In the Great Northern Wilderness during the summer, the heat finally subsides a little by evening, but the air still retains the smell of soil and grass baked by the sun during the day, sticking stickily to the skin.

Howard returned covered in dust from the training field, his sweat-soaked military green vest clinging to his broad back, outlining his strong, muscular physique. He went straight to the makeshift "shower room" in the corner of the yard, hastily constructed from wooden planks and tarpaulin.

The sound of rushing water soon rose, monotonously striking the silent twilight.

The door creaked open a crack again.

Mingzhao stood silently at the door, holding in her arms a thick copy of "Principles of Mechanics" that Howard had just brought back for her from the Xinhua Bookstore in the city that day.

Her gaze pierced through the crack in the door and landed precisely on the figure that was mostly obscured by the simple wooden shed.

Howard stood with his back to the door, head down, washing himself. The dim light barely penetrated the gaps in the tarpaulin, outlining the taut lines of his shoulders and back. Water droplets rolled down his bronze skin, sliding over the deep grooves of his spine and disappearing into the army green trousers casually tied around his waist.

The muscles in his back rippled slightly as he scooped up water, exuding a pure and primal sense of power.

Mingzhao's eyes were fixed on her, like the most precise scanner, meticulously capturing the trajectory of every muscle's contraction and relaxation, the arc of the water splashing as it hit her skin, and even the speed at which the water droplets slid down her tight waistline.

There was no shyness or desire in her eyes, only an almost pure interest in exploring the structure and physical movement patterns of unfamiliar organisms.

At the Alliance Academy of Sciences, she had seen countless more complex and precise mechanical diagrams, but the dynamic mechanical performance of this flesh and blood body before her carried a rough vitality, making her feel a strange "unknown" that she even wanted to touch with her own hands.

Howard shook his wet buzz cut, sending water droplets flying everywhere.

Almost simultaneously, his almost beast-like instincts, typical of a top soldier, caught the focused gaze that seemed to burn a hole through his back.

He turned around abruptly. Their gazes met unexpectedly in the twilight and mist.

Howard's body tensed instantly, like a cheetah poised to pounce, his eyes sharp as knives as he swept toward the doorway.

When they realized it was Mingzhao, the fierce killing intent receded like the tide, leaving only a deep sense of helplessness and a barely perceptible embarrassment.

"Zhao Zhao?" His deep voice was hoarse with moisture. He subconsciously covered his muscular chest with a towel, his movements a little clumsy. "Why are you standing there? It's too humid."

Mingzhao was still holding the book, her eyes as open and honest as a newborn animal, staring intently at his water-drenched chest and well-defined abs. She even tilted her head slightly, as if trying to get a clearer view from a different angle.

That gaze made Howard's heart tighten, and a strange, wicked fire inexplicably surged within him.

He took a few big strides out of the makeshift shower area, leaving a trail of water in his wake.

The tall figure instantly loomed over Mingzhao, carrying the strong scent of freshly washed soap and rising heat.

Mingzhao subconsciously took a small step back, her back gently resting against the door frame.

Howard didn't speak, but simply raised a large hand, still damp and steamy, and gently covered Mingzhao's excessively clear eyes with an undeniable force.

The eyelashes beneath his palm trembled slightly, like startled butterfly wings, brushing against his skin and bringing a slight tickle.

“Good boy,” Howard’s voice was low and almost a whisper, with a hoarseness and restraint that he himself was unaware of, as if he had been cornered, “you can’t stare at a man like that.”

He paused, feeling the confusion and stubbornness in the eyes beneath his palm, and his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty. "...Something dangerous will happen."

Danger?

This word is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples in my clear, empty, yet rapidly functioning consciousness.

The information chain related to "danger" in the Alliance database unfolded rapidly—battle alerts, energy core overload, enemy attack signals...

But the man in front of her covered her eyes, his body temperature came through his palms, his heartbeat was steady and strong, and his pheromones showed... a dampness with the scent of soap.

Physically, he was not carrying any weapons. Energy readings were normal. Threat level: Low.

A logical paradox? Mingzhao's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his eyes, covered by Howard's palm, blinked unconsciously, his long eyelashes brushing against his skin once more.

Her ears twitched almost imperceptibly, like some alert little animal that had caught a crucial piece of information.

Howard's anger and helplessness were amplified by her subtle reaction.

He almost awkwardly and quickly withdrew his hand from her eyes, then placed it on her thin shoulder and gently pushed her into the dimly lit main room.

"It's getting dark, go back inside." His voice regained its usual calmness, but carried an undeniable force.

With a soft "bang," the door was closed behind Mingzhao by Huo Hua, shutting out the rising steam in the courtyard and the intense, unsettling aura emanating from him.

Mingzhao stood in the center of the main room, holding the book. Before his eyes, he could still see the outline of that powerful, bronze-colored back, washed by water, and in his ears, Howard's deep warning echoed.

“Dangerous things…” she repeated silently, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edges of the hard cover of the “Principles of Mechanics” in her arms.

The alliance's database contains no direct causal link between "staring at men" and "danger." On the contrary, the other person readily displays their physical data.

However, since they were all genetically modified in similar ways, Mingzhao wasn't particularly interested and preferred to study mechs.

Does she need more observation samples?

Or is this a "dangerous agreement" unique to humans on Earth, on a non-physical level?

Like... those "social niceties" that she couldn't understand for the time being?

Outside the main room, Howard leaned against the closed wooden door, tilted his head back, and exhaled a long, silent breath.

The cool summer night breeze blew on his half-damp body, raising goosebumps, but it did nothing to dispel the inexplicable heat and alarm bells ringing in his heart.

He looked down at his arms and chest, still damp with water, then glanced back at the makeshift, drafty tarpaulin-covered "bathroom" in the corner of the kitchen, his gaze darkening.

No. I have to find the construction team tomorrow.

Even if it's a rush, we have to build this damn bathroom that doesn't even have a proper entrance first! And the toilet too! He irritably ruffled his wet hair, strode to the well in the yard, picked up a bucket of icy water, and poured it over his head.

The icy chill instantly dispelled the abnormality in his body, but it couldn't dispel the clear yet stubborn eyes in his mind.