Chapter 17

"…"

　　The female insect was understandably confused. Yael finally came back to his senses and coughed awkwardly.

　　But his sentence had already been captured by 015, and the little robot butler responded positively, "Okay, I'll do it right away!"

　　After being interrupted like this, the female insect seemed to be less nervous. He was silent for a moment and then asked, "Who are you?"

　　What was his identity, who had sent him, and what is his purpose?

　　Was he serving the nobility, or affiliated with the military, or... In just a few seconds, Caesar had considered all the possible options, but he felt powerless. What would it matter even if he knew?

　　After being bombarded with questions, Yael was stunned for a moment, then he said carefully, "Actually... I was just passing by."

　　He told the female insect about the small advertisement posted on the door, the live broadcast of the female slave exchange, and finally about how he passed by the alley, then rushed him to the hospital, and finally went home with a newly acquired female 'slave'.

　　He spoke aimlessly and without a main point, simply reminiscing. As he spoke, he remembered a sentence by Hesse, which seemed too appropriate at the moment:

　　[all the wrong paths lead me to you.]

　　"Anyway, that's about it. I'm just a passerby."

　　Yael explained, thinking about his motives, "Maybe I just picked you up and brought you home because of impulsive consumerism."

　　He thought that Caesar would not believe it. After all, he looked as alert and cautious as the leader of the wolves.

　　But unexpectedly, the female insect did not ask him any more questions, and his grip on the quilt tightened and relaxed.

　　The sharpness between his brows gradually dissipated, and turned into the silence of enduring pain again.

　　——It was as if he had no intention of digging deep to find the real answer, but just needed a reasonable explanation so that he could accept the sudden change and unknown situation, and then he could lie to himself and continue to live on.

　　"…Thank you very much for helping me at that time. I will repay you double the medical expenses when the time comes. I will do my best to meet any requests you have."

　　Caesar said hoarsely, with the standard serious expression that a military zerg always has, and a hint of embarrassment in his eyes, "Thank you very much."

　　"It's okay, just take good care of your injuries first and we'll talk when you get better."

　　Yael smiled and tried to comfort him.

　　He was not surprised by Caesar's reaction, which explained why he could not endure his humiliation during the live broadcast. If he had not still retained this unbreakable backbone, he might not have lived so miserably.

　　There was silence.

　　"…"

　　Yael could sense the unease and hesitation hidden in Caesar.

　　Perhaps the female insect didn't actually want to stop questioning so quickly, or perhaps it was because he knew nothing about the situation and could have had lied to him easily.

　　Or perhaps there was no hostile atmosphere or maliciousness in this house that could make him raise his guard, and yet his vigilance and resistance was endless, seeping harmlessly into the quiet and peaceful air.

　　Anyway, it's a good start.

　　He just needs time.

　　Yael warned himself again.

　　Then he decided to go to the kitchen to check the situation in case 015 suddenly ran out of power and burned the bottom of the pot.

　　*

　　At nine o'clock sharp, Yael had his belated dinner.

　　The cooking section of 015 may have had intermittent malfunctions during the process, resulting in a large pot of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

　　The tomato is just a regular tomato, but the egg is from some unknown star beast. It is as big as an ostrich egg. After being fried, it has a fresh color and smells very fragrant.

　　Yael is always grateful for the rice and wheat that grow in Aital, and for it not being eliminated by the sticky-tasting nutrient solution, otherwise he would almost definitely be unable to adapt to the zerg society.

　　As the fragrance wafted out, he clearly heard a "gurgling" sound. When he turned around, he found that Caesar was also looking over, with his lips tightly pursed and silent.

　　The female insect must have not eaten for a long time. He had received nutritional injections in the hospital, but he has not eaten a single grain of rice in the two days since she came to the hospital.

　　Yael separated half of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes and mixed it with the rice, making a bowl of slightly sticky but juicy rice, which he then handed to 015.

　　"Please feed him."

　　Impaired vision is as troublesome as a broken leg. The first manifestation is that the child may stick chopsticks into his nostrils when eating, and he needs help feeding or special training.

　　Caring for an injured female insect is like repairing an old and dilapidated machine. Plugging it in and barely turning it on is just the first step. The subsequent series of repairs and maintenance are the real trouble.

　　Yael sighed, took his own bowl and sat on a sofa that was not stained with blood.

　　"…"

　　The hot food is quickly swallowed down the throat, soothing the stomach that has been empty for more than ten days or even longer. The sense of satisfaction at that moment is almost overwhelming.

　　He almost forgot how long it had been since he had eaten normal food.

　　Caesar looked like he was suppressing himself from wolfing down the food, his Adam's apple rolled, and his body leaned forward involuntarily, swallowing faster than 015 could feed him.

　　015 was forced to keep speeding up, and sparks were almost flying out from the robotic arm again.

　　"Slow down." Yael reluctantly used his chopsticks to hold down the busy spoon, "Be careful not to choke."

　　The female insect pursed his lips and looked at Yael. Although his eyes were dim and unfocused, they revealed a hint of accusation.

　　It was as if Yael was a mean owner who cruelly took back the sausage halfway through feeding his puppy, and then enjoyed watching the puppy whimper in anxiety, standing up and pulling at his trouser legs.

　　But the female insect is not a puppy. When his food is snatched away, he can only keep silent and lower his eyes, barely suppressing the desire to swallow his saliva.

　　"Go charge it."

　　Caesar heard the clear voice say this, and then the little robot butler in front of him rolled away, but he was still hungry and could hardly suppress his disappointment.

　　But the next second, a warm spoon stretched out from the side and touched his lower lip——

　　"Eat up, but chew before swallowing, otherwise your stomach will feel uncomfortable."

　　"...Thank you."

　　Yael scooped another spoonful of rice and looked at the female insect wrapped in a fluffy quilt in front of him.

　　The soft, slightly curly white hair hung down, and his facial features softened a little when he was chewing. After swallowing the food, he would look up cutely, looking like an adorable and lively little squirrel.