Wanderer of the Zerg

Chapter 44: Invitation

Because of waking up late in the morning, Xi Tian decided that such a thing must never happen again.

A regular lifestyle starts with self-discipline, and a good morning begins with going to bed early. He demanded not only this of himself but also required Ellis to adopt the habit of going to bed and waking up early.

Ellis shook his head continuously, as he had been accustomed to staying up late for many years. Changing this habit overnight was no easy task.

No matter what Xi Tian said, Ellis firmly shook his head in refusal.

Xi Tian, feeling a headache coming on, asked Ellis, “What do you think is the real reason you stay up so late?”

Ellis quickly listed one, two, three, four, five reasons, each sounding valid and detailed.

However, if one were to seek meaning from these reasons, it would be a futile effort. People are habitual reason-seekers. Ask someone why, and they can give you countless reasons, each convincing.

Xi Tian had read about this principle in books before. At this moment, he realized he had fallen into this trap. Cursing himself for being foolish, he changed his question, “What do you think needs to be done to go to bed early?”

Ellis, having shaken his head so many times, finally reacted to the question and glanced at the male without saying anything. He started to think along the lines of “what to do.” He had long been accustomed to staying up late and hadn’t fallen asleep alone for a long time, usually browsing forums until he was tired and fell asleep naturally.

Ellis hesitantly suggested removing his terminal before bed, and Xi Tian nodded in agreement. However, Ellis suddenly asked, “If I wake up so early, what can I do?”

“How about we go for a morning run together?”

Ellis nodded but then thought of another possibility: “What if I can’t get up?”

“Should we write a plan outlining the rules and penalties for violations?”

Xi Tian hesitated and looked at Ellis, “And what would the penalties be?”

Xi Tian scrutinized Ellis from head to toe, making Ellis shiver under the gaze. He wondered if he was pushing himself into a pit of fire.

Xi Tian continued to think. Since Ellis handled most of the household chores, should the penalty be cooking an extra dish or washing a few more clothes? Xi Tian had seen some heavy-handed punishment tutorials before, but those methods made him cringe, so he immediately dismissed them.

Punishing someone by making them do things they usually do isn’t punishment. But if the punishment is solely to make someone suffer, it defeats its purpose. The goal is for him to remember, not to make him suffer.

In the end, Xi Tian decided to put the matter of punishment aside and resolved to supervise Ellis to ensure he goes to bed early tonight.

Being pinned down in bed by his partner in the morning was something that Xi Tian found hard to forget.

Xi Tian thought about the issue and realized it was because he lacked strength. So, he mentioned to Ellis his desire to start working out. Ellis’s initial reaction was naturally one of resistance. He believed that Xi Tian should stay at home, be taken care of by the female, and wondered why he wanted to work out. Could it be that Ellis wasn’t providing enough security for Xi Tian?

Ellis voiced this concern.

To Xi Tian, the two matters seemed completely unrelated. Why would his desire to work out make Ellis think he lacked security?

“Isn’t that the case?” Ellis countered.

Xi Tian paused to untangle the meaning behind the words, breaking down what was said earlier. “You think I want to work out because I feel insecure, and this makes you think you’re not doing well enough, that it’s your fault, right?”

Ellis nodded.

“Have you considered that my wanting to work out is simply my choice? Your assumption that I lack security is just that—an assumption, not a fact, right?”

Ellis hesitated but nodded.

“And then, based on that assumption, you drew another conclusion: ‘because you’re not doing well enough,’ right?”

This time, Ellis remained silent for a long moment before nodding.

“That’s your assumption, not the reality. My desire to work out has nothing to do with how well you’re doing. Want to join me? We don’t have much else to do these days anyway.”

Xi Tian patted Ellis’s stomach, but Ellis quickly grabbed his hand. “Actually, I’ve always wondered how long after leaving the army it would take for your abs to disappear.”

Ellis seemed to explode at this, but found it hard to come up with a retort. Physical fitness was something female insects were most proud of, but without the rigorous and regular training and routine of the army, the comfortable environment of Boulder had naturally made him relax. If it weren’t for having to take care of Xi Tian, he had no doubt his routine would be a complete mess.

Ellis immediately decided he had to start working out.

Xi Tian laughed as he spoke, rubbing his hand over Ellis’s abdomen. Ellis naturally relaxed, never rejecting such teasing from Xi Tian. Soon, their bodies were close together.

The clock ticked on, and when they finally parted, it was with reluctance.

Xi Tian loved cuddling with Ellis, whether in a passionate moment or not, he would naturally snuggle up to him. Ellis, though he didn’t say it, also enjoyed this dependence.

However, seeing the clock, no matter how much they wanted to stay cozy, they had to get ready. During yesterday’s party, Xi Tian had invited some young males to their home, and it was almost time for them to be out of school.

Ellis asked, “Should we invite them to have dinner at home?”

Xi Tian replied, “No need. Yesterday, they just said they wanted to come over to play, not for a meal. You wouldn’t be able to handle it all by yourself.”

“We should still prepare some snacks for them, right?”

Ellis was already dressed, while Xi Tian was still lying on the bed, slowly getting dressed.

Xi Tian thought for a while, then said with some frustration, “I don’t know what snacks kids their age like.”

“How about I go out and buy some?”

They had very few snacks at home; neither of them ate much. Ellis wasn’t in the habit, and Xi Tian would eat at mealtimes and be full, so he didn’t think about snacks either.

What kind of snacks would young males like?

They looked at each other, both unable to come up with an answer. Xi Tian could only say, frustrated, “Just buy whatever looks good, whether it’s dried fruits or snacks. If I don’t eat them, they can eat them. If not, they’ll just sit there.”

Before Ellis left, he asked Xi Tian for a hug.

In the supermarket, faced with an overwhelming variety of colorful packages, Ellis was indecisive. He had already put some snacks into his cart, ones that were tried and true safe foods from their home planet.

His eyes fell on a particularly cool-looking package, and just as he was about to read the description, another hand grabbed the last one.

Instinctively, Ellis looked up and was surprised to see Bill, now out of his work uniform and looking quite sharp.

Bill also recognized him, his red lips parting as he spoke. “I can’t believe it, it’s really you. Figures someone from a big place would be so casual at home, even making your male take the packages. You really are pampered.”

Ellis, in a good mood, couldn’t be bothered to respond to such idle talk.

After all, last night, he had clearly seen Bill in the shadows outside the house, drinking from a bottle, both crying and laughing.

Bill glanced at Ellis’s shopping cart, filled with sweet and sour processed snacks, and said, “These must be for your male partner. I saw him getting along quite well with those teenage boys yesterday.” He then added, “But you better be careful not to let your naive male partner pick up any bad habits from the people here.”

Ellis didn’t even look up, “Does it amuse you to talk nonsense? My partner can do whatever he wants, and it’s none of your business.”

Bill, feeling slighted, raised his head and pushed his cart past Ellis.

“You’d better not get too close to the people in this town, or you’ll regret it.”

This unemotional statement floated lightly from Bill’s lips.

Ellis didn’t understand and didn’t care, continuing to focus on picking out snacks.

When Ellis returned home, he heard laughter filling the once quiet house from the doorway.

“Hey, you’re back!”

Xi Tian stood up from the sofa, walked over to take the bags from Ellis’s hands, and gave him a hug.

There were four teenage boys visiting, including Shan Lai and his friends. When they saw the two of them, they made teasing noises and whistles. Embarrassed, Ellis heard his partner whisper in his ear, “They’re so noisy.”

Ellis couldn’t help but laugh and was pulled to the sofa by his partner.

Xi Tian glanced at Ellis, who understood and opened the bags. The boys’ attention was quickly drawn, and when the bags were opened, they exclaimed at the sight of the snacks inside.

“Oh my gosh, there are actually candies!”

They eagerly grabbed handfuls of candy, ignoring the fruits and biscuits.

Xi Tian, sensing something was amiss, quickly put on a stern face, “Each of you can only have one pack. Don’t take too much.”

“Hey, don’t be so stingy! Our parents don’t let us eat candy, and now you’re not letting us eat more after buying so much?”

“If your parents don’t allow it, I won’t let you overindulge either.”

Xi Tian winked, “Or I’ll call your parents. I got their contact numbers last night.”

“Ugh, parents are everywhere. When will we ever grow up?”

Shan Lai grumbled as he tore open a candy pack.

Ellis found the scene amusing.

Xi Tian’s terminal rang. He glanced at the name, then got up to take the call outside.

One of the boys, Shan Lai’s younger brother Levin, changed his exaggeratedly joyful expression to a blank one.

Levin, with a cold tone and without looking directly at Ellis, said, “Next time, don’t buy this flavor. Coffee flavor would be better.”

The other three boys nodded in agreement, their gazes filled with the disdain Ellis had always despised.