Matthew Flo extended his hand and invited Roderick inside.

After the two changed their shoes in the entrance hall of the villa, Matthew Flo led Roderick to the living room of the small villa.

Roderick followed behind Matthew, looking around as he went.

He found that the villa had a strong sense of home life and was much cozier than the house in Bern Hill.

The villa in Bern Hill has basically become Han Ling's office.

The office area was very tidy, with paper copies of documents and various contracts on the shelves. It lacked a human touch, or a sense of home.

However, in Matthew Flo's villa, you can see items that give it a lived-in feel.

For example, a hand-sewn cushion, a half-empty water glass, or an object left lying around.

It's clear that Matthew Floyd and Gustave lived here for a long time.

And the two must have a very good relationship.

After walking a dozen or so steps, the two passed through a long corridor decorated in ice blue. After turning a corner, Roderick's view suddenly opened up.

A spacious and minimalist living room was revealed to Roderick.

The soft beige walls and huge floor-to-ceiling windows complement each other, making the whole space feel warm, comfortable, and exuding a tranquil atmosphere.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating most of the living room.

A female insect with silver-white hair was lying comfortably in the shadow of a dark brown sofa, her legs crossed.

Silver-white hair is a hallmark of female stag beetles.

Seeing the female insect, Roderick smiled, stood there, crossed his arms, and joked:

"It's only been a year, and you've become so weak?"

Roderick's words were full of provocation, as if he were declaring war on Gustav.

However, Gustav didn't even open his eyes, remaining dozing with them closed, and said calmly:

"A year has passed, and you're the one who hasn't improved at all. You're still so belligerent, wanting to start a fight the moment you meet me?"

Roderick chuckled at this, took two steps forward, and sat down on the single sofa to the side.

He leaned back and laughed:

"How am I not grown up? At least I'm an adult, right? Hahahaha! The Second Prince who isn't an adult yet."

Upon hearing this, Gustav slowly opened his eyes, revealing bluish-gray eyes beneath silver eyelashes similar to Roderick's.

His eyes were calm and still, like a stagnant pool, as if no emotion could be seen in them.

Previously, in order to cover up the fact that Roderick had run away from his marriage, Emperor Star deliberately said that Gustav was an underage second prince, but in fact the two were the same age.

But now, Gustav's age has drastically decreased.

"What are the advantages of being old? Is it something to be so proud of?"

After saying this, Gustav immediately asked a completely unrelated question:

How long did you hold on back then?

This statement was quite abrupt, and even Matthew Flo looked at Gustave with a puzzled expression.

Matthew felt that Gustave's attempt to change the subject was too obvious and too abrupt.

However, Roderick, who had fought against Gustav for many years, easily understood the meaning of those words.

Gustav was asking how long he had been in that cold laboratory.

Roderick thought for a moment and replied seriously:

"I persisted for about six years. Then I returned to Emperor Planet, challenged the current Emperor, and won."

These four short sentences contain an unspeakable amount of heartache and hardship.

Upon hearing this, Gustav closed his eyes, then opened them again. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Then I am indeed not as good as you. I only lasted for a year before my mental strength could no longer withstand it."

That laboratory left Gustav with severe psychological trauma.

Now, whenever Gustav closes his eyes, he can recall those days in the laboratory.

Those days when he could feel his blood flowing through his veins, and also felt his strong physique and hematopoietic function rapidly replenishing his blood, were a constant struggle between life and death.

Research always requires sacrifice.

The path of science is not only filled with glory and hope, but also with unspeakable sacrifices and suffering.

Moreover, Gustav could not escape the fact that he had become a test subject; it was a responsibility that came with his identity, and he had to bear it.

Even though those experimenters seemed incredibly weak to him, and even though he believed those restraint devices could be easily broken free of, he thought they were all capable of doing so.

However, he had to remain motionless and suppress his murderous intent.

That sense of powerlessness and the moving spirit of sacrifice made Gustav somewhat schizophrenic.

When a person cannot speak, he will start to overthink.

Just eight months later, his mental energy began to surge violently.

Later, they had no choice but to ask Matthew Flo to take action and calm his mental state.

During that time, whenever his mental energy surged, Matthew Flo would rush to his lab and take him to a small, enclosed room.

Once only the two of them are left in the room, Matthew Flo will unleash a long, smooth-scaled tail hook from his waist.

This tail hook will be placed around Gustav's waist.

Then, without hesitation, they blocked the place where pheromones were stored.

As Matthew Flo's tail hook began to draw upon his raging energy, the two inevitably rolled together.

Absorbing the pheromones from female insects can temporarily grant male insects a powerful boost.

Female insects that have lost their pheromone fluids are completely at the mercy of others.

At that moment, muscles as hard as armor could only helplessly be kneaded and squeezed.

Even a powerful body that roams freely in the universe can only be firmly controlled by the male insect.

Because Gustav's mental energy was restless, even his pheromones contained madness.

Each time they emerged from the locked room, they were both visibly exhausted.

Their skin was covered with marks.

Such a scene remains unforgettable.

It can also easily lead to addiction and a desire for more.

However, physical relaxation did not bring about mental relaxation.

Gustav's restless mental energy remained unnoticed.

The frequent physical contact made him feel even worse.

Four more months passed, and this time even Matthew Flo couldn't cure his mental agitation.

At that moment, Gustav endured the excruciating pain that felt like his head was about to explode. He had only one thought in his mind: to leave this place, to leave this laboratory, before he died.

His early life consisted of nothing but fighting and experimentation.

Although he and Matthew Flo publicly announced that they were together, the two actually only spent a total of 30 days, or 720 hours, together.

Gustav felt that his life was too short to continue wasting.

He wanted to spend the rest of his time with Matthew Flo.

Gustav's thoughts at that time were simple: he wanted to live with his male insect and spend the rest of his life with him.

Later, they left the laboratory and came to Aphrodite to recuperate.

They call it self-cultivation, but it's really just waiting to die.

Gustav's mental power could erupt at any moment, and at that time, he had already been forcibly fitted with special pheromone-suppressing bracelets and ankle bracelets.

As soon as his mental energy goes berserk, his bones will shatter, restricting all his movements.

At that time, he treated every day as if it were his last. He talked to Matthew and flirted with him.

Every day was a stolen moment of joy for him.

Gustav was exceptionally emotionally stable from a young age, but his stability was calm and detached.

But Matthew Flo was different; Matthew was gentle.

Even though both of them were expressionless, Matthew Flo's eyes were full of smiles and sunshine.

During such times, Gustav had some illusions; he felt he had been healed, though it was just an illusion, it still soothed the regret in his heart.

But then, one day, Matthew Flo suddenly left home in a hurry.

Not long after, Matthew rushed back.

Just as Gustav was about to ask him what he had been doing...

Matthew happily jumped into his arms and said:

"Gustav, I can heal you! I can heal your mental injuries! I can help you straighten your mental tendrils!"

Matthew's words left Gustav stunned.

He even asked in a daze:

What does that mean?

Matthew Flo didn't say anything, but instead pressed his forehead against Flo's.

Their foreheads touched, and Matthew Flo's breath sprayed onto his cheek.

Matthew murmured:

"Close your eyes, don't resist the power of the mind."

Gustav didn't know what that sentence meant.

I don't know how not to resist.

Fortunately, the next moment, Gustav felt a cool sensation on his forehead.

It seemed as if the folds of his entire cerebral cortex were being gently pressed.

The number of folds in the cerebral cortex is a measure of a person's intelligence.

The more grooves and folds a person has, the larger the equivalent surface area of ​​the cerebral cortex, and the smarter they are.

During this long day of treatment, Gustav felt his entire cerebral cortex relax.

His cerebral cortex appeared to have become completely smooth.

Gustav seemed to have become a dazed and silly person, so comfortable that he couldn't even feel the passage of time.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt the restless energy within him being suppressed.

The surging of blood and qi in my body has also lessened somewhat.

Even the taut nerves and blood vessels in the neck were relaxed.

At that moment, Gustav had just opened his eyes when he saw Matthew Flo squatting in front of the sofa, looking at him with a smile in his eyes.

"Gustav, you won't die. After a few more treatments, you'll be fully recovered. Once my mental strength has returned, we'll begin the next treatment."

Gustav looked down in disbelief, examining himself.

The problem of mental agitation that had plagued him for months was cured so easily.

He could hardly believe it.

Matthew was only gone for a few hours.

Seemingly noticing the confusion in Gustav's eyes, Matthew Flo explained with a smile:

"Actually, when we first arrived on Aphrodite, I met my brother, Bernsan Flor.

From him, I learned some things and also learned about a person named Han Ling, a male insect with extremely strong spiritual power.

Thinking I might as well try anything, I asked Bern Mountain to ask Han Ling if he had any methods to treat mental agitation.

I went out yesterday to find Han Ling.

He returned to Aphrodite, which gave him time to guide me.

Under Han Ling's guidance, I finally learned how to mobilize my mental energy to heal you..."

Matthew recounted the story in detail.

He explained everything clearly, including the process of his communication with Han Ling.

Gustav, who had been confined to the laboratory and used as a blood-drawing guinea pig, was unaware of the massive changes that had taken place in interstellar space.

Only after Matthew explained did he learn who Han Ling was.

He also learned that Han Ling's partner was the eldest prince from the planet Emperor—Roderick.

After recalling some past events, Gustav brought his wandering thoughts back to the present.

Inside the villa, the air was clean and warm, with a few specks of dust floating in the air, reflecting scattered rays of sunlight.

After a long silence, Gustav calmly spoke again:

"You're amazing, and so is your partner."

Upon hearing this, Roderick nodded:

"My partner, Lord Han Ling, is indeed very capable. The reason I was able to sustain myself for six years is because I was not yet an adult before. My pheromones were not very active, which allowed me to maintain stability."

Otherwise, I could only hold out for two years, so not long after I turned 18, I ran away.

Upon hearing that Lord Han Ling had been praised, Roderick seemed to have opened a floodgate of words.

He glanced at Gustav's current state and said:

Did you know that the Science and Technology City Conference will be held in a few months?

This is the first time in over 1500 years that the great forces of the universe have gathered together again.

I led the team to this Science and Technology City Conference.

I was a little confused before, wondering why your name wasn't on the roster Emperor Star gave me for the battle.

So it was because you were injured.

Are you still able to fight? If you wish, you can go back into battle anytime once you've recovered your strength.

Upon hearing this, Gustav turned and glanced at Matthew Flo.

After a long pause, Gustav shook his head and said:

"No. I've neglected my training this year, and my skills and reflexes have probably deteriorated a lot."

My mental strength has not fully recovered yet, and I need to undergo several more treatments before I can fully recover.

If I were to play, I might become a liability, so I'd rather not go.

Let's give the playing time to those with a higher chance of winning.

Upon hearing this, Roderick mimicked Han Ling's classic gesture by raising an eyebrow.

He looked Gustav up and down with his eyes, giving him a second glance.

“You’ve changed, Gustav. Before, you wouldn’t have backed down an inch. Even after I defeated you, you were stubborn and refused to acknowledge my number one position.”

Gustav did not deny it, but said:

"My life was saved by Matthew Flo."

He's still young, he has hundreds of years ahead of him. I want to stay with him, I don't want to fight anymore.

Even in battle, I don't want to die; I can't bear to let Matthew spend the rest of his life alone.

If the Zerg are truly facing a life-or-death situation, I will step in and fight with my life on the line.

But right now, all I want is to be with him.

Matthew smiled faintly when he heard this.

Roderick couldn't help but lick his teeth with the tip of his tongue.

He finally understood what it felt like to eat dog food in Bern Mountain last night.

Thinking of this, Roderick couldn't help but laugh:

“I think you’re overthinking it. Even if you die, Matthew Flo will be able to quickly find the next female insect.”

Resources may be scarce in interstellar space, but the number of females is certainly plentiful.