Who am I?
Luo opened his mouth, only to realize that no words would come out.
He didn’t know who he was either.
“I don’t mean any harm. I just want to solve the problem. Can you tell me your name?”
Seeing that Luo didn’t respond, Gu Yuan assumed the other was wary of him and patiently asked again.
Just his name? That, at least, he knew.
Luo reached out and grabbed Gu Yuan’s arm, tilting his head up to look at the tall female. The sound of his own name echoed repeatedly in his mind. After gathering himself for a long while, he finally spoke, extremely slowly:
“Luo… Luo.”
“Luoluo?”
Gu Yuan repeated.
Luo grew anxious. “Luo…!”
Gu Yuan finally understood. “Your name is Luo?”
Luo nodded happily. “Luo!”
In truth, he felt as though his name wasn’t complete but that didn’t stop him from liking the way Gu Yuan said it.
Listen, Luo. It sounded so nice, the tongue curling slightly before flattening again, light and gentle. He liked it very much.
“Alright then. Why do you insist on staying with me?”
Gu Yuan spoke while continuing his movements, lifting Luo’s arm to help him into the new clothes, careful not to let the fragile male catch a chill.
Every female in the Empire had received professional training in caring for males and even a general like him was no exception. His movements as he changed Luo’s clothes were especially practiced.
The soft fabric of the hoodie brushed against Luo’s cheek. He poked his head out from inside it, frowning as he seriously considered how to answer.
The answer was far too long, far too difficult for someone who couldn’t even speak properly yet. After thinking for a long time, Luo finally spoke just as Gu Yuan pulled his long hair free from the hoodie:
“Mama!”
Gu Yuan’s movements froze. “I’m not your… female parent. I’m asking why you insist on following me.”
Luo replied as if it were obvious, “Mama!”
He needed Gu Yuan’s pheromones = Gu Yuan would give him pheromones = Gu Yuan gives him food = mama.
Perfect. A flawless chain of logic.
Gu Yuan fell silent.
He had already sensed that something was off when Luo had clung to him and refused to leave, the hatchling was far too perceptive. So perceptive that it was almost as if he could understand their discussion about handing him over to the Male Protection Association.
The First Legion being targeted by the Empire and the Male Protection Association was nothing new. Not to mention, not long ago, he had rather tactlessly refused a marriage proposal from a noble male insect, an act no different from rejecting the Empire’s attempt to recruit him.
At a time like this, whatever form of probing or testing the Empire chose to carry out would not surprise him in the slightest.
But, Gu Yuan looked at Luo, who was curiously fiddling with the drawstring of his hoodie right in front of him and felt that he might be making things unnecessarily difficult for this little male who could barely even speak clearly.
Perhaps he really was overthinking things. This male had hatched right under his watchful eyes. Though a little unusual, he was still, at his core, just a hatchling in terms of mentality. How could he possibly be a pawn specially sent by the Empire to test him?
Besides, who would go so far as to send an S class male just to probe him?
Gu Yuan let out a quiet, self mocking laugh in his heart as he carefully tucked the little male into the blankets.
“Forget it. I don’t know why you insist on following me but since I was the one who picked you up, I’ll take care of you until I leave the capital.”
“Don’t worry, little one.”
Luo tilted his head, not quite understanding what the other was saying.
He gazed blankly as Gu Yuan finished tucking him in, then began arranging the room, carrying in the piles of male oriented supplies stacked by the door, unpacking them one by one and placing them neatly around the space.
Because Luo’s appearance didn’t resemble that of a hatchling at all, Gu Yuan had deliberately avoided buying overly infantile items like pacifiers. Instead, he bought two rabbit plush toys, while most of the rest consisted of male specific clothing, bedding and food.
Hugging the brand new rabbit plush, Luo watched with wide eyed curiosity as Gu Yuan carried in load after load of unfamiliar items.
He was certain he had never seen any of these things before. Not even the faintest trace of memory surfaced. This only deepened Luo’s confusion about what he actually was.
It was obvious that everyone believed him to be a male insect but he couldn’t be one. Neither male nor female. He knew nothing about these items meant for insects; there was no way he had ever lived among them before.
“Luo, do you want to try this?”
After several trips, Gu Yuan finally couldn’t resist the little male’s eager, expectant gaze. He picked up a small tablet from the pile and held it out.
“Thi…s?”
Luo echoed the unfamiliar word, crawling out of the blankets with both hands and feet, leaning forward to peer curiously at the object in Gu Yuan’s hands.
“Don’t get out of the blankets so casually, you’ll catch a cold. I don’t know where the pants I bought for you ended up in that pile, so I can’t find them right now. Wait until you’re dressed before getting off the bed.”
With ease, Gu Yuan scooped Luo up in one hand and placed him back under the covers, then handed him the device.
Luo held the square, metallic object in both hands, looking at Gu Yuan in confusion.
What is this? Is it something to eat?
Squatting by the bedside, Gu Yuan powered on the tablet and patiently explained, “This is a tablet. It’s specially designed for male hatchlings like you. You can use it to play games.”
As he spoke, he opened a simple game. On the screen, a tiny pixelated male insect stood in place, blocked by a stone.
Gu Yuan tapped the stone. Instantly, the words “Hello” appeared, accompanied by a clear, standard voice in the common language:
“He….. llo… ”
Luo: !
The metal block… spoke!!
Gu Yuan gently patted him in reassurance and repeated, “Hello.”
The stone immediately shattered and a short clip popped up, showing two insects greeting each other with “hello.”
“Do you understand?”
Gu Yuan asked.
Luo nodded blankly, imitating Gu Yuan as he began to control the tiny pixel insect on the screen.
The tablet was designed for hatchlings, filled only with basic educational games and informational videos. Seeing Luo quickly become absorbed in playing, Gu Yuan turned back to organizing the room.
He rarely returned to his residence in the capital. Aside from his own room, the rest of the house contained little more than bare bed frames, no real furnishing or decoration.
Gu Yuan planned to convert his own room into Luo’s, while he himself would make do with one of the empty rooms.
Hmm… the bedding needs to be replaced entirely. The curtains should be changed to automatic ones. Anti collision padding should be installed too. Should he add a smart home assistant as well?
As Gu Yuan mentally listed all the items he needed while carrying in yet another batch of supplies, he had just pushed the door open when a voice drifted out from the tablet:
“Ma… ma… ”
Luo clapped happily, patting the tablet. “Ma… ma!”
“Yu… yuan, mama!”
Gu Yuan: …
Add one more task to the list, teach Luo that his name is Gu Yuan. Not fish, not round.
And definitely not “mama”!!
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A wild translator appears! Their weakness: coffee. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · It’s Hatching!Chapter 2 · Mealtime!Chapter 3 · Angry!Chapter 4 · F.. Found Out!Chapter 5 · SpeakingChapter 6 · RiceChapter 7 · Live BroadcastChapter 8 · XiongbaohuiChapter 9 · Bullet CommentsChapter 10 · I’m sleepyChapter 11 · WrongedChapter 12 · Going to SchoolChapter 13 · ChoiceChapter 14 · Knock KnockChapter 15 · NoisyChapter 16 · AccidentChapter 17 · WingsChapter 18 · CrowChapter 19 · General is blushingChapter 20 · RiotChapter 21 · The Insect EmperorChapter 22 · Good BoyChapter 23 · UnconsciousChapter 24 · DisappearanceChapter 25 · Tail HookChapter 26 · ReturningChapter 27 · DepartureChapter 28 · ReunionChapter 29 · Played with by tentaclesChapter 30 · Moist, Damp EyesChapter 31 Part 1 · Gu Yuan, do you like me?Chapter 31 Part 2 · Gu Yuan, do you like me?Chapter 32 · Don’t cry, sweetieChapter 33 · Reproductive tentaclesChapter 34 · Even if you kill me, I won’t grow backChapter 35 · Lord Evil GodChapter 36 · Why not refuse?Chapter 37 · He can cry; he’s not a monster.Chapter 38 · Some alternative ways of boiling waterChapter 39 · Why aren’t you kissing me?Chapter 40 · Here, my command is the highest orderChapter 41 · The Evil God’s Disguise Makes its Grand DebutChapter 42 · Be the breeding ground for my eggs.Chapter 43 · Carrying EggsChapter 44 · MasterChapter 45 · CryingChapter 46 · InterrogationChapter 47 · LikeChapter 48 · The TruthChapter 49 · ConfessionChapter 50 · Identity ExposedChapter 51 · BackgroundChapter 52 · SuspicionChapter 53 · The Feeling of HungerChapter 54 · SleepingChapter 55 · The NameChapter 56 · Memories (1)Chapter 57 · Memories (2)Chapter 58 · Memories (3)Chapter 59 · Gu YuanChapter 60 · A Falling KissChapter 61 · MonsterChapter 62 · RabitChapter 63 · Bathroom