SZAR Chapter 65

The male zerg said, “Please don’t mind,” then extended a hand, hovering in front of Yi Xi as if offering a handshake.

His movement was precise, elegant, like a well-trained aristocrat. Yet this kind of etiquette belonged at a business banquet; male zerg would never invite their females like this.

Yi Xi paused, placed his hand over it, and returned a polite smile. “Hello, I’m Yi Xi.”

Something felt strange in his chest. He gave a slight, courteous shake, planning to withdraw his hand, when the male zerg leaned down and performed a move no one could have expected.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss onto the back of Yi Xi’s hand.

It was very light, like a feather settling on skin, yet the male zerg deliberately prolonged the moment, stretching what should have been a fleeting courtesy into something endlessly lingering.

Yi Xi’s brow twitched; he froze completely.

The hand-kissing was a common practice among Germanic nobility, still frequently used in modern times. In his previous life, Cointreau had performed this gesture for more than one lady when accompanying a patron at social gatherings.

But this time was different.

Chu Xiu hadn’t originally intended to kiss so boldly; he feared being reckless and startling Yi Xi.

Yet the head of Stellar’s hands were long-boned, fingers slim, with slight calluses on the pads from years of holding a pen, but the skin was delicate and well cared for. Chu Xiu held his hand as though it were a priceless treasure. Unable to resist, he brought it to his lips and kissed it lightly, like a dragonfly skimming water.

Yi Xi’s fingers trembled, as if burned by the heat of the male zerg’s lips. He froze, unsure how to respond.

Luckily, Chu Xiu meant no further action. He released Yi Xi’s hand, resuming his seat with a gentle smile. Yi Xi followed suit, unconsciously rubbing the back of his right hand with his left, visibly uneasy.

“I say! You two—”

Chu Xiu finally remembered there was another person in the room. He frowned at Chu Jin, whose suspicious gaze just happened to fall on him. “What joke is this? You’re Chu Xiu? Impossible!”

Though Chu Jin was his brother, he had never respected him, partly due to the difference in rank, partly because Chu Xiu’s taste and dress had always been embarrassingly out of line, bringing shame to the Chu family. But now?

Now this tall, handsome, and imposing male Zerg… is Chu Xiu?

Chu Xiu didn’t want to deal with Chu Jin. This was a once-in-a-lifetime wedding; Yi Xi was sitting across from him, and he didn’t want to use violence in front of him.

So he looked coldly at Chu Jin and asked, “Do you want me to make you leave, or will you go yourself?”

Chu Jin’s spine chilled. The presence of the male zerg before him was so overwhelming that he could hardly equate him with the timid, submissive brother he had always known. Yet years of being suppressed by Chu Xiu left him resentful. He straightened his neck and tried to sound tough: “You actually tell me to leave? I’m a B—”

Chu Xiu sighed. “Looks like I’ll have to make you leave myself.”

He opened the door, grabbed Chu Jin by the collar, and lifted him outside. Then he gestured toward the two female zergs inside: “You two, come with him?”

The two blond youths exchanged a glance, slightly bowed, and stepped out together.

Chu Xiu spread his hand and clicked his tongue.

Chu Jin’s neck broke out in a cold sweat, sticky against his collar. Chu Xiu’s hand had brushed the sweat as he lifted him.

He nodded to Yi Xi. “I’ll go wash my hands.”

Yi Xi naturally agreed. “By all means, Your Excellency.”

Chu Xiu pushed the door and stepped out. The inner hall was empty. Yi Xi relaxed slightly, leaning back in his chair.

He felt fatigued.

Whether it was the earlier complicated wedding preparations, Chu Jin’s aggressive attitude, or dealing with guests whose thoughts were hard to read, every little bit drained Yi Xi’s energy. Yet, to his relief, the male zerg seemed different from the rumors.

He raised his hand; the back still held the warmth of the zerg’s touch.

At his age, apart from unpleasant memories of childhood, Yi Xi had almost never been in close contact with a male zerg. Cointreau had been the only exception, but Cointreau was still a child who had not undergone the second awakening. Yi Xi had instinctively treated him like a younger brother needing guidance, not a sexually mature male zerg.

But Chu Xiu…

Chu Xiu’s appearance astonished him. The second awakening could change one’s looks, but Chu Xiu’s transformation was staggering. He still remembered the photo of the previous sea-urchin-like youth, eyes slanted at the camera, exuding anger and arrogance. The male zerg at the wedding, however, was overwhelmingly handsome, so much that even Yi Xi, who had seen his share of beauty, was momentarily stunned.

Even more surprising to Yi Xi was the male zerg’s etiquette. His hand-kissing gesture was so precise it could serve as a textbook example of noble protocol. Such a level of formality usually appeared only with strictly disciplined noble female zerg, but a male?

Yi Xi felt so many things were beyond his control that he could hardly focus to carefully discern their meaning. He leaned back in his chair, lowered his eyes, and raised his light-brain to send a message to Secretary Lin: 【 Isn’t it time to update your database? 】

How could this male zerg differ so much from the intelligence reports?

Meanwhile, Chu Xiu, also very different from the reports, hurried into the restroom. He moved briskly and collided head-on with someone coming out, another handsome male zerg. The two nodded to each other, apologized, and passed by.

Five meters away, Chu Xiu glanced back subtly, without leaving any trace of it.

This isn’t something you see among zergs. A male so polite and observant of etiquette was extremely rare.

Chu Xiu entered the front hall. Chu Jin had already been escorted out by staff. He seemed shaken by Chu Xiu’s transformation and hadn’t struggled at all, so the other guests remained unaware of the incident.

When Chu Xiu walked in, the guests were still lamenting Yi Xi’s predicament.

“Such a powerful leader, and he meets such misfortune?”

“Yeah, the whole Star Network blew up. I got the news and thought it was a prank.”

“Stellar’s stock has tanked; I still have tens of thousands of shares…what a loss.”

Chu Xiu ignored these murmurs. Time would reveal everything. Yet when he overheard certain conversations, he couldn’t help pausing.

“Did you know underground bets were placed? Betting on how long Yi Xi will survive after the wedding. The most popular wager is seven days.”

“If you bet on a year, the odds are 1:1000.”

In other words, the vast majority believed Yi Xi would not survive a year.

Chu Xiu took a deep breath and entered the inner hall.

His movements were light. Yi Xi, unlike other female Zerg, was not particularly alert, so the sound of the hinges opening didn’t catch his attention. The leader of Stellar leaned wearily against the chair, raising a hand to shield his eyes, as if trying to avoid the too-bright lights.

Chu Xiu asked softly, “Why aren’t you eating?”

The dishes on the table were still untouched, as if just served. Yi Xi didn’t even pick up his chopsticks.

The person resting stiffened in surprise. Yi Xi said, “Sorry, I didn’t notice you had returned.” He started to rise from the chair, but Chu Xiu pressed down on his shoulder, forcing him to stay seated. “What do you want to eat? I’ll bring it right to you,” he asked.

The inner hall had a noble-style long table, with the finest ingredients placed on the male zerg’s side.

Yi Xi struggled in vain. “It’s fine,” he said. “There’s already enough in front of me.”

He didn’t want to eat anything.

Chu Xiu’s tall figure cast a shadow that almost enveloped him completely. Yi Xi’s childhood had been marked by kidnapping, leaving him with a natural aversion to male zerg’s presence. Cointreau had been the only exception. Now, with Chu Xiu so close, looming above him, pinning him so that he couldn’t escape, it was hard not to recall events he thought long buried: being tied to a school desk and chair, feeling the slick, disgusting touch sliding down from the collar of a male zerg behind him.

Yi Xi’s face remained calm, but the hand holding the silver fork trembled slightly, uncontrollably.

This was a PTSD reaction rooted in flesh and blood, beyond the control of his will. Yi Xi could only try to limit the shaking of his elbows, hoping Chu Xiu wouldn’t notice.

If he were noticed, a female zerg with such a serious flaw would be unqualified to become the female monarch of a male zerg.

But Chu Xiu held his hand.

The tall, handsome male zerg pulled over a chair and sat beside him, enclosing Yi Xi’s hand in his palm, touching it carefully. Leaning down, he looked at Yi Xi’s long fingers with concern. “You’re shaking. What’s wrong?”

Yi Xi jerked his hand back like it had been electrified. Afterward, he realized he needed to explain: “Sorry… I didn’t do it on purpose.”

It wasn’t a very good excuse. Most male zerg didn’t care whether a female’s resistance was intentional or not. They only cared whether the resistance was real.

Chu Xiu didn’t mind. He withdrew his hand, pointed outside, and asked, “Do you want me to go with you and toast everyone?”

Having the groom appear at the banquet, interacting closely with Yi Xi, might even help stop the drop in Stellar Group’s stock.

Yi Xi was slightly surprised.

He hadn’t expected the male zerg to make such a proposal. Unsure of Chu Xiu’s intentions, he simply nodded. “Alright.”

Chu Xiu stood up and, at the same time, pulled out Yi Xi’s chair, gesturing politely for him to step forward.

Yi Xi stood and only then noticed how excessively tall the male zerg was.

Chu Xiu’s proportions were perfect, his beautiful body wrapped neatly in his suit, like a male model on a runway. Earlier, Yi Xi hadn’t fully realized it, but now, standing, he saw just how much shorter he was in comparison.

A female zerg is, after all, much shorter than a male zerg.

Even though Yi Xi was tall for a female zerg, standing next to Chu Xiu, he had to tilt his eyes upward to meet his gaze.

Chu Xiu seemed completely unaware of any imbalance. He lowered his head and asked with a smile, “Ready? Let’s go.”

Then he opened the door and casually looped an arm around Yi Xi’s waist.

Yi Xi’s eyebrows twitched.

The male zerg’s movement was so fluid that it was hard not to suspect he had done this a thousand times before.

Yi Xi usually wore business-cut suits with a looser waist, but this time he was wearing a slim-fit style. The fabric clung to his body, accentuating his slender waistline, which made Chu Xiu’s touch feel amplified, almost as if it were directly on his skin.

Chu Xiu’s hand was proper and restrained, resting on Yi Xi’s waist without any extraneous motion, but the warmth of his fingers was unmistakable through the fabric. It made the skin on Yi Xi’s side break out in goosebumps.

The inner hall doors opened. Yi Xi and the male zerg walked out together, instantly drawing every eye in the room. Yi Xi offered a polite, businesslike smile and began to make rounds of toasts, engaging in brief conversation here and there.

Chu Xiu didn’t know the guests and couldn’t follow their business talk. He held Yi Xi’s waist with impeccable manners and graceful posture, allowing everyone to take in the scene, perfectly playing the role of an attractive, dignified vase.

In his previous life, Chu Xiu had often played the role of a decorative presence. At gatherings, as the bigshots clinked glasses back and forth, he would just stand there holding a cup, smiling politely, playing the part of the social glue. Chu Xiu was completely at ease with this; it caused him no discomfort at all.

Gradually, the gazes from all around shifted, from cautious, to bold, and finally, many people couldn’t take their eyes off him.

Good heavens…this is a male zerg?

He was strikingly beautiful, with an outstanding figure. Just standing there, he commanded the room’s attention. And with his arm around Yi Xi’s waist, occasionally leaning close to whisper, he looked utterly attentive and affectionate.

Many of the bigshots present were puzzled.

How could this male zerg be so different from the rumors? Weren’t they supposed to be violent and wild?

The company’s intelligence department was going to need a serious update!

A faint unease rose in Yi Xi’s chest. He worried that the male zerg might suddenly lash out in front of the guests, or that a long ceremony might irritate him. But Chu Xiu remained completely calm the entire time. In fact, toward the end, he even seemed to drift off into thought, smiling gently.

While lost in thought, his hand, which was properly resting at his side, unconsciously began to move.

This was a habit from his previous life as bartender Cointreau: a bartender’s wrists must stay flexible, and when there was a long pause between one guest and the next, he would roll a walnut in his hands to relax. Over time, even when spacing out, his fingers kept moving.

Yi Xi let out a quiet hiss.

The contact at his waist was too distinct; even the flesh along his side tingled. He leaned forward slightly, trying to focus on his conversation with the business partners, but Chu Xiu didn’t withdraw. His fingers stayed pressed firmly against Yi Xi’s side, warm enough to feel almost scorching.

Yi Xi tilted his head slightly, subtly glancing at Chu Xiu, and saw that he was daydreaming.

It was like the times in meetings when employees below would zone out.

This subtle, hidden motion made Yi Xi relax, and oddly, it carried a hint of familiarity. Compelled by instinct, he reached out and grasped Chu Xiu’s hand, pulling it down.

After doing this, even Yi Xi himself froze in surprise.

For a newlywed female zerg, this gesture was far too bold.

Many of the onlookers were sharp-eyed, and noticing the subtle movement between them, quite a few drew in a sharp breath.

Pulling away from the male zerg’s hand…so bold?

They silently held their breath, expecting the male zerg to make a scene. But Chu Xiu didn’t overreact; he just let out a soft “oh” and obediently withdrew his hand.

Yi Xi’s thoughts stirred.

That obedient expression… seemed a little familiar?