The sky was just beginning to brighten as Jiang Zheyu slowly got up. She hadn’t gotten used to the bed on the first night, but she had slept perfectly well on the second.

After washing up, she opened the door and saw two Beastmen standing guard outside. It really felt like she was being held captive, with two Beastmen specifically assigned to watch her.

However, she knew these two Beastmen were only standing here to protect her.

They weren’t restricting her movements.

"Good morning, esteemed female!" the two Beastmen greeted Jiang Zheyu.

"Good morning," Jiang Zheyu greeted them back.

Remembering her goal for the day, she asked the two Beastmen, "Do you know where Captain Shan is right now?"

"Captain Shan is probably at the training grounds again," one of the Beastmen replied.

"Then please take me to him," Jiang Zheyu said with a faint smile. "I have something I need to ask him."

"Of course, esteemed female." The Beastman agreed and led the way.

There were hardly any Beastmen along the way; the area was almost deserted.

Jiang Zheyu walked beside the Beastman, heading toward the training grounds.

A Beastman approached them from the front. As he was passing Jiang Zheyu, his body suddenly swayed as if he were about to fall. Jiang Zheyu instinctively reached out to steady his arm, only to feel a sticky wetness in her palm.

The Beastman suddenly grabbed her arm, his eyes lifting to meet hers. They were filled with a desperate desire to live. "Save me..."

Jiang Zheyu’s mouth fell open. "What’s wrong with you?"

’I can’t save him. If he’s bleeding, he needs to go to the hospital in the Research Institute.’

She was just about to ask the Beastman beside her where the Research Institute’s hospital was.

But she didn’t even have time to react.

The words had barely left her mouth when they were answered by a deafening gunshot.

Like a searing gust of wind brushing past her face, a bullet tore straight through the forehead of the Beastman before her. Blood exploded outward, spattering Jiang Zheyu’s face with its scorching heat.

The Beastman’s eyes widened in shock.

Jiang Zheyu’s heart began to pound violently. Her entire body went rigid, unable to move.

The next second, Jiang Zheyu felt a tug on her arm.

Shan Xun had appeared by her side at some point. He yanked her behind him just as several more gunshots rang out.

A squad of team members rushed over.

"Take him away and dispose of him," Shan Xun ordered, his voice cold and harsh. "Then, check every Beastman for Zerg Race parasites."

Everyone the Beastman had just come into contact with was taken away.

"Should the female be taken for an examination as well?" a Beastman asked Shan Xun.

Shan Xun turned and saw the young woman still looked dazed. He paused before saying, "No. I’ll examine her myself."

Jiang Zheyu’s mind, which had stopped processing, slowly began to turn again.

She pressed her lips together tightly.

’So a Beastman can be infected by a parasite without even knowing it.’

’Was that Beastman just now already infected? But I couldn’t tell at all.’

Shan Xun grabbed Jiang Zheyu’s wrist and started walking toward the research building. "Let’s go. Time for a check-up."

Jiang Zheyu wiped her face, which was covered in blood.

The last time Shan Xun had torn a Zerg apart with his bare hands, he’d also splattered her face with blood. Now, after killing a Beastman, her face was covered in blood again.

Every time, it made her heart leap into her throat.

Jiang Zheyu felt that if this happened a few more times, her heart would either grow stronger or she’d just die from a heart attack.

"How do they check?" Jiang Zheyu asked. She noticed his strides were long and his pace was fast, as if he moved with a brisk wind at his back. She had to break into a trot just to keep up.

"There are two ways the Zerg Race’s parasites can infect you. One, you accidentally ingest their eggs. Two, they enter through a wound," Shan Xun explained quickly. "Other Beastmen are checked by stripping down, but your status is special. We’ll go to the research building and use a machine."

"I see," Jiang Zheyu nodded.

Jiang Zheyu trotted after Shan Xun into the research building. The blood on her face felt awful. With no water, she could only keep wiping it with her hand.

Beside her, Shan Xun was all business, completely oblivious to how the blood on her face had made Jiang Zheyu’s spirits wilt.

’I should just wait until after the check-up, then go back and wash my face.’

Out of the corner of his eye, Shan Xun noticed the female’s listless expression again. He didn’t know what was wrong, but she was unhappy again, and it annoyed him.

"You’re unhappy again," Shan Xun’s cold voice cut in. "Why are you unhappy now?"

Jiang Zheyu paused, looking up at him with that same listless expression. "It’s nothing."

’Let’s just get this check-up over with so I can wash my face.’

"Tell me. What do you want me to do? Don’t just bottle up your unhappiness. I can’t guess," Shan Xun said, his grip tightening on Jiang Zheyu’s wrist. His dark eyes stared down at her, a hint of frustration flickering in their deep violet depths. "Order me. You can give me any order you want."

Jiang Zheyu froze for a second. Even his words telling her to order him sounded like a command.

But he looked so serious, so insistent.

Since he had said as much, Jiang Zheyu finally spoke up. "I want to wash my face. This is really uncomfortable."

Shan Xun paused, not expecting that to be the reason. His gaze fell on Jiang Zheyu’s face, which was a mess of smeared blood.

The red blood was streaked unevenly across her skin, but he could still make out her beautiful, delicate features. Her tea-colored eyes were like pieces of amber that sparkled beautifully.

’She looked a mess, but a beautiful one at that.’

"Mm, follow me." Shan Xun quickly averted his gaze, his long lashes lowering slightly as he led Jiang Zheyu forward by the hand.

"Aren’t we getting the check-up first?" Jiang Zheyu was quite scared of the parasites, too.

"If a Zerg Race parasite has already infected you, a little sooner or later makes no difference," Shan Xun said, leading her by the wrist toward the restroom.

Jiang Zheyu still had to trot to keep up with him.

She remembered what he had just said—that she could give him unconditional orders.

"Captain Shan, slow down. I can’t keep up," Jiang Zheyu said, gritting her teeth.

Shan Xun paused, and sure enough, his pace slowed.

Jiang Zheyu subconsciously glanced at Shan Xun and saw that his cold, grim face was still as fierce as ever, betraying no other emotion.

’Well, he was the one who said I could order him around.’

A moment later, Jiang Zheyu saw a restroom ahead. Yes, it was the men’s restroom. The *only* restroom.

"Captain Shan, isn’t it... inappropriate for me to go into the men’s restroom?" Jiang Zheyu hesitated.

"It’s the only one," Shan Xun said, glancing at her before pulling her straight inside. "I’ll go with you."

Jiang Zheyu: ???

"Wait, wait, wait." Jiang Zheyu’s feet seemed to have taken root; she refused to budge an inch.

Shan Xun looked back at her, his brows lowering slightly. "What is it? Just say it."

"Then... can you make everyone else leave? I like to use the restroom alone," Jiang Zheyu said, her face turning red.

Shan Xun didn’t understand, but he did as she asked.

"Go on. I’ll stand guard outside," Shan Xun said, looking at her.