Recently, the development of the second-generation hair growth liquid and beauty cream at the No. 1 Institute was nearing completion. The marketing department had already begun its push, and public anticipation for the new products was high.

With the 300 million in funding from the Daferno family, they had enough to cover subsequent research, development, and marketing.

Research on the gene fusion agent at the No. 2 Institute had also been ongoing. Although it couldn’t be officially released, they were still working on increasing the agent’s success rate. So far, they had raised it from 50% to 65%. Of course, Lu Xia had no intention of making this news public.

However, most of the volunteers who received it had successfully activated the Beastification Gene within them, becoming Gene Fusion Experts.

This news still spread quietly among the populace, but most people dismissed it as a rumor and didn’t believe it.

After all, in the minds of many, becoming a Gene Fusion Expert was an incredibly difficult feat. Otherwise, the Empire wouldn’t have so many "defective" males.

Deep-seated beliefs couldn’t be changed overnight.

Perhaps one day, when they could officially announce that the gene fusion agent could activate the Beastification Gene in males with one hundred percent certainty, all that would change. But that day was definitely not today.

As for the research on the Ice Spirit Gene, it was progressing faster than Lu Xia had imagined. In essence, it was similar to the Fire Spirit Gene. With the Fire Spirit Gene as a foundation, the development of the Ice Spirit Gene was remarkably swift, and the test subjects showed a very high acceptance rate. However, for safety’s sake, Lu Xia had the researchers increase the number of test subjects to ensure the testing of the Ice Spirit Gene was even more thorough.

As quitting time approached, Lu Xia suddenly received a voice call from Lady Daina. "Xiaxia, do you have time to go out for a drink?"

Lu Xia was a little surprised by the sudden invitation but didn’t refuse. After asking for the address, she sent a message to her old butler and Smelian, telling them she would be home late and that they needn’t prepare her dinner, as she was eating with Lady Daina.

When she arrived, it was at a very stylish restaurant. Lady Daina was already waiting for her in a private room. Led by a waiter, Lu Xia entered the room, and Lady Daina smiled and waved upon seeing her.

Lu Xia walked over and asked, "Have you been waiting long?"

"I just arrived myself. I was worried you might not know the place, so I came a little early. Sit, please. I just ordered some of the house specialties. Take a look and see if there’s anything you’d like to add." Lady Daina handed her the menu, seemingly in a very good mood.

Lu Xia accepted it with a smile, glanced at it, and added a fruit salad before handing the menu back to the waiter.

She took a moment to observe the private room’s decor. It had a classical style and looked quite distinctive. Through the floor-to-ceiling window next to them, she could clearly see a musical being performed outside.

The majority of the patrons dining and watching the show were females.

Lady Daina noticed her gaze lingering on the musical and explained with a smile, "I often come here to relax. The musicals they put on are quite good, but it’s mainly the atmosphere that’s nice. I thought you might have some free time today, so I invited you. I didn’t interrupt your work, did I?"

Lu Xia smiled back. "Of course not. It’s after hours, and I haven’t had a chance to relax in a long time. I should be thanking you, Lady Daina. Otherwise, I would never have known about such a wonderful place."

The two of them chatted as they ate, and time passed quickly. The soft music in the room was relaxing. Lu Xia truly had no interest in the musical; she gave it a couple of glances before looking away, noting only that the costumes were elaborate. Lady Daina seemed to notice this but didn’t say much about it. Instead, she asked, "What’s your impression of Cecil, Xiaxia? I hope you’ll give me an honest answer."

’Lu Xia knew Lady Daina must have invited her for a reason,’ but she hadn’t expected it to be about Cecil. She was momentarily stunned, then spoke after a brief silence. "I don’t know Cecil very well, but he seems to be a fine male."

"After all, you’re a female of principle and integrity, Lady Daina. A male raised by you couldn’t be too bad."

’Lady Daina heard this and knew that in the past few months, Cecil had barely registered on Duke Lu Xia’s radar.’

’She had thought Cecil was a clever boy, but it turned out he was a fool.’

’She’d heard that Smelian had already moved into Duke Lu Xia’s master bedroom, yet Cecil had made no progress at all. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t anxious; otherwise, she wouldn’t have invited Lu Xia today.’

"Cecil might not be very adept when it comes to matters of the heart. Please be patient with him, Duke."

Realizing what Lady Daina was implying, Lu Xia gave a faint smile. "Actually, I believe matters of the heart depend on fate. Forcing things will only lead to disharmony. Besides, Cecil is still young; there’s no need to arrange a marriage so soon. When he’s a little older, he can find a female he truly likes. And if that female happens to like him back, wouldn’t that be the best for everyone?"

Lady Daina wasn’t quite sure what Lu Xia meant by that, so she asked directly, "Would you let him go?"

"If Cecil truly found someone, of course I would. Don’t you think it’s a very fortunate thing to meet someone you love, Lady Daina?"

’Lady Daina now understood that Lu Xia truly had no romantic feelings for Cecil. She was simply keeping him at the Duke Mansion and hadn’t dissolved their relationship, perhaps because the timing wasn’t right, or because she was worried about how it would affect Cecil. It was also possible she hadn’t taken that final step out of respect for her.’

’She had never met a female who was so considerate of males.’

’She felt that if Cecil couldn’t win Duke Lu Xia’s affection, it would undoubtedly be his loss.’

’She suddenly had a change of heart. Maybe there was still a chance for Cecil if he stayed by Duke Lu Xia’s side. After all, Smelian was the perfect example, wasn’t he?’

Lady Daina smiled and didn’t pursue the topic further. When the performance ended, so did Lu Xia and Lady Daina’s gathering. The two parted ways outside the restaurant. Lu Xia thanked Lady Daina for the invitation again. "I had a wonderful time today. Let me treat you to a meal some other time, Lady Daina."

Lady Daina didn’t refuse, replying with a smile, "Alright."

After watching Lu Xia leave, Lady Daina turned to Cecil, who was stepping out from the shadows.

"You heard all that?"

Leaning against the wall, Cecil nodded, his expression dejected.

Lady Daina looked at his pathetic state with a hint of disdain. "It’s far too early for you to give up now. If Smelian could do it, why can’t you?"

Cecil retorted, "I’m not giving up. What Smelian can do, I can do too. Mother, you don’t need to worry about my affairs anymore. I know what I have to do."

’His thinking had been too shallow before, causing him to miss many opportunities. But now that he’d figured things out, that wouldn’t happen again.’

Hearing this, Lady Daina stared at him for a moment, as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth. "You’d better have truly figured it out and be able to follow through. Otherwise, I’ll look down on you."