Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Fight
Once the announcement from No. 3 Courtyard was made, the public was filled with anticipation, whether they truly believed it or not.
They also placed their hopes in No. 3 Courtyard. After all, its current director was Duke Lu Xia—the very person who had developed the gene fusion agent and worked miracles.
Many people felt that creating another miracle this time around might not be difficult for her at all.
Even the former head of the Fertility Research Institute, now imprisoned and serving his sentence, heard the news.
When he learned that Duke Lu Xia had taken over the Fertility Research Institute, was preparing to start her own fertility research, and was even recruiting volunteers, he couldn’t help but sneer.
’What a hypocrite Duke Lu Xia is,’ he thought. ’If research into natural conception were truly that easy, then what did all my past efforts amount to?’
’Did it all mean I was just incompetent?’
’I’ll just wait for the day Duke Lu Xia is proven wrong. Then her supporters will finally understand. It’s not that I was incompetent—it’s that they can no longer conceive naturally. They need to stop dreaming.’
Lu Xia neither knew nor cared about the thoughts of the former head of the Fertility Research Institute.
With the recruitment of volunteers underway, No. 3 Courtyard officially began its work.
The volunteers came from all over, so No. 3 Courtyard provided them with accommodations, making it convenient for them to undergo physical examinations at any time.
Of course, these examinations weren’t just for the females; their partners were also required to undergo physicals.
Once the research officially began, the standards were far stricter than they had been with Lan Ya.
「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」 Lan Ya arrived at No. 3 Courtyard for her scheduled check-up. At less than three months along, her pregnancy wasn’t yet showing.
But Lan Ya couldn’t resist placing a hand on her lower back, striking a pregnant-looking pose, hoping to attract the attention of others.
Unfortunately, since she and Lu Xia were currently the only females capable of natural conception, they were the only ones who would understand the meaning behind the gesture. Most people who saw her simply assumed she had a sore back.
While she was waiting, another female saw Lan Ya holding her back and kindly offered up her own seat. "Your back hurts. You should sit down and rest for a while."
At these words, Lan Ya immediately dropped her hand. Speechless, she didn’t say anything.
But the other woman seemed eager to chat. "Are you a volunteer too? I don’t think I’ve seen you here before."
Lan Ya glanced at her. "I’m not a volunteer. I’m just here for a physical. We’re not the same."
The woman paused, surprised. "Oh, I see. Do they offer physicals to the public? I thought this place only served the volunteers!"
Lan Ya’s lips curled into a smirk. "You’ll find out eventually."
The words had barely left her lips when Doctor Eugene’s voice called from inside. "Lady Lan Ya, you can come in now."
Lan Ya acknowledged him and pushed the door open.
Watching her enter the examination room, the female on the chair couldn’t help but say to another, "That lady who just went in seems to know this place better than we do, but she said she isn’t a volunteer."
"Maybe they’re conducting other studies here," the other replied.
Lan Ya, oblivious to the gossip about her outside, entered the examination room and casually lay down on the examination table. "How have you been?" Doctor Eugene asked. "Have you felt any discomfort lately?"
Lan Ya thought for a moment. "I occasionally get nauseous and feel like throwing up when I eat. Does that count?"
"Yes. Is it frequent?"
"Not very. Just occasionally, especially with some strong-flavored foods. I’ve also been craving sour things lately. Sometimes when I feel nauseous, eating something sour makes it go away quickly. Other than that, I’ve just been really tired and want to sleep all the time."
"Mm-hmm. Those could all be symptoms of pregnancy. As long as they aren’t interfering with your daily life, it’s nothing to worry about. Let’s begin the examination."
The examination was quick and simple.
After Lan Ya’s results came in, Doctor Eugene reviewed the data on the report and nodded. "Everything looks good. Keep it up. Come back for another check-up next month, and feel free to contact me if you experience any discomfort in the meantime."
"Okay." Lan Ya nodded, then asked, "Is Lu Xia not here today?"
"Duke rarely comes here these days unless it’s for something important," Eugene explained. "She’s mostly resting at home. After all, her current situation is rather unique."
The thought that Lu Xia was carrying twins made Lan Ya burn with envy and jealousy.
"At a time like this, wouldn’t it be helpful for your research if she came around more often? Why is she hiding away?"
’I’ve already got it all planned out,’ she thought. ’I’m not showing yet, but once my belly gets bigger, I won’t be hiding it. I’ll definitely go to banquets with my belly sticking out. I want everyone to know I can conceive naturally. It’s essential that I’m fiercely envied.’
’Otherwise, what would be the point of being pregnant at all?’
Doctor Eugene replied with a smile, "As you know, Duke has always been low-key and dislikes trouble. She also doesn’t want to give these people false hope, only to let them down if the research fails."
"How could it not succeed? Am I not a success story?" To this day, Lan Ya still couldn’t understand how it had all been accomplished.
She had just drunk the Liquid Formulation for a few months, and then one day, she came in for a check-up and was told she had successfully conceived.
’Looking back, it all still felt like a dream.’
After the examination, Lan Ya didn’t linger. Since Lu Xia wasn’t there, she said her goodbyes to Doctor Eugene and left.
Not long after Lan Ya left, an incident occurred at No. 3 Courtyard, sparked by the examinations themselves.
After all, females were considered precious everywhere. Some of the more aggressive ones wanted to be examined first. A more timid personality might have given way, but when one forceful individual met another, it was inevitable that something would happen.
And so, while Doctor Eugene was examining another patient, the sound of an argument erupted outside.
By the time he came out, two females were already tangled in a brawl.
The other females standing nearby saw what was happening but didn’t dare to intervene.
One of the staff members did try to break it up, only to receive two slaps for their trouble.
"What is going on here? What do you think this place is? If you don’t want to participate in the study, then go home! Don’t cause trouble here!"
As soon as Doctor Eugene spoke, the two brawling women—one grabbing a fistful of hair, the other yanking a collar—froze. Neither had any intention of letting go, but they turned in unison to glare at Doctor Eugene and shouted, "Why should I have to leave? She’s the one who should go!"
"Why should *I* leave? I was waiting in line, and you suddenly tried to cut in front of me! You’re lucky I only hit you, I should have beaten you to death!"
With that, the two started brawling again, completely ignoring Doctor Eugene.
’Eugene knew full well that even though he was the administrator here and in charge of the research, his status as a male meant these two females held no respect for him. Normally, he wouldn’t care, but this was No. 3 Courtyard. Duke Lu Xia had entrusted No. 3 Courtyard to him. How could he allow something like this to happen on his watch!’
