In the Zerg Race, Didn’t We Agree to Break the Engagement? Chapter 1
Chapter 1: A Beautiful Zerg at Home
Who should he choose?
As a former human, Sirius opened his eyes after death only to find a rift in front of him. A group of humanoid creatures were cheering and leaping with joy, shouting that a Xiongchong had been born.
He had become a Xiongchong. More than twenty years had passed since then, and he had clearly adapted to this world—as he had to.
Thus, it was only natural that he prepared to marry a Junci. A SSS-rank Junci, a future fleet captain; they were a perfect match.
But now, he had run into a bit of a problem.
It happened on the night following a Xiongchong gathering. Sirius was slightly tipsy when he spotted an equally intoxicated, beautiful Cichong at his doorstep. Sirius knew him; he was Julian, a famous celebrity Cichong.
At the time, he seemed to have mistaken the room. He was trying to use the facial recognition scanner outside Sirius’s door, but it wouldn’t let him in, leaving his face full of grievance.
Sirius walked over, and the door opened at his command. Julian piteously grabbed the hem of his clothes, his head drooping in disappointment as he bumped right into Sirius’s chest. The two of them entered the room one after the other, and what followed was predictable.
A star who perfectly fit the Xiongchong aesthetic—so much so that countless Cichong scrambled to emulate him—Sirius didn’t think he was the “innocent” type. Consequently, he didn’t refuse the other’s advances. Who would have guessed he was actually a virgin?
—A Cichong’s first time, the sensation of the reproductive sac is different.
It completely transformed for Sirius, constantly catering to him. Only then did Sirius realize, belatedly, that things seemed to be going south. But at that point, facing the passionate and beautiful Julian, no Zerg should have been able to refuse.
With Julian’s meticulous cooperation, the atmosphere reached its peak. In a moment of distraction, Sirius agreed to Julian’s request—to break off his engagement with his fiancé and marry him instead.
So, he now had two fiancés. However, in the Zerg race, he could only have one Cijun.
A Cijun is protected by law and shares the Xiongchong’s power. Even if the Xiongchong grows tired of the old and craves the new, or even if he loathes a specific Cichong, he must still obtain a Xiongzidan with the Cijun and care for every egg.
Therefore, Sirius should call one of them off. But should he break it off with the Junci he had a long-standing agreement with, or the seductive Julian?
He didn’t know. But he figured that since he was a Xiongchong, he probably didn’t need to follow through on promises.
Now that he had become a bug, he shouldn’t have to follow human morality anymore, right?
4:00 PM.
“Are you getting off work, Sirius?”
Sirius, who was about to step out, paused. A smile touched his face as he pulled his foot back. The door that had opened automatically slid shut, and two single-seater sofas drifted over at the sound.
“Yes, Lord Faint.”
Sirius sat on the sofa and looked at the other Xiongchong.
His own fresh, smooth black hair bounced around, unable to return to its original position, looking somewhat disheveled.
A smile sparked in his deep pupils. The massive artificial sun shone through the glass, casting warm, comfortable light into the room. His eyes, which usually looked black, now shimmered with a cold, faint light, clearly revealing their true color.
A blue like the deep sea.
Magnificent and brilliant, yet it didn’t look quite like him—not the original, human him.
Sirius smiled. “I didn’t run into you today, so I didn’t have the chance to speak with you.”
“Congratulations on obtaining your first Xiongzi.” The Xiongchong tilted his head slightly. The dancing shadows firmly masked the blue in his eyes, making them look black once more.
“Oh, thank you, Sirius. You are always so considerate, keeping our affairs in mind.” Faint clasped his hands together, looking quite moved.
The two were ferried by the sofas to the coffee table in the hall. Robot servants offered sweet mishui and fruit. Sitting across from each other, a gentle smile graced Sirius’s exquisite features.
Sirius appeared very patient, quietly listening to Faint explain how to communicate with a Xiongzidan and the differences between a Xiongzidan and a Cichongdan.
Finally, he watched as the other man, adopting the posture of someone who had been through it all, earnestly told him which positions were most likely to produce a Xiongzi.
Boring bugs.
“I truly appreciate your generous help, my dear Faint. I believe this will be of great assistance to me.”
“No need for such formality, Sirius. I really hope you can get a Xiongzi soon, too.” The older Xiongchong smiled and winked at him. “I remember you have an engagement with a Junci. That’s a very ancient ritual. It seems you really like him?”
“Why not get married as soon as possible? That way, you two can have a hatchling sooner.”
The curve of Sirius’s lips faltered slightly, but he quickly widened it, appearing genuinely happy as he naturally skipped the first question:
“He is in the Seventh Fleet. You know, after filing a marriage application with the Mainframe, there is a three-month cohabitation period. They are about to go on an interstellar patrol, so there isn’t quite enough time.”
The Zerg have eleven fleets in total. Usually, three fleets take turns patrolling, which essentially means going out to pick and choose—or rather, plunder—good things.
Seven fleets guard the vast Zerg star system, while one acts as a random deployment force.
Lex was the future captain of the Seventh Fleet, appointed after gene matching by the War Mainframe and internal competitions within the fleet. To prevent the loss of a captain from causing a delay in military orders and resulting in massive losses, warships on external missions must carry the next captain, also known as the Vice-Captain.
Marriage requires an application to the Central Mainframe, followed by a three-month compatibility period before the marriage is officially established. If the compatibility period isn’t completed, it remains merely an engagement. This was Sirius’s situation.
Few Xiongchong have the patience to wait for a Cichong for so long; it makes them feel undervalued. Consequently, in the eyes of outsiders, Sirius was hopelessly in love with that Cichong.
Faint thought back on Sirius’s words. “So that’s how it is. No wonder. I was wondering why you only stayed engaged. Oh, right, I remember—this time it’s the 7th, 8th, and 9th fleets going on patrol, right?”
“Indeed. I wonder what fun things they’ll find this time.” Sirius spoke as if mentioning it in passing, sounding somewhat sentimental. Faint, however, had a moment of realization. He struck his right fist into his left palm, his eyes lighting up.
He put the mishui back on the table, stood up quickly, and looked at Sirius with a smile:
“Thank you so much! I almost forgot—I should also marry another Junci. When he goes on patrol, I’ll have him find some interesting things to give to my little hatchling as a birth gift!”
In the Zerg race, the ratio of Cichong to Xiongchong is 10:1. This disparity naturally makes Zerg marriage a combination of one Xiongchong and multiple Cichong. Under the guise of being “noble and important,” Xiongchong are stripped of the right to enter the military. They can only obtain corresponding resources by marrying Junci.
Perhaps this is the origin of the saying, “Every Xiongchong should marry a Junci.”
Faint just got a Xiongzidan but hadn’t married a Junci yet. To find a suitable gift for the newborn Xiongzi, he was clearly willing to pay a high price.
The Xiongchong hurried away to say his goodbyes, leaving only Sirius with a neutral expression. He drained the mishui in his cup, the smile on his lips vanishing as he rose to leave.
To ensure Xiongchong can commute normally, they get off work an hour earlier than Cichong. Thus, naturally, no one saw the current expression of the usually gentle and good-tempered Xiongchong.
Cold, mocking, and aloof… it was as if those before him were not of his own kind.
But he was, indeed, a Xiongchong now.
“Lord Xiongzhun~”
When Sirius returned home, a young Cichong wearing one of his shirts rushed forward to hug the Xiongchong’s neck. The two sat together on the living room sofa.
The Cichong’s platinum-blonde hair fell loosely, sliding smoothly over the Xiongchong’s jaw. A pair of emerald eyes stared at him without blinking, smiling sweetly:
“Welcome home—”
The Cichong’s bright, smiling face allowed Sirius to relax slightly. He gently patted the back of his neck as a form of comfort. Julian leaned quietly against his shoulder, his voice airy.
“Lord Xiongzhun, when will you file the marriage application with the Mainframe?”
The Cichong’s hair rubbed against him, and Sirius felt a bit itchy. He leaned back imperceptibly. Julian, who was straddling his lap, froze for a moment. Seeming to sense something, he lifted his head, moved closer, and affectionately rubbed his nose against Sirius’s face.
“After we get married, I can move in to accompany you. I really want to see you every day. Don’t you miss me~”
Julian gave a suggestive rub. One hand fell from Sirius’s shoulder, slid down his spine, and coiled around the Xiongchong’s tail hook, circling the area covered by the carapace.
Xiongchong cannot undergo full transformation; they only have this one area of armor.
Sirius let out a muffled “Mm” and reached out to hug the Cichong’s waist. “The Seventh Fleet has been very busy lately. I haven’t broken the engagement with him yet. We have to wait a little longer.”
“Then how much longer? You won’t go back on your word, will you!”
“Julian.” Sirius paused. “Are you blaming me?”
There was no obvious change in the Xiongchong’s tone, but Julian panicked almost instantly. “Of course not.”
“I’m just afraid you don’t like me and don’t want to marry me anymore.” Julian’s voice carried a hint of a sob as he piteously pressed his forehead against Sirius’s shoulder.
Sirius didn’t speak. He stood up abruptly. The Cichong on his lap was suddenly suspended in the air and instinctively wrapped his legs around Sirius’s waist, hugging him even tighter as if afraid of falling. The Xiongchong let out a low laugh.
“Little coward.”
“If you’re so brave, how did you dare to take the initiative to seduce me back then, hmm?”
Clearly, everything that happened at their first meeting was meticulously prepared by the Cichong. How could there be such a coincidence? He had come to seduce Sirius on purpose.
An A-rank Cichong dared to pursue an S-rank Xiongchong; he clearly had balls of steel.
Sirius patted Julian’s back idly, and Julian rubbed against his chest affectionately.
Julian thought, Sirius is truly a very kind Xiongchong.
If he weren’t, how could he have made an engagement in the first place?
Oh! An engagement. How absurd. To think there are still Zerg who do engagements. What a stupid Junci, to actually feel at ease leaving such a good Xiongchong like Sirius behind.
But it was for the best; it played right into the hands of a Cichong with ulterior motives like himself.
The kind Lord Sirius was actually willing to give a Cichong like him a chance. As for that Junci… missing an opportunity deserves punishment. He would be the one to teach that fellow exactly how to seize an opportunity.
Julian hummed twice, his arms tightening around the Xiongchong, which earned him a heavy swat from Sirius.
“Lord Xiongzhun!”
“We agreed that if I was good, you wouldn’t hit me. You lied to me~”
The Cichong’s green eyes welled with tears. One hand covered the spot that had been hit as he looked at Sirius accusingly. Yet, his body clung to the Xiongchong with utter honesty, leaning in to rub against him. His crimson, moist lips pressed close to Sirius’s face.
They collapsed onto the bed.
When the kiss ended, the Xiongchong’s hot breath fell on the Cichong’s reddened eye corners. Before he could continue his actions, Julian was already incredibly proactive, hooking Sirius’s tail hook and guiding it into the place it belonged.
The cold, black-blue tail hook was a part of the Xiongchong’s body, so it was very flexible. At this moment, Sirius held it firmly in place. Their breaths separated slightly. “I’m starting to wonder—are you impatient to have me, or are you thinking about something else?”
The tip of the tail hook was deliberately controlled. What was usually a decorative element now served many purposes, wandering carelessly. The legs around Sirius’s waist tightened further.
Julian looked aggrieved. “What a terrible injustice. It’s all you. Why do you have to divide it into parts? I just like you and want to see you. Is that not allowed?”
“So mean, saying such things on purpose. Are you trying to tempt me?” Sirius’s clothes had already been made a mess by a certain piteous-looking Cichong, so the Xiongchong waved a hand, first pulling a quilt over the two of them.
Facing Sirius’s accusation, Julian carefully stole a glance at him. Seeing that Sirius wasn’t angry, his courage grew even more as he climbed up to cling to the Xiongchong’s shoulder.
“Julian is just that mean. Does Lord Xiongzhun like it?”
He was a Zerg who was very clear about his own ambitions. He was good at showing off, proactive, and overall, indeed knew how to please a Xiongchong—even Sirius was included in that.
Sirius narrowed his eyes, letting the icy tail hook find a warm place to nestle. It curled up, and as it was warmed, it began to sway like a cat’s tail.
They were all creatures with tails. When happy, they should give them a wag; otherwise, wouldn’t they lose a lot of their function?
Looking at the radiant Julian, before the next move, the Xiongchong mischievously leaned into his ear:
“I like it very much. I like Julian very much. So, I will go and break the engagement with Lex tonight. How does that sound?”
Immediately afterward, Julian’s eyes lost focus in an instant.
Translator’s Note
Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this Zerg-verse drama. For those new to the genre, Xiongchong are the males (the rare, pampered ones) and Cichong are the “females” (who are basically buff men with some extra… internal plumbing). Xiongzidan refers to a male egg, which is the ultimate prize in this society. Julian is definitely playing the “white lotus” card here, isn’t he? Let’s see how our “kind” Sirius handles the military fiancé in the next chapter!