Chapter 8

Of course, this change was for the better. After spending so much time together, the two of them weren’t exactly incompatible, but there was no sense of intimacy between them. Although it was said that an immature male zerg shouldn’t have any relations with a female zerg, there were usually some affectionate behaviors like hugs and kisses. But these two didn’t have any! Sometimes, Qin Fei would even avoid any physical contact, which made things awkward.

Qin Fei didn’t show any interest in finding other female attendants, which made him happy. However, the lack of intimate contact also made him uneasy. He felt unsure, thinking that maybe Qin Fei didn’t like him, which was why he avoided him and refused to engage with him. Feeling restless, Xi Yuan spent his free time researching various online tips like “108 Ways to Please a Male zerg,” “What the Female zerg Do That Male zergs Like,” and “How to Make a Male zerg Like You More,” trying to learn from others’ experiences.

This morning, Qin Fei had given him a hug. Although Xi Yuan seemed stiff at first, almost like he was frozen, after a moment, he worried that Qin Fei might think he didn’t like the hug. So, he awkwardly returned the hug, both arms stretched out, and ended up holding on for a long time. It wasn’t until Qin Fei had no choice but to say something that he finally let go.

Even though it was just a friendly hug, it made him happy for a long time. He had been in space for so long, constantly surveying the void, but that hug had left him in a daze for a while. He realized that the change in Qin Fei’s attitude came after he brought back something unusual from space, so Xi Yuan had become more focused on finding space debris or strange objects to bring back, hoping to find something interesting to please Qin Fei and make their relationship progress further.

Meanwhile, Qin Fei was distracted in class. The hug from this morning was still on his mind, and he found himself absentminded. The hug hadn’t felt as off-putting as he had expected, but there was another reality that was somewhat discouraging: their height difference. Xi Yuan was over two meters tall, while Qin Fei, though not short among male zergs at 1.8 meters, still felt small next to him.

His wife was taller than him—much taller!

Qin Fei felt a surge of frustration and anger. He decided in his heart that starting tomorrow, he would train even harder, hoping to grow taller before his fourth transformation.

Then, in the evening, Xi Yuan gave him a “surprise.”

Qin Fei stared wide-eyed at Xi Yuan, who had pressed his face close to his. If it weren’t for Xi Yuan’s still expressionless face and tense body, Qin Fei would have thought someone else had possessed him.

Xi Yuan felt nervous. Earlier that day, his adjutant had recommended a book—“Proactive Female zergs Are More Likely to Win the Male zergs’ Favor”, sharing how great and useful the book was from his own personal experience. This got Xi Yuan thinking. After dinner, his mind had gone blank, and before he knew it, he had leaned in, intending to kiss Qin Fei. But as soon as he got close, he became nervous, and it turned into a face-to-face stare, eyes wide open, both too scared to move, frozen in place.

As Qin Fei looked up close, he realized that Xi Yuan’s face was truly handsome. His skin was fair, and his pores were barely visible, with no acne or blemishes—perfect and flawless. His eyes, narrow and long, were staring at him with an intensity that made him look somewhat adorable. A feeling stirred within Qin Fei, and he kissed him.

What began as a simple, innocent kiss soon deepened. Neither of them knew who first extended their tongue. By the time Qin Fei came to his senses, Xi Yuan was already leaning against him, breathing heavily, his head buried in his neck, revealing his completely flushed, unhidden ears. Xi Yuan was holding his breath, and because they were so close, Qin Fei could feel Xi Yuan’s quickened heartbeat, which made his own heartbeat lose its rhythm.

From that kiss onwards, the relationship between the two of them took a significant leap. Xi Yuan’s adjutant felt the change the most. Ever since he recommended that secret book to the Major General, he had often seen his superior with an inexplicable smile on his face. Even though the expression was still somewhat lackluster, it was clear that this person was in a good mood. A cheerful, spring-like aura seemed to radiate from him, which made many of the female zergs in the military both envious and jealous.

Female zergs in the military were generally strong and held various privileges, which caused many male zergs to flock to them, hoping to marry a powerful military female and rise to the top. Most of the male zergs who actively pursued these military females were of lower ability, merely seeking to marry a high-ranking female zerg to enjoy a better life. Marrying a high-ranking military female could even open doors to elite society that lower-level male zergs would never have access to. Both the male and female zergs in the military were considered the cream of the crop. However, many didn’t consider others of similar rank and status, which led to a situation where most military females remained single. In order to address this, the military’s higher-ups reached an agreement with the Male Zerg Protection Association to hold regular social events for male zergs and military females, hoping to reduce the number of singles.

This was how the adjutant had caught the eye of his Male Master. Now, they had been married for over a hundred years, and their relationship had always been strong. The only regret was that despite all this time, they still hadn’t conceived an egg.

“Master, this is the nutrient solution sent by the Male Zerg Protection Association,” Xi Yuan’s adjutant said respectfully, holding a tray with a cup of milky liquid. “It is said to be the latest development and is beneficial for the fourth transformation.”

Qin Fei took the cup, sniffed it, and found that it had a faint, pleasant fragrance, much better than the original. The color was also darker than before. Qin Fei didn’t think too much about it and drank it all in one go. Ever since he turned 19, with only one year left before he turned 20, the Male Zerg Protection Association had started sending him this nutrient solution weekly. He had checked, and this was a benefit only available to high-ranking male zergs. Each cup of this nutrient solution costs ^[1]“Five figures” refers to a number that is in the range of 10,000 to 99,999. It means that the price of the nutrient solution is in the tens of thousands of whatever the currency is.five figures.

Seeing that the Male Master had drunk it, Xi Yuan bid him goodnight, as usual, and took the initiative to ask for a goodnight kiss—ever since the first kiss, he had realized that he had to be proactive if he wanted more. Then he left, returning to the room next door to rest. Qin Fei lay down on the bed, preparing to sleep. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a green light suddenly appeared in front of him. Qin Fei looked over in surprise, and saw that the green light was coming from the mysterious plant he had placed at his bedside. It was still rooted in the silver-colored mineral, but now, scattered across the hollowed-out stone, were some crystal cores from exotic beasts. Qin Fei had been using his wood-based powers to “communicate” with it daily, and had discovered that the plant liked these exotic beast crystal cores. After being placed there for a while, the crystal cores seemed to shrink, as if the plant was absorbing them. Over the past period, the plant had grown a little and even sprouted a third leaf.

When Xi Yuan had brought in the cup of nutrient solution earlier, he had stepped out for a moment, leaving it on the table. During his absence, the seedling had taken the opportunity to drip a droplet of green, dew-like liquid from its leaf into the nutrient solution. Qin Fei didn’t notice and drank it down. As he lay there, he felt the green light slowly enveloping his body, and it seemed as though the light was continuously emanating from the seedling, being absorbed by his body. Gradually, the green light grew denser, and it actually formed a thin green membrane on the surface of his body, surrounding him completely.

Qin Fei felt as though he was immersed in a warm ocean, drifting along with the flow of the water, completely at ease. Slowly, he let the currents carry him away, losing consciousness as he drifted. In the room next door, Xi Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, focused, and carefully listened—but there was nothing. He couldn’t hear the Male Master’s breath or heartbeat! Every night, he always waited for the Male Master’s breathing to settle into sleep before he himself could sleep, but this time he couldn’t hear anything. It was as if there was no zerg in the next room at all! In a panic, Xi Yuan’s wings, thin as a cicada’s, sprouted from his back. His sharp claws extended as well. In order to save time, he didn’t even go to the door. Instead, he slashed his claws against the wall, creating a “door” to pass through. With a flutter of his wings, he appeared beside Qin Fei’s bed in the next instant.

Xi Yuan’s face changed as he saw the plant glowing green at the bedside, clearly giving off energy for the Male Master. He immediately knelt down, not daring to disturb it. The Male Master had clearly entered the fourth stage of transformation. If he took away this plant, would it interrupt the process? But what if this plant was harmful to the Male Master…

Xi Yuan felt an overwhelming hatred. If this plant harmed the Male Master, no amount of death could atone for this mistake! Why had he left such an unknown plant near the Male Master?

He’s so stunned that he stood there for a moment, then remembered he should contact the Male Zerg Protection Association and his family immediately. He quickly called them to come over.