Chapter 65: HE Side Story [Extra]

Salty, icy cold tides surged in from all directions, swallowing Shen Yu. His consciousness was tugged back and forth like seaweed, rising and falling. After a long silence, he broke through the water’s surface and finally returned to the warm human world.

It all felt like a dream.

In the blink of an eye, he landed on the ground. This was a golden forest, filled with decayed, withered leaves everywhere. Those withered leaves blanketed the ground, clung to the treetops, and filled the cracks in stones—everything was shrouded in deathly stillness.

Was it autumn?

So quiet.

The fallen leaves piled thickly on the ground.

Shen Yu stepped onto the ground.

Crunch—

The withered leaves fluttered their wings—brown, tan, gray… Thousands upon thousands of dried leaf butterflies burst into the air from the ground in an instant. Shen Yu looked up and saw them surging toward the sky in unison. They trembled and danced, magnificent and grand, instantly bringing the pulse of life to this forest filled with deathly qi.

A massive emotion unique to the pulse of life struck Shen Yu in that instant. The tide of life surged through his silent soul—

His body seemed to regain sensation along with this momentary spiritual touch.

And so he heard hazy voices.

Andre’s voice. Ludwig’s voice.

But the two seemed to be engaged in a fierce argument?

“Getting married? Ha, Ludwig, I think you’ve truly gone mad. Don’t forget, your appointment ceremony is in a few days. How exactly do you plan to get married? By cradling that neither-insect-nor-ghost body of his and announcing to the entire galaxy that you dragged out the Mermaid Clan from the Extreme Dark Domain? Then inciting the wrath of the entire interstellar community?”

Shen Yu froze. Appointment ceremony?

Andre’s voice had changed greatly.

The last time he heard it, both Andre and he had only recently come of age, so that voice carried a youthful clarity. Now, it was like deep, resonant strings—very mature, without any tender softness.

It felt like… a long time had passed.

So how long had he been asleep?

And why had he awakened again?

Shen Yu tried calling out to 007, but he heard no clear response. Still, he knew 007 was around him, like it was separated by a layer of mist—unclear, but present.

He wasn’t trapped in this world. Realizing this, Shen Yu felt at ease, and the weight in his heart fell back into place. He began listening to their conversation, trying to gather useful information.

The Old Empire had become history.

Amid the flames of war and gunpowder smoke, Male Insects had been blessed with sweet rain, gaining the power of the Mental Whip. No longer mere decorative pearls that shone without dazzling in the palm of the giant dragon, they now possessed offensive power beyond just healing and fertility.

The process of evolution was slow. After all, it had taken the pioneers many years from birth to death. But at the end of all suffering lay the wildfire that scorched the plains.

This slow evolution had only just begun to show signs when it brought enough surprises.

The New Empire rose under Andre’s violent conquests, established amid ruins and fragmentation. On the day Andre was crowned emperor, he abolished the old noble privileges and enacted new laws. Gradually, Male Insects entered politics and gained power.

The era ruled by Female Insects was about to turn the page to a brand-new chapter, though the future direction remained unknown—

But in this moment of transition between old and new, it was undoubtedly turbulent.

Old remnants clung to survival, separatism lingered, neighboring countries and alien races eyed them covetously, and a Male Insect regime was bound to bring diplomatic isolation… Ludwig’s reappointment as marshal was not just for the Empire to see—it was for the entire interstellar community.

Even if Andre desperately wanted to establish a Male Insect regime, he knew it couldn’t be rushed. The protection of powerful Female Insects remained the sea-calming needle in this chaos.

And now you tell him you’re holding a wedding?

Ludwig crossed his arms, his sharp, gloomy brows furrowed as he sneered coldly, “Don’t forget, who was it that sent a large army to make me enter the Dark Domain? And who said that even if only the body remained, it was worth it no matter the cost?”

Hearing the threat in his words, Andre ground his teeth in frustration and lowered his voice. “If I’d known you’d secretly use Sadro’s body for these things behind my back, I never would have agreed!”

Wait, wait!

Secretly… what exactly had he done with his body?

Shen Yu realized belatedly.

No wonder his palms felt soft, his chest swollen, his waist and back sore, his thighs sticky, and his soles numb.

He had initially thought it was just the aftereffects of his body not moving for so long. Turns out there was this factor too.

Shen Yu: “…”

Then he heard Ludwig say, “The doctor said his body needs more activity. I was just following medical advice.”

Shen Yu: “…”

How shameless, Ludwig.

Andre was clearly stunned by the shamelessness too. He fell silent for a moment, rubbing his weary temple. He really wanted to lash Ludwig with a Mental Whip.

But Ludwig’s mental rank was clearly not as simple as its numerical grade—especially after a trip through the Dark Domain. He himself was already the unparalleled 3S-grade Female Insect, and his Spirit Sea now was unknown in its vast terror.

If Andre attacked, he might end up dropping ranks himself.

What a Female Insect who ate neither hard nor soft tactics. Despite their alliance for years, aside from Sadro, he seemed to have no other pursuits.

If not for the Mermaid Clan elder’s coercion and inducements, telling them that Sadro still had a slim chance of returning to life, Ludwig might not have stopped at destroying the Old Empire—he might have burned the entire interstellar region to accompany him in death.

Andre still couldn’t forget, many years ago, that afternoon woven with blood and fire. The sunset’s afterglow fell on the bloodstained ground and the burning flames.

Rescue teams arrived one after another at the C11 Defense Line. When they saw the Female Insect and Male Insect embracing atop the ruins, not a single one dared to approach.

Andre closed his eyes, unwilling to dwell on it. At least regarding Sadro, Ludwig had never disappointed him.

The golden-haired Male Insect sighed, frowning. “So you have to get married during this time? Couldn’t you wait a bit longer?”

His question seemed to trigger some sensitive word. The air in the space was suddenly sucked away, leaving only silence and stillness.

After a long while, Ludwig’s voice rang out in the silent space.

“Andre, I’ve already waited eleven years.”

Eleven years.

Each word landed clearly in his ears, like icy beads falling into his throat, too chilling to swallow.

Shen Yu froze.

His sense of time was always belated. Those memories felt like yesterday, but hearing this concrete number, Andre clearly froze in place too.

Andre’s emotions churned, and he knew he couldn’t persuade Ludwig. Finally, with his sharp brows furrowed coldly, he left a warning and stormed out of the ward in anger.

Suddenly, only two remained in the room.

This was no good omen. Linking it to Andre’s words, Shen Yu felt his body—

Was in danger.

A scorching breath invaded his territory, his breathing spreading like a virus. Dry lips trailed down his neck like a dangerous, lethal snake, winding lower.

The patient gown was soaked by two lips, darkening in color and clinging wetly to his chest, outlining the beautiful, raised contours.

In the darkness, his five senses sharpened. Once his dulled perceptions awakened, every itch and tingle was infinitely amplified.

Moist threads soaked through the fabric. This specimen-like body had become nothing but an organ for sensing the outside world.

Ludwig’s tongue was very flexible. When kissing, it would wrap around his tongue and thrust deep into his mouth, tirelessly sucking up the fluids secreted between his lips and teeth like a sponge.

But exchanging saliva wasn’t enough to satisfy Ludwig’s kissing needs. He would also extend his tongue to lick the tiny vessels hidden beneath the tongue coating in his mouth, then tease the sensitive tip of his tongue, licking it.

He would even use his sharp teeth to press against the broken flesh of his lower lip, sucking bit by bit, his hot breath entwining as he tried to draw out sweet fluids from within.

Shen Yu’s limbs went limp and numb; he couldn’t help wanting to curl up.

Before Ludwig went further, Shen Yu finally couldn’t hold back. He lifted his heavy eyelids, grabbed Ludwig by the back of the neck, and cursed, “Ludwig—”

Perhaps because it had been too long since he spoke, his vocal cords and oral muscles hadn’t regained coordination. His voice came out extremely hoarse, like it contained sand, trembling with breathy sounds.

What should have been a forceful roar was utterly feeble and tiny, like—

Like a kitten acting coquettish.

Shen Yu’s face darkened instantly, and he immediately stopped his words.

The Female Insect buried in his chest heard his voice and froze in place. His tongue tip instinctively extended, licking down heavily, his sharp teeth grazing over.

Shen Yu couldn’t hold back a muffled grunt. Ignoring whether his momentum was enough, he used his sore, soft fingers to yank the Female Insect’s hair, forcing him to look at him.

Caught off guard, Shen Yu collided with a pair of dark, sorrowful eyes. The gaze was too complex; for a moment, Shen Yu couldn’t comprehend it.

Shen Yu’s heart jolted, and he froze in place. His lips parted and closed as he raised his volume and cursed instinctively:

“I’ve told you how many times—there’s nothing inside me; you won’t suck out any milk no matter how much you try—mmph—”

Ludwig suddenly leaned in, sealing his chattering lips.

A pair of scorching lips crashed against another pair.

Ludwig’s gaze locked tightly onto Shen Yu. His flexible tongue and teeth ground against the Male Insect’s lip flesh, his tongue tip fiercely teasing his lips and teeth, yet hesitating to enter.

The red-haired Female Insect stared deathly at Shen Yu. The invasive actions on his lips didn’t stop for a moment, but that ruthless gaze—one that seemed to want to devour him whole—was seeking permission, asking him—

Is it okay?

Shen Yu gasped lowly. This so-called life-blessing Mermaid Clan indeed possessed extraordinary power. Since he awoke, his body showed no abnormalities—aside from the stiffness from lack of movement, he felt no discomfort.

Ludwig naturally knew this too.

But if his body could handle it, could his heart?

The beautiful silver-haired Male Insect lowered his eyelids slightly, his misty long lashes draping down. He parted his closed lips, tilted his neck back slightly, the pale blue veins on his neck tensing as he fully accepted the Female Insect’s invasion.

The scarlet, thirsting long tongue swiftly probed into his mouth.

Ludwig’s hands slid from Shen Yu’s waist to his shoulder blades, his burning palms kneading the sensitive bones. His arms wrapped around him tightly, as if wanting to meld him into his body.

Their bodies pressed tightly together through the fabric, scorching temperatures entwining obsessively.

His waist was bound by iron-like arms as they embraced, pressed flush.

All suppressed longing poured out in this moment.

The surrounding world seemed to vanish, leaving only their breaths and heartbeats.

However, just as the atmosphere grew hotter and was about to proceed to the next step—

Andre, who had returned, pushed open the door and walked right into this stimulating scene. His voice halted midway.

“Ludwig—”

Ludwig ignored his voice completely, continuing his actions. Shen Yu lifted his eyelids and directly met Andre’s shocked gaze, filled with a mix of emotions.

The golden-haired Male Insect had cut his hair short. Though it was the same face, it felt much more unfamiliar. His brows and eyes had shed their delicacy and softness, like two cold, sharp short swords—calm, yet carrying an unquestionable authority.

The two entwined on the hospital bed, locked in a deep kiss, their clothes disheveled from the movements.

Caught by Andre in this scene, Shen Yu’s ear tips flushed faintly. He frowned, grabbed Ludwig by the back of the neck, his chest heaving as he tilted his head back to end the hot, suffocating deep kiss.

His originally bloodless lips had turned an abnormally vivid red from the sucking, like ripe fruit.

A slight curve lifted at Shen Yu’s lips. He patted Ludwig’s head, signaling him to get off, and spoke to Andre, who stood stunned at the door.

“Andre, long time no see.”

Ludwig rose from his body, crossed his arms, and stood coldly by the side, watching them talk. As he watched Shen Yu’s mouth open and close, his scarlet tongue tip faintly visible between white teeth, his thoughts grew darker and deeper, soon slipping into shadow.

Busy with state affairs, Andre explained things and then pursed his lips, gripping Shen Yu’s hand, clearly unwilling to leave.

Ludwig’s gaze fell on their clasped hands. He furrowed his brows—he couldn’t stand Andre staying one more second. He parted his lips and reminded coldly, “Your Majesty, if you don’t leave now, your meeting will be late.”

Andre narrowed his eyes, displeased.

He noticed Ludwig’s gaze on his hand. If looks could kill, he had no doubt this hand of his was already gone.

Andre originally planned to leave, but this question made him deliberately bend down close to Shen Yu, extending his other hand toward him.

The atmosphere in the air suddenly chilled.

In the view only Shen Yu could see, Andre hooked his lips in a smirk. That long-unseen smug little expression made the newborn tyrant look much younger, his eyes seeming to say, “Let your bro have some fun, bear with it a bit.”

Shen Yu: “…” Bro, you’re setting the pace to keep me bedridden!

Andre slyly blinked, his fingers brushing a strand of silver hair from Shen Yu’s forehead. He lowered his head and planted a kiss on the cool silver strands.

The atmosphere, already at freezing point, instantly turned to ice.

Andre tucked the strand slowly behind his ear, his voice as gentle and melodious as could be.

“Sadro, until next time.”

Andre stood up, glanced at the sullen-faced Ludwig, and felt utterly refreshed and invigorated.

He withdrew his gaze and strode away.

Before Andre left, a large group of sub-female insect doctors surged into the room. Under Ludwig’s oppressively intense gaze, they timidly examined Shen Yu’s body.

Two hours later, the examination report came out, confirming the male insect’s body was unharmed. The doctors sighed in relief, handed the report to Ludwig, and hurriedly left.

Once again, only the two of them remained—a lone female insect and male insect, dry tinder meeting blazing fire, igniting at the slightest spark.

Ludwig set down the report and approached Shen Yu with a heavy aura.

Seeing the female insect about to pounce onto the bed, Shen Yu hurriedly changed the subject. “Ludwig, there’s something I want to ask you.”

Ludwig sat on the edge of his bed and reached out. His rough fingers caressed the deep hollow of Shen Yu’s collarbone, rubbing back and forth as he asked, “What?”

With Ludwig’s head lowered, Shen Yu noticed a scar on his forehead, curving from the right temple to the end of his brow bone.

A female insect’s regenerative ability was astonishing, yet this scar hadn’t faded. It spoke volumes about his ordeal. What in the entire interstellar could have wounded Ludwig like this?

Besides the Dark Domain, nothing else fit.

Shen Yu frowned and placed his palm on Ludwig’s face. His fingers touched the wound, and the words on the tip of his tongue changed. “What happened?”

Ludwig paused, lowered his eyelids, and said lightly, “Nothing, just a minor injury.”

A evasive answer. Shen Yu slapped away the hand wandering over his collarbone, turned his face away coldly, and refused to look at him.

His hand slapped aside and left hanging in mid-air, Ludwig gazed at his cold profile. He knew the male insect was showing concern in his awkward way, and it felt like his entire heart was soaked in lemon water—sour and tangy.

Ludwig lowered his head. His breath was like predatory dark clouds, but his kiss fell gentle and lingering.

He kissed Shen Yu’s forehead, eyelids, nose, trailing downward until he captured those petal-like, wet lips.

Shen Yu secretly cracked one eye open and noticed Ludwig’s raging jealousy gradually fading.

A bedroom massacre was successfully averted through his quick thinking.

Shen Yu panted softly. In a brief gap between kisses, he voiced the question he’d been mulling. “So why the rush to get married?”

“You heard that?” Ludwig’s focus was elsewhere, his stare intense. “Did you hear anything else?”

“Andre said you were obsessed with my body—”

The dissatisfied words cut off abruptly as Shen Yu frowned.

Ludwig pulled him into an embrace. “Then, can you feel what I do to you?”

“…”

Before he could answer, Ludwig’s lips curved in a roguish arc. “If you can’t feel it yet, no problem—we can take it slow. Want to try now?”

The red-haired female insect’s kisses trailed hot and wet downward.

Shen Yu’s fingers clenched the bedsheet fiercely. Realizing what Ludwig was doing, the veins on the back of his hand bulged instantly…

“Victor, give it to me, okay?”

No way.

The male insect’s damp long lashes glimmered with moisture.

Hearing Ludwig’s voice, Vidonien’s lashes trembled. His clothes were hiked up, layers bunching at his lean waist and abdomen, exposing the bluish veins on his lower belly, faintly visible beneath the skin.

The branches of the Tree of Life extended downward, drawing moisture from beneath the ground.

Ludwig knelt astride Vidonien’s legs, lips pressed tight. He rose again, his warm fingers rubbing Vidonien’s lips until they brushed his snow-white teeth.

With silver hair disheveled, Vidonien’s tense muscles relaxed. Still dazed, he let Ludwig have his way and stared blankly at him.

Amusement flickered in Ludwig’s eyes. He opened his mouth, extended his tongue, and—right in front of him—gulped down the liquid inside with an audible swallow.

The slick substance slid down his throat. Ludwig savored Vidonien’s reactions—from the moist silver lashes to the bulging veins and sweat-slicked pale neck. His gaze deepened as he seized Vidonien’s wrist, pinned it down, and smiled. “The Vineflower Festival is coming soon. How about we hold the wedding that day?”

Vidonien opened his weary eyes, his exhaled breath thick and sticky with heat. He rolled over, wanting only to sleep.

The blanket lifted, and the female insect’s warm body squeezed in. A pair of heated arms snaked around from behind, coiling like a serpent.

Vidonien closed his eyes and patted Ludwig’s arm. Then he heard Ludwig ask, “Okay?”

Okay.

“Not good.”

“Although the New Empire is established, East Zhao District is still East Zhao District. The weather remains unpredictable, but miraculously, the Vineflower Festival always brings perfect weather every year. This year should be no exception.”

Of course—this was the wisdom of the ancestors.

“With weather this nice, it’s perfect for a wedding. After the ceremony, I want to hold your hand and dance in air drifting with the fragrance of vine flower wine, making up for all the years we missed.”

His legs would probably give out.

“But can we skip inviting that guy Andre? Whatever, hmph, it’s fine if we do. I’m not that petty…”

Listening to the female insect’s rambling chatter, Vidonien felt like he was a child again. He’d walked endlessly through the dark night, and when he finally looked up, he saw countless stars.

So he raised his hand—and touched the starlight.

…

Amid the intense motions, Vidonien lifted his damp lashes and groggily opened his eyes to the ceiling overhead. Suddenly, he realized something—

This bedroom massacre.

Hadn’t been completely avoided after all.