Chapter 29
On the first day of vacation, the weather was rare and sunny.
The snow outside the balcony melted a little and was patiently cleaned up by 015. The potted plants hidden under the shed were moved to a sunny place and their branches and leaves were carefully stretched out.
The ruby vine is crystal clear, like a small work of art carved from red agate, reflecting the warm sunlight into a thousand flowing colors.
"Now? Can you see me?"
Yael bent down, leaned over to look at the female insect's expression, and waved his hand in front of him while asking.
The treatment had just entered the middle stage, so it shouldn't have taken effect so quickly. But when he woke up in the morning, Cize told him that he could already see a little light.
Xi Ze loosened his hand from his left eye and gently held the male insect's hand.
"I can only sense some light, but I haven't reached the stage of being able to see yet... but I think I'll be able to do it soon."
The left eye, which was less seriously injured, was blurry and hazy, but large blocks of color could be vaguely seen. The right eye could only faintly perceive a little halo and would need more time to recover.
"All right."
Yael couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, but after a moment of silence he couldn't help but pursed his lips and smiled.
"It's already good, take your time."
Xi Ze also chuckled, "Okay."
He used to be busy at work every day and taking the female worm to see the doctor on weekends. When he had some free time, Yael felt a little overwhelmed.
It felt quite boring to stay at home like this, but I had no desire to go out. After all, Etar was just a poor and backward little planet without many entertainment facilities.
"How about we go watch a movie?"
Yael suddenly had an idea and patted 015's smooth head.
"This weather is perfect for staying home and watching a movie, isn't it?"
He looked at Caesar and began to talk nonsense with a serious expression.
"There is a saying that if you want your wound to heal faster, you need to remind your body's healing cells where you got hurt. Watching more videos may stimulate your eyes and help them heal faster..."
The female insect looked somewhat helpless, and listened quietly to Yael's "distorted logic".
"My Lord, you can do whatever you want. Don't worry about me."
Besides, they have watched the news together many times, so watching movies is no different.
"It makes you feel more involved."
Yael always felt that reading the news and watching movies were very different.
The former allows you to listen to the sound throughout the whole process, while the latter involves leisure and entertainment. The picture is much more exciting than the sound, and it is still very uncomfortable to only be able to listen but not watch.
"What do you want to see? Hmm..."
He searched the homepage for a while, confused, and finally chose a video with a high rating.
The balcony curtains are drawn, and because of the diamond-shaped design, they don't block too much light.
The entire living room is shrouded in a faint shadow, the oversized screen projection is bright and clear, and the atmosphere is leisurely and comfortable.
Yael kicked off his slippers, tucked his feet onto the sofa, and began to chew a bowl of potato chips.
This is one of the few snacks that 015 can make, and it made him feel very close to it. It turns out that the love for fried food can connect different dimensions and civilizations.
“…”
The familiar sound effects of the movie opening rang out with a crackling sound, filling the empty and quiet living room.
Xi Ze adjusted his posture, leaning back on the sofa cushion, facing the screen.
He looked serious on his face, but actually... he was distracted.
It feels amazing.
In his busy first half of life, he never thought that there would be such a leisurely day.
There are the most complicated and trivial things to do during the New Year. Invitations to various parties will come like snowflakes, and coupled with the accumulated military affairs, there is almost no time to rest.
But what occupied her mind the most at this moment was not this sense of disharmony, but more the male insect sitting next to her, unconsciously leaning towards her.
The male insect exudes a light fragrance that is soft and warm, and its body temperature is transmitted through the places where the insects are touching, making its presence felt strong.
Although her breathing was shallow and her occasional movements were light and casual, they were clearer and more perceptible than the sound effects and plot in the movie, making it impossible for him to focus on the movie.
"...I really can't stand the same as you guys here..."
A soft murmur interrupted his thoughts.
"What?" Xi Ze came back to his senses and asked subconsciously.
Yael stood up, not even eating his potato chips, and stared at the screen in front of him with a frown.
"I said, I really don't agree with the view of love in the movie."
What was the movie about?
Xize frowned and listened attentively, but the previous segment had already passed, and now only the protagonist's sobbing was left.
This touched upon an area that he was not very good at, and he was speechless for a moment, and could only offer comfort in a dry voice.
"Movies are all processed through art, and the director's subjective opinion is very strong... It's normal not to like it."
Yael had never discussed this topic with anyone before, and before traveling through time, he rarely participated in gossip among his classmates.
Frowning for a while, he turned to look at the female insect next to him, "What do you think?"
Thoughts, what thoughts? What was the movie just about? Oh yeah... the male insect talked about love.
Thinking back to the unspoken rules in the aristocratic circle, as well as the various vulgar and bottom-line-breaking ways of playing, Xi Ze's expression faded a little.
"There is no such thing as true love. It is essentially driven by interests. It is a product invented by those with vested interests to cover up their ugly nature, or to use this golden ticket of immunity to harm or take as a matter of course..."
He was halfway through his speech when he suddenly felt an unusual silence in the air.
Then I remembered that the person next to me was not one of those fat, good-for-nothing good-for-nothings with dirty faces, but a little male insect with a gentle temperament and a bit of strange innocence. He was not very worldly-wise and therefore was probably still full of fantasies.
...It's over.
Xi Ze suppressed the urge to cover his face and sigh, and held his breath consciously following the silence.
After a while, the male insect's hesitant and slow voice was heard, "...You are right."
Yael stared at the protagonists who were quarreling and then becoming sweet again, and was shocked by the indifferent and disgusted tone of the female insect next to his ear.
To ease the strange feeling of disconnection, he continued to eat potato chips in silence.
He continued to concentrate on the movie, but the female insect next to him began to feel uncomfortable and changed her sitting position several times. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the words to start, and her expression became more and more solemn.
After pondering for a while, Xi Ze spoke cautiously, "What does the Lord think? About... this, uh, love?"
"Me?"
Yael came back to his senses from the movie, thought for a moment, and slowly crushed a piece of potato chips in his mouth.
"I don't have any special ideas, but a healthy relationship is one that is respectful, understanding and committed to one's partner."
"The marriage custom of the insect tribe is one male and multiple females, which may not be suitable for me..."
Yael vaguely introduced himself, and then said, "Anyway, the one who can make me decide to like him should be a very good bug, and there should be only him, and there won't be multiple people."
He didn't know how deep the love had to be to make him decide to cross the bottom line he had always maintained.
Actively give up the human part of yourself, accept an "alien creature" wholeheartedly, and then completely integrate into this strange universe and world.
But if that day really comes, he thought... he would accept it calmly.
Yael's eyelashes trembled, then he chuckled and changed the subject.
"I was just asking casually. Don't be so nervous. If you feel bored, you can just close your eyes and rest. You don't have to force yourself to watch with me."
Xi Ze understood the meaning of his words, but he couldn't believe it, and his Adam's apple moved a few times.
But in the end, he didn't ask any more questions, and just said in a hoarse voice, "...I didn't force it."
They stopped talking. The dim morning light seeped in through the cracks in the curtains. The floating and sinking in the air flashed with warm and tiny lights, and then quietly settled down.
The movie's progress bar is already halfway through, and the inseparable protagonists are about to be separated by war. As they whisper love words to each other, long and sad light music begins to play.
"Want to eat?"
Something with a salty smell was pressed against his lower lip. Xi Ze came back to his senses immediately and bit it subconsciously, and the finger was retracted.
The male insect's movements were too casual, and he seemed unaware of the intimacy of the action.
Being personally fed by a male master is usually a privilege only afforded to female masters or very favored female servants. He has no chance of being one of them, but...
Caesar slowly crushed the potato chips in his mouth.
Who cares.
"Um...?"
Yael paused in his eating, looked at the scene of intestines flying in the movie with some disbelief, and swallowed the food in his mouth with some difficulty.
"How did they pass the review without warning for high-energy scenes?"
He turned down the volume, played it at double speed with some depression, and waited for this part to pass.
"They are just props for the photo shoot, don't be afraid."
Xi Ze looked calm, and although he was speaking words of comfort, his tone was so indifferent that it almost seemed cold.
"There is no time for them to cry and talk on the battlefield. A sweep of heavy weapons only takes five seconds, and all living things will be reduced to a pool of blood and mud."
Is this telling him not to be afraid? Why does it feel even scarier?
Yael said nothing and swallowed the potato chips in his mouth.
But then he remembered that there was a female soldier sitting next to him.
To him, these scenes in the movie were like a guy sitting in an ivory tower looking out and filming the most tragic scenes in his imagination.
But it is just a farce that has been infinitely beautified.
As Yael looked at the female's profile, he suddenly realized why he had chosen to reshape his mental picture alone that night.
It's not that Xi Ze didn't know what he valued, but he just didn't take it to heart.
Because he had been in such a state of not caring about injuries and not taking care of his body for too long, it had become a habit.
Just like what the female insect said just now, the battlefield does not allow any weakness or retreat. Even if all the bones in your body are broken, you can just endure it for one night, and then you will fight to the death the next day and get hurt.
Yael frowned, without commenting, and said slowly.
"The news says that the Empire is about to usher in a century of peace. I don't know if it's true. The less war there is, the better. It would be best if it doesn't happen again."
"Yes, it will soon be...a time of peace."
The corners of Xi Ze's lips curled up slightly as if he was smiling, showing a sense of satisfaction and relief.
But after a while, he straightened his mouth again.
"But as long as the souls of the fallen heroes have not rested, it means that turmoil and change will never end."
He seemed to be hinting at something, but soon stopped talking, fumbled for the remote control, and turned the volume back down.
"This part has passed, you can continue reading now."
As expected, the movie entered its climax. The two protagonists, who had gone through so much hardship, became sweet again and began to plan a grand wedding together.
The scene looked warm and joyful, sweeping away the heavy atmosphere just now.
Maybe I started to feel sleepy, the clicking sound gradually slowed down and became intermittent.
Yael slid down like a boneless person, and unconsciously arched his body towards a comfortable place, without noticing that he was almost lying in the female insect's arms.
My shoulder felt the plush touch and it was warm and itchy.
Xi Ze's body froze instantly, but he was afraid that the male insect would feel uncomfortable, so he forced himself to relax.
The male insect chuckled as if he had seen something amusing.
When he laughed, his body trembled slightly, and the soft ends of his hair moved along with it, sweeping back and forth across the exposed skin on his neck, making his presence very distinct.
Xi Ze inexplicably recalled something that happened a long time ago.
The second admiral, who had a good relationship with him, was a fur lover and would always mention the pet he had at home whenever they chatted.
The video showed that it was some kind of small, furry little star creature that made a strange clipping sound, and there was nothing special about it.
"You don't understand at all!"
The tall and rugged female soldier had a loving expression on her face and held the video on the laptop tightly in her hand.
"My Mimi is simply a little angel. Every time she acts coquettishly in my arms, I can't help but soften my heart and even forgive those stubborn old people in the parliament...!"
Xi Ze once didn't understand what it felt like to make a military female with a notoriously bad temper show such an expression, but now...
He felt that he understood a little bit.
How would it feel if I reached out and hugged you?
“?!”
His side was touched unexpectedly, and the itching that arose at that moment made Yael tremble violently.
He suddenly came back to his senses from the movie, looked up at Caesar, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"…It's okay. Sorry."
Xi Ze whispered, the tentative hand hanging in the air, pausing cautiously for a moment before returning it to the sofa.
It's like being possessed by a ghost.
He shouldn't have treated the male insect in front of him so carelessly, but when he thought of the little star beast held tightly in his arms, meowing and acting coquettishly, his hands couldn't help but move.
"real?"
Yael looked around the always serious face and found nothing strange, so he gave up the idea of finding out where the female worm was now.
After being interrupted, the immersive feeling is gone.
He turned to look at the handsome female insect in a suit in the movie, and after a long pause, he said, "This star is quite handsome."
But he glanced at Xi Ze's profile again, "But he's not as good-looking as you."
That's not a compliment.
Xi Ze has a handsome and profound face, with bright and sharp eagle eyes, a high nose bridge and plump lips.
It was a very stern and outstanding face, but his sword-like brows were slightly lowered, making him look a little fierce.
Caught off guard by the compliment, the seriousness on the female insect's face disappeared, and she coughed a few times in panic.
"…The male master is also very handsome."
Yaeluo raised his eyebrows in amusement and said, "Really? You haven't seen my real appearance."
“I haven’t seen it, but…”
Xi Ze was a little speechless, he didn't know how to describe that feeling.
Just like the warmth of the sun, the richness of milk, the sweetness and bitterness of caramel...
Even though I am blind and cannot see the specific colors and shapes, that feeling has been deeply engraved in my heart and I can recognize it at the first touch.
Just sensing it from a distance, I feel a secret joy in my heart.
He should have been satisfied with this, but looking into his heart, he had to admit that the desire to see this male insect played a big part in his desire to restore his sight.
The female insect was still struggling, but Yael suddenly smiled, stood up, put down the box of potato chips in his arms, took out a wet towel and wiped his hands and face casually.
Finally, he sat back on the sofa, facing the female insect sideways.
"You can touch my face. Military women should have good spatial three-dimensional imagination. Be mentally prepared in advance to avoid disappointment when you recover your vision."
The latter part was obviously a joke, but Caesar frowned in disapproval.
"Please don't belittle yourself...how could you be disappointed?"
"Have any bugs commented on your appearance?"
He suddenly thought of this possibility, and his expression became more solemn.
"Don't pay attention to that kind of talk. The Lord deserves the highest praise and respect. Don't hurt yourself because of that...highly subjective talk."
Sometimes Yael felt that he was like an old-fashioned feudal patriarch, always full of seriousness and strange protectiveness.
They treated him like a naive kid, fearing that he might be mean and naughty, and also fearing that he was not being treated in the best possible way.
"Okay, okay, nothing like that happened... Do you still want to touch it?"
Xi Ze's expression was slightly relaxed when he heard the first half of the sentence, but he became obviously nervous when he heard the second half.
The reserved and restrained military feminine temperament and the desire of "wanting" kept alternating on his face, which made Yael want to laugh, and she waited for his answer leisurely.
"...Yes." Xi Ze finally whispered.
The air suddenly became quiet.
The protagonist in the movie seems to be speaking, but it has completely become background noise.
Xi Ze could sense that the male insect adjusted its posture again and moved its body closer.
The distance between them was instantly shortened, and the warm breath seemed to be within reach.
He clenched his fists nervously, subconsciously tightened his fingers and then forced them to relax, and finally reached out his hand to grope towards the male insect's location.
“…”
In the dim light, Yael saw the hand reaching out to him.
Xi Ze's expression became serious and focused. He was so cautious that he switched from his left hand to his right hand, and then changed several positions in mid-air without knowing what to do. He then slowly approached his face with his index finger bent.
At this distance, the lines on the hand are almost visible. Following the hard and distinct joints, you can see deep and clear palm lines that run across the entire palm.
Those are the broken lines that elders who believe in fate would frown and keep talking about when they see them. They are a symbol of a rough life.
It's like a deep wrinkle that determines whether your life will be happy or miserable.
But deeper and more numerous than the palm lines are the layers of old wounds stacked on top of them.
There were knife wounds and gunshot wounds, and the fingertips and palms were covered with rough welts and hard scabs, which were the marks left on his body by the long years of war.
...and the depth of life that he could never reach.
Yael's eyelashes trembled slightly and he held his breath subconsciously.
The fingertips that were about to touch the cheek suddenly paused and retracted——
"Forget it. I have a lot of ropes on my hands. They will hurt you... You should wait until you can see again before you see it with your own eyes."
Xi Ze's voice was low and hoarse, almost cautiously speaking.
Yael let out a light click of his tongue and grabbed the hand.
The female insect's hand was a circle larger than his, with rough webs and scars on it, but the whole hand was unexpectedly soft, dry and warm.
It is easy to associate it with mother's hands, weathered but full of the power of life and love.
Moreover, the scars on these hands are from defending the country, holding weapons and shedding blood, and they are filled with heavy and respectable honor and value, which have nothing to do with disgust.
"Touch it now!"
He simply put the hand on his face and spoke in a muffled voice pretending to be fierce.
"If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again. I advise you not to be too cautious. If you want to touch it, just touch it as much as you can..."
The hot breath passed through the fingers, causing a slight itch, and the soft lips that kept opening and closing pressed against the palm of his hand, causing Xi Ze to freeze instantly.
The touch there was so good that he couldn't help but tighten his fingers and pinch it, causing the male insect's puffed cheeks to make a "pop" sound, and he felt even more at a loss for a moment.
But...he has been given the maximum permission.
This realization made Xi Ze's eyelashes tremble.
His Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed his over-beating heart. His fingertips lightly began to trace the contours of her eyebrows, the trembling eyelashes, the gentle rise and fall of her cheeks, and the soft, moist lips...
Every inch of flesh and blood was so delicate and soft that he was amazed. It was like a treasure so valuable that it needed to be heavily protected. He couldn't help but continue to move more gently.
But male insects are not delicate roses in the greenhouse.
Xi Ze held his breath and felt the breath, as if he could hear the breeze passing over the light green hills and the vast plains, blowing the pine trees all over the mountains.
This has nothing to do with specific looks, or whether you are pretty or not, this is very...
The female soldier, who was not good at speaking, was speechless for a moment. She searched her brains but could not find the right adjective to describe the subtle and wonderful shock and touch.
"Did you feel it? How does it feel?"
Yael felt itchy when he touched him, and after enduring for a long time he finally asked.
"…It's hard to describe…"
He opened his mouth, hesitated for a while, and whispered, but he was unable to continue the next words, and his expression was extremely solemn.
"What?"
Yael frowned slightly, then opened his eyes and looked at the female insect with some confusion.
"Very...very cute."
Finally, Caesar whispered.
"?" Yael had a puzzled look in his head, not feeling that he had anything to do with this word.
But after seeing the female insect's embarrassed look, he decided not to argue with the unromantic military female.
Anyway, at least he knew what he looked like in advance, so the purpose had been achieved.
Yael took a deep breath, pulled the female insect's hand down, and leaned back on the sofa. "Okay, let's continue watching the movie."
"……good."
Xi Ze was still a little dazed. He felt as if something had just slipped away silently in front of his eyes, but he had no way to catch it or pursue it. He could only purse his lips in disappointment and regret.
The male insect did not come over again.
But he hoped that the movie could be longer and not end so quickly, or that the male insect would be more interested and watch two movies in a row.
It's okay to spend the whole morning here, just lazing on the sofa, sitting next to him, talking, eating, or just being lazy.
if only……
“Beep beep.”
A clear message alert sound came from the optical computer, and a red light flickered slightly.
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