I Flirted with the General in the Zerg Empire [Interstellar]

A Date with the Zerg After Dusk

Destined for Life Rose Flower Shop.

A Zerg wearing a baseball cap and large sunglasses loitered near the entrance, acting suspiciously and appearing very shady.

Indeed, this was He Yi in disguise.

He was also wearing a thin filter mask, almost as delicate as a cicada’s wing, which allowed easy breathing. This mask was somewhat reminiscent of ancient Earth’s . By adjusting the mask’s filter, one could change their external appearance. This mask toned down his strikingly handsome features to blend him into the crowd as an average, forgettable Zerg.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, he had to stay low-key!

After all, as a newly returned purebred S-class male Zerg, his current face was just as hot a topic as any interstellar celebrity. No matter where he went, he would cause quite a stir.

Ah, it was like the ancient Zerg proverb said—Fame is a burden for male Zergs, just as bulk is for the dodo beasts.

To prevent any mishaps, he had put a lot of effort into his disguise.

In the Zerg society, roses were traditionally bought by female Zergs to present to male Zergs as a token of affection or for a marriage proposal. To pass himself off as a female Zerg, he first had to suppress his male Zerg pheromones—a task easily managed with his powerful mental strength.

Secondly, since female Zergs and sub-female Zergs have intricate Zerg markings covering their upper bodies from neck to waist, while male Zergs do not, He Yi had tied a decorative scarf around his neck.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, He Yi tugged at the scarf, took a deep breath, and walked into the rose shop.

“Welcome, sir. Are you here to buy now, or would you like to place an order?” A delicate sub-female approached with a bright smile.

“Buy now.”

“Would you like a single rose from the ‘Confession’ series, or 999 roses from the ‘Lifelong’ proposal series?” the sub-female clerk asked with a smile.

“I’ll take both.”

“Seems like you’re quite well-off, sir. I wish you success in winning your male Zerg’s heart tonight.” The clerk was momentarily surprised before offering a sincere blessing. Going for both a confession and a proposal at the same time? Impressive.

This clerk had seen many females like the one before him—plain-looking but extremely confident, usually because they had either amassed great wealth or were born into prestigious families. The sub-female clerk couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy and admiration: Why is there such a big gap between Zergs?

“Thank you for your kind words,” He Yi replied, his mind automatically replacing the term “male Zerg” with his Ah Zhao. He nodded in thanks.

Five minutes later, He Yi was holding a beautifully packaged rose and a space ring containing 999 roses.

“Sir, that will be 110 billion star coins. We’re currently offering a 10% discount, so the total comes to 99 billion star coins.”

The wealthy He Yi declared:

“I’ll pay full price, no discounts!”

Joking aside, what if the discount on the roses also discounted the romance? That was simply unacceptable!

The clerk was quite pleased with He Yi’s extravagant behavior. This was a windfall, and barring any surprises, it meant a nice boost to his commission.

As He Yi walked out of the flower shop, he noticed a young female cub sitting by the roadside, crying.

He initially didn’t want to get involved, but then he remembered the cold, indifferent nature of Zerg society. If he didn’t step in, it was unlikely anyone else would.

Thinking back to when he first met Ah Zhao as a young cub, a touch of warmth surfaced in He Yi’s eyes.

Oh well, he thought, he might as well play the role of a helpful officer for once.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he approached the young cub and asked, “Little one, why are you crying here? Where is your female parent?” In Zerg society, male Zergs only cared about eating, drinking, and having fun. Taking care of young cubs? They’d rather sleep on it!

“I wanted to buy a rose to give to my female parent, but I don’t have enough money,” the young cub sniffled.

“Why not give it to a cute little male Zerg instead? Why your female parent?” He Yi was intrigued by this unusually independent-minded young cub, something rare to see on Zerg Star.

The young cub wiped away his tears and said softly, “Because little male Zergs receive lots of roses, but my female parent has never gotten one. He really, really likes roses… But he’s gone now. They all say my female parent betrayed my male parent, and that he doesn’t want me anymore… Boohoo…”

“If I buy the flower, my female parent will definitely come back to see me… He loves roses so much.”

“I see…” He Yi couldn’t bear to shatter the cub’s innocent and naive hope. He took the little female cub’s hand and led him back into the flower shop, where he paid for a large bouquet of roses.

“Here you go. I wish all your dreams come true, little one.”

The young cub struggled to hold the bouquet, which was bigger than he was, but he beamed with joy. “Big brother, thank you for your kindness. My name is Lu.”

“Mm, good child. Big brother has something to do now, so I have to go.” He Yi glanced at his wrist communicator to check the time. There was still plenty of it left.

“Goodbye, big brother.”

“Goodbye.”

At 5:35 in the afternoon, He Yi appeared at the entrance of the military headquarters. He hid the roses behind his back, eagerly anticipating his date with Ah Zhao.

After wandering around the entrance for a while, he sent Ah Zhao a message:

“Roses are in bloom, I’m waiting for you outside. [Date? .jpg]”

He then took off his mask, snapped a picture of himself holding the roses with a bright smile in front of the military gate, and sent it as well.

Perhaps because he had been loitering around the entrance for too long without going in or leaving, a security guard couldn’t help but come over and ask, “Excuse me, sir, is there something I can assist you wi—wi… Your Excellency He Yi?!”

Caught off guard, the guard was stunned by the male Zerg’s breathtaking looks at such close range, stuttering, “Y-Your Excellency, is there something you need? Can I… be of service?”

Realizing he had inadvertently revealed himself, He Yi quickly pulled up his mask and waved his hand, “No, I’m just waiting for someone. You go ahead, don’t mind me.”

“Shh, keep it quiet.”

“Oh, oh, sure,” the guard nodded dumbly.

Not long after, the guard came over again, lowering his voice and saying eagerly, “Your Excellency, would you like to sit in the guardhouse for a while? I have some male Zerg snacks there, and it’s too sunny outside.”

He Yi looked up at the sun, which was now hidden behind clouds, then down at his fully covered outfit that didn’t expose a single bit of skin. Amused, he declined, “No worries, I’ll just walk around here and stretch my legs.”

Just then, he saw a tall and handsome military female coming out of the gate.

The military female had refined and elegant features.

The hem of his shirt was tucked neatly into his uniform pants, accentuating a particularly enticing waistline, while the military pants themselves hugged his figure perfectly, outlining his well-proportioned, long legs.

“Ah Zhao, over here~” He Yi waved excitedly with a smile, his voice lifting at the end.

Although this was the main gate of the military headquarters, very few Zergs actually used it. The military compound had a large airship docking bay, making it convenient for the military females to come and go directly from there.

So this gate was more like a back door.

As soon as General Zhao stepped out of the gate, he saw two Zergs talking in the otherwise empty space outside.

Immediately afterward, the fully covered Zerg waved at him.

It was… his lord.

He strode forward, but before he could say anything, a rose was pressed into his hand.

He Yi smiled and delivered the line he had rehearsed countless times on the way: “Ah Zhao, out of all the trillion military females on Zerg Star, you are the one and only rose in my heart, fragrant and unique.”

Zhao swallowed the words he had been about to say.

He was probably… the first female on Zerg Star to receive a rose from a male lord. An indescribable joy filled his heart.

He Yi, seizing the moment, continued with his second declaration: “Just as the rose symbolizes love, it just so happens that I like you.”

As he spoke, he took out a space ring intricately carved with hollow rose patterns and slowly, solemnly, slid it onto the female’s left middle finger.

Zhao stood there in a daze, letting the male Zerg hold his hand and lead him forward, while his right hand clutched the rose tightly. His nose tingled with emotion, but his heart was dancing with joy.

To have someone bring him flowers like this—it was wonderful.

“Thank you, my lord.”

“I love the rose, and I also love, love you.”

He thought to himself: he might eventually return to the embrace of the Zerg God, but the romance the male lord had given him would last forever.

…

Hand in hand, the two Zergs, lost in sweet love, walked away together. Meanwhile, the security guard who had quietly been observing the scene, skillfully opened the gossip and entertainment section of the StarNet forum.

A hot topic was floating at the top of the forum.

The thread title: #The Empire’s Light and the Male Lord’s Affairs#

He grinned like a Zerg that had just found a juicy piece of gossip, eagerly posting the candid photo he had just taken of their backs.

With so many Zergs scrambling for the latest gossip, he had to share this fresh, juicy scoop. After all—

Those who couldn’t find any gossip were pitiful.

He typed up a caption: “Military headquarters gate, 6 o’clock in the afternoon, His Excellency He Yi confessed to the general with a rose in hand. The scene was too beautiful, the content too sweet. Ahhh! This couple is too sweet, it’s off the charts!”

After posting, he scrolled up the screen. He lingered over the high-end, classy photo at the top of the thread—the one from the welcome ceremony, where they held hands beside a warship.

He admired it while sighing: What a perfect match.

At Moon Bay, a couples’ restaurant.

Red rose petals covered the entire restaurant. The dim amber lights softly illuminated the space, complementing the hazy night visible through the transparent glass windows, spreading a gentle glow into every corner of the room.

It was a setting that delighted the heart of any Zerg.

Lively, melodic background music danced through the air, blending with the elegant and tasteful aroma of the place, putting every customer in a blissful mood.

It was a setting that soothed both body and mind.

However, sitting in the noble and elegant seat, He Yi was neither soothed nor delighted.

On the contrary, he was quite frustrated!

Zhao carefully poured He Yi a pot of tea.

He Yi became even more frustrated.

Zhao couldn’t understand why the lord, who had been in such high spirits moments ago, suddenly changed his demeanor as soon as they entered the restaurant.

Completely at a loss, Zhao could only muster all his energy to serve He Yi with even more dedication.

Yes, serve.

He Yi put down his chopsticks, “I’m done. Let’s go.”

He realized he had made a mistake. He shouldn’t have rushed into this restaurant based solely on its online ratings. And he definitely shouldn’t have equated a Zerg couples’ restaurant with one from Earth.

To be fair, the restaurant was excellent in terms of decor, setup, and atmosphere. But the problem was, it only provided seats for male Zergs, leaving female Zergs to stand!

That alone was bad enough. Couldn’t they at least add a temporary seat?

But the restaurant said no, and Ah Zhao didn’t want one either. The other Zergs around them even looked at Ah Zhao with disdain, as if he had done something unforgivable.

He Yi glanced around the restaurant and noticed that there were very few female Zergs even standing; most of them were kneeling. Across from him, a short, greasy male Zerg had 12 female Zergs kneeling beside him!

This is outrageous!

—

Author’s Note: Another important supporting character has appeared. Please remember his name—Lu!