Chapter 59

The adjutant nudged his shoulder and teased him. Fei smiled to himself, but shook his head calmly.

He was older and more authoritative, and the way he looked at Toto was as if he were looking at a child, so there was nothing he needed to hide. This made it difficult for the adjutant to say anything.

They were all from the upper echelons of the Zerg society and understood that romantic affairs were just idle gossip. Since the person involved had no intention of having such affairs, there was no need to use excessive words to discuss a child.

Fei thought Toto was a very thoughtful child, but such thoughtfulness seemed somewhat cruel to the family that raised him on this desolate planet.

In just one short night, he memorized the different breathing patterns of the unfamiliar insectoids and realized the taste he liked.

Such sensitivity and intelligence, coupled with the unfortunate loss of childhood, will likely turn a male insect into one that is deprived of love and not very healthy, spending the rest of his life involuntarily chasing after what he lost in childhood.

With that in mind, when he heard that his younger brother Lanna wanted to find a playmate, Fei closed his book and took the initiative to say, "Tell me what you plan to do."

"Big brother, will you agree?"

Lanna cheered and ran over like the wind, but fearing her elder brother's authority, she lay down on the sofa and looked at him hesitantly.

Lanna is an overly lively male insect, a trait that often gives Fei's parents a headache. He grew up in an upper-class family, yet he's like a child who never grows up; Fei doesn't know how that childlike quality has survived to this day.

Despite having passed the notoriously rigorous successor test, she still had a wildly imaginative mind. Driven by a desire to see her brother fight bravely, she boldly hid in a gap in the starship and followed him to the desolate planet.

It took eleven days, and by the time they were dragged out, they were almost starving to death.

Lanna wasn't sure if his brother's consideration was a polite way of refusing, so he immediately became serious and began to "talk" with his brother point by point.

His brother wouldn't grant all his requests; he would only praise Lanna for what he did well and agree to Lanna's requests that he had seriously considered.

He would say this is well done, but this is not good, and no matter how sad or disappointed Lanna is, or what tricks she tries to pull, he remains unmoved.

Klana really wants an indigenous friend.

He was filled with curiosity about everything here. Contact with adult Zerg was not allowed, but how could such a small house contain Lanna's wild imagination?

Fei listened patiently to Lanna's assurance and raised an eyebrow.

"I need to confirm one more time that you will maintain your courtesy and your demeanor, and that you will take responsibility for this matter, no matter what kind of Zerg I bring."

Lanna had a gut feeling that the last sentence was a trap, but he racked his brains and still couldn't figure out what Fei meant by that extra addition. He pondered for a moment, considering several possibilities, before speaking.

"Wealth and status are of course unrelated to the quality of friendship; I agree with your view."

“But true friendship requires shared experiences. While I cannot swear that we will become good friends, you should know that I am not hiring servants on a whim.”

After listening quietly, Fei Jingjing did not immediately reply to Lan Na. Under the watchful eyes of her elder brother, Lan Na's expression became increasingly uneasy.

Finally, the female insect's cold and authoritative voice rang in my ears: "I will take you to see him at seven o'clock tomorrow morning."

Wow! My brother is the best.

Lanna shouted excitedly, gave her brother a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran off like a whirlwind.

Fei was still unable to accept his younger brother's eccentric behavior. He wiped his cheeks, put down his book, and left the starship to go to work.

After school, Toto returned to his tent with his lunch in his bag. He hadn't had much of an appetite lately and felt uncomfortable staying at home alone, but the training ground couldn't be opened at night.

After returning home each day, he had much less to do, so he could only polish the teapot over and over again. He never had the courage to stay in the large tent, and every time he finished cleaning, his eyes would well up with tears.

But all she had were red eyes.

In winter, I could scrub my fingers in ice water without feeling too bad, but now, just seeing that empty tent fills me with a deep sadness and I can't bear to stay there for even a moment longer.

The father came back today. When Toto entered the tent, he rubbed his cold little face and then hugged him.

The usually careless female insect understood everything when she got home, but she couldn't say a word of comfort because even he was about to leave the child.

Toto's head was being vigorously rubbed by Solim, but he refused to lift it up, so Solim simply picked him up.

To the fifteen-year-old Zerg, Toto was light as a feather. Sorim looked at Toto's face, and Toto kept dodging, but Sorim managed to touch his cheek.

Sorim's hands were rough but also very warm. He asked, "Were you crying?"

Toto shook his head, wiping his face with the back of his hand, stubbornly shaking his head: "No."

Sorim put him down, and the two Zerg stood facing each other, looking at each other's corners, both feeling a pang of sadness.

Sorim said, "Why didn't you go with him? Didn't he... ask you?"

Toto rub his fingers together vigorously. He didn't know how to explain to his female father. In order not to worry his female father, he would tell some little lies, saying that his male father would talk to him, eat with him, that his male father didn't dislike him, that his male father sewed buttons for him, and that his male father said that they could go out for a walk together sometime.

These were all harmless words, nothing to worry about, but at this moment they felt like a burning ember, making it impossible for him to utter a sound. His throat felt dry and uncomfortable, and tears welled up in his eyes.

His silence was an explanation to Sorim: he no longer asked Toto the question; in fact, for the first time, he didn't know what to do.

Thinking about what he would do next, he almost hesitated, but that slight wavering could not break his long-standing principles.

Sorim patted Toto's head: "If any female soldiers ask you about it later, just say that we don't get along, okay?"

Toto, holding the hand above his head, mumbled a soft "hmm" as if he were a silent man.

He didn't ask anything. Trusting him and helping him like this, Sorim, who had been ruthless for half his life, suddenly softened. He half-squatted down and looked at the little insect: "Don't think about me and your father anymore, and don't be sad."

Toto looked at Sorim, and Sorim did not miss the shock in his eyes.

Toto pursed his lips and suddenly said, "Female father, did you steal the male father?"

The question he had never asked, nor dared to ask, since growing up, prompted Sorim to sigh: "Do you care about this?"

Toto remained silent. Sorim didn't know how to start the conversation, and finally said briefly, "I didn't rob him, but... it's pretty much the same."

"What's almost right?" Solim didn't say. His brows were furrowed, and his tone was heavy. Toto didn't ask any further. Solim patted his shoulder and hugged Toto tightly for a while before leaving.

Toto couldn't sleep that night, and the next day he got up feeling dizzy and groggy, and stood at the door washing his face with cold water.

His face was flushed from the cold, and he turned around when he heard footsteps.

A handsome little male insect, carrying a backpack, ran over happily, waving frantically, and gave him a big hug.

Toto took a step back in surprise. The thing in his arms was too soft. With a sweet smile, he took another step closer with joy. His blue eyes were full of anticipation for friendship, and he looked like he wanted to stomp his feet and scream with excitement.

"Oh my god, it's you! You're so cute! Can I touch your hair, Insect God? It feels so hard it could pierce an apple, why can't mine?"

Before he could rudely touch Toto's head, a cold voice stopped him.

"Lanna".

The little male insect's smile vanished instantly. As if by magic, he stood at attention, poised and reserved, and extended his snow-white hand: "Hello, my name is Lanna."