Chapter 80

Male insects of the Imperial Star will socialize frequently after reaching adulthood.

Fei didn't plan to bring Toto to the party, because most of the banquets were boring for Chong.

That's what he thought, but the guard officer looked puzzled: "Does your male insect have any entertainment activities? How can you be so sure he doesn't like it?"

The Royal Guard officer disliked the male insect named Toto, but based on his observations over the past period, it seemed that Fei and Toregia really didn't have anything going for them.

Fei, with his legs crossed, read the newspaper: "He's not as boring as you."

"Where am I bored?" The guard's lips twitched. "Don't you know that parents like you, who are authoritarian, dull, and always lecturing, are very easy to abandon?"

Fei felt that such a thing would not happen, but he couldn't help but refute it point by point: "First of all, I am not his parent, but only his guardian."

Also, Toregia is a good boy.

That's what they say, but in the midst of his busy schedule, Commander recalled that he did not seem to have attended any social events with Tregear.

Their conversations were mostly very formal and did not involve light, everyday topics.

The guard officer then asked three questions in quick succession: "Has he proactively told you about his friends? Has he proactively greeted you? Has he proactively tried to chat with you?"

Fei paused for a moment, then shook the newspaper to cover his face: "Of course."

Guard officer: "Really? I don't believe it."

No matter how confident Fei was, the guard officer wore an ugly orange face, and even the usually composed commander couldn't help but feel a moment of bewilderment, wondering if he had really neglected this aspect.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with his approach, but when the next dinner invitation came, he still quietly asked Merck to prepare for Toto and pick him up at the appointed time.

"Commander."

There was a knock on the car window. Fei looked up and met Toto's gaze.

The male insect had short hair because he refused to use fabric softener. His eyes were dark gray, beautiful and quiet. He wore a coat over a white shirt, looking handsome and upright. His clothes had a faint smell of detergent.

But it was clearly not formal attire, and not even brand new.

Fei glanced at Merck without showing any emotion. Merck made a helpless expression. Compared to Toto, Fei was dressed impeccably, meticulous from head to toe, perfectly embodying the words "refined and elegant."

Fei shook her head slightly at Merck, indicating that he didn't need to force himself.

Toto wasn't taken back to change clothes, unaware of this, and happily opened the car door and got in.

Fei looked even more handsome than usual, and without his military uniform, he appeared more refined and casual. He coughed and asked Toto if he wanted to take a nap, as they were still quite far from their destination.

But this child has only recently come into contact with StarNet and is a bit obsessed; he was still watching it even after getting into the car.

Seeing that he was focused, Fei didn't disturb him and continued with his official business. After a while, Toto's breath came close and he asked, "Have you eaten, Your Excellency?"

The topic changed too quickly, and Fei glanced to the side, raising an eyebrow.

Toto checked it again patiently.

Indeed, he hadn't eaten. Fei often forgot when he was busy. It wasn't a big deal, so he casually replied and then received a packaged sandwich.

Fei paused for a moment, her expression subtly surprised.

Toto, lacking any sense of responsibility as a male insect to feed females, was taken for granted by Fei, who thought he had been taking care of other insects for too long: “Merke told me about those schedules, and I think you definitely won’t have enough time.”

Instead of trying to please him, he handed the food to Fei and quickly turned on his personal computer to look at it by himself.

Fei remembered the herbs Toto gave him when he injured his arm on the slave planet. The boy was very good at taking care of himself, including the insects he trusted, so much so that even the arrogant Merck succumbed to his charms.

He hadn't even considered whether Toto would have time for lunch.

Fei remained eerily silent.

Toto sat up straight and quietly moved to the side, not wanting Fei to see what was on the screen.

He didn't want to look at those things at this time, but he couldn't help it, his fingers flying across the virtual screen.

Just as I was engrossed in my thoughts, I suddenly heard the commander ask hesitantly, "Have you ever brought food for other... classmates?"

"No."

The male insects in the class were all arrogant and flamboyant. They seemed uncomfortable just looking at him. Toto had no interest in challenging them and making friends with them.

Fei lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, squeezed the sandwich, opened it, and ate it.

After a while, Toto felt a tap on the shoulder. Toto looked at Fei and found that Fei was looking at him intently. Every time they were about to talk about something, Fei would put on this serious expression and then talk about some very serious and proper topics.

Toto shut down his personal terminal and waited for Fei to speak. Fei remained silent for several seconds, then patted him on the shoulder: "You can tell me anything."

Toto thought to himself, then slowly nodded, uncertainly, "Okay."

Fei's expression was indifferent. He glanced at Toto's personal computer. In the past, he would not have cared about this or asked about it because Toto was very sensible and reassuring to the insect. But this time, he felt that it would be good to know a little about it.

"What are you looking at?"

Toto's expression changed noticeably, becoming somewhat stiff. After a moment of struggle in his eyes, he pushed the personal terminal in front of him: "I've found your StarNet account."

That was requested by the military. Fei rarely posts updates. He glanced at it with a smile, then his smile froze. He slowly closed Toto's personal terminal and said in a calm tone, "It's all fake, not true."

He paused, then added, "I was very young back then."

Toto nodded in agreement: "Yeah, can I keep watching?"

Fei couldn't say it was bad, so Toto confidently turned on the speakerphone. Fei looked out the window, his expression slightly stiff as he listened to Toto recount his challenge of swallowing a hundred ice cream balls in three minutes when he was young.

When Toto got off the bus, he was still reluctant to leave.

The destination was a beautiful manor. The hovercar stopped on a tree-lined road. A straight avenue stretched into the depths of the woods, surrounded by many houses with light and elegant structures, hidden by lush green leaves, occasionally revealing their white, pointed roofs.

Among the many buildings that flashed by, Toto spotted a heavy, rustic stone villa.

The windows were narrow, the door was tightly shut, and vines with clusters of small white flowers hung down from the door.

Toto rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

[Arnold Walsh]

Does that mean the professor lives in this house, and he will also be attending the dinner tonight?

Toto got off the car and was about to ask a question when he suddenly saw a bug walking towards him.

He didn't recognize her at first, but when he heard that irritating and unreliable tone, he realized that the female insect dressed like a male bird in courtship was the guard officer who always followed Fei.

The guard officer's lips twitched as he met the man's gaze, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

Do you act in plays?

Toto: "?"

The guard officer laughed: "Otherwise, why would you be dressed like a beggar?"

Toto: "..."

Upon seeing Fei, the guard officer immediately broke into a smile, his demeanor completely changing. He eagerly opened the car door, saying, "Commander, you're dressed so elegantly today; you're sure to make a splash and shock the social scene."

"Hey, why can't I open this car door? Holy crap, who broke the door?!"

Fiji:"……"

After getting out of the car, the guard officer, unaware of what had just happened, asked with great interest, "Speaking of which, my cousin Phil is here too. Would you like to dance with him today?"

Fei neither agreed nor refused. He did need to appear in social situations, but Toto was not suited for the limelight. To deal with those troublesome nobles, an assistant of high birth, excellent conditions, and familiarity with various social etiquette was essential.

Seeing that Fei was considering it, the guard officer immediately put his arm around Toto, chuckled, and patted his chest: "Leave Toto to me."

Fei turned to ask Toto, who brushed aside the guard and said confidently, "I have no problem." He still had many videos to watch and wouldn't get bored.

Although the guard officer was a chatterbox and a bit of a jerk, he was meticulous and reliable. Moreover, being the same age as Toto, he had practically watched Toto grow up. Fei nodded in agreement.

That's how the problem was solved.

Toto and the guardsman walked together. The guardsman looked down and poked at the light screen, then casually put his hands in his pockets. They put a little distance between themselves and Fei. Fei walked ahead alone and waited in a place with a clump of lush wildflowers.

The guard officer crossed his arms and gestured with his chin: "Fei definitely won't teach these things. Let me tell you, if you want to date a high-level female insect in the future, you must have an introducer insect and you need to meet in a formal setting. Otherwise, it will be considered rude and dishonorable, and you'll be blacklisted."

Toto was silent for a moment: "Are you introducing the male ruler to the Commander?"

The guard officer blushed and exclaimed in disbelief, "What nonsense are you talking about! It was just a simple meeting!"

What kind of powerful ruler is this? This wild boy is too outspoken! If the insects hear this, will his cousin still be able to live as an insect?

It's so embarrassing to say those two words!

The guard officer stepped back a little. Could this kid be some kind of lustful wretch? Although he was of advanced age, he was still very reserved, and his rank was also very high. He hoped that the kid wouldn't have any designs on him.

The guard officer tried to offer a gentle reminder, but the wild boy suddenly stopped moving, not even blinking.

Looking up, I saw my cousin Phil had arrived.

Toto had never seen such a beautiful male insect. He walked from the other end of the tree-lined path, stopped by the cricket, glanced at Fei with a slight upward gaze, his face slightly red, but he did not walk to Fei's side: "Sir, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

The female soldier had a refined appearance and a cool demeanor. After a moment's pause, she gave a slight bow and said, "It's my pleasure."

The male insect smiled and then walked side by side with the female, conversing softly.

The guard officer breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, let's go."

Toto, distracted from his reverie, asked in confusion, "You seem nervous."

The guard urged him to hurry up, very gossipy: "Phi didn't use the hand salute, which proves that Phil has a chance."

"A hand-waving salute?"

"It's a gesture that high-ranking female insects use to refuse... Oh dear, it's complicated. I'll tell you in detail later."

Upon arriving at the banquet, Toto discovered that none of the Zerg were wearing rank badges.

The guardsman followed Toto like a protector, whispering, "This is a new kind of banquet hosted by progressive nobles."

After saying that, he didn't forget to flatter him: "The Commander has been so good to you, you mustn't be ungrateful."

Some female insects would occasionally glance at Toto, but when they saw the guard officer, they didn't come over to talk to him. For the sake of his image, the guard officer could only look at the delicious food with longing, feeling a mix of grief and regret: "Because of you, my date today is ruined."

Toto: "But no male insects are looking at you."

"..." That's too insensitive to insects, the guard officer coughed awkwardly twice, and was about to refute when Toto suddenly stood up.

Fearing he would cause trouble, the guard officer grabbed his arm and whispered, "Hey, where are you going?"

Being a male insect, the guards dared not let him roam freely. Toto waved his hand away, remaining calm and composed, without the slightest panic. He patted the guard's shoulder and comforted him, "Don't worry, I saw a classmate. Wait for me here, I'll come back and get you the cake."

A calm and composed expression, and a convincing demeanor.

The guard officer instinctively followed the other's line of thought: "Then we'll take two."

Toto smiled and nodded: "Okay."

After Toto left, the guard officer suddenly stood up, thinking, "Wait a minute, isn't something wrong?"

Toto just saw Professor Arnold. A female insect tugged at him from the corner, but the professor brushed his hand away, turned and left with a cold face. The female insect followed him, but it wasn't Zos.

On the way there, Toto was bumped by a bug. The bug offered him a handkerchief to apologize, but Toto didn't take it. He turned around and couldn't see Professor Arnold anymore.

...

After the dance, Phil and Fei talked.

Upon discovering that the other party was indeed the most popular female soldier on the Imperial Star, she was not only knowledgeable and gentle, but also very beautiful and refined. Although her temperament was slightly cold and indifferent, it added to her mystery, making the insect want to conquer her.

During a brief pause, Phil was discussing a less sensitive political topic when he noticed the female insect's gaze shift for a moment. Following her gaze, he saw a male insect dressed as a refugee being handed a handkerchief by a female insect.

The male insect was rude and looked very disrespectful; such frivolous males are very good at seduction.

Was it intentional?

Phil frowned slightly, but when he looked at her, he smiled. The female soldier responded to his question with a smile, and after a moment she gave a slight bow: "Excuse me, I'll be there for a moment."

"Please go ahead."

Phil had a good impression of that gentleman and was therefore paying close attention. He noticed that the commander had gone in the direction where the male insect had disappeared.

Am I overthinking things...?

Phil hesitated for a moment, then strolled over. He glanced around discreetly and, sure enough, saw the male insect in the direction of the restroom. It had probably just come out, as there were unsightly water stains on its hands.

Phil subtly bumped into him, tripping him, and secretly mocked his fashion sense.

The other person listened for a while, seemingly confused, and didn't react to his hints at all. Finally, he seemed to have reached his limit and said, "Please move aside."

He rudely pushed Phil away.

Phil couldn't believe he would actually make a move, but the guy was too fast to catch him, and arguing with the bug wasn't his goal for the day. After fuming for a while, Phil went to find the Commander.

He followed the directions given by the insect and headed towards the small garden.

There was some kind of thorn planted in the garden. Phil was walking quickly and accidentally got caught on the thorns, which snagged on the corner of his clothes. With a tearing sound, the expensive and extremely fragile fabric was pulled apart, exposing his back.

Phil was startled and, in a flurry of activity, tugged at the air.

"ah!"

Just as he was about to fall into the thorns, he was half-caught by the insect, who gentlemanly helped him up and immediately withdrew his hand.

Phil turned pale when he saw who the Zerg were.

Toto looked around but couldn't find the professor. Just as he was about to leave the yard, he saw the male insect he had met in the corridor, who gave an exaggerated performance of tripping over his own feet.

Toto's lips twitched, confused and incredulous at the same time, but his hands moved faster than his brain. Just as the other person fell face-first into the dirt, he quickly stepped forward, reached out and pulled him back.

Toto wasn't going to waste any time and was about to leave when the male insect behind him started coughing violently, just as it was about to strike.

Phil originally wanted to ask the male insect to help him call the worm, but when he opened his mouth, he found that his voice was a bit unpleasant. He coughed a few times to clear his throat, but then he saw the male insect, who was about to leave, walk back expressionlessly, look at him for a while, take off his coat, and hand it to him.

Phil covered his face and looked away.

Toto: "Do you want to? I'll count to three and then leave."

one

two. "

The shirt was snatched away with a swish. Phil silently put it on, sniffed, glanced up at him, and mumbled, "So what are you going to do?"

Toto didn't think anything of it. Back home, he often chopped wood until he got hot and then went shirtless. Now he was still wearing a shirt. He waved and left.

Phil stood there until the male insect was far away, then slowly returned to the hall and found a servant to change his clothes.

After finally getting ready, he heard from the insect that the Commander was about to leave. He went to the window and saw Fei and his cousin. The male insect standing next to them was the one he had just seen, and he was wearing the Commander's coat. The Commander was talking to him with a very stern expression.

Phil froze, touching the coat tucked into the elegant handbag, lost in thought.

...

Fei was angry because Toto took off his coat and sternly told him that his behavior was inappropriate.

Toto remained silent throughout the journey. Fei wondered if he had been too aloof from the insects, but he couldn't back down. He gave a meaningful look to the guard sitting in the passenger seat.

Guard Officer: "Toto, do you play games?"

Toto glanced in Fei's direction, then lowered his eyes: "I'm not playing."

Guard Officer: "Buy something?"

Toto: "I won't buy it."

The guard officer hesitated, scratching his head: "Then let's watch the video?"

Toto stopped talking.

The carriage was very quiet. After a while, Fei's calm voice, tinged with a hint of helplessness, could be heard: "See?"

Toto immediately turned on his personal computer, hesitated for a moment, searched for Fei, turned down the volume, and turned on the speakerphone.

Meanwhile, the female insect that was harassing Arnold was knocked down with a single punch. Zos smiled and pressed the other's face into the mud: "Sorry, I might not be able to resist the urge to kill you."

The female insect, who had been brutally beaten, looked terrified, but her face flushed as she retorted, "Don't you have a fiancé?"

Professor Arnold crouched down, arms crossed: "So if the other bugs find out about this, we'll hold you accountable."

Zos hissed, sensing something was amiss: "This sounds like adultery, but aren't I on the side of justice?"

Professor Arnold: "No, it seems so at the moment. Our current situation is more aptly described as 'a lecherous man and a harlot.'"

Zos: "That sounds awful, and it's not even that bad yet!"

Professor Arnold sneered, "Judging from your current symptoms, it's almost over. If you don't let go soon, he'll suffocate to death."

Zos regretfully picked up the female insect, shook it with one hand, and smiled as he brushed the dust off it: "If I hear any bad rumors, I'll bury you alive."

Author's Note: