Lu Xia was so eager to go out partly because she was genuinely feeling fine now, and partly because she didn’t want to stay at home overthinking things.
Whenever she thought about how her condition had improved, she still felt a bit awkward.
It was better to go to Yihao Yuan and immerse herself in work to change her mood.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Doctor Eugene had just returned to his office when he saw someone from the Reproduction Research Institute—Doctor Vera.
He didn’t need to ask in detail to know the reason for her visit; it was undoubtedly about ‘Natural Conception.’
He had heard that not long ago, the Reproduction Research Institute had finally upgraded that outdated monitoring system. However, they had not received any signals since then—which was inevitable, as Duke Lu Xia wouldn’t wait around to be discovered and had long since turned off the indicator light.
As a result, the institute had no choice but to visit the fertility departments of major hospitals. In Eugene’s view, these people weren’t entirely useless—they hadn’t just waited idly at the institute but had ventured out to seek opportunities.
However, since Doctor Eugene had accepted Duke Lu Xia’s commission, he wouldn’t hand over this rare opportunity to others.
Even though he clearly understood the other party’s intentions, he still managed to show just the right amount of surprise on his face: “Doctor Vera, what a rare guest. Please, have a seat. I just had a meeting and kept you waiting.”
“Not at all. It was my fault for coming unannounced and without prior notice. Have you been very busy lately?”
“Not as busy as you all. At most, we just assist with the work of your institute, so it’s not particularly busy. So, you must have come here for a reason today. Is there anything I can help with?” Eugene’s enthusiastic demeanor left Doctor Vera with no room to find fault.
After all, the fertility departments established in these hospitals primarily served to alleviate the pressure on the Reproduction Research Institute and were more focused on treating sick younglings.
“I do have some matters to discuss today.” Seeing Eugene so cooperative, Vera didn’t hold back. After all, he had come here precisely for this purpose, and if he didn’t explain clearly, how would Eugene know? “You’ve been in this place for so long that you might not be aware of what’s been happening at our institute. To be honest, you shouldn’t have left the Reproduction Research Institute back then.”
Although Doctor Vera pretended to feel sorry for him, his tone carried a poorly concealed sense of superiority.
Eugene simply ignored the condescending undertone in his words and nodded: “That’s all in the past. There’s no use regretting it now. Tell me, what’s been happening at the institute? I’d love to hear about it.”
Vera smiled mysteriously: “I’m afraid you’ll be shocked when I tell you, but it’s true. You must have heard about the institute upgrading the monitoring system, right?”
“Wasn’t that because the system was severely outdated and needed to be replaced? Is there another reason?” Eugene’s timely expression of curiosity satisfied Vera’s vanity.
“What outdated? That was just an excuse for the public. The truth is, we detected a signal for Natural Conception. You should understand what this means—for the first time in centuries, that system has responded!”
Eugene looked thoroughly startled, his eyes wide and mouth half-open, unable to speak for a long while.
His reaction delighted Vera. See, this was the price of leaving the Reproduction Research Institute—missing out on such major news and having to learn about it from him.
Back when Doctor Youjin was at the institute, he had been far more capable than Vera. But now that he had left, he had to rely on Vera for such information.
It seemed he hadn’t achieved much in his research over the years.
Vera secretly gloated. “You’ve heard it now, but don’t go spreading it around.”
“O-of course not.” Eugene took a deep breath, as if just snapping out of his shock. “Natural Conception… I never thought anyone could still achieve Natural Conception. Have they found the person?”
Vera curled her lip, looking at him as if to say, “What are you thinking?” “If they’d found the person, I wouldn’t be sitting here today. You know how outdated the old system is—it wasn’t upgraded back then due to certain reasons, so it couldn’t capture the individual’s information in time. Now it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. All we know is that there’s someone in the Empire who achieved it, but we have no idea who. That’s why the institute sent people like me out to hospitals like yours to try our luck. Maybe the person came here for a consultation?”
After saying this, Vera looked up at Eugene. “So, have you encountered any suspicious individuals during your consultations lately?”
“You know how it is here. It’s called a fertility clinic, but most of the patients are younglings. Those seeking Breeding matches wouldn’t come to a place like this. What suspicious people could there be?”
“You’re right. If someone had truly succeeded in Natural Conception, the first place they’d turn to for help would be our Reproduction Research Institute. Why would they come to a place like this? I think our director is just grasping at straws in desperation.”
“You’re right, but I’d love it if it were true. Wouldn’t that be a stroke of luck for me?” Eugene’s face lit up with anticipation, making Vera snort with laughter. “If you’d stayed at the institute instead of leaving, would you still be thinking about luck?”
“Ah, let’s not talk about that. It’s all regrets now. I can’t compare to you.” Eugene glanced at Vera with envy. “So you came here for this? I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed—a wasted trip.”
“I was prepared for that. It’s not entirely wasted—at least I got to see you. Otherwise, when would I have the time?”
“Want to grab a bite after work? My treat.”
“No, I have a few other places to visit. Another time. It was enough just to chat with you.” There was nothing left here that Vera desired, and maintaining ties with someone like Eugene held no value. She wouldn’t waste any more time on him. Standing up, she said, “You must be busy too. I’ll head out now. Let’s stay in touch.”
“Alright, let me see you out.” Eugene escorted her to the door and watched her leave. Throughout the entire exchange, he wore a warm smile on his face. Only when her figure disappeared into the elevator did his expression shift. He raised an eyebrow, slipped his hands into his white coat, and turned around, humming a tune. “What a wonderful day~”
“Doctor Youjin, you seem to be in a great mood today?” a passing nurse couldn’t help but ask curiously.
“Indeed, I’m in a good mood.” After all, just imagining the expressions those self-righteous people might wear upon learning the truth had him eagerly looking forward to it.
Thinking this, Eugene sent a message to Lu Xia: “Please be extra cautious. The Reproduction Research Institute has already tracked me down.”
Not long after, Lu Xia’s reply came through: “Understood. Thank you, Doctor Youjin.”