Jiang Zheyu stared at the dark screen in front of her.

Shan Xun, standing beside her, didn’t say anything about how to scan her fingerprint.

’This person next to me looks so fierce.’

Afraid he might scold her, Jiang Zheyu didn’t dare to ask how to scan her fingerprint.

As she moved closer, she realized the man beside her was even more imposing than she’d thought, as if he were blocking out all the light.

Jiang Zheyu sensed a murderous aura coming from him. ’It’s probably from killing Zerg all the time,’ she thought. ’So it’s normal for him to have that kind of energy.’

Still, it made him seem incredibly unapproachable.

After a moment of internal debate, she still couldn’t bring herself to ask. Steeling herself, she decided to try touching the screen. Maybe she could figure it out by just fiddling with it.

However, just as her hand was halfway there, a muscular arm shot out in front of her. Even wrapped in black fabric, she could see the distinct lines of his toned muscles.

Shan Xun tapped the panel a few times, then moved his hand away. He glanced down and saw the top of the young woman’s head. His gaze fell on her dark hair, where some strands were matted with Zerg blood, streaks of red mixed in with the black.

He recalled the Star Emperor’s words. ’The only female in the entire interstellar space with healing spiritual power.’

’A female? I haven’t seen a female in ages. Are they all this small?’

"Put your hand on it," Shan Xun said.

"Okay." Jiang Zheyu quietly placed her palm over the hand-shaped outline that appeared on the screen, pressing down.

Shan Xun’s gaze subconsciously lingered on the slender, pale hand on the screen.

Her fingers were spread out, each one long and perfectly formed, as delicate as carved jade.

He was reminded of the color of snow on a mountain glacier, which was beautiful in the same way.

Shan Xun’s gaze lingered on Jiang Zheyu’s hand for a little too long.

When the man beside her remained silent, Jiang Zheyu finally couldn’t help but look up at him and ask, "Is it done?"

"It is," Shan Xun replied, his expression unchanging as he lowered his gaze. He didn’t look at Jiang Zheyu, merely tapping a few times on the screen.

Jiang Zheyu withdrew her hand.

"All of you, come scan your fingerprints," Shan Xun said, his eyelids lifting slightly as he looked at the Beast Husbands behind Jiang Zheyu.

The others came forward one by one to scan their fingerprints.

This time, however, Shan Xun just watched from the side with no intention of helping.

Su Yan and the other two were familiar with the process, but some of the Imperial Army soldiers transferred from Zone 1 didn’t know what they were doing and fumbled with the device.

Seeing this, Jiang Zheyu thought to herself, ’See? I’m not the only one who doesn’t know how to work this thing.’

While the other soldiers struggled, Shan Xun stood by without making a move.

The faces of the new soldiers from Zone 1 gradually flushed with embarrassment.

Then, a soldier from Zone -1 took the initiative to help them, saving them from further embarrassment.

"Go on in," Shan Xun said, tilting his chin toward the Research Institute base.

He clearly had no intention of leading them any further.

After saying this, he turned and walked toward the Zerg pit.

Where there was one Zerg, there were bound to be more.

Shan Xun left, and his subordinates followed him.

Only one of his subordinates, a Beastman, was left behind.

The young man looked at Jiang Zheyu and her companions, his expression just as cold. "Captain Shan has business to attend to. I will escort you from here."

His tone was anything but polite.

"His duty is to protect the female. Is this how he does it?" Feng Qi frowned, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Now that he was in Zone -1, he couldn’t stay by the female’s side every day. He had been reassigned and would have to join the Zone -1 army. He would likely be sent to Zone -2 daily as part of the reserve forces to fight the Zerg.

It was the same for Su Yan.

Jiang Yi was no exception either. This was the reality of Zone -1: you had to join the army and fight. They didn’t support any freeloaders.

The three men who wanted to stay by Jiang Zheyu’s side to protect her were not allowed to remain.

Meanwhile, the one person who actually wanted to go to Zone -2 and kill Zerg was being forced to stay behind to protect her.

The Beastman led Jiang Zheyu to her living quarters. The place was clearly arranged with great care under the Star Emperor’s orders; it was spotless and tidy. However, what left her at a loss for words was just how pink it was.

The walls were pink. The curtains were pink. The cabinets were pink. The table was pink. Everything was pink!

A very, very bright shade of pink, at that.

’All this uniform pink is visually exhausting,’ she thought.

She liked pink, but not *this* much pink.

’What kind of aesthetic is this? It’s so cutesy. Everything is pink.’

Jiang Zheyu was speechless.

’It’s the thought that counts, right?’

"Esteemed female, our Captain Shan had this specially arranged for you. We hope you like it," the Beastman said with a gentle smile.

Shan Xun had only heard the Star Emperor say to decorate the room nicely and that females liked pink. So, he took a simple, brute-force approach: make everything pink. And then, he had it cleaned spotless.

Hearing the Beastman say that, how could she possibly admit she didn’t like it? So, against her better judgment, she nodded. "Yes, I like it."

"As long as you like it." The Beastman’s attitude toward her was quite friendly. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her face.

’It’s not just Captain Shan who hasn’t seen a female in over a century,’ he thought. ’I haven’t seen one in decades either.’

’And all those other Beastmen kept their heads down, acting like they didn’t dare to look at the female, but in reality, every single one of them was dying for a peek.’

"Well then, female, please get some rest. I must go report back." The Beastman gave her a slight bow and a nod before leaving.

Jiang Zheyu turned to the three Beast Husbands behind her.

The room was small, but exquisitely furnished. The bed, however, looked like it was only big enough for her to sleep in alone.

’So where are my Beast Husbands going to stay?’

"A yuan, where are you all staying?" Jiang Zheyu asked, looking at Su Yan and the others.

"We have to report to the military district. We’ll be on the battlefield fighting the Zerg. We’ll come see you whenever we get a break," Su Yan said, stroking her hair.

"Oh, you’re not staying?" Jiang Zheyu pursed her lips, looking at them.

Her three Beast Husbands were leaving. The three people she knew were leaving her. The thought of being left here all by herself made Jiang Zheyu feel a little panicked.

’This must be what it’s like to break an attachment,’ she thought.

Jiang Zheyu realized she had become quite dependent on her Beast Husbands.

’It must be a bad habit I picked up from being spoiled by them for the past three months.’

’It’s easy to get used to the good life, but so hard to give it up.’

"Don’t worry. Senior Shan is famous in Zone -2 for his combat prowess; he’s the strongest they have," Su Yan said, giving her hand another squeeze. "He won’t let anything happen to you. Besides, as long as there isn’t a Zerg swarm, we’ll come back to see you when it’s our turn to rest."

Su Yan didn’t want to leave either, but it was an order from the Empire. As an Imperial Commander, he had to obey.

"Okay," Jiang Zheyu sighed.

’How am I supposed to live without my Beast Husbands!’

’Letting go really is the hardest part.’

"Jiang Yuyu, you’d better miss me," Feng Qi said, coming over to give her a reluctant hug.

"It’s not like we’ll never see each other again," Jiang Zheyu said with a helpless smile.

"A day of absence feels like three years," Feng Qi mumbled sullenly.