Ye Mu didn't get angry even when called a scoundrel. In fact, ever since he saw Luo Qi, his eyes had no room for anyone else.
Ye Mu was utterly devoted to Luo Qi.
He held Luo Qi's hand. His hand was a size larger than Luo Qi's, able to completely envelop it, and much warmer too.
Luo Qi had likely been waiting for a while; his hands were as cold as ice blocks. Ye Mu thought for a moment, then unbuttoned his own clothes and placed Luo Qi's hands inside his embrace.
He had just come from the banquet hall, still wearing his thin formal attire. Through the layer of his shirt, Luo Qi could even feel a layer of firm, hot muscle.
Luo Qi's fingers curled up uncomfortably. He felt his palms, and his entire body, warm up.
Ye Mu stared intently at the little bug cub in front of him. It had only been a day since they last met, yet Ye Mu felt as though he hadn't seen him in ages.
His eyes were filled with a smile. He looked at the person before him without blinking and nodded, "Yes, I'm a scoundrel."
Luo Qi: "..."
He tugged at the hand holding his and whispered, "You're crazy."
Ye Mu nodded, "Yes, I'm crazy."
Luo Qi: "...What are you even talking about?"
Ye Mu suppressed the heat in his heart with some effort and pulled Luo Qi towards his room, "Seeing you makes me happy. I was planning to return to the bug planet tonight. How did you get here? Are you cold?"
Luo Qi pursed his lips and pulled Ye Mu to a stop, saying softly, "I saw everything."
Ye Mu tugged, but Luo Qi didn't budge. He turned back to look at Luo Qi, "What?"
Luo Qi was a little angry. He shook off Ye Mu's hand, his scarf swishing twice and tilting slightly. "I saw you with a girl. Did you suddenly return to Earth just for this? I thought you were angry with me, which is why I came to find you. Turns out you're here looking for... your future wife?"
Luo Qi's heart felt as though it had been pricked. When he arrived, he had seen Ye Mu standing with a woman he didn't recognize. That woman was wearing a beautiful but revealing gown. From his angle, it looked as though the two were about to embrace.
Luo Qi didn't know why he suddenly became so angry. From his perspective, seeing that woman and Ye Mu acting intimately (even though the scene he saw wasn't overtly scandalous, he still felt that way) felt like a fire burning from his heart to his limbs.
After calming down, he felt a chill run through his body. The worry he had felt all night and all day seemed like a joke. Luo Qi had thought long and hard on the bug planet, believing he hadn't paid enough attention to Ye Mu's feelings, which was why Ye Mu had gotten so angry and returned directly to Earth. Thus, Luo Qi, without Cecil's knowledge, piloted a starship to Earth himself.
To his surprise, this scoundrel Ye Mu was here, chatting and laughing with a woman. Luo Qi couldn't tell if he was more angry that Ye Mu had lied to him, or angry that Ye Mu was so close to someone he didn't know at all, or if the problem lay with this person.
Luo Qi thought for a moment. If that woman had been a man, and Ye Mu was laughing happily with him, Luo Qi would still be unhappy.
So, he looked at Ye Mu in front of him. Yes, all the fault lay with Ye Mu. Therefore, Ye Mu was a scoundrel.
However, Luo Qi wouldn't voice these little thoughts. He would only pretend to casually probe, "Is that your future wife?"
Ye Mu stared intently into Luo Qi's eyes, but Luo Qi kept his head down, revealing no emotion. So, Ye Mu could only nod and say, "Yes, she does want to form an alliance with me. If I really form an alliance with her, then she will be my wife."
Luo Qi's expression turned ugly. He shoved Ye Mu hard, but the latter held onto his hand. Ye Mu seemed to be lost in thought, smiling foolishly. "But of course, I refused. Didn't I tell you? Luo Qi and I are the best in the world. How could I marry another woman?"
Listening to Ye Mu's words, Luo Qi felt something was off, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Moreover, the Ye Mu now was worlds apart from the Ye Mu yesterday, completely different in expression and demeanor. It was as if the person who had gotten angry and "run away from home" last night wasn't him.
Ye Mu looked at Luo Qi, wishing he could confess his feelings right then and there, tell him about the love and affection overflowing from his chest, but he still didn't. In Ye Mu's imagination, the declaration of love should happen under grand fireworks, by a tranquil coast, in the most beautiful sea of flowers, or on the most expansive grassland. It should never happen in this dark, cold, and desolate little grove.
What he said to Yang Liu was sincere. He couldn't bear it, couldn't bear for this treasure he had meticulously protected for over a decade, held in the palm of his hand, to be placed in a simple, narrow wooden box.
Ye Mu was still smiling. He held Luo Qi's hand and said, "I originally wanted to go back last night, but my father said there was a gathering today that I had to attend, so I planned to return tonight. I didn't expect you to come over."
He pulled Luo Qi towards a place with light. This time, Luo Qi didn't stop in his tracks. "Let's go. It's too cold outside. Let's go back and talk."
Luo Qi pursed his lips and was thus vaguely led into the villa by Ye Mu.
Ye Mu led Luo Qi directly towards the main entrance, but Luo Qi pulled him back, "Is it appropriate for us to go in like this?" Ye Mu had said his family was holding a dinner party. The attendees were at least from the upper echelons of Earth. He, a bug race member, not to mention Luo Qi glancing at his own outerwear, would be too rude to barge in.
Ye Mu glanced at Luo Qi. He was wearing a thick white jacket, khaki pants, and a fluffy scarf, a very casual outfit. Although Ye Mu found Luo Qi handsome no matter what, he wondered if anyone today would gossip.
Ye Mu and Luo Qi stood in a small pavilion not far from the main gate. Ye Mu took out his terminal and sent a communication to Madam Ye. As soon as the call connected, Madam Ye's displeased face appeared on the other end of the screen.
"Ye Mu, where have you been? I've been looking for you for ages."
Ye Mu spun his terminal in his hand, revealing Luo Qi behind him. Luo Qi was suddenly a little shy, sniffled, and politely greeted, "Auntie Ye."
As Ye Mu expected, Madam Ye's expression changed instantly. Her voice softened by at least half. "Ah, little Luo Luo is here. Aren't you cold? Why didn't you come inside sooner? Auntie misses you so much."
Ye Mu turned the screen back to himself, "Mom, we're at the entrance. Do you have a suitable formal outfit for Luo Luo? Bring one over."