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After washing the dishes, wiping the table, and cleaning his hands, Yu Chenyu returned to the living room.
His wife Qi Zihan sat at the dining table, reading something on his personal terminal.
Yu Chenyu didn’t release his spiritual power nor dare to invade Qi Zihan’s inner world, so he couldn’t see the terminal.
Qi Zihan typed something in the search box: jobs that females do
He wouldn’t give up searching for a job until he was sure that there was no male better than Yu Chenyu in this world and accepted him as his only spouse.
However, even if he accepted Yu Chenyu, he didn’t want to put all the financial pressure of both of them on one person. That would be unfair to Yu Chenyu.
Yu Chenyu elected not to disturb him. Instead, he went to the bathroom, wet a clean towel, and carefully wiped down the sofa.
Qi Zihan, noticing his actions from the corner of his eye, asked, “Are you a germaphobe?”
“No,” he replied. He knew what Qi Zihan really wanted to ask, so he continued, “I thought that you didn’t like males touching you, so it’s better to clean the sofa where a male sat. Indirect contact is still contact.”
He couldn’t touch Qi Zihan, so other males shouldn’t think about touching him either.
Even indirectly.
“I don’t like being touched by anyone, not just males.” Qi Zihan didn’t like being touched casually in general.
However, wasn’t it a bit much to clean the sofa so thoroughly just because another male sat on it?
“You’ve also slept on my bed, why don’t you change the sheets?” he couldn’t help teasing.
Yu Chenyu paused in his actions. After a moment of silence, he responded, “I’ll change it in a bit.”
Qi Zihan: “…”
Although he always said that he didn’t want to hang himself on Yu Chenyu’s tree, this man was more blockheaded than a tree!
He sighed lightly. “Never mind, you’re the one who made breakfast as well. If we really care about these details, we’ll both be exhausted.”
“Okay,” Yu Chenyu replied, feeling thankful that he had learned how to cook when he was younger so that he could improve the army’s food.
After wiping down the sofa, he noticed that Qi Zihan was no longer using his terminal. “Do you know about the Queen’s Banquet?” he asked tentatively.
“What banquet?” Qi Zihan had never heard of it.
“The Queen’s Banquet,” he repeated.
“What queen?” Qi Zihan was confused — wasn’t the ruler of this world the Imperial Marshal? The marshal who was a soldier? Where did a queen come from?
His reaction was almost a one-for-one replica of Yu Chenyu’s when he was reminded of the banquet.
Yu Chenyu almost laughed.
If it were possible, he really wanted to record the conversation just now and let Zhu Yunqi know what a 99.99% match rate meant!
Unfortunately that was illegal and he couldn’t do it.
Forcibly suppressing the urge to laugh, he repeated Zhu Yunqi’s words. “It’s a gathering for females that takes place once a month. The next one is tomorrow evening. I haven’t been to one before so I don’t know the details, do you want to go?”
“All females can go?”
“I think so.”
“Let me check.”
Qi Zihan skillfully searched for ‘Queen’s Banquet’ on his terminal.
As Yu Chenyu said, it was a large gathering for females, held once a month.
It was a more formal setting that allowed females to enjoy delicacies, participate in various activities, get to know other females, and exchange their different experiences.
For example, techniques for soothing males.
There wasn’t much information online so he couldn’t determine the extent of the gathering, but judging from what he could find, if he attended, he could not only collect intelligence but also make connections and acquire resources. It was completely beneficial with no harm.
Qi Zihan was tempted, feeling that this banquet was exactly what he needed.
He would be able to understand this world more intuitively and at the same time pave the way for his future job search.
However, although it wasn’t required to bring a gift to the banquet, he did have to bring his spouse – at least one of them – because there was a ballroom dancing event.
“Do you want to go?” he asked.
“I’m not suited to this kind of occasion,” Yu Chenyu said, tactfully expressing his refusal, though he then added, “but I’ll go with you if you want.”
Although Qi Zihan was glad that he was willing to accompany him, he still had to give a particular reminder. “Don’t force yourself. Don’t forget our relationship, you have no reason to make any sacrifices for me.”
“I do.” There was no way Yu Chenyu could let his wife walk away, yet he couldn’t say it. Instead, his reasoning was, “Your soothing has extended my life by two years. Even if we weren’t married, you saved my life — I have to repay you.”
“Alright,” he accepted, “Then you’ll accompany me tomorrow at 7 PM, to repay me for saving your life.”
Of course, Yu Chenyu agreed.
Although he didn’t know what would happen at the banquet, he believed that Qi Zihan wouldn’t embarrass him – after all, he had promised so.
He promised not to publicly humiliate him, nor to give him to other females.
What Yu Chenyu didn’t know was that he had more to be worried about than the banquet scheduled for the next evening.
Just as Qi Zihan was looking up more information on the banquet using his terminal and choosing clothing to wear from the starnet, a bold conspiracybrewed among a group of male zergs who were on the verge of losing control.
“It would be amazing if I can get soothing from the female who can directly clear out control loss even once, but I don’t even know where he lives.”
“Maybe he’ll go to the Queen’s Banquet tomorrow.”
“What do you mean? So what if we can meet him? There’s no way he’ll marry us, let alone give soothing.”
“Aren’t there ‘inducers’?”
“Spiritual inducers? You mean the kind that’s supposed to make females soothe males? I heard it was banned long ago because it was bad for the females.”
“I have a way.”
“Shit! You don’t mean…”
“You’re crazy! It’s being held near the Central Command this time, that’s where the marshal lives, and there’s soldiers everywhere. We’ll die if we’re caught!”
“I’ll die anyways. If taking a risk this once can let me live another two years, why not do it?”
“You… You’re right.”
“I’m also about to lose control…”
“So are you in? Succeeding means getting another two years of life! And even if we fail, it’s just being gunned down before losing control instead of after.”
“Does your spiritual inducer really work?”
“Yes, and it’ll even make the female lose his memory of soothing us, it’s absolutely safe.”
“Then… okay, I’m in!”
“Me too!”
“And me!”
“Very good. At the Queen’s Banquet tomorrow, the target is Yu Chenyu’s female. We must succeed!”
* * *
After an hour of browsing starnet for formal clothes, Qi Zihan felt a little overwhelmed.
Most female zergs wore rather bold clothing.
Bright colours, rippling lace, deep V-necks and backless gowns – none of which he could accept.
He preferred low-key luxury rather than high-profile frivolity, since the latter only made him feel like a peacock spreading out its tail.
Speaking of animals, cats were still his favourite. Soft and graceful, they didn’t need fancy accessories and had noble, elegan, aristocratic temperaments.
In the end, he picked a white suit with embroidery in gold thread for himself and a dark blue suit for Yu Chenyu. Neither suit had any of the lace that gave Qi Zihan a headache. They were in his favourite understated style with elegance displayed in the details.
All his physical measurements had been entered into the system since his medical exam, so he only needed to choose the styles when placing the order, and the sizes would be adjusted automatically.
Afterwards, he told Yu Chenyu, “I bought you a suit with your money.”
Yu Chenyu didn’t have formal wear and was planning to just wear his military uniform.
He didn’t immediately answer; his first thought was that of laces and backless dresses, the same ones that made Qi Zihan despair.
Females usually wore very ostentatious clothing, and males would only be more so. Because at a gathering of female zergs, females were hosts while males were mere decorations.
Or to put it more bluntly: playthings.
Their masters were dressed boldly, so how could their toys be restrained?
Yu Chenyu couldn’t and didn’t dare to imagine what his clothes would be like, so it was a long time before he replied lightly, “Okay.”
Qi Zihan knew what he was thinking – after all, most of the clothes did look like that. Unable to help teasing Yu Chenyu, he said meaningfully, “I think it’ll suit you pretty well. It’ll be a very different feel to your military uniform.”
Yu Chenyu hummed, trying to clear his mind. He refused to imagine what it would be like to wear something like that out in public for all the females to see.
Just treat it like a mission, a mission. It’s a sacrifice that must be made for the mission’s sake.
Thinking this way did make him feel better.
Qi Zihan wasn’t satisfied with his lack of reaction. “These clothes can only be worn at this type of place. I’m really looking forward to seeing it. You are too, right?” he teased again.
Realizing that he was doing it on purpose, Yu Chenyu secretly sighed, unsure if he should be happy or worried.
Happy because this meant that Qi Zihan was interested in him. Worried because he didn’t want to wear clothes that were too revealing, and he didn’t want Qi Zihan to wear them either.
He didn’t want Qi Zihan to appear like that in front of other male zergs. And even if he did wear it, it should only be for him alone to see.
But these secret thoughts couldn’t be spoken. All Yu Chenyu could say was: “As long as you like it.”
No matter what Qi Zihan picked for him, as long as Qi Zihan liked it, he could use his desire to please him to endure anything.
Then, just as Qi Zihan was stunned at his answer, a drone delivery arrived with their package.
Translator: *slides in a year late with shifty eyes*
Miririn says:
Thank you translator-nim! I appreciate your update!
9 May 2025 — 17:21