I Picked Up a Wife in the Insectoid World [Short Stories]

Arc One (complete): Star Thief Male Insect × Undercover Female Insect (Can enemies fall in love?)

Soft-hearted, doting, hopelessly romantic star thief gong × Proud, upright, blond aristocratic beauty shou

At an auction, Noah buys a pitiful female insect named Leslie. What Noah doesn't know is that this poor female insect is actually an undercover agent sent by the military to get close to him.

An unregistered S-rank male insect, a criminal with no protection from the Male Insect Protection Association, and property wholly owned by the military that can be shared. His very existence is an irresistible temptation.

As the cage is about to come crashing down, Noah takes back the ring he had once placed on the female insect's hand himself. Along with it, he reclaims the vows of love he once made.

“Leslie, this time I'm the one who doesn't want this anymore. You're not my male consort, so I should take this back, too.”

They meet again at a royal banquet. The male insect raises his glass and smiles faintly.

“Hello, I'm Noah. Nice to meet you. May I get to know you?”

He returns, carrying his hatred with him, but love and hate aren't so easily balanced. Who will fall into the trap of sweet words and sink deeper and deeper?

When the ring is returned to its rightful owner, an open heart quietly closes. Before being sent back to prison, the male insect says,

“He deceived my feelings three years ago. Now it's my turn to deceive his. That's only fair, isn't it?”

Arc Two (complete): Human who has differentiated into a male insect × Battle-scarred military female insect (Two poor souls want to fall in love before they die)

At first a doting chatterbox, later a mature council leader: human-turned-male-insect gong × Strong, kind, defiant, blind, battle-scarred military female insect shou

After the male insect maliciously marks him out of revenge, military female insect Elinor must choose between begging for the male insect to accept him and undergoing surgery to have his wings removed. Instead, he chooses a third path: he is willing to die on the front lines.

After an accident leaves him blind when his aircraft crashes, Elinor ends up on a desolate planet, where he meets a soft-hearted sub-female insect named Hill.

To survive, human and insect support each other on their journey to stay alive. Elinor's irreversible transformation into an insect slowly begins, but Hill gives him the chance to live.

After saving the weakened sub-female insect with his blood, Elinor eventually completes his transformation and collapses on the road to the city. Hill takes on the burden of caring for him with his frail body.

The transformation passes, but Hill discovers that he, too, is beginning to change. After one marking, human and insect silently become a couple.

Because before they die, they want to fall in love.

Arc Three (complete): Dragon × Star Thief Sub-Female Insect (I'm great at hatching eggs)

The last dragon in the world meets a sub-female insect who falls from the sky. The curious little dragon tugs at his tail.

“You have a tail, too. Are you a dragon?” “I'm so happy to meet you!”

Mistaken for one of his kind, the sub-female insect goes from pretending to be friendly to being captured by the little dragon's charm and falling deeper and deeper for him.

Then a massive attack descends upon this primitive planet, and at the most dangerous moment, the dragon stands in front of the sub-female insect.

Legend says dragons fall into flames and are reborn in them.

Evelyn, dragons never perish. Wait for me to return.

Arc Four (complete): All-around nurturing male guide × Low-ranking military female insect (Who doesn't want a rabbit? If no one does, I'll take it home and raise it!)

Rodney, a guide in the age of alien species, is infected during his final mission. Before he dies, he points a gun at himself and ends his life.

When he opens his eyes again, he discovers that he has arrived in an insect society. Suffering from PTSD from the apocalypse, he soon decides to return to the battlefield.

This is a new world he doesn't know. He hates being touched, hates intimacy, and most of all hates that loudmouth who argues with him every day.

And, of course, the idiot is his roommate!

Who could have guessed that the rivalry between sworn enemies would quietly turn into something else? As graduation approaches, Rodney pulls the female insect into his arms and whispers in his ear, “Silly.”

Ulysses bristles. “Who's silly?!”

Arc Five (in progress): Human transmigrator streamer × Powerful businesswoman female insect (Honey, won't you please stay married to me?)

They marry first and fall in love later. In a fair deal where each gets what they need and both benefit, who will be the first to fall?

A low-ranking male insect doing his best to improve his life gets the role of a kept canary, successfully installs a wife-focused radar, and enjoys a life without a care about food or drink.

A devoted practitioner of praising his wife, who agrees with everything she says. Contains plenty of “wife, wife, wife.”

(One day, after the powerful businesswoman asks for a divorce)

Wait! What do you mean, setting me free? No! Give me back my iron rice bowl!

Reader's Guide:

1. Every arc is a one-on-one relationship, with both leads' pasts clear of other partners.

2. The world favors male insects over female insects, and the story is packed with healing, doting romance.

3. Dedicated to happy endings for a hundred years!

4. Some arcs include egg-laying.

5. I may not be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you're extremely devoted to either the gong or shou. Paragraph comments are open. I read all the comments and reply to the ones I see. ❤️ Praise is welcome, ❤️ opinions are welcome, ❤️ discussion is welcome, ❤️ everyone is welcome. Come frolic freely~

[This is a fictional setting with no relation to reality. Please don't compare it to the real world.]

[This story contains original worldbuilding.]

[This is a collection of connected arcs, so I won't lock chapters against unauthorized copying. Hope you enjoy reading ❤️]

The Great Beauty Living in the Jade Pendant: Blurb

Lin Xiangye inherits his family's ancestral jade pendant and unlocks it one sunny afternoon.

Strolling through the hills and drinking spiritual spring water, Lin Xiangye wipes his mouth with satisfaction.

“I was chosen by fate! That's me!”

Lin Xiangye swiftly clears out all the precious treasures in the jade pendant's space and exclaims happily,

“Thanks for nature's generous gifts.”

After working hard all day, Xie Yu earns a grand total of five copper coins. He doesn't get home until dark, and when he sees his bare, empty house, he breaks down.

He's already this poor, and now someone has robbed him, too! How outrageous!

For days after that, Xie Yu waits for the thief to show up, but no one comes. He lets his guard down. The next time he returns from selling wild vegetables, he finds that some scoundrel has ransacked his little courtyard again.

Xie Yu breaks down and collapses to the ground. This is almost as bad as being hunted down by an enemy.

When they happen to meet one day...

Lin Xiangye shouts excitedly, “There's a gorgeous beauty living in my jade pendant!”

Xie Yu grabs a wooden stick from behind the door. “You little thief! Take this!”

Lin Xiangye gradually realizes that the jade pendant doesn't lead to an isolated space, but to another era.

By some marvel, the pendant has connected him to a small mountain village from five hundred years ago.

Xie Yu has consumption and can't go with Lin Xiangye to the modern world for treatment. Lin Xiangye has no way to bring medicine to the past, either.

As Xie Yu grows weaker by the day, Lin Xiangye is frantic with worry.

During the final pursuit by the guards, Xie Yu has nowhere left to run. He stands where Lin Xiangye often suddenly appears.

Looking at the empty air before him, he smiles helplessly.

“Lin Xiangye, I can't go to your world. From now on, don't think of me anymore.”

The jade pendant breaks for no reason, and a shard cuts a bloody line across Lin Xiangye's chest.

Just as Lin Xiangye closes his fingers around the two broken pieces, trying to find Xie Yu as he always has...

The pendant stops working.

Theme: Even in a world beset by danger, there are souls willing to cross the stars just to save one person.