Chapter 38

Main Star.

The three military females dispatched to assassinate Jing Chi had already returned here.

They sought out Lantis first.

In the hall, Lantis sat in the seat of honor. A handsome sub-female lay bonelessly in his arms at his side, a fawning smile on his face.

“Highness, could you kiss me?”

Lately, Lantis had grown much gentler for some reason. He was no longer as volatile as before, crippling female insects on a whim.

This had eased the sub-female’s nerves somewhat.

The three military females knelt respectfully below, not daring to lift their heads without permission.

A single misstep could displease the Highness above them.

And they knew they couldn’t bear the consequences.

Lantis patted the sub-female’s cheek, a wicked smile playing on his lips. “Be good. Later.”

The sub-female pouted, looking dissatisfied.

But the next instant, Lantis’s eyes turned icy. Painful memories flooded back, and the sub-female stiffened, his face paling as he obediently knelt.

“How did it go?” Lantis’s gaze shifted to the three military females. Excitement laced his tone—he knew that with that male insect dead, no one could challenge his position.

“Reporting to Highness, the mission was a complete success.”

The lead military female replied, head bowed.

Lantis descended the dais. He had no reason to doubt the military females; they all knew his methods too well.

But he never imagined Jing Chi had altered their memories.

He lifted the lead military female’s chin, scrutinizing the handsome face before him. His eyes narrowed, his tone laden with meaning.

“What reward do you want?”

The military female immediately averted his gaze, not daring to meet Lantis’s eyes. His voice trembled faintly.

“It was simply my duty, Highness.”

“Very well. Then scram. And remember—don’t breathe a word of this to any insect, or you’ll all die.”

Lantis shook off his hand in disgust after touching the military female. He had always despised these burly military females.

Pei Rui was the exception.

His beauty outshone every sub-female.

The thought of Pei Rui reminded Lantis of that female insect’s rejection.

He gnashed his teeth.

One day, he would rip away all of Pei Rui’s support, shatter his pride, and force him to submit.

~~~

Meanwhile,

Jing Chi finally managed to carry the insect home from outside.

He had to admit—this weight was nothing like before. Much farther, and he wouldn’t have made it.

Jing Chi drank a glass of water first and caught his breath.

Then he approached the sofa, where he’d laid Pei Rui.

Not the bed, because Pei Rui was filthy right now, caked in dust from the ground. Jing Chi was covered in it too.

He wasn’t obsessive about cleanliness, but he had his limits.

The female insect lay quietly on the sofa, his breathing steady.

Jing Chi squatted beside him, chin in hand, studying his face.

From a distance, Pei Rui had seemed merely handsome. Up close, his beauty was stunningly alluring.

Long campaigns hadn’t left a mark on him. His skin was a pale, cold white, his features flawlessly sculpted.

Jing Chi admired him for a moment. Knowing Pei Rui wouldn’t wake anytime soon, he headed to the bathroom.

The place was basic but functional—though not everything worked perfectly.

Jing Chi had learned that over the past two days. Nothing but tears.

He took a quick shower.

Water trailed down his body, gliding over the special tattoo on his neck.

Jing Chi had examined it before. Waterproof, and it wouldn’t fade easily.

Impressively durable.

Assuming Pei Rui wouldn’t stir so quickly, Jing Chi only bothered with pants before stepping out.

Military females recovered their stamina and mental power with astonishing speed, however—especially elite ones like Pei Rui.

He emerged just as Pei Rui sat up on the sofa. Their eyes met.

The air grew thick.

The handsome female insect’s narrow eyes narrowed further, raking Jing Chi from head to toe. His voice was cool and detached.

“Who are you?”

The chill and arrogance in his expression tempered his allure, deterring any stare.

Jing Chi drew a steadying breath. No denying it—this was an Empire General. The sheer presence was oppressive.

The most important thing was that he was shirtless at the moment, and the gaze from the insect across from him burned far too intensely, leaving Jing Chi with an odd sensation.

He tugged awkwardly at the corner of his mouth before inching slowly toward the wardrobe, explaining as he went. “My name is Jing Chi. I found you passed out in the woods and brought you back home.”

Pei Rui rubbed his forehead, fragments of memory from before his collapse resurfacing.

He recalled being forced into an emergency landing, then stumbling out of his military vessel before exhaustion claimed him.

“I see,” Pei Rui said thoughtfully, though a trace of wariness lingered in his eyes.

By then, Jing Chi had slipped on a shirt. Male and female insects were worlds apart, after all. If the other knew he was a male insect, Pei Rui—with his temperament—would never converse so amiably.

This female insect had publicly declared his disdain for male insects, after all. Jing Chi believed he might prove the exception, but they had only just met. Best not to reveal the truth yet.

It would only complicate his mission unnecessarily.

“Here, have some water first.”

Jing Chi poured a glass and set it before Pei Rui, then took a seat nearby.

Pei Rui accepted the cup but merely placed it on the table without drinking.

Only now did he study the young man opposite him with care.

He was a strikingly handsome female insect, every bit as refined as Pei Rui himself.

Pei Rui took no pride in his own looks, but he knew full well he was attractive.

It wasn’t just the features. The youth had pitch-black hair and eyes—a rarity among the Insect Clan, save for…

A shadow of contemplation crossed Pei Rui’s gaze.

What made Pei Rui so certain Jing Chi was a female insect? He’d spotted the Insect Mark on the young man’s neck moments ago.

No male insect would ever disguise himself as one of them, after all. It was only natural he wouldn’t question it.

Pei Rui scanned his surroundings and noted how primitive everything seemed—a far cry from the Main Star.

“Where is this place?” he asked Jing Chi, his tone casual.

“Desolate Star,” Jing Chi replied without a second thought.

Enlightenment flickered in Pei Rui’s eyes, and he looked away.

The youth’s unusual black hair and eyes piqued his curiosity, but Pei Rui knew better than to pry where answers wouldn’t come freely.

It was then that Pei Rui noticed the dust caked on his body and the wrinkles marring his pristine uniform. Disgust wrinkled his brow; he couldn’t stand it.

One glance told Jing Chi this general had a severe case of mysophobia. He nodded toward the bathroom. “Why don’t you take a shower first? My clothes are yours if you don’t mind them.”

The young man’s lips curved faintly, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement.

Pei Rui, on the verge of refusal, found himself nodding instead.

Jing Chi handed over his clothes and watched the other insect disappear into the bathroom.

Bored, he turned to gaze out the window.

Abruptly, the sound of running water ceased.

No way. What were the odds?

The pipes in Jing Chi’s bathroom had a habit of failing, but they’d worked fine when he’d showered earlier. Of all the timing…

“Are the pipes acting up?” Jing Chi called, approaching the door. He meant to show Pei Rui how to fix them.

But in the next instant, Pei Rui flung the door open.

The sight hit Jing Chi like a jolt.

Steam failed to conceal the insect’s magnificent physique. What caught his eye first was the female insect’s lean, narrow waist, wrapped precariously in a towel that threatened to slip at any moment.

Droplets of water traced paths down his chiseled chest before vanishing into the seductive V-line of his abdomen.

With sharp, sculpted features and an air of cold elegance, the female insect now lounged lazily against the doorframe, his eyes heavy-lidded.

Jing Chi’s instinct was to drink in the view.

He tore his gaze away just as quickly. No sense lingering.

Pei Rui might hold it against him later, once he learned the truth about his gender.

Pei Rui frowned at Jing Chi’s peculiar behavior, puzzled.

Communal showers were routine in the military—bodies on display, no one batted an eye.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Jing Chi’s heart pounded, adrenaline flooding his veins. The raw intensity, with no warning, was almost too much.

“N-Nothing,” he stammered.

He averted his eyes and stepped inside, rapping the pipe twice before twisting the faucet. Water gushed forth once more.

“You can keep going. Sorry it’s so basic—bear with it.”

Jing Chi turned to leave, only for the female insect’s hand to clamp around his wrist, pinning him against the wall.

It was rare—Jing Chi never imagined there would come a day when he’d be pinned against the wall.

He abruptly widened his eyes.

“Your reactions seem a bit off.”

The female insect’s cool voice sounded right by Jing Chi’s ear, laced with a hint of curiosity.

Jing Chi fought to steady his gaze. He tugged at the corner of his mouth in a helpless smile. “I’m just not used to staring at other people’s naked bodies.”

Pei Rui arched an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.

After all, he wasn’t completely naked yet.

Still, the excuse struck him as odd. They were all female insects—what was there to be unaccustomed to?

Jing Chi gently pushed Pei Rui’s hand aside and composed himself. “I’ll head out first. Take your time with the bath.”

Seizing the moment while Pei Rui was momentarily stunned, he pulled open the door and slipped out.

As he retreated, Jing Chi could only hope Pei Rui wouldn’t fly into a humiliated rage if he ever learned the truth—that Jing Chi was a male insect.

He had already done his utmost to keep himself in check. It hadn’t been easy at all.

Moments later, Pei Rui stepped out of the bathroom clad in Jing Chi’s clothes.

His damp silver hair hung loosely over his shoulders, soaking straight through the fabric he’d just put on, but he seemed entirely unconcerned.

Jing Chi couldn’t bear to watch. He ducked back into the bathroom and fetched a towel.

Of course, there was no hairdryer to be found.

He offered it to Pei Rui.

Pei Rui waved it off with an indifferent shrug. “It’ll dry on its own soon enough.”

Jing Chi frowned. “You should still dry it properly. Wouldn’t want to catch a cold.”

Pei Rui found the female insect’s fixation peculiar and oddly specific. He let out a scoff. “As an S-class military female, I don’t fall ill easily. Only male insects with frail constitutions are that delicate.”

The words struck Jing Chi like an arrow to the heart.

He rolled his eyes. Fine. He really had been meddling.

Pei Rui blinked in confusion at the sudden sour turn on the other female insect’s face. Jing Chi just kept getting stranger.