The tip of the giant snake’s tail gently wrapped around Jiang Zheyu’s wrist, slowly pulling her hand toward its body.

And so, Jiang Zheyu’s spiritual hand was pressed against the giant snake’s body, her palm feeling the fine, cool scales.

Jiang Zheyu was still dazed, unable to figure out what the giant snake wanted.

When the giant snake saw her hand resting on its body without moving, its tail gently slapped the ground, seeming to grow a little restless.

The tip of its tail gently poked the back of her stick-figure hand, then pressed down. In response, the palm of Jiang Zheyu’s stick-figure hand pressed a little closer to the giant snake’s body, allowing her to feel the cold, smooth texture of its fine scales more clearly.

Jiang Zheyu seemed to realize what was happening. ’It probably just wants me to pet it, not initiate a spiritual union.’

She let out a small sigh of relief and began to gently stroke the giant snake’s body with the palm of her stick-figure hand.

The massive black snake’s vertical pupils narrowed slightly. It lowered its enormous head and flicked out its forked tongue, repeatedly licking the stick-figure’s head, as if encouraging her, rewarding her, or perhaps treating it as an intimate caress between Beast Mates.

Jiang Zheyu was encircled by the giant snake, unable to move.

After a moment, Jiang Zheyu noticed something strange around her calf and realized the giant snake was in heat again.

Her heart, which had just settled, was in her throat again. ’Don’t tell me we’ll have to go through with a spiritual union after all!’

However, Jiang Zheyu discovered that the Spiritual Domain trapping her had opened.

The giant snake’s head was pillowed on its own coils, turned toward her. Its red, vertical pupils watched her quietly, filled with obvious pleasure and longing.

Jiang Zheyu hurriedly left Su Yan’s Spiritual Domain.

This served as a reminder: a Beastman with higher spiritual power could completely control her.

’I have to speed up the purification of his Beastification Value and raise my own Spiritual Power Level.’

After her spiritual power returned to her body, Jiang Zheyu gently opened her eyes. Sure enough, she found Su Yan hugging her tightly again, his face buried in her neck as if he were getting his cat fix.

"Yu Yu, I love you..." Su Yan murmured softly.

Jiang Zheyu’s cheeks flushed, but she still pushed him away.

Su Yan pulled back slightly, his unabashed gaze fixed on her, filled with desire yet still holding a gentle affection.

"That’s enough!" Jiang Zheyu forced herself to be firm. ’I can’t let this man have me completely wrapped around his finger.’ "You’re not sleeping here tonight. Go home."

Su Yan simply lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips. He knew she’d had a long day of walking and couldn’t bear to tire her out tonight. He took her hand and pressed its palm against his cheek, his voice soft. "Female Master, if only you could be mine alone forever."

The way he pressed her palm to his face was strikingly similar to how the black snake in the Spiritual Domain had made her stick-figure hand touch its body.

Jiang Zheyu suddenly made the connection. ’A spiritual body is, after all, the most direct expression of a person’s true self.’

She froze for a moment when she heard Su Yan’s words.

’Su Yan’s position wouldn’t allow him to just take me away, and his lifelong mission to serve the Empire wouldn’t let him easily set aside his Hongying Armor.’

’A suit of Hongying Armor seemed to carry the glory bestowed by the masses, and behind that glory was the weight of responsibility.’

"Yu Yu, my Beastification Value has dropped to 58." Su Yan tightened his embrace on Jiang Zheyu. After a long silence, he spoke in a low voice, his red eyes dim. "I’ll be returning to the front lines, so I can’t always be by your side. You’ll need other Male Beastmen to protect you."

’So, even though Feng Qi was a piece of work, after four years at the Imperial Military Academy and ten years on the front lines together, Su Yan had to admit the guy was at least somewhat qualified to be his Female Master’s Beast Husband.’

But Su Yan couldn’t bring himself to say these words, and a tightness formed in his chest.

Jiang Zheyu paused when she heard him, but she understood. She recalled the rumors on the Star Network about Su Yan’s Hongying Armor.

’His Hongying Armor shouldn’t just be shelved like this. She had helped him purify his Beastification Value, allowing it to return to the battlefield once more.’

She remembered seeing the Hongying Armor on the Star Network. It looked so cool; it truly belonged on the battlefield.

"It’s okay. Going back to the front lines doesn’t mean you’ll never come home." Jiang Zheyu hugged him back. "As for the mandatory Beastman matching, I have my own way of dealing with it."

"You have a way?" Su Yan’s red eyes grew cold, but his voice was perfectly calm. "Female Master, have you already chosen a Beast Husband you like?"

Before Jiang Zheyu could answer, Su Yan went on, "Doctor Li? That White Tiger Beastman from the Star Network? The White Cat Beastman? Or Feng Qi?"

The barrage of jealous questions made Jiang Zheyu’s head spin.

"No," Jiang Zheyu explained, trying to soothe him. "Right now, I only like you. There are no other Beastmen I like. I’m going to buy some Beastmen just to deal with the mandatory matching."

"’Right now’?" Su Yan gritted his teeth, his red eyes locked on her.

Jiang Zheyu faltered. She had accidentally spoken her true thoughts out loud.

’She had said "right now" because if Su Yan fell for the original female lead later on, she wasn’t going to put all her eggs in one basket.’

’Just like with her benefactor from her past life who had died, she wasn’t going to remain a widow for him, either.’

’Jiang Zheyu considered herself a pragmatist.’

"Then... then I only like you, okay?" Seeing his expression darken, Jiang Zheyu quickly began to placate him.

"Good. You can only like me." Su Yan hugged Jiang Zheyu again.

For a moment, Su Yan truly wanted to hide her away. Then the Imperial Army would never discover how special her spiritual power was, would never discover his treasured Yu Yu.

Su Yan held Jiang Zheyu in silence for a long time.

"When are you going back to the front lines?" Jiang Zheyu asked softly. She was still a little worried, afraid something might happen to Su Yan there. ’I really do like him, after all.’ "Let me finish purifying your Beastification Value before you go back."

"Mm, there’s no rush." Su Yan gently squeezed her ear.

’He also wanted to make sure she was settled before applying to return to the front lines.’

"Yu Yu, can I stay tonight?" Su Yan’s palm gently caressed her neck. "I won’t do anything. We’ll just sleep."

Jiang Zheyu’s heart softened. ’Who knows how many chances they’ll have to see each other once Su Yan returns to the army.’

So, she nodded.

A faint smile touched Su Yan’s lips, his red eyes filled with mirth and a desire he was suppressing with all his might.

And so, Su Yan lay down on the bed, holding Jiang Zheyu.

Although the man beside her felt like his body was growing hot again, he kept his word, simply holding her with no further actions.

Drifting in a state between waking and sleep, Jiang Zheyu soon fell into a deep slumber.

On the bed, the man’s long, powerful legs transformed into a massive, matte black snake tail.

And Jiang Zheyu was completely unaware.