Chapter 14

However, there is a serious problem before us, which is——

He has no money.

After buying the necessary ingredients and returning home, Yael discovered that he only had two thousand star coins left in his savings, which was equivalent to one-fifth of his salary.

I have to take Cecil to a follow-up visit in two days, and this little money is not enough.

After washing up and returning to the room, Yael turned on his laptop and browsed the information about part-time jobs online.

Live streaming sales…shopping fraud…sweet wake-up service…cat ear clip audio game companionship…?

“…”

Each one was more outrageous than the last. He quickly scrolled through them, but after reading dozens of them, not a single one was useful.

Maybe the platform was not working, so Yerche went out and found an officially certified one and clicked in.

Top post: [Question: %#gd#$XX, there will be a reward for solving it. ]

Yael's heart moved and he clicked in.

There is only one question in it, with a button to submit the answer below. It is extremely simple and there is not even a specific amount of payment.

He exited and looked at the icon again. It seemed to be the logo of a university. He swiped and looked at the information below. Most of them were posts asking for help on how to solve questions, and there were also discussions on various issues.

Yael was somewhat dazed.

I see. It is similar to the software he used in middle school, such as JieXbang and XiaoXsouti, where he uploads questions on the platform and then collects solutions for a fee.

However, this question involves the core algorithm of gene editing in life sciences, which is quite difficult and the steps are very complicated.

Would the academy give students this kind of questions...?

In the previous three years, he happened to be studying this subject under the guidance of a very famous mentor, and he had some understanding of it. Later, he resigned from the mentor due to psychological problems.

There should be more difficult questions.

Yael decided to test the waters with this one.

Click on the optical computer, and several suspended blue light screens appear in the air.

Yael put the question on the screen and started solving it.

…

As the night deepened, the snow fell silently.

There was no light on in the room. Only a light blue screen was quietly suspended, with dense calculations pouring out like flowing water, and soon a new page was turned.

There was no expression on Yael's face, his eyelashes cast a light shadow on his eyelids, and his hands were constantly moving, deducing various algorithms.

Bang--

The dull sound of something landing rang in my ears, breaking the silence in the room.

Yael paused, then came to his senses.

A familiar sound of clacking came from the living room. He threw away the pen in his hand and strode out the door.

The balcony curtains were not drawn, and the living room was dimly lit. The sofa was bare and there was no trace of the female insect.

"Cize?!" Yer called out the female insect's name.

When I walked in, I found that the heavy glass teacup had been knocked to one side. The female insect was curled up in the narrow gap, trembling and twitching. It was hit by things on it and didn't know how to hide.

The charging 015 turned on automatically when it heard the noise. He hurriedly unplugged the phone and slid over to help.

Yael's expression darkened, and he stepped aside to make room for the robot butler. "Hold him down with the robot arm."

He tried to release a soothing spiritual force to dispel Xi Ze's deep evil spirit and sharp resistance.

“……!”

But the moment he was restrained, Xize struggled even more violently, and the wound that had finally scabbed over was torn again, and fresh blood soaked the quilt.

Yael wanted to help hold it down, but in his panic he felt warm blood on his hand.

"Don't move!"

He felt an emotion in his heart, he couldn't tell whether it was anger or something else, he gritted his teeth and growled at Xize.

There was a hint of coercion in the soothing mental force, and the subordinate's trembling body trembled violently and curled up even tighter.

He asked 015 to move the female insect back to the sofa, but before he could take a closer look, a floating car suddenly drove past in the air.

"call--"

The bright car lights illuminated the living room for a moment, and also illuminated the female insect on the sofa.

Yael then noticed that Caesar had his eyes closed, as if he had not yet woken up from his sleep. He was not out of control like last time, but was trapped in some kind of nightmare.

The female insect was wrapped tightly in the quilt, and the expression on her face was hidden in the darkness and could not be seen clearly.

But Yael could hear his rapid breathing, with moist and dull water vapor, like a panicked fish stranded on the shore.

For a moment Yael thought he was crying, but then another headlight flashed, illuminating the female's face.

He realized that just like in the last live broadcast, the female insect was sweating profusely and was gritting her teeth to silently resist the pain, without a trace of weakness.

But neither 015's moving nor Yael's yelling woke him up. The nightmare was like an inextricable web, trapping him in another horrible world.

"Go turn on the light."

Yael tilted his head and signaled 015 to turn on the light and boil a pot of hot water.

He pulled the blanket off Caesar's body and gently pushed the tense shoulders, trying to wake the female insect up, but he felt a sudden pain on the back of his hand.

Then his eyes blurred and the quilt flew into the air, covering his head and face.

“?!”

The damp, bloody smell wafted from the still-warm quilt. Yael was stunned for a moment and was knocked backwards.

The next second, the cold murderous intent penetrated the soft quilt and rushed straight to his face.

His pupils shrank slightly, and his mental strength erected a high wall in front of him to block the incoming attack.

In an instant, it climbed up along the hand and accurately invaded the female insect's mind, trying to make her dizzy.

He succeeded, but not completely, as he was punched in the shoulder and couldn't help but groan.

015 sensed the danger and quickly returned, pulling out the stun gun from his body and delivering the final blow.

“Sizzle…!”

The sound of intense electric current rang in my ears, and then a heavy body fell limply into my arms.

Emperor Yercan stretched out his hands and hugged her, only to feel the female insect in his hands was soft and hot. When he hugged her, it was like hugging a giant teddy bear, filling every corner of his arms.

His heart shuddered suddenly, but before he could savor the experience, his back, which had been sore from being pressed, could no longer bear the weight and he slowly fell to the ground.

“…”

Yael could only hold the female insect's body with his right hand, and hold on to the tea table with his other hand to keep his balance. There was a thick quilt on his head, and he felt like he was suffocating.

"...015, come over and give me a hand."

He said in a muffled voice.

After finally moving the female insect back to the sofa, Yael pulled the quilt off his head and took a deep breath of the cool air. "How is it, is he awake?"

The little robot butler hesitated, "I don't know, it seems like he's awake... but it also seems like he's not awake..."

"What do you mean?" Yael frowned and squeezed 015 aside to check the condition of the female insect.

Xi Ze curled up on the sofa, his eyes had been opened but his expression was still dazed.

The traces of pain had not yet completely disappeared from his face, but compared to before, they were much less aggressive and looked tired and heavy.

015 came over to provide support just now, before the lights were turned on, and now the living room is still dark.

With the little light coming in from the balcony, he saw the pair of dim golden eyes. The glass-like pupils were empty and diffused, like a wasteland after a heavy snowfall.

It suddenly occurred to Yael that he was blind.

There is actually no difference between turning on the light and not turning it on, and the boundary between being awake and not being awake is not that clear.

Darkness hides terrifying shadows. If Cecil is afraid of the dark, he will be in the shadow of nightmare every minute and every second, unable to escape.

"Are you awake?" Yael asked in a low voice, "How are you?"

Caesar did not answer. Yael was about to continue calling or pushing him, but he saw the female insect in front of him slowly blinking her eyes, and a tear suddenly fell, sliding down the corner of her eye into her temple.

Yael's heart was slightly shaken, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"Father..."

Xi Ze shouted in a low voice, the damp and vague sound was muffled in his throat, like the mumbling of a dying person in a dream, with the same sadness and despair.

But there was only one sound, and then he gritted his teeth and said no more.

…

Xi Ze knew that he was in a nightmare.

He thought he would dream of a dark and narrow torture chamber, unbearable pain and hunger, and freezing cold snow...

But in fact, there is none.

He dreamed of the spiral staircase in his childhood home. It was an old-fashioned rose-red color and one could break his leg if he stepped on it wrongly.

He dreamed that his father, with a stiff expression, forced out a gentle smile and whispered his name.

He dreamed of the perennially gray sky and battlefields, his comrades fighting side by side, and the shining medals of honor.

I dreamed of the chaotic and lonely clashes of wine and the fierce fighting in the grand conference hall.

Until all the scenery and faces could no longer be seen clearly, overwhelming loneliness and shock, sadness and fear followed me like a shadow.

It was like a fist hitting my heart again and again, my flesh and blood were crushed and shattered, and my incomplete soul was scattered in the endless wasteland.

The spiritual picture had already been in a mess, barely maintaining the edge of collapse. The strong wind and blizzard swept across the wasteland, causing the small house on the top of the mountain to creak.

But suddenly, he was embraced in an embrace, warm enough to break down all his psychological defenses.

He was hugged very tightly, and the empty hole in his heart was finally filled. Indescribable joy began to flow from his heart.

It was like the moment my soul was born, and I was carefully held in the arms of my mother, and I felt the long-lost sense of security and relaxation.

He indulged in it, but the embrace only lasted for a moment before leaving.

A greater fear swept over him, breaking through his shaky defenses.

"Father..."

As if hearing this low call, the hand that left covered the forehead again, and its fingertips pushed aside the sweaty bangs and gently stroked from top to bottom.

The strange and gentle song continued intermittently, blending into the thick and quiet night.

The monotonous melody was gentle and vague, repeating over and over again with the beat of the beat.

The haze and fear hidden in the darkness were gradually dispelled, and the whole body seemed to be immersed in warm amniotic fluid, and the heartbeat coincided with the mother's steady heartbeat.

The dry, cracked, and stinging mental picture was like a refreshing rain, allowing that strange yet familiar mental force to invade and calm the violent snowstorm.

“…”

Yael was humming a vague tune from time to time, his eyes hidden under his eyelashes, and his profile looked unusually soft in the dim light.

He moved his fingertips to the center of the female insect's brow, and the tightly furrowed mark quietly relaxed, no longer filled with the hidden repression of pain.

This time the loss of control did not lead to half-insectization. Apart from the fact that Cha Ji was injured again, no greater damage was caused. It was much better than the last time.

Yael finally heaved a sigh of relief, a trace of fatigue appearing at the corners of his eyes.

"……Good night."

He moved his lips and said almost silently, preparing to get up and leave.

But the next second, a hand grabbed his wrist tightly.

Yelden paused, and in the dim light, he saw a pair of eyes of molten gold.

“…Don’t go.”

Through her messy hair and the gaps between her arms, the female insect was staring at him, with a dark and deep emotion in her eyes.

"Are you awake?"

Yael asked hesitantly, not sure whether the female insect had come to her senses or was about to lose control again.

Caesar blinked slowly and hummed, but still didn't let go of Yael's hand.

"It's late. Go to bed first. We can clean up the living room tomorrow."

Thinking of the nightmare just now, Yael felt that the female insect might not want to continue sleeping. "Or maybe you want to listen to some news to kill time? You can turn on the projection of the smart home."

“…No need.” Xi Ze seemed to have finally come to his senses and said in a low voice.

But he did not let go of Yael. He held Yael's hand in his palm, clasping her joints tightly and rubbing it gently with his hard fingertips unconsciously.

"What's wrong?" Yael felt something was wrong and asked in a low voice.

Cizek held Yael's hand and placed it on his forehead. His expression lost its coldness and indifference, revealing a gentle fatigue and confusion.

"Yeah."

Caesar said each word, holding the two words on the tip of his tongue, chewing them slowly and carefully, "Yell."

Yael was stunned. This was the first time that Caesar called him by his name.

Ever since she knew he was a male insect, the female insect has been addressing him as "Your Excellency" in a distant and cautious manner.

This was also the first time that Xi Ze showed a willingness to initiate a conversation, although he did not seem to be rational and sober at this time.

Yael subconsciously held his breath, as if afraid of disturbing this fragile warmth.

“It’s so cold…”

Xi Ze spoke in a hoarse voice, and his hot breath sprayed on the gaps between his fingers, making the skin there itch slightly.

"pain……"

His voice seemed to be drowning in water, with all its aggression washed away by the gentle waves, almost an unconscious dependence.

Yael blinked and hesitated for a moment, then used his free hand to stroke the back of the female insect's head, stroking her soft hair as if soothing an uneasy cub.

"Cover yourself up with the quilt and you won't feel cold anymore," he consoled her. "You won't feel any pain once you fall asleep, so just bear with it for now."

Then the female insect remained silent for a long time, as if she had fallen asleep again.

Just when Yael couldn't help but get up and leave, a very low voice rang in his arms, "Can I trust you?"

Yael's pupils shrank slightly, and he turned back to look at him subconsciously, "What?"

The female insect changed her words and said, "...Nothing."

He finally let go of Yael's hand, his tired golden eyes half closed, and he murmured softly.

"Sweet dreams tonight, sir."