Chapter 56

After Pei Rui’s physical condition recovered, he led his subordinate military females in exterminating the remaining mutant energy beasts at top speed.

Had it not been for that previous mishap, they would have wrapped things up much sooner.

A few days later, Jing Chi returned to the Main Star alongside them.

By a stroke of coincidence, today was the fifteenth.

That date marked the final deadline set by the Pheromone Matching Center.

At the same moment, both Jing Chi’s and Pei Rui’s light brains chimed with a notification.

【Please proceed to the Pheromone Matching Center at your earliest convenience to complete the bonding procedures, Mr. Chi Jin/Mr. Pei Rui. Thank you for your cooperation!】

Pei Rui’s emotions stirred into a complicated tangle upon reading the message.

Not long ago, he had gone to great lengths to dodge this very obligation, racking his brain for a way to slip free of it unscathed. Yet now, upon his return, it had become the one thing he anticipated most.

Jing Chi stood nearby and noticed the other insect lost in thought, staring at the screen. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he stepped closer.

He prodded the female insect’s soft cheek with a fingertip, arching a brow with feigned innocence. “What’s got you so absorbed?”

Pei Rui gently captured Jing Chi’s hand. The sharp edge that once defined his gaze had softened entirely into tenderness for Jing Chi alone. Those vivid crimson eyes reflected nothing but Jing Chi’s image.

Pei Rui’s lips pressed together briefly before he replied in a natural tone, “It’s a message from the Pheromone Matching Center.”

Jing Chi responded with a drawn-out “Oh?” laced with knowing undertones.

Pei Rui waited for him to continue, but Jing Chi fell silent, gazing back with wide-eyed innocence.

It was the sort of topic Pei Rui found awkward to broach outright.

This rare flicker of shyness he offered up entirely to Jing Chi.

He had once dismissed the whole affair with utter contempt, but circumstances had changed. Now, Pei Rui cared deeply.

He yearned to bond with Jing Chi—yet he feared Jing Chi might come to regret it. After all, Pei Rui’s reputation across the Empire left much to be desired.

He had made no secret of his disdain for male insects in the past.

Pei Rui could never have anticipated encountering a male insect quite so extraordinary… let alone falling for him.

Jing Chi took in Pei Rui’s conflicted expression and decided against further teasing. Instead, he spoke up directly. “Let’s go take care of the bonding procedures. I want to become your male lord—for real.”

His gaze locked onto Pei Rui’s eyes, brimming with unwavering sincerity.

Pei Rui froze for a beat before nodding vigorously.

His face remained impassive, but the wild thundering of his heart betrayed his inner turmoil.

Jing Chi and Pei Rui headed straight to the Matching Center to complete the formalities.

Surrounding them, male and female insects stole frequent glances their way. Clearly, they all recognized Pei Rui.

Jing Chi paid no mind to their murmurs. If anything, he hoped the gossip would spread far and wide.

And spread it did. By the time they emerged with their paperwork in hand, Star Net had erupted with news of Pei Rui’s bonding.

The entire network buzzed with curiosity over the identity of the Empire General’s new male lord.

【Aaaah, I was there in person—the General’s male lord is drop-dead gorgeous. Prettier than any female insect!】

【Tch, pretty is as pretty does. Word on the street is he’s just some commoner with low-grade mental power. Total low-tier insect.】

【That Male Insect Highness seemed so gentle, doting on the General like that. And get this—their matching degree is 99%!】

【Heh, didn’t this General swear he’d never take a male lord? Talk about egg on his face. Turned down all those prime catches and ended up scavenging trash from the dump. Pathetic.】

The platform’s real-name policy stifled much of the backlash. Plenty of female insects bristled at the male insects’ venomous barbs but held their tongues out of fear.

Cross one male insect, and you’d pay dearly for it.

Before long, the congratulatory posts were drowned out by gleeful schadenfreude. Insects across the board—male and female alike, especially those nursing grudges against Pei Rui—eagerly awaited his downfall.

At that very moment, Lantis received the news as well.

He lived by a simple creed: if he couldn’t have it, no one could. Pei Rui’s survival—and his bonding with that lowly commoner male insect—stung like a personal affront.

Lantis felt utterly humiliated. For Pei Rui to choose some nobody over him? It meant he ranked even lower than that plebeian male insect.

He was the Empire’s Crown Prince, damn it. Pei Rui had slapped him across the face.

Naturally, Lantis suspected his schemes might have come to light.

Yet he felt no fear. As the Crown Prince—and an A-Rank male insect to boot—what could even the Empire General do to him?

That other male insect was dead and gone. He would never relive the nightmare of his previous life.

Lantis’s gaze darkened.

Jing Chi clutched the Bonding Certificate, the insect equivalent of a marriage license.

Jing Chi thought back to Pei Rui’s stiff posture during their photo and nearly burst out laughing.

He tugged at the hem of Pei Rui’s jacket and whispered in the male insect’s ear, “Are you really that nervous?”

Pei Rui’s body went rigid. He had thought he’d played it off quite naturally.

He glanced at Jing Chi but had no desire to respond.

He was afraid Jing Chi would tease him, because yes, he was genuinely nervous.

Pei Rui had never imagined that one day he would actually find a male insect who made his heart race.

Jing Chi’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. Seizing the moment when Pei Rui wasn’t paying attention, he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the male insect’s cheek.

“Feeling less tense now?”

They had just stepped out of the Pheromone Matching Center, and there were other male and female insects milling about nearby.

Sure enough, Jing Chi’s bold move drew glances from the crowd.

Pei Rui’s face heated up, but before he could react, he overheard a nearby female insect say enviously, “Ah, I wish I had such a gentle and handsome male insect as my male lord.”

Pei Rui’s expression darkened instantly. He grabbed Jing Chi’s hand and hurried away.

Jing Chi had already been eye-catching as a female insect, but now that everyone knew he was a male insect, he drew twice as much attention.

Jing Chi held tightly to the male insect’s hand, following obediently behind him with a brilliant smile.

Pei Rui had originally planned to escort Jing Chi back first. They had only just returned, and there were pressing matters at the Military Department waiting for his attention.

Jing Chi pouted, his eyes darting about before he put on a pitiful expression. “On the first day of our bonding, are you just going to abandon me?”

In the end, Pei Rui couldn’t resist and brought him along.

But he also warned Jing Chi that he could only stay in his office. Before, when Pei Rui didn’t know Jing Chi was a male insect, it hadn’t mattered if he hung around with groups of female insects. But now that the truth was out, how could Pei Rui allow Jing Chi to do the same?

“Mm-hmm, I’ll just stay by your side and watch you handle your documents. I only wanted to keep you company anyway.”

Jing Chi murmured softly as he settled into the seat beside Pei Rui.

He propped his chin on his hand, watching intently as the male insect focused on his military duties.

Pei Rui’s eyelashes were long, like tiny fans that fluttered gently when they kissed.

The man’s thin lips were pressed together now, but Jing Chi had seen them swollen and glistening after being thoroughly ravished—soft and oh-so-kissable.

Pei Rui sensed Jing Chi’s gaze growing hotter by the second. He sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

Setting aside his documents, he looked up at Jing Chi—only for the young man to seize the opportunity, grab the back of his neck, and pull him into a deep kiss.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Pei Rui immediately shoved Jing Chi back into his seat.

Jing Chi cradled his face and sighed helplessly.

He just knew some insect would interrupt at a moment like this.

Pei Rui exhaled softly, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, and called out in a steady voice, “Come in.”

The one who pushed open the door was none other than General Reis, whom they hadn’t seen in a while.

Reis spotted Jing Chi and greeted him with a cheerful grin. “Hey, Jing Chi’s here too! How was your outing with the general? Get anything good out of it?”

Jing Chi shot Pei Rui a meaningful look before turning to Reis with utmost seriousness. “I got something huge.”

Of course it was huge— he’d left alone, but returned with a female consort.

Reis didn’t press Jing Chi further. What he really cared about was Pei Rui’s bonding.

He hurriedly asked, “General, why didn’t you tell me about your bonding?”

“When do I get to meet your male lord? By the way, didn’t you say before that you weren’t interested…?”

His voice trailed off as he caught Pei Rui’s sharp sidelong glance, which felt like a knife’s edge.

Once Reis stopped prying, Pei Rui withdrew his gaze and asked coolly, “What do you want?”

Reis cleared his throat, his expression turning serious. “It’s like this, General. A while back, the marshal sent a message, but you were unavailable, so I received it for you. As you know, he visits that one every year around this time. This year, he couldn’t make it, so he wants you to go in his place. After all, you’re his most prized student.”

Reis finished in one breath.

“Understood,” Pei Rui replied. He had been mildly surprised at first, but he quickly regained his composure. “You’re dismissed if that’s all.”

Reis couldn’t shake the feeling that their general was trying to shoo him out, as if he were intruding on something.

Puzzled, he scratched his head but obediently left.

Once Reis was gone, Jing Chi asked curiously, “Who’s ‘that one’?”

Pei Rui replied slowly, “He’s a very formidable insect.”

When the topic turned to that military female, a clear look of admiration appeared on the female insect’s face. Even his usually impassive expression livened up a bit.

Jing Chi teased, “Come on, spill it—who is it? If you don’t tell me, I might just get jealous.”

Hearing this, Pei Rui’s eyes curved in amusement. Recalling all the times Jing Chi had teased him, he drawled deliberately, “He’s an insect of striking good looks and outstanding ability. Wouldn’t it be great if I’d been born in his era?”

Jing Chi had only been joking at first, but Pei Rui’s words made genuine jealousy stir in him.

Seeing Jing Chi’s face fall, Pei Rui chuckled and pinched his cheek. “Just teasing you. That senior is His Excellency Benson Roger, the Empire’s Founding General. He’s a military female.”

Jing Chi paused at the name. If memory served, that was the name of his consort father, the one who had given birth to him.

He’d been wondering how to make contact with him—after all, the other had retired from public life, and ordinary insects rarely got to see him.

This opportunity had practically fallen into his lap.

Though thrilled by the chance, Jing Chi hadn’t forgotten how this insect had just toyed with him.

He schooled his features into a stern expression, crossing his arms over his chest and feigning anger. “Well, well, Pei Rui. You dare to joke with your Male Lord?”

Pei Rui leaned back against his chair, lifting his chin slightly. His eyes drooped lazily as he enunciated each word: “And what does the Male Lord intend to do about it?”