As scheduled, Lan Ya’s partner arrived at No. 3 Courtyard the next day.

He was a young male with a gene fusion degree of 45%.

An examination showed that he was in good health. When Doctor Eugene reported the data to Lu Xia, she was at the No.2 Institute, enhancing Simon’s gene fusion degree.

Upon hearing the news, Lu Xia simply instructed Doctor Eugene to keep a close eye on the man and to hold off on any research procedures for the time being. After giving these instructions, Lu Xia went to the adjacent observation room.

By this point, Simon had already been injected with the gene fusion agent.

Bare-chested, his muscles were well-defined yet not overly bulky.

As time passed after the injection, a network of blood vessels became visible on his body.

The blood beneath his skin seemed to come alive, causing his muscles to swell as if something were about to burst forth.

Cold sweat beaded on Simon’s forehead, his expression strained with endurance.

Increasing one’s gene fusion degree was not easy. All evolution came with risks, and success was never guaranteed. But with Lu Xia’s involvement, the chances of success were greatly increased.

Simon looked up at the glass in front of him. He knew perfectly well that Lu Xia was on the other side, watching him. He also knew that this was something Lu Xia had likely witnessed many times. He wasn’t the first to come here, nor was he the first to have his gene fusion degree enhanced. From Graces to himself, all the males in their household had probably undergone their evolution under Lu Xia’s watch. He didn’t know how the others had performed, but he didn’t want to be outdone.

Lu Xia watched as fissures began to appear on Simon’s body, followed by seeping blood. The web of cracks spread across his skin like a thorny, cloven path. A researcher beside her couldn’t help but gasp at the sight, blurting out, "Your Grace, should we intervene? This is a phenomenon we’ve never encountered in the gene fusion process before. If this continues, the young male will die from his body bursting apart!"

But Lu Xia did not give her consent. "I know. I have faith in him."

All the instruments in the observation room blared with sharp, piercing alarms, but Simon did not pass out. As time went on, the pain numbed his body, yet he remained conscious. He believed that as long as he didn’t give in, he would be victorious.

In Lu Xia’s eyes, Simon had already changed dramatically. His once-short hair now cascaded to his waist, a silvery mane that emitted a faint glow. His pair of purple eyes looked bewitchingly strange. Bare-chested and covered in fissures, he exuded an aura of destruction.

Lu Xia was genuinely curious about the evolutionary path of a Vampire. Watching Simon now, she found it truly wondrous.

Simon floated in mid-air, his purple eyes meeting hers through the glass.

Lu Xia knew he had succeeded.

She turned and left the observation room. When she reappeared before Simon, she was holding a paper cup of Spiritual Spring Water to help him recover quickly.

Simon descended from mid-air. Looking at his palm, he felt his entire body brimming with power. ’It feels good.’

He reached out and took the paper cup from Lu Xia, saying, "Thank you. I’m sorry to have worried you."

His voice was still hoarse, a clear sign that he hadn’t fully recovered.

Lu Xia smiled. "Congratulations on becoming a 100% Gene Fusion Expert. There’s a bathroom inside. I’ll have a change of clothes prepared for you. Go ahead and rest for a bit."

Simon nodded. He did indeed need some time to rest, recover his strength, and compose himself.

After Lu Xia left, Simon downed the water in a single gulp. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but every time he drank the water Lu Xia gave him, it seemed exceptionally refreshing.

The cool liquid slid down his throat, seeming to quell the scorching heat inside him. He turned and entered the bathroom.

By the time he came out of the bathroom, Lu Xia had already arranged for a fresh set of clothes to be placed by the door.

’I have to admit, Lu Xia is always so thoughtful.’

’That might seem ordinary, but for a female of Duke Lu Xia’s status, it’s quite extraordinary.’ 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

’After all, in most people’s experience, females were typically willful and capricious.’

After Simon came out, Lu Xia had him undergo another physical examination. Once she confirmed there were no issues, she ordered the report on Simon’s data to be destroyed.

Lu Xia approached Simon. "Even though the gene fusion degree enhancement was a complete success, you still need to rest well for a while. It would be best to wait until your condition stabilizes before you attempt your Beastification Form transformation."

"I know. Thank you for all your hard work today."

Lu Xia smiled at him. "It was nothing. I’ll just tidy up, and then we can go home."

When Simon and Lu Xia arrived home, Cecil was already there. Seeing them return together, he instinctively shot Simon a look. ’Why is this guy coming home with Lu Xia?!’

Before Cecil could say a word, Simon spoke up. "I went to the No.2 Institute today to have my gene fusion degree enhanced. It was a complete success."

Cecil cursed inwardly. ’I knew it.’ Then he said aloud, "With Sister here, how could she possibly let you fail?"

Simon nodded. "You’re right."

Lu Xia glanced at the two of them and chuckled. "I’m going upstairs to change. You two can chat."

Without another word to either of them, she went straight upstairs.

Cecil didn’t feel like he had anything to talk about with Simon, so he immediately turned to follow Lu Xia. "Sister, I’ll go with you."

Watching Cecil, who was practically becoming Duke Lu Xia’s shadow, Simon felt a pang of envy. ’If only I could be like that, too.’

As Simon headed to his room to change, he ran into Smelian, who was just coming out of his own room. Smelian blinked. "Your gene fusion degree has increased."

Simon was surprised. "You can tell?"

Smelian nodded. "Yes. Your presence is much stronger than before."

"Is Xiaxia back?"

"She’s back. She went to her room with Cecil."

Smelian said, "I see. I’ll head down first."

Without waiting for Simon to respond, Smelian headed straight downstairs.

Simon raised an eyebrow as he watched Smelian leave.

’I didn’t expect Smelian to be so perceptive, to notice my increased gene fusion degree right away. Are all Alien Gene Fusion Experts like this?’

’The thought that I might also become a higher-level Alien Gene Fusion Expert in the future... it would be a lie to say I’m not excited.’

’Things that once seemed impossible have become simple, achievable wishes ever since Duke Lu Xia came into my life.’

After following Lu Xia back to her room, Cecil wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling his head against her neck. "Sister, that guy Simon was trying to seduce you again, wasn’t he?"

Lu Xia was amused to hear Cecil use the word "seduce." "Don’t worry, he hasn’t succeeded yet."