Arno was of noble birth, and with his outstanding merits, it was enough for him to live a comfortable life in the Imperial Capital. This residence was luxuriously decorated. Besides the master bedroom on the second floor, there were also many guest rooms. Seeing Chu Sui washing up, he tidied up the messy bed and then went to the adjacent guest room to wash up.

Compared to Male Zerg, Female Zerg didn't enjoy luxury as much, or rather, they didn't have the opportunity to. Even bathing was just a quick rinse under the showerhead. The temperature didn't matter, nor did soaking in a bathtub.

Chu Sui had been too demanding last night, and coupled with the drug's side effects, Arno was still somewhat physically exhausted. He propped himself up with a hand on the tiled wall. Water streamed down his cold, handsome face, eventually disappearing into his lean and strong torso. His blue eyes were as magnificent and clear as gems, just as Chu Sui had said, like a shade of the ocean on Earth.

The wound on his wrist had not yet healed, and it stung painfully as the water soaked it.

Arno wiped the fog from the mirror and carefully examined himself in it. The hideous whip marks on his back had long since vanished, replaced by a dense scattering of hickeys. They were the size of a fingernail, some red, some purple, spread across his pale white body, exceptionally glaring.

But it didn't hurt.

Arno was clearly a bit unfamiliar with such marks. He stared at his reflection for a long time before slowly looking away. He dried his body and came out of the bathroom. He put on his clothes, but he had only buttoned them halfway when the smart robot beeped. "A visitor has arrived. A visitor has arrived. A visitor has arrived..."

Arno's intuition told him the visitor did not come with good intentions. He hastily threw on his clothes and went downstairs, feeling slightly relieved to see that Chu Sui had not yet come out of the bathroom.

The news of the two Male Zerg coming to blows at the banquet yesterday had already become common knowledge. It was said that Capet Ichi had been sent directly to the Medical Area for emergency treatment that night and had not yet been discharged. His family would naturally not let the matter rest.

Arno opened the door and saw three Female Zerg standing outside. The one in the lead was slightly older, with a stern face and a pair of thick, black-framed glasses on his nose. He looked difficult to get along with. "Hello, is this the residence of Lord Chu Sui? We are members of the Male Zerg Protection Association. There are some things we'd like to understand from him. We may disturb you for a moment."

After a Female Zerg married a Male Zerg, their life, as well as their entire fortune, belonged to the latter. It wasn't wrong to call this Chu Sui's residence. However, Arno's focus was on the words "Male Zerg Protection Association." As the name suggested, this association was specifically established to protect the interests and safety of Male Zerg.

Arno seemed to have long guessed they would come and was not surprised. He stepped aside to let them pass. "Please come in."

He had just finished bathing and was only wearing a white shirt on his upper body. His hair was dripping wet. Although the buttons were still meticulously done up to his neck, some ambiguous marks were still visible. He was covered in Chu Sui's pheromones, which had not yet had time to dissipate. Anyone with discerning eyes could tell what had happened.

The lead Female Zerg sat down on the sofa and then looked around. "Is Lord Chu Sui here?"

Arno fastened the Light Computer onto his wrist. Hearing the question, he glanced at the second floor, then looked away. "My Male Master is washing up. He will be down in a moment."

"It's alright, we can get the details from you as well, Major General Arno," the Female Zerg introduced himself. "My name is Myron. I am the person in charge of the Male Zerg Protection Association's Imperial Capital Area A. I've come today mainly because Lord Capet Ichi has filed a report with us, stating that he was subjected to an unprovoked assault by Lord Chu Sui, resulting in injury. So, we'd like to understand what happened last night."

After Myron finished speaking, the assistant beside him turned on a recorder and flipped open a notebook, assuming a posture for taking an inquiry record. "May I ask if you attended the banquet with Lord Chu Sui yesterday?"

Arno nodded. "Yes."

Myron said, "According to Lord Capet's testimony, you were with your younger brother Dike in the lounge. He went to visit out of kindness, but you violated the Male Monarch's code and took the initiative to seduce him, is that correct?"

Hearing this, Arno silently clenched his fingertips. Pale green veins surfaced on the back of his hand, forming an intersecting web of lines, but his voice remained calm. "That is not correct. Lord Capet sprayed me with a hallucinogen and verbally insulted my Male Master, which is why the two of them started fighting."

Myron stopped writing. "So, you're saying that Lord Capet is slandering you, correct?"

Arno silently relaxed his hand. A faint, web-like crack appeared on the screen of the Light Computer on his wrist. His reply was still concise. "Yes."

Myron seemed unconvinced and continued to question, "Alright, then may I ask, when Lord Chu Sui and Lord Capet were fighting, why did you not fulfill your duty as a Male Monarch to dissuade them? You should know that every Male Zerg is a treasure of The Empire. If any one of them is injured, it is a great loss. Moreover, as far as I know, the two lords' fight and misunderstanding was because of you, correct?"

This was the world of the Zerg Race. A Male Zerg could do no wrong. Even if they were wrong, it was because the Male Monarch had failed in his duty and was negligent in his care. They couldn't possibly punish Chu Sui and Capet, so they had to find a scapegoat.

Arno was well aware of the Male Zerg Protection Association's usual way of doing things. He did not offer any more explanation. "It was my negligence."

According to the laws of The Empire, he would be detained in prison for three days and receive a punishment of forty lashes from a Light Whip. The Capet Family was too difficult to deal with; someone had to bear their anger. Arno was already mentally prepared. He was an S-class Zerg. Although forty lashes from a Light Whip was severe, it was not fatal.

Myron adjusted his glasses. "So you admit your guilt, correct?"

Just as Arno was about to nod and accept the blame, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of a black object flying rapidly towards them. It hit Myron squarely. The latter, caught off guard, cried out in pain while clutching his head. Even his glasses fell to the floor. After fumbling to put them back on, he saw that the object that had hit him was an orange.

"Hey," a playful voice suddenly sounded from above their heads.

Chu Sui, having just finished his shower, was wearing a black bathrobe. He stood at the second-floor railing, still holding an apple in his hand, tossing it up and down. With a faint smile, he said, "What are you all playing at? So lively. Tell me what all the excitement is about."

With that, he took a crisp bite of the apple and then walked down the stairs. The Female Zerg present were first stunned by his appearance. When they came to their senses, they all rose from the sofa. Arno silently retracted the coldness around him and went forward to greet him. "Male Master..."

Myron was the first to speak up, taking a step forward to introduce himself. "Lord Chu Sui, hello. I am Myron, the head of the Male Zerg Protection Association's Imperial Area A. Please forgive my presumptuous visit."

Chu Sui ignored him, lazily sat down on the sofa, and then scratched his hair. He said to Arno, "Go upstairs and find me a set of clothes."

He had been rummaging through the closet for half a day just now and couldn't decide what to wear.

Fearing he would catch a cold, Arno responded with a "yes" and quickly turned to go upstairs. Only then did Chu Sui turn his gaze to Myron. "You're from that... that protection association, right? What do you want with me?"

Myron reminded him, "It's the Male Zerg Protection Association. Yesterday, you and Lord Capet got into a fight because of Major General Arno, so we came to understand the situation. But now we are clear about what happened..."

Chu Sui suddenly interrupted him. "No, no, no, we didn't fight because of Arno. It was just a friendly spar, a duel. Got it?"

The Zerg Race was bellicose. It was very normal for two parties to engage in a duel, and they were responsible for their own deaths and injuries.

Myron paused. "But according to Lord Capet's testimony..."

Chu Sui raised an eyebrow, his tone unfriendly. "Are you saying you believe him and not me?"

Myron met his bright black eyes, and his heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly explained, "I don't mean that, it's just..."

It's just that the Capet Family needed some kind of explanation.

Chu Sui pretended not to understand his meaning. "Alright, I was a bit heavy-handed. At worst, I'll cover his medical bills. How much? Tell him to send the bill over."

It was a serious crime for a Female Zerg to hit a Male Zerg, but that didn't mean it was a serious crime for a Male Zerg to hit another Male Zerg. Even if it went to court, it would be settled with a fine at most. Capet was a B-rank Male Zerg from a noble family, while Chu Sui was a rare A-rank Male Zerg. Handling this was truly difficult.

Myron still wanted to find a scapegoat. He hinted without leaving a trace, "Why don't you let your Male Monarch... that is, Major General Arno, come back with us to assist in the investigation? That way, we won't have to disturb your rest."

This was the best solution. It provided an explanation and avoided the difficult position of being caught between two Male Zerg.

Arno happened to walk out of his room. Hearing these words, his steps down the stairs paused slightly before returning to normal. There was no ripple in his pale blue eyes. He was just about to send a message to his adjutant to arrange military affairs for the next few days when Chu Sui directly refused. "No."

After speaking, Chu Sui seemed to feel his tone wasn't strong enough and added, "No room for discussion."

'Who the hell is Capet to make me hand someone over.'

Myron wanted to say more, but Chu Sui's limited patience had long since run out. He stood up from the sofa and said, "I'm going to sleep. If you don't leave now, you'll be disturbing my rest. Do I need to report you for harassing a Male Zerg?"

In The Empire, harassing a Male Zerg was equivalent to the crime of hooliganism. Not only would one be punished, but one's right to marry would also be revoked. Hearing this, Myron's face turned shades of green and white. In the end, he didn't dare to stay any longer. Having been rebuffed, he departed in disgrace.

Seeing this, Chu Sui let out a scoff, a look of disdain on his face. He then finished the apple in his hand and threw it into the trash can. Arno stood in place for a moment before coming downstairs with the clothes. He then bent down and knelt before him, asking, "Male Master, is this outfit alright?"

Chu Sui gave a casual hum of agreement, then took off his bathrobe and began to dress himself. He didn't know when it started, but he was already getting used to dressing himself. Arno reached out to fix his collar and then said in a low voice, "Male Master, may I help you?"

The shirt buttons were too numerous, and Chu Sui was getting annoyed with them. Hearing the offer, he simply handed the task over. Seeing this, Arno straightened up slightly and buttoned the shirt for him, one by one. He inadvertently glimpsed hickeys on Chu Sui's body similar to his own. His hand trembled, and he nearly buttoned one wrong again.

Chu Sui seemed to notice something. He looked down, then raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. Still true to his hedonistic nature, he reached out and flicked open two of the buttons on Arno's collar, revealing the mottled hickeys on his sexy collarbone.

Chu Sui knew very well that Arno had a reserved and silent personality, but he still teased him with ill intentions. "What are you looking at? You have them too."

His dark eyes were full of amusement. The inner corners of his eyes curved, while the outer corners tilted up slightly, a physiognomy of a passionate romantic. One glance was enough to fall in. Arno let him be, his ears growing hot. He kept his eyes lowered, not daring to look again. After he finished dressing Chu Sui, he suddenly spoke, "Actually, you could have handed me over..."

Arno looked up at Chu Sui. "The Capet Family needs an explanation."

Chu Sui's displeasure was visible to the naked eye. "He drugged you. Who's going to give me an explanation?"

Arno probably didn't expect him to say something like that. He looked slightly stunned, and it took him a long while to return to normal. His long fingers slowly covered Chu Sui's hand. Seeing that the latter did not resist, he gently tightened his grip and said, word by word, "Male Master, I am just an insignificant Female Zerg..."

He was just an insignificant Female Zerg, so why would anyone care if he lived or died? Let alone give him an explanation...

Only Chu Sui would think like that.

The great catastrophe many years ago had led to a massive reduction in the male population. Thus, every Zerg cub that hatched from its shell would be indoctrinated by its elders, taught that Male Zerg were precious and fragile, while Female Zerg were strong and numerous. They should protect Male Zerg, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives and dignity.

But over time, this blind adulation and protection had made the Male Zerg increasingly greedy and unrestrained, to the point of taking pleasure in the lives of Female Zerg. Who could say this wasn't the repetition of another tragedy?

This relationship seemed to be an unsolvable puzzle. One side's sacrifice was always needed to achieve a delicate balance, but who knew how long that could be maintained? Whether for the sake of procreation or survival, or the faith and loyalty flowing in their blood, none of it was enough to make a Female Zerg think of resisting.

Chu Sui was sometimes very bad, but sometimes he was also very simple.

Arno's gaze was, for a moment, so complex that Chu Sui couldn't understand it. But he didn't care about all that. He was born headstrong, accustomed to having his way since childhood. "Next time they come, just kick them out. You dare go with them and see what happens. We're not the ones at fault, so why should we hand someone over!"

Chu Sui wouldn't necessarily admit it even when he did something wrong. Now that he felt he had done nothing wrong, he was even less likely to admit it. Not even the Heavenly King himself could make him!

Hearing his words, Arno lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long time. After a good while, he took Chu Sui's hand and placed a cool kiss on the back of it, saying in a barely audible voice, "Thank you..."

Chu Sui was clearly not a sentimental person. He just thought Arno's behavior was a bit strange. He subconsciously pulled his hand back, the tingling sensation still there. He frowned, touched his neck uncomfortably, and then said like a grand lord, "I'm hungry, go cook."

His earlier intervention just seemed like the young master throwing a tantrum—hateful, yet also somehow endearing.

Arno looked at him, then suddenly smiled almost imperceptibly and said, "Okay, I'll go cook for you."

Chu Sui was still stuck in the strange feeling from before. It was as if a nail was growing from under his bottom, making him uncomfortable no matter how he sat. He changed positions several times. The system silently watched him for a while before finally flying in front of him, its voice crisp: 【Ding!】

Chu Sui's movements paused. He had a feeling this wasn't good. He said irritably, "What do you want now?"

The System quietly looked at Arno, who was busy in the kitchen, and said nothing.

Chu Sui somehow understood its meaning. When it dawned on him, his eyes widened. "Don't push your luck. Let me be clear, I won't cook."

How could a young master like him, whose ten fingers had never touched kitchen work, possibly know how to cook? If the system really made Chu Sui cook, he could poison himself.

The System was stunned, its wings flapped twice: 【I never expected you to cook either】

Its expectations for Chu Sui were very low. The fact that Chu Sui could now dress and put on shoes by himself was already a huge step forward. How could the system expect him to cook?

There was a saying on Earth: appropriate encouragement is beneficial for stimulating motivation and self-worth. System 009 flew to Chu Sui's shoulder, then circled around him: 【You did a great job not handing over your Male Monarch just now】

Chu Sui: "..."

Chu Sui had been the mischievous and troublemaking type since he was a child. He had heard plenty of flattery and compliments, but this was the first time he had been praised. To be praised twice by the system today was simply incredible.

...It was simply surreal.

The Zerg Race's entertainment resources were scarce. The tiniest incident could be discussed for more than half a month. In just one night, the events of the banquet had spread through the Imperial Capital like wildfire. Some busybodies even posted a video of the scene on StarNet. Because it involved Male Zerg, its popularity soared, and it soon made it to the homepage.

Capet Ichi's reputation was absolutely rotten. He ran rampant relying on his noble status. There were Female Zerg who flocked to him, and also those who felt disdain. Upon hearing the news, they were all shocked and quickly logged onto StarNet to join the gossip, all wanting to see how the arrogant Young Master Capet had been taken down a peg.

Zerg technology was far superior to the human world's, so the clarity of the cameras was naturally impeccable. In the video, everyone could clearly see a Male Zerg wearing a silver mask pinning Capet to the ground and beating him up one-sidedly. Every punch landed solidly, without any mercy, beating the latter until he was crying for his parents. Just as they were about to applaud, the mask on the Male Zerg's face suddenly fell to the ground with a clang in the latter half of the video, revealing his true face. They all froze in front of their Light Computer screens.

Their reaction was no different from the Female Zerg who were present that day, perhaps even more so. They were so stunned by Chu Sui's beauty that they gasped. Coming to their senses, they started taking screenshots while commenting: 【Urgent!!! All information on this Male Zerg lord!!!】

Soon, someone replied to the thread: 【He's Major General Arno's Male Master, seems to be called Chu Sui】

【Oh my god, I can't believe my eyes, does such a handsome Male Zerg really exist??】

【Oh, Zerg God, I'm suffocating!】

The attraction of Male Zerg to Female Zerg was undeniable. Coupled with the advanced information network, all of Chu Sui's information was dug up in less than ten minutes. Not only that, but the citizens of StarNet even figured out the entire sequence of events that happened at the banquet that night. Their first reaction was anger, followed by shock.

To be honest, they hadn't known why these two Male Zerg were fighting beforehand. It could have been mutual dislike, or a verbal dispute out of pride, but they would never have imagined it was because of Arno.

How could a Male Zerg fight over a Female Zerg? Such a thing was as rare and strange as red rain falling from the sky. But Chu Sui had done just that. Not only did he not hand over his own Male Monarch, but he also took care of the main culprit.

Some were green with envy, while others sighed with emotion, finding the matter too incredible to believe.

【Oh, Zerg God, Lord Chu Sui is truly an excellent Male Master, why am I not so lucky】

【Capet is too outrageous. Major General Arno is a warrior, a hero who fought and bled for The Empire, how could he be treated as a plaything to be traded!】

【Most Male Zerg are like that】

【Major General Arno might be in for it. StarNet reporters photographed people from the Male Zerg Protection Association going to their place to investigate.】

If the Male Zerg Protection Association was the Zerg equivalent of the Department of Prudent Punishment, then Myron and his people were like Matron Rong. For so many years, not a single Female Zerg taken in for interrogation by him had come back unscathed. They were maimed, if not dead.

As soon as this news came out, everyone couldn't help but feel pity and sympathy for Arno. They felt he would be skinned alive if not killed. After all, who made Capet a Male Zerg and of noble birth? The punishment would never fall on him.

However, not long after, someone who was staking out Chu Sui's residential area captured a video of Myron and the others leaving. After being uploaded to StarNet, it directly sparked countless discussions, like a single stone causing a thousand ripples.

It was for no other reason than that Myron and his group had left empty-handed. Not only had they not detained Major General Arno, but they also looked disheveled and miserable, which was an exceptionally rare sight.