Keo frowned. “No.”
Eugene turned around and wanted to run out.
A Bazz Noble’s wings were actually completely useless; their primary purpose was just for beauty contests. Much like antlers, they were replaced with new ones every mating season, allowing the health status of the Noble at that time to be displayed most clearly.
Eugene still remembered a blogger who had once posted to brag that his Noble actually broke off his own wings and gave them to him, showcasing a level of steadfast and exclusive affection.
That lovey dovey post sparked unprecedented discussion at the time, instantly shooting to the top trending searches with a chorus of envy, jealousy, and hateful cries filling the comment section.
The female insects had almost dug up the blogger’s home address, determined to mail him razor blades.
At the time, Eugene had thought nothing of it. Breaking wings did not hurt anyway; if it were him, he could give them away every year.
In other words, Eugene had not lost anything. It was just that the Hashu clan did not know this.
Healing pods were extremely precious items, generally reserved for critically wounded soldiers. He truly never expected Keo to let him use one.
He was fine to begin with; if he went straight into something so intense, he was not even sure if his wings would immediately grow back out.
Keo had just lowered his guard against him a little bit. Eugene really did not want to go in.
Yet before he could run out, he was grabbed right back by Keo.
“What are you making a fuss about? Your wings are damaged.”
“I do not want wings!”
“What nonsense are you talking about.”
Losing his patience, Keo picked him up once again. Just as he was about to be pressed into the healing pod, Eugene stubbornly gripped Keo’s uniform.
“You come with me.”
Seeing Keo’s entire body tense up with a somewhat disgusted expression, Eugene remained exceptionally persistent and raised his volume.
“You stay with me, or I am not going in.”
“Fine!”
Eugene froze.
After Keo pressed him inside, he stepped into the healing pod right alongside him, pressing close.
Healing pods were originally designed for a single person, instantly pulling the distance between the two of them very close.
Eugene instantly stiffened, unable to say a single word.
Keo turned his head to the side, lying down with his back facing Eugene, and then made no further sound or movement.
The lid of the healing pod slowly closed, and the light inside dimmed. Only soothing white noise remained around them.
Staring at the back of Keo’s neck, which was right in front of him, Eugene subconsciously slowed his breathing.
The other man’s presence was too overwhelming, and his attitude toward him was so remarkably straightforward that Eugene always subconsciously forgot Keo was also a female insect.
Yet for some reason, at this moment, he became exceptionally aware of that fact once again.
This was the first time he had ever lain this close to a female insect.
Even a slight movement of his legs would cause him to accidentally brush against Keo. Thinking of Keo’s earlier aversion, Eugene instantly did not dare to move at all, turning his breathing into manual mode.
Hours later, the healing pod finally opened once more.
Keo stepped out first. Eugene saw him turn his back and let out a breath, rubbing his neck. His brow was furrowed deeply, but not only his ears, even the joints of his fingers appeared somewhat red.
Actually, Eugene had not dared to move the entire time, so his muscles were a bit sore too.
Ross waited nearby, bringing a set of clothes for Eugene. Yet all afternoon, facing Joe’s demands for Eugene to display his wings again, Eugene turned his head away and chose to directly play dumb.
“You did that on purpose, did you not?”
Eugene’s heart skipped a beat. He had not expected that back in the room, just as he was trying to act spoiled to avoid being locked up again, Keo would suddenly get angry and pin him against the wall with a reverse grab.
Meeting Keo’s gaze abruptly, Eugene realized that the person who had been lying side by side with him just moments before out of a sense of guilt had somehow reverted back into that dangerous, cold blooded villain.
“Actually, wings can grow back, can they not?”
Eugene’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Although he felt chilled all over, his expression betrayed no flaws, maintaining a bewildered look. “Huh?”
Unfortunately, after Keo looked at him for a moment, his expression remained furious.
“You know your pheromones smell good, so you got yourself hurt on purpose.”
Ah?
“So what if you did? If you think I will fall for you.”
Keo’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he paused. “Like the others, getting infatuated with you and surrendering right away, then I can tell you that it is absolutely impossible!”
With that, Keo pushed him back into that room and turned away.
Eugene stood in place for a long time before finally sitting down against the transparent wall.
No, what did this have to do with his pheromones?
Keo had misunderstood. He just wanted to get out of here alive.
Not only to change his own destiny, but also to stop the war.
He could not give up.
When Keo emerged from the inner room the next day, what he saw was the silver haired Noble sleeping curled up against the wall.
He did not even take a blanket, balling himself up facing the direction of the living room, huddled right by the door. He looked just like someone wanting to catch the very first glimpse of him.
Keo pressed his lips into a thin line, walked over, stood at the doorway, and lowered his eyelashes to look at him.
Eugene was exceptionally delicate; even lying on the floor like this, he still looked utterly regal, resembling a sleeping angel while somehow making the ordinary carpet look extraordinary.
Would a Noble really go to such lengths just to play dumb?
Eugene woke up at that moment, opening his eyes to find Keo staring at him. He blinked, stunned for a second, and then smiled at Keo.
Keo instantly averted his gaze.
At that moment, Ross pushed the door open and walked in.
“Admiral?”
“Did you bring it?”
“Yes.”
Keo unlocked the door, personally pulled Eugene out of the room, and slapped a golden pair of handcuffs right onto his wrists, making him sit by the dining table.
The man casually picked up a piece of bread from the table. He initially seemed as though he wanted to hand it over casually, but pulled his hand back halfway.
“Want to eat?”
Eugene glanced sideways at Ross, who was noticeably holding a camera, and nodded hesitantly.
If the other party’s purpose in filming his captive video was to broadcast it and urge the Bazz to come ransom him quickly, this would actually work to his advantage.
Pondering for a moment, Keo seemed to want to appear a bit more malicious. “Beg me.”
Eugene looked at him with questioning eyes.
“Call me Daddy.”
Eugene thought he was being terribly childish.
“Daddy.”
Keo handed the food over to him, and with the handcuffs on his wrists, Eugene had no choice but to take it with both hands.
Keo asked Ross, “Did the broadcast start?”
Ross nodded. “Yes.”
“How is the traffic?”
“Very, very good,” Ross stammered slightly.
“Let us wait a bit longer.” Keo did not care how good the traffic could get; he just figured that gaining enough viewers required some time.
“What kind of streams do Nobles usually do that get popular?”
Hearing this question, Ross froze for a second, then glanced at Eugene, slowly blushing.
“Suggestive content?”
Keo fell silent for a moment, glancing at Eugene.
“Oh. Then he must be very good at it.”
Eugene wondered in disbelief what that was supposed to mean.
Keo’s casual decision dropped a thunderclap onto the livestreaming platform.
Actually, any stream featuring a Noble was bound to easily garner a decent amount of traffic right from the start.
If that Noble happened to look slightly good looking and played up a devoted persona, they could become an absolute sensation in just a few days.
The issue was that Eugene was not just slightly good looking; his face was simply too captivating.
Most insectoids tended to have brown hair and brown eyes unless they were of high tier bloodlines, in which case their eyes might be lighter, closer to orange or yellow.
Yet very few people ever got to see pure moonlight silver hair like this, paired with pure golden eyes resembling the sun.
In the thumbnail photo hanging outside on the livestreaming platform, Eugene tilted his head slightly, carrying a unique temperament akin to a merciful deity. He truly stood out like a crane among chickens compared to other streamers.
Everyone who spotted Eugene on the platform widened their eyes. While thinking it was impossible in their hearts, their fingers still clicked right in.
Too fake, too fake, definitely fake!
Is that hair color not reserved for Bazz nobility? Would someone like that stream?
Please, look at the eyes. Far beyond nobility!
So hilarious. It must be artificial intelligence generated. Report him!
Countless people flooded into the livestream just like that, only to discover that the dummy streamer they assumed was computer generated looked identical to the photo outside.
He was also looking helpless while doing pushups.
Because he was still wearing handcuffs, Eugene could only press his hands together in a diamond shape for diamond pushups.
Though he looked slim in clothes, working out revealed that Eugene had well defined arm muscle contours, a perfect V taper upper body, and very long legs.
The strands of hair across his forehead hung down, and because of his fair skin, exercising for a bit easily made his face flush, a light layer of sweat already coating his neck.
Is that really a Noble Lord?
All my accumulated good deeds in life have paid off!
Why is he wearing handcuffs? Is this some new workout method?
So extreme, I love it!
Keo had Ross set the camera to autotracking mode and then dismissed him.
Instead, after bringing Eugene to the training room, Keo found a chair and sat down, watching Eugene do pushups.
Would anyone even watch this?
Just as Keo thought this, he turned the livestreaming panel around and fell silent.
Nobody watching? Too many people were watching!
He had anticipated that Eugene would be popular, but he never expected him to be this popular! Having only streamed for a few minutes, there were probably tens of thousands of people across the interstellar net right now wishing they could lick his boots immediately.
Keo’s expression darkened; instead of wanting to watch anymore, he equipped himself with a gravity device and stepped into a simulation arena to train.
Eugene stopped after doing a few sets because he noticed the viewer count in the livestream was already high enough, yet the comments were not moving in the direction he wanted.
He had originally wanted to use public opinion to let his parents know his current predicament.
What on earth were these people talking about now, though?
Could they not guess his identity? Perhaps getting Keo on camera would make it more obvious.
Eugene wanted to find out where Keo was, and when he turned his head, he caught sight of Keo’s training score.
Viewers in the livestream could not see the full panoramic surroundings, only seeing Eugene’s pretty golden eyes widen slightly.
Then he pressed his lips together, as if finding some new motivation to train, and began challenging the close combat simulation simulator.
The screen licking comments in the livestream paused for a moment.
What is he doing?
Good heavens, someone stop this Lord, he is going to get hurt! That thing is no toy.
Let me protect him! Wait, his score is higher than mine?
Eugene was naturally tall with great proportions.
Yet his delicate facial features, pale white skin, and striking silver hair all carried a certain sense of fragility, making him look like a vase.
Who would have thought that when he fought, his movements would be crisp, his forms gorgeous, and he could successfully complete all evasion and attack maneuvers while wearing handcuffs, rapidly clearing the earlier stages?
Such crisp combat skills formed a sharp contrast with his facial appearance, giving off a unique charm that left everyone dumbfounded.
Eugene’s livestream rocketed all the way up from the beginner zone.
Before long, his viewership numbers landed directly on the Top rankings. Smashing through everything in his path, completely unfazed by anyone, he soared upward with the sheer, dimensional crushing ease of a deity descending to earth.
Resign yourself to madness. How can there be such an exceptional Noble adult?
Where is the law? Where is justice? Where is modesty? Where is his contact info, crying out loud!
Is it too late for me to move to the Bazz home planet right now?
For some reason, Eugene felt a competitive streak flare up within him, but he quickly exhausted all his energy, not even coming close to touching Keo’s score.
Curse it all.
He originally thought his poor physical state during the last round must have been a factor.
Never mind.
Eugene stole another glance at the livestream. Though he figured his training session would be boring, to his surprise, the online viewer count had reached a terrifying level.
Furthermore, at this moment, with his clothes clinging to his body, his cheeks flushed, and his temples damp with sweat, the livestream chat box had become completely unwatchable. For a moment, Lord, Young Master, Highness, Master, all kinds of chaotic titles and censor bars were pouring out.
Eugene was left completely speechless.
This would not do.
Where was Keo?
He surveyed the training room, but failed to find Keo anywhere.
The door to the training room was locked. Eugene walked a round, spotted a side door, and without thinking much, pulled it open and poked his head inside.