Chapter 37 and Chapter 39...
Vincent watched regretfully as his "fun" vanished, then turned to look at the culprit.
Their eyes met, like needles clashing against wheat awns.
The air suddenly became tense.
The two female soldiers nearby keenly sensed that something was wrong.
After all, Vitosi was a well-known "radical" in the army, while the other side was the highest-ranking male insect, Lord Visen, who was said to have a bad temper and had many rumors with the general. If the two of them really clashed, it would be troublesome.
Another female soldier quickly gave her a wink, signaling her companion to check if the general's meeting had ended.
"Isn't Lord Vison leaving?" Vitosi asked first, his tone laced with hostility.
When Vitosi saw the other female soldiers on the spaceship supporting Visen, he began to dislike Visen.
Later, he heard rumors that the general he had always respected and idolized had a close relationship with Vison, and that Vison had never publicly given the general a title!
From that moment on, he hated Vison even more.
He felt that Vison was the kind of degenerate male insect who relied on his good looks to play with female insects and was unwilling to take responsibility. He also had a bad temper and might beat female insects.
Holding onto this stereotype, Vitosi's gaze towards Visen became even more unfriendly.
But while Vitosi disliked Visen, Visen also didn't have a good impression of him.
Not only did the insect "curse" him behind his back, but more importantly, it caused him to misunderstand.
Later, when he met the military doctor from the spaceship at Xiongbao, the doctor asked him why he hadn't come for a physical examination. Only then did he realize that Feibos had simply wanted him to have his pheromones tested to check his physical condition.
Although the timing of his visit was also partly due to...
But it was all this bug's fault for stirring things up, making him assume that Phibos was keeping him around to "use" him, which led him to mistakenly believe that Phibos was going to drain his pheromones after hearing those words!
He ruined him, he even went so far as to seduce Faber!
......
The thought of the messy bed, sofa, carpet, bathroom, and even the window with handprints and steam rising from it made Vincent's ears burn.
He can't even bear to think back to how desperately he appeared in Fipers' eyes back then.
Thinking of this, Visen completely lost his good mood towards Vitosi. Moreover, unlike Lesder, he was not good at pretending. He turned his head away bluntly, ignoring Vitosi's words and openly showing his dissatisfaction.
Upon seeing this, Vitoxi's brow twitched, and his expression grew even colder.
He stepped out the door and approached Vison, his eyes fixed on him as if they were poisoned.
“I’m not like them. I’m not afraid to offend you.” Vitoshi lowered his voice, his eyes burning with “righteous” anger, as if he wanted to burn Vison to ashes. “So I have to say, you’re practically harming the general right now. You should stay away from him. The general doesn’t need you.”
Vison initially didn't want to pay him any attention, but upon hearing the last sentence, his face instantly darkened.
Does Fipos not need him?
Upon hearing this, Vison suddenly turned his head, like an enraged demon.
His eyes were also filled with anger, even more intense than Vitosi's.
Her eyes, which used to exude a cool and noble aura, now seem to have turned into a dangerous and dark abyss, from which evil spirits might crawl out at any moment.
Vison's attitude towards most things and people is one of indifference and lack of understanding, but those who truly know him know that he is by no means a pushover who will never lose his temper.
"Who told you he doesn't need me?" The angrier he became, the colder and calmer his expression grew. He scoffed, "Is it just your own delusion?"
"Previously, the general's mental state was unstable, but now it has stabilized. He has publicly stated before that he neither likes nor needs male insects."
Vitosi felt a chill run down his spine as he was stared at by Visen. He actually felt the same kind of pressure emanating from Visen as from a general, even though he was just a handsome but degenerate male insect...
He was stunned without realizing it, and even started to explain.
But this did not quell Vison's anger.
To him, these words were like a blunt statement telling him that "the general only sees you as a traitor," perfectly striking a nerve that had been buried deep in his heart, igniting his deepest fears.
Do you really think you can just throw it away after using it? There's no such thing as a free lunch.
“You know that was before. Now, whether he needs me or not, he’s mine.” Vinson’s tone was firm, emphasizing the last four words. His entire being, like his pheromones, was cold and sharp.
No one could see the endless obsession and possessiveness in his eyes.
Vitosi didn't understand love; he didn't know the meaning behind it. He just couldn't believe Visen could say such a thing.
They didn't want to take responsibility for the general, yet they shamelessly tied him up.
Just as he was about to impulsively curse Vison, another tall female soldier hurriedly trotted over.
It was Lieutenant General Clark who had just finished the meeting and was informed that his superior had arrived at the military headquarters and was now waiting at the entrance, so he hurriedly ran over.
Vison's figure was obscured by Vitosi, and Clark assumed it was Lesder sitting there, so he walked straight over.
As soon as he arrived, two intense gazes, like searchlights, fell directly on him.
One of them was Lord Vison, who had clearly shown hostility during their last meeting.
Clark's expression froze instantly. He even considered turning around and leaving on the spot, but when he thought of Riesler, he gritted his teeth and continued forward.
Upon seeing Clark approach, Vitos changed his expression and respectfully bowed to Clark.
Clark nodded and greeted Vinson, "Good day, Your Excellency Vinson."
This time, Vincent didn't give him a bad look; he simply nodded calmly and indifferently.
After looking around for a while and not seeing Riess anywhere, Clark couldn't help but ask.
Have you seen Lord Ralph?
"......"
“He’s gone,” Vitosi replied, a hint of coldness in his eyes.
"Gone?" Clark frowned in confusion.
Just as he was about to ask something else, another voice came, seemingly asking casually, but carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.
"So lively?"
Lai Chong is tall with long legs, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a unique temperament.
It's Feibosi.
His hair was completely swept back, revealing his superior and deep-set eyebrows. He exuded a reserved, calm, and dignified aura, unlike his usual demeanor at home.
He had clearly just come over after a meeting, with his adjutant Ilya still tapping on his personal terminal beside him.
"Good day, Your Excellency Vinson." Ilya greeted Vinson with a smile, his attitude extremely friendly towards the man who had resolved the major issue concerning his general's insect life. "Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Ilya." Vison's expression softened slightly when he saw Ilya, who had helped him the first time, but he still had a sour look on his face.
Fipos nodded in response to Clark and the others' greetings, then walked over to Vinson quite naturally. Seeing Vinson's obviously displeased expression, he asked in a casual tone, "What's wrong?"
"No." Vison glanced at him, his eyes flashing with an ambiguous light. He lowered his head, looking listless.
Feppos pursed his lips, his sharp gaze sweeping over his two subordinates.
The two insects felt cold sweat break out and their bodies started to ache after being swept like that, as if they had returned to the moment when they were "brutally beaten" by Feibos in the training room.
Especially Vitosi, who felt a wave of guilt under that gaze.
Just as Vitosi was about to succumb to the pressure and reveal his conversation with Visen, Visen naturally took Feibos's hand, which was hanging by his side, and stood up.
"Let's go home." Vinson's face was expressionless and droopy, as if he had entered a period of exhaustion after his anger.
Upon hearing this, Clark and Vitosi, like death row inmates released from the brink of death, immediately saluted and said goodbye: "General, we're off duty now."
As if instantly comforted by Vison's grasp on his hand, Feibos's expression softened.
He nodded to them, then glanced at Ilya, who was standing to the side, still smiling at Vison.
His gaze was even sharper than when he had looked at Clark and the others.
"I'm leaving too, General." Ilya, keenly aware of the unfriendly look his superior was giving him, quickly made his escape. "I'll send the information to your email later."
As I walked, I couldn't help but complain to myself.
Back then, some insects laughed at him for going to the male insect every day and hitting a wall, saying that he didn't need the male insect, and even swore that he had no feelings for the male insect. But he ended up getting entangled with him for so long that the whole military had rumors about them.
Now, even just glancing at Visen makes them jealous and chase away insects. It's truly a sign of the world going to the dogs, and insects' hearts are unpredictable.
He suddenly recalled what had just happened.
As soon as the meeting ended, Fipos was told that Vison had come again, and he was also given teasing looks by the other officials.
He had followed Fei Bosi for so long, from his youth to now, and this was the first time he had seen a somewhat embarrassed expression on Fei Bosi's face.
"Isn't the general afraid that the male insects will interfere too much?" A female soldier next to him couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
Although in most cases, since a male insect has multiple males, it is generally unlikely that a male insect will devote a lot of energy to a single female insect.
However, it's also possible that some male insects may favor a particular female, making numerous demands on her and becoming dependent on her. In such cases, many female insects would find themselves in a difficult position.
After all, most of the Zerg females are brave and skilled in battle, especially the military females, whose blood seems to flow with independence and freedom.
Years of experience have made them accustomed to being an insect, free and unrestrained, without the care of any insects, and without being bound by any insects.
So the male's excessive management has become a burden. Besides, they are not yet married, and Fipos is a notoriously cold-blooded general, a fighting machine.
At that moment, Fipos shook his head with a slight smile.
Ilya was genuinely happy; it wasn't the superficial, fake smile that Phipps usually wore.
No matter how he thought about it, Ilya couldn't help but laugh.
From a young age, he was assigned to be by Fipos's side and later became his adjutant. He knew clearly how difficult Fipos's journey had been, and he knew his emotional poverty. No insect could enter his heart, and he had no way to enter the hearts of other insects.
He has never experienced love, nor does he know how to love.
This is nothing unusual; most female insects are like this.
Most female insects seek out male masters, and some may even like them, but for them, it's more often a matter of mental turmoil that forces them to do so.
But now, Ilya recalls what the two of them looked like when he first saw them.
Lord Vison held the general's hand, his face showing no joy, but his eyes and brows were as gentle as the general's, a kind of... gentle tenderness as if looking at a beloved insect.
That's great.
Ilya couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a smile.
I hope they can continue like this, accompanying and loving each other.
Unbeknownst to Ilya, the two protagonists he had blessed were secretly speaking ill of him.
Oh no, it should be that Fipos was unilaterally badmouthing Vison.
“Ilya dates male insects every day.” This seemingly incoherent statement suddenly popped into the head of Feppos, who was walking along the street.
"Hmm?" Visen was still immersed in what Vitosi had said to him, and when he heard Feibosi's seemingly random words, he looked at him with some confusion.
Fabers nodded very seriously into Visen's clear eyes.
"Um."
Seeing that Vinson still looked confused, Fipos added a serious conclusion, as if summarizing a meeting: "So he's a philanderer, not a good one."
Ilya?
A look of shock appeared in Vison's eyes.
I never expected that Ilya, who had always helped him, with his thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a cheerful, sunny demeanor, would be such a worm.
Vincent already had round eyes, and now they were wide open like a cat's, revealing a rare cuteness in him.
Looking at his wide eyes, Feibos felt a ticklish sensation in his heart, as if a worm had brushed against his heart with a feather. "Hmm, don't be fooled by him."
"Don't be fooled by him."
This sentence sounds familiar.
Vison had a feeling that he had heard Fipos say something like that.
......
Yes.
Previously on the spaceship, Feppus had also knocked on his door for no reason and told him that most female insects were very good at sweet talk.
After their last argument, Vison asked Fipos what he was thinking when he was sitting on the sofa waiting for him, and Fipos said he was thinking that he had been deceived by the male insect.
Vison finally gleaned some clues from the multiple leads.
Is Fei Bosi... jealous?
Vincent looked at Fipos suspiciously. Fipos put on a serious and unbiased expression as Vincent scrutinized him, even lowering his eyes slightly. Two unruly strands of hair fell down, making it seem as if Fipos was saddened that Vincent did not believe him.
“Okay… then stay away from him.” Vincent couldn’t find any “evidence” and could only temporarily believe Fipos’s words. “Don’t get led astray.”
“You too,” Feppos replied quickly.
"Um?"
"Stay away from him."
The true intentions are revealed when the map is unrolled.
A faint sense of helplessness and amusement rose in Vison's heart. He realized for the first time that Feibos's mind was only the size of a pinhole.
But after feeling helpless, Vitoshi's words kept echoing in his mind.
"Do you think I'm too clingy?" he asked Fipose.
Surprisingly, it was the same question that another female insect asked Feppos today.
Or perhaps, Vison and the female insect who asked Fipos were thinking the same thing.
He remembered what Vitosi had said.
He gets angry because he feels there's some truth to what he's saying.
It seems that Phibos doesn't need male insects and hates being bothered and controlled by them.
He was powerful, calm, decisive, and held great power, as free as an eagle soaring high in the sky.
Won't you get tired of me clinging to you all the time?
He was both afraid that Phibos would be disgusted by him, and yet he felt that it didn't matter if Phibos was disgusted by him, he would still continue to pester him.
These conflicting thoughts battled in his mind, keeping him restless.
“Of course not.” Fipos looked somewhat surprised. He keenly sensed that it must be related to the conversation between Vinson and Vitosi before he arrived. He frowned. “Why would Vinson think that? Did Vitosi say anything to you?”
“Yeah, he said you don’t need me.” Vison wasn’t a good person; he immediately started badmouthing Vitoxi behind his back, just like Vitoxi had been gossiping about him behind his back.
Sure enough, Fipos's brows furrowed even more, and his expression turned slightly angry: "Don't mind him, he..."
"He's not important, I don't care about him." What I care about is your opinion.
Vison interrupted him, his beautiful eyes clearly conveying the unspoken meaning.
Fabers met those beautiful eyes and said softly, as if afraid of disturbing the flower that had finally landed in his hand: "Adorable."
"Um?"
“Visen is so cute clinging to me. I’d be so happy if he kept sticking to me.” Feibos smiled so much that his eyes crinkled, his expression incredibly tender, and his eyes were overflowing with affection.
When Vison saw him smile so brightly and happily for the first time, he was stunned for a moment, and then, as if infected, he couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth.
Even if he tries his best to suppress it, you can see with your own eyes that he has broken free from his bad mood and become happy, his whole body beaming like a flower blooming.
"Barely passable, all talk and no action." Vincent snorted a few times, barely satisfied. "Let's go home."
"Yes, let's go home." Fipos chuckled softly, looking down.
The setting sun cast its light upon them, leaving two intertwined and inseparable shadows.
*
Fipose's near-perfect reassurance put Vison at ease for many days.
When he felt those negative emotions resurfacing, Vison suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Fipos properly for almost ten days.
Despite living under the same roof, the time we spend together can be counted on one hand.
Visabain has been assigning more tasks.
Even Vison couldn't leave on time. Every day, when he put down the machinery and looked up, it was already dark. There were even a few days when he was so busy that he had to sleep in the machine room.
He has been feeling anxious from time to time lately.
Several high-ranking military leaders are visiting the machine room more and more frequently, but the number of advanced mechs that need repair is decreasing.
He had asked Visabain about this situation with some doubt.
"Teacher, are there fewer advanced mechs to repair now?" He looked at Visabe with some anticipation, hoping to hear good news from him.
“Destroy it.” Visabain’s expression, however, became unusually serious and somber.
The complete destruction of a high-level mech often means the annihilation of a small squad.
Vison's heart sank lower and lower.
This plot point was not in the original book. After Phibos won the largest wormhole war in recent times, the Empire remained peaceful and stable until the end of the original book.
Was it him who brought about the butterfly effect?
Vison clenched his fist.
Fipos returned even later than him.
It seems there's something really troublesome going on at the military headquarters. Sometimes when Feibos comes back, it's almost dawn. After a quick rest, he has to go back to the military district. Most of the time, he's already gone before Vison even wakes up.
When Vison woke up, he could only see an empty bed, still warm to the touch, proving that Faber had returned.
In the past, Vison was able to wait for Fipos, but this was the first time he had taken on such a large mechanical repair and design project, and he was already exhausted and would always fall asleep on the sofa.
Once Fipos discovered this, he refused to let him wait any longer.
Seeing the unusually serious expression on Fipose's face, Vison nodded in agreement and stopped throwing his little tantrums.
Originally, Fei Bosi had moved into the master bedroom to sleep with him, but later, fearing that it would disturb Vincent's rest, he would mostly sleep in the bedroom that Vincent had prepared for him.
Sometimes he would even spend the night at the military headquarters.
This resulted in a situation where, although they lived together, they only saw each other for a very short period of time every ten days or so.
*
Vison unusually returned home early today, heading home just as the sun was setting.
He sat at the dining table, eating the pre-made dishes prepared by the machine butler.
He hadn't eaten any of Fipos's cooking for a very, very long time.
Or rather, let alone eating, even rest has become a luxury.
Vincent banged his spoon against his bowl, the crisp sound making the empty room seem even more desolate.
That awful feeling, as if the room was swallowing me whole, came back.
Vincent pursed his lips, looking sullen.
I was alone before.
Eating alone, living alone, studying and working alone, but suddenly having Feibosi added to the mix, and now back to being alone, Vincent feels that nothing is right. Is this what they mean by "it's hard to go from luxury to frugality"?
He sighed softly.
It's still early before Fei Pos returns.
He sat on the sofa, utterly bored, and put on a movie from the same series that he and Faber had watched before.
A soft, warm blanket enveloped him, its warmth carrying a hint of orange scent, like the embrace he had longed for. Vincent closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
He had an extremely long dream.
I dreamt that Phipps coldly told him he was leaving, but he disagreed, grabbed Phipps tightly to prevent him from leaving, tied him up with a rope, and yelled at him like a madman, telling him he couldn't leave.
But Fipose still had to leave.
So he completely tore away the pretense of "normality" and locked Phipps in a large cage.
But then the dream shifted.
He became the person in the cage.
He pried and pounded on the cage with all his might, but to no avail; he remained firmly locked inside and unable to get out.
At this moment, Fipos appeared.
He looked down at him, and after a long while, with a sad expression on his face, he said that he was leaving and told him to take good care of himself.
He then stood up and left.
Vison stared at his retreating figure with bloodshot eyes, and shouted threats at him, saying that if he left, he would abandon him.
But it had no effect.
So he could only cry and beg him not to leave, but he ignored his cries and continued onward.
Heartless and indifferent.
He cried until he choked up, unable to breathe, as if he had fallen into an endless, suffocating deep sea.
"Visen, Vincent, wake up."
As he continued to fall, it was as if a hand was firmly pulling him back, and he was enveloped in a warm, familiar orange-scented embrace.
He opened his eyes and saw Fipos's enlarged face before him, his brows furrowed and his face filled with worry.
“…Don’t go.” Vison held onto Fipos’s hand tightly, still caught up in the nightmare he had just experienced.
“I won’t leave.” Fipos held the trembling Vinson in his arms, gently patting his back, his voice as tender as if telling a bedtime story, “I won’t leave, I’ll stay with you.”
After a while, Vison stopped trembling and lifted his head from his embrace.
Fipos took the paper and gently wiped away the tears on his face.
Only then did Vincent realize that his face was covered in tears, and that there were several red marks on Fipos's hand from his tight grip.
"Sorry...did I scare you?"
“No.” Fipos shook his head, paused, and gently patted his head, as if coaxing a child, clumsily mimicking the strange tone, “Nightmare, go away.”
"Pfft." Visen couldn't help but laugh at his tone and actions.
Seeing him smile, Fipos's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.
"I never imagined that the high-ranking general would possess such a skill."
Phibos blushed slightly at his words and explained, "I saw my female father coaxing my young male brother."
They really treated him like a cub. Vison chuckled.
After laughing for a while, she snuggled up to his chest muscles again.
It was as if he was just casually mentioning, "You won't leave me, will you?"
It sounds like a question, but it's phrased as an affirmation.
Instead of answering immediately, Feppos pondered the matter carefully. Seeing this, Vincent's expression gradually darkened.
"No." Having figured it out, Fepos spoke up in time, stopping Vinson's descent into darkness.
Vison stared at him intently, as if trying to discern whether his words were true or false.
Do you like this kind of life? Life with me.
Fipos met Vison's earnest gaze and said with the same seriousness, "I like it."
Fabers looked at Vison with a mixture of seriousness and tenderness in his eyes.
More than just liking it.
He cherished this life with him.
He was so attached to her that he would gladly give up everything in exchange.
But he was really too stupid.
He didn't know how to express his feelings and emotions, so he could only keep saying "I like it" over and over again.
Vison didn't ask any more questions and stared at Fipos for a long time.
Finally, he bit down hard on the back of Phibos's neck, ignoring Phibos's muffled groan: "If you're lying to me, I'll lock you up."
"Okay." Despite being bitten, Feibos laughed. He gently supported Vison to prevent him from falling, his eyes filled with a tenderness that was captivating.
As long as you keep wanting me, Fipese thought.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Ilya is also a fan of the pairing (nods).
I won't say whose vinegar spilled.
——
Actually, when I got to this point, the two little episodes about encountering Lesder and Ilya were a bit longer than I originally planned. I hesitated when revising the book, wondering whether to cut them out, but in the end I kept them.
I hope that not only us, the young couple, but other characters can also be made more fleshed out.
Hope you like it.
The two chapters have been combined into one; it's time for a transition. Finally!
——
Finally, I wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! [Laughing]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
