Wanderer of the Zerg

Chapter 20: Night

There might not be a scene more bizarre than this, Ellis thought.

His master, lazily finishing his soup, had indeed pulled him into the study, turned on the terminal, and started going through the premium threads Angie had given him, determined to find the right action movie.

The double curtains in the study blocked out all light, making the vibrant projections from the terminal the only source of illumination.

Underneath them was an air cushion sofa Ellis had never seen before. He guessed it was probably something his master had acquired to satisfy his curiosity.

Halfway through, Xi Tian said he was cold, so Ellis went to fetch a thin blanket.

They were now set up as if for a family gathering to watch a blockbuster.

“Doesn’t this feel like sneaking to watch a naughty movie during adolescence, hiding from the parents?” Xi Tian whispered in his ear, handing him a snack while controlling the screen with his other hand.

The snack was a local wild plant seed, stir-fried with a suitable amount of sugar and salt, leaving a light fragrance on the lips and tongue.

For Ellis, a local, this snack was nothing new, but Xi Tian had only recently discovered its appeal and was eating it with abandon.

Ellis lowered his head and opened his mouth to catch the snack. The familiar taste melted on his tongue, and after thinking for a couple of seconds, he said, “Maybe it does. But we wouldn’t be this relaxed.”

“You’re right. Without parents or teachers looming over us, there’s no sense of tension at all,” Xi Tian said, frowning slightly before smiling again. “I’ve never really experienced ‘tension’ in my entire life.”

“How is that possible?!” Ellis exclaimed.

Xi Tian closed his eyes in thought. “It’s true.”

“Teachers, classmates, friends, the pressure of advancing in school, graduating, getting a job, marriage, children—none of that?”

Ellis remembered very clearly that when he started elementary school, the homeroom teacher taught them to recite “Strive forward, advance bravely” word by word on the blackboard.

In middle school, there was a strict and old-fashioned female language teacher who bluntly told them, “Only by advancing can you obtain more resources. The more resources you have, the more you can attract the attention of males. What is the mission of females? It is to marry a male, have two children, and maintain a good family.”

Throughout this process, the constant underlying message was “the stronger you are, the more people around you will look up to you, and the more likely you are to win the favor of a male.”

“So, what about females who defend the country?” Ellis remembered asking this question. The old-fashioned teacher’s voice instantly turned cold, “The number of females capable of defending the country far exceeds those who marry males. Do you think the two can be compared?”

Females climbed up, fought for limited resources, while their numbers were far from limited.

Of the females who reached Ellis’s current position, fewer than two out of ten succeeded. Most entered society early, remained at the civilian level, and struggled to survive.

“No, everyone I encountered was very lenient with males. Teachers would say, ‘It’s impressive for a male to achieve this much.’ Classmates would say, ‘He’s just a male, nothing to feel threatened by.’ After graduation, superiors would say, ‘How could a male handle such hard and exhausting work? Let another female share some of his burden.'”

“Everyone I encountered was very lenient, thinking for me without asking my opinion and sharing my burdens.”

“In such an environment, how much pressure can you really have?” Xi Tian nonchalantly popped another snack into his mouth.

“Actually, this isn’t the best setting to discuss this topic, don’t you think?” Xi Tian blinked and pointed to the hot, provocative images on the screen, laughing.

Taking advantage of Xi Tian’s distraction, Ellis quickly snatched the snack from his hand with his mouth.

“You’re such a rascal,” Xi Tian playfully scolded, picking up another snack and pretending to feed it to Ellis. Suspiciously, Ellis eyed him for a moment before opening his mouth to bite, but Xi Tian pulled back his hand swiftly, sealing the snack with a kiss instead.

And just like that, the conversation shifted.

Previously, Xi Tian had installed the home terminal in the study for convenient access to research materials, unlike most families who placed theirs in the living room or dining room for leisure and entertainment.

“Now I regret it a bit. It would be better to have the home terminal in the bedroom or living room. The bedroom has a bed, and the living room has more space.”

Xi Tian sighed, “I was so focused on my habits, connecting the desk and terminal together, that I forgot about the need for entertainment.”

Ellis recalled the absurdity of Xi Tian falling asleep to the repetitive sounds of an action film in the afternoon.

“Maybe, the master doesn’t need video and audio for entertainment.”

“True. Watching videos isn’t as interesting as reading. Reading allows for imagination, whereas videos leave no room for creative thought.” Xi Tian nodded and then asked, “Do you have terminals in your barracks?”

“No, the barracks don’t. But the army does organize movie screenings every half month, usually old films. However, a few kilometers from the base, there are many small private cinemas where you can book a room and watch any movie you want with a few friends. They’re quite popular.”

“Have you been there?”

“Of course, I love watching movies. Almost everyone in the army goes; it’s one of the few forms of entertainment we have.”

“I didn’t know such places existed. What kind of movies do the females like to watch?”

“Let me think. Last year, some college students did a survey and found that classic romance films are the most popular.”

“And you? Do you like romance films too?” Xi Tian nudged Ellis while browsing to the next page, thinking about whether he could find that small-town romance novel, *Little Town of Brown*.

“I, uh, I prefer thriller and horror films. I don’t watch many romance films.”

“Sounds exciting,” Xi Tian said absentmindedly, his attention focused on reading the page. With a swipe of his finger, he accidentally clicked on an ad that popped up, leading to a soft, feminine voice…

Games for you to play when your female lord or female servant aren’t home~

The illustration showed a fair-skinned sub-female winking seductively.

Xi Tian was stunned for a few seconds before he reacted and closed the ad.

“Do you all have to go through this kind of temptation when you search for movies?” he asked.

“No… uh, no.” The sudden voice left Ellis a bit dazed as well. “I’ve seen gambling and lottery ads, but never a sub-female trying to seduce.”

“Why are the ads you get all about making money,” Xi Tian muttered under his breath.

“Huh?” Ellis didn’t hear clearly.

“Nothing.”

“Here.” Xi Tian pushed the snack box into Ellis’s lap.

“?”

What does the lord mean by this?

“I’m thirsty. Get me a glass of water.”

“…”

The box is right there; why hand it to me?

Ellis put the box on the floor and stood up.

“I want warm water.”

“Okay.”

Ellis was used to drinking cold water straight from the tap, but Xi Tian preferred warm water.

There wasn’t a thermos at home, so Xi Tian would always boil water, let it cool, and then drink it.

Ellis went to the kitchen, took out the kettle, and prepared to boil water.

However, beside the knives, there was already a glass full of water, perfectly warm to the touch.

Ellis recalled a few days ago when Xi Tian kept pacing around the heating kettle, eagerly waiting.

So, Xi Tian had predicted he’d get thirsty after eating snacks and prepared the water in advance.

Hmm, it’s a hard feeling to describe.

Kind of made him want to laugh.

Ellis put the kettle away and carried the cup back to the study.

The warm cup in his hand made the autumn night feel cooler.

Central heating wouldn’t start in Sming for a while, so if they stayed up late, they’d need a bigger blanket.

“Ding-dong”

The terminal buzzed with a new message.

Since there was no rush, Ellis handed Xi Tian the cup, then sat on the sofa and opened the message.

Xi Tian finished the water, put the cup aside, and leaned over.

Ellis found it odd; Xi Tian usually wasn’t curious about his things.

Maybe the screen angle wasn’t good enough for Xi Tian to see the message clearly. “What’s the verification code?” he asked.

Ellis read out the code instinctively.

With Xi Tian’s actions, the home terminal smoothly logged into a site filled with adult content.

Ellis felt like the world was spinning.

When… when did he register for such a site??

“I found the recommended action film in a post, but it’s exclusive to this site. I used your number to register, and it showed ‘This account is already registered,’ so I chose verification code login.”

Xi Tian’s account balance was running low, and he couldn’t be bothered to transfer funds, so he was used to registering and subscribing using his female lord’s number. This time, it led to a surprising discovery.

“Elis, didn’t you say you liked watching horror movies? So why do you have an account on this site? And look, you’re a level six VIP, an annual member, no less.”

Everyone has some little desires, both yellow and pink, and Xi Tian understood that. But he wasn’t going to pass up this perfect teasing opportunity.

Elis’s head was buzzing.

The main site was the largest collection of dark-themed films, but who knew its sub-site featured action films?!

He should be explaining himself right now, presenting evidence and reasoning, and showing his watch history to prove his innocence.

If Xi Tian didn’t believe him, he could even show his annual physical records to prove he hadn’t engaged in any X-rated activities.

All these ridiculous thoughts spun quickly in his mind, but none of them could match the dazzling white light from the screen that illuminated Xi Tian’s expression for five seconds.

Xi Tian’s eyes were crescent-shaped, his mouth slightly upturned. His hands were crossed on his stomach, fingers tapping rhythmically. His legs, covered by the blanket, were leisurely moving up and down, making the blanket bulge.

All signs showed that Xi Tian was very happy.

Elis felt a sense of relief, understanding Xi Tian’s mood, and he became more at ease.

He melted into Xi Tian’s embrace, his eyes lowered. He loosely held Xi Tian’s forearms, his clothing and the darkness softening his features. What was initially a touch of elegance became a hint of vulnerability.

“Three years ago, this servant foresaw this day, so I registered early, leveled up, and waited to present this moment to amuse the master.”

The term “servant” was rarely used in daily life, but often in the bedroom.

Xi Tian had only seen this term in books and never expected it to be used in a couple’s playful banter. Thinking back to Elis’s shy yet straightforward behavior in bed, he felt a bit out of place.

He cleared his throat, trying to hold back his laughter, his chest shaking. Finally, he hugged Elis tightly and burst into laughter.

Elis, feeling embarrassed by the laughter, dropped the act and called Xi Tian in his normal voice, also starting to laugh.

Author’s Note:

Another failed attempt at writing smut, but I’m happy to realize that writing these daily interactions makes me happy.

Thanks for your support~