Cecy looked at him, still silent.
Luo Qi continued, "If Father wants to punish me, then punish me. I am willing to bear the consequences."
Cecy nodded. "Mm, so what exactly did you go to do?"
Luo Qi said, "I carefully considered what Father told me at the time and felt that I might not have been caring enough about Ye Mu, so I went to find him.
I stayed there with Ye Mu for a few days. Then, it seemed like some changes were happening on Earth, like the Earth's current chairman was about to be re-elected. Ye Mu and the others were all busy, seemingly preparing for some security work."
Cecy raised an eyebrow. "And then?"
Luo Qi blinked, feeling a hint of amusement on Cecy's face.
But he continued, "Then Ye Mu said it might not be safe for me to stay on Earth, so he had me return to the insect planet first.
And then..."
Luo Qi suddenly remembered his conversation with "Don't Mind Me, Kiss Me" on that small forum, and his face flushed uncontrollably.
Realizing Cecy was still watching him, he cleared his throat. "And then I came back to the insect planet."
Cecy narrowed his eyes and pinched Luo Qi's cheek. It seemed this trip wasn't without other gains.
He wondered what that brat Ye Mu had done to make this dense little fool finally open up.
Far away on Earth, Ye Mu, in his office, sneezed. Yang Liu looked up at him. "Caught a cold?"
Ye Mu shook his head. "Probably not." He hadn't been sick in a long time, so why would he suddenly catch a cold? "It feels more like someone is thinking about me."
Cecy, outwardly calm, patted Luo Qi's shoulder. "I understand."
Luo Qi looked confused. "Does Father know what I did, or does he know about the situation on Earth?"
Cecy smiled. "I know both."
Luo Qi's eyes widened. "Then Father knew even when I secretly ran off?"
Cecy nodded nonchalantly. "Yes."
Luo Qi pursed his lips, his eyes full of anticipation. "Then Father isn't angry with me anymore?"
Cecy smiled slightly. "No."
Luo Qi drooped, pouting. "Then how will Father punish me?"
Cecy pondered for a moment and then said, "Then, I'll punish this little butterfly who always runs off by forbidding you from leaving the house for the next month. You'll help me with insect race affairs."
Luo Qi breathed a sigh of relief. Not being able to go out wasn't a big deal. He should be helping Cecy more anyway.
He hugged Cecy's arm and nuzzled against it dependently. "Okay! Father, just give me whatever you need me to do."
Cecy tapped Luo Qi's head with a finger. "It's not over yet."
Luo Qi was no longer worried and said generously, "Father, you can say whatever you want."
Cecy curled one side of his lips. "Luo Luo made a mistake, and mistakes must be punished. So, during this month at home, you are not allowed to eat any small cakes or similar pastries, and you can only eat during meal times."
Luo Qi was struck by lightning. He asked, unconvinced, "Are dried meat snacks considered snacks?"
Cecy nodded. "Yes."
Luo Qi asked again, "What about candies and chocolates?"
Cecy: "Of course."
Luo Qi asked again, "What about ice cream and dried fruits?"
Cecy's smile widened. "All of them. Anything outside of the three meals is considered a snack."
Luo Qi felt like the whole world had turned dark.
He bent over slightly, as if all his strength had drained away, and dragged his arms listlessly as he wandered upstairs like a lost soul.
111 jumped down from the sofa and followed him, hopping along a step behind. Its laughter was even louder than its earlier grumbling, which angered Luo Qi enough to kick it.
After Luo Qi left, Cecy finally burst into laughter. This little insect cub was adorable whether he was happy or sad, making Cecy want to reach out and ruffle him.
Rui De also chuckled. Luo Qi's dejected look, while pitiful, was truly amusing.
He looked at Cecy. "Your Majesty, you are truly something. You knew about it since the little prince left, so why punish him now?
The little prince looks very unhappy, and he has always been very well-behaved."
Cecy hummed. He knew Luo Qi was always well-behaved. As long as it was a "punishment" he proposed, Luo Qi would obediently follow.
"Luo Luo is the little prince of the insect race. I will not confine him to the insect planet. In this universe, there is no place he cannot go.
As long as he wants to go, I will protect him well."
It was the same this time. When Luo Qi had secretly gone to the starship docking bay to pilot a starship, he had already known. Without Luo Qi noticing, he had arranged for a small team of insect generals to follow him.
At all times, Luo Qi was absolutely safe.
"It's just that I know there's no danger, but Luo Luo doesn't. If he runs off without saying anything like this, and I don't punish him, what if he does it again next time?"
Rui De nodded. "That makes sense. It will make the little prince more aware of safety. However, the little prince will probably be sad for a long time."
Heaven knows how great a punishment it was for Luo Qi to have no snacks.
Cecy, however, smiled. "I don't think so. He might not have the time to worry about not having snacks."
Rui De looked confused. "How so?"
Cecy smiled and said nothing. On the terminal screen in front of him was news about the selection of the human leader. One of the female candidates had become a standout, one of the strongest contenders among the candidates.
However, no one knew the truth behind this report.
Cecy closed the terminal and tapped his knee with his index finger, already beginning to ponder in his mind how to make trouble for that brat who had snatched his precious cabbage.
Luo Qi lay on his bed, his legs crossed, looking up at the ceiling.
111 lay in its small nest beside his bed, greedily crunching dry cat food.
This cat food was a new modification by Luo Qi, containing many ingredients that 111 loved.
Luo Qi suddenly spoke. "111, do you know what liking someone is?"
111's voice was muffled. "What liking? Who likes whom?"
Luo Qi puffed out his cheeks, knowing that asking this guy would yield no results. He rolled over, his gaze falling on the carpet as he zoned out.
He counted on his fingers, his thoughts a jumbled mess. "I might like him, no, I don't like him.
Or maybe not, that's clearly liking, but when did I start liking him?"
Luo Qi rolled over again. The ugly cat was still devouring its food. He felt like his troubles were as numerous as the cat hair on the ugly cat.
With a ding, his terminal chimed. Luo Qi picked it up and saw that it was a message from Ye Mu:
"Did you get home?"