Milton awoke at dawn, his first gaze falling on Gu Qing not far away.
He froze for a few seconds, half convinced he was still dreaming. His eyes dared not blink, fearing that if he did, the familiar figure would vanish.
The memory of the dream was too beautiful, too unreal—within it, Gu Qing had saved him again, silently guarding him at the edge of his spirit sea’s collapse, drawing him back from the abyss with gentleness.
Looking down, he noticed his injuries carefully bandaged, a faint scent of herbal medicine lingering. Within his spirit sea, the murky qi had been cleansed considerably, and the violent phantoms had finally receded.
The black coat draped over him—Gu Qing’s.
This was no dream.
Gu Qing had truly come, saving him once more.
Why… always like this?
He should have stopped trusting this man long ago.
Gu Qing noticed him stirring and came to sit beside him, voice soft:
“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”
Milton looked at him, voice trembling with suppressed doubt:
“…Everything that female said… it was all lies?”
He asked again, “…That night, you really didn’t touch any of the females?”
Gu Qing’s expression shifted slightly, yet he did not flinch, replying steadily:
“That night, I went to Xingmang Hall to infiltrate the noble circles and understand the balance of power. The audio clips were deliberately fabricated bait, a carefully designed trap meant to breach your spirit sea defenses.”
He continued, voice heavy:
“This wasn’t just to sow discord between us—it was a premeditated hunt. The black market knew about your rescue plan and laid a net to capture you. There may even be traitors within the military.”
“I never intended to deceive you, and I will never be your vulnerability.”
Milton stared at him, fingers curling into the coat, voice quivering:
“…The blue-haired, blue-eyed female who saved us… was that you?”
Gu Qing nodded, eyes unwavering:
“Yes. I disguised myself as a female insect to infiltrate the black market and happened to see you and Phili ambushed.”
Silence settled in the cave again.
Milton lowered his eyelashes, fingers trembling slightly, and finally, the suppressed emotion broke through:
“…Can I still trust you?”
The question felt like an invisible net, trapping him—he wanted to trust, but feared being hurt again.
Gu Qing didn’t rush to answer. He gently tightened the coat around Milton, careful and tender.
Finally, he spoke, voice low but firm:
“The choice to trust me… is yours.”
He looked into Milton’s eyes, word by word:
“But— I will never let you be harmed because of me again.”
At that moment, a small silver-white sphere leapt from Gu Qing’s mind, voice soft and teasing:
“Wahhh… Gu Qing finally admitted you care about him! I’m about to cry, this is so touching!”
Gu Qing remained calm, his fingers pausing as he adjusted the coat.
The little celestial sphere continued chattering:
“And you said you don’t like him? He doubts you, and you’re not angry, just patiently waiting, covering him with your coat! This is called deep, restrained affection, do you understand? (*≧▽≦)”
Gu Qing lowered his gaze, silent.
After a few moments, the sphere whispered:
“…His eyes were red just now… he really wanted to be held by you…”
Gu Qing remained quiet, hand lightly resting on Milton’s shoulder.
Meanwhile, in a distant sector of space, the black market headquarters grew increasingly tense.
The high-ranking officials, once confident, had received no updates on the capture of “Milton Collins.” Tens of elite squads, the latest starships, and heavy mechs—all had seemingly vanished without a trace.
“How could they all go dark?” the black market leader roared, slamming the table, freezing the room in silence. “Could the military have intervened?”
Worse, more troubling reports followed.
Recon units reported that the barren planet where Milton had fallen displayed extreme magnetic anomalies. Any ship, mech, or probe approaching it experienced complete system failure—navigation malfunctioned, power collapsed, communications cut off.
It was as if an invisible beast silently opened its mouth, devouring all mechanical life that drew near.
A recon ship attempting to breach the atmosphere exploded suddenly, leaving no survivors.
This barren star did not appear on any map and belonged to no military jurisdiction.
Inside the black market, whispers ran rampant: “What on earth is happening?”
Elsewhere, Phili led the surviving forces and male insects back to their ship. Upon learning that General Milton and an unknown blue-haired female had diverted the black market pursuers, the bridge fell silent for a moment.
“Is he insane?!” Ilr stood in shock. “He’s a general! And the black market sent tens of elite squads!”
“Calm down,” Phili frowned, stopping him. “Why risk a rescue? On what grounds?”
“I would do anything to save him,” Ilr gritted his teeth.
“Our fleet is crippled, mechs severely damaged, insect units insufficient,” Phili’s tone was decisive. “Not to mention, we have traitors within. If you act now, and the insect is still on board, exposing it would be walking straight into a trap.”
Ilr froze.
“This information leaked too fast—I sensed something was off,” Phili’s eyes sharpened. “If we act recklessly, it could be disastrous.”
He pointed at the barren star marked in red on the tactical screen.
“Furthermore, the planet has become extremely unusual.”
“How unusual?”
“Internal reports say even the black market reinforcements have all gone missing there. The planet’s magnetic field is abnormally twisted, seemingly interfering with all machinery. Anything approaching crashes as if it is being devoured.”
Ilr’s face turned pale.
“So… what should we do? Wait?”
“We’ll find a way,” Phili said solemnly.
“First, contact the military and see if we can deploy specialized probes—ships that don’t rely on navigation, power, or any machinery. Primitive methods only, to approach that planet.”
“Otherwise… we’ll have to rely on that female insect.”
He recalled the blue-haired female.
—That insect… who is she, really?
Inside the military’s Supreme Command Room, projection screens flickered with urgent reports from multiple fronts.
Several high-ranking generals were discussing the recent anomalies in military intelligence with grave expressions. At the central seat, a calm yet imposing figure remained silent throughout.
Admiral Ackland Hubert’s gaze was sharp as a blade. Hands clasped on the table, his presence was like a mountain as he studied the red blip on the screen—the barren star.
“…So you’re telling me that the Black Market has lost dozens of units, all of which went dark around this star?” His voice was low and steady, yet steel-like, pressing the room into a tense silence.
“Yes, sir,” the intelligence officer replied immediately. “According to infiltrated internal reports, the Black Market suspects the star’s magnetic field is abnormal. All approaching ships and mech systems failed entirely, and communications were completely cut off. Units essentially crashed after losing control, leaving no signals behind.”
“…That star is like a monster devouring everything,” another staff officer added, frowning. “Anything that approaches seems unable to escape.”
“What about our insects?”
“Deputy Phili and a few male insects have returned safely. They report that General Milton and an unknown blue-haired female insect deliberately stayed behind to draw the enemy away. That female…”
He flicked his finger, switching to a blurry surveillance clip.
The footage showed a slender, tall blue-haired female emerging from the flames in an abandoned warehouse. She wore a simple black coat, holding an unremarkable wooden sword.
As she swung the sword, her movements were ghostly, and several Black Market mercenaries fell before even reacting.
The frame froze on her turning, face cold and stunning, eyes like ice.
“Our database cannot identify this female insect.”
The staff exchanged serious glances.
“She defeated an entire mercenary squad barehanded with an extremely primitive weapon. This is highly irregular,” one officer said.
Ackland remained silent for a long moment before speaking slowly:
“…She didn’t use any psychic amplification systems?”
“No, sir. Based on the fragmented Black Market data, she acted solely through physical skill and precise swordsmanship.”
“The wooden sword is ordinary plant material?”
“Yes, no mechanical modifications.”
The generals exchanged uneasy looks; the atmosphere was heavy.
“This is not any system of power we are familiar with…” Ackland’s gaze narrowed. “…Yet it is lethally effective.”
“What about the barren star itself?”
“The magnetic field remains abnormal. No military equipment can safely approach. We suspect an unknown interference source, possibly tied to special terrain or unidentified energy.”
Ackland’s voice softened:
“I will handle this personally.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Strengthen Phili and his fleet’s protective monitoring. If the Black Market sends troops again, do not wait for my orders—stop them immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
Silence fell once more.
Ackland leaned back, eyes fixed on the floating star map, murmuring:
“It seems we are facing an unknown system and an unknown individual.”
At Xingmang Hall, light and shadow wove across the glass dome, but could not dispel the lingering unease.
Loes stood beneath the high dais, staring at the newest intelligence projected onto the hall’s screen, fingers tightening subconsciously.
—Gu Qing, lost during Black Market pursuit, last located: barren star C-109. Magnetic field abnormal, equipment failed, communications cut off. Black Market and military sealed surrounding sectors; no insects able to enter.
He stared at it for a long moment. Beside him, the female insects whispered anxiously.
“How could this happen… he only said he was going to handle something, and now he’s disappeared?”
“That’s the Black Market’s blockade! And that star… it sounds dangerous…”
“He could have not gone; he’s not military, no obligation to save that general!”
“If something happens to him… what should we do?”
Their voices were quiet, yet sharp as needles in Loes’ ears. He knew they did not intend harm; they were simply worried. The male insect they pledged their loyalty to had freed them from chaos and chains, giving them freedom and dignity—now he was alone, trapped in an unresponsive dark star system.
Loes lowered his eyes, suppressing the surge of emotion, speaking softly yet firmly:
“He will be fine. He is not the type to lose to this kind of situation.”
“What we must do is not panic, but wait for him to return—or rather, to welcome his triumph.” He spoke calmly, eyes steady and cold as usual.
Yet when he returned to his quarters and closed the door, his rational defenses collapsed instantly.
“…You said you were just going to the Black Market…” He bit his lip, sliding slowly against the wall, eyes reddening.
The projection still displayed the last screenshot, blurry but enough to recognize the familiar black silhouette and commanding presence.
That determination and cold pride left no doubt—it was Gu Qing, a strong individual never belonging to any insect, bound by nothing.
To save a general hunted by the Black Market, he risked himself personally.
“Is it… for him?”
His gaze lingered on Milton Collins’ data: silver hair, purple eyes, commoner origin, decorated hero.
“You’d risk so much for him…” he murmured, his voice tinged with a bitterness he barely noticed.
He shouldn’t think like this—not at all. Yet his chest ached painfully.
He let out a bitter laugh, fingertips gliding over Gu Qing’s image, the ache crawling through his throat, making even his breathing sting.
From the very beginning, he knew that this individual would never belong to any female insect—much less to him.
Yet despite knowing, these feelings quietly grew, occupying his heart at unexpected moments.
Only he would experience the gentle mornings, the cup of warm tea personally delivered;
Only he would hear, “You knelt before for loyalty, but I hope you remember how you stand after rising.”
These tender details had slowly become an unbreakable bond.
Reason kept telling him he shouldn’t, but his heart beat and worried again and again.
“…Please, come back alive, okay?”
“Even… even if it’s for him.”
He whispered, voice faint as the wind.
But his heart was blazing hot.