Chapter 54

Despite the busy schedule, the commander checks the situation in various locations every day.

The guards officer was past the age of thinking that such things were impressive, and besides, which female insect who had reached the position of commander still regarded patrolling as an important matter?

Only Fei.

In the midst of utter boredom, he happened to encounter that special little fellow, and the guard officer immediately perked up.

Most of the larvae in this training camp are still in their immature 15-year instar size and need to go through a second developmental stage before they can grow into adult insects.

Therefore, compared to the towering adult Zerg, the spiky-haired little brat of the Sorim family, queuing up for food, looked like a tiny teacup squeezed into a pile of goblets.

They are still children.

The guard officer sighed inwardly, while also feeling a bit smug.

One moment I'd think to myself, "Look at these seeds that people are picking out," and the next I'd say, "The little teacups look a bit different."

This feeling doesn't stem from his quick wit or handsome appearance. "Little Teacup" isn't delicate at all, it's even a bit rustic. You know he won't get angry because of teasing. He seems very strong, and he doesn't think that suffering is a bad thing. He seems very patient.

It felt like a very sturdy, chubby little metal teacup placed next to a delicate crystal glass.

He wasn't wearing Fei's coat, but a cotton-linen overcoat of some unknown origin, haphazardly tied around his waist like a little beggar, with a few colorful pebbles jingling around his neck, and soot marks on his face.

If you look closely, the expression on that face is very serious, and the eyebrows are also very spirited. At this moment, it is frowning in a way that makes you feel uneasy, and you want to bully it.

The guard officer said, "Oh, the little brat of the Sorim family."

"Little Tea Bowl" turned around abruptly, her eyes wary. Only when she spotted the bishop beside her did she relax, stop leaving, and nervously grip the straps of her backpack.

What kind of logic is this? He clearly seems much more approachable than that Fei guy! The guard officer's eyebrows twitched.

Toto easily overlooked the golden retriever's smiling face; his eyes were fixed on Fei, whose black military boots made a soft pattering sound as they stepped on the solidified earth.

The female insect seemed to have just come from the battlefield, her body still reeking of gunfire. She looked calm, but smelled bloody.

He looked down at Toto, pondered for a moment as if recalling something, and finally asked, "Are you satisfied with the food?"

Toto wanted to praise the food; he thought the biscuits with dried fruit and the hard-won vegetables were all delicious, but his backpack was just too heavy.

In that small bag, besides food, he had stuffed several bottles of drinking water, so at this moment it was like a big rock, desperately falling down, making his shoulders ache and go numb, and making him gasp for breath if he made a sound. He gripped the backpack straps tightly with both hands and nodded vigorously.

But he looked as if he was bewildered by the officers who suddenly surrounded him, or simply afraid of the Alliance uniform.

The bishop misunderstood, thinking that he had disturbed the little male insect. Therefore, without waiting for Toto's reply, he simply patted him on the shoulder and left with the guards.

Toto was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't know why.

Perhaps he liked the warm and beautiful coat, but now the other person seemed too indifferent, making Toto, who felt somewhat special, not feel special at all.

He stayed for a while, then quickly picked up his bag and headed home.

Toto has very little time to think; he has many things to do at home, so he doesn't have much time.

Moreover, adult insects are very busy; most of them resemble female fathers, while a few resemble male fathers.

Toto understands perfectly.

As I walked along the road, I passed a small puddle. The water reflected a face that looked like a tabby cat. The tabby cat had a tense expression and tilted its head, but no matter how I looked at it, it wasn't a pretty little insect.

Toto puffed out his cheeks and ran off, stomping hard across the puddles and splashing up big sprays of water.

When they got home, Xiong's father was already asleep. Toto carefully woke him up, set out dinner for him, and then sat down next to him to play with pebbles.

Normally, the father wouldn't care about these things, but today he was in an unusually bad mood, and the sound of the pebbles hitting each other made him even angrier.

"Can't you just be quiet!"

He suddenly slammed down his spoon and yelled loudly at Toto.

The father ignored Toto. He rarely lost his temper in front of Toto and never disciplined him. But today he suddenly got angry, and Toto threw all the pebbles in his hand away.

The male insect's face turned ashen. When he saw Toto's eyes, he seemed to be suddenly stunned. The first thing he did after recovering was to immediately reach out and pick up the scattered pebbles.

Despite being clearly hurt, with eyes like waterlogged plums, she still carefully picked up the small stones, took her bag, and went outside the tent.

If you're disliked, just hide away.

A short while later, I heard him chopping wood outside. It seemed to be quite far away, as if he had deliberately moved to a place where it wouldn't make too much noise.

The male insect paced restlessly in the tent a few times. It was completely dark when he lifted the curtain.

Toto sat on the woodpile, his back to him, looking at the moon in the sky.

The figure was clumsy and thin. It had been sitting for a long time, wanting to throw small stones to play. The male insects all saw him throw the stones up, but then Tuotuo withdrew his hand and lowered his head, seemingly doing something.

The male insect lowered the curtain, leaned against the tent frame, and felt a deep sense of powerlessness welling up inside him. He didn't know what he could do or what he could still do.

He lifted the blankets and found a box hidden inside. He touched the smooth metal surface of the box; it had been many years since he had seen that familiar family crest or come into contact with technological products.

His parents, knowing he was still alive, were very happy and would send someone to take him away from here.

Inside is a starship ticket stamped with a special permission order, allowing one to bypass the commander's permission and return directly to the Alliance.

The male insect remained silent in the darkness for a long time, then looked back at the woodpile. Toto wasn't there; the small tent next to the large tent was bulging, indicating he had gone to sleep.

The male insect suddenly remembered Toto's expression just now. He should have been crying loudly or being terrified, like a normal child, instead of obediently picking up the stones.

He should go now, he can leave.

Am I needed? What can I do?

Toto has many little secrets. He knows where to dig up wild bean pods, where there are little fox dens, where there are endless berries, and which pasture is the most beautiful.

But he never went out to play. The male insect still remembers hearing Solim tell Toto that those were children's hobbies, and that what the family needed was a sensible older child. Toto, who was not even as tall as a bucket, kept nodding with his hands behind his back.

This is actually not normal at all; the three of them did not establish a real family.

Actually, separating would be the best outcome.

Author's Note:

It's a happy ending! The Zerg arc has a happy ending!