Chapter 46

Shen Yu rode the hovercar back to Azure Sparrow Hill, with verdant tall trees on both sides flashing past like an oil painting.

He got off midway at West Street, bought a few sets of female insect clothes at the mall, and left. When the consumption details were sent to the so-called female father’s account at the Sadro Family, Shen Yu almost instantly received a terminal video call.

Vidonien’s property had been inherited from his deceased male father, but since he had not yet started a family, he lacked full usage rights.

Video call requests kept popping up on the terminal. Even though Shen Yu’s terminal had undergone same-frequency modification during the second attack experiment and was not a family terminal, he still could not block relatives—who could, with Sadro Family blood forever flowing in his veins? Even after defying the family’s wishes and moving to Azure Sparrow Hill upon reaching adulthood, he could not sever that connection.

Vidonien did not dislike this blood bond thicker than family ties. Otherwise, how could he so readily accept being called Sadro by everyone who did not even know his name?

He simply felt puzzled.

Why did they always come to bother him?

Annoying.

The male insect’s pearly white teeth bit into his lower lip, his pale brows furrowed slightly. He shut off the terminal and pondered ways to cut ties.

Marrying a female monarch was obviously a fine solution, but he had just found an interesting toy—how could he abandon it so easily?

As he mulled it over, a refreshing forest breeze carrying the scent of vine flower wine wafted into his nostrils.

In the hovercar’s rearview mirror, the silver-haired male insect blinked his lashes and lifted his head. His ice-blue pupils reflected the endless green canopy outside the window, like emeralds nestled in his eyes.

Azure Sparrow Hill had arrived.

Shen Yu got out, passed through the forest path back to the manor, and spotted a bandaged, stark-naked female insect lounging beside the flower rack in the courtyard. His two sturdy, scar-covered legs stretched forward, propped leisurely on the small stool that Number Two had used for simulated pruning and height adjustment—looking as idle as could be.

Without the mental shackle bracelets on his limbs, that relaxed pose might have fooled anyone into thinking he was the manor’s master.

Shen Yu tilted his head slightly. His gloved fingers removed the black hair tie from his ponytail and tossed it casually into his handbag. Waterfall-like silver hair cascaded down his back.

The male insect’s gaze drifted lightly onto the female insect’s silver bracelet. He issued a command:

“Come here.”

Did vision truly trigger phantom pain? The instant he laid eyes on this damned male insect and heard his voice, Ludwig genuinely felt a tearing ache rip through his mind. He cursed viciously to himself and pretended not to hear.

Fuck, calling a dog?

Before Ludwig could curse further, the bracelets on his limbs flashed red. The phantom pain in his nerves spasmed, abruptly twisting into sharp, real agony!

Unlike external mental attacks, the mental shackles worked by disrupting the spirit sea, forcing self-inflicted damage.

Ludwig learned for the first time that when his mental power assaulted other female insects, it came with a scorching blaze like wildfire—volcanic magma searing through his brain.

The male insect’s voice rang out again, laced with an inhuman chill, like a basin of ice water dumped into his mind.

“Come here. Don’t make me say it twice.”

Ludwig swore inwardly, veins throbbing on his forehead. He knew better than to defy the male insect right now—his life was still firmly in the bastard’s grasp. But bending to others went against his nature. Otherwise, why become a star pirate over loathing the empire’s rotten, pathetic system?

Every time he saw that arrogant, superior attitude, Ludwig could not hold back his rage. He itched to sink his teeth into the male insect’s neck, devour his flesh, and guzzle his blood.

A real man could bend and stretch!

Ludwig would repay every humiliation a thousand—no, a hundredfold someday!

Ludwig shot to his feet, chest heaving, face dark as he strode up to Shen Yu.

As the female insect drew near, a wave of intense heat washed over him. Shen Yu frowned and dumped the bundle of clothes from his hands into the female insect’s arms.

“Put them on.”

Ludwig: “?”

Shen Yu withdrew his gaze and headed into the manor, brushing past Ludwig.

The male insect’s satin-smooth, icy silver hair grazed the female insect’s bare shoulder muscles, raising a stipple of goosebumps across his skin.

Ludwig clutched the soft clothes and snagged the stray hair tie from the top. No clue what game the male insect was playing this time, he changed into them, turned, and fixed his gaze on the male insect’s retreating back.

Waterfall-like silver hair flowed down broad, straight shoulders, trimmed to a light V-tail at the waist that accentuated its lean power—proof that this ruthless, icy creature was indeed a male insect.

Ludwig narrowed his eyes and sized it up mentally, figuring one hand could snap that waist clean off.

The thought made his fingers twitch.

Shen Yu reached the flower rack and inspected the homework he had assigned the villain for the day.

Leafless jasmine floated in pricey hydroponic nutrient fluid. Its richness always left excess deposits on the white petals, requiring manual wipes.

Jasmine fragrance filled his nostrils. Shen Yu inhaled deeply, instantly feeling refreshed.

A quick scan revealed the villain’s task completed far better than expected.

Bored out of his mind, perhaps—Ludwig had trimmed the petals and nutrient sticks to perfect shapes, even polishing the dust off the transparent glass vases.

Shen Yu tilted his head and shot Ludwig an appreciative look despite himself.

Ludwig’s face remained stormy, eyes locked on the male insect’s lower back as he plotted dismemberment. Their gazes clashed suddenly, and his forehead twitched.

Fuck, nerves starting to throb again.

Ludwig met his stare, brow arching instinctively as he blurted: “Nice slim waist you’ve got.”

Shen Yu: “……”

The air went dead still. Even the constant forest wind from Virasen Avenue seemed to freeze in the hush. Shen Yu stared him down darkly, tension crackling—just as the red light on the iron ring threatened to flare anew—

The rainproof door slid open with a silky whoosh. The butler robot, little yellow duck apron tied around its waist, brandished a spatula. Spotting Shen Yu, red hearts burst in its mechanical eyes. It waved the spatula excitedly:

“Master, you’re back! I made your favorite cream of mushroom soup!”

Shen Yu shot Ludwig a cold glance, stepped onto the wooden planks, and returned to the hall through the rainproof door.

Shen Yu paused as something occurred to him.

The deep courtyard lay wrapped in Vila Forest’s boundless greenery. Neat wooden planks fronted the rainproof door, raised dozens of centimeters above the ground. Silver hair draped over him, the male insect loomed high, gazing down at Ludwig.

The clothes Shen Yu grabbed at the mall were haphazard picks—mostly bulky, fussy styles ill-suited to a battle-hardened female insect.

He had paused only at checkout, snagging a practical high-neck black base layer and combat pants on the guide’s pitch, just to test. Sure enough, the female insect wore them.

Still planning to bolt, then.

Shen Yu’s eyes narrowed faintly, thin lips parting: “From now on, you’re cooking too.”

Even after all this time, Ludwig hated craning his neck to look up. He narrowed his sharp eyes, repeating in disbelief: “Me?”

Shen Yu intoned flatly: “You.”

Ludwig’s jaw clenched, fingers rubbing his wrist. He bared his teeth in a grin: “Fine by me. Eat up if poison doesn’t scare you.”

Shen Yu’s narrowed eyes bored into him, ice-blue pupils freezing all they touched. Ludwig’s dark red eyes slitted back, defiance blazing.

Shen Yu lunged suddenly, seizing the female insect’s red hair and yanking him close.

Ludwig’s scalp burned. Cursing silently, he stumbled forward, brows knitting. Caught off guard by the male insect’s strike, he flailed off-balance and grabbed for purchase.

Crack—

Ludwig’s move was lightning-fast and brutal. Fabric tore with a rip, shredding Shen Yu’s shirt like tissue paper. Only scraps clung at waist and shoulders, held by black straps. Cold-pale flesh bared fully beneath.

Wind lifted the male insect’s waterfall silver hair. His chest rose and fell, cool-toned muscles gleaming smooth under tatters—like pearls drawing breath.

Ludwig’s face went rigid.