The next morning, Lu Xia woke to find herself still locked tightly in Graces’s embrace. Ever since his Beastification Gene had been activated, the man seemed to have transformed into a giant, clingy creature.

In the past, even when they slept in the same bed, Graces had always been restrained. He never would have dared to hold her like this.

However, Lu Xia didn’t mind. It was just that as she shifted slightly, her body tensed at their close proximity.

Fortunately, her movement woke Graces. He immediately let go and created some distance, allowing her to relax.

By now, Graces had already thrown off the light blanket and gotten out of bed. He walked over to Lu Xia’s side, knelt on one knee, and reached out to put on her shoes.

Lu Xia started to refuse, but her ankle was gently yet firmly grasped by his large hand. "I already told you, you don’t have to..."

"I want to do this. Didn’t you say I could tell you if there was something I wanted to do?" Graces looked up at her, his gaze focused and earnest.

His words left Lu Xia unable to refuse.

In that brief moment, he had already put her shoes on, making it too late to object. "Fine," she sighed. "Whatever makes you happy."

Graces smiled at her. "It is my honor to take care of you. I’ll go run the water for you to wash up."

With that, he turned and went into the bathroom, having practically become Lu Xia’s personal handmaiden.

His behavior left Lu Xia utterly exasperated.

Still, she wasn’t about to refuse the chance to enjoy high-quality service without having to lift a finger.

After washing up and having breakfast downstairs with Graces, they set off for the No. 1 Institute.

As the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream became a bestseller, the researchers’ enthusiasm for their work soared. This was because Lu Xia was anything but a stingy boss.

Not only had she given them a paid vacation after their research bore fruit, but she had also distributed bonuses once the product launched and sold well.

All told, their salaries at the No. 1 Institute were double what they would earn in comparable positions elsewhere. Crucially, the work was the same, but the benefits were incomparably better.

Everyone said in private that as long as the No. 1 Institute existed, they would stay. Bosses like Lu Xia were a rarity in the Empire; only a fool would leave.

In fact, following the success of the No.1 Institute Beauty Cream, the four researchers involved in the project had all been privately contacted by other brands. They were offered substantial benefits to jump ship and bring the formula with them, but all four had refused.

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t worked at other research institutes before joining the No. 1 Institute; they knew exactly what those places were like.

Besides, to put it bluntly, the "high salaries" those other companies offered weren’t even as much as the bonuses Lu Xia had given them. And while bonuses might not be a regular thing, there was no chance of getting them at all if they went elsewhere.

What’s more, they were already developing the second-generation beauty cream. Once it was successfully launched, they could expect another hefty bonus. Life was looking more and more promising.

They used to feel that going to work was like visiting a grave, but now they actually looked forward to it.

Their time and effort were being rewarded financially—what more could they ask for?

So, when the researchers saw Lu Xia arrive with Graces that morning, they all greeted the pair enthusiastically before hurrying off to the labs to get busy.

The old butler hadn’t come along, as he was busy with matters at the No. 2 Institute.

Lu Xia led Graces directly to her private research lab at the No. 1 Institute. Although the equipment inside wasn’t specifically designed for genetic research, it was perfectly capable of running a diagnostic on Graces’s physical condition.

As soon as they entered, Graces spoke up. "What do you need me to do?"

Seeing how forthcoming he was, Lu Xia smiled. "Aren’t you worried I might do something bad to you?"

Graces looked at her, his gaze perpetually gentle. "Even if you wanted my life," he said softly, "I would give it willingly." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Stop right there. I don’t want your life, you can keep it. First, take off your jacket. I need to draw a little blood and take a scan. That’s all."

Lu Xia gestured to the chair in front of her, motioning for Graces to sit. She then went around to the other side to prepare for the blood draw.

However, just as Lu Xia was about to insert the needle into Graces’s vein, a layer of hard scales materialized on his arm, as if to defend their master from harm.

"I’m sorry, Lu Xia. I didn’t know that would happen. I can’t control it," Graces explained hurriedly in response to the sudden change.

Lu Xia wasn’t angry. On the contrary, she looked as if she’d discovered something interesting. She set the syringe aside, picked up a nearby fruit knife, and feigned a jab at Graces’s arm. Sure enough, just as the tip was about to make contact, the black scales reappeared, blocking its path.

Lu Xia put the knife down and gently ran her fingers over the spot where the scales had been. Only after they vanished, no longer sensing a threat, did she pull her hand back. "It seems your Beastification Gene is very strong defensively. These scales can block attacks from bladed weapons. The only problem is, you can’t control this power yet."

As a military Colonel, Graces could naturally see that as well.

"But if this keeps happening, you won’t be able to draw my blood. What if I do it myself?"

Lu Xia was surprised he was still focused on that. "Alright," she said with a laugh. "Try cutting your finger and letting a couple of drops fall in here."

Without another word, Graces picked up the knife and cut his finger. No scales appeared, proving that the defense mechanism didn’t react to his own actions.

He let the blood drip into a test tube, and Lu Xia handed him a cotton ball. "That’s enough."

She placed the test tube in a nearby cooling unit, then had Graces stand in front of an imaging machine to take a scan.

This was much simpler than drawing blood.

When the scan results came out, they showed nothing abnormal. His skeletal structure and internal organs were identical to those of a normal person.

’It seems the gene fusion doesn’t alter a person’s physical structure,’ she thought. ’But is this change temporary or permanent?’

’I have far too little data on gene fusion.’

Graces noticed the look of frustration in her eyes. "Didn’t you say you wanted a gene fusion agent? I heard that the night after tomorrow, the black market’s Toya Auction House will be auctioning one off—a raccoon gene fusion agent."

Her eyes lit up at the news. "Really? Is the information reliable?"

"The information is reliable. I’ll go with you."

"Are you well enough? Don’t push yourself. I can just go with the old butler."

"I’m fine now. It will be safer with me there," Graces said urgently. "I want to go with you."

"Alright." ’He really is a clinger!’