Chapter 50

When Jing Chi had bought the Light Brain, Reis had handled all the information registration for him. As a result, he was recorded in it as a Female Insect.

That was precisely why he could now enter the Virtual Training Field without any issues.

Though the Virtual Training Field was virtual, its realism was top-notch. The pain felt utterly authentic—purely mental, of course, with no damage to the body.

Jing Chi’s first entry into this place struck him as somewhat magical.

He simply lay on his bed, activated the Light Brain, and selected training mode. The device automatically sent a current racing up his arm to his brain, linking with his Mental Power.

He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was standing in the training field.

The moment his eyes opened, an unfamiliar-looking insect stared straight at him from across the way. That inexplicably familiar aura around the figure made Jing Chi’s mouth fall open. Hesitantly, he asked, “Pei Rui?”

The insect on the other side nodded and walked over.

Pei Rui’s current appearance was utterly ordinary—the only standout feature those beautiful eyes, which clashed completely with the rest of his face. His build, however, was nearly identical to his real-life one.

Jing Chi voiced his confusion. “Why’d your face change?”

Pei Rui glanced at the youth’s surprised expression and explained, “You can adjust your appearance here. Just picture a look in your mind, and it’ll shift automatically. Then select to lock in the image.”

That sounded fun.

Jing Chi tried it right away. He felt as if a pair of hands were kneading his face this way and that. When he opened his eyes, he asked with some delight, “How’s this? Pretty cool, right?”

Pei Rui stared at Jing Chi’s new face and nearly choked. He hesitated for a moment before offering a sincere suggestion. “This… uh, it doesn’t really suit you.”

Jing Chi’s face had transformed into something quite fierce: bronzed skin, upward-slanting eyebrows, ruthless eyes, and a scar slashed across it.

“Haha, just messing with you.”

Jing Chi gave an awkward chuckle. Truth be told, he rather liked his previous look, but he had to admit it wasn’t the most appealing.

He adjusted it again, this time to something only thirty or forty percent similar to his original features.

“Alright, that’s good.” Jing Chi nodded in satisfaction this time. “Let’s get started.”

Pei Rui nodded, signaling with his eyes that Jing Chi should make the first move.

Jing Chi didn’t stand on ceremony. He was intensely curious about just how much he lagged behind Pei Rui.

The youth lunged with a punch, his movement so swift that the wind from it tousled strands of hair.

A flicker of surprise crossed Pei Rui’s eyes, and his expression grew serious.

The two insects traded blows evenly matched—at least since Pei Rui wasn’t employing Insect Transformation.

After several exchanges, Jing Chi’s lack of real combat experience betrayed him. Pei Rui seized his arm.

Jing Chi’s eyes darted about. He scrunched his brows and yelled, “Ow, that hurts!”

Pei Rui instinctively released him, worried he’d struck too hard.

In the next instant, Jing Chi capitalized on the opening. The two swapped positions without changing their stance.

Jing Chi pinned Pei Rui’s hand behind his back, then leaned down slightly to murmur in his ear with a cheeky grin. “See? Does that count as my win?”

Pei Rui eyed the youth’s smug expression, torn between laughter and exasperation.

If this had been one of his soldiers, he’d have drilled some discipline into the sneaky insect—no place for cheap tricks. But this was Jing Chi.

He could only reply helplessly, “Fine, you win.”

Jing Chi let go of Pei Rui. Seeing the man rub his wrist, a twinge of guilt hit him.

After all, it wasn’t exactly a fair victory.

Moments later, though, after only a few steps, something tripped him up. He looked up to see Pei Rui pulling his foot back.

Oh, so this insect had picked up some bad habits from him?

Jing Chi didn’t fight it. He might not have fallen otherwise, but he deliberately shifted his weight backward on purpose—dragging Pei Rui down with him in the process.

Pei Rui hadn’t anticipated Jing Chi actually toppling over, let alone choosing to yank him along. Caught off guard, he tumbled straight toward the Female Insect.

The two crashed to the ground, Jing Chi on the bottom and Pei Rui on top.

Jing Chi gazed up at the insect atop him. Though the Female Insect’s features had changed, Jing Chi could easily glimpse the true face hidden beneath that ordinary mask through those eyes.

Their bodies pressed close, the simulated sensations so lifelike that they could feel each other’s body heat.

The position was utterly intimate.

Pei Rui stared at the cheek mere inches away. Unbidden, his gaze drifted to the youth’s lips.

He knew they were soft. Warm.

After all, he had tasted them before.

Jing Chi watched as Pei Rui stared at him in a daze. Seemingly struck by a sudden idea, he tugged at the corner of his mouth and smiled. “What are you looking at?”

His words yanked Pei Rui back to reality in an instant. The man scrambled to his feet, drew a deep breath, and replied with forced calm, “Nothing. It’s over. Let’s just head out.”

Jing Chi remained seated on the ground, tilting his head up at the standing female insect. Noticing his unease, Jing Chi teased deliberately, “Then why is your face red?”

In truth, Pei Rui’s face wasn’t flushed at all. The simulation was realistic enough, but it couldn’t perfectly mirror every internal emotion, especially something as subtle as that.

Pei Rui walked right into the trap. Without a second thought, he touched his cheek and found nothing amiss.

When he looked up, he met the youth’s amused gaze. The knowing sparkle in those eyes told him he’d been had.

The next second, Jing Chi watched as the female insect across from him vanished.

After settling that Jing Chi could tag along, he spent the next two days preparing.

Pei Rui, on the other hand, had started avoiding him since that incident.

Jing Chi now saw him only twice a day—once in the morning and once at night.

The reason for Pei Rui’s avoidance was simple: he feared that if Jing Chi teased him like that again, he might not resist the urge to draw closer, physically speaking.

But he also worried about frightening Jing Chi. He assumed the youth’s recent affection stemmed from their shared status as female insects.

If Jing Chi discovered that this female insect harbored real feelings for him—feelings that went beyond friendship—he’d likely recoil. Their relationship would surely grow distant.

Pei Rui didn’t want that, so he held himself back.

To Jing Chi, though, it just looked like avoidance.

Pei Rui finally stopped dodging him three days later—the day of Reis Bug Cub’s first birthday banquet.

That’s right. A year prior, their Deputy General Reis had given birth to a little male insect.

He had enthusiastically invited both Jing Chi and Pei Rui. Pei Rui typically skipped such gatherings, but Jing Chi’s insistence won out, so he dragged Pei Rui along.

The banquet took place at the Bryce Hotel on the Main Star, the grandest establishment aside from the Royal Hotel.

Jing Chi wore a sharp black suit, accented by blue gemstone cufflinks. It hugged his slender frame perfectly.

He hadn’t dressed this formally in ages. Pei Rui had naturally prepared the outfit—Jing Chi was a poor insect, after all.

A male insect could claim subsidies, but as an unemployed female insect, Jing Chi had no income.

Beside him, Pei Rui had traded his usual military uniform for a simpler black suit over a plain white shirt. Even so, his upright bearing and striking features turned plenty of heads.

Jing Chi made a beeline for Reis upon entering and found him cradling the little bug cub, feeding him tidbits.

“General Reis, your little bug cub is adorable.”

The cub had plump, rounded cheeks, big expressive eyes, and a mouth that puffed out rhythmically as he munched.

He bore only a faint resemblance to Reis; clearly, he took after his male lord.

Reis smiled, his expression softening with genuine warmth. It was in moments like these that he truly seemed like a consort father.

Even so, he couldn’t resist a jab. “He’s so cute, huh? You should find yourself a male lord and have one.”

The comment sparked an image in Jing Chi’s mind.

Pei Rui with a little bug cub of his own.

The man’s grumpy stare at the cub, laced with helpless fondness—it actually didn’t sound half bad.

As Jing Chi chatted with Reis, Pei Rui found his path blocked by Lantis.

Pei Rui eyed the highborn male insect, tamping down his irritation, and said flatly, “Crown Prince.”

Lantis drank in the female insect’s handsome features with barely veiled greed, though his smile remained affable. “General Pei.”

Pei Rui’s looks were unmatched across the Empire. Lantis had sampled countless beauties, yet none rivaled the insect before him.

Pei Rui’s brow furrowed faintly. The smile felt insincere, like a thin veneer ready to crack.

“If Your Highness has no further business, I’ll be going.” Pei Rui’s tone was cool as his gaze swept the room in search of Jing Chi.

The youth had vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving Pei Rui with a nagging headache. He just hoped he hadn’t offended anyone.

Lantis had come specifically to find Pei Rui today. He’d heard that Pei Rui would be attending this first birthday banquet, so he’d rushed over in haste. After all, it wasn’t easy to see Pei Rui even once, since he rarely attended any social gatherings.

Otherwise, why would His Highness the Crown Prince of the Empire deign to grace such a shabby banquet with his presence?

“Important business, important business.” Lantis hurriedly reached out to grab Pei Rui, but the female insect deftly sidestepped without a trace.

He stared at his empty hand, his gaze darkening slightly. But when he looked up, he was still smiling as he said, “I heard you went for pheromone matching? I know you definitely wouldn’t want to bond with some ordinary male insect who has no status or background. Why not bond with me instead? I’ll take care of that male insect for you.”

In Lantis’s view, no ordinary female insect would refuse such an offer. After all, on one side there was a nobody of a male insect, and on the other was the Crown Prince of the Empire—even a five-year-old larva would know which to choose.

Pei Rui looked into the male insect’s eyes, brimming with utter confidence, and a chill flashed across his own gaze.

If he had to choose between these two male insects, he would pick his match without hesitation. After all, of the pair, this Crown Prince was clearly the more dangerous one to deal with.

“Sorry, Your Highness, but you’ve got it wrong. I’m not unwilling at all,” Pei Rui replied calmly, completely unmoved by Lantis’s proposal.

Lantis felt provoked by the female insect’s cold indifference. Remembering how this insect had acted the same way in his previous life, his gaze turned icy. “Are you sure you want to be so ungrateful?”

Out of respect for His Highness the Crown Prince, Pei Rui mustered his last shred of patience. “Your Highness, I have matters to attend to. Excuse me.”

With that, he walked away without a backward glance, heedless of how ugly Lantis’s expression had become.

Lantis clenched his fists, glaring at Pei Rui’s retreating back with eyes full of malice. “Just you wait. One day, I’ll clip your wings and make you come crawling back to beg me!”