Insectoids: The Job of the Males

`Wei Zhuo then carefully and slowly extends his hand, until it gradually came into contact with Cheng Zhaoci’s hanging hand.

When the fingers touch, Wei Zhuo feels electrified, like he was hit by lightning.

Then there’s a bit of movement on the bed, and Wei Zhuo freezes.

A clearly drowsy Cheng Zhaoci opens his eyes a little, glances at Wei Zhuo, and immediately falls back asleep. When Wei Zhuo is sighing in relief, Cheng Zhaoci mumbles, “… handsome…”

Wei Zhuo shakes a little, and bites his lips, while covering up his face.

Oh no. This wouldn’t do. It surely wouldn’t. He’s always blushing all the time now, really, like, unbecoming of a grade S shemale.

“Something’s wrong,” Zhou Luoluo concludes, observing the energetic Cheng Zhaoci who seems to have fallen back in love with work.

“I think you’re right,” Zhou Xiaobao concurs, “very wrong.”

He was all ‘I don’t want to work I want love’ a few days ago. They can’t understand how he suddenly wised up overnight.

“You’re the ones being weird,” Cheng Zhaoci retorts, before telling them, “I need to earn more money. I’m going to be a male with a family soon. I must do my part for it. I need to earn a living for Squadron Leader Wei.”

Though taking into account the speed at which the Squadron Leader is promoted, he’d probably end up the Marshal or something eventually. He doesn’t need someone to earn a living for him.

Zhou Luoluo then asks, curious, “so what happened to you two?”

“I saw the future in-laws,” Cheng Zhaoci replies earnestly, or rather, he’s in the mood to brag.

He’s feeling quite good, what with his current audience consisting of an insectoid with zero experience in romance, and an insectoid still in the exploratory, ambiguous stages of a relationship.

Somehow, he’s got the sense of superiority of a male who’s established a family over those who haven’t, even though he’s not even of age yet, “the Grand Marshal has taken a liking to me, so I think it’s a good time to prepare.”

“… You’re still underage.”

“One should always prepare in advance,” Cheng Zhaoci is wholly content as he starts drawing, “now let’s get back to work. I’ve sent you both the panels for the day. Gossiping is bad for productivity, especially when you kids won’t even know half of what I’m talking about.”

What sort of unique brand of bastard are they even dealing with here?! The Zhou brothers wish they’re blind just so they don’t have to see Cheng Zhaoci gloating. Zhou Luoluo looks all ready to start a futile battle of saliva when Zhou Xiaobao stops him, “don’t. The more you engage, the more haughty he gets.”

As Zhou Xiaobao knows all too well the prowess in battle a Cheng Zhaoci with highly disproportionate ego possesses.

Really, Cheng Zhaoci is an amazing insectoid, with the sole exception of when he gets in over his head. Before the ball of hot air that replaced his head dissipates by itself, Cheng Zhaoci will just be this stubbornly thick and oily balloon if you try to deflate him with a harsh needle of reality.

Well, the good thing about a Cheng Zhaoci with this debuff on him is that he is highly motivated, already finishing the detailed draft of the second chapter of the second arc by the second day.

In fact, since he’s still the one doing everything until the detailing, he can just skip the rough storyboard sketches and draw detailed scenes in the first place. It saves time.

After sending it off to Zhou Xiaobao, he starts working on the next chapter for the little zombie king. Slowly, though, he starts blanking out a little, watching the face of his ‘strongest shemale’ character, “did you guys know?”

The sombre tone makes both of the other insectoids present look at him in surprise.

“I was still on Zhousuo when I started working on the little zombie,” Cheng Zhaoci pokes the strongest shemale in the face with his finger.

“It’s all in the past,” Zhou Xiaobao has never been to a landfill planet, and only has a vague idea of what they’re like from photographs online and stories from family members. Of course, it’s nowhere one should be, let alone live on. He really thinks it’s extraordinary Cheng Zhaoci grew up relatively safely there, “it must have been terrible for you.”

“The character I designed, was almost a spitting image of the Squadron Leader. We met exactly how the characters met in the comic,” Cheng Zhaoci is looking up at the wall now, at a 45-degree angle, “I suppose, this must be fate.”

“Would you shut up for one second?!” Zhou Luoluo has had enough, and goes from sitting to falling on his back, lying on the floor, “you weren’t like this! You’ve changed!” Cheng Zhaoci was always the mature and reliable one back then. Now, he only has an all too depressing realisation of how time changes insectoids. Especially when it’s for the worse, like Cheng Zhaoci becoming prone to childishly bragging to everyone around him.

“A male with a family to support would definitely change, you know. I’m no longer the past me.”

Zhou Luoluo “…”

What else can he even say?

He should just keep his peace.

Though Cheng Zhaoci suddenly recalls that he has forgotten to tell his dad about his newfound love! He’s seen his future in-laws now, so he has to inform his dad and prepare as well.

Cheng Zhaoci sends Cheng Jin a message – because Cheng Jin might be busy on a sensitive mission for which timing is crucial, and have left his holodeck behind. It’d be troublesome for him to have to call him back after noticing the missed call. Cheng Zhaoci would rather his dad learned of this news more directly.

… Actually, he should probably send Xiao Ji and He Huaijian the news as well.

Oh, right. He can also change his forum signature on his comic artist alt.

[Username: BombInMyPants.
…
Signature: Happiness is when you have an insectoid you like, and you realise you have the opportunity to be together until you’re old and hale]

Many readers have noticed his signature change. Some are teasingly asking if he’s found a loving xiongzhu for himself, that he had such a dramatic shift to happy romance in his latest comic – well, they would probably stop saying that when the second arc is published.

Meanwhile, some are also wondering if he is the xiongzhu‘s cijun or a concubine.

Cheng Zhaoci not having disclosed his male identity means many are assuming him to be a demi. Yes, a demi, despite his highly evocative username. Mainly because it is an even stronger stereotype that shemales don’t have an ounce of what it takes to pull off romance among insectoid society, so the choice was ruled out entirely.

In fact, there is even a small group of males that are expressing pity finding out the demi BombIn that they have taken a liking to is now taken. They’ve never seen a photograph of him or managed to get information on him, but they do lament that another male has got to him before them nonetheless.

Among them, there are even ones that proclaim that as long as virginity remains intact, BombIn and his supposed mate aren’t truly ‘together’ yet, and ask BombIn to look their way, as they promise the position of a loved concubine to him.

Of course, the only replies those comments from that minority of males attract would be shemales and demis telling them not to be said… as they sell themselves to try and get laid with these males instead.

Somehow, in the end, the comments section for Cheng Zhaoci’s alt page has turned into some kind of massive mixer event.

Cheng Zhaoci, at least, is visibly confounded. As he doesn’t check his private messages often anymore, he wasn’t aware at all he had a bunch of ‘hubby fans’ gathered. Not that he wanted any of them.

Hey, they’re all males here. Take the pants off and maybe he might even be more male than some of them!

Who are you trying to court with here?

When Cheng Jin sees Cheng Zhaoci’s message, a relaxing relief comes over him after the initial surprise. Thank goodness, his male son is still interested in shemales.

Then it would seem that he only sees the male known as Zhou Luoluo as a friend.

Xiao Ji is much more direct, giving Cheng Zhaoci a call and excitedly asking for juicy details. And also, bragging that he and He Huaijian both called as soon as they saw the message, but his call got through first.

Although, after Cheng Zhaoci gets close to the hour mark as he continues recounting to Xiao Ji every single interaction between him and Wei Zhuo, with just their eyes casually locking receiving upwards of 400 words in description, and that not even being the least of it, Xiao Ji has been responding less and less, until finally, he made his excuses and, for once, cut the call short instead of being the one getting told to shut up.

And He Huaijian, who was also supposedly going to call Cheng Zhaoci, never did.

Meng Yuele also noticed immediately, taking his holodeck to Wei Zhuo and asking him, “yo yo yo! Bro, this is you, right?!”

He sees BombInMyPants’ homepage on the holodeck, and as his eyes scroll past the signature, he freezes up entirely. Uh, but, like, they haven’t actually confirmed that they’re in a relationship yet, right? So how did this… just, happen?

No, no no no. This is far too casual. It is blasphemously disrespectful to Mr Cheng Zhaoci. He must make amends with a grandiose proposal immediately. Right, that means presents. He has seen how ceremonious it gets when other shemales and demis are trying to win a male’s affection.

It may be true that Mr Cheng Zhaoci is a lot more forward with his feelings than most, but he must not neglect to do his part as well.

“Woah! That face of yours, it’s blushing? Fuck me, you’re actually embarrassed! Hahaha! Now I’ve sure seen it all,” Meng Yuele then collapses into a fit of laughter, before recovering to ask, “so what’s really going on? Are you two hitting it off or not?”

Wei Zhuo does not answer.

Meng Yuele is going to paw at Wei Zhuo for an explanation… until he sees Wei Zhuo’s cold gaze directed at him.

“You’ve finished everything for the day? All the space pirates have been captured? Why was your holodeck on a comic artist’s homepage at work?” Wei Zhuo raises his brow, “I want a ten-thousand word reflection,” a timely reminder that while Wei Zhuo is a good friend of Meng Yuele’s, he’s also his superior.

The happy Meng Yuele once again turns into a sad Meng Yuele.