SZAR Chapter 66

One round of toasts followed another, leaving Yi Xi barely a moment to breathe.

The business partners all had their own agendas, subtly trying to test the male zerg’s limits.

After all, the male zerg’s demeanor would influence how various companies treated Stellar. If he was as calm and gentle as he appeared today, Yi Xi could hold firmly onto the top position of Stellar, and the company’s stock might even rebound against the trend.

The toasting session lasted a full half hour.

Yi Xi maintained his polite smile throughout. He had attended such business banquets before, but under his sleeve, his fingers twitched, brushing lightly across his abdomen in a small, unnatural motion.

Having drunk too much, his stomach began to protest.

Chu Xiu, standing nearby, noticed Yi Xi’s discomfort immediately.

Since their chance encounter at the hospital, he had gone through all the information on Yi Xi available on StarNet, was well aware of Yi Xi’s physical condition, and knew that he shouldn’t overindulge in alcohol.

Another glass was handed over, Mr. Assa, Executive Director of Celestial Sphere Group, placed a strong drink in Yi Xi’s hand and smiled: “Congratulations, Sir. We were worried about your mental state if you didn’t get married, but now you’ve found your perfect match, truly congratulations!”

Yi Xi paused slightly.

“Found a perfect match?” – Did that “found” refer to the time Yi Xi accidentally crashed his vehicle into the male zerg, sending him to the hospital?

Everyone knew Yi Xi had male-zerg PTSD and had firmly resolved never to marry. That he was marrying a male zerg now was entirely out of necessity. And yet, Mr. Assa brought up old events and even handed him a strong drink, his intentions were so obvious.

But even such a blatant trap, Yi Xi still stepped right into it.

Stellar had long been on shaky ground, and countless people were waiting for news from this wedding. If the male zerg was willing to show face, Yi Xi had to make the most of it to leave Stellar any chance of turning the situation around.

Smiling politely, Yi Xi took the glass and gestured distantly: “Cheers, cheers.”

He brought the glass to his lips, ready to drink, when a hand suddenly reached out and gripped his wrist.

The hold was firm enough to prevent escape but not painful.

Yi Xi froze.

Everyone held their breath.

Here it comes! After nearly half an hour of delay, the male zerg was finally losing patience!

In everyone’s mind, calculations ran wild: If this was the male zerg’s limit and he didn’t act further, the amount of stock they could buy back could be larger; if he lashed out; sudden anger, punches, kicks, that sort of thing, they would have to reduce their shares accordingly…

Yet no one expected Chu Xiu to intercept the tall wine glass.

The handsome male zerg moved Yi Xi safely behind him, a smile at his lips: “Sorry, everyone. He seems to have had a bit too much. We still have other plans tonight, so I’m afraid he can’t drink anymore.”

Before anyone could wonder what those “other plans” might be, Chu Xiu swirled the sparkling wine in his glass and, raising it slightly toward Assa, did so with the elegance of a 19th-century gentleman in a top hat: “But you’ve already made the toast, Director. If not drinking feels improper, then how about I drink in his place?”

“…”

Everyone had speculated endlessly about how the male zerg would react, but no one had imagined this. Assa hesitated, then nodded: “Alright…”

Chu Xiu lifted his glass and drank it in one go.

He didn’t like drinking this way, good wine needed careful preparation to bring out its true flavor; guzzling it in one swallow was the greatest insult to a skilled mixologist. Yet he was perfectly capable of doing so. On the contrary, Chu Xiu had excellent tolerance for alcohol.

So everyone watched, eyes wide, as his throaty Adam’s apple moved seductively while the glass emptied. Then he tilted the glass to show it was empty.

Chu Xiu handed the empty glass to a nearby server: “Anyone else want to toast? I’ll handle Yi Xi’s portion.”

As a male zerg, of course no one dared risk offending him. People exchanged glances but no one spoke up.

Yi Xi lowered his eyes slightly, his expression hidden behind golden-rimmed glasses, yet the emotion in his gaze was more complex than ever.

Why was this male zerg… doing this?

Assa’s intention was to trouble him. The strong liquor he had offered was 60 or 70 proof, burning hot down the throat. The male zerg could have stopped him in a thousand ways, yet he chose the gentlest. Why?

A businessman valued fair deals above all. Yi Xi held no resentment toward Chu Xiu. After all, Chu Xiu had ended up in the hospital because of him, he had paid with the latter half of his life. That was a fair transaction. But this protection… what purpose did it serve, and how should he repay it?

The half-hour-long round of toasting finally ended. Assa stepped aside, and Chu Xiu took Yi Xi’s hand to leave, though his step faltered slightly.

He had drunk too quickly and felt a little dizzy.

Yi Xi hurried to steady him: “Your Excellency?”

“Nothing.” Chu Xiu regained his balance. “Shall we leave a bit earlier?”

He had never enjoyed these pretentious banquets. Now with an excuse, he just wanted to spend time alone with Yi Xi.

Confused, Yi Xi found himself being led onto the aircraft.

The male zerg’s hand was warm, carrying a familiar air in his expression. They settled into the back seat, Yi Xi pressing his back against the chair. The nerves he had just begun to relax tensed once again.

The male zerg collapsed onto him, a fuzzy head nuzzling over to rest against his shoulder blades.

Strangely, that mid-length black hair looked coarse, but it felt soft and plush.

Yi Xi jumped slightly and whispered, “Your Excellency?”

Chu Xiu hummed in response. His voice thick with nasal tone from the alcohol, it sounded sluggish and drawn-out: “Let me sleep a while… my head is dizzy.”

Yi Xi lowered his head. The handsome male zerg nestled against his shoulder; from Yi Xi’s angle, all he could see was his sharp nose bridge.

His instinctive aversion to males made him feel awkward, goosebumps rising uncontrollably along the back of his neck. Yet this young male had just shielded him from the alcohol and now, with such gentle, soft behavior, was asking for nothing more than rest. No one could refuse him, Yi Xi couldn’t either.

He let out a barely audible sigh. “Then… rest quickly.”

The male zerg shifted slightly, found a comfortable spot with his fuzzy head, sighed in satisfaction, and stayed still, resting his head.

Yi Xi froze, shoulder stiff, not moving.

During the three days at the villa, he had imagined the male zerg’s behavior. Ignoring him seemed the safest choice. There were countless other matters he couldn’t dwell on, but none of his imagined options included a male zerg sleeping on his shoulder, looking so calm and at ease.

Their skin wasn’t touching directly, separated by clothing, but over the long flight, Yi Xi seemed to grow accustomed to the contact. Gradually he relaxed, fatigue and drowsiness pressing down, and eventually, in the warm cabin, he tilted his head slightly, resting it against the male zerg’s head, and fell asleep.

After hearing Yi Xi’s steady breathing, Chu Xiu quietly opened his eyes.

………………

When Yi Xi woke, it was already late.

He looked at the clock on the wall, 9:00 p.m. The throbbing ache in his forehead made him rub it with his fingers; his head was foggy from the alcohol, and his stomach burned. But he had no time for that, he was simply astonished.

Why was he in bed?

His last memory was of the male zerg’s head leaning toward him in the cabin. Now, he was wearing silk pajamas, lying comfortably in the master bedroom’s large bed. The central air conditioning was set to sleep mode, a gentle breeze blowing.

“…”

Everything today had been so strange, completely beyond his control. Uneasily, he sat up and noticed a pair of slippers neatly placed beside the bed.

The scene felt familiar, he had woken up like this at Cointreau’s house as well.

Yi Xi slipped on the slippers and went downstairs. Pausing slightly at the corner of the staircase, his long, beautiful eyes widened. He removed his glasses to wipe them, then put them back on the bridge of his nose.

The male zerg was in the kitchen.

Through the frosted glass, a hazy silhouette could be seen, he had taken off his suit and vest from outside, wearing only a white shirt and a brown apron, busy at the stove, stirring something.

His movements were practiced; he was cooking.

Yi Xi’s heart raced uncontrollably.

Blood pumped from his heart to his limbs, sending a shiver through his torso. A single thought sparked in his mind, quickly igniting into a roaring fire. His hand trembling on the railing, he could barely step down the stairs.

Could it be? Could there really be two male zergs who act clever and obedient, two who would prepare slippers for him, and two who could wear an apron and cook in the kitchen?

If that were impossible, then this male zerg…

Yi Xi felt as if he were still hungover, his mind foggy, barely able to sustain thought. The usually composed head of Stellar lost his poise once again in front of the male zerg. Standing on the staircase, all his usual decisiveness crumbled to dust. The busy figure in the kitchen seemed like a fleeting vision, electric and dewy, a momentary illusion, so much so that Yi Xi felt a nervous dread, like the fear of approaching home after a long absence.

That disastrous car accident hadn’t destroyed the rest of his life, yet it had delivered to him a male zerg so rare that even in dreams, the entire empire could hardly offer one. Could Heaven be so generous?

Yi Xi gripped the railing as if frozen, not moving forward for what felt like an eternity.

But the male zerg in the kitchen had already noticed him.

Chu Xiu called out, “The soup’s ready, come on.”

Using tongs, he placed a bowl of soup into a pristine white porcelain dish and carefully pushed it toward Yi Xi. “You didn’t eat at the banquet. You must be hungry, right?”

Yi Xi looked down. In front of him was a bowl of cordyceps chicken soup. The oil had been skimmed clean, leaving a bright yellow broth that gleamed in the light. The base was exceptionally clear, a result of slow, gentle simmering.

He couldn’t speak. He reached out to take the spoon from the male zerg and tasted a shallow spoonful.

Yi Xi ate without tasting.

He lifted his head. The tall, handsome male zerg was holding one arm, watching him nervously yet expectantly. For a moment, he overlapped in Yi Xi’s mind with that obedient, delicate little bartender.

They were clearly not the same. The male zerg was strikingly handsome, radiating noble aura, his hair a quiet, mysterious black. His sharp temperament made him look almost aggressive, a strong, intense appearance. Yet the little bartender had been obedient and cute, with a fluffy chestnut-colored head of hair.

But now, this sharp-tempered male zerg looked at him nervously, yet in that expression, he was exactly like the obedient, cute little bartender.

Yi Xi did something even he didn’t expect.

He placed his hand on top of the male zerg’s head.

The male zerg, who held Yi Xi’s life and well-being in his hands, leaned in obediently. Yi Xi hesitated for a moment, then gently stroked him, asking in a very soft voice, “Cointreau?”

The male zerg nodded, replying just as softly, “Yes, it’s me.”

It really was him.

Yi Xi could hardly describe the feelings swirling inside him; delight, relief, a touch of confusion and disbelief; all eventually dissolving into overwhelming exhaustion. He slumped back in his chair, shading his eyes from the harsh light with one hand, murmuring, “It really is you.”

A scene that could never have happened even in dreams, was it really happening?

Chu Xiu misread the exhaustion. He dragged a chair beside Yi Xi. The male zerg was so tall that his long legs had to curl up awkwardly under the chair. Carefully, he asked, “Are you angry?”

“Because of what I hid… are you angry?”

Yi Xi shook his head. “No.”

Yet even as he said it, the arm shielding his eyes never lowered.

Chu Xiu didn’t believe it. He leaned over and pushed the soup closer, like a squirrel offering a pinecone to a human: “Drink.”

—I made this soup for you. Don’t be angry.

Yi Xi let out a choked laugh.

How could such a male zerg exist? He made drinks for him, cooked soup for him, and carefully asked him not to be angry.

He shook his head again. “I’m not angry.”

He simply couldn’t be angry at Cointreau.

“But…” Chu Xiu hesitated, then said, “Why are you still so formal with me?”

The male zerg leaned beside Yi Xi and counted off one by one: “You didn’t want me to hold your waist, you shook me off at the banquet, and you kept calling me ‘Your Excellency.’”

Was he bringing up old grievances?

Yi Xi was slightly startled. “I hadn’t recognized you back then.”

Chu Xiu said, “Now you recognize me, and you’re still not angry… can you use another name for me?”

He propped his head on one hand, leaning on the table, his beautiful peach-blossom eyes looking at Yi Xi: “The one a female monarch calls his male after marriage —can you do that?”

Yi Xi froze.

He paused, then slowly realized what the male zerg wanted him to call him.

Male Lord

Yi Xi’s lips trembled slightly. These two simple words felt like they were stuck in his throat; no matter what, he could not form the syllables. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes betrayed his confusion, and a faint blush crept up his ears.

If Chu Xiu were truly just the cruel, ruthless sadist that intelligence reports described, Yi Xi could have said the words without hesitation, like spitting out meaningless social pleasantries. But Cointreau… but Cointreau —

Cointreau was so much younger, had just undergone his second awakening, and Yi Xi had touched his head countless times, always treating him as a little brother who needed protection.

Chu Xiu tilted his head, staring at him without blinking.

Yi Xi’s breath caught, and after struggling for a moment, he gave up.

No. No matter what, he couldn’t say it.

He drew a deep breath and turned his head, refusing to look at Chu Xiu.

Seeing this, Chu Xiu let out a sigh.

He stretched the sigh long and winding, lingering like a note drawn out in a choir. The male zerg hung his head low, his black hair soft and falling forward. He voiced his grievance, his tone heavy, as if deeply wronged:

“Ahh — I knew Yi Xi was tricking me. How could he not be angry? He must be furious.”

Yi Xi’s brow twitched, a little unsettled. He couldn’t handle this when it was Cointreau; now, seeing Chu Xiu like this, he still couldn’t handle it.

The male zerg seemed to notice his hesitation, continuing to sigh in drawn-out bursts, like the male lead in an opera tormented by love.

“Ahh — Yi Xi must hate me to death. Otherwise, now that we’re married, why won’t he call me ‘Male Lord’?”