The next day, when Lan Ya arrived at No. 3 Courtyard, Lu Xia had already explained her plan to Eugene.

So, when Lan Ya arrived, Doctor Eugene was the one to greet her.

Lan Ya glanced at Lu Xia, who was standing nearby, hoping she would say something to Eugene. But Lu Xia simply indicated that Lan Ya could voice any thoughts directly to Doctor Eugene.

Seeing this, Lan Ya knew Lu Xia didn’t intend to get involved in her case. So, she stated her desire to have a child.

Doctor Eugene nodded and said with a smile, "Your Excellency Lan Ya, we at No. 3 Courtyard are currently launching a study on natural conception. I was wondering if you would be interested in participating?"

Lan Ya froze, unsure if she had really heard him correctly. She shot Lu Xia a disbelieving look, then turned back to Doctor Eugene. "What did you say? I didn’t quite catch that."

Eugene knew it wasn’t that Lan Ya hadn’t heard him, but that she couldn’t believe it. In truth, he’d had a hard time believing it himself when Lu Xia first told him. He patiently repeated himself.

Once Lan Ya confirmed she hadn’t misheard, a look of astonishment crossed her face. "You’re really planning to research the possibility of natural conception? You’re not joking, are you? The Fertility Research Institute has been dedicated to this research for years without any results. How am I supposed to believe you when you just bring it up like this?"

Lu Xia glanced at Lan Ya. ’Huh, she’s actually pretty sharp,’ she thought.

Doctor Eugene continued, "This is why the study is voluntary. If you are not willing to participate, Your Excellency Lan Ya, you are free to decline."

Doctor Eugene maintained his affable demeanor and made no further attempt to persuade her. Instead, he switched the topic back to the matter of having a child.

But his lack of pressure had the opposite effect. By bringing up the topic and then not pushing it, he only piqued Lan Ya’s curiosity.

Lan Ya asked, "Since you want to conduct this study, does that mean you’ve already had some results? Can you tell me about them?"

Seeing that Lan Ya hadn’t dropped the subject, Doctor Eugene knew there was a chance to convince her. He smiled. "At No. 3 Courtyard, we currently have a Liquid Formulation that can improve a female’s physical constitution. However, it’s still in the experimental stage. If you are willing, Your Excellency Lan Ya, you can participate in the study. What we can guarantee is that even if it fails, there will be absolutely no side effects."

In truth, Doctor Eugene wasn’t nearly as confident as he appeared. Lu Xia had coached him on what to say.

He didn’t know where Duke Lu Xia got her confidence. All research involved risk, and claiming something was absolutely risk-free sounded like a scam. Yet, he also felt that Lu Xia would be above such deception.

Lan Ya hadn’t expected their research to be more than just talk—that they actually had results. To say she wasn’t tempted at that moment would be a lie. She subconsciously looked toward Lu Xia. "Why didn’t you tell me about this before?"

Lu Xia glanced at Lan Ya, the corner of her mouth twitching into a slight smile. "Because I didn’t know if you’d be interested. Besides, you know now, don’t you?"

Lan Ya asked, "Then your child... don’t tell me it was..."

Lu Xia chuckled lightly. "What are you thinking? Didn’t Doctor Eugene just say? It’s still in the experimental research phase."

Lu Xia had no intention of admitting she had conceived naturally. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Lan Ya believed her. After all, in the Empire, natural conception was the stuff of legends.

She fell silent for a moment before speaking again. Her gaze shifted back to Doctor Eugene, her expression firm as if she had made up her mind. "How exactly does the experiment work?"

Eugene answered, "We will provide you with the formulation in phases and will continuously monitor your physical condition to make any necessary adjustments."

Lan Ya already trusted Lu Xia, since the gene fusion agent, beauty cream, and hair growth liquid she’d developed had all been incredibly effective. Hearing Eugene’s explanation, Lan Ya nodded. "Alright, I’ll participate in this experiment. But I’m only giving you one year. If there are no results after a year, I’m pulling out."

While Lan Ya was hopeful, she wasn’t willing to waste all her time on it.

Doctor Eugene smiled at her words. "If there are no results, we will of course discontinue the study. We would never take up any more of your time than necessary."

As he spoke, Doctor Eugene produced a volunteer agreement for Lan Ya to sign.

Lan Ya hadn’t expected this visit to completely change her original plans. After she signed the agreement, Eugene presented her with the Liquid Formulation meant to alter her physical condition.

Lu Xia had brought it over earlier that morning.

Staring at the small vials of liquid, Lan Ya asked in surprise, "This is it? I just drink one of these a day?"

Eugene replied, "That’s right. Just one bottle a day. There are 31 bottles in total—a month’s supply. After one month, please come back so we can check on the changes in your body."

Lan Ya nodded and packed the items away. "Alright then. See you in a month."

Lu Xia walked her to the door, showing no sign of leaving with her. Noticing this, Lan Ya couldn’t help but ask, "You’re not coming with me?"

Lu Xia said, "I have other things to attend to. You go on ahead. Feel free to contact me if anything comes up."

Lan Ya gestured with the box in her hand. "If this really works, I’ll owe you big time."

Lu Xia just chuckled, saying nothing more. ’If this really works,’ she thought, ’what Lan Ya owes me will be far more than just a big favor.’

After watching Lan Ya leave, Doctor Eugene couldn’t help but ask, "Will that stuff really work?"

Lu Xia shrugged. "Who knows? We’ll see."

Doctor Eugene had no idea where Lu Xia got these formulations, but he didn’t press the issue.

He had always been very clear on what he was and wasn’t supposed to know. It was precisely this discretion that had earned him Lu Xia’s trust.

In fact, back home, Lan Ya was also full of skepticism about the box of formulation.

After all, if natural conception were that simple, the Fertility Research Institute wouldn’t have spent so many years researching it without a single breakthrough.

She was more inclined to believe the rumors that the gene responsible for natural conception had simply disappeared from their species.

But since she had brought the stuff back, she figured she might as well give it a try. Lan Ya took a vial of the formulation from the box, twisted it open, and downed it in one go.

As soon as she finished it, her eyes widened. The formulation had a light, sweet taste. Nothing particularly special, but it was delicious. After downing the vial, she felt as if a fog had lifted from her mind.

She suddenly had a feeling that even if this formulation couldn’t actually help her conceive naturally, it was still something good.

She smacked her lips, savoring the taste and wishing there was more. She glanced at the remaining 30 vials in the box, a little disappointed that she could only drink one per day.

After putting the box away, Lan Ya returned to her room, took a shower, and got into bed, planning to take a short nap. For some reason, she suddenly felt very sleepy.

She dozed off, sleeping groggily, only to be jolted awake by a putrid stench.

Lan Ya’s eyes flew open as she subconsciously searched for the source of the smell. As she lifted her hand, she saw a dark, filthy substance on her palm. Then she saw the nauseating black sludge covering her bed. The horrific stench was coming from her own body. With this realization, Lan Ya screamed and bolted for the bathroom.