The Male pulled up his black hood and passed silently by two slumped, limp bodies. The faint glow of the setting sun fell upon the wide brim of his hat, tracing it with a thin golden edge. His body was split by the light; one half was bathed in gold while the other was submerged in black, caught in the intersection of light and shadow.
Clear footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.
“Doctor Laiye notified us that the Major General is awake.”
“What did the superiors say?”
“Suspension for one month, and he has to pay the medical expenses and mental damages for the injured students. His chances for promotion are likely gone.”
Several Military Females wearing various badges walked around the corner at the end of the hall. The entire floor was empty, save for the sound of their conversation. The Male dressed in black vanished completely into the shadows, passing the Military Females as they crossed paths.
A slight breeze brushed past. The Military Female on the far edge felt a tickle on his neck. He scratched it and turned his head back to continue talking to his colleagues.
Lu Qing jumped down from the window above the back door, his footsteps landing lightly on the tree closest to the window. A few Female bugs blocked the back door, squatting on the ground in boredom while holding cameras and yawning. It was unclear what exclusive news they were waiting for.
The leaves rustled. Lu Qing looked around to observe his surroundings and chose a point of leverage to descend. Dust swirled. The black hood fluttered in the wind, swaying as it fell toward the back of his neck and hanging there lazily. Lu Qing stepped into the street where other bugs were coming and going, completing his secret excursion.
“Honestly, how long do you want me to wait?” A familiar old face sat at the doorway grumbling, standing up as if complaining.
Lu Qing glanced at the time. Even though he had called for a car, he was still a bit late. Saco could not wait any longer. He grabbed the Male who was walking slowly as if taking a stroll and clamored, “Eat, eat!”
Lu Qing let the old bug pull him along. He had originally intended to deliver the prepared food, but he had not expected Saco to come looking for him in person. Every time he entered Lu Qing’s courtyard, the old bug would click his tongue in wonder, looking left and right.
There were vegetable patches divided clearly and flower pots arranged neatly. The sprouting vegetables looked very appealing to bugs, each different in its variety of colors. Yes, they certainly stimulated his appetite.
“I want to eat this green thing that looks silly and sturdy,” Saco pointed with his hands on his hips like an old cadre directing his troops, not treating himself as a stranger at all. “And this, this, and that one is not bad either.”
“Fine, I will pack them up for you later,” Lu Qing showed no sign of reluctance, dutifully picking the vegetables and fruits.
After giving his orders, the old Male was the first to feel embarrassed. Spending time together had led him to treat Lu Qing as his own grandson, and he did not hold back when giving directions. Looking at the Male as he bent over, revealing a small section of his lean waist and abdomen, he muttered under his breath, “A Male with so little temper. Sigh, Lu Yufeng really does not know how to teach a bug. I still have to watch over him from the side.”
“Stop working and let us eat first,” Saco added. “I am hungry.”
Lu Qing’s hands and feet were very quick. By the time the old Male said he was hungry, Lu Qing had already packed all the vegetables into a bag.
“Alright.”
Lu Qing walked into the kitchen, his gentle voice drifting out from within. “Please sit on the sofa for a moment. Are there any other dishes you would like to eat?”
“No more.” Saco’s ears felt itchy from that gentle call. Lu Qing’s attitude was more like a grandson than his actual grandson. He knew his own character was eccentric and hard to serve. He had overheard the Female bugs in the department speaking ill of him several times, saying he had a bad temper and was unreasonable, but he could not bring himself to be angry with Lu Qing.
Saco turned on the television and watched for a while, thinking that perhaps he could come over as a guest more often in the future. A bug is lonely at home by himself.
The Book was dozing on the sofa after having its fill of food and wine. It suddenly felt the area above it grow dark. It opened its eyes groggily, only to see another massive backside descending upon it!
“AAAAAAAAAHH!”
The Book flew away in a frantic scramble just before the backside landed. Regaining its composure, the Book ran into the kitchen in a fit of grief and indignation to complain. “Lulu-zi, why are there more and more guests coming and going in this house!”
The sofa was supposed to be its little sanctuary for rest and recuperation!
Lu Qing asked, “Do you want the braised dish to be sweet or salty?”
The Book answered without thinking, “Sweet.”
Lu Qing asked, “Drink?”
The Book shouted, “Lemon honey water!!”
Lu Qing nodded, “Okay.”
It felt like it had forgotten something. The Book scratched its head, but thinking of the delicious food, it went back to wait happily.
At the dinner table, the old Male ate two bowls of rice to pad his stomach. With old age came weight gain, yet his appetite had not been very good. After eating several meals at Lu Qing’s place, his appetite had improved significantly. Where he could previously only finish one bowl, he could now eat several more.
“I heard you applied for the Imperial Military Academy?” Saco shoveled another mouthful of rice, speaking indistinctly with food in his mouth.
“Yes.”
There were very few bugs who knew Lu Qing, unless he was discovered and exposed by fans in a crowd, but such news would not reach Saco’s ears. Lu Qing knew that this “hearing about it” was just the old Male’s awkward way of hiding his concern.
“Mmh. Did you pass?”
Lu Qing’s attitude was uncertain. “I am not sure.”
Saco was unhappy. “Not sure?”
“You know such a powerful master. There is nothing to be unsure about. You definitely passed.”
Lu Qing shook his head. Saco thought Lu Qing had encountered some difficulty in the exam and was feeling uncertain. He was about to comfort him when Lu Qing spoke.
“You are the true master. These things of mine are just small tricks that cannot compare to yours.”
Saco was stunned. Was he flattering him? Saco’s old face turned red. He did not say anything, but he snorted twice and happily scraped two more bowls of rice. What he did not know was that Lu Qing was not flattering him; he sincerely believed that Saco’s skills were much more mature than his own.
Being bold yet meticulous was appropriate for any field. He believed that the fact Saco could still continue to study and research at his age was very admirable. The atmosphere of the two bugs questioning and answering while eating was like a grandfather and grandson reunited after a long time.
They chatted while eating, and soon, the warm dinner time officially ended under the old Male’s usual three-step routine of urging him to get married.
“If there is a Female bug you like, bring him to see Gra, see me next time.” Saco coughed lightly. “If you cannot find one, you can come to me. I know some good marriage candidates.”
Marriage candidates.
After the old Male left, Lu Qing narrowed his eyes, his fingers resting on the hanging jade pendant, rubbing it twice. His memory traced back to that pale, powerless face lying on the hospital bed this afternoon, with an identical necklace hanging from his neck.
It is time to take the item back. The Male thought nonchalantly as he washed all the remaining dishes.
Knowing full well that Lu Qing would not be streaming tonight, Campis still instinctively clicked into the familiar live streaming app, harboring a “just in case” glimmer of hope. Sure enough, the profile picture with a small book as the cover was pitch black. Below it was a small caption: “Streamer is offline.”
Campis stared at the black screen while taking a few bites of rice, feeling that the food in his mouth had become tasteless. When will he stream? He stirred the freshly made porridge in his bowl. The meat slices had been cooked too long and were falling apart, but the taste was still good. The streamer’s method made it easy to control the deliciousness of the ingredients; it was hard to fail. His stomach also felt much more comfortable.
Recently, hoping to see the streamer’s cooking process and learning new dishes had become the thing he looked forward to most every day. Campis exited the “Following” page and scrolled through the home page’s live streams, glancing over the trending streams he used to like. His heart felt empty and disinterested.
He exhaled a breath of turbid air. Just as he was about to exit, his finger landed on a live stream room with a giant heart background, and he suddenly froze in place.
“Welcome to Baby Loves to Eat Live Stream?”
Campis’s eyebrow twitched, and he could not help but click in. An exquisite and cozy little house appeared before his eyes.
“What we are making today is meat slice porridge. It tastes very good and is suitable for little bug babies with bad stomachs.”
Along with a gentle voice, the live stream screen fell upon the clear and lovely side profile of a Male.
“That is right, it is very suitable for bug babies. It melts in your mouth.”
“Hahahaha, I am not a liar. Beetle meat porridge is very nourishing for the stomach.”
“The streamer is cooking now. The process of preparing the ingredients is very important. Parents, grab your little stools and sit down. Watch carefully.”
“Ah.” The little Male wearing a bug baby apron suddenly looked up, staring at a corner of the live stream room as if pleasantly surprised. A beautiful, sweet smile blossomed at the corners of his mouth.
“Welcome to the new baby parent entering the live stream room!”
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes curving as he pointed to the top right corner. “Click follow in the top right corner so you do not get lost. Come and follow the streamer, and let us try making a nutritious meal for the baby together!”