Chapter 27: Male Zerg Recruit × Former Instructor (20): Have Eggs Soon, Have Lots of Eggs, Fill a Basket with Little Strawberries

【"You're that little hatchling from back then?"

Claire asked in disbelief.

"Mhm."

Xi'an took the medal out of the display case and handed it to Claire, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

"I've always treasured the token of love you gave me, but you forgot me completely. That's really heartbreaking."

It wasn't some token of love...

Claire ran his fingers over the familiar engraving on the back of the medal. Considering their current relationship, he realized that even if he had ten mouths, he wouldn't be able to explain himself.

This had only been a gift to make a little hatchling happy.

Just like giving a little female hatchling a mecha model or a toy gun.

And he had never taken the little Male Zerg's "I'll marry you when I grow up" seriously. How could anyone take that seriously?

Yet through twists of fate, he failed to recognize the little hatchling from those days, fell in love with Xi'an, and after everything they had gone through, they had actually gotten married.

Seeing Claire staring blankly at the medal, Xi'an folded his arms and watched him.

"Any other questions?"

All of Claire's previous pain and sadness had disappeared. He simply looked blank, like his brain had shut down.

But Xi'an liked him. Even though his dullness sometimes drove him mad, he still liked him. So even this silly expression looked cute to Xi'an.

"So, when you came to the Ninth Military Region, it was because..."

Me?

Claire hardly dared continue. The guess made him nervous and timid.

Would a Male Zerg really remember a promise for over ten years and come chasing after a female Zerg because of it?

"Yes. I came to marry you."

Xi'an answered casually, not realizing how shocking those words were.

Not wanting Claire to feel too pressured, he added:

"Actually, I mainly came because pursuing my dream was important. Being a military Male Zerg is cool. As for you... you were just along the way."

That was partly true.

But Claire had never been merely "along the way."

Joining the military and becoming a military Male Zerg had been Xi'an's childhood dream, a dream born because of Claire. He had worked hard for it for many years.

By now, it wasn't solely because of Claire anymore.

But while striving for that goal, Claire, who had first led him onto that path, had become a beautiful obsession.

The memories of Claire in his mind had been polished and beautified over the years.

What did a little hatchling know about love?

Perhaps he hadn't truly fallen in love with Claire. Perhaps he'd only fallen in love with the "love" in his imagination—

—A beautiful love story in which a Male Zerg overcame countless difficulties, joined the military for the sake of a female Zerg, and eventually fulfilled his promise to bring him home as his spouse.

Then, after arriving at the Ninth Military Region and getting tormented by an icy instructor completely unlike the gentle, doting image from his memories, Xi'an's fantasy of love shattered.

Of course he resented Claire.

Claire had forgotten their promise.

And he was so fierce to him!

Claire was bad.

He, who had kept his promise, was good.

Yet even after beginning to dislike Claire, he still found himself drawn to him.

Those complicated emotions of love and hate made him pay even more attention to Claire.

When one Zerg cared about and focused on another to such a degree, truly falling in love wasn't far away.

Two years of military life.

Day and night together.

The love Xi'an himself had never noticed became clear after Claire left for the expedition.

The sudden loneliness after Claire's departure calmed him enough to see his own feelings clearly.

But stubborn Xi'an refused to admit it.

He hated Claire to death.

And the way he hated him was by matching with him, marrying him, making him his Female Lord, and ensuring that he'd never be able to leave him again.

He wanted to make hate with Claire!

......】

[Make hate?]

For the first time, the female Zerg readers encountered this new term, and they quickly became fascinated.

[Does "making hate" mean marrying a female Zerg as your Female Lord and then viciously pinning him down to do it?]

[Sounds pretty enjoyable.]

[I want to make hate with a Male Zerg Lord too.]

[I've already been making hate with my Male Lord for a hundred years, so don't envy me. My Male Lord always finds reasons to punish me by making hate with me. Even during pregnancy, I couldn't escape making hate with a huge belly. Eggs one after another, and my Male Lord still hates me that much.]

[...6.]

[Too powerful! How can I get a Male Zerg Lord to hate me like that?]

The Zerg race accepted the term "making hate" very quickly.

Because it fit their national conditions perfectly.

Love?

Couldn't understand it.

Making hate, however, was easy.

The union between Male Zergs and female Zergs was one giant scene of making hate.

Male Zergs made hate every day, with the same female Zergs or different ones.

......

【Xi'an had originally planned to make hate with Claire too.

But the Claire who returned from the expedition was falling apart.

Without Xi'an doing anything, he would shatter by himself.

So Xi'an had no choice but to stitch him back together first.

During the process, he discovered Claire's protectiveness and feelings toward him, and after that he simply couldn't treat him cruelly anymore.

Even the revenge in the bathroom had been extremely restrained.

If Claire had told him to stop, he would've stopped immediately.

But Claire bit down on his teeth and refused to say anything.

In the end, Xi'an could only apply medicine to the flushed Claire.

His earliest thoughts of making hate had long since been forgotten.

Now he only wanted to make some love with Claire.】

......

[Wait, slow down! We still haven't fully understood making hate! Why are we suddenly making that thing called love?!]

The female Zerg readers, busy taking notes, could barely keep up with the lesson.

[How do you make love?]

Hate was easy to understand.

But love?

[Do you do it softly and gently?]

[Wouldn't that just be torture? Making hate sounds better.]

The female Zergs' understanding of "love" was terribly limited.

No matter how they imagined it, they couldn't figure out what it meant.

They could only hope that Lord Xi'an and Claire would give them an answer.

......

【Even though Xi'an had said he was only "along the way," Claire couldn't help being moved.

He could imagine how much anticipation and curiosity Xi'an had felt when he first came to the Ninth Military Region.

And he'd ruined everything.

"I'm sorry. I didn't..."

Didn't expect a little Male Zerg to remember a promise for so many years.

Didn't recognize Xi'an.

Before such real mistakes, words became unbearably weak.

Claire realized that he'd hurt Xi'an.

Xi'an pretended to be magnanimous.

"Having you apologize is enough."

No.

It wasn't enough.

Claire would have to repay him with his entire life.

Xi'an leaned closer and kissed his lips, his gentle yet powerful psychic power soothing Claire's emotions.

Claire's breathing grew uneven.

His eyelashes trembled uneasily.

Holding his hand, Xi'an smiled.

"No matter what, we still ended up together. I came to the Ninth Military Region to marry you, and you fell for me at first sight. We're mutually in love."

Claire's confession had given him too many surprises.

Enough for him to abandon all the twisted resentment and grievances and devote himself entirely to loving Claire, and returning his love.

Mutually in love...

Xi'an liked him.

Looking at the smiling red-haired Male Zerg before him, guilt and bitterness nearly overflowed from Claire's heart.

He had ruined everything.

Yet Xi'an told him they were mutually in love.

Even though he was such a mess, Xi'an was still willing to give him a chance.

Accept him.

Love him.

"I... I love you."

Claire urgently grabbed the Male Zerg's clothes.

He had so much he wanted to say, but in the end, everything became these words.

Female Zergs rarely said "love."

Especially to Male Zergs.

But nothing else could express his heart.

"I know. You've already confessed to me."

Xi'an pursed his lips with dignity and restraint.

Unfortunately, that dignified act lasted only briefly.

Under Claire's affectionate gaze, he immediately broke character and pushed him down onto the sofa, kissing him.

"I love you too! I love you so, so much! You can only belong to me! You have to stay with me! You're not allowed to leave me! You're not allowed to abandon me!"

As he kissed him, Xi'an viciously issued his warnings.

He made love and confessions sound like threats.

And Claire only wanted to agree to every one of his demands.

Even if Xi'an ordered him to never return to the military and stay at home forever, he would willingly obey.

"Give me an egg!"

Xi'an suddenly said.

"Mhm, okay."

Claire answered instinctively.

Suddenly, the image of hatchling Xi'an appeared in his mind.

He had always known Xi'an was much younger than him.

But because his first impression of Xi'an had always been of an adult, he'd never truly felt the age difference.

Now he suddenly realized—

This was the little Male Zerg he'd held in his arms over ten years ago.

Claire's expression stiffened slightly.

He was going to have eggs with a Male Zerg so much younger than him...

Zergs lived long lives, and age gaps between mates were normal.

Even differences of hundreds of years were common.

A difference of just over ten years, like between him and Xi'an, was practically considered "the same age."

But whenever Claire thought about how he'd once held that little Male Zerg, he felt troubled.

As the older one, he naturally should bear greater responsibility.

He also had the duty to guide younger Zergs.

He absolutely couldn't lead his Male Zerg astray.

Things like showing himself off desperately or seducing his Male Lord definitely couldn't continue.

His words and actions needed to become more dignified and proper.

As for laying eggs...

That was his responsibility and duty as Female Lord.

The eggs still had to be laid.

Claire convinced himself.

And obediently opened himself under Xi'an's movements, accepting everything his Male Lord bestowed upon him.

......】

......

[Here he goes again, wanting everything. Claire. (Eye roll.)]

[He wants to be dignified and proper while also giving his Male Lord eggs. He gets all the good things. He's probably thrilled inside.]

The female Zerg readers sneered at Claire's behavior while routinely rewarding, bookmarking, and taking notes.

[Mutually in love? Even after disappointing Lord Xi'an so much, he still made Lord Xi'an say those words?]

["I love you" should be highlighted. Right after Claire said that, Lord Xi'an happily pinned him down and kissed him. Wait, did they do it on the sofa afterward? With their compatibility, he really might get an egg!]

[Damn it, jealousy is twisting my face!]

[Hah. Dignified and proper, yet seducing his Male Zerg with pheromones on the sofa in broad daylight.]

Though they spoke with disdain, they were incredibly jealous.

Zerg society didn't have so many moral restrictions.

Sleeping with Male Zergs and having eggs always came first.

Everything else could wait.

Never mind doing it on the sofa at home during the daytime—

Even inside a spacecraft, on an open balcony, or in an office break room...

If you could lure a Male Zerg into bed, that was skill.

[That's a super A-class Lord. Powerful, a military Male Zerg, and even Claire personally certified that Lord Xi'an has good stamina... I'm really jealous. Useless tears are flowing from the corners of my mouth.]

[So many Zergs want to give Lord Xi'an little strawberries. Claire's the only one who actually has the chance.]

[This is genuine envy. Fine, here's my wedding gift. Wishing you eggs soon and many eggs. (Reward: Universe Spaceship ×1)]

[The Zerg birthrate is low, so pregnancy isn't easy, but this is a novel. A basket of little strawberries isn't too much, right? (Nutrition Solution ×10)]

Author's Note:

There have been too many things happening lately, both online and in real life, and they've all collided together. I've been so busy I couldn't split myself in two.

First, I wrote ten thousand words for the VIP chapter. Then an elderly family member suffered a stroke and was hospitalized. We contacted the provincial hospital for a transfer, and they entered intensive care. On Wednesday, when the VIP release happened, I visited them in the morning, and they passed away in the afternoon. After returning home and opening my phone, I received a notice that the entire novel had been reported. I was mentally exhausted...

I packed my things and returned to my hometown for the funeral. Daily updates could only be squeezed into whatever free time I had. Saturday was promotion day. I slept three hours, woke up, and found two more reports. I had no energy left to deal with them, and I still had to accompany the funeral procession into the mountains...

Now that the promotion period is finally over, these few days feel like an entire lifetime.

The report accusing the novel of "harmful content involving minors" came back with no punishment.

There are still two reports pending, and I don't know whether the novel will eventually be locked...

Ever since the new rules came out, reporting has become rampant.

I suppose I've seen it firsthand.