"Could this be another Beastman’s room?" Jiang Zheyu asked, confused.

’If I stay here, what will the other Beastman do?’

"Yes. I stay here sometimes," Shan Xun replied with a nod.

Jiang Zheyu paused, then looked at Shan Xun. "If I stay here, what about you?"

"I’ll sleep in the room across from you. I had the Beastman from that room move to the training grounds." Shan Xun’s deep purple eyes were serene. He needed to be near Jiang Zheyu to protect her; he couldn’t be too far away. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

After their last conflict, he had already subconsciously softened his tone. "Wait here. I’ll go get some water for you."

He left as soon as he said it.

Jiang Zheyu waited in the room for him to return.

Faint moonlight streamed in through the window.

Jiang Zheyu sat on a stool, waiting for Shan Xun.

Soon, Shan Xun returned, effortlessly carrying two buckets of water. He walked in and placed them in the washroom.

The muscles in his arms tensed from carrying the water.

Tonight, he was just wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt, so his full, muscular arms were on clear display.

The moonlight spilling in highlighted the lines of his arm muscles.

"Is two buckets enough?" Shan Xun asked, glancing back at Jiang Zheyu after setting the buckets down.

"More than enough! Thank you, Captain Shan!" Jiang Zheyu walked over cheerfully.

"If you need anything, find me across the hall," Shan Xun said, looking at her.

"Okay, I will," Jiang Zheyu nodded.

Shan Xun left.

Jiang Zheyu took out a change of combat clothes and slowly peeled off her insect-blood-stained uniform. The moment her fingers touched the water, a bone-chilling cold seeped in from her fingertips, making her shiver.

’This water is freezing!’

’Is the groundwater on the Deserted Star always this cold?’

But Jiang Zheyu couldn’t stand the insect blood on her body any longer. Steeling herself, she poured the cold water directly over her skin.

A chill shot straight through her.

Jiang Zheyu quickly washed off the insect blood, shivering with every splash of water.

’This Deserted Star really is harsh.’

Wiping her face, Jiang Zheyu sped up her washing.

After she finished, she hurriedly dried the water droplets from her body, quickly threw on her clothes, and dove under the covers on the bed.

’The blanket is so cold, too.’

Her feet were especially cold.

The residual excitement from killing an insect today seemed to linger in her mind, slowly morphing into a dizzying sensation.

Jiang Zheyu felt herself growing dizzier and dizzier.

「The next day.」

Jiang Zheyu felt like she couldn’t open her eyes. Her entire body was exhausted and utterly drained of strength.

After passing the female’s door for the tenth time, Shan Xun finally couldn’t resist knocking. "Jiang Zheyu!"

’It’s almost afternoon, why isn’t she up yet? Doesn’t she still have to purify the Beastmen?’

’Logically, after what happened last night, she should be awake even if she slept into the afternoon. Why isn’t she waking up?’

A thread of worry began to grow inside Shan Xun.

Jiang Zheyu’s head was muddled, feeling as if seawater were sloshing around inside. She vaguely heard someone calling her name, and the sound of knocking that seemed to shift from far away to right beside her.

She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt incredibly heavy. ’So tired... so, so tired... I can’t open them.’

Jiang Zheyu struggled to her feet, her mind far from clear. Her only thought was to open the door.

But before she could reach it, the door suddenly crashed down with a tremendous BANG.

The massive noise made Jiang Zheyu’s heart seize in fright.

Her whole body trembled slightly.

Shan Xun rushed in, stopping right in front of Jiang Zheyu. He gripped her shoulders, his expression full of tension. "What’s wrong with you?"

His gaze fell upon the beautiful woman. Her face was flushed with a sickly red, her pupils were unfocused, and the rims of her eyes were tinged with pink.

Shan Xun quickly reached out and touched her forehead, only to feel a scorching heat.

He realized the female was sick.

He froze for a moment. Beastmen rarely got sick; illnesses were almost always caused by infected wounds.

Shan Xun’s first thought was that she had an infection from an injury.

’Was she injured last night?’

Jiang Zheyu felt awful. Her mind was a fog, but she knew this man had just kicked down the door and scared her.

She remembered being startled by the violent noises he made several times before.

Maybe it was because she was sick and her mind wasn’t clear.

Jiang Zheyu felt wronged and miserable.

’I feel so terrible right now, why does he have to scare me?’

"Get out!" Jiang Zheyu’s nose tingled and her eyes grew redder. She forcefully pushed the man in front of her.

But she had no strength at all. Her push felt like a soft cloud against Shan Xun’s body.

Shan Xun paused. He could hear the disgust for him in the female’s voice, and a sharp pain pierced his heart.

His mood instantly plummeted.

He was angry, yet he couldn’t just leave the female. "Are you hurt? Where are you hurt?"

He subconsciously assumed her fever was caused by an injury.

Jiang Zheyu felt so miserable.

Tears streamed down Jiang Zheyu’s face. Unable to even hear Shan Xun’s words, her voice was thick with sobs. "Get out! Leave! I don’t want to see you!"

’He always makes such loud noises and scares me.’

Her tears fell on Shan Xun’s arm, feeling as if they had scalded him.

Shan Xun knew the female didn’t like him, but he never imagined she despised him this much.

"I’m taking you to a doctor." Shan Xun’s eyelashes lowered slightly. Without another word, he reached out and lifted Jiang Zheyu into his arms.

Tears dripped from Jiang Zheyu’s eyes. ’It hurts so much.’

Seeing her like this, Shan Xun’s mood soured even more. ’Does she really dislike me that much?’

"Stop crying. After today, I’ll request a transfer from my superiors." Shan Xun’s brow was heavy, and a low pressure seemed to emanate from his entire being.

Shan Xun carried Jiang Zheyu quickly to the hospital inside the Research Institute’s base. After placing the female in a treatment pod, he waited outside.

Soon, the Beastman Doctor from inside came out.

"How is the female?" Shan Xun asked hurriedly.

"She’s fine now. It was just a simple cold," the Beastman Doctor replied.

"A cold? Not a fever caused by an infected wound?" Shan Xun frowned.

"No, the female has no wounds on her body," the Beastman Doctor said, flipping through the diagnostic report.

"Alright, I understand." Shan Xun’s frown deepened.

’So it was because of those two buckets of water last night.’

The groundwater on the Deserted Star was frigid. But the Beastmen from Zones -1 and -2 were long used to it and thought nothing of it. He had forgotten that the female was from the Imperial City and had probably never endured such hardship.

He also hadn’t expected the female’s body to be so delicate.

When Jiang Zheyu woke up, all the discomfort was gone.

But her memories started to return. Though they were a bit hazy, she still remembered.

’Ah, how embarrassing!’

’I actually cried.’

’And I even threw a tantrum and told him to get out.’