Nevi, after an initial moment of surprise, also echoed the invitation.

Looking at the adorable and beautiful Bai Bai and Mei Mei before him, Raphael's heart was tempted, but after only a moment's hesitation, he firmly declined.

He still had business and subordinates on Numbered Star and Biyue Star, and they needed him there. And even though Raphael now knew that Aesop came from an extraordinary family, without a concrete understanding of it, he did not want to cause them any trouble.

Seeing Raphael's resolute attitude, Nevi and Kaisisen, though disappointed, had no choice but to let the matter rest.

In the final moments of the call, Raphael rarely composed his face sternly and looked seriously at Kaisisen, speaking gravely: "Aesop, since you've returned, you must treat Nevi and the children well. You have no idea, cannot even imagine, what Nevi has sacrificed. Driven by nothing more than an uncertain possibility, he brought the children across vast distances to a completely unfamiliar star to search for you.

Before you appeared, Nevi, raising the children alone, still had to run livestreams just to seek news of you... Aesop, few male insects would go to such lengths. Rank doesn't matter—don't you ever forget that... Otherwise, I swear on my old bones, I will make you pay!" Raphael's threat carried weight.

The bustling capital star, a family with the power to bypass procedures and help him establish residency there, a striking appearance and high status—all of this meant that Aesop was no longer the simple, clumsy Aesop of Numbered Star.

The once innocent and naive Aesop had harbored nothing but wholehearted love and devotion for Nevi. Raphael did not doubt Aesop's love for Nevi, but now that he had regained his memories and possessed more options, this version of Aesop was different. He had more choices, and Nevi, though beautiful, was after all only a lowly F-rank male. Raphael could not guarantee that Aesop would withstand external pressures or that his heart would not change...

Nevi was sensitive; he would never bring up these hardships on his own. So it was up to Raphael to speak up and remind him.

Kaisisen was momentarily stunned, then explained with almost urgent haste: "Raphael, I understand your concerns. Rest assured, I swear upon my life that none of what you fear will come to pass. In this lifetime, I will have only one Male Master, and only Nai Nai. Before I met Nai Nai, I had never even entertained the thought of seeking a male. Nai Nai is different to me—I do not care about rank. Please be at ease. I will protect Nai Nai and never let any insect harm him. Thank you, Raphael."

Kaisisen spoke in a somewhat scattered way, yet his expression was utterly earnest. Holding Nevi's hand, he kept glancing at him just like the Aesop of old used to.

Every look and every expression was filled with Nevi alone.

"Raphael, don't worry, I trust Aesop." Nevi gently stroked the back of Kaisisen's hand to reassure him. He smiled softly, his brows curving as he said quietly: "I trust my judgment, and I trust his, just like he trusts mine."

Raphael looked at them for a long moment, then finally broke into a relieved smile.

"Alright, alright, then I can rest easy."

After the call ended, Mei Mei was still chattering away with Bai Bai, while Nevi and Kaisisen looked a little wistful.

Seeing Nevi's slightly downcast look, Kaisisen gently embraced him and whispered a promise: "Nai Nai, we'll go visit Raphael in a bit, and then... we can also go to Numbered Star, to see where we used to live."

Nevi leaned into the male's broad embrace, slowly curving his lips, and replied softly, "Okay."

The two leaned quietly against each other, accompanied by the lively, innocent voices of the children beside them.

There was no warmer, more comforting, or more moving moment than this.

Author's Note:

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