16
The male zerg ordered the housekeeping robot to prepare two guest rooms. He was determined to protect Rhys and his female father and planned to have them stay at his home for the time being.
After the events of the afternoon, He Qin had fully accepted the unfairness of zerg society’s regulations. As an excellent soldier, he knew he needed to flexibly utilize whatever advantages he had, including his male zerg status.
Since the Qi family considered the lives of female zergs worthless, as a male zerg, he would protect these two under his wing.
With He Qin’s declaration to the Qi family, they wouldn’t dare to make a move against the major general and his female father, fearing to offend a male zerg.
The remarkable recovery ability of female zergs was indeed a source of pride for their society. Not long after Doctor Buya left, all the wounds on the major general’s body had healed.
At this moment, Major General Rhys was diligently taking care of his still-unconscious female father.
Fortunately, Adjutant Jack had notified them in time. Otherwise, it was unimaginable what the deranged female zergs would have done to the major general.
“Lord He Qin, was it Jack who informed you?” The female zerg seemed to understand what He Qin was thinking.
“Yes, Adjutant Jack reacted very quickly. As soon as he got the news, he came to me for help,” He Qin said, full of praise for Jack.
That day, He Qin had been at home, studying zerg history with a teacher sent by the empire. Back on Earth, whenever he heard subjects like history or politics, he would get a headache or lose interest entirely. Now, listening to zerg history made him equally drowsy.
Just as He Qin was about to fall asleep in front of the teacher, Jack rang the doorbell frantically, jolting him awake.
Jack hadn’t even entered the house and instead explained Rhys’s situation clearly and concisely from the doorway. Without hesitation, He Qin abandoned the history lesson, grabbed Jack, and boarded a military aircraft.
In simple terms, He Qin felt that his “friend” was being bullied. Having been raised in the military where loyalty was paramount, he naturally went to support his “friend.”
Talking about it now, He Qin couldn’t forget the sight of the female zerg kneeling in a pool of blood, covered in wounds. His anger was barely containable. “You’re family. Why would they treat you like this?”
“The situation of female zergs is just like that.” Those not favored by male zergs are lower in status than even household servants in front of the male master.
Thinking of this, Major General Rhys let out a cold laugh. “Lord He Qin, even if you can help me today, one day, I’ll still be sent away by my male father.”
That’s right, sent away.
Given his male father’s opportunistic nature, he wouldn’t care about Rhys’s preferences. He would just choose a partner useful for the family’s business from a group of male zergs and use Rhys’s rank as a major general to lure them into cooperating with the Qi family.
“I won’t allow it.” He Qin’s originally gentle expression suddenly turned fierce, looking extremely angry.
“Lord He Qin?”
Rhys had never seen the usually approachable male zerg in this state. He Qin, like a beast worried about its beloved toy being taken away, was expressing his dissatisfaction vehemently.
Although the male zerg had previously said at the Qi family’s home that Rhys was his female lord, the major general had thought it was just a tactical move and hadn’t taken it seriously.
Seeing the male zerg’s reaction now, it seemed he might need to reconsider the truth of that statement.
“So, what do you mean?”
Rhys had always been confident about becoming the male zerg’s female lord. He was merely planning to take it slow with this young male zerg who grew up on Earth, starting as friends and gradually getting closer.
So, was his ‘tactic’ wrong? Major General Rhys was now seriously questioning his ‘war strategy.’
“I said in the Qi family that I would marry you as my female lord.” He Qin once again took the pale hand of the female zerg, a hand that didn’t look like it belonged to a soldier, with a serious and earnest expression.
Unexpectedly, the foolish move by Qi Ran resulted in such an unexpected delight.
Rhys almost couldn’t maintain his cold demeanor, while his heart, hidden beneath his firm chest muscles, was already pounding wildly.
“Have you really thought it through?” The sudden happiness made him feel a bit guilty, as if he had deceived the young male zerg.
To the simple-minded He Qin, this question sounded like the major general was questioning his sincerity and capability.
“Of course I’ve thought it through.” He Qin’s emotional intelligence, shaped by his straightforward male friends from Earth, came through with a brotherly pledge, “Major General Rhys, I want to marry you.”
To show his sincerity, the male zerg almost shouted his heartfelt confession at the top of his lungs.
The yellow and white alien birds resting on the branches outside were startled by the loud voice, squawking and flapping their wings as they fled the source of the strange sound.
A raspy voice of another unfamiliar female zerg rose with the shout, “Are you serious?” Apparently, He Qin’s powerful declaration had awakened the female zerg from his slumber.
Realizing there was an elder female zerg in the room, He Qin’s expression visibly stiffened.
The blush from embarrassment spread over his neck and ears, turning them a rosy pink.
“Female father, your injuries haven’t healed yet, you need to lie down.” Rhys stepped forward to restrain the injured female zerg who was trying to get out of bed.
He knew how excited his female father would be upon hearing this news, but Dr. Buya’s recent instructions made the major general prioritize his female father’s health.
Since the male zerg’s blanket couldn’t be given to a strange female zerg, Major General Rhys, as if familiar with his own home, took a small blanket from a nearby cabinet and covered the half-reclining female zerg’s legs.
“Hello, my name is He Qin, you can call me Xiao Qin.” He Qin felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to the female zerg who looked almost identical to the major general.
Major General Rhys’s female father had the same smooth silver hair, but unlike the major general, who carried a constant battlefield aura, the female zerg exuded an elegant and gentle demeanor.
He also smiled a lot more than the major general. Seeing the faint smile on the female zerg’s lips, He Qin thought to himself.
“I will definitely keep my word. We’ll go get the marriage certificate tomorrow.”
Clearly, the male zerg hadn’t reached the chapter on marriage procedures in zerg society in his studies, still thinking of the Earth marriage process.
“Lord He Qin, in the empire, zerg marriages only need to be notarized at the marriage registry.”
Furthermore, unless it was for a female lord, a male zerg didn’t even need to waste time going to the registry. He could simply give a personal item to a female servant or slave and have the female zerg handle the marriage notarization.
“Oh, I forgot this isn’t Earth.” The male zerg revealed a sheepish smile, awkwardly not knowing where to place his hands.
This series of actions widened the eyes of the two female zergs present.
It seemed that this young male zerg returned from Earth was indeed, as Rhys had said, a completely different zerg from the imperial male zergs.
Originally nurtured in the palm of the hand in the empire, this young male zerg grew up in an Earth orphanage.
Even as a minor, he joined the Earth military, undergoing military training just like the female zergs.
On the battlefield, killing enemies was either you die or I live, life and death were determined by fate. How much hardship must such an outstanding child have endured?
It was said that the young male zerg was undergoing a period of transformation on the battlefield. I don’t know if his body is healthy.
“You can call me Ivan. I heard that you were undergoing transformation on the battlefield. Have you checked your mental state?”
Seeing the young male zerg relax, his face suddenly appeared immature, and a kind of instinctive female zerg nature was triggered. He suddenly found the feeling of taking care of Rhys when he was small.
“I’ve already checked it. I’m healthy,” He Qin replied obediently.
As an orphan raised in an orphanage, He Qin rarely felt cared for by an elder, but this feeling didn’t seem bad.
“Now that I’ve decided to marry Rhys, can I call you Dad?” He Qin had strong perception, almost able to feel the compatibility of the first person he saw.
And for those he favored, there was always a desire to get close. Like Major General Rhys, and like Uncle Ivan.
“Of course you can, as long as you like it.” The eyes of the young male zerg eagerly expected, directly stared at Ivan, and the “so not in compliance with the rules” that came to his mouth was swallowed alive.
“Well, Dad, you’ll stay with me during this time.”
“But Qi’s family?” If Qi Lun returns and finds that he is not at home, it will definitely cause a lot of trouble.
Back then, he did not choose to try to resist, holding a little hope when marry Qi Lun, which was the most regrettable thing in Ivan’s life.
If he had resisted, even if the result was that he alone raised Rhys, it would be much better than enduring humiliation in Qi’s family.
“Dad, don’t you trust me?” It’s hard to imagine the young male zerg coquettishly acting spoiled in front of Ivan, the same zerg that was so harsh in Qi’s family.
“Of course I trust you, our Xiao Qin is amazing.” These words of “Dad” really touched Ivan’s heart.
Thinking back to when Rhys was just born, he was a soft little lump. As he grew up, this child began to understand his position in Qi’s family.
Faced with the bullying of Qi Ran’s brothers, fearing to cause trouble for his female father, he silently bore a lot.
While other children were still spoiled in the arms of their female father, Rhys had learned from a young age to protect himself and his female father with a cold exterior.
Since Rhys was very young, Ivan had never heard another child call him “Dad” in such a soft and tender tone.
So, this is what a male zerg truly looks like.
He’s still just a child, Ivan thought as he gently touched the young male zerg’s hair. The playful and amusing behavior of He Qin made the female zerg smile repeatedly.
Ivan quietly glanced at his own child standing beside him. In Rhys’s eyes, which usually showed no ripples, now couldn’t hide the radiant glow of happiness.