Trees are lush by the river, kingfishers darting over the water, leaving ripples; fat ducks float past, breaking the reflection of trees on the water's surface; a breeze stirs, and the river shimmers with light.
Lin Hao bends down, his eyes fixed on the river, as if searching for something. The river water gleams under the sun. Suddenly, he feels something brush past his leg. Lin Hao strikes out quickly, but the dark shadow dodges his attack.
"Elfa, catch him! He's heading your way," Lin Hao shouts, his gaze still fixed on the shadow as it moves towards Elfa.
Alas, it would have been better if he had been caught. What possessed him to run towards that killer?
Elfa, standing in the river, had been watching Lin Hao the whole time. Upon hearing the king's command, he moved swiftly. Before the shadow could react, its days were numbered.
Elfa looks at the object in his hand, wondering why the king wanted it. It's prickly and not tasty, but whatever the king likes, he provides.
Holding it, he looks at Lin Hao and softly says, "I've caught it, King."
"Wow, you're amazing! I was trying to catch it in the river for ages and couldn't. You caught it with one move!" Lin Hao steps quickly across the water to Elfa's side, exclaiming happily.
As expected of the commander, such agility is unmatched. In less than two seconds, he caught the Qingguo, known as the fastest fish, without using any weapons.
A few days ago, while out exploring, he suddenly discovered this river. He pleaded to be allowed out to play. By the river, he found fish in this small stream. No matter what they said, he insisted on going into the river to catch fish. However, he hadn't caught a single one for such a long time. But he wasn't sad at all, because playing was the most important thing. He had been bored staying in the cave for so long.
Elfa, holding the fish, felt as if the praise wasn't directed at him. His face remained impassive, still that handsome and cold expression, but upon closer inspection, a gentle tenderness was overflowing in his eyes.
He truly wished to offer all good things to the person before him, to let him live a carefree life forever. If only those ants didn't exist, then the king wouldn't have to constantly hide and could happily travel through every corner of the universe.
Lin Hao looks at the bug in front of him, lost in thought. He waves his hand in front of Elfa's eyes and asks with a smile, "What are you thinking about?" Why is this bug always spacing out? Is this what it means to be a commander, constantly needing to ponder matters?
Elfa snaps back to attention at Lin Hao's call, shaking his head gently. "It's nothing."
Some things, the youngling doesn't need to know. He is responsible for being happy; the rest of the matters are for us commanders to handle. This time, no matter what, we will not lose you again, my King.
Elfa quickly lowers his head, concealing the uncontrollable bloodlust in his eyes. The King is pure; killing is not something that should appear before the youngling. He turns and pulls Lin Hao towards the riverbank.
The clothes Lin Hao had left on the riverbed while he was in the water were now dry. The thought of that violent administrator actually sending two people after him gave him a headache. What was he supposed to do?
He followed Elfa to the riverbank and looked at the bugs waiting there. Although they hadn't gone into the water, their gazes were constantly fixed on him, as if afraid he would get hurt. Even though they couldn't speak and looked frightening, ever since Lin Hao became the cheap king of the bug race, he realized that the bugs were not like what they said in textbooks. They too had feelings. Their emotions, though not expressed like humans, were conveyed through their every action.
Truly foolishly endearing.
Lin Hao shakes his head helplessly, then lets go of Elfa's hand and walks over to a large bug. He gently strokes it and says, "Thank you."
Thank you for showing me the difference in the bug race, thank you for letting me meet you, thank you, heavens, for giving me a chance to atone. This time, no matter who it is, I won't let them harm you. He swears with his own life.
A circle of white light appears around Lin Hao, vanishing instantly, as if it were an illusion. But only Lin Hao knew that the vow had been activated, and now he could protect them forever.
The large bug that was being stroked carefully retracted its weapons the moment Lin Hao appeared before its eyes. It offered only its softest part to the black-haired youth, knowing that if this youth asked it to die, it would do so without a second thought.
There was no other reason; it was simply because the person before it was its King, its one and only King.
"Huahua, can I call you Huahua from now on?" Lin Hao's thoughts returned to the present. Looking at the large bug before him, he realized he couldn't keep calling them "big bugs." So, he decided to give them names!
He would start with the one in front of him. Lin Hao observed the large bug carefully. Its colorful red and green body was most suited to the name Huahua.
Huahua's eyes narrowed slightly, indicating its satisfaction with the name bestowed by its King. Its antennae seemed to sway like a tail, showing its good mood.
"Damn, that shameless thing is still wagging its tail so provocatively."
"As if no one else has a name. He's looking down on this bug," a bug that had eaten a basket of lemons chimed in.
"King, look at me. I can also be called Huahua," a bug in black armor shouted at Lin Hao, but Lin Hao didn't hear.
"Actually, I think I can be too."
"King, look at me, I can put on a flower and also be called Huahua."
"As expected, the King likes those flashy bugs. When will he discover the nobility of black?"
Lin Hao originally didn't want to pay attention to the thoughts of the bugs in his mind, but they became increasingly outrageous. Upon reading the last sentence, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Are all these bugs this conceited? They even understand fashion trends. And why would a big, dark bug want to be called Huahua? Is this the decline of morality or the distortion of human nature?
Elfa sat beside him, quietly watching the person laughing, his heart overflowing with tenderness.
May the King always be this happy.
Lin Hao wiped away a tear from his eye and said to the bugs, "Don't worry, you'll all get one. I won't play favorites." How could he be biased towards such cute bugs? If he did, his conscience wouldn't allow it.
"Come, give me that fish, and I'll make you something delicious." Lin Hao, after his laughter subsided, walked over to Elfa, took the fish, and began cleaning it by the river, a familiar action.
Qingguo: It's really been tough for you. You finally remembered. I'm afraid I'll stink to death and you won't bother with me. I'm not even clean anymore.