Chapter 56 Part 1

Fingers slipped under the shirt fabric, rubbing against his flexible chest.

Shen Yu shuddered all over. His collarbone protruded as his waist and abdomen tensed in an instant, arching off the sheets before collapsing back onto the bed under the pull of gravity.

The heat period of a male insect was the key to their path to adulthood. Insect society held open views on sexuality, and the vast majority of male insects selected a female insect to accompany them through their heat period under family guidance during their youth. Some even tasted forbidden fruit before reaching adulthood.

Ludwig’s eyes burned crimson, his rationality teetering on the brink. He couldn’t tell if his current actions were to ease the male insect’s suffering or for his own selfish desires.

But one thing was crystal clear to him: it absolutely could not be anyone else. Absolutely not.

No one else was allowed.

No one.

Fred—he never should have spared him back then.

The red-haired female insect buried his head and lifted a pair of eyes shrouded in red mist. He stared intently at Shen Yu and snarled, “Sadro, did he fuck you good?”

Their breaths entwined like inseparable vines, while the intense male insect pheromones flooded the entire room like a tidal wave.

Any female insect who entered would lose all reason, reduced to a beast driven solely by the urge to mate, tearing into the male insect in heat.

Shen Yu’s dense light-silver eyelashes fluttered rapidly upon hearing Ludwig’s question, like the wings of a butterfly.

Shen Yu controlled his breathing and coldly spat out a single word: “Get—out—”

Ludwig curled his lips and leaned down to kiss his chest. “No problem, Sadro. I can make you feel even better.”

Shen Yu’s back bucked uncontrollably under his movements, grinding fiercely against the thin sheets.

It was too hot. He felt a fire raging inside his body, and every breath he drew turned into a gale that fueled the surging heat, sweeping through him and igniting an insatiable restlessness.

He wanted to find something to crawl into, something to curl up in, like when he was little, nestled in his mother’s embrace.

Shen Yu narrowed his eyes and stared dazedly at the ceiling lights. His eyes resembled unripe autumn blueberries soaked in a basin of water, gradually taking on a moist sheen.

The sheets were a tangled mess from his struggles, soaked with sweat and bunched up in wrinkles.

The narrow, enclosed space was filled with the scent of the ocean.

That was the smell of Shen Yu’s pheromones. In battle, it was a frozen, icy sea. In heat, it became a soft, enveloping tide.

The sea surged in overwhelmingly, but it wasn’t purely oceanic—currents carried the fragrance of exotic flowers back and forth into his nostrils.

Those pheromones wrapped around Ludwig’s tense body, launching an relentless assault on the female insect against their owner’s will, teasing at his sanity.

Genes had perhaps predetermined everything. No one could escape it. No female insect could resist a male insect in full heat. The pheromones grew thicker, nearly destroying Ludwig.

He wanted to possess him, claim him, imprison him.

Ludwig gripped Shen Yu’s struggling wrists tightly and bit down on him through the layer of shirt fabric.

“Get—off—ah—”

Shen Yu parted his lips, intending to curse the female insect on top of him viciously, but what escaped was a broken moan. His face twisted in embarrassment. He quickly bit his lower lip to stifle the near-pleading weakness.

Under the onslaught of lust, Shen Yu wasn’t feeling any better. The intensity of this heat period far exceeded his expectations.

Was this world so obsessed with reproduction? The ferocious heat tide nearly shattered all his plans and schemes. Even with his iron will, he couldn’t help but want to surrender to the frenzied mating impulse and obtain the long-suppressed release.

Damn it. No wonder they didn’t develop stabilizers for male insects.

This surging tide of desire had boosted the Empire’s birth rate by who knew how much.

Pathetic. So many privileges, yet not even the right to choose.

A devil whispered in his ear: You don’t have to give anything. Just submit a little. You can pretend it never happened. You’ll get release, ultimate satisfaction.

“Just this once. It’s not a big deal.”

“You’re uncomfortable right now, aren’t you?”

Shen Yu narrowed his eyes.

Like hell it wasn’t a big deal.

He didn’t need this kind of “comfort”!

Shen Yu, snap out of it.

Snap the fuck out of it.

Shen Yu’s mind clouded over. His teeth clenched hard, sharp canines sinking deeper into his plump lower lip. Pain shot through him instantly, but he barely noticed as they dug in further.

In this raging tide of desire, the pain became his only anchor to clarity.

The moment he heard Shen Yu’s moan, there was a “click”—

It was as if a lock inside Ludwig’s body had unlocked.

Induced by Shen Yu’s pheromones, he entered his own heat period.

The female insect’s rationality evaporated in an instant. His pupils dulled into chaotic abysses as instincts for desire, violence, and conquest screamed through his limbs.

Ludwig arched his back, veins bulging on his arms, his chest heaving violently.

He panted, each breath heavier and hotter than the last.

The female insect’s hot palm trailed inch by inch down the male insect’s lean waist and abdomen, sliding past the waistband of his pants. Heat passed between them as his fingers quickly undid the zipper, brushing the bulging seam of black metal teeth.

The metal teeth meshed together like a sealed gate.

Ludwig’s scorching fingers touched the cold teeth, then the zipper pull. If the pull slid down the track, the meshed teeth would part—

A faint metallic tang of blood suddenly permeated the air.

Outside, the storm had stopped.

The scent yanked Ludwig back to his senses. His movements halted, turbulent red eyes churning with ferocity and bestial hunger as he looked up.

Ludwig froze.

Shen Yu had bitten his lower lip too hard, too viciously. Blood seeped from the torn flesh.

The silver-haired male insect’s brows furrowed tightly. In his hazy, damp gaze, the female insect’s entire face was shrouded in dim shadows, save for a pair of eyes staring back at him with cold disgust.

Silence reigned.

Their breaths tangled inescapably, dragging them toward a mutual abyss of depravity.

Ludwig stared at him. Hot sweat slid from his full forehead, but a voice in his heart whispered:

This wasn’t right.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Ludwig slowly turned his dark red eyes. He rose slightly and hesitantly reached out to touch the male insect’s lips, trying to pry them apart.

Shen Yu turned his head away from the touch.

Ludwig’s fingertip grazed the soft lip, picking up a trace of blood.

The male insect turned away, his profile cold and still. A gash crossed his vivid lip.

The edges of the wound curled outward like serrated petals, the surrounding flesh swollen and congested. Blood beaded slowly from the split.

Ludwig stared at the wound.

His heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand, aching in waves.

His crumbling rationality returned in that fleeting touch.

Ludwig went rigid.

Shen Yu’s entire body burned. He knew neither of them was faring well—Ludwig’s erection was already standing at full attention for him.

Shen Yu: “…”

Shen Yu’s hair was disheveled. He closed his eyes, throat tight. Every exhale was a scorching wave. His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed, pale neck exposed with faint blue veins visible beneath sweat-slick skin.

After Ludwig halted his touch, the lust ebbed. Shen Yu licked his dry lips, tasting his own blood. He frowned, steadying his breath. “Give me a shot of stabilizer. Don’t female insects always carry them?”

The long sentence eased the tension between them slightly.

Stabilizers were developed exclusively for female insects to suppress their heat periods. There were no cases of them being used on male insects.

Ludwig panted roughly, forcing his gaze away as he confirmed once more: “For you?”

Shen Yu lowered his lashes, attitude firm: “For me.”

They had barely escaped the loss of control. Lust could reignite at any moment, so both moved cautiously, fearing that even a glance or brush would turn dry tinder into an inferno.

Ludwig’s sword-like brows knitted tightly. His arms trembled as he released Shen Yu’s wrists and retrieved a vial of blood-red medicine from his arm pouch.

The stabilizer vial was transparent, red liquid swirling inside. Under the light, it refracted an icy gleam.

Shen Yu lifted his gaze, flicking it quickly over the vial before looking away.

Ludwig controlled his breathing, lips pressed into a thin line. His voice hoarse, he confirmed again: “Will stabilizer work on a male insect?”

“It works on me.” The voice was ice cold.

The male insect was resolute but gave no reason. Injecting a female insect-specific drug into him—who knew what would happen? But Ludwig was trapped with no way forward or back.

He had sworn to claim Shen Yu’s emotions—hatred, loathing, anything—as long as this male insect looked at him. He feared nothing.

Yet that drop of the male insect’s blood on his fingertip burned like venom, slithering into his heart.

When Shen Yu’s rejection truly confronted him, Ludwig realized this wasn’t what he wanted.

He didn’t want anger. He didn’t want resistance. And he didn’t want… disgust.

Damn it.

The air pulsed with waves of heat. Every breath edged closer to danger. Parched beyond endurance, Shen Yu simply closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against the soft pillow. His freed fingers clutched the fabric desperately, resisting the tide.

Ludwig gazed at his profile, feeling like a snail crawled across his heart.

He exhaled heavily. His cold gaze fell on the red stabilizer. Ludwig frowned and activated his terminal. It connected immediately.

“Boss, what’s up?” His deputy’s slightly surprised voice came through.

“Send a medical team to my coordinates now.”

His deputy asked, “Which one?”

Ludwig lowered his eyes, voice heavy: “First Team. As fast as possible.”

His deputy paused, a storm brewing in his mind. “Red Blood’s current position is far from yours. It’ll require crossing four wormholes. Estimated arrival in three hours.”

Three hours?

Ludwig pressed his tongue hard against his teeth. Stabilizer side effects kicked in after four hours—they had time. The female insect drooped his eyelids: “Fastest speed. Bring plenty of stabilizers.”