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

Stirring Trouble

Major Zoen hinted, with thinly veiled praise, “As a member of the Third Legion, I sincerely thank General Zhao for choosing a lord while still considering the interests of the Legion. Truly touching.”

He casually tossed his wine glass onto the waiter’s tray and clapped his hands with a fake smile, complimenting, “Your Excellency’s status as an emerging noble and natural S-class qualifications will surely bring more influence to the Third Legion.”

The sounds around the banquet nearly vanished, as everyone covertly focused on how things would develop here. The military females of the Third Legion were all on edge because of Zoen’s words. It was clear that Major Zoen was dragging General Zhao right into the line of fire!

After all, which noble male wouldn’t mind being used by a female?

They each wished they could rush over and cover Zoen’s mouth, which could only spout insults.

Zhao’s heart pounded chaotically, and cold sweat dripped from him. He wasn’t… He wasn’t that kind of Zerg. Would the lord believe him? But even if he didn’t intend to use him, what Zoen said was still true—the lord’s presence would indeed bring many benefits to the Legion.

He Yi chuckled softly. This level of sowing discord was too amateurish.

He reached out, picked up a piece of pastry from the tray held by the sub-female servant, and fed it to his own female Zerg’s lips with a light smile, “Major Zoen, there’s no need to thank me too much. My Ah Zhao is just that beautiful and kind-hearted, always considering the legion’s well-being.”

He gently wiped the crumbs from the female Zerg’s lips with his thumb, his smile brightening. “As Ah Zhao’s male lord, I’m very happy to be of service to the Third Legion.”

Raising an eyebrow, he looked directly at Zoen with a mocking smile and said, “So, even if you, Major, can’t contribute much to the legion, there’s no need to feel too inferior. Having a Zerg like you freeloading in the legion doesn’t hurt.”

After this string of remarks, Major Zoen stood there in stunned silence.

“Hahaha—did you hear that, Zoen? There’s really no need to feel too inferior, huh? Zergs like you really shouldn’t be thick-skinned enough to stay in the military just to freeload!” Cape taunted, approaching with Lieutenant General Lan.

He laughed brightly.

“A Zerg should have some self-awareness!”

The familiar, chubby white male Zerg, Cape, swayed his wine glass as he greeted, “Brother He Yi, General Zhao, how have you been?”

He Yi smiled, “Cape, General Lan, we meet again.” Cape’s recent assist had been quite on point; having such an ally wasn’t bad.

Cape glanced at Zoen, whose face was twisted with discomfort, and grinned, “Brother He Yi, don’t let any scheming Zergs stir things up. We outsiders can all feel General Zhao’s genuine affection for you.” Damn, it hurt so much—his arm was probably close to being bruised by Lan’s pinching. Was it really necessary to use such force just because he was a few star-seconds late in coming over?

While others prioritize romance over friendship, Lan, on the other hand, prioritizes friendship over his male lord!

For the sake of his friend’s happy life, he bosses around his male lord—fine.

But he even resorts to domestic violence!

General Lan, the “domestic abuser,” filled his innocent red eyes with a falsely guilty look, quietly letting go of his hand, his achievements hidden.

Zhao and Lan exchanged a glance.

Zhao blinked: Thank you.

Lan pouted: Hmph.

He Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled, “I know, Ah Zhao is wonderful.” He pretended not to notice the silent bickering between the two female Zergs but was a tad curious about the color of Cape’s left arm. Would it be red or purple?

Judging by General Lan’s strength, it certainly wasn’t a light pinch!

Aren’t the male Zergs of the Zerg usually quite delicate? Looking at Cape’s seemingly enjoying expression, He Yi mused internally: This is a tough guy.

Cape, whose Zerg core was about to split from the pain: … No, he’s not. (Slowly sheds two lines of broad tears.jpg)

Seeing that their banter didn’t affect them at all, with them chatting and laughing as usual, Zoen’s face twisted with resentment, but there was nothing more he could say. He turned around and walked away.

After the atmosphere on this side relaxed a bit, more Zergs gradually approached.

Phoebe, accompanied by Staff Officer Ze, San Cha, and a few other unfamiliar female Zergs, was the first to come over. As he walked, he activated the shared screen mode on his optical brain, saying, “Hey, Lord He Yi, no matter where you are, you’re always showing off your affection! Look, how’s this photo I just took? Isn’t it nice?”

On the floating light screen was the scene of He Yi and Zhao from earlier, warmly feeding each other wine on the sofa. The candid shot was taken from a clever angle, with an ambiguous play of light and shadow. It was a good photo.

He Yi had regretted for a long time making Phoebe delete the last photo at the hospital. Such a beautiful photo should have been kept! Enjoying it privately would have been quite delightful, wouldn’t it?

He Yi glanced at Phoebe—always rushing towards the excitement, no doubt a bright light bulb in the crowd. But then again… a light bulb has its uses, and it can still be helpful. After all, a free photographer offering their services shouldn’t be turned away.

He smiled and said, “Thanks, send me a copy of the photo.”

“Sure, the picture looks nice, so I won’t delete it.” Phoebe covered his heart with his right hand, striking an exaggerated pose. “Asking a photographer to delete a beautiful photo is like asking me to throw away my own child. It hurts!”

The corners of He Yi’s lips curled slightly. “Alright, then you keep it.” Think of it as a tip for your hard work. After shearing the sheep, you should still give it some grass to eat.

Seems like a good fit for sustainable development, right?

Just as they finished exchanging contact details, General Wai, Adjutant Xi, and a few military females were escorting a black-haired male Zerg over. The black-haired male was dressed in a well-tailored, sleek black suit, with luxurious, dazzling cufflinks and a lapel pin. Compared to the extravagant robes of the other male Zergs at the banquet, he appeared simple yet retained an air of noble restraint.

The noble black-haired male Zerg strolled over.

He raised his glass and said with a smile, “Lord He Yi, Lord Phoebe, Lord Cape, I’ll drink first as a sign of respect. Feel free to do as you wish.” His voice was gentle, with a hint of carefree charm.

He Yi accepted the wine glass handed over by Zhao, raised it in acknowledgment, and drank it all in one go. “Lord Xila, you’re too kind.”

Cape and Phoebe also courteously returned the gesture by toasting Xila with a glass.

Xila, whose full name is “Xila Robert,” is the leader of the Robert family, the topmost of the three great families, and one of the twelve imperial senate elders. He is renowned and highly esteemed.

He is deeply affectionate with General Wai of the First Legion, has a female Zerg offspring, is known for being gentle and humble, and is especially kind to female Zergs, particularly military females. He is highly respected in the military. Apart from General Wai, he has only married three lieutenant generals as female servants, and recently he accepted the courtship of Adjutant Xi. This is considered a rarity in the Zerg, a clean and orderly harem.

Xila maintained a refined and elegant demeanor, complimenting, “It is truly enviable that you were able to marry General Zhao.”

A flash of amusement appeared in He Yi’s eyes. “Indeed, having Ah Zhao by my side is the greatest blessing of my life.” Just as he finished speaking, he felt his female Zerg’s gaze on him grow even more intense.

Zhao looked at his male master, smiling from the corners of his eyes, and felt a flutter in his heart. His eyes, like stars shining brightly and profoundly, swept over the male Zerg’s figure repeatedly, becoming increasingly calm and gentle.

He couldn’t help but think, his male master… is just too captivating to the Zergs!

Xila and He Yi, Phoebe, and Cape exchanged pleasantries, engaging in polite but meaningless chatter for a while before Xila bid farewell and walked to another corner of the banquet.

Before leaving, Xila gave Zhao a glance that was very subtle but not lost on He Yi, who was constantly keeping an eye on his own female Zerg. A sense of crisis instantly surged within him: Could it be… Xila also has feelings for Ah Zhao?

Before he could think further, more military females came forward to engage in conversation and offer toasts. Some were Zhao’s colleagues and friends, others were political rivals or admirers. Some came to offer congratulations, while others offered cold mockery. Some sought to curry favor, while others boldly recommended themselves to He Yi as female servants or even female slaves.

Compared to those political adversaries who attacked indirectly, the female Zergs who eagerly flattered his male master were even more upsetting to Zhao.

He knew well that he wasn’t particularly handsome. Having donated to the orphanage for female Zergs for many years, his wealth, while not insubstantial, wasn’t abundant either. Among his colleagues who scrimped and saved their star coins, hoping to someday offer them to their future male masters, he had no competitive edge. The only thing he could offer was probably his rank as a general.

But his male master, being a noble, didn’t need his military rank to add to his prestige.

He simply had the advantage of being the first female Zerg to meet the male master, which is why he was fortunate enough to receive such a blessing.

Now, hearing other military females disclose their wealth, would his male master regret it? Regret choosing him, a Zerg inferior in both appearance and assets?

His mind was in turmoil.

Every time an unmarried military female, whose looks were even slightly acceptable, came over, he would straighten his back, serious and focused as if heading to the battlefield, his eyes filled with vigilance, defensiveness, and anxiety.

He Yi noticed this and found it quite amusing. So anxious over him? It seemed Ah Zhao was deeply in love with him!

Seeing his female Zerg act as if facing a formidable enemy, yet not daring to make any rash moves, he thought—

So cute!

He wanted to tease his female Zerg a bit, pretending to engage in conversation with those military females who approached to flaunt their wealth. However, seeing the icy blue eyes of his female Zerg instantly mist over, biting his lips as if on the verge of tears, pierced his chest with a pang of distress.

Forget it, he thought. How could he bear to bully such an obedient and adorable Zerg?

He Yi kept his arm around his female companion the whole time, conversing and laughing calmly, effortlessly brushing off the unwanted advances that came his way.

As time passed, the banquet neared its end.

Before the banquet concluded, there was a special program brought by the Male Protection Association—a routine performance.

Once the performers were confirmed,

Before long, three military females appeared on the high platform in the central hall of the castle, each tightly bound and suspended from a protruding, reddish-brown cylindrical wall. The bound female Zergs had their mouths slightly open, holding a beautifully crafted multicolored glass bead.

From the second floor, with its expansive view, He Yi sat in the seat arranged by the Male Protection Association according to banquet customs, his brows slightly furrowed.

He knew that those weren’t ordinary glass beads but were refined from a special medicinal solution. They were elastic, unbreakable, and emitted a rich scent of male pheromones. In a warm, moist mouth, the medicinal effects were released rapidly, sapping all strength from the female Zergs while heightening their senses.

These beads were favored by male Zergs, promoted by the Male Protection Association as an essential tool for training female Zergs, and were jokingly called “cola candies.”

—With them, one could have fun with a female Zerg’s Q-bouncy pheromone candy.

The three military females on the high platform were dressed in brightly colored, semi-transparent veils, struggling constantly under the fierce lash of the long whips wielded by the male Zergs, making muffled, pleading sounds of “mmm-mmm.”

The sound pierced the eardrums, prompting the male Zergs to swing their whips with even more vigor.

The long whips tore through flesh, and the exaggerated, malevolent laughter of the male Zergs echoed in the vast, silent castle, lingering for a long time.

The glaring bloodstains on the ground flowed freely, brazenly flaunting their sin.

This scene not only crossed He Yi’s aesthetic boundaries but also his moral ones. He slumped dispiritedly in the luxurious seat, turning his head to gaze up at his female Zerg, who stood expressionless by his side, feeling a pang of guilt. His Ah Zhao was scared even by bloody movie scenes, let alone encountering such a scene in real life.

Ah, his poor, timid female Zerg must be terrified, right?

Filled with pity, He Yi gently pulled his female Zerg’s hand over, “Ah Zhao, don’t look. I won’t do that to you, don’t be afraid.” It was unclear whether he was comforting his female Zerg or himself.

He had read the story of “Mencius’ Mother Moving Three Times” and understood that external stimuli greatly influenced inner psychological activities. He worried that one day he might become a violent, heartless, and arrogant male Zerg.

Zhao leaned over slightly, smoothing out the wrinkles on his male master’s shoulder with one hand. “Mm, I trust you, my lord.” Compared to the bloody battlefield, this didn’t even count as an appetizer. How could he be afraid?

He just felt a little distressed.

Oh, his adorable, innocent male master must have been frightened by this horrifying scene.

T/N: The story of “Mencius’ Mother Moving Three Times” (孟母三迁) is a famous Chinese tale that illustrates the importance of a good environment in shaping one’s character and education.

Mencius (孟子), a Confucian philosopher, lived during the Warring States period. According to the legend, his mother moved their home three times to ensure that Mencius had the best possible environment for his upbringing.

1. First Move: Near a Cemetery – Initially, they lived near a cemetery, where Mencius imitated the mourning and burial rituals he observed. His mother, seeing that the environment was not conducive to learning proper behavior, decided to move.

2. Second Move: Near a Marketplace – They then moved to a bustling marketplace, where Mencius started mimicking the loud, commercial activities of the vendors. His mother, again dissatisfied, moved once more.

3. Third Move: Near a School – Finally, they moved near a school, where Mencius observed students studying and discussing ethics and philosophy. This positive environment inspired him to focus on his studies, and he eventually became one of China’s greatest philosophers.

This story highlights how one’s surroundings can profoundly influence one’s behavior and character, with Mencius’ mother being praised as an example of wise parenting.