Why would the prospective spouse be a prince?
Isn’t a prince male?
Han Yan frowned imperceptibly, sensing something peculiar. He lowered his head and flipped open the book in his hands titled “History of Zerg Race Development”. He struggled to read the obscure and peculiar text, attempting to find answers within its pages.
When the palace official, Lord Yechi, arrived at the hospital following the decree of the Zerg Emperor, it was already nearing one in the afternoon. He stood with a group of well-trained attendants outside the ward, peering through the observation window. Contrary to the rumored foolishness of Ashya’s mind, they saw Ashya sitting earnestly on the hospital bed, engrossed in reading a book. His expression subtly changed, revealing a moment of surprise.
The negative rumors surrounding Ashya might not be entirely unfounded. Back when the Admon family was not yet in decline, Lord Yechi had encountered Ashya on one occasion. The Ashya in his memory was clearly dull-witted, struggling with speech and recognizing words. When did he become someone who reads books?
Lord Yechi, reflecting on the situation, instinctively glanced at the visibly tense Admon beside him, as if he had guessed something but chose not to expose it. Instead, he smiled before saying, “It seems that His Excellency Ashya’s condition has improved, which is truly a cause for celebration. You need not worry any longer.”
Lord Yechi exhibited excellent composure, possessing all the virtues and qualities expected of a court steward. His expression betrayed no disdain, even though it was evident to anyone that the Admon family was putting on a show, eagerly seeking to align themselves with the royal family.
Admon, eager to finalize the marriage arrangements, quickly added, “In fact, Ashya’s condition improved a while ago. The doctor mentioned that he’ll be discharged in a few days. This little zerg has been under my care since childhood—kind and intelligent from a young age. Look at him now, even in the hospital, he doesn’t forget to read!”
The more he praised, the more it exposed the financial strain, yet Lord Yechi, upon hearing this, remained silent. He simply took the prepared gift from the attendant beside him and handed it to Admon with courtesy, saying, “In that case, it’s even more auspicious. Every male zerg is a treasure for the empire. I hope you’ll take good care of His Excellency Ashya. Here’s a modest gift as a token of respect.”
Admon wasn’t just eyeing the gifts. Seeing Lord Yechi beat around the bush in conversation was making him anxious. He decided to get straight to the point and asked, “May I inquire if His Majesty has chosen a partner for the Eighth Prince? Does Ashya stand a chance?”
Lord Yechi maintained an unruffled demeanor and spoke reassuringly, “Your Excellency Admon, there’s no need to be anxious. This matter concerns the lifelong happiness of the Eighth Prince. The Zerg Emperor naturally proceeds with great caution. If there is any news, I will inform you immediately.”
He was like a slippery ball, seemingly saying a lot but actually saying nothing substantial. In essence, his message boiled down to three words —
Wait for notification.
Johnny couldn’t be bothered to stay outside and let his face burn while receiving cold treatment. He angrily turned back to the hospital room, closed the door behind him, and spat on the ground, muttering, “That old Yechi! If there’s no hope, just say so. Why beat around the bush? He’s just a prince who can’t find a match, not some precious treasure!”
The room had good soundproofing, so those outside probably couldn’t hear.
Han Yan, hearing the words, raised his eyes thoughtfully and looked towards the corridor. He saw a group of finely dressed “people” standing at the doorway. The leading man was speaking in hushed tones with Admon, and it seemed like they were preparing to bid farewell and leave.
The smile on Lord Yechi’s face was familiar to Han Yan — a polite, distant smile that couldn’t tear through the surface for some reason, a common sight in business negotiations where maintaining decorum was crucial.
His gaze was penetrating, making the person under scrutiny utterly unable to ignore it.
After perfunctorily dealing with Admon, Lord Yechi was preparing to take his leave. Just before departing, he hesitated for a moment, turned his head towards the hospital room, and unexpectedly met a pair of supremely calm blue eyes. There was no trace of ignorance or foolishness in those eyes, just clarity and purity.
Under such a gaze, one might feel that all the dark thoughts in their heart were laid bare.
Lord Yechi briefly questioned his own eyesight, but when he focused, Han Yan had already averted his gaze, continuing to look at the book in his hands.
The text of this book was peculiar, blending traditional and simplified characters with various uncommon and obscure ones. Radicals were jumbled, and unrelated components were added, making it look both familiar and unfamiliar.
Han Yan extracted familiar terms from a passage, pieced together the missing parts by considering the context, slowly translating the paragraph bit by bit.
He read with difficulty at this slow pace, gradually gaining an understanding of the unfamiliar world before him. His expression was focused and serious, as if nothing could disturb him.
Admon couldn’t understand why Lord Yechi kept staring at the hospital room and asked in confusion, “Lord Yechi, what are you looking at?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Lord Yechi, startled by the question, snapped back to reality a beat too late. He withdrew his gaze slowly and then offered an apologetic smile to Admon. With his attendants, he turned and left the area.
Strange…
Lord Yechi pondered the recent scene, furrowing his brow. It felt odd. Why would such a gaze appear on the face of someone who couldn’t care for themselves? Did Ashya’s accident somehow fix his mind?
Lord Yechi was left in the dark, aware only that in the past few months, he had visited numerous noble families. Not a single male zerg was willing to marry the Eighth Prince, Gaien, because of the status of the female monarch, and excuses were made both overtly and covertly.
A crippled and non-competitive female zerg held no value in the eyes of those driven by greed. Even Gaien’s status as a prince didn’t help. After all considerations, the most suitable candidate for marriage turned out to be that fool, Ashya.
As Lord Yechi pondered this, he couldn’t help but sigh, closing his eyes. At this moment, nobody knew what he was truly thinking.
On the other side, Admon had returned to the hospital room, and true to their familial connection, he and Johnny both started venting their frustrations. “That old Yechi! Does he think I have no other option than to marry into the royal family? Ashya has a pure bloodline, with a purity level of at least 50%. If we can’t find a suitable female monarch for him, then so be it! We won’t marry at all!”
Johnny, lying on the couch, grumbled irritably, “Well, then you’ll have to roll back to living on the third-tier star again. After all, you still owe 50 million star coins in gambling debts.”
Upon hearing this, Han Yan’s pen paused on the paper, and he frowned, asking, “You still haven’t paid off the 50 million star coins in gambling debts?”
Admon was completely oblivious to the fact that his son was now different from before. Upon hearing the question, he deflated like a punctured balloon. Gone was the arrogance he had moments ago, replaced by a sorrowful expression. He shook his head and said, “No, we just paid back 10,000 star coins last year. There are still 49,999,990 left. Oh, Zerg God, it seems we’ll have to figure out a way to form a marriage alliance with the royal family. I wonder if the Zerg Emperor will agree to this union.”
“He will.”
A calm voice echoed in the hospital room, and it was Han Yan.
Admon and Johnny instinctively looked at him. “Why?” they asked.
Han Yan didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he quickly calculated something on the paper, his expression indifferent yet rational. “According to the reproductive rate data from Salaranfa last year, the current number of male zergs in the empire constitutes only 10% of the total global starfolk population. Within this 10%, male zergs with a blood purity of over 45% and noble status account for just 1%.”
“The Weekly Gazette reports that the Eighth Prince, Gaien, is about to enter his mating season. The Zerg Emperor is currently selecting a suitable male zerg partner for him. In other words, he has to choose from that 1%, eliminating those already with female monarchs, too old, or not yet in adulthood. The remaining options are already scarce.”
Han Yan finished speaking and pulled out an entertainment magazine from the messy pile of books. He stared at the front page headline and continued, “Moreover, according to the magazine, the Eighth Prince Gaien has already lost his eligibility for the throne due to his right leg disability. Noble male zergs are avoiding him, and choices are becoming even more limited.”
When he read the words “right leg disability”, there was a subtle change in Han Yan’s tone for a moment. It was a change so delicate that it might go unnoticed.
Han Yan concluded, “They have no choice.”
Admon, standing by, listened with a series of bewildered expressions. “Ashya, you… you’re not acting foolish anymore?”
Johnny was equally surprised. “Since when did you learn to do math?”
“…”
Han Yan, however, ignored them. He tidied up the chaotic books on the bed, placed them neatly aside, and then lay down, closing his eyes. “I need to rest. If there’s nothing important, don’t disturb me.”
He needed some time to digest the information he had just read from the books.
As Han Yan suspected, he had indeed been reborn into another world. Yet, this world was vastly different from Earth because the inhabitants were all zergs.
That’s correct – zergs. Whether it was Admon, Johnny, or Han Yan in his current body, all were zergs.
The country was named Salaranfa. Billions of years ago, their ancestors evolved from zerg forms into humanoid beings with intelligence comparable to humans. Over the millennia, the country had developed into a prosperous society with technology far surpassing Earth.
However, in this country, there was no distinction between male and female. They only differentiated between males and females. Female zergs had wings and formidable combat abilities, responsible for nurturing the offspring. Male zergs were few in number and weaker, but they held an exceptionally high social status.
Due to the highly imbalanced male-female ratio, the Empire implemented a series of measures to increase the reproduction rate. For instance, a male zerg could marry multiple female zergs, and the more he married, the more benefits and subsidies he would receive.
However, disregarding the internal anatomical differences, the female zergs in this country didn’t exhibit any female characteristics externally. They looked indistinguishable from regular human males.
In essence, there were no women in this world.
The only way to distinguish between male and female zergs was by looking at the back of their necks. Female zergs had zerg markings on the back of their necks, while the necks of male zergs were plain.
However, for Han Yan, these distinctions didn’t matter at all. A merchant values profit over everything else, and his interest in money far outweighed any other concerns in the world. Compared to the fact that there were “no women” and the prospect of “marrying a man”, he was more concerned about the hefty gambling debt Admon owed.
Forty-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand.
Forty-nine, nine hundred, ninety-nine, thousand.
Han Yan closed his eyes, and these numbers repeated endlessly in his mind.
If we don’t consider interest and continue at a rate of 10,000 per year, it would take them 49,999 years to repay the debt. According to the data in “History of Zerg Race Development”, the average lifespan of Salaranfa citizens is around 200 years. In other words, they would need to go through at least 25 cycles of reincarnation to clear this massive debt.
Han Yan felt a sense of unease for some reason.
He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, motionless. Just when Admon thought he had fallen asleep, Han Yan suddenly spoke, “Can we sever our father-son relationship?”
Admon didn’t hear clearly, “What did you say?”
Han Yan: “…”
Han Yan: “Forget it, it’s nothing.”
Let’s just make do for now and talk about it in a couple of days.
Over the next two weeks, Han Yan stayed at the hospital to recover. Aside from occasional movements, he spent most of his time reading. When he learned about terminals, he began exploring everything related to this world on the StarNet.
Half a month may seem neither long nor short, but it was enough time for Han Yan to gain a preliminary understanding of the basic structure of Salaranfa. Females were responsible for defending the country on the Salaranfa, while males indulged in pleasure and expenditure. Compared to advanced technological weapons, the country’s entertainment industry and aesthetics seemed to have taken a different, more outdated extreme.
While there was a wide variety of goods available on the StarNet, the promotional methods and bundled discounts were far less diverse compared to the dazzling array on Earth.
Entertainment programs were considered a crucial pastime for ordinary citizens. However, for Han Yan, who was accustomed to the myriad entertainment options of his past world, the content available here seemed lacking and uninteresting.
The food delivery industry existed, but there was no clear management system. As a result, it was only prevalent in the bustling main city area, while other places lagged behind.
These deficiencies, seen as flaws by others, appeared as business opportunities in Han Yan’s eyes. He stared at the content on the terminal brain, lost in thought for a moment. His fingertips absentmindedly tapped the mouse. Suddenly, he found himself deeply interested in this unfamiliar world.
In a certain sense, business opportunities were equivalent to a continuous flow of money. For a profit-driven businessman like him, there was nothing more wonderful in the world.
After completing the discharge procedures downstairs, Johnny came up and found Han Yan, as usual, sitting in front of the terminal, searching for information. The warm sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating his refined and cultured profile, as well as the ambitions deep within his gray-blue eyes.
Han Yan’s injuries had long since healed. With the treatment of potent medications, the scabs on his face were gradually falling off every day, as if he were undergoing a transformation. When Han Yan washed off the thick medicinal substances from his face, revealing his clean and fair complexion, Johnny found himself momentarily unable to recall Han Yan’s original appearance.
For some inexplicable reason, Johnny felt a bit apprehensive around Han Yan now. He instinctively wanted to throw the items in his hand to Han Yan, but unexpectedly, when he met those gray-blue eyes, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat. “These are your clothes, and the glasses have just been adjusted. The ship is waiting downstairs. Change into your clothes quickly and get downstairs to check out.”
In the end, Johnny didn’t dare to throw the items. Instead, he handed the clothes and glasses to Han Yan.
“Got it.”
Han Yan gently shut down the terminal brain, then lifted the blanket and got out of bed. Holding the clothes, he walked into the bathroom and took quite a while before pushing the door open and coming out.
It was evident that Han Yan had taken a shower. His light blue hair was slightly damp, and the crisp white shirt made him look very refined. He leisurely rolled up his sleeves, then walked to the bedside, opened the glasses case, and put on the golden-rimmed glasses. His blurry vision finally became a bit clearer.
Han Yan looked out the window at the distant skyline, a vast and clear view of towering buildings unlike anything on Earth. “The prescription is just right.”
After speaking, he turned to look at Johnny, habitually adjusting his slightly slipping glasses. His tone was casual. “Let’s go. You can leave the hospital now.”
As they walked through this floor’s corridor, passing by numerous patient rooms, Han Yan involuntarily slowed down near the entrances of some rooms. He wondered if there were others like him who had been reborn here. However, for some reason, he redirected his gaze—meeting someone from a past life wasn’t important to Han Yan; it would only bring unnecessary trouble.
Johnny had been following behind Han Yan. He briskly maneuvered through the corridor, dealing with the nurses who were staring in awe at Han Yan, catching up with him, and asking, “What were you thinking standing in front of that room just now? Is there someone you know inside?”
Han Yan replied, “Nothing much.”
Unconvinced, Johnny pressed further, “Really, nothing at all?”
Han Yan responded, “I was thinking about how you guys are going to pay off that debt of four hundred and ninety-nine million.”
Jonny choked on his words, “Then let the Zerg God bless you to get married soon, so that the royal family will help us pay off that debt. Otherwise, we might be exiled to the third-tier garbage star for failing to repay the debt.”
He added with a tone of schadenfreude, “But Lord Yechi hasn’t sent any messages now. The marriage is probably off, Ashya. What a pity, your speculation was wrong.”
However, the fact proved that Han Yan had calculated everything in his life and had never been wrong. Shortly after they were discharged and returned home, they received a call from Lord Yechi.
Author’s note:
Johnny: What was Han Yan thinking just now?
Author: (／ω＼) Han Yan was thinking about where his great-grandson went.
![He Lived Like You [End of the World]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/HLLY.jpg "He Lived Like You [End of the World]")
