Yulejia and the others were sitting in the cafeteria on the second floor, having their meal. Seeing Yusto heading downstairs, they exchanged puzzled glances, feeling that his recent behavior was quite unusual. It seemed like he had taken something explosive, as if he was about to burst at any moment.
Yulejia tore the bread on the table into small pieces and dropped them into the cream soup, playfully remarking, “Who knows if Yusto is entering estrus early due to the approaching mating season? He should find a male zerg to vent his frustration sooner rather than later.”
Antony found it unlikely, saying, “His Highness has always detested male zergs. How could he possibly allow them to get close?”
Yulejia always had an exceptionally keen sense for gossip. Upon hearing the words, he touched his chin, pretending to be profound, and said, “It might not have been possible before, but now, who knows? You’ve all seen His Excellency. Any female would be moved.”
His words were a bit cryptic, and before the other military females could ask who he was referring to, a cool voice suddenly sounded behind them, startling them into sitting up straight instinctively.
“It seems like you’ve been quite idle lately, or how else would you have the time to sit here gossiping?”
Yusto had just arrived upstairs when he overheard them discussing him behind his back. His gaze swept over his comrades seated around the table, his expression darkening as he felt a sense of displeasure at their gossip.
Yulejia wasn’t afraid of him, though. “Dear Yusto, this isn’t gossiping; it’s caring about your lifelong happiness… By the way, why did you suddenly come up, and with so much food?”
At the mention of this, Yusto’s expression grew even more grim. He directly placed the dessert plate he was holding in his right hand in front of them and found a seat at a nearby round table. “Nothing much, just worried that you might not have had enough to eat, so I brought some snacks up for you.”
Yulejia was about to ask when did he suddenly become so kind, before he could speak, a familiar voice rang in his ears again. “What a coincidence, turns out you guys are upstairs too.”
Lu Yuan had just ordered two main dishes downstairs, planning to eat with Yusto. Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the second floor, he found Yulejia and the others here. They had met in the morning, so he greeted them upon arrival.
The military females, seeing Lu Yuan bringing food, were momentarily stunned. Clearly, they hadn’t expected him to appear suddenly. Quickly recovering, they pulled out chairs and stood up from their seats, bowing in a noble greeting. “Good afternoon, Your Excellency.”
Most of them came from privileged backgrounds and didn’t need to go to such lengths. However, they couldn’t resist the allure of Lu Yuan’s excellent appearance, and there was a subtle eagerness in their hearts to leave a good impression on him.
Lu Yuan, with both hands carrying the tray, found it a bit inconvenient to reciprocate the greeting, so he nodded politely at them. “Good afternoon.”
Yulejia glanced at Yusto beside him and then at Lu Yuan, vaguely sensing a hint of an affair. He deliberately asked, “Are you here for lunch? If you don’t mind, you can join us.”
Lu Yuan wasn’t one to beat around the bush, nor did he have a penchant for ambiguous relationships. Despite the intense gazes from four or five pairs of eyes, he directly declined, “It’s okay, I’ll sit at the nearby table. You guys enjoy your meal, don’t mind me.”
After saying this, he placed the tray directly in front of Yusto and took a seat across from him. The other females couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised at the scene. Could His Excellency have taken a liking to Yusto?
Yusto remained silent throughout, observing every move Lu Yuan made. Seeing him take a seat opposite, Yusto couldn’t help but chuckle, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. “Your Excellency, I have to say you’ve made a wrong decision, and this decision might cost you at least four or more admirers.”
Lu Yuan used his fork to poke at the unclear-shaped dishes on the plate, taking a few bites casually. He asked, “So, is this related to me inviting you to dinner?”
At his words, Yusto felt a throbbing sensation in his temples, gritting his teeth as he corrected, “It’s not you inviting me; it’s me inviting you!”
He paid for this meal!
He paid for it!
Lu Yuan blinked at Justus, thinking, It’s not my fault that Zerg race has the same Star Cards. “Shh, I know you’re not that petty. We’re friends; there’s no need to nitpick.”
Yusto paused at his words, then chuckled dismissively. “Friends? I’ve never considered male zergs as friends.”
Lu Yuan was nonchalant. “Then consider me as a female. I don’t mind.”
This only fueled Yusto’s irritation. “Are you addicted to pretending to be a female?”
Lu Yuan was genuinely confused. “What do you mean addicted? I’ve never pretended to be a female.”
Yusto lowered his voice, frowning. “But you didn’t tell me you weren’t a female yesterday!”
Lu Yuan shrugged. “But I never told you I was a female either.”
Yusto felt a knot of frustration. “Are you sure you came to apologize to me today?”
“Of course,” Lu Yuan leaned in, gesturing towards his soaked clothes, “I was worried about being late, so I ran 20 laps in the shortest time. The other males are still doing their punishment runs on the field.”
Yusto scrutinized Lu Yuan from head to toe, noticing the sweaty hair and clothes – clear signs of intense exercise. His tone finally softened, though skepticism lingered. “So, you really got punished with a run?”
Lu Yuan countered, “Do you think I deliberately lied to you?”
Yusto snorted through his nose, turning his head to avoid eye contact. “Can’t say for sure.”
Yet, in his heart, he believed most of it.
Though Lu Yuan had questionable aspects all over him, his character seemed relatively straightforward. Even during last night’s stay, he didn’t intentionally take advantage, aside from his somewhat vulgar taste in adult content. Overall, there wasn’t much to criticize.
Salaranfa had never encountered a male quite as peculiar as him…
Lost in his thoughts for a moment, Yusto snapped back to reality when he realized Lu Yuan was staring at his wrist. Expressionless, he raised an eyebrow, “What are you looking at?”
Curiosity evident, Lu Yuan pointed at the miniature brain implant on his wrist. “Is this your communication device?”
Lu Yuan had noticed a critical issue during today’s punishment run – he didn’t have a phone, and the zergs seemed to use something resembling a wristwatch for communication.
“Do you mean the terminal brain?”
Yusto took off the terminal brain from his wrist and showed it to Lu Yuan. Upon receiving his confirmation, Yusto’s expression turned strangely quizzical. “You’ve never used one of these, have you?”
Lu Yuan watched him silently and then said, “I have amnesia.”
You can’t expect someone who has forgotten even their gender to remember something like a neural implant.
Yusto sighed, “Alright.”
Lu Yuan felt the need to get himself a terminal brain, “Is there a mall nearby?”
Yusto immediately extinguished his fantasy, “I’m sorry, according to the academy regulations, students are not allowed to come and go freely during non-holiday periods unless specially approved by the dean.”
Lu Yuan was skeptical, “Then why were you able to go out yesterday?”
Yusto paused at his words, then lifted his eyelids to look at Lu Yuan. He casually flicked his fingertips, smirking, “Oh, because the academy gate is guarded by the Discipline Committee. Are you satisfied with that answer?”
As the head of the Discipline Committee, he could think up academy-related explanations on the spot.
Lu Yuan was content. Clearly, having connections made a difference. Seeing that Yusto had finished eating, he pulled out the chair and stood up, saying, “Alright then, let’s go.”
Yusto was puzzled, “Go where?”
Lu Yuan stated matter-of-factly, “To the mall.”
Yusto raised an eyebrow, “When did I say I would take you to the mall?!”
He was still waiting for Lu Yuan to ask him for a favor.
Lu Yuan seriously doubted whether Yusto, with his petty mindset, was still upset. With arms crossed, leaning against the table, he said, “We’re good buddies. You won’t refuse such a small favor, right?”
Upon hearing this, Yusto chuckled coldly, feeling like he finally had something on Lu Yuan. He lounged in the chair, crossing one leg over the other, chin resting on his hand, and lightly tapping the chair arm. Nonchalantly, he said, “I might help if you ask nicely. Depending on my mood, I might even take you out.”
Lu Yuan stared at him, “You want me to beg?”
Yusto raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.
Lu Yuan thought, I’m not going to beg you, “Fine, if you won’t help, I’ll just climb over the wall myself.”
Being a little troublemaker who skipped classes and got into fights every day, being trapped by some school would be the biggest insult to his professional career.
Lu Yuan finished speaking, casually draped his jacket over himself, and turned to head downstairs, projecting an air of carefree confidence.
Yusto, witnessing this unexpected turn of events, had a subtle change in his expression. Realizing that Lu Yuan was not following the expected script, he hastily stood up and followed after him, stuttering, “I warn you, getting caught climbing the wall will result in credit deductions by the Discipline Committee!”
Lu Yuan was quite self-assured, “They won’t catch me.”
Before he could finish his sentence, his shoulder tightened as Yusto seized him, and immediately, his wrist was gripped firmly. In his ear, he heard Yusto’s low voice, laced with a warning, “Your Excellency, I believe you’ve forgotten that I’m also a member of the Discipline Committee.”
“I’ve got you now.”
When Lu Yuan turned to look at Yusto, he read a clear message from the reddish eyes. As he glanced at the hand Yusto had on him, he raised an eyebrow, saying, “…But I haven’t climbed yet.”
In reality, he wanted to suggest that grabbing someone in such a manner, especially in a crowded place like the cafeteria, might not be appropriate.
Yusto, taken aback by Lu Yuan’s remark, belatedly realized their location was the cafeteria. He withdrew his hand as if shocked, trying to cover up his earlier action with an awkward cough. Meeting Lu Yuan’s gaze, he hesitated before compromising, “Let’s go. I’ll take you out.”
After Yusto spoke, perhaps to avoid further questioning, he turned and headed straight for the door, walking quickly, unintentionally revealing a hint of anxiety.
Lu Yuan had already guessed that Yusto was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Seeing this, he raised an eyebrow and followed suit.
Being a military academy, Bardell has strict regulations. As Lu Yuan reached the entrance, he saw armed military females on guard duty. Every entry required identification checks, making it nearly impossible for even a fly to escape, let alone climbing over the wall.
Yusto even gave Lu Yuan a pointed look, his tone cool, “Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped you just now. I’m genuinely curious how you plan to climb over.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuan’s clearly articulated fingers curved slightly, forming a gun gesture. Then, through the military uniform, he pressed against Yusto’s lower back, smirking, “Really? But now I don’t need to climb. I can just take you hostage, Yusto.”
He finished his sentence with silent lip movements, even adding a sound effect near Yusto’s ear, “Bang~!”
Yusto froze at his words, feeling a tingling sensation spreading through his body from where Lu Yuan touched. It left him unsteady on his feet, the zerg markings on the back of his neck feeling like it was on fire, disrupting his breath.
“!!!”
Yusto turned around, glaring angrily at the culprit, “Do you still want to go out or not?!”
Lu Yuan surrendered with a resigned lift of his hands, “Okay, I surrender.”
Yusto unconsciously raised his hand to touch the back of his neck, frowning inwardly. He was no longer sure if there were any spare suppressants on the aircraft. Leading Lu Yuan out of the academy, he headed straight for the aircraft parked by the roadside, activating the autopilot mode to fly towards the mall.
Lu Yuan, curious about the Zerg technology, asked while Yusto piloted the aircraft, “Does this have an autopilot function?”
Yusto, feeling the discomfort at the back of his neck, managed to keep a calm and stern expression, “Yes.”
Lu Yuan questioned, “Then why don’t you use it?”
Yusto replied, “The autopilot mode consumes too much energy. It’s unnecessary.”
Lu Yuan gave a casual “Oh,” and fell silent, turning his head to look out the window. Unbeknownst to him, the enclosed cabin was permeated with his strong male scent. This posed an unimaginable stimulation for a female in estrus. Yusto’s red eyes gradually deepened, and he struggled to keep a steady grip on the steering wheel.
Unable to endure any longer, Yusto frowned, reached into the storage compartment, and retrieved an air freshener. He then went on a spraying frenzy, attempting to mask the scent emanating from Lu Yuan.
Choked by the overwhelming fragrance, Lu Yuan coughed violently, struggling for breath. He looked at Yusto with a puzzled expression, unable to comprehend the inexplicable behavior, “What are you spraying?”
Yusto’s movements stiffened, “…Air freshener.”
Lu Yuan felt the scent reaching into his very soul and asked incredulously, “Are you sure it’s not insecticide?”
Yusto frowned at him, “Insecticide for what?”
Lu Yuan was left speechless. He had forgotten that insecticides might not exist for Zerg species.
Author’s Note:
Yusto (bent in contemplation): Is he trying to harm me?
Lu Yuan (bent in contemplation): Does he find me smelly?