Chapter 12: Signals of Courtship

Nian Tu turned her head, intending to pull away, but Lu Zhan gently covered her mouth.

“Shh.”

Lu Zhan’s expression grew alert as he fixed his gaze on Xiang’s room.

His entire demeanor had shifted; no longer the usual refined gentleman, he now resembled a wolf poised for battle.

Nian Tu pricked her ears and listened carefully—sure enough, there was movement coming from Xiang’s room.

Had the lion returned for her again?

Worried that Lu Zhan might clash with the lion, she tensed, ready to intervene.

But when the door opened, two long legs appeared.

Nian Tu’s eyes traced upward along the sharp crease of military trousers to Xiang’s handsome face.

“What are you two doing?” Xiang frowned, eyeing their awkward posture.

Only then did Nian Tu realize that Lu Zhan’s hand was still resting on her shoulder, while his other hand hovered near her mouth.

They were too close, and the pose was far too intimate. To Xiang, it looked as if something was about to happen between them.

Lu Zhan narrowed his eyes, straightened up, and released Nian Tu.

He didn’t answer Xiang’s question but instead retorted, “Why come through the window when there’s a front door?”

Xiang’s expression twisted in embarrassment.

When he regained consciousness, he was already in his bedroom—likely having smashed the window himself during his berserk state.

He hastily dressed, only to step out and find Lu Zhan seemingly about to do something inappropriate with Nian Tu.

Nian Tu hadn’t expected the visitor to be Xiang.

Curious, she asked him, “Lu Zhan said you had a mission and had returned to base. Why are you back so suddenly?”

Surely Xiang’s mission couldn’t have already been completed.

“Did you forget something?” she pressed.

Xiang had no idea what he might have forgotten. His memory stopped just before losing control; he didn’t even remember that he was supposed to have returned to base on assignment.

Fortunately, Lu Zhan didn’t make things difficult for him and stepped in to save face: “Indeed, you left your light brain behind. I’ve already stored it safely and will find it for you now.”

Lu Zhan led the way, with Xiang following, using the excuse of “retrieving the light brain” to avoid Nian Tu and speak with him privately.

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Seeing the broken, battered window in Xiang’s room, Lu Zhan snorted coldly. “I already fixed this window once for you. This time, you’re on your own.”

Xiang nodded sheepishly, feeling guilty.

Though he lacked memories of his berserk state, he still had to bear responsibility for the damage caused by the lion.

He wondered anxiously what else he might have done while out of control.

Being locked up after losing control was inevitable—the empire had a special bureau for managing berserk males.

As a male with a berserk level of 80, unless a high-ranking female bailed him out and provided mental care, he’d likely be confined indefinitely under strict supervision.

If he had hurt or even killed someone during his rampage, even bail wouldn’t spare him further imprisonment, demotion, suspension, and massive fines.

“How many days was I berserk?” he asked Lu Zhan cautiously, hoping the news wasn’t too bad.

He had already prepared himself to be locked away for life, since he wouldn’t accept any female other than Nian Tu.

But if he had truly killed someone, he’d be tormented by guilt forever.

“Don’t worry. You didn’t kill or injure anyone,” Lu Zhan reassured him, understanding his thoughts.

As for how long he’d been berserk… Lu Zhan seemed thoughtful.

“Do you remember anything that happened during the berserk state?” he asked.

For berserk beastmen, the experience was like a dream—upon waking, memories vanished, leaving only faint residual impressions.

Xiang was no different.

Still, he found it strange. “When I woke up, I felt satisfied and happy. It seemed I wasn’t suffering at all during the berserk state, but actually living well.”

“And I think I met Nian Tu. She was so gentle, and I felt completely relaxed around her…” Xiang’s face flushed as he spoke.

He chalked it up to being deeply fond of Nian Tu; his subconscious was filled with her, creating this illusion.

But Lu Zhan interrupted him: “You were only berserk for seventeen hours since last night.”

Once a male loses control, the animal form usually lasts at least three days, often about a week before reverting.

Recovering in just seventeen hours was unprecedented in the empire’s history—no one would believe it.

Moreover, “You were indeed with Nian Tu during your berserk period.”

Xiang’s eyes widened in shock.

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Lu Zhan sneered, appraising him coolly. “Never knew you were such a home-loving male, running back on your own even while berserk.”

While the search team scoured outside, this lion went in the opposite direction—hiding at home to take advantage of the little female.

Xiang gaped, speechless.

It was true—he had woken up right in his own room.

Lu Zhan gave him no chance to deny it and pulled up the video logs of his and Nian Tu’s communication as evidence.

The powerful golden-maned lion shamelessly clung to Nian Tu in the footage, pinning down the fragile female and even daring to lick her…

If it were a real lion, this scene would appear as a simple, heartwarming interaction between man and animal.

But since the lion was a beastman, everything changed.

Xiang’s face reddened further, like a boiled shrimp.

Flustered and embarrassed, he couldn’t believe such a shameless lion was himself.

A tidal wave of shame crashed over him, making him want to kneel and beg Nian Tu for forgiveness.

“Please forgive me… I truly didn’t mean any offense…”

Watching Nian Tu hit the lion on the head, Xiang thought she was right—but her blows were too light to teach him a proper lesson.

If she hit harder, the little female might hurt her hand. He should ask his married colleagues what tools their wives used for disciplining husbands and get some ready for Nian Tu too.

Lost in these thoughts, he then saw Nian Tu soothe the lion after hitting him, even planting a quick kiss on his face.

At that moment, Xiang felt as if his soul truly connected with the lion.

The disconnect caused by memory loss vanished; he was just like the lion in the video—so happy he might faint.

In the interstellar era, males no longer needed to transform into beasts to hunt as in ancient times, and females disliked their beast forms.

As a result, males rarely shifted, and it took on a special meaning—

If a male deliberately transformed before a female, it was a signal of courtship.

If the female rejected him, she could simply ignore it.

But if she reached out to touch him, it meant she did not dislike or resent his beast form.

Being accepted this way, the male would willingly brave any danger for his female.

Nian Tu not only touched him—she even kissed him!