Chapter 6: Pure Devotion
At Koeyle’s insistence, He Yue stayed at his apartment. The environment was quiet and secluded, more like a good place for retreat.
“Master, this is my black gold card.”
After dinner, Koeyle pushed a black card towards He Yue.
He Yue casually picked up the black card from the table with his fingers, examining it front and back.
“Keeping me, or bribing me?”
“That’s not what I meant. I’ve made many preparations to welcome Master, but there might still be areas where I’ve fallen short. If Master wants to buy anything, you can use this card directly.” The words “unlimited amount” were written on the back of the card, suggesting he could spend as much as he wanted, even if it meant overdrafting.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll spend all the money you’ve saved in the army?” “It doesn’t matter. It’s my honor to have Master spend my money.” Koeyle said earnestly.
The subservience of female insects to male insects once again refreshed He Yue’s understanding of this insect world. Looking at the military female colonel in front of him, who usually appeared rather rigid in his military uniform, He Yue felt a mischievous urge.
“If I spend all your money and overdraft a large sum…” He Yue put down the black gold card, “The news of Imperial Colonel Koeyle being heavily in debt would certainly be interesting.” Koeyle didn’t show any displeasure, saying in a relaxed tone: “If Master needs it, even if it’s a large overdraft, I will pay it back. It’s just money, nothing to worry about.” [Host, here, it’s the female insects who earn money for the male insects to spend.]
Hearing the system’s words, He Yue pushed the black gold card back to him: “If I spend all your money, you won’t have any savings left for your real insect master later.” He hadn’t acknowledged Koeyle as his female insect, nor had he agreed to have sex with him or remove his genetic imprint.
Koeyle didn’t reach for the card, nor did he push it back.
“Whether Master is willing to accept me as your female insect or not, I won’t have any other insect master.” He Yue, having seen countless people at “Castle,” knew that these words were by no means an expression of loyalty.
Regardless of whether He Yue agreed to remove his male insect genetic imprint in the end, even if he had to endure the recovery period without the soothing pheromones of a male insect, even if he went against the genetic imprint, defied, or even harmed a male insect to climb higher, he would never again allow himself to fall into the mire of a male insect.
In Colonel Koeyle’s bones, besides the instinctive genetic imprint, there was also a unique rebelliousness among female insects.
How could the only female insect who had climbed to the rank of colonel be a pushover?
At least mentally, now, he wouldn’t be.
He Yue stopped arguing with him and accepted the black gold card: “If you’re going to be a sugar daddy, shouldn’t you be a bit more assertive?” Koeyle pursed his lips and thought for a moment, then asked formally: “Master, may I keep you?” He spoke as if the words coming out of his mouth weren’t about keeping someone, but some kind of oath.
He Yue was amused by his serious demeanor and replied in an equally serious tone: “No.”
“Alright, then Master, please feel free to use it.” Even if Koeyle had harbored a sliver of hope of buying He Yue with money, he now completely abandoned this almost impossible notion.
How amusing.
Teasing the colonel had been quite fruitful, and He Yue was in a great mood.
The apartment doorbell rang, and on the video doorbell screen stood another female insect in military uniform. His epaulettes weren’t as intricate as Koeyle’s, and He Yue guessed he was probably just a sergeant.
“Colonel, you haven’t responded to the meeting notification on the military network, so the organization specifically sent me to inform you.” “When is it?” Koeyle asked.
“In half an hour. It’s just enough time to get there now.”
Koeyle turned to look for He Yue, asking, “Master, may I go?” The military female at the door widened her eyes, looking at the colonel, then sneaking a peek inside past him, her gossipy gaze unconcealed.
He Yue raised an eyebrow in surprise: “Of course you can go.”
Koeyle secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The item He Yue had given him last time was still in his military jacket pocket. Fortunately, He Yue hadn’t mentioned it, nor did he seem to intend to follow him to the meeting.
He pursed his lips; the chapped wound at the corner of his mouth hadn’t fully healed yet.
That imagined “torture” could be postponed a little longer.
The military female at the side, having witnessed their entire conversation, asked curiously, “Is this the colonel’s male insect?” Koeyle’s steps out paused noticeably. He turned around and saw He Yue leaning against the doorframe, a faint smile on his lips, quietly waiting for his reply.
He lowered his eyes and thought for a second before replying:
“I hope he is…”
His reply was loud enough for He Yue to hear.
However, the unspoken half of the sentence wouldn’t be heard by He Yue.
—That way, he could easily remove the imprint, instead of still anxiously striving for a slim chance.
Male insects and their own female insects. It must be a frequent occurrence. Leaving or removing an imprint during intimate moments was probably as simple as whispering sweet nothings.
That’s what Koeyle believed.
After Koeyle left the apartment courtyard, He Yue turned around and bumped into Wien, who had appeared out of nowhere.
“Wien, is something the matter?”
“Master, this is my spending card.”
Wien held the card by its corners with both hands, bowing respectfully as he presented it.
This card was a different color from the black gold card in He Yue’s hand, but the “unlimited amount” warning was also highlighted in red and bold.
(Is giving cards some kind of special insect ritual?)
[If the host accepts their goodwill, they might also feel like they’ve taken a small step closer to the host.] He Yue smiled wryly.
(In the insect world, people are actually rushing to give away money.)
[Host, I also have a card that can be used for spending…]
(…Get lost!)
[Alright!]
The system, just awakened by He Yue, silently muted itself.
“I exist for your birth, and this money was saved for you to use.” He Yue didn’t accept the card, instead asking: “If I hadn’t survived in the nurturing membrane, what did you plan to do with this money?” Wien gripped the card tightly and answered seriously: “Before Master’s aura disappeared, I hadn’t considered this question.” “Then I’ll have you think about it now.”
Wien lowered his head in thought, his hands still holding the card in the same position. After a long while, his hands trembling slightly from stiffness and soreness, he finally spoke slowly.
“I would probably use this money to hold a grand funeral for Master.”
This answer was clearly unexpected by He Yue: “What about yourself?”
Wien finally looked up, straightening his body slightly.
“If there’s any money left, I might buy myself a nicer coffin and entrust the funeral staff to bury me next to Master.”
He Yue paused: “What if there’s nothing left?”
Wien’s eyes held an ambiguous glint, and a smile played on his lips: “Then I’ll dig a hole for myself next to your grave, lie in it, and wait for death.”
They remained silent for a long time.
(Can 51% reach this level?)
The system’s voice didn’t come for a long time.
Just when He Yue thought the system had truly gone dormant and hadn’t heard his question, the system’s reply suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Host, no. This has nothing to do with the submission value, it’s the genetic imprint… Your existence is the meaning of his survival, and he himself has long treated this creed as the sacred decree of his life.]
Even if other conquest targets reached 51%, they might not exhibit such behavior.
Or perhaps, Wien’s 51% wasn’t an accurate calculation.
He Yue pondered: “Death means having nothing left.”
Wien shook his head seriously: “No, in case Master wants someone to talk to during reincarnation, I can accompany Master for a while longer.”
The existence of the male insect was the meaning of the accompanying female insect’s life. Wien genuinely believed in and obeyed this deeply ingrained imprint, integrating his entire being into it.
His survival had no other meaning besides He Yue.
He Yue took the card from his hand: “I’ll use it.”
He stacked it together with Koeyle’s black gold card and put them in his coat pocket.
He gave a gentle smile, trying to dispel the somewhat gloomy and strange atmosphere: “Come with me to buy some necessities.”
Wien looked up in surprise: “Okay! I, I’ll change my clothes, right away, I’ll be right there.” He was so overjoyed that he became somewhat incoherent. After receiving He Yue’s nod of approval, he ran to his room as fast as he could, as if afraid He Yue would change his mind.
(Is he not quite right in the head?)
The system didn’t know how to answer, only adding after a while, [That’s how the genetic imprint is].
That’s how the genetic imprint is.
But clearly, Koeyle and Wien represented two extremes of this genetic imprint.
One desperately wanted to tear the genetic imprint apart, even at the cost of mutual destruction. The other treasured the genetic imprint, devoutly obeying and strictly enforcing it.
(It would be interesting if the former treasured the genetic imprint, and the latter was abandoned by it.)
[Host, I, I’m a little scared of your hobby of playing with conquest targets.]
He Yue didn’t respond to the system, examining the card in his hand and wiping off the fingerprints with his sleeve.
(I’ll make it happen.)
[…!!!]
The surface of the two cards was smooth, reflecting the lights of the apartment hall’s ceiling.
He Yue was momentarily lost in thought, inexplicably recalling his life at “Castle.” He chuckled and put the cards back in his pocket.
(This kind of pure devotion, almost to the point of self-abandonment, is truly enjoyable.)
