Alvano heard Fusheng’s words and immediately became alert. He looked at Fusheng with confusion, asking him what was wrong.
"There’s one red one missing." There were two red ones in Cohen’s bag, but only one here now. He didn't care about the other extra candies, but he couldn't tolerate it if one was missing.
Fusheng sprang up from the bed, leaned in close to Alvano, sniffed around, and even reached out to pry open Alvano’s mouth.
Warm hands toyed with Alvano’s face. Alvano understood what Fusheng meant and obediently opened his mouth.
Fusheng leaned in and sniffed; there was no scent of candy, but he smelled fragrant.
He pinched Alvano’s chin, tilted it up, and looked into the Zerg’s oral cavity. Sure enough, he saw the Zerg’s gland on the upper jaw, flushed red.
Fusheng retrieved memories about the Zerg from a corner of his mind. Both Zerg (male/dominant morphs) and Zerg (female/non-dominant morphs) possessed pheromones. The glands of the Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) were located on the upper jaw, primarily serving to attract Zerg (male/dominant morphs), while the pheromones of the Zerg (male/dominant morph) could soothe the turbulent mental sea of the Zerg (female/non-dominant morph).
After reviewing this, Fusheng stopped pulling at the thread of his memory; he didn't care about anything else related to the Zerg.
"Strawberry-flavored, so sweet," Fusheng said, leaning closer, sniffing, and smiling.
Upon hearing this, Alvano’s face turned beet red in an instant, his body stiffening as he dared not move.
Fusheng did not know how ambiguous such an action was within the Zerg race, nor what the compliment regarding a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)’s pheromones implied. He simply said what he wanted to say.
Fusheng looked at Alvano with interest and swallowed hard, suddenly wanting to take a bite of the big strawberry.
Ever since he had become a ghost, Fusheng had always indulged all his impulses, supporting them mindlessly and putting them into practice.
Thinking this, Fusheng took action immediately.
Fusheng held Alvano’s head, afraid of bruising the strawberry, and merely stuck out his tongue to lick Alvano’s face.
Alvano’s face seemed to turn even redder. He had wanted to push the Zerg (male/dominant morph) away, but he ended up indulging Fusheng; he didn't seem to have any reason to refuse.
Although Alvano did not know why the Zerg (male/dominant morph) no longer liked to beat him and had developed a new interest in him, it ultimately made no difference. As long as he was allowed to stay with the Kris family, that was enough.
Finally, Fusheng covered Alvano’s face in saliva, feeling satisfied at last.
Alvano looked at the Zerg (male/dominant morph) who had returned to playing with his candy, wondering if he should wipe the saliva off his face. After all, the Zerg (male/dominant morph) had just been very satisfied with his masterpiece.
In the end, Alvano dared not wipe it off, fearing that if the Zerg (male/dominant morph) went crazy later, he would crawl off the bed and bite him.
"Here, I’ll give this back to you." Feeling a bit guilty as he looked at Alvano, Fusheng pushed two strawberry-flavored candies toward him—eating strawberry to replenish strawberry.
Alvano looked at the pink candies, and his face burned up again.
"This one is your reward." Fusheng gave him a colorful one; after all, Alvano had exceeded the expectations of his mission, and this was what he had promised.
Alvano did not look at the two pink candies again, but instead stared at the colorful one, somewhat dazed.
How could there be a reward for doing things for a Zerg (male/dominant morph)? In the Zerg race, everyone believed that it was only natural for a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) to work for a Zerg (male/dominant morph). Not to mention that Fusheng was his lord husband; doing anything for him was expected.
In the past, Fusheng would never have shared with him; he would have likely found an excuse to beat him instead.
"Hmph, I'll give you one more, then." Thinking Alvano was dissatisfied with his distribution, Fusheng hugged the candies tightly and dug out one more.
"It is only right to work for my lord husband. These are all for you, lord husband; Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s don't like to eat candy." He naturally didn't like candy either, Alvano said, pushing the candy back to Fusheng.
The idea that Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s didn't like candy was a lie told to young zerg pups; after all, only precious Zerg (male/dominant morph)s were worthy of it, Alvano thought with disdain.
Although the Zerg race did not lack sugar, such things had always been regarded as the property of Zerg (male/dominant morph)s. To keep these Zerg (male/dominant morph)s satisfied, these items were gradually no longer sold to Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s.
Everyone had become accustomed to this.
Although Fusheng was secretly pleased, he still didn't believe that anyone didn't like eating candy.
Fusheng unwrapped a strawberry-flavored candy and shoved it directly into Alvano’s mouth.
"Do you like it?" Fusheng held the pink candy wrapper, tilting his head to look at Alvano.
Alvano held the candy in his mouth, the sweetness spreading across his tongue, and did not answer Fusheng’s question.
"Alvano, from now on, you like eating candy." Watching Alvano’s satisfied expression, Fusheng knew he liked it, just like he did.
In fact, Alvano did like candy, but he rarely had the opportunity to eat it, and he had forgotten when the last time was.
In the Zerg race, Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s were taught to be devoted, resilient, and brave. Liking candy seemed to have become an unspeakable shame for a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph).
Thinking about it now, it must be a little trick of the Zerg (male/dominant morph)-supremacy.
"Lord husband, but I am a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)," Alvano looked at Fusheng and spoke weakly, his throat feeling sour and tight.
Fusheng tilted his head and looked back at him, his eyes filled with confusion. He did not understand Alvano’s duplicity.
Fusheng rolled his eyes, thought about how this was the shitty Zerg race, and then understood a little.
The Zerg race had more Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s than Zerg (male/dominant morph)s. Although Zerg (male/dominant morph)s were not as strong as Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s and had no spiritual power, they held control over the life and death of Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s to a certain extent; therefore, the Zerg race put Zerg (male/dominant morph)s first in all things.
To Fusheng, Zerg (male/dominant morph)s were just useless cripples, ugly boxes emitting fragrance.
Zerg (male/dominant morph)s were rare and precious, yet useless. They should be kept in a zoo as monkeys; that would be fun, Fusheng thought crazily.
However, the Zerg race’s bottomless indulgence of Zerg (male/dominant morph)s and their ability to do whatever they wanted made him like it here.
The powerful spiritual power was called a gift given to Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s by the Insect God, but this gift came without a warranty. If a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) over the age of 35 did not have the pheromones of a Zerg (male/dominant morph), they would have to endure the riots of their mental sea until they died prematurely.
Therefore, Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s were extremely humble in order to obtain the pheromones of Zerg (male/dominant morph)s.
Fusheng looked at Alvano. It was truly not easy for a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) to grow up in this place, and he was even so good-looking.
In the future, now that Alvano was his underling, he could protect him.
Starting today, Alvano was his underling. From now on, whenever he had a bowl of rice to eat, Alvano would have a bowl to wash.
"Of course Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s can like eating candy," Fusheng shrugged dismissively.
"Is that so? But since ancient times, everyone has said that Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s don't like candy," Alvano clenched his hands and whispered stubbornly.
"Since ancient times? Does that make it right?" Fusheng had been a ghost for two hundred years and had seen too many changing times and customs.
As a ghost from the Qing Dynasty, things he once held as golden rules were treated like rubbish by modern people.
Small things like whether a Zerg (female/non-dominant morph) liked candy—where was the right or wrong in that? If you like it, you like it; if you don't, you don't. Either is fine. This is what modern people call freedom, and Fusheng liked this word too.
"That's true. I like eating candy. Thank you, lord husband." Alvano smiled from the bottom of his heart, then lowered his head, his eyes flickering, and he clutched the candy Fusheng had given him in his palm, his expression somewhat dark and unclear.
It was true. Everything "since ancient times" was not necessarily right; he knew that. He had always known.
He just never expected a Zerg (male/dominant morph) to say such things to him.
Fusheng finished the few candies quickly. He lay on the bed, licking his lips and thinking that Cohen must have more; he had originally planned to go steal some tonight.
He never expected Alvano to actually get any; he only wanted to test if Alvano was obedient enough to dare hit a stone with an egg. He hadn't expected his underling to have such courage and even bring back candy—it was truly a pleasant surprise.
In fact, Fusheng did not know that Alvano had lied to him. He hadn't gone to Cohen’s at all. He had money and had gone directly to buy a bag.
Actually, it was also thanks to Fusheng that he was able to buy them, because only married Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s could buy the candy meant for Zerg (male/dominant morph)s.
Fusheng also didn't know that Alvano was currently busy coordinating his story with Cohen.
Fusheng lay on the bed, bored. He looked over; the windows had been sealed shut, and there were several tall, strong Zerg (female/non-dominant morph)s guarding the door.
He didn't know where his underling Alvano had gone. He was very unhappy now, and his hands were starting to itch.