CHAPTER 1022: 1021. PROUD AND TSUNDERE LITTLE PRINCESS

Miss Cheng? I can’t get used to that!

Cheng Ranran shivered at being called that, hugged her book, and immersed herself once again in her studies.

Like the other students, the Imperial Medical College attendees quickly moved past their complaints and got swept up in the excitement of discovering new herbs. Despite the textbooks gaining two hundred new pages of knowledge, for the top students, this was pure treasure.

Tang Shu also, for the first time, realized that the place she lived in was brimming with overachievers. Whether in the classroom, under a large tree on campus, or even while eating in the cafeteria, she always overheard discussions about several kinds of medicinal herbs.

However, from time to time, the minds of these academic elites still left Tang Shu utterly speechless, for example, right now:

"I think snow lotus can also be used in its semi-mature stage... why didn’t the textbook give any notes on this?"

"Maybe because its medicinal effect in that stage is not very significant? I think your proposal wastes a precious resource."

"If the prescription calls for one gram of fully matured snow lotus, then replacing it with the semi-mature stage would probably require two grams—I agree with you; it can definitely be used medicinally. It’s just a matter of dosage."

...

Tang Shu set down her chopsticks, suddenly finding that her sweet-and-sour ribs didn’t taste so good anymore.

Cheng Ranran and Ye Xiaohui were also listening closely, but compared to the purely "textbook savant" contributions, Cheng Ranran’s down-to-earth reasoning clearly made a critical impact.

"Why not use semi-mature snow lotus for research? Isn’t it obvious? It’s because the Medical College still hasn’t successfully cultivated an environment suitable for it to grow! It can only thrive in the cold, moist regions of the Northwest!"

It’s already so rare and precious—who in their right mind would pluck one in the semi-mature phase? That would be pure waste!

Good grief, top students, your lack of common sense is dragging down the entire medical community!

Ye Xiaohui added nonchalantly, "Seems like a mere two hundred pages can’t cover everything about herbs. I’m genuinely looking forward to future supplements."

"..."

No, thank you.

This was the unified sentiment of all medical college students.

***

As February rolled in, Tang Shu continued her daily routine of shuttling between school and the Palm Pavilion. She hardly found time to check in with the drama club due to scheduling issues.

This gave her more time to pursue her personal interests and, on the side, tinker with a few small inventions.

Of course, on the first day her little inventions saw the light of day, Wen Nuan whisked one off to the Yuh Ji Bun Shop’s test lab. A few days later, Tang Shu received a set of design blueprints at the Palm Pavilion.

"You really know how to keep yourself busy. Did today’s inspiration strike that quickly?"

Tang Shu was utterly floored by her friend’s efficiency, secretly wondering just how much she must be earning every month to be this dedicated.

Today’s Wen Nuan once again embodied her haughty little-princess persona. "What can I say? In our line of work, seeing a cold weapon sparks an almost reflexive inspiration. You may as well call me a genius."

"....."

Tang Shu was, yet again, bowled over by Wen Nuan’s shameless confidence. "What did you tweak this time?"

"It’s an unmanned combat drone. I enhanced its aerial dominance. I’ll send you the updated design. If you’ve got time, feel free to stop by the research institute to exchange ideas."

"Let me take a look first. Oh, by the way, how did that upgraded combat drone turn out last time?"

"Xu Corporation has already delivered it. After testing, the performance is excellent—the payload capacity has increased by 30% compared to before. Overall, it’s quite effective."

Wen Nuan smirked. "Not only did Xu Corporation rake in a fortune this time, but their influence in the Imperial Capital will also rise significantly. And as for Xu Qianyu... what’s your take on her?"

"Mutual dislike. Out of respect for our families, she’s merely an acquaintance, nothing more."

If someone else had asked, Tang Shu might’ve given a more diplomatic answer, but with Wen Nuan, there was no need for pretense—she was too sharp to fool, anyway.

"Wow~~ Not winning your favor is definitely her loss."

"I like how that sounds."

"..."

This time, it was Wen Nuan who found herself at a loss for words.

"By the way, I have some news for you. The situation at Collar Village has been resolved. They’ve identified some major figures recently, and the antidote you and Master Qin developed has proven highly effective."

"Sounds like you’re reporting to your boss, little employee."

"See you later!"

Wen Nuan decisively ended the conversation and said goodbye to her friend. Tang Shu chuckled softly, then used the printer in her underground lab to print out the design blueprints before diving straight into work.

This research session lasted the entire afternoon. Even after Yang Tiantian called her upstairs for dinner three times, she only managed to grab a steamed bun stuffed with stir-fried veggies to placate her hunger.

Undoubtedly, Wen Nuan was a genius.

When their ideas collided, the synergy they achieved was far greater than the sum of its parts. Tang Shu couldn’t help but marvel at the unique beauty of inspiration.

The structure of the design was quite complex. Fortunately, her prior experience with similar projects and some rigorous study of specialized terminology allowed her to grasp the details of each component quickly.

She grabbed a pencil from the nearby holder, absentmindedly scribbling as she cleared away distracting items—including the fluffy coat she was wearing and the three thousand strands of hair falling into her view.

When Jing Yu walked into the underground lab holding a snow lotus in his arms, he was greeted by the sight of his girlfriend tying her hair into a messy bun with a pencil. Her focused gaze on the desk glowed with unmatched intensity under the light.

He leaned casually against the wall at the entrance, watching her quietly as she immersed herself in her sketches.

It wasn’t until three minutes later that Tang Shu realized someone was standing nearby.

"You’re back... huh? You brought a snow lotus?"

"Yeah. Uncle Tang said you might need it soon, so I brought one with me."

Jing Yu had recently gone on a business trip to the northern region. Passing through Tang Village, he decided to stop by and picked up some gifts in the process.

Tang Shu’s brain, stuffed to capacity with design components, froze for a moment before she dazedly nodded in realization.

"Right, I did mention it. I have a live stream coming up... I was actually planning to go home and get it myself in a few days."

"Uncle Tang also asked me to bring back a few others, but since they have such strict growth requirements, I left them in Cloudscape Pharma’s Medicinal Garden."

"Are you studying their growth habits? What about temperature and humidity—are they sufficient?"

"I think it should be fine. The ties between Cloudscape Pharma and the Medical College are even closer than you’d imagine."

Jing Yu placed the snow lotus in front of her. "Plus, before I left, Uncle Tang shared some... special tips."

Special tips?

Since when did her dad become so considerate? Tang Shu highly doubted it.

"You’re planning to feature these herbs in your live stream?"

"Yes, focusing on processing techniques and how they’re used medicinally."