Yusto’s mind was now filled with the scene from yesterday when he had finished showering without wearing any clothes, only to be frowned upon and stopped by Lu Yuan. A rush of blood surged to his head, his face burning with embarrassment. The feeling of wanting to crash into a wall overwhelmed him far more than anger.
Yusto gritted his teeth so hard it seemed they might shatter, glaring angrily at Lu Yuan. He could barely maintain his composure, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?!”
Lu Yuan: “…”
He had intended to explain, but given the overwhelming homesickness from yesterday, he was feeling a bit emo and wasn’t in the mood to elaborate.
Lu Yuan actually considered Yusto as a friend by now, and given the current situation where he was at fault, he discreetly hid the file bag behind him. With a soft cough, he sincerely sought reconciliation, “It’s not convenient to explain here. How about I tell you during lunch?”
Yusto was even more astonished, “Lunch?!”
Could this shameless Lu Yuan be trying to make him treat him to lunch?!
Lu Yuan, of course, wasn’t shameless to that extent, “I’ll treat you to lunch as an apology.”
Both being grown men, there’s hardly anything that can’t be resolved over a meal. And if there is, then maybe two meals will do the trick.
The male zergs of the Salaranfa never easily uttered the words “apology”. They always maintained a lofty attitude, regarding the female zergs as playthings and dust. How could they lower their noble heads? Lu Yuan’s sincerely apologetic demeanor left Yusto in a state of uncertainty—neither angry nor indifferent.
Just then, the classroom bell rang, and students rushed into their classrooms. Lu Yuan glanced around, realizing belatedly that Yusto might still have classes. He decided to hold back the words on the tip of his tongue for the moment, “You go to class first. I’ll come find you at lunch.”
Yusto’s mind was still in a daze of anger, and he instinctively asked, “What about your accommodation procedures?”
Smack!
As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately mentally slapped himself hard, feeling like his brain must have malfunctioned! Damn it! What did Lu Yuan, this scammer, have to do with his accommodation procedures anyway?
Seeing Yusto’s frustrated and bewildered expression, Lu Yuan found it amusing in his heart, but he didn’t show it on his face. When he lowered his head, a hint of a smile quickly flashed in his eyes, “It’s okay. I’ll handle it myself. You focus on your class.”
After saying that, he patted Yusto on the shoulder, bid farewell to the bewildered military females nearby, and turned to go downstairs.
Seeing Lu Yuan’s figure gradually disappearing around the staircase corner, Yulejia, who had been dumbfounded on the side, finally came back to his senses. He nudged Yusto with his elbow and stuttered, “He… heavens… He’s really a male? Yusto, we actually mistook him back on the starship, but that gentleman didn’t look anything like a male!”
Due to genetic degeneration defects, males among the Salaranfa tended to have generally frail and small bodies, with appearances not as superior as their female counterparts, except for those with higher purity like Wengel. In the Salaranfa Empire, distinguishing between male and female didn’t even require checking the back of the neck. A quick glance across the crowd, and the shortest and weakest ones in the swarm were definitely the males. Lu Yuan’s superior stature, standing at 1.8 meters, was completely out of place among them, resembling a species with a genetic mutation.
Little did Yulejia know that his words hit Yusto’s sore spot hard. Yusto was already feeling resentful and embarrassed about mistaking Lu Yuan’s gender. Yulejia’s actions were like a disco on top of a landmine.
“Of course, he doesn’t look like a male. He’s just a scammer!” Yusto retorted sharply.
Yusto gritted his teeth, spat out those words, and stormed into the classroom with a cold face. A gust of wind was stirred up as he passed by Yulejia, indicating just how angry he was.
Calm down, calm down. It’s essential to stay calm.
The imperial laws were strict, and even if he was a prince, assaulting a male would still incur punishment.
It’s not worth it, not worth it.
Yusto found a seat at the back of the classroom, repeating these thoughts silently in his mind ten times. His brain gradually cooled down a bit. He leaned back in his chair, attempting to forget everything that happened yesterday. However, three seconds later, he couldn’t control himself and buried his head in his arms on the desk—
Oh, Zerg God, he actually undressed in front of that damn male!
Yusto’s face was so hot it could cook an egg. No wonder Lu Yuan insisted so stubbornly yesterday that he put on clothes. It turns out the guy is a male!
Yusto had lived for over twenty years, and for the first time in his life, he understood what it felt like to be utterly embarrassed. He buried his face deep in his palms, his mind a chaotic mess. He wasn’t even in the mood to listen to the military theory class, which was crucial for graduation.
However, it was evident that he wasn’t the only zerg in the class with no mood for studying.
Yulejia and the group of military females discreetly avoided the teacher on the podium, casually sitting next to Yusto. Yulejia reached out, poked Yusto’s arm, and somewhat awkwardly called out, “Yusto?”
“?”
Upon hearing this, Yusto lifted his head from his arms. His ruby-like eyes, for some reason, seemed even deeper in color than usual. Even the tips of his ears, visible beyond his silver hair, were tinged with red. His expression was sour, and he might as well have carved “I’m in a bad mood” on his forehead. “What’s up?”
Yulejia’s eyes sparkled as he leaned in, “It’s about… well, that… His Excellency Lu Yuan just mentioned that he wants to have lunch with you at noon, right?”
Yusto was severely allergic to the words “Lu Yuan” at the moment. At Yulejia’s words, his eyelids jumped, and he frowned, “So what?”
Yulejia cleared his throat, “Uh, are you very familiar with him?”
Yusto didn’t hesitate, “Not at all!”
Yusto wished he could turn back time to yesterday and make sure he never brought Lu Yuan home.
Hearing Yusto’s response, Yulejia breathed a sigh of relief. He placed a hand on Yusto’s shoulder, speaking with unusual enthusiasm, “Yusto, we’re the best comrades, and you wouldn’t want to see your dearest and most loyal partner stay single, right? Bring me along for lunch, and I promise not to cause you any trouble.”
Yusto: “…”
Yulejia’s words provoked dissatisfaction from other females, “Hey, Yulejia, weren’t you always dreaming of Dalaimin? He’s the male with the highest blood purity in the Salaranfa Empire. The royal family even bestowed him a title to recognize his merits.”
Yulejia dismissed it, “Come on, Dalaimin already has a female monarch. Should I go be his female attendant? Besides, he doesn’t look as handsome as His Excellency Lu Yuan. Why would I do something so foolish as to settle for less when I can aim for something better?”
The Duke of Butte’s sole heir, unwilling to be outdone, crazily hinted to Yusto, “Your Highness, you really shouldn’t pay attention to Yulejia, that indecisive female. There are plenty of outstanding single females in the empire. You could recommend a few better ones to His Excellency Lu Yuan.”
Like him?
Yusto suddenly understood the frantic hints from the female in front of him. He remained silent, feeling that these nobles were all going mad. Usually so high and mighty, how did they turn into completely different people when they met Lu Yuan?
Yusto sighed slowly, trying to avoid getting infuriated. He loosened his tie with a raised hand, and in an emotionless tone, he questioned, “Aren’t you curious about his blood purity and lineage?”
Splash—
This sentence is like a basin of freezing cold water poured over them during the coldest days of winter, instantly waking up those female zergs who were bewitched by Lu Yuan’s appearance. They looked at each other in shock:
Yeah, they seemed to have forgotten about Lu Yuan’s blood purity? How could they overlook such an important matter!
In noble marriages, family connections were highly valued, and it wasn’t something that could be decided solely based on one’s looks.
Yulejia still didn’t know that the male with 60% blood purity mentioned by General Saphir was Lu Yuan. After a moment of contemplation, he tentatively asked, “Does His Excellency Lu Yuan have a blood purity of 30%?”
The Chairman’s son was quite shrewd, well-versed in the principle that “zerg pedigree” was the bottom line. “Actually, even if it’s not 30%, it doesn’t matter much. After all, that gentleman appears very gentle and courteous… Your Highness, is his private personality like that as well?”
Lu Yuan? Gentle? Courteous?
Yusto almost burst out laughing at the words, feeling it was the biggest joke he had heard all year. He pressed his fingertips against his temples, expressionless, and looked at the female who spoke, sarcastically remarking, “Do you know how that idiot Wengel ended up in the hospital?”
The female who asked the question slowly typed a question mark, “?”
……
Today was the day for new student registration, and to prevent them from getting lost, the university arranged many volunteers responsible for welcoming the newcomers. After descending the stairs, Lu Yuan found several military females with gold badges standing at the entrance of each building. He casually approached one of them and asked, “Excuse me, where can I handle the accommodation procedures?”
The military female, seeing Lu Yuan in casual attire and clearly identifying him as a new student, didn’t pay much attention, “Please show your admission certificate, and I’ll check which dormitory building you’ve been assigned to.”
Lu Yuan obediently took out his admission certificate from his pocket and handed it to him. The military female received it and habitually scanned the student ID with a terminal. However, his eyes inadvertently glanced at the gender section, and he was surprised to find the words “Male Zerg” written there. His pupils slightly contracted, and he looked at Lu Yuan in disbelief, “You’re a male zerg?!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized that his tone was a bit too intense, and it might provoke displeasure from the male zerg in front of him. Anxiously covering his mouth, he explained, “Sorry… Your Excellency, I didn’t mean to offend.”
Lu Yuan was used to it and took back his admission certificate from his hand, “It’s fine. Which dormitory building am I assigned to?”
The military female was extremely nervous, his gaze uncontrollably shifting to Lu Yuan’s face. Blushing, he quickly averted his eyes, “The male zerg dormitory area is to the north. It’s a bit far. If you don’t mind, I can take you there.”
Lu Yuan didn’t refuse. The campus was just too large, and wandering around on his own wouldn’t guarantee he’d find it anytime soon, “Sure, I appreciate it.”
Little did Lu Yuan know that his words caused a momentary dizziness for the military female walking in front of him, and his steps began to feel a bit unsteady. As he led the way, he couldn’t help but raise his hand and pat his face, momentarily doubting if he was experiencing an illusion. After all, when had there ever been a male zerg so tall and handsome?
Due to the distinction between males and females, the dormitory buildings for males and females were separated, but they were only a few hundred meters apart, facing each other. It was hard for people not to suspect that the university intentionally arranged this proximity to encourage interaction and reproduction between the sexes.
The military female led Lu Yuan to the dormitory building and stopped automatically, “Your Excellency, I can only take you here. Accommodation procedures can be handled at the first-floor window.”
Following his pointing finger, there indeed was a crowd of new male zergs squeezed around the window, handling their procedures. The corridor was filled with large and small pieces of luggage. These pampered male zergs clearly didn’t adapt well to such strict military management. Even the female attendants who helped carry luggage weren’t allowed inside, resulting in a chorus of complaints.
“Thank you.”
After expressing gratitude to the military female, Lu Yuan walked straight into the dormitory building. Seeing the chaos at the registration window, he had no choice but to join the back of the queue. At the same time, he subtly observed the surroundings and concluded that although the Zerg race lived in a desert of delicacies, the living environment was still relatively good.
Lu Yuan was quite satisfied. After all, this was his first proper time going to university, and creating a beautiful memory was important.
The male zerg in front of him was round in shape, wearing a sunshade hat, and his height reached just up to Lu Yuan’s shoulders. Initially focused on rummaging through his backpack, he unintentionally turned around and was surprised to find a black-haired male zerg behind him. He widened his eyes in shock, “Lu Yuan?! Is that you?!”
Huh?
Hearing someone calling his name, Lu Yuan subconsciously turned his head in the direction of the voice. He saw the male zerg in front of him, who looked strangely familiar. It turned out to be Reed, the chubby guy he met at the registration hall. He felt a bit surprised and said, “It’s you?”
What a ridiculous coincidence!
Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, he took off his hat, revealing his bright red hair. Nodding like a chick pecking at grains, he excitedly exclaimed, “Yeah, it’s me! Oh my God, how did you end up here? After the military took you away, I waited at the entrance for a long time, hoping to bail you out. But those fierce military females directly kicked me out!”
He clearly misunderstood something. Finishing his words, he tightly grabbed Lu Yuan’s hand with an emotional expression, tears welling up, “I never expected you to come all the way to Bardell to find me. Lu Yuan, you really moved me!”
Lu Yuan noticed Reed’s awkward and shy expression when he said this, and the smile on his face slowly froze, “…”
Damn it…
Could this chubby guy think he’s a female zerg trying to flirt with him?!!
Lu Yuan lowered his gaze to look at the hand Reed was holding tightly, becoming more convinced that Reed had misunderstood. The veins on his forehead were starting to bulge, and he warned through gritted teeth, “Let go!”
The Zerg society is a contradictory one, conservative yet open, reserved yet passionate. Seeing Lu Yuan’s reaction, Reed mistakenly thought he was just shy. He tightened his grip on Lu Yuan’s hand, saying with even more enthusiasm, “Don’t worry; I will definitely repay you!”
Lu Yuan took a deep breath and then slowly raised his right hand, asking, “Do you know what this is?”
Reed was puzzled, “Your hand?”
Lu Yuan asked emotionlessly, “Do you know how that fool Wengel ended up in the hospital?”
Reed certainly knew, “He got knocked out by a slap from you.”
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow coldly, “Then let go. Do you believe I’ll slap you along with him if you don’t?”
Reed: “!!!”
Author’s note:
Lu Yuan: <(｀^)> Awoo~ I’m super fierce!
