SZAR Chapter 64

⟦ He likes you very, very, very much! ⟧

Yi Xi smiled gently.

If anyone else had said this, he might not have thought much of it, but coming from a robot, he couldn’t help but consider the meaning behind the words.

Although the robot butler looked intelligent, the Empire had not yet developed artificial life. Every word the robot spoke came from its core programming.

That is, the settings implanted in its main chip when purchased by its owner.

This was a male zerg’s villa. The robot’s owner could only be a male Zerg. So what exactly had that male Zerg done to make the robot come to such a conclusion?

“To like him very, very, very much,” yet he and the male zerg had never even met. Was that possible?

Confusion and puzzlement lingered with Yi Xi all the way until he finished his shower and went to bed, his body wrapped in fine silk. He still felt a vague, unreal sense of disorientation.

The long-feared first day of instruction, was it over?

No difficulties, no tests, not even a teacher. He was just living alone in this comfortable villa, with a cute robot butler to take care of him.

Si Si was extremely thoughtful. In the afternoon, Yi Xi took a short nap; when he came downstairs, Si Si was taking fresh ingredients out of the fridge, then, using automated programming, prepared a meal of four dishes and one soup. After Yi Xi finished eating, Si Si turned on the TV for him, prepared his bath, and reminded him when it was time to sleep.

The next two days went much the same. Si Si even opened the study for him. Yi Xi would wake naturally, have breakfast, read, stroll in the garden, water the plants, then take a bath and sleep.

The head of Stellar’s first half of life had been like a workaholic; irregular meals and sleep were normal for him. Yet these three days at Chu Xiu’s residence were, surprisingly, the most orderly days of his life.

The three days he had imagined to be unbearably difficult felt more like a leisurely holiday.

By the rules, he wasn’t supposed to use his light brain during instruction, but the Male Zerg Protection Association and Chu Xiu seemed to have completely forgotten that. Yi Xi was allowed free movement throughout the villa, and no one made any move to confiscate his device.

During the first two days, Yi Xi avoided touching his light brain, worried the male zerg might take revenge later. But on the third day, while having breakfast, he accidentally brushed it and opened the chat interface with Secretary Lin.

In just three days, Secretary Lin had sent him over a hundred messages.

He seemed convinced that his boss wouldn’t live much longer, crying and wailing every day, occasionally sending sorrowful little essays.

【 Ah, Boss, I just bought some soy milk downstairs, and couldn’t help thinking of you…】

【 Remember how you ordered milk tea for us new employees at the tea party… sniff sniff… will I never get to drink your milk tea again? 】

【 In the morning, when the sun has just risen, it’s a perfect time to start work. I was in the pantry drinking soy milk and eating fried dough sticks. How about you? What are you eating? 】

【 Damn it, the male zerg wouldn’t skip your breakfast, right? sob sob QAQ 】

Secretary Lin had been with Yi Xi for a long time, yet he had never realized how unreliable Secretary Lin could be. Yi Xi pressed a hand to his forehead, silent for a long moment, then couldn’t resist and snapped a photo of his breakfast to send.

【 Stop crying. I’m eating. 】

Si Si was the most advanced household robot, equipped with the highest-level recipes. This breakfast was nutritionally balanced: Western items like milk butter bread and bacon cheese, Chinese items like fried dough sticks, soy milk, and soup dumplings, plus desserts like pudding and mousse.

All the dishes were served on bone china plates, bright and appealing, not inferior to a five-star buffet. When Secretary Lin received the photos, he quietly went silent.

He timidly sent a: 【 ? 】

【 Boss, can you use your light brain? 】

Yi Xi replied, 【 There’s no ban, but it’s best not to use it frequently 】

【 …Judging by this breakfast, you’ve been living well these past few days? 】

Yi Xi answered concisely,【Not bad.】

【 Has the male zerg given you any trouble? 】

Yi Xi paused. 【 No. 】

The male zerg wasn’t around at all.

Chu Xiu hadn’t sent any messages, and he hadn’t responded to the wedding arrangements Yi Xi sent; neither agreeing nor objecting. It was as if he had completely vanished, leaving Yi Xi alone in the villa. Yet the fully stocked fridge and the thoughtful robot clearly showed that the male zerg had not forgotten him.

So what exactly did this young master of the Chu family mean?

Yi Xi tried to contact the Male Zerg Protection Association, but citing the male zerg’s privacy, they refused to disclose any information. Left entirely on his own, Yi Xi finalized the timing, hotel, guests, dishes, and every other detail of the wedding.

He didn’t even know the male zerg’s preferences very well.

No matter how much Yi Xi worried, the days flowed by like water, and soon it was the set wedding date. Yi Xi checked his light brain one last time, the communication interface was blank; the male zerg still hadn’t sent any messages.

Suppressing the faint unease in his heart, he drove to the wedding venue accompanied by the Male Zerg Protection Association.

Even fallen, the authority of the Stellar Group head’s wedding was impressive. The location was the most luxurious hotel in the imperial capital. The building had 33 floors in total, surrounded by open gardens and lakes. Rising from the greenery, its exterior was clad in large slabs of expensive obsidian. The top floor featured floor-to-ceiling windows made of sapphire glass, highly transparent, offering a panoramic view of the city streets.

According to Yi Xi’s intelligence, the male zerg had a flamboyant, high-profile personality, he would probably like this hotel.

Secretary Lin greeted guests at the entrance, and upon seeing Yi Xi, he was so excited he nearly cried. “Boss!”

In a low voice, he updated Yi Xi: “Chu Ci has arrived. I placed him next to the inner hall. If anything goes wrong during the banquet, he’ll help mediate.”

Yi Xi nodded. “Thank him on my behalf.”

Chu Ci was a business associate Yi Xi had met by chance in Stellar affairs. Although, as a male Zerg, he shouldn’t really be working, his abilities were on par with any female zerg. What was more remarkable was his gentle and polite demeanor, he didn’t use his status to pressure others. If Yi Xi hadn’t met Cointreau, Chu Ci would have been the highest-rated male zerg in his eyes.

It sounded strange. Chu Ci was an A-rank male Zerg. Cointreau’s level was unknown, but probably not higher. Chu Ci was accomplished in his career, while Cointreau was still studying, but Yi Xi still preferred to praise Cointreau.

Such feelings were entirely unreasonable, like a strict parent: no matter how perfect someone else’s child was, their own child was always more endearing.

He drifted off in thought for a moment. Secretary Lin chattered on, but Yi Xi didn’t respond, prompting a puzzled glance. “…Boss?”

Yi Xi shook off his thoughts and asked, “Has anyone from the Chu family arrived?”

The male zerg didn’t respond, but Yi Xi still presented the invitation according to protocol, covering everyone from elders to juniors.

Secretary Lin said, “Chu Xiu’s younger brother, Chu Jin, has arrived. Their father is reportedly in the hospital and did not come.”

He hesitated for a moment, then added with worried concern, “Chu Jin looks very unwell. When he faced me just now, he was sarcastic and strange. He said you’re bold, that you dared to show off before even entering the house, and that you didn’t personally greet the guests… In short, his attitude was very poor.”

Yi Xi frowned slightly.

Although rumors had long circulated that the male zerg greatly disliked him, the groom’s personal absence today would undoubtedly confirm this aversion. Among the guests, some were Yi Xi’s true friends, but others were superficial acquaintances who would take delight in his discomfort. If the male zerg remained absent throughout the ceremony, the gossip about Yi Xi would become harsher, and Stellar’s stock would suffer further.

Secretary Lin pressed his lips together. “What should we do?”

A groom not attending his own wedding, how humiliating that would be.

Yi Xi nodded calmly. “Understood.”

He had anticipated this, but Chu Jin’s appearance was unexpected.

The Chu family’s younger master was seated in the inner room. Yi Xi walked through the hall. Former friends raised their glasses to him from a distance; Yi Xi nodded in response. Their expressions varied, some looked regretful, others indifferent.

As he approached the inner room, someone tapped Yi Xi on the shoulder. He turned and saw the Executive Director of the Celestial Sphere Group, someone he had met briefly before.

He nodded politely. “Mr. Assa.”

Mr. Assa had been an opera performer, and his speech carried a strange melodic cadence. He gave Yi Xi a meaningful look and traced a cross over his chest. “May Heaven bless you, sir.”

Yi Xi’s gaze briefly passed over the Celestial Sphere emblem on his chest. He nodded slightly and entered the inner room.

The inner room was empty. Only Chu Jin had come, along with his two companions, making a total of four people.

Both companions were female zergs. One stood stiffly to the side, while the other knelt on the ground, bowing his head and pressing his face against Chu Jin’s calf.

He was a boy with short golden hair. Chu Jin rested his foot on the boy’s shoulder, tugging a lock of hair to force him to lift his head. He was twisted into a painful pose, shoulders slumped, scalp stretched upward, looking utterly miserable.

Yi Xi kept his gaze steady. “Your Excellency.”

Chu Jin glanced at him lazily. “You’re Yi Xi?”

He released the boy’s hair and planted his bare foot on the boy’s back, eyeing him openly. “Not bad looking.”

Yi Xi had faced countless such looks in his youth and remained calm. “You flatter me.”

Perhaps his disinterested response annoyed Chu Jin. He looked at Yi Xi with amusement, then suddenly beckoned to the boy standing nearby. “Clement, come here.”

The boy walked over slowly. Chu Jin lifted his chin to show Yi Xi. “Pretty, isn’t he?”

The boy’s face was youthful and soft, delicate in line, with long golden hair, just like the one kneeling under Chu Jin’s foot.

Yi Xi nodded. “Pretty.”

Chu Jin said, “They’re twins. They’ve been serving me since childhood. My brother, Chu Xiu, oh, that’s your future male lord, has always had his eye on them.”

He emphasized the words future male lord with pride, then continued, “Sir, my brother’s been coveting them for years, always trying to take them, but I just don’t let him. Now, tell me, if I use him as a bargaining chip to play with you for one night, would my brother agree?”

Yi Xi: “…”

His instincts told him the male zerg would agree.

This was an absolutely terrible proposal. Chu Jin’s reputation surpassed even Chu Xiu’s. Chu Xiu had a history of cruelty, but Chu Jin had a record of torture leading to death. His rank was higher, making him even harder to handle.

Yi Xi clenched his hands under the table, but his face remained calm. “That’s a matter for the male lord. I dare not speculate.”

Chu Jin smiled.

“I’ve changed my mind,” he said softly. “You may be older, but your looks and figure are impressive, and your temperament matches. It would be a shame to marry my brother, that useless man who can’t even soothe you.”

Yi Xi looked at him coldly, saying nothing.

Chu Jin didn’t mind. He released the two boys beside him, suddenly stepped onto the table, and then sat down next to Yi Xi. From his elevated position, he looked down at the handsome, refined man before him, leaning closer to sniff him. “You’re wearing cologne, huh? All for the wedding?”

He spoke slowly. “What a pity… Chu Xiu might not even make it to the wedding. He insulted my father. You know my father, right? A respected B-rank male zerg. Chu Xiu made him so angry he ended up in the hospital. He’s already been taken to court, and now he’s in a real mess.”

Yi Xi remained silent.

Chu Jin grinned with pride. “If all goes well, I will inherit everything from him, including…”

He pointed lightly at Yi Xi. “…you.”

Yi Xi subtly furrowed his brow.

He had thought the previous situation was bad enough, but now he realized there could be something even worse.

Compared to this bizarre male zerg before him, perhaps the one with a history of cruelty, but who left a fridge full of food and the attentive robot Si Si, was easier to deal with.

Chu Jin moved closer, seemingly reaching to touch Yi Xi’s cheek. Just as Yi Xi was calculating how to defuse the situation without causing a scene, his light brain suddenly buzzed.

Secretary Lin spoke frantically through it, rapid-fire like a machine gun: “Boss! Something’s wrong!”

“A strange zerg just came to the door! Claims to be Chu Xiu, but he looks nothing like the photos. I tried to stop him, but he pushed my hands away and marched inside… ah! He’s already at the door of your room, trying to pull it open!”

Chu Jin froze. “What?”

Then came the sound of a hinge turning, and the door to the private room was pushed open. A tall, handsome male zerg stepped inside.

He had a tall, slender build, dressed in a formal suit; a tailored black jacket, a fitted vest over a crisp white shirt, a wine-red tie with a black obsidian tie clip. His hair looked hastily styled, tousled with a quick swipe of his fingers, shoulder-length, giving off a lazy, casual vibe. Looking down, his face was astonishingly beautiful: sharp brows, deep, affectionate peach-blossom eyes, a clear jawline. His attractiveness was almost aggressive.

— A strikingly intense look that hits at first glance, identical to Cointreau, who had been the center of attention in the previous world.

As long as Cointreau was present, he commanded the room’s gaze without question.

Everything about him was perfect, except that his suit pants seemed slightly short, a minor imperfection in an otherwise flawless appearance.

Chu Jin stood up in shock. “You?”

The handsome male zerg grabbed him by the collar, lifted him like a chick, placed him aside near the door as if he were an ornament, then pulled out a chair and sat directly across from Yi Xi.

He sat upright, not like a high-ranking male zerg at a wedding, but like a poised male model on a runway.

Yi Xi paused slightly. “Your Excellency?”

It was hard to reconcile the zerg before him with the explosive sea-urchin hair figure from the photos.

The zerg seemed to remember something. He stood, gave a polite, gentlemanly bow, and said with a courteous smile:

“Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Chu Xiu. I’m late due to personal reasons. I hope you don’t mind.”