SZAR Chapter 51

Nuo Wei felt dizzy. His body lay on the stretcher, but his soul seemed to float in midair. The officer took his light-brain and placed him in a transport craft, then closed the compartment door.

It was a military prisoner transport. A heavy iron door separated the cockpit from the rear cabin. With a dull thud, the door locked, and every last shred of light was cut off. Nuo Wei slept in absolute darkness, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The battle and the blood loss had left his body icy cold, his mind growing foggy. Nuo Wei wanted to close his eyes, to sink into sleep and escape into dreams. But in that haze, he seemed to hear a distant calling.

“Don’t sleep… absolutely don’t sleep…”

Who was it? Such a familiar voice… so warm… so worth clinging to.

He forced his eyes open and saw a blurred figure. A handsome male zerg stood in the distance, reaching toward him. His hand trembled, and his voice broke as he choked out: “Don’t sleep… come home with me…”

Home?

Yes… Nuo Wei suddenly remembered. He had a home.

It had once been a cold, little villa, the garden filled with the same monotonous ornamental plants, the walls painted a stark, blinding white. The interior was empty, almost bare.

But from one day onward, everything had changed.

The male zerg had moved in. The garden flowers were replaced with four-season begonia, blooming and falling every two months. He set up sofas in the living room, added furniture, and each evening would curl up on the sofa reading… then look up and greet him.

That was… Chu Ci.

The name felt like a tether, binding Nuo Wei to this world that had been drifting away. He watched the male zerg in the glow, and an unprecedented surge of impulse swept through him, urging him forward—

He had to reach that male. He had to hold him, kiss him, go home with him to that little villa blooming with begonia, and never part again.

Nuo Wei’s hand met the other hand.

Long, elegant fingers, warm skin. The hand turned and clasped his, forcefully weaving their fingers together into a tight grip.

Chu Ci said, “Got you.”

In the endless expanse of the mental sea, the male zerg was the only lighthouse. And now, Chu Ci’s lighthouse had cast a net, firmly securing the lost traveler within this quiet, windless harbor.

The lie detector’s signal light turned green, and the testing pod slowly popped open. The medical team rushed in, hands everywhere, lifting Nuo Wei out of the pod and hooking him up to medical equipment.

Only when his vital signs fully appeared on the display did everyone collectively exhale.

At the judgment stand, the presiding judge traced a prayer sign over his chest and murmured, “Heaven… thank you for this blessing of fate.”

A blessing of fate indeed, if the Major General had truly died on the judgment stand, how could they have faced themselves?

Nothing is more real than raw memory. The malice aimed at Nuo Wei, Lin En, and the others on StarNet came from baseless speculation, from ambiguous words in conspiracy theories. They had never seen the blood and fire, never seen wings unfurling in the blast of grenades. When such brutal memories lay plainly before their eyes, all they could do was fall silent.

“Heaven…” someone murmured. “Thank you, Lord Chu Ci.”

If Chu Ci hadn’t been there, where would this Major General, who had given everything, have gone? Would he have slipped into the depths of his mental sea, never to awaken?

The silent StarNet comments began scrolling again. This time, there were no speculations, only quiet prayers.

【 Hope the Major General doesn’t downgrade… 】

【 Hope his wounds heal… 】

【 Hope Lord Chu Ci stays by the Major General’s side, growing old together… 】

Chu Ci sat up from the lie detector pod. Nuo Wei had already been lifted onto a medical bed next door. He tilted his head, eyes locked tightly on Chu Ci, his expression full of reliance and longing.

Chu Ci stepped closer and sat beside him. A medic suggested Nuo Wei close his eyes to rest, but he refused, stubbornly staring at Chu Ci, as if confirming something important.

Chu Ci held his hand and spoke softly: “Sleep now. I’ve got you.”

You will not be abandoned alone in the dark. You will not sink into the endless sea. I’ve got your hand and I will never let go.

Only then did Nuo Wei close his eyes.

He was utterly exhausted. His wounds had not fully healed, his mental sea was in chaos, and he had just endured a forced lie-detector test. Drowsily, he surrendered to sleep, sinking deeply into rest.

Within two days, Nuo Wei’s Major General rank had been fully restored. Given his performance this time, although his condition still prevented him from going to the battlefield, the Empire still made an exception and awarded him the Honorary Medal as Major General to recognize his outstanding service.

Nuo Wei’s body wasn’t strong enough to endure the full medal ceremony, so the medal was first sent to his home. Golden ears of wheat encircled a sword and thorns, this was the mark of the First Army. Tiny tassels poured from the clasp, delicate and ornate.

The Empire also issued a large compensation payment and cleared Lin En and others of all charges. Major General Lin En had been reinstated and promoted to Lieutenant General. With Erwen missing, the commander position of the First Army remained vacant, and Lin En, as one of the youngest Lieutenant Generals, was now eligible to compete for the Admiral’s post.

On the day he was promoted to Lieutenant General, Chu Ci set a table at home. He had initially thought of ordering takeout or letting San San cook something simple, but Nuo Wei insisted on cooking himself. He prepared seven or eight small dishes and opened two bottles of wine.

One of those bottles was a wedding gift from Erwen to Nuo Wei. At first, when Chu Ci and Nuo Wei’s relationship was still tense, the wine had been locked in the cabinet and never opened. Now that Lin En was visiting, they brought out both bottles to serve.

Nuo Wei couldn’t drink, and Chu Ci drank very little. Lin En, however, upon learning the wine’s story, stared at the bottle for a while before finally tipping it back and drinking.

After two bottles, Lin En was thoroughly drunk, rambling about home life while holding onto Nuo Wei’s arm.

He was so drunk he seemed unable to tell time. First he said, “Major General, you’ve had it rough! Just married and already thrown into the correctional facility. Your male lord is really something.” Then he added, “God, Major General, I can’t take the First Army without you. We have to go kneel before your male lord and beg him to spare you.”

When Nuo Wei’s patience reached its limit and he wanted to shoo Lin En away, Lin En suddenly sat quietly, staring at Nuo Wei with a smile.

“So good,” he said, taking another swig of wine. “Lord Chu Ci risked his life to save you in front of so many people. He will never abandon you.”

Nuo Wei paused, gripping his collar mid-motion.

Chu Ci stood behind him, nodding toward the drunken Lin En. “I absolutely won’t.”

Lin En stared at Chu Ci for a moment, then muttered, “Remember that. Nuo Wei’s fans on StarNet are going to multiply now.”

He rolled over and fell asleep.

Chu Ci and Nuo Wei worked together to carry him to the guest room. San San went to clean up the dishes. Nuo Wei sat on the sofa watching TV, while Chu Ci began scrolling through StarNet.

Unbeknownst to Nuo Wei, the blessing posts on StarNet had already topped tens of thousands of replies.

The people on StarNet were mostly ordinary, with simple loves and hates. They might have believed rumors and spoken harshly before, but now they felt guilt and regret and expressed their wishes. Their blessings were as sincere as their previous anger. Some even sent money directly to Chu Ci’s account. His single post had received countless tips.

Comments came with all sorts of reasons:  

【 For the Major General’s medical expenses 】;

【 I’m still in school, don’t have much, but here’s some for his snacks】;

【 Hope to cover part of the treatment costs 】;

【 Nothing much to say, sorry for what I said before 】;

【 Hope Lord Chu Ci uses the best medicine for the Major General】

Dizzying variety, endless to scroll through.

The tipping function had been automatically enabled. Chu Ci barely used social media, so by the time he noticed, the amount was enormous, more than enough to cover all of Nuo Wei’s future treatments.

He had no choice but to disable the tipping function, then opened his light brain and typed:

⟦ Thank you, everyone. I can cover all of Nuo Wei’s future treatment. Everything he needs will be the best. Don’t worry. ⟧

After sending that, Chu Ci discovered countless private messages, also sent through StarNet.

【Sir, I am a registered five-star nutritionist in the Empire. Here’s my license. I’d like to manage the Major General’s daily meals, free of charge.】

【Sir, I am a professor at the Imperial Central University studying the Mental Sea and its waves. If there are any issues regarding the Mental Sea, please feel free to contact me.】

【Sir, I run a private restaurant across from your home. If you and the Major General come here, just give your names. No payment required.】

【Sir, I am…】

There were too many private messages for Chu Ci to reply to one by one. He could only post another blog:

⟦ Thank you, everyone. No help is needed for now. Nuo Wei is doing fine. If anything changes, I’ll let everyone know. ⟧

After finishing that, Chu Ci put down the light-brain and looked at Nuo Wei in the living room, teasing him: “Major General, all of StarNet is backing you up. If I ever bully you in the future, they’ll drown me in spit, one mouthful at a time.”

After everything, Nuo Wei had lost a lot of weight. He had suddenly dropped in rank, and the fluctuations in his Mental Sea left him a little dazed at times. Hearing Chu Ci, he looked up and said, “You won’t.”

Chu Ci froze for a moment, then laughed: “Won’t? You didn’t see the scene, scared me half to death. The tips were even more than my stocks.”

Seeing that Nuo Wei didn’t believe him, Chu Ci raised his hand to show him the amount. Nuo Wei shook his head: “You won’t bully me.”

This made Chu Ci even more surprised. “I won’t bully you?”

Chu Ci had always thought this wooden little guy was cute, but now, not so wooden anymore, still very cute. His hands itched, he couldn’t resist teasing a little, even thought about teasing him openly in front of everyone.

He asked, “You don’t remember how I bullied you in the courtroom?”

He meant cornering Nuo Wei, making him curl up shyly into an egg, so hot it could’ve been cooked, yet Chu Ci wouldn’t let him go, lifting him up to nibble a couple of times.

Looking back, Chu Ci thought he had gone overboard, his female monarch was so shy, and he had bullied him, on live stream for all of StarNet to see.

But Nuo Wei shook his head: “How can that be called bullying?”

Chu Ci had never dealt with other males being punished, kneeling under discipline, or all kinds of torment. Compared to that, his coaxing, lifting, and cuddling…what kind of bullying is that?

Chu Ci asked, “Why isn’t it?”

When he was in school, pulling girls’ braids or stealing a classmate’s homework, his parents would give him a combined scolding…wasn’t that bullying?

Nuo Wei looked at him, silent, and his ear tips turned slightly red.

Chu Ci thought something was up. Nuo Wei was definitely thinking of something weird, otherwise, why that expression? He ignored the light-brain, stopped scrolling the comments, pushed Nuo Wei onto the sofa, and pressed for an answer: “Why isn’t it bullying?”

Nuo Wei could never fully handle Chu Ci like this. The handsome male’s face was inches from his own, his sharp nose almost touching him. Nuo Wei raised his arms to block Chu Ci, trying to push him away.

Chu Ci wouldn’t let it go. “Say it, why isn’t it bullying?”

Nuo Wei took a deep breath.

Trapped in Chu Ci’s shadow, caught with nowhere to go, he finally closed his eyes, giving in as if surrendering: “I like it.”

“I like it… so it’s not bullying.”

This little gourd mouth usually stays shut, but once it opens, it’s like a trump card. Chu Ci even loosened the hand that had been holding him and repeated in surprise, “You like it?”

Nuo Wei nodded messily.

He liked it, liked being cornered by Chu Ci in front of so many people, liked him blocking him and saying strange things, liked being lifted as an egg and kissed. As long as it was Chu Ci, he liked it all.

Chu Ci let go, suspicious: “Really?”

He rubbed his chin, still a little unsatisfied: “If I’d known, I’d have kissed you a few more times. That egg… feels really nice.”

The zerg eggs are a bit different from human eggs — soft, tender, and pleasant to the touch.

Lost in thought, Chu Ci suddenly reached out and pressed a hand against Nuo Wei’s lower abdomen.

He had lost a lot of weight; the slender waist was even thinner now. Because he hadn’t been able to train while healing, the abdominal muscles weren’t tight, giving a relaxed softness under Chu Ci’s fingers.

Nuo Wei flinched, a shiver running down his waist, and immediately sank back onto the sofa: “My Lord?”

Chu Ci gestured seriously, then shook his head: “No, not the right time.”

His female monarch had just been injured; his body was still recovering. He didn’t have the energy to nurture an egg right now.

Chu Ci chuckled. “I’ll let you off for now.”

After settling Lin En, the two of them returned to the master bedroom. When the moon hung high among the willows, they resumed their nightly routine.

Nuo Wei hunched over, clutching the sheets in discomfort, eyes glistening with tears. “You said you’d let me off first…”

Chu Ci maintained a steady tone. “The doctor said once a day.”

The zerg race was truly remarkable. Even trauma in the mental sea could be healed with pheromones. Nuo Wei’s condition was tricky, but the doctor still recommended frequent… output.

In the middle of the night, Lin En, groggy, got up from the guest room to find the bathroom. As soon as he opened the door, he paused. “What’s that sound?”

An unusual noise in the house, like a thief had broken in.

Confused, Lin En turned, flicked on the main light, and cautiously looked around. Nobody was there; everyone else was asleep.

He listened a bit longer, heard nothing, and, still a bit dazed from the alcohol, assumed it was just a hallucination. He went to the bathroom to relieve himself.

But just a wall away, Nuo Wei bit down on a pillow.

Zerg females were extremely perceptive. He could hear everything through the door. He pressed all his soft breaths into his throat, eyes reddened, and looked at Chu Ci. “…Let me off… mmph!”

Chu Ci didn’t stop, but out of respect for his female’s embarrassment, he used his mouth to muffle the sound, preventing any noise and further shyness.

Lin En searched for a long while but didn’t find the “thief,” muttering curses. “What the hell…”

The next morning, Lin En wanted to stay another two days at Chu Ci’s, to catch up with old friends. Chu Ci didn’t say anything, but Nuo Wei immediately objected.

Ignoring Lin En’s confused question, “Why? Your house is so big”, he insisted on shooing him out.

Chu Ci laughed quietly from the side.

Three months later, Chu Ci scheduled a follow-up at the Central Hospital.

Nuo Wei’s condition was slowly improving. His cheeks had regained color, and his energy was far better than before. Chu Ci planned a full physical check-up.

Dr. Kaier received them again.

He still remembered when Chu Ci and Nuo Wei were at the hospital. At that time, the male insect’s head had a large swelling. He lay weakly in bed, exhausted and lifeless. The Major General had just returned from the correctional facility, drained of all vitality, with dried blood crusting his back. The hospital staff were counting the days, estimating how long the Major General would remain in exile.

Dr. Kaier had taken it upon himself to show the male insect photos from the correctional facility. It was meant as a gamble, but unexpectedly, Chu Ci really relented and got him released. At the time, Kyle had worried that the Major General had merely walked from one hell into another. Yet, with time passed, they had grown into the closeness they shared now.

Nuo Wei’s hand was tightly clasped in Chu Ci’s. They sat so close that, while waiting outside, the Major General leaned against the male insect’s shoulder and fell asleep, without a trace of worry about reproach or anger.

And of course, the male didn’t scold him. He lowered his gaze to the sleeping female, eyes full of gentle warmth, then bent down to kiss his forehead.

Lightly. Tenderly.

Dr. Kaier watched from the side. Such delicate, intimate gestures could not be faked. The male zerg, just as he had shown in the tribunal, truly loved his female monarch.

Dr. Kaier let out a sigh of relief.

He called Nuo Wei and Chu Ci in, attached electrodes to the Major General’s forehead, and started the machine to test the mental sea data.

When the paper report printed out, Dr. Kaier first skimmed it, then focused intently for a long while. Chu Ci began to grow anxious, repeatedly asking, “Is there a problem? Is there something wrong?”

Dr. Kaier pushed up his glasses and let a small smile appear.

“Excellent data. Unprecedented. The mental sea shows signs of healing. The rating has returned to A and is steadily improving. Based on these readings, I believe it won’t be long before the Major General can return to the battlefield.”

Chu Ci exhaled a long, relieved breath.

Nuo Wei’s wings were so beautiful, they belonged in the sky, soaring freely, dedicating themselves to the work he loved, not confined to a small space.

Dr. Kaier imported the data into the light brain. “Congratulations to both of you. This is yet another unprecedented miracle.”

Chu Ci and Nuo Wei nodded in thanks, then stood and left hand in hand.

Dr. Kaier flipped through the report behind them, noting the excellent data, then watched them go together. Seeing the joy radiating from the Major General’s expression, he thought suddenly, “Perhaps this isn’t a miracle after all.”

Perhaps every female zerg bathed in love and care would be like Nuo Wei.

Perhaps their mental sea could be healed, their fallen ranks restored, and their condition would quickly improve, but in the past, no male zerg had ever treated his female so well. No one had been so thoughtful and attentive, staying by the side of a fallen female, accompanying him as he slowly recovered. That was all.