"I’m not in a hurry, Duke," Simon said truthfully. "In fact, if it weren’t for you, I never would have imagined I could have what I have today. I’m very satisfied with my current condition."

If not for Duke Lu Xia, how could they have ever escaped the fate of being defective males?

"Even if nothing had changed, Simon, you’re still exceptional. That has nothing to do with whether you’re a Gene Fusion Expert or not. You have to believe in yourself. You’re truly amazing. Many Gene Fusion Experts haven’t achieved what you have now."

Lu Xia had never judged a person’s worth based on their status as a Gene Fusion Expert or a defective male.

She’d met her share of Gene Fusion Experts, and plenty of them were capricious, willful, and ignorant.

On the other hand, many defective males were outstanding individuals. ’Aren’t the four men by my side the best examples of that?’

A person’s worth wasn’t determined by their status or position, but by their words and actions.

Simon was deeply moved by Duke Lu Xia’s words.

"Thank you for your recognition."

Lu Xia smiled at him. "It’s not about my approval. You’re already exceptional on your own."

While she was talking with Simon, Lan Ya emerged from the next room. Seeing Lu Xia, she hurriedly called out, "Xiaxia, come quick and take a look! Why did he fail after one injection?"

Lu Xia paused for a moment, then turned to Simon. "Go rest in my office. We’ll go home once I’m done here."

Simon nodded. "Of course. Call me if you need anything."

Lu Xia waved a hand at him, then turned and walked toward Lan Ya, consoling her, "It’s alright if the first one failed. We can still try the second. It only has an 80% success rate, not 100%. Failure is perfectly normal."

"An 80% success rate is low?" Lan Ya exclaimed, clearly not placated by Lu Xia’s reassurance.

’To her, 80% was practically 100%. For it to fail even with those odds... she couldn’t help but wonder if the defective male she’d chosen was just too inferior.’

Hearing this, Lu Xia couldn’t help but glance up at her. "Should I thank you for having so much faith in my gene fusion agent, or should I scold you for being so audacious?"

Lan Ya understood the meaning behind Lu Xia’s words. She pursed her lips. Deep down, she knew Lu Xia was right.

’An 80% success rate was high, but there was still a 20% chance of failure. It was perfectly normal to land in that 20% on the first try.’

She just found it hard to accept.

Since she was emulating Lu Xia by taking a defective male as a partner, she wanted to replicate the experience perfectly.

Now that there was a setback at the gene fusion agent injection stage, she found it incredibly hard to accept.

Lu Xia could naturally see Lan Ya’s displeasure.

"As long as there are no side effects, the second shot can be administered right away. It’s no different from the first, and the second one is almost certain to be successful."

At these words, Lan Ya felt a little better.

"Then... can you administer the injection personally?" Lan Ya asked, wondering if the success rate would be higher with Lu Xia in charge.

The thought had barely formed before she blurted it out.

Lu Xia didn’t say a word. She went inside, took the gene fusion agent directly from a staff member, and asked, "What do the test results say?"

"There are no side effects. He can receive the second injection."

"Alright, I’ll take it from here. You can leave now," Lu Xia said, looking at the anxious young male sitting in the chair.

When Lan Ya followed her in, he looked at Lan Ya with obvious panic in his eyes.

"Don’t be nervous. It’s normal for the first shot to fail. We’re starting the second injection now. Are you ready?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

He seemed taken aback by Lu Xia’s gentle reassurance, but then he nodded. "Rea-ready."

He hadn’t expected that this noble female would be the one to administer the second shot herself. The honor left him feeling a bit overwhelmed.

But Lu Xia didn’t give him much time to think, plunging the syringe directly into his skin. "There. The process will be a bit painful, so hang in there. Lan Ya and I will be right next door watching over you, so you don’t need to worry."

After speaking, she raised her hand and gave his shoulder a light, reassuring pat.

Whether it was due to Lu Xia’s reassurance or not, he genuinely seemed less nervous.

Lu Xia and Lan Ya came out of the room and went to the observation room next door.

Lan Ya went inside and immediately sat down. "Is he really going to succeed?"

"If he isn’t successful, are you planning to get rid of him?" Lu Xia asked, cutting right to what Lan Ya was thinking. Indeed, she no longer wanted him.

’Compared to Lu Xia’s partners, he’s just too lacking.’

’She couldn’t accept him failing time and time again.’

Seeing her silence, Lu Xia knew she had her answer.

"To you, he’s just an accessory, isn’t he? Something to show off for the sake of your pride? Have you ever considered that he’s a living, breathing person with his own emotional needs and self-respect? If, deep down, you can’t accept him as a defective male, then I hope you’ll reconsider your relationship. Otherwise, it’s not fair to anyone."

As Lu Xia spoke, she didn’t pause to consider whether Lan Ya would actually take her words to heart. She simply said what needed to be said.

’She had never intended to change how the females of this world perceived males, nor their attitudes or moral principles.’

’She wouldn’t force anyone to do anything, but her own moral code compelled her to speak her mind. Whether the other person listened was not her concern.’

’It was enough to do what she believed was right. As for anything else, she truly didn’t have the capacity to worry about it.’

Lan Ya, however, couldn’t help but look up at her. "So you’ve never minded that they’re defective males?"

"Why should I mind? Does their status as defective males or Gene Fusion Experts have any real impact on me? Would I stop living without them? Could I not have accomplished everything I have today without them? For me, my own strength is what matters most. Everything else is just icing on the cake. It’s nice to have, but it doesn’t matter if I don’t. I don’t need them to bolster my reputation, because I’m already dazzling enough on my own."

At this, Lu Xia gave Lan Ya a faint smile, her eyes shining with confidence.

’If anyone else had said those words, Lan Ya would have scoffed. But this was Lu Xia speaking.’

’And Lu Xia had now truly demonstrated just how powerful she was.’

’It wasn’t a matter of belief. Lu Xia’s accomplishments were right there in front of her.’

Utterly dazzling.