Who understands? The aloof female ruler always flirts without even realizing it.

Instead of helping him up, Shen Yan squatted down, bringing his gaze level with that of the kneeling Kalandel. This gesture broke the male insect's usual condescending attitude, carrying a sense of equality and an attempt to engage in deeper communication.

"Kalandall." His voice was soft, yet as steady as a rock in the night.

"First of all, I must clarify that my taking you away from that place and taking care of you was never in exchange for anything, much less to use the debt of saving my life to coerce you into fulfilling any so-called obligations."

"Whether you can lay eggs or not has never been a measure of your value to me."

He looked directly into those icy blue eyes, brimming with tears and self-loathing, and spoke with utmost seriousness:

"Listen, you are free. If you feel that staying here is a burden, or if you yearn for a life elsewhere, you can leave at any time, and I will not stop you for any reason."

Karandal looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

The powerful ruler... actually allowed him to leave? This is simply a fantasy on the Imperial Star.

Shen Yan paused, his tone softening, taking on a subtle gentleness, even a frankly awkward quality:

"Of course, I'm not saying this to get rid of you. On the contrary, I hope you'll stay..."

He turned his head slightly, seemingly a little embarrassed to meet the female insect's gaze directly, and his voice lowered:

"To be honest, from the first moment I saw you, even in that battered state, I still felt you were very special."

"Yes, it's that special kind of heart-fluttering feeling. I really like you... You're beautiful, dazzling, and your wings are especially beautiful..."

"But I also have to be honest."

Shen Yan turned back, his gaze clear and sincere:

"This liking might not be deep enough to be called love. But for me, I probably won't feel similar emotions towards any other insect in my life."

"If you're willing to stay, I hope we can slowly get to know each other as partners and gradually cultivate a deeper relationship. You don't need to feel pressured, nor do you need to force yourself to respond immediately."

"We can start as friends... by getting to know each other."

These words were completely beyond Karandal's comprehension. The freedom of choice, honest liking rather than possession, and suggestions to cultivate feelings…

Every word was shattering his established worldview. He knelt on the spot, staring blankly at the male insect squatting before him at eye level, as if seeing his face clearly for the first time.

Seeing his bewildered and silly look, Shen Yan's heart softened.

She reached out again, this time not to help him up, but to gently pry open his fingertips, which had turned white from the effort, and then wrapped her palm around his cool, calloused hand.

"Get up first, okay?"

It was spoken in a consultative tone, not as a command.

"If you'd like to stay, you can sleep here tonight. You need to get some rest, not overthink things."

As expected, I was not rejected.

The female insect stood up with Shen Yan's help. Her legs were a little numb, and she swayed slightly. Two hands immediately and steadily supported her shoulders.

She led him to the bedside, then took another blanket from the closet: "You sleep here, I'll sleep here. Don't worry, I'm a good sleeper, I promise I won't cross the line."

He pointed to the two sides of the large bed, clearly demarcated.

……

After the lights were turned off, the room fell into darkness. Shen Yan lay on his side with his back to Kalandel, trying to keep his breathing steady and pretend he was asleep. However, only he knew that deep down he was far from being as calm as he appeared.

Karandel's awkward yet devout seduction, the glint of tears in his icy blue eyes as he tilted his head back, the barely visible lines beneath his bathrobe, and the burning sensation of his fingertips as they traced his thigh…

These images surged uncontrollably through his mind. He was a normal male, full of vigor and vitality; how could he remain completely unmoved by such a blatant, sacrificial temptation from a beautiful female?

However, he knew even more clearly that he must not take advantage of Calander's confusion and humility in that situation.

That went against his original intention of redemption and desecrated his expectation of an equal relationship.

Hearing Karandal's breathing behind him gradually become long and even, as if he had finally fallen asleep, Shen Yan breathed a very slight sigh of relief. At the same time, he felt the heat that had been forcibly suppressed in his body become more and more obvious.

He quietly got up, slowly got out of bed, and almost tiptoed into the bathroom.

Gently lock the door, turn on the tap, and let the faint sound of running water mask any potential noise.

……

He dried himself off, changed into clean pajamas, and made sure there were no traces or odors left on his body before quietly returning to the bedside as if he had completed a secret mission.

Karandal remained in the same sleeping position, seemingly undisturbed.

Shen Yan carefully lay back down in his seat. This time, he truly felt tired, and with a sense of relief and peace, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Although Shen Yan had made his movements extremely light, to the female insect's overly sensitive senses, this slight movement was still like a pebble thrown into a still lake.

Kalandel opened his eyes the moment the other person stood up, his thick eyelashes trembling silently in the darkness.

He didn't move, maintaining the seemingly sleeping posture, but his hearing caught every subtle footstep of the male master as he walked towards the bathroom door, followed by the almost inaudible "click" of the door lock closing.

Immediately following were suppressed gasps and the long, drawn-out sound of flowing water.

Karandal's heart pounded in the silence. He was no naive novice; he had heard plenty of talk about male insects in the army.

He immediately understood what the male lord was doing. A surge of intense heat rushed to his cheeks and ears, even hotter than when he had tried to offer himself before.

But this time, along with the shyness came an unprecedented and complex emotion that almost made his heart spasm.

The powerful ruler... was not entirely without feeling.

This realization was like a ray of light, piercing through the thick fog that had enveloped his heart due to self-deprecation.

Shen Yan's previous reassurances and promises, his words about freedom, respect, and nurturing relationships, now have more concrete and soul-stirring evidence.

The male clearly desires her, which is the foundation for the female's survival and to prove her worth, but the male chooses to restrain himself and resolve the issue alone, simply because he does not want to take advantage of her when she is confused and vulnerable.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and after a while, the door was gently opened.

The male returned, his body damp with a cool mist and a faint scent of shower gel, still moving cautiously as if afraid of disturbing him.

Karandal immediately closed his eyes and regulated his breathing to be even and long. He felt Shen Yan pause for a moment by the bedside, as if to make sure he was asleep, before gently lying down.

His breathing quickly became deep.

In the darkness, the female insect quietly opened her eyes a crack and, using the faint light coming in from the window, gazed at the profile of Shen Yan's face, which was so close to hers.

A bittersweet emotion welled up in his throat. He recalled his humble, almost self-humiliating actions just now, and compared to the silent respect and forbearance of the powerful ruler, a great sense of shame intertwined with a strange, cherished warmth, almost bringing him to tears.

All his previous anxieties were about being disliked, being worthless, and being abandoned.

Faced with the silent actions of the powerful ruler, everything seemed so pale and powerless. Shen Yan told him in the most direct way: I want you, but I respect you even more.

Karandal moved very slowly toward Shen Yan, shortening the distance that the other had drawn, a distance that symbolized respect and boundaries.

He didn't touch the other, but simply felt closer to the reassuring scent and body temperature.

When he closed his eyes again, his chaotic thoughts gradually calmed down. In their place was an unprecedented firmness. The powerful leader was willing to give him time, willing to "cultivate a relationship" with him.

So perhaps... he could try to believe that he deserves to be treated this way, and that he deserves to look forward to a relationship that is different from the Zerg's usual practices.

As dawn approached, Karandal finally fell into a deep sleep, a mixture of shame, emotion, and a faint but tenacious hope.

This time, however, his brows were relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even had a very slight curve that he himself did not notice.

Shen Yan unconsciously turned over in his sleep, his arm naturally draped over, crossing the invisible boundary before, and gently landing on Kalandel's pillow.

I had a good night's sleep.