The Heroic Master Is Tough-Talking but Soft-Hearted: The Aloof Major General Has Fallen - Chapter 27

As they left the Duke’s mansion, Asher trailed far behind the other two. His head was lowered, and half of his face was submerged in darkness as if he were intentionally trying to diminish his own presence.

Cen Li sensed that something was wrong and let his gaze linger on him a bit longer. He realized that the fair skin of Asher’s profile was flushed with an unnatural red, and his lips were pressed so tightly together they formed a nearly straight line. Looking further down, he saw that the fingers hanging at the female’s side were clenched so hard the knuckles had turned white.

He was pinching himself.

Is Asher sick? That was the first thought that flashed through Cen Li’s mind. Military females had powerful physiques; illness was a rare occurrence for them.

Xi Ya noticed the inquisitive and puzzled look Cen Li gave Asher. Xi Ya glanced sideways and solved Cen Li’s confusion with a single remark. “Master, Asher is in heat!”

Being a female bug himself, Xi Ya only needed one look at Asher’s condition to know exactly what was happening.

Cen Li fell silent.

Xi Ya’s raised voice was like a sharp needle, piercing Cen Li’s eardrum without warning. He felt a mixture of shock and embarrassment. Then, Cen Li shot Xi Ya, a speechless look.

Asher, whose face rarely showed any emotion, was now flushing a deep crimson. The physical structure of a female bug was unique; they went into heat once every three months, commonly referred to as the “fever period.” During this stage, a female’s body undergoes specific reactions. They become exceptionally sensitive to external pheromones and are easily influenced. Simultaneously, instincts for seeking the opposite sex, carved into their very bones, emerge. Usually, they require a male’s pheromones or deep bonding to endure this period. Unmarried females typically rely on suppressants to get through this stage.

Having this layer of privacy stripped away made Asher feel as though he had been bared naked in front of a crowd. It was incredibly humiliating, and he wanted nothing more than to find a place to hide.

Xi Ya and Cen Li were never on the same wavelength. He completely misunderstood the look Cen Li gave him and instead began to urge Asher. “Major General, why haven’t you hurried to inject a suppressant yet? Do you intend to let the Master keep seeing you in this state of longing for a male?”

“I, I am not,” Asher stammered, standing in place with a look of agony. He did not even know where to put his hands.

He had already injected the suppressant in advance, but this period of heat had come with unusual ferocity, and the medicine was having very little effect. Asher’s clumsy tongue was no match for Xi Ya’s sharp words. If the Master had not been standing right there, he would have fled long ago.

“Hmph, I think you just want to seduce the Master! You shallow, fickle bug! Seeing the Master’s charming appearance now, I bet you can hardly wait to pounce on him.” As Xi Ya spoke, he could not help but use the most vicious language to speculate about Asher’s motives.

Humiliated and helpless, Asher remained frozen in place, only able to utter a pale, weak defense. “I am not. I have never thought that way.”

Cen Li pressed his throbbing temples and raised a hand to interrupt their bickering. “If you want to argue, go do it outside.”

Xi Ya sensibly shut his mouth, though he did not forget to cast a provocative glance at Asher. Xi Ya moved quickly to follow Cen Li onto the aircraft; he certainly did not want to be left behind! The Duke’s mansion was far from Cen Li’s house, and taking a separate aircraft would be time consuming. If he annoyed the Master again, the loss would outweigh the gain.

Asher hesitated for only a second before following them onto the aircraft. The extra suppressants he carried had already been used up. To prevent any accidents, returning home with the Master was his best option. Asher was careful to choose a seat far away from the other two, sitting quietly by himself.

Halfway through the trip, Cen Li stared at Asher, who was curled into a ball in his seat, and wondered to himself. Why does it feel like this bug’s condition is getting worse and worse?

Once the hatch opened, Xi Ya and Cen Li were the first to disembark. Asher followed slowly behind. His steps were weak as he stepped onto the stairs, thinking to himself that this period of heat had come at the worst possible time. Asher even felt he needed to go to the hospital for a re-examination because he had already injected an excessive amount of suppressants, yet the dry heat in his body showed no signs of being relieved.

“Aren’t you watching where you’re going?”

Asher’s body tilted. Just as he was about to miss a step and fall, a hand landed on his shoulder and used slight force to steady him. The Master’s usual cold and irritable tone reached his ears.

Asher reacted a beat late. “I am sorry, Master. I will be careful.”

The hand on his shoulder moved away, and Asher heard an impatient click of the tongue. Asher struggled to lift his tired eyelids. The heat was causing his physical functions to decline significantly, to the point that his legs had suddenly gone soft, nearly causing a fall. Asher bit the tip of his tongue, trying his best to stay conscious so he would not do anything disrespectful in front of his Master again.

“You,” Cen Li began. The hand he had pulled away shifted direction and pressed against Asher’s neck.

It was burning hot.

Asher’s pupils constricted like needles. He jerked his neck away, leaving Cen Li’s hand suspended in mid air. A female bug in heat is extremely sensitive to pheromones. When the Master’s hand touched him just now, Asher felt as if that patch of skin was on fire. Pheromones seemed to seep in, making him feel as if he could no longer stand steady. Right now, he could not handle the slightest stimulation.

“Master, please allow me to be disrespectful and leave first.” Asher’s dizzy brain made it nearly impossible for him to think clearly. All he wanted now was to lock himself in his room and endure this grueling period of heat.

Cen Li withdrew his hand, staring thoughtfully at the female’s departing back. Asher’s footsteps were lighter and slower than usual, leaving almost no sound in the air. When Cen Li went upstairs to sleep, Asher had not emerged from his tightly closed door.

Cen Li dried his hair with a towel and asked the system about Asher’s current situation.

The system replied, “Detection shows the target has injected an excessive amount of suppressants. His current situation is very bad, and his consciousness is already blurred.”

Cen Li’s hand, holding the towel, paused. “If it is that bad, why doesn’t he go to the hospital?”

The system explained, “When a female bug in heat goes to the hospital, the doctors will only prescribe more suppressants. In a situation like Asher’s, he can only rely on himself to slowly endure it.” The system paused, thinking of another solution. “A male’s pheromones or a deep marking could also effectively relieve the symptoms of the heat.”

Cen Li’s expression turned strange after hearing the system’s words, and he remained silent for a moment. “I am not going to sacrifice myself for a mission.”

The system replied reasonably, “Rest assured, Host. We will not go against your personal wishes. You may also choose to do nothing.”

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