It took a long while before he finally spoke in a hoarse, low voice, “Um… I’m a bit dirty.”

That was, honestly, the truth.

The four of them had escaped barefoot from the underground lab beneath Mount Tai, then trekked through dense forests across several mountains. They were already battered and bruised, and to top it off, they’d been caught in the rain. Every one of them looked completely disheveled.

Holding him in her arms, Nan Muran couldn’t help but laugh through her tears at his awkward and uncertain remark.

She looked up at him from his embrace, staring into his deep, uniquely shaped rhombus eyes. Her voice softened, “You’re hurt?”

There was no need for Si Ye to answer. Nan Muran lowered her gaze and immediately noticed his feet were soaked in blood, and his white patient’s gown was also clearly stained red.

She slowly released her arms from around his waist.

Before Si Ye could breathe a sigh of relief, Nan Muran took hold of his hand with her left hand.

Her delicate, pale fingers were only slightly larger than his palm, but the touch between them felt strangely harmonious.

The sudden warmth spreading from her palm stunned Si Ye.

Then, he could clearly feel the pain in his body disappearing. His bloodied feet began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye until they were fully restored, good as new.

He stared in disbelief at his now uninjured feet and the wounds on the rest of his body that had also completely healed. It all felt like a dream. He blinked several times, trying to calm himself and shake off the thunderous disbelief in his mind.

Nan Muran watched his stunned expression and smiled gently, softly. Since the apocalypse began, this was the first time she had smiled at someone like this.

Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone else, she casually reached out and pinched the arm of the nearest person—Old Eagle.

Likewise, Old Eagle felt a warm stream of energy enter his body, and then his wounds began healing rapidly.

Next was Chen Dong, then Qiangzi—Nan Muran swiftly treated each of their external injuries.

After all, a tough battle was still ahead of them, and going into it wounded would greatly hinder their performance.

Watching their injuries heal before their very eyes, the four of them were completely frozen, mouths agape, unable to react.

Everything that had just happened in such a short time was harder to accept than the idea of ghosts for these firm believers in materialism.

“Thanks… sis—uh—you,” stammered Chen Dong, the first to come to his senses, trying to thank her.

But before he could finish calling her “sister-in-law,” he caught a sharp glare from his captain. His heart jumped, and he hastily changed the word to “you.”

Behind him, Old Eagle didn’t hesitate to give him a kick. “Shut up.” Then he looked at Nan Muran with eyes full of excitement—and most of all, gratitude. “Thank you. I don’t think we got your name yet?”

“Nan Muran. You can also call me Raran,” she replied gently. “You’re Old Eagle, right?”

“Uh… yes.” Old Eagle was a bit surprised. How did this girl know who he was? That didn’t make sense.

“Miss Nan, do you know me?” Chen Dong eagerly leaned over, excitedly pointing at himself.

His baby face and dimpled smile made Nan Muran immediately identify him. “Chen Dong.”

“What about me?” Even Wang Qiang, who had been quietly observing from the side, couldn’t hold back anymore.

The square-faced man was instantly identified. “Qiangzi.”

“How do you know all of us?” Chen Dong asked, curiosity burning in his eyes.

Given how well she seemed to know them, he couldn’t believe she wasn’t the captain’s love interest.

Nan Muran looked at the living, breathing members of the Alpha Wolf Squad in front of her and let out a quiet breath. “It’s a secret.”

“Ah…” None of them had expected that answer.

“There are rooms and clothes on the third floor,” Nan Muran said in her usual calm tone. “Would you rather eat first or go wash up and change?”

Since she clearly didn’t want to explain more, the others tactfully didn’t push her.

Si Ye looked at her. “We’ll change first.”

“Alright.”

Once they reached the third floor, the four of them were stunned again.

Besides the central lounge, there were exactly four rooms. The largest of them had a walk-in closet. Inside were men’s clothes in various sizes—and the strangest thing was, there were even a few full sets of individual combat gear.

“Why does this feel so strange? Captain, you sure you didn’t know Miss Nan before?” Even the usually carefree Chen Dong was feeling unsettled now.

Si Ye looked at the perfectly fitting clothes in the wardrobe and also felt something was off.

Earlier, when Nan Muran had identified Old Eagle and the others so easily downstairs, he had even doubted if he’d lost some of his memories.

But now wasn’t the time to think too deeply. “Wash up and get changed quickly. The people from the underground lab are catching up.”

“Captain, you really didn’t know Miss Nan before?” Old Eagle, who was closest to Si Ye, sounded skeptical.

Judging by Nan Muran’s behavior earlier, she didn’t seem like someone meeting them for the first time.

Si Ye silently changed clothes and put on his gear. “Don’t bring it up for now. And don’t ask.”

Old Eagle was surprised by Si Ye’s response, but didn’t press further. “Alright.”

Downstairs, Jiawu and Bai Mei also wanted to ask Nan Muran what was going on, but neither knew how to begin.

Nan Muran didn’t intend to explain anything to anyone.

Everything she had experienced in her past and present lives, she didn’t plan on telling anyone—except Si Ye.

Just then, the long-unconscious Tank and Da Fu finally woke up.

After stretching and sensing the changes in their bodies, the two little ones began excitedly circling around Nan Muran.

“Why are you two so happy?” Nan Muran looked helplessly at the little ones rubbing against her nonstop.

Tank barked at her, then tilted his head in thought before leaping off the couch. With a massive jump, he nearly cleared the entire living room.

“How did he jump so far?” Jiawu blinked in surprise. That was more than double what a normal military dog could manage.

“And he’s gotten taller too,” Nan Muran added, eyes narrowing slightly.

At the same time, Da Fu stretched a paw out in front of her. When his little foot opened like a flower, he proudly displayed his claws.

On closer inspection, the once-transparent sharp claws now carried some kind of invisible extending power.

“These little guys have mutated, haven’t they?” Nan Muran picked Da Fu up and immediately noticed a faint blue glow in his previously emerald-green eyes.

Tank’s eyes, too, now shimmered faintly with gold.

“They really have mutated,” she said, smiling as she ruffled their heads. “Awesome job, Da Fu! Tank, you too!”

Tank responded with a happy bark, and Da Fu chimed in with a series of meows.

Just then, Si Ye came downstairs, freshly cleaned up. Seeing Nan Muran on the couch playing with the cat and dog, he actually found the scene… heartwarming.

But the two little ones, who had been messing around in her arms, instantly tensed up when they sensed the unfamiliar aura in the villa.

In a flash, they spun around with incredible agility, eyes locked on the four men on the stairs. Their backs arched, bodies taut, ready to strike at any moment.

“Uh…” At the front of the group, Chen Dong and Qiangzi looked a bit helpless. After all, they really were the outsiders here.