14. He might be that eight-star superpowered beastman.

The man’s towering figure completely enveloped her in shadow, a surge of primal aggression nearly overwhelming in that moment.

Ruan Li momentarily stopped breathing, belatedly realizing she had stumbled into the lair of the big bad wolf.

"Weren't we supposed to discuss serious matters?" Her voice trembled nervously, stammering without any confidence.

"Yes, serious matters," the man said, resting one hand on the side of her neck, suddenly leaning in so close she could hear the low, heavy rhythm of his breath.

Ruan Li watched his face draw nearer, her mind briefly shutting down. In the last instant, she turned her head away, presenting the back of her head to him, and whispered in a mix of anger and embarrassment, "What are you trying to do?"

"Shh."

The intimate contact she had anticipated did not happen; the man didn’t even touch her.

His outstretched arm maintained a space of more than ten centimeters between her and Zhe Ye.

Ruan Li blinked and saw the man pressing his ear against the door, as if listening to sounds outside.

Had she been imagining things?

How awkward.

So, so humiliating.

That moment she thought was a kiss… must have been a hallucination as well?

Her chest heaved slightly as she felt how disturbingly lewd her thoughts had become.

A few minutes later, Zhe Ye lifted his head, calm and composed: "There’s no sound outside."

His bronzed, stern face showed no hint of suspicion; even his steps were measured and normal.

Zhe Ye sat down on the small sofa and looked at Ruan Li. "There’s a chair over there. Do you want to sit beside me or opposite?"

Ruan Li pushed aside the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind and chose to sit opposite him.

As she took her seat, Zhe Ye’s first words were striking news: "If I’m not mistaken, there was an eight-star male beastman in Bai He’s room."

"However, I didn’t detect any unfamiliar beastman scent on him."

Ruan Li blurted out, "How can you smell the scent on him?"

Zhe Ye leaned back against the sofa, stretching his long legs comfortably forward.

"Naturally, with my nose. The nose of a wolf beastman can detect any scent clearly. Within ten meters, I can smell every trace of odor he’s carried in the past three days."

Ruan Li’s eyes widened a little. "That’s impressive."

Zhe Ye’s gaze deepened. "It’s certainly helpful on the battlefield, but in everyday life, it can be quite troublesome."

"Hmm? What kind of troubles?" Ruan Li prompted, following his thread.

"Male beastmen have strong possessiveness. None can tolerate their female partner’s body carrying the scent of another male. Some jealous males purposely hug or kiss their females, and some go even further... like that fox last night who deliberately climbed into your bed."

"I imagine his antics must have caused you quite a bit of distress."

Ruan Li pondered this. No wonder that frivolous fox suddenly hugged her and climbed onto her bed yesterday.

But wasn’t he supposed to dislike her?

Could it be that he did it just to spite her?

Ugh, how cruel.

Zhe Ye noticed that the invisible eye drops had been successfully applied and stopped at the right moment.

"I despise the shameless behavior of such male beastmen. If I wanted to win over a female, I would showcase my character and charm in other ways."

"Back to the matter at hand: Bai He has serious issues."

"Right after I entered, I smelled a strong scent of blood. He must have sustained severe injuries, meaning there’s an injured eight-star male beastman in his room. There’s also another possibility..."

"That he himself is that beastman."

Ruan Li paused, then asked, "Isn’t Bai He a five-star beastman? How could he be an eight-star?"

"When a male beastman suffers severe injuries and goes untreated for over a month, his abilities temporarily decline. Over six months, his powers suffer irreversible damage and can never recover; after twelve months, he undergoes a power frenzy, loses control, and attacks indiscriminately. In the worst cases, he becomes a rogue beast."

"Rogue beasts have only two fates: total extermination or escape to a wasteland planet, but either way, death is inevitable."

Ruan Li hadn’t realized the consequences of injuries to male beastmen were so severe. "So, wounds sustained in battles with ferocious beasts must be treated quickly?"

"Strictly speaking, any wounds contaminated by pollutants must be treated. Only females can heal such wounds, and females can use this to discipline unruly beastmen," Zhe Ye said with a slight smirk.

Ruan Li recalled the misbehavior of "Ruan Li" herself, who used this as leverage to threaten her beast husband. No wonder when she first arrived in this world, she was nearly scolded by Lion Feather right to her face.

"If Bai He is injured, I can treat him," Ruan Li said earnestly, lifting her face.

Zhe Ye’s relaxed gaze sharpened, his pupils contracting. "His identity is suspicious now. He might very well be a spy for the Federation, and you—"

"Even if he really is a spy, he shouldn’t be treated this way." To become a complete wreck, shunned and despised by those around you... that seemed to echo everything "Ruan Li" had once endured.

Zhe Ye lowered his eyes and smiled quietly. "You’re right."

As a soldier of the Empire, he had killed countless enemies and remained cold and unfeeling on the battlefield. But when he first slew one of his own kind, he had doubted himself.

"I intend to report this matter to the military. Do you have any other thoughts?"

"Hmm? No, I don’t have any."

The obstruction he expected never came. Zhe Ye even briefly wondered if Ruan Li was pretending not to care.

But he found she truly did not care.

"I will keep an eye on his movements for a few days. If he proves suspicious, I’ll report to the military. If you notice anything, you can also tell me."

"Oh, okay."

Zhe Ye escorted her back to her room. As he prepared to close the door, he noticed her flimsy door lock.

He pressed against the door. "I’ll grab some tools and fix it. It’ll be quick."

He retrieved a toolbox from his spatial compartment. After some tinkering, the smart lock was finally repaired.

"Rest well. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon."

After returning to his room, Zhe Ye did not rest. He opened the smart interface and searched, "How long does it take for a female to fall for a male beastman?"

The forum answers were all over the place—some said love at first sight, others said love after one night, some claimed a single kiss sealed the bond...

Zhe Ye felt none of these applied to Ruan Li.

She seemed to have no particular fondness for anything besides eating and shopping... and no beastman she cared for.

Leaning against the headboard, the man unconsciously recalled everything that had happened today.

She seemed stirred, yet also indifferent.

The day passed quickly. Ordinary beastmen needed to claim hunting missions for ferocious beasts through the smart interface to earn star coins and crystal cores.

Ruan Li woke from her nap at six o’clock. After freshening up, she went downstairs and saw Lion Jue sitting in the living room and Bai He cooking in the kitchen.

"Ruan Li, you’re awake!" Lion Jue’s dull, tired green eyes immediately brightened upon seeing her.