Chapter 61

Ludwig held him in his mouth, like holding a flower amid the clouds.

……

In the courtyard, the aroma of roasted milk permeated the air. Inside the pottery jar, petals swayed on the silky liquid, and because sugar cubes had been added, a layer of sweetness drifted on top.

Shen Yu’s waist tensed up. His cold finger bones cradled the back of the female insect’s head, while his slender fingers plunged deeply into his hair, the roots rubbing against the coarse strands at the base.

The spilled roasted milk stains on the pajamas were gradually sucked clean, but since the fabric was already thoroughly soaked, no matter what, it couldn’t truly return to its original state—it still needed to be washed.

Shen Yu lifted his eyelashes. In his line of sight, he saw the green path of Vila Forest.

That deep green path was long and narrow, like an endless road, winding toward the distant deep lake and ocean. Nearby, small purple vine flowers swayed in the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the vine trees.

The air carried the scent of vine flower wine.

Right.

The annual Vineflower Festival was approaching.

The antennae beneath the skin of his forehead began to twitch again. Shen Yu released Ludwig’s head. He had originally wanted to smack it down, but he recalled his recent conversation with Andre. He hadn’t expected to resort to a soft approach himself, so his palm landed gently instead, irritably stroking his head.

“I didn’t even know you weren’t weaned yet. There’s nothing inside me—can’t you bite somewhere else?”

“How would you know if you don’t try?” Ludwig said stubbornly. He looked up at Shen Yu, but as soon as he raised his head, he caught the smile at Shen Yu’s lips, and Ludwig’s heart began to pound wildly.

Ludwig suddenly changed his mind. He leaned in and kissed Shen Yu’s lips without a care, saying, “Taste your own flavor.”

Shen Yu parted his lips, allowing Ludwig’s tongue to slip inside, tasting the sweet milky flavor.

Ludwig hadn’t had meat for ten days. His flexible tongue was like a greedy snake, deftly prying open his teeth, licking the sensitive soft flesh in his mouth, and thrusting roughly against his tongue.

Shen Yu tilted his neck back, his chest heaving. His misty eyes narrowed as he panted, “Kissing so fiercely?”

A triumphant smile appeared in Ludwig’s eyes. “Didn’t you tell me to bite somewhere else?”

With that, Ludwig kissed him again, sucking at his saliva.

The taste was salty-sweet, very similar to the flavor of a male insect’s pheromones—and it was, since saliva was rich in pheromones anyway.

But this flavor was utterly exquisite, like having the male insect before him entirely in his mouth. Ludwig felt a little dizzy with infatuation. He was obsessed with kissing Shen Yu and even wanted to keep kissing like this forever.

The lingering deep kiss ended just before suffocation set in.

A7767 Star System.

When Ludwig returned to the starship, he found the entire command room unusually quiet. He took off his jacket and looked at his subordinate. “What’s going on?”

The subordinate closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Boss, we’ve found the relevant files on Lord Sadro, but I feel like the other side noticed our intentions and deliberately leaked them.”

Ludwig frowned and asked, “So we have all the relevant information? Where do I check it?”

The subordinate fell silent, and the air suddenly grew still.

The subordinate’s chest heaved as a serious expression appeared on his face. He asked Ludwig, “Do you want to view it now?”

Ludwig frowned. “Of course, confirm it.”

“Alright.” The subordinate suddenly stood up.

Seeing his movement, an ominous premonition rose in Ludwig’s heart, and he felt a faint impatience. He asked, “What are you doing?”

The subordinate looked at him with a complexity Ludwig couldn’t quite understand right now and sighed. “Boss, I think you might need some private space.”

The command room’s hatch slid shut.

In an instant, Ludwig was the only one left in the room.

Ludwig silently sat down in front of the terminal linked to all of Red Blood. The terminal screen was currently black and needed to be activated by touch. He reached out and turned it on.

Blue light illuminated his face.

Ludwig calmly opened the file.

The red-haired female insect lowered his eyelids and skimmed through the text records that resembled an experimental report. At the end of the text records was a supplementary video log. He clicked into it and watched the video log with an expressionless face.

After seeing everything, Ludwig sat silently in front of the terminal for a long time. He was the only one in the entire command room, with the Milky Way’s nebulae flowing in through the surrounding portholes, engulfing him entirely.

Ludwig silently opened another file on the male insect, with data from the recent screening.

After learning this information, the subordinate had compiled all the clues linking the male insect’s present to his past to verify its authenticity and ensure it wasn’t a trap set by someone else.

Those parts of daily life that hadn’t made sense before suddenly all became logical.

Ludwig closed his eyes, then opened them again. His fingers trembled like iron clamps as they hovered over the final page.

It was the answer to a question.

At the earl’s banquet in Pochidu, the earl had proposed a fun game. Considering the theme of the gathering, he had everyone present compose a poem by answering in turn.

Ludwig had tailed the male insect and left the gathering early, so he hadn’t participated in the latter part of the event and naturally didn’t know his answer.

But now he did.

The handwriting was elegant, with the tails of the strokes slightly upturned, just like this person’s proud heart.

“What does being sick feel like?”

“Like lying under a damp blanket.”

This single sentence was like the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Ludwig’s heart ached sharply as he read it.

The red-haired female insect sat silently in front of the light screen. As if snapping back to reality, his chest heaved heavily. He could barely breathe. His finger bones spasmed, gripping the desk tightly before releasing.

Ludwig quickly stood up and paced back and forth in the command room.

He gritted his teeth, his chest heaving violently as he tried to draw in more air.

Until he turned his head and unexpectedly locked eyes once more with the male insect on the terminal screen.

Silver hair, blue eyes.

A small male insect.

He lay quietly on the cold experimental bed, like a tiny doll. A pair of cold, clear eyes pierced through all time and space—

Looking at the current him, at the late him.

Ludwig’s heart twisted in an instant. He gasped for air in big gulps, his waist and back arching as his body leaned forward. Then, unable to hold back, he squatted down.

The female insect’s hands trembled as he plunged them into his hair, yanking harshly at the roots. His mountain-like muscles tensed, yet he seemed on the verge of collapse at any moment. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, but Ludwig kept his eyes open, gritting his teeth, staring at him, staring at him.

As if this way, he could feel all his grievances, pain, and suffering.

Heavens above.

Sadro, my heart hurts so much.

Who will save me?

But who will save you?