Insect Clan: The Cold and Aloof General and His Green Tea Dog-Like Male Lord - Chapter 10

Lu Li opened his eyes, immediately locking onto Atheyas’s profound gaze.

He hadn’t expected that the Admiral would remain by his side the entire time, patiently waiting for him to awaken. He had fully assumed Atheyas would simply shake him awake when it was time.

Hehe, does this mean I can safely deduce that Atheyas actually harbors a bit of affection for me?

Only when you like someone do you find yourself unable to bear the thought of disturbing them.

Hehe, affection progression with Atheyas: +1!

“Let’s go, Atheyas. I’m completely wide awake now.”

However, considering he had completely monopolized Atheyas’s bed during the midday recess, it meant Atheyas hadn’t managed to get any rest at all. Would he be exceptionally fatigued?

“Atheyas, I’m truly sorry. I completely took over your bed for the afternoon nap. You really could have just woke me up, or… we could have split the bed in half, provided you were willing, of course.”

The mere thought of sharing a bed with Atheyas in the future even if they did absolutely nothing but lie there quietly side by side made Lu Li’s entire being radiate with pure happiness.

Sharing a bed with Lu Li… Atheyas pondered. Though he had historically harbored a deep-seated aversion toward male insects, if the male in question was Lu Li, the proposition actually didn’t sound terrible at all.

How could this be? We’ve only interacted for a handful of days. Have my fundamental perceptions of males shifted so rapidly?

Or is it simply that Lu Li is fundamentally distinct from the rest of his kind?

Amused and slightly unsettled by his own internal monologue, Atheyas offered a thoroughly ambiguous non-committal response:

“We can discuss that further down the line. Let us proceed, Male Lord. I shall take you on a tour of the headquarters.”

Atheyas instructed Lu Li to anchor himself closely behind his steps to avoid inadvertently wandering off. Should a lone male insect be spotted unaccompanied within the military sectors, it could easily trigger an absolute riot among the stationed female soldiers.

Furthermore, Lu Li was a verified Rank-A male insect possessing exceptionally handsome features and a remarkably gentle disposition. In the eyes of the military females, he was nothing short of an exquisite, prime choice cut of meat.

To make matters worse, this particular choice cut was exceptionally fair-skinned, tender, and endearing.

Hearing how deeply Atheyas cared for his personal safety, Lu Li’s eyes shimmered with a vibrant, joyful radiance.

To reiterate an absolute truth: When someone worries about you, it means they like you!

“Alright! Atheyas, you must hold onto my hand firmly, okay? I’m terribly frightened of getting separated and lost,” Lu Li spoke, his voice carrying a soft, sweet cadence.

As the words left his lips, Lu Li proactively extended his hand, presenting it palm-up right in front of Atheyas, silently prompting the officer to take it.

With the male insect presenting his hand so earnestly, Atheyas found it entirely impossible to reject the gesture. He reached out, clasping Lu Li’s fingers securely.

Their hands intertwined.

Atheyas’s immediate internal observation was: The male lord’s hand is remarkably compact.

Because male insects were thoroughly pampered and spoiled from inception, their hands remained impeccably fair, soft, and devoid of calluses.

Lu Li’s immediate internal observation, however, was: My wife’s hand is actually larger than mine… Where is my absolute authority as the husband supposed to reside now?!

But on second thought, this was the Zerg universe, after all. His wife was notably taller than him, outmeasuring him by a massive head and a half.

This biological disparity was a gap that Lu Li couldn’t possibly bridge, no matter how many calcium supplements he consumed.

Ugh, now I’m even more depressed.

A man’s fragile ego, it seemed, remained entirely unaltered even when transported across dimensions into an alien world.

But it didn’t matter. This was simply a fundamental physiological variance between the male and female Zerg templates. His wife was a literal Military Admiral and a breathtaking beauty to boot.

He was simply blessed with immense, lifelong fortune to have secured Atheyas as his partner.

As the two insects strolled hand-in-hand down the corridors, they attracted a massive wave of evaluating glances from the personnel along the path.

“Who exactly is Admiral Atheyas holding hands with? That male insect is incredibly adorable yet striking. Give me exactly sixty seconds; I demand a comprehensive background dossier on him!”

“Are you entirely brainless? Their fingers are literally locked together; that is undeniably Admiral Atheyas’s newly matched male lord.”

“Wow… Admiral Atheyas’s male lord is remarkably cute.”

“He really is! I am submitting an official administrative request right this second to enlist as his secondary female attendant.”

“Count me in, I want to apply as well!”

Registering the exceptionally warm and fiercely enthusiastic gazes of the military females, Lu Li reasoned that ignoring their silent greetings would be terribly discourteous. Consequently, he turned toward the crowd, offering them a highly amiable, radiant smile.

To his absolute surprise, this gesture caused the female soldiers to descend into an even greater state of wild agitation.

Male insects were historically supercilious and aloof; it was an absolute anomaly for a male to grace common military females with a genuinely warm, friendly smile.

As a result, the female insects grew significantly bolder in their posturing, though none dared to physically bridge the distance due to Atheyas’s formidable presence right beside him.

Within Zerg society, boldly pursuing romantic prospects was standard behavioral practice due to the severe demographic disparity of a scarce male population against an overwhelming female majority.

However, given that the individual guarding Lu Li happened to be Admiral Atheyas himself, they naturally lacked the audacity to overstep.

Standing right beside him, Atheyas observed Lu Li beaming so radiantly at the other military females. His gaze cooled imperceptibly, yet he refrained from voicing any objections.

After all, integrating secondary female attendants was an absolute, systemic prerogative reserved for male insects. He possessed no legal or societal leverage to impede other females from pursuing their romantic aspirations.

Positioned right at Atheyas’s flank, Lu Li instantaneously registered the sudden drop in the Admiral’s emotional temperature.

Recalling his hospitable conduct a second prior, a wave of profound guilt washed over his conscience.

Objectively speaking, he hadn’t committed any act of infidelity whatsoever, yet he couldn’t shake a lingering sense of immense trepidation.

Acting on pure instinct, Lu Li rapidly retracted his curious glances and friendly smiles, shifting his grip to lock his fingers seamlessly with Atheyas’s in a tight, ten-finger clasp.

I must strictly adhere to the golden standards of husbandly virtue! I shall only smile for Atheyas! I cannot afford to let him misinterpret my intentions!

Otherwise, the gateway to his heart that he just barely cracked open for me might slam shut, and all my hard-earned progress would be entirely obliterated.

Feeling the sudden, intense warmth radiating directly into his palm, Atheyas realized instantly that Lu Li was actively soothing his unvoiced distress. The male lord was explicitly projecting his absolute affection and singular reliance onto him.

A very faint, delicate smile broke across the corners of Atheyas’s lips.

The subtle expression resembled the warm winter sun breaking through a thick sheet of glacial ice, instantly dissolving the cold, unyielding aura that perpetually enveloped his frame. It accentuated his already flawless features, rendering him staggeringly beautiful.

The sight of the smiling beauty left Lu Li’s brain entirely scrambled and utterly lightheaded.

“Male Lord, this sector comprises the primary training grounds.”

The soldiers actively conducting drills within the arena immediately halted their maneuvers upon noticing Atheyas’s arrival. In perfect, synchronized military precision, they snapped a crisp salute toward the commander.

“Good afternoon, Admiral Atheyas!”

Atheyas offered a decisive nod of his head as an official acknowledgment.

“Resume your drills. Disregard my presence entirely; I am merely conducting a casual walkthrough.”

Beholding Atheyas’s authoritative, detached, and utterly dominant external persona, Lu Li found himself falling even harder for him. Merciful heavens, my wife is so incredibly cool, I love him to absolute pieces!

“Hey there, Atheyas! Is this your charming little male lord?”

Lu Li pivoted his gaze toward the source of the boisterous voice, identifying the speaker as a female insect.

The officer standing before them possessed a mane of fiery, crimson hair. Distinct from Atheyas’s styling choices, this individual had opted for a sharp, cropped short cut that perfectly mirrored his vibrant, expressive, and fiercely uninhibited personality.

The brilliant red hair shimmered vividly beneath the solar rays, radiating an intense warmth mixed with a feral wildness, every stray strand exuding an untamed vitality.

A profound aura of heroic brilliance sat nestled between his brows, reinforced by a pair of sharp, penetrating eyes. His nose was prominently sculpted, and a roguish, casual smile played perpetually across his lips, presenting an incredibly magnetic and irresistible charm.

In stark contrast to Atheyas’s pristine white dress uniform, this newcomer wore a striking, deep navy-blue military uniform.

Lu Li glanced at the officer’s epaulets, noting the presence of two golden stars—exactly one star fewer than Atheyas’s rank, identifying him as a Vice-Admiral.

“Elias, what brings you to the First Army Corps’ headquarters?” Atheyas remarked, a genuine trace of happiness welling up in his chest upon encountering his close friend after many days of separation.

“An urgent document required immediate courier delivery to the First Army, so I figured I’d handle the transit personally since it was right along my route.”

“Your little male lord appears to be quite an exceptional catch,” Elias teased playfully, directed squarely at Atheyas.

“I honestly wonder when the stars will align for me to secure such an adorable little male partner for myself,” Elias added, tossing his hands out in a dramatic gesture of comical helplessness.

In all candor, the moment he had initially received notification that his closest companion had been subjected to a mandatory system match with a male insect, he had been profoundly worried about Atheyas’s impending circumstances.

He had been deeply terrified that his brilliant friend would be forcibly confined to domestic isolation, his monumental military talents left with no arena to manifest.

Even more horrifying was the distinct possibility of his friend being subjected to heinous torment at the hands of a tyrannical, volatile male.

Prior to the matching matrix execution, Atheyas had existed like the untouchable moon high up in the heavens. Elias had been deeply anxious that a male insect, upon securing the moon, would grow resentful of its radiant brilliance.

He had feared the male would systematically shatter Atheyas’s unyielding pride, crush his noble spirit, trample him beneath his boots, and subject him to escalations of physical abuse.

Fortunately, evaluating Atheyas’s current physiological and psychological presentation, Elias could discern with absolute clarity that his friend was thriving beautifully.

He had already caught wind of the rumors stating that his male lord had specifically traveled out to the military grounds just to deliver a fresh, home-cooked lunch to Atheyas. It was abundantly clear that Atheyas was profoundly cherished by his husband.