The next day, Vane and Claire finally arrived on Luka Star. They had traveled through several star systems from the Capital Planet, journeying day and night for two days to reach their destination.
They did not go to see Fusheng immediately; instead, they sought out his attending physician to inquire about his condition. Cohen informed them that the glands in Fusheng's body had likely suffered trauma and were temporarily unable to secrete pheromones. This was, in fact, a conservative estimate; it was also possible that the loss of pheromone secretion would be permanent. They dared not reveal this news to Fusheng, as no Zerg (male/dominant morph) could accept such a defect, though he would surely find out sooner or later.
The absence of pheromones was fatal for a Zerg (male/dominant morph); pheromones were the very reason Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) held the male morphs in such high esteem. Without pheromones, they were more useless than a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph), who at the very least possessed spiritual power and a robust physique. Additionally, Fusheng had likely been abused by the Space Pirates; his mental state was currently unstable, his mind erratic, and he could not withstand any further agitation. Furthermore, the young Zerg was now plagued by intense jealousy and a strong desire for control—though, in truth, these were hardly issues for a Zerg (male/dominant morph), as most were like this by nature.
Before Cohen finished speaking, Vane clutched the medical report and burst into tears. He could not believe what his poor little zerg pup had endured. He gripped the report tightly, his mind consumed by a single thought: he had to see Fusheng immediately.
Inside the ward, Alvano was on the verge of total exhaustion. Last night, no matter how he coaxed Fusheng, the boy refused to sleep. He had sat on the bed for half the night, clutching the paper figurine A-Sheng and howling eerily until his throat was raw and he fell asleep out of sheer fatigue. Alvano even suspected that this physical body was limiting Fusheng; otherwise, he never would have stopped. He didn’t know where Fusheng had learned such strange wailing—it sounded miserable and bone-chilling, and it certainly hadn't existed before. After all, every time Fusheng had gone to sleep in the past, he had required Alvano to kneel in the corner.
If Alvano had known what a "ghost" was, he would have understood that Fusheng was wailing like one. In Zerg society, there was no concept of ghosts; to them, death meant returning to the embrace of the Insect God, where nothing remained. "Ghost" was merely an adjective used to describe mischief, often applied to small zerg pups in a rather endearing way.
When Vane and the others arrived at the ward, Fusheng was still asleep. Fusheng never allowed Alvano to turn off the lights while he slept, so the moment he woke, he was struck by the harsh, blinding white glare. Before he could even crawl out of bed, a figure swooped down and pulled him into an embrace, sobbing as they patted his back. "My little zerg pup, you have suffered so much. My poor little darling, let your muer hold you."
"I am not your little zerg pup," Fusheng struggled, his voice raspy and dry. He knew it must be Vane; he was certainly not the original Fusheng, and he was even less of a zerg pup to him. Although Vane was a sub-Zerg and not as tall or sturdy as a high-ranking Zerg (female/non-dominant morph), he was still stronger than a Zerg (male/dominant morph), and Fusheng could not break free.
"I know, I know, you are your brother's little zerg pup." Vane did not understand Fusheng at all, assuming he was merely upset that he hadn't accompanied him this time, and naturally acquiesced to whatever Fusheng said.
Fusheng used a burst of resentment to push Vane away and rasped at the top of his gravelly voice, "Alvano, my throat... cough, cough... Alvano..." Fusheng’s face twisted; his throat was both itchy and painful.
"Lord husband, drink this and you will be fine." Alvano had expected this and held the pre-prepared medicine to Fusheng's lips. The cool, refreshing liquid slid down Fusheng's throat, leaving a hint of sweetness behind. The effect was immediate; he felt his throat return to normal. Fusheng watched the vial with shining eyes, tilted his head back to drain the remaining drops, and even licked the rim, gazing at Alvano with an expression that suggested he wanted more.
"There is no more, lord husband." Alvano showed Fusheng his empty hands. How could one drink more of the medicine than intended?
"Lord husband, Luka Star is gone. The Capital Planet has them—let us return to the Capital Planet," Alvano said, looking at Fusheng. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he interrupted Vane, who was preparing to cater to Fusheng’s whims, and began to lure him.
The medicine indeed held a great attraction for Fusheng, compensating for the fact that this body could not wail for long. To a ghost, being unable to wail was no different from being a mute. Ghostly wailing made it easier to garner the attention of the heavens, which in turn provided a faster chance at reincarnation. Recalling this, Fusheng felt deep indignation. He had wailed as a ghost for two hundred years without the heavens ever taking notice. The thought made him want to wail again.
However, after two hundred years of practicing every night, and out of habit from the night before, he knew for a fact that no other ghost could wail better than him. Thinking about it now, though, it was unnecessary; the wailing was just a habit. The two suns of Luka Star were more important. Fusheng rolled his eyes, weighed the pros and cons, and shook his head at Alvano.
"I’m not going back. When are we going to sunbathe today?" If Alvano wouldn't take him, he would sneak off on his own.
"If you don't want to go back, we won't. You can go whenever you like, my pup." Vane immediately piped up, ready to satisfy any demand Fusheng had.
Hearing Vane, Fusheng’s eyes brightened, and he immediately threw off the covers to get out of bed. Alvano and Claire both frowned upon hearing this. Alvano wanted to return to the Capital Planet, and Claire’s mission was to bring Fusheng back—how could he not? He could not answer to his own lord husband. Furthermore, the Zerg Protection Association and society at large were closely monitoring this kidnapping case, and even more concerned about the abducted Zerg (male/dominant morph). If the Zerg (male/dominant morph) did not return to the Capital Planet, it might incite further suspicion. The incident from two days ago, where Fusheng had threatened to jump out of a window, had already caused an uproar; everyone wanted to see the Zerg (male/dominant morph) return safely. In fact, many reporters and media outlets had wanted to see Fusheng, but they had all been blocked by the Kris family. Fusheng’s mental state could not be agitated, or else they would have had their ward doors trampled down.
Claire had not intended to bring Vane, but Vane had begged their lord husband, weeping until he was a sight to behold. His lord husband had no resistance to beautiful Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) and had agreed without a second thought. Since the lord husband had agreed, Claire could not refuse and was forced to bring Vane along.
Claire pulled hard on Vane, who was trying to rush forward, hoping to snap him back to reality, while Alvano stood in front of Fusheng. "Lord husband, now is not the time. We can sunbathe just the same once we return to the Capital Planet." Alvano finally understood why Fusheng didn't want to leave—what a strange way of thinking. No Zerg would ever want to stay on Luka Star, with its endless daylight and year-round scorching heat. Even Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) disliked such weather, let alone a Zerg (male/dominant morph).
"Bring these two suns back to the Capital Planet, and I will go." Fusheng lifted his chin, pointing at the two suns outside the window. How could he not know that the Capital Planet only had one sun and that it got dark at night? He simply had no intention of returning and was deliberately making things difficult for Alvano.
"The Capital Planet has artificial suns; there is no need to bring these two back." Alvano’s eyes widened in disbelief at Fusheng's words. With the current level of technology the Zerg possessed, Fusheng’s request was nothing short of whimsical—why didn't he just go live on the sun and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with it? Seeing Vane’s expression of deep consideration for the feasibility of Fusheng’s request, Alvano felt a wave of despair. He couldn't wait to return to the Capital Planet and hoped the Kris family would find him a job quickly, rather than having him spend every day at home coaxing a Zerg (male/dominant morph). He even began to miss the time when he had first arrived at the Kris family, when Fusheng had only whipped his flesh instead of torturing his soul.