Chapter Twenty-Three: A Visit.

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The reason Lu Xia was so eager to go out was partly because her health was truly much better now, and partly because she didn’t want to sit at home and brood over things. Whenever she thought about how she had recovered, there was still a lingering sense of awkwardness. It was better to go to Courtyard One and dive into work to change her mood.

At the same time, back at the hospital, Dr. Eugene had just returned to his office when he saw Dr. Vera from the Fertility Research Institute. Eugene didn’t need to ask why she had come; he knew it was definitely about the “natural conception” case. He had heard that the institute had recently upgraded that old monitoring system, but no signal had been received—naturally so, since Duke Lu Xia had no intention of letting them find out; she had long ago turned off the alert light.

So the institute had no choice but to reach out to fertility departments in major hospitals. Eugene thought these people weren’t entirely useless—they hadn’t just stayed at the institute waiting but had come out to look for opportunities. However, since Eugene had accepted Duke Lu Xia’s commission, he wasn’t about to hand over such a rare chance. Although he knew their intentions, he still showed a perfectly measured surprise on his face.

“Dr. Vera, what a rare visitor. Please have a seat. There was a meeting just now; sorry to have kept you waiting.”

“No, it’s my sudden visit without prior notice. I hope it’s not too abrupt. Have you been very busy lately?”

“Not as busy as you. We mostly assist your institute’s work here—it’s not that hectic. So, what brings you here today? Surely it’s not without a purpose. How can I help?”

Eugene was exceptionally warm, leaving Dr. Vera no room to find fault. After all, the hospital’s fertility department mainly helped ease the institute’s workload and handled treating sick infants.

“I do have some matters to discuss,” Vera said, encouraged by Eugene’s accommodating attitude. Since he came for this reason, there was no point hiding it. How would Eugene know otherwise?

“You’ve been away for a while, so you might not know what’s been happening at the institute. Honestly, you really shouldn’t have left back then.”

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Though Dr. Vera appeared regretful for Eugene, his tone carried a subtle arrogance, as if he thought himself superior. Eugene chose to ignore this and nodded.

“That’s all in the past. There’s no use dwelling on it. Tell me, what happened at the institute? I’m curious to know.”

Vera smiled mysteriously. “What I’m about to say might shock you, but it’s true. You must have heard about the upgrade to the monitoring system, right?”

“Wasn’t that just because the old system was too outdated to continue? Is there another reason?” Eugene feigned confusion to satisfy Vera’s vanity.

“Outdated? That was just an excuse for outsiders. The truth is, we detected a signal of natural conception. You do realize what this means? After hundreds of years, the system finally responded!”

Eugene’s eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, speechless for a long moment.

Seeing this, Vera felt pleased. This was the price of leaving the institute—missing such a monumental event and having to learn about it from him. Eugene had once been far more capable when he was at the institute, but now, he needed to hear about these things secondhand. It was clear he hadn’t made much progress in research over the years.

“Keep this to yourself,” Vera warned.

“Of course,” Eugene said, taking a deep breath as if just coming to his senses. “Natural conception… I never thought it was still possible. Have they found the person?”

Vera curled her lip, as if to say, “What are you thinking?” “If we had found the person, I wouldn’t be sitting here today. You know how old the previous system was and how, for various reasons, it wasn’t upgraded in time. We never caught their personal information immediately. Now it’s like finding a needle in a haystack—we only know there’s someone in the empire, but not who. That’s why the institute sent us to hospitals like yours to try our luck. Maybe this person has visited your clinic?”

Vera looked up at Eugene. “So, have you seen anyone suspicious in your consultations recently?”

“Don’t you already know my situation? Though it’s called the fertility department, most of our patients are infants. People trying to conceive don’t come to places like ours. There’s no suspicious person here.”

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“That’s true. If someone had indeed conceived naturally, the first place they’d seek help is our research institute. They wouldn’t come to a place like yours. I think our director is a bit desperate and grasping at straws.”

“You’re right. But I’d really love for it to be true. Then I’d be the lucky one to catch it!” Eugene’s face lit up with anticipation, making Vera laugh scornfully.

“If you had stayed at the institute, you wouldn’t be dreaming about luck like that.”

“Ah, enough of that. There’s no use regretting now. I can’t compare to you.” Eugene looked at Vera with envy.

“So you came here just for this? Well, I guess I’ll disappoint you—it was a wasted trip.”

“I was prepared for that. Not a complete waste, since I got to see you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the time.”

“After work, how about we grab a bite? My treat.”

“No thanks, I have other places to visit. Maybe another day. It’s just nice to have a chat with you.” Eugene no longer craved anything else. He saw no value in cultivating further ties with someone like Vera. Vera, in turn, wouldn’t waste any more time on him. She rose and said, “You must be busy too. I’ll take my leave. Let’s keep in touch.”

“Sure. Let me see you out.” Eugene accompanied her to the door, watching her disappear into the elevator. Throughout the interaction, a warm smile remained on his face. Once she was gone, he folded his arms inside his white coat, raised an eyebrow, and hummed a tune.

“What a wonderful day this is~”

“Dr. Eugene, you seem to be in a good mood today,” a passing nurse asked curiously.

“Indeed, I am,” he replied. Just imagining the self-righteous lot’s reaction once they learned the truth made him eager to see it.

With that thought, Eugene sent Lu Xia a message: “Please be careful. The Fertility Research Institute people have come looking for me.”

Soon, Lu Xia replied: “Understood. Thank you, Dr. Eugene.”