Ah Sui, nestled under the blanket, quietly exited the game after hearing the request. He thought it was quite reasonable; he bathed every day, and as for the beautiful person, they would certainly value cleanliness even more and bathe more frequently than he did.
Ah Sui tilted his head to glance at the shackles on Blairand’s hands and feet. Remembering something, he simply threw off the blanket and got up from the floor. He put on a pair of warm slippers, grabbed his longsword, and directly opened the cabin door to step outside.
Not only was Blairand startled by Ah Sui’s strange behavior, but even Carlos found it inexplicable.
“Leader, what did you just say?”
It was already late at night, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow. The second-in-command, Carlos, was comfortably enjoying himself in a cozy setting with two male zergs. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door of his starship. He got up to open it and was met with the sight of Ah Sui standing outside in pajamas and slippers, asking him for the key to Blairand’s shackles.
Is this zerg out of his mind in the middle of the night?!
Ah Sui stood in the snow in his slippers, a biting cold wind turning the tip of his nose red. Holding a sword in his left hand and extending his right hand towards Carlos, even in his cartoon-themed pajamas, he did not forget to maintain his aloof demeanor in front of the interstellar pirates: “Give me the key to his shackles.”
“…”
Carlos’ temples twitched with irritation upon hearing this, but when he saw the longsword in Ah Sui’s hand, he forced out a smirk of ingratiation: “Leader, there’s really no need to unlock the shackles on that female zerg. Even if they remain locked, it won’t affect your enjoyment in bed.”
Blairand was a military major, and if the shackles were removed, his movements would no longer be restricted. If he managed to contact the military, the entire Klayt Alliance could be in jeopardy.
Carlos regretted the hasty decision to ally with Ah Sui and make such a blunder. It seemed unlikely that he could retrieve the situation now. Clearly, Blairand had been well taken care of by Ah Sui; otherwise, he wouldn’t be coming in the middle of the night to ask for the key.
Ah Sui appeared to be standing rigidly, but he was actually shivering from the cold. Seeing that Carlos was adamant about not giving him the key, he let his longsword silently sink into the snow, his brows furrowing in a display of seriousness and stubbornness: “Give me the key.”
Without the key, how could he bathe? If Carlos didn’t give it to him, he’d have to take it by force—not just the key, but the entire starship.
Ah Sui glanced around, surveying the dozen or so black warships nearby with an inscrutable expression. They lay quietly around him, like ancient beasts—dangerous and imposing, radiating a heavy sense of oppression. In contrast, his own two ships stood alone in the snow, as desolate as they were cold.
Ah Sui’s eyes began to gleam with envy.
Carlos was clearly not as foolish as Black Fang. Noticing that Ah Sui seemed somewhat angry, he said, “Please wait a moment,” and immediately turned to retrieve the key from the safe inside the starship.
Carlos’ starship was much more comfortable than Ah Sui’s. In the center, several seats had been removed to make space for a large foldable bed. Ah Sui, curious, peeked inside and found two bare male zergs sleeping in the bed. They looked listless, appearing somewhat debilitated.
Ah Sui only knew that men and women could sleep together, but he didn’t expect that men and men could do so as well. While he was half-curious and half-confused, observing the interior cabin, Carlos finally came out.
Carlos handed Ah Sui a silver key and deliberately reminded him: “Leader, this key will unlock the chains on his feet, but since he is a military zerg, to prevent him from scheming, his hands must remain shackled.”
Zergs have a few places they play with, and unlocking the legs should suffice. As for other areas, it doesn’t really matter if they are locked or not.
Ah Sui asked, “What about the key for his hands?”
Carlos played a trick: “I couldn’t find it just now. I’ll give it to you in a few days.”
Ah Sui immediately knew that Carlos was making excuses, but since it was so late, he didn’t press the issue. He thought it didn’t matter; he could ask for it again in a few days. Taking the key, he turned and returned to his own starship.
Blairand didn’t understand why Ah Sui had suddenly left. After all, if Ah Sui didn’t want him to bathe, he could have simply refused; there was no need to run out in pajamas.
After waiting in the cage for about a quarter of an hour, Blairand finally heard the sound of the cabin door opening. He looked in the direction of the noise and saw Ah Sui walking in from the cold, his dark hair covered in snow. After shaking his head vigorously to get rid of the snowflakes, Ah Sui set his sword aside, approached Blairand, and crouched down in front of him.
Seeing this, Blairand instinctively retreated and hid in the cage, his pale blue eyes silently filled with caution.
However, Ah Sui simply lowered his head to pick up the chains on Blairand’s ankles, studied them carefully for a moment, and then used the silver key to unlock the shackles. The warm yellow light from above softly illuminated the scene, and Blairand could see Ah Sui’s fair face and the red tip of his nose from the cold as he looked down.
Ah Sui removed the iron chains and tossed them aside. At this point, the snow on his head had melted, and his dark hair was a bit damp. “You can go bathe now.”
Blairand was taken aback. To be honest, he hadn’t expected Ah Sui to agree to his request at all. He was surprised that not only did Ah Sui agree to let him bathe, but he also removed the shackles—truly an unexpected pleasure.
Blairand looked at Ah Sui with a mix of surprise and suspicion, trying to determine if Ah Sui was joking. However, Ah Sui, shivering from the cold, quickly burrowed back into the blanket and wrapped himself up like a caterpillar.
“…”
Blairand belatedly realized that this zerg might be a bit naive, or perhaps not naive, just simply not very perceptive. He stood up from the cage and walked out. Without the heavy shackles, he found himself slightly unsteady and almost stumbled.
Ah Sui instinctively looked back, only to see the beautiful man had already turned towards the bathroom, the sliding door closing behind him, cutting off the sounds inside.
Zergs are physically resilient, and after a day and night of brief rest, the whip marks on Blairand’s body had formed a thin layer of scabs. He stood in the cramped shower, unfazed, stripping off his clothes and washing himself under the drizzling hot water, finally feeling a long-lost sense of comfort.
Amidst the rising steam, it felt as though the harshness of the season was being driven away.
Blairand had been in the bathroom for a long time, and just as he was about to come out, he suddenly realized that he had no clean clothes to change into. He looked at the pile of wet, dirty clothes on the floor, hesitated for a moment, and finally knocked on the door.
“Tap tap.”
Ah Sui, with his keen hearing, wrapped in a blanket, walked to the bathroom door and asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
Blairand didn’t open the door. Standing naked in the bathroom, his voice came through the gap, sounding somewhat hesitant: “Could you… provide me with a set of clothes?”
After Blairand made his request, he immediately pressed his lips together and fell into silence. He suddenly realized that his request might have been a bit too much; after all, he was a captive undergoing harsh treatment, not a privileged noble here to enjoy luxury.
If this zerg refused, he could always wash the dirty clothes on the floor and wear them.
Just as Blairand was about to give up, the bathroom door suddenly made two sounds, and then a hand appeared under the door gap, fingers gripping a set of clean, neat clothes. “Will this do?”
Blairand let out a subtle sigh of relief, bending down to take the clothes from the hand. “This will do.”
He paused, seemingly hesitating whether to say “thank you,” but the hand had already withdrawn, followed by the sound of footsteps gradually fading away. It seemed the zerg had gone back to the blanket.
Is he afraid of the cold?
Blairand glanced at the thick snow outside the bathroom vent and found this thought inexplicably crossing his mind. He looked down at the clothes in his hands and saw that they were complete: pants, shirt, and a dry towel for wiping himself.
The other party was quite considerate.
Blairand suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and bent down to put on the pants. However, due to the shackles on his wrists, he struggled to put on the shirt. After some effort, he managed to pull it through the gap between the shackles, fasten the buttons, and walk out of the bathroom.
Ah Sui, who had been playing a game, heard the commotion and couldn’t help but look back. He saw the beautiful blonde female zerg coming out of the bathroom. The zerg was wearing a white shirt on top and gray trousers on the bottom, leaving a trail of shallow water marks on the floor from walking barefoot. The mist rising from behind gave the impression of a celestial being.
Blairand’s hair had not been trimmed for a long time, usually tied up with a black velvet ribbon. Now, it hung damp and disheveled at his waist, accentuating his pale, handsome face, making his beauty almost androgynous. He casually dried his hair with the towel and planned to go to sleep just like that. Given the limited conditions, being able to bathe was already a significant improvement; he couldn’t ask for too much.
However, just as Blairand was about to return to the iron cage, a hairdryer suddenly appeared in front of him. Looking up, he saw that it was the male zerg. “Use this.”
Ah Sui offered the hairdryer to Blairand. When Blairand didn’t take it, Ah Sui simply placed it into his arms and explained, “Dry your hair; you don’t want to catch a cold.”
Bathing in winter is the easiest way to catch a cold.
Ah Sui couldn’t help but sneeze as he spoke, quickly turning and diving back into the blanket. At this rate, if Blairand didn’t catch a cold, Ah Sui himself might freeze first.
“…”
Blairand took a moment to come to his senses, catching the hairdryer in his arms. Ah Sui’s seemingly concerned words had left him momentarily stunned. He looked around, found a socket under the seat, and sat down to dry his hair with the blow dryer while unobtrusively observing Ah Sui, who was lying on the floor asleep.
Ah Sui had fallen asleep from exhaustion. He lay in bed, covered with the blanket, and had tucked his hands into the sleeves of his pajamas. Once he was sure there was no risk of being bitten, he settled down to sleep in a relaxed, veteran-like pose. After a tiring day of fighting, he emitted a faint, animal-like snore, which made one want to ruffle his hair.
Blairand found himself somewhat mesmerized, thinking that this zerg seemed nothing like an interstellar pirate. His features conveyed a kind of naive innocence, more like a noble young master raised under the favor of his family. How did someone like him end up inexplicably becoming an interstellar pirate?
After drying his hair and turning off the hairdryer, Blairand’s golden locks fell over his shoulders, looking even softer than silk, exuding an indescribable nobility.
Blairand didn’t return to the cage. His nerves had been on edge for over ten days, during which he hadn’t truly closed his eyes. Now, with the sudden relaxation, exhaustion surged over him like a tide. He leaned his head against the porthole and wrapped his arms around his knees.
The soft seat was much more comfortable than the cold iron cage.
The zerg seemed to have a good temper. If he discovered in the morning that Blairand hadn’t returned to the cage, he probably wouldn’t get angry and beat him, would he?
As Blairand pondered this unresolved question, he curled up on the seat and fell asleep. In his hazy state, he seemed to catch a whiff of a familiar sweet candy fragrance, lingering around him and refusing to dissipate. It stirred the deepest, hidden desires within him, making his dreams feel damp and vivid.
He let out a low, muffled groan, his pale cheeks flushing red. The emptiness brought on by his heat was constantly tormenting him, a pain interspersed with pleasure.
The night passed quietly, and by six in the morning, the sun had risen, piercing through the clouds. The golden sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a dazzling glow inside the starship.
Blairand, who had been sleeping by the porthole, was suddenly awakened by a beam of sunlight. He struggled to open his eyes, moved his somewhat stiff limbs, and noticed something had quietly slipped to the floor. Looking down, he saw it was a blanket.
Blairand bent down to pick up the blanket and instinctively looked towards Ah Sui’s sleeping area, only to find the bedding neatly arranged on the floor and the owner’s absence.
Ah Sui had grown up in the mountains and had the habit of rising before dawn to fetch water for training, regardless of the season or weather. He had never developed the habit of sleeping in. After waking up in the morning, he, as usual, took his sword and went outside. He found a quiet, empty spot near the door to practice. The cold sword danced in his hands, his movements graceful as a swallow, against the backdrop of the rising sun, giving an impression of elegant freedom.
Fortunately, it was still early, and there were no zergs outside; otherwise, it might have attracted a crowd.
Blairand watched for a long time through the window, his curiosity about the zerg growing even more. However, since it was inconvenient to ask directly, he could only suppress his thoughts. He folded the blanket neatly and placed it on the seat. He considered opening the cabin door to go outside but felt he would just be sent back, so he hesitated for a long time in front of the red button, unable to make a decision.
When Ah Sui returned to the starship after his sword practice, he saw that Blairand was already awake. Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, Ah Sui’s muscular arms, revealed by his white short-sleeve shirt, were plainly visible.
Blairand unexpectedly noticed that the young male’s physique was quite impressive, though it wasn’t very obvious due to his youthful and innocent face.
Perhaps because Blairand had initiated a conversation yesterday, Ah Sui spoke a bit more today. While wiping the sweat from his face, he curiously observed Blairand. Seeing him standing by the door in a daze, Ah Sui asked, “Is there anything else you need?”
Blairand thought to himself that he wanted freedom, but would Ah Sui grant it?
Clearly, he would not.
However, after a moment of consideration, Blairand spoke up, “I’d like to go outside for a walk. Is that okay?”
Ah Sui had expected Blairand to ask for candy or cake, but was surprised by the request to simply go outside. He flipped his sword and pressed the red button on the cabin wall, causing the door to slowly open.
Ah Sui advised, “Don’t go too far.”
It would be problematic if Blairand ended up in the territory of Carlos and Black Fang.
Blairand was surprised that Ah Sui had once again agreed to his unreasonable request, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit unsettled. He nodded, then walked out the cabin door with the shackles on. The outside was bitterly cold, with the ground covered in a blanket of white snow.
Seeing this, Blairand’s heart sank momentarily. He noticed that the black mountain range was growing closer, and if he traveled at a normal pace, he would reach the northern fortress of Hossburgh in two days.
But thinking about these issues was pointless for now. He was still in a precarious situation himself, and how could he help the rescuing troops?
Blairand only wandered around near Ah Sui’s starship and didn’t go far. When he felt the cold, he turned around and went back.
When Carlos woke up and came out, he happened to see Blairand returning to the starship. He glanced discreetly at the back of Blairand’s neck and noticed that the zerg markings hadn’t changed color, which made him frown in suspicion: “Hmm?”
The fact that the zerg markings on the back of Blairand’s neck hadn’t changed color indicated that he hadn’t been marked by the male. It was surprising that the Great Leader had managed to remain indifferent to such a beautiful noble zerg. Could it be that he was incapable of taking action due to his personality?
sorry for such unannounced break omgg i didnt mean it, been so busy w uni lately :’(
