Luo Qi, his small face wet, walked out of the bathroom. The banquet had concluded, and guests who hadn't brought their children had been politely and properly escorted away by the insect generals.
Only the children who had been running around wildly with Luo Qi earlier were covered in cream and were being taken to the bathroom to be bathed by their respective guardians.
He held Ceci's hand, looking around for his little friends.
Ceci, holding a dry towel to wipe Luo Qi's hair, chuckled, "Still not tired after running around all night?"
Luo Qi shook his head, water droplets flying everywhere as he hadn't dried his hair yet. Ceci held his head and turned him back. "Not enough, not enough. My friends are all very nice."
Ceci's eyes were filled with amusement. When he was with Luo Qi, he always seemed to relax involuntarily.
Footsteps echoed from the end of the stairs. Ye Yun walked over with Ye Mu. Ye Mu had also just finished bathing, a towel hanging around his neck, already damp from the water dripping from his hair.
Luo Qi smiled and reached for the towel around Ye Mu's neck to wipe his hair, his entire face wrapped up like a silkworm cocoon.
"Where are the other friends?"
Ye Mu glanced downstairs. "Xiao Xingxing, Chi Huo, and the other kindergarten friends have left. Mo Xuan is downstairs."
The group descended the stairs. Mo Xuan was sitting on the sofa, his head bowed, lost in thought.
Luo Qi tiptoed over, intending to startle his little friend. However, just as he was about to reach Mo Xuan's back, Mo Xuan suddenly turned around with a smile.
"Caught you."
Luo Qi pouted. "How did you know it was me?"
Mo Xuan glanced at the person beside him. "You tiptoed, but the person behind you didn't."
Luo Qi huffed a couple of times and sat beside Mo Xuan, glancing at the sky outside. "Let's go, I'll see you out."
Mo Xuan nodded, stood up, and walked outside with Luo Qi.
Ye Mu, trailing behind, pouted. Suddenly, his eyes darted around. He glanced at Ye Yun beside him and deliberately said, "Isn't the sky a bit dark today?"
Ceci looked at Ye Yun beside him in surprise, a teasing tone in his voice. "What, is Planet Earth so poor now that it doesn't even have a flying ship? Once it gets dark, you can't go back to Planet Earth?"
The veins on Ye Yun's forehead twitched. "It's not as prosperous as Insect Star, but it's not that bad."
He gritted his teeth, picked up the brat who was always plotting to stay at someone else's house, and shook his son, who was always thinking of running away.
"You tell me, Ye Mu?"
Ye Mu waved his hand. "Oh, but I'm so sleepy now, I can't stay awake until home." He then yawned convincingly.
Luo Qi met Ye Mu's gaze, who was dangling in mid-air. In an instant, he understood Ye Mu's intentions.
Oh dear, how could such a mature and studious human be so clingy, or rather, clingy to an insect? It was truly unbecoming.
Luo Qi, with a mischievous glint, deliberately furrowed his brow. "Then what should we do?" He tugged on Ceci's hand. "Dad, Uncle Ye and the others are too pitiful. Can we lend them a flying ship? One that has a bed."
Ye Mu's face darkened.
A smile flashed in Ceci's eyes. "Of course. Since they are Luo Luo's good friends, let alone lend, we can even gift a flying ship to Ye Mu."
Ye Mu's face turned green.
Did he lack a flying ship? He lacked a cute, chubby cub!
Luo Qi suppressed his laughter, watching Ye Mu flail in mid-air, his dark face casting a condemning gaze at him.
After appreciating the rare sight of the human prodigy being put in a difficult situation, he cleared his throat and said, "Dad, I want to invite Ye Mu to stay with us for a few days, okay?"
Ceci had already anticipated this outcome. He also wanted to use this opportunity to assess whether Ye Mu was worth nurturing. Hearing this, he looked at Ye Mu.
Ye Mu had just recovered from the good news that Luo Qi had invited him to stay when he was immediately drawn back by Ceci's reaction.
It seemed the insect king and the little crown prince inherited their mischievousness. Ceci also played with Ye Mu's anticipation before nodding. "As long as General Ye agrees."
General Ye himself sighed. His children were growing up and wouldn't listen to him anymore. He couldn't control him. He put Ye Mu down, pushed his son towards Luo Qi with a headache.
"Then we'll have to trouble His Majesty the Insect King and the Little Crown Prince to take care of him."
Although Ye Mu had gotten his wish, he still remembered Luo Qi teasing him earlier. His face was dark, and he remained silent, waiting for the mischievous fellow to appease him.
Luo Qi smiled and spoke to Ye Mu. Then, he turned to Mo Xuan and said, "Why don't Mo Xuan stay too? Play with us, okay?"
Mo Xuan's eyes widened, and he smiled with great surprise. Then, as if thinking of something, the smile vanished from his overly fair face.
"I'd better not. My elders in the clan would surely not agree."
Luo Qi frowned, clearly thinking of the same thing. Although Mo Xuan was his friend and could visit Insect Star, he wasn't sure what the Mo clan thought.
Mo Xuan was not highly regarded in the Mo clan. What if...
The more Luo Qi thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Who knew if the Mo clan would make things difficult for Mo Xuan because he was friends with the Insect Star Crown Prince? What if his clansmen caused trouble?
Luo Qi put on a stern little face and said to Mo Xuan, "How about I have the insect general uncles send you back? Don't worry, your clansmen definitely wouldn't dare to do anything to you."
He knew this wasn't the best solution, but since he was his friend, he had to protect Mo Xuan.
He tugged on Ceci's hand. Ceci nodded, and two insect generals immediately stepped out, moving to stand behind Mo Xuan.
Mo Xuan was wearing one of Luo Qi's small clothes. The pale yellow color looked a bit strange on Mo Xuan, but the fabric was very soft.
He fiddled with the hem of his clothes and suddenly stepped forward to hug Luo Qi.
Luo Qi patted Mo Xuan's shoulder. After a long time, he heard a very, very quiet voice.
"I'll miss you during this long holiday."