The powerful leader was tough on the outside but soft on the inside; the aloof major general fell fo

Ashier, who had rushed back covered in dust, looked more disheveled than Cen Li had ever seen him before.

A few strands of her hair stood up unruly, losing their usual neatness.

At this moment, he stood at the door, stammering, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Before she could even speak, Ashel's ears slowly turned red.

This piqued Cen Li's curiosity.

What is it that makes Ashel so embarrassed?

"Because...because I miss you a little..."

He finished speaking haltingly.

Ash's fingers tightened.

This was even more agonizing than fighting, leaving him feeling completely lost.

The moment I finished speaking my mind, a pang of regret belatedly welled up inside me.

Words spoken can never be taken back.

I was being incredibly foolish to do that.

No female insect would speak to its male master like that, would it?

Ashel knew that the courage behind his words stemmed largely from the lord's current good temper.

In fact, the powerful ruler treated him very well.

This "good" is Ashleigh's definition.

His inner thoughts told him that even if he said that, the powerful ruler would not blame him.

The powerful ruler has already changed quietly.

But he was still so nervous that his back was sweating.

What's said has already been said.

He wanted to know the male ruler's reaction.

Following his own heart, Ashel raised his head and looked at the lord.

The lord's gaze was fixed intently on him.

His dark, deep gaze was fixed on Ash, and he didn't even blink for a moment.

Something seemed to flash across his deep blue eyes; the emotion was fleeting, and Ash didn't catch it.

But the powerful ruler did not intend to blame him.

"Go take a shower."

The powerful ruler did not respond to his words, and the topic jumped around, urging him to get ready.

"Okay, okay."

Ashel hurriedly responded.

He rushed back and only managed to tidy himself up briefly on the warship, but he still looked quite disheveled overall.

Ashel ran out quickly and took a shower.

He deliberately washed for a while longer to completely remove the smell of blood from his body.

After dawdling for so long, the lord should have already fallen asleep.

When I returned to my room, I still moved very quietly.

The light under the door was still on; had the powerful lord left a light on for him?

Ashel gently pushed open the door.

It turned out that the male ruler was still awake.

"Were you waiting for me?"

Asher walked over, lifted a corner of the blanket, and asked in a low voice.

"Um."

It's neither hot nor cold.

But it made Ashel's eyes light up.

The lord said yes, he was waiting for him.

This ridiculously brief reply stirred a ripple in Ashel's heart.

No, you could say it was the sound of even louder waves crashing.

He couldn't help but smile slightly, "Actually, you didn't have to wait for me. It's already very late."

It's almost unheard of for a male ruler to go to bed this late.

Ashel didn't want the male master to be in poor spirits the next day.

He would feel guilty.

Cen Li's gaze lingered on Asher's bright eyes for a moment before he said, "Sleep now."

This is nowhere near as dazzling as the diamonds on Chloe's clothes.

The lord's gaze lingered on him for a long time.

My heart started beating faster without me even noticing.

Ashel awkwardly averted his gaze from the lord, then something suddenly flashed through his mind. He hesitated before looking back at the lord, "My lord, do you need my service?"

It has been five days since he and the male ruler parted ways.

He should solve all the needs of the lord.

The female insect's words shattered the rare tranquility and peace.

Cen Li's face darkened. He pulled back the blanket, completely covering Asher's head. "What are you thinking about?"

Suddenly, everything went dark.

Ashel's slender fingertips peeked out, pinched the corner of the blanket and pulled it down a bit, then revealed her head, her amber eyes darting around before accurately looking at the master's position.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across his eyes.

After all that fuss, the female insect's face turned rosy.

Ashel moved his lips awkwardly, "But..."

Cen Li interrupted him, "There's no 'but' about it."

The male insect turned off the light.

The room fell dark again.

Only two shallow breaths could be heard.

Ashel rolled over, facing the direction of the lord, and suddenly whispered, "My lord, I have something I'd like to give you tomorrow."

Quiet, still quiet.

Just as Ashel thought the lord was asleep, the voice rang out.

"What is it?"

"Yes, yes..."

This is what delayed Ashel's trip.

It was a gift he brought for the male ruler.

It's a gift, but he doesn't know if the male ruler will like it.

Therefore, Ashel hesitated when he had the words on the tip of his tongue.

All the resources of the Duke's mansion were tilted towards the powerful ruler. Cen Li used only the best things, and the general would also strictly control the power of the powerful ruler's daily necessities.

Ashel's belongings weren't particularly valuable.

The only presentable thing he had was this gift, which he had carefully selected and spent a lot of time on.

The female insect didn't finish her sentence for a long time.

Undeniably, Cen Li's interest was piqued.

He pressed, "What is it?"

Ashel hesitated for a while longer.

Didn't I say I was bringing him this? It's something I'll show Cen Li sooner or later, so what's the big deal now?

Cen Li gave up struggling, and his lukewarm question turned into a command, "Let me see it."

Ashel exclaimed, "But it's very late, Lord. Shouldn't we go to sleep?"

Cen Li's curiosity was piqued. Should he tell him to go to sleep now?

I can't sleep, I can't sleep at all.

Cen Li narrowed his eyes and threatened, "Now, let me see it."

He repeated it again.

The lights were turned back on.

Ashel had no choice but to get up, his movements hesitant, as if trying to stall for time.

Cen Li then said, "I'll give you three minutes."

Ashel then began to move.

Turning his back, he looked rather regretful.

I should have known better than to say that.

We need to give him some breathing room.

The female insect pushed the door open again at just the right moment.

"Where are the things?"

Ashel wasn't holding anything in his hands.

One of his hands was behind his back, and Cen Li's intuition told him that what Asher wanted to give him was hidden behind his back.

"Why are you hiding it? Wasn't it for me?"

Cen Li will see it sooner or later.

Ashel gave a soft "hmm" and then slowly took out the thing behind him.

"My lord, I hope you will like it..."

Ashel took a few steps closer.

When he took the item out, Cen Li saw it clearly.

A cage.

There was a kitten inside.

"cat?"

Why did Ashleigh give him this?

"……Yes."

Ashel raised the cage higher, to eye level with the male's, so that the male could see the contents more clearly.

The Zerg originally did not have cats; they only existed in ancient texts.

Later, researchers bred these soft-looking creatures using gene sequences, but they differed from those recorded in ancient texts.

For example, insect-like cats live longer and have superior gene sequences that make them less prone to disease...