Chapter 350: Giving Her a Pot of Chinese Roses

Chapter 350: Chapter 350: Giving Her a Pot of Chinese Roses

Ye Ming had never told her about taking her blood, but Shi Lan knew he must have been thinking of her safety.

However, she hadn’t expected Dr. Ai to know that she could heal Beastmen suffering from spiritual power collapse.

Shi Lan didn’t think Ye Ming could have been the one to tell him. After all, he hadn’t even been willing to give Dr. Ai her blood, clearly afraid that these secrets of hers would be exposed.

’Then how did Dr. Ai find out? Was it just a guess, like the dean’s had been?’

Shi Lan forced herself to remain calm. "Curing High-level Spiritual Power collapse? Dr. Ai, you’re exaggerating. I am a 3S Beastman, that’s true, but it’s common knowledge that Beastmen who suffer from High-level Spiritual Power collapse cannot be cured. No female has ever been able to do it. How could I possibly have such an ability?"

Shi Lan was making a bet—betting that he had no proof, only suspicions.

Dr. Ai removed the collection vial and placed a small bandage on Shi Lan’s arm. Only then did he look at her seriously and smile. "Miss Shi Lan, no wonder the Eldest Prince is so fond of you. You truly are one of a kind."

If they hadn’t personally confirmed it, he would have thought they were merely overthinking things. After all, this was the kind of discovery that could change history.

Clutching her arm, Shi Lan retreated back into the cage, her clear, calm almond eyes fixed on him.

Dr. Ai was delighted to have the blood he so desperately wanted. After storing it away carefully, he was even in the mood to satisfy her curiosity. "Speaking of which, you were the one who treated Admiral He and the others for their spiritual power collapse, weren’t you? There’s no need to deny it. Didn’t Admiral He suffer a relapse on Capital Star not long ago?"

Shi Lan’s eyes widened. "You had something to do with that?"

’No wonder,’ she thought. She had lowered He Hanshi’s collapse value significantly, yet it had suddenly spiked after he went out to fight just a few members of the Insect Clan.

"That’s right. We did have to waste a test subject, but it wasn’t a total loss. We got the answer we wanted."

Dr. Ai let out a soft, smiling sigh. "It was one of the samples made by injecting blood from a fifth-generation Chao Si into an ordinary member of the Insect Clan. We planted a bomb on it beforehand, set to detonate the moment it got near He Hanshi."

"It was just He Hanshi’s bad luck, really. He was the one most severely affected by the Chao Si toxin in the past. After escaping, the test subject would instinctively seek out the lingering scent of Chao Si, so it naturally gravitated toward him."

"But, of course, that was all part of our plan."

The more she listened, the more horrified Shi Lan became.

She began to worry that they would use this time to induce spiritual power collapse in the others. Now that they had such a potent test subject, there was no telling if they would stoop to something so utterly deranged.

She couldn’t help but ask, "Why are you targeting them? How much has He Hanshi contributed to the interstellar cause over the years? How many of the Insect Clan has he killed? He’s a commander who has always silently protected our people. Why would you want to harm him?"

"I don’t understand. What benefit do you get from his spiritual power collapsing?"

"And you, Dr. Ai... Ye Ming has always trusted you so much. He said you’ve been with him since he was young, that for decades he’s funded all your various research projects. Why would you do this to him?"

"Yes. It’s a shame, but in the end, our philosophies just don’t align. I am a researcher. I have dedicated my entire life to finding the root cause of spiritual power collapse in males. I’ve always wanted to leave behind a more... groundbreaking body of work. But to achieve that, one needs human contributions."

But Ye Ming... he never supported experiments on live subjects.

’If that’s the case, then they can become the test subjects.’

Dr. Ai smiled. Having said his piece, he didn’t speak to Shi Lan further, leaving her with only one simple sentence. "Rest assured, Miss Shi Lan. In the future, after I’ve developed a cure for the threat of spiritual power collapse in Beastmen, I will be sure to thank you for your contribution."

Shi Lan desperately wanted to do something as crude as vomit on him, but she had just been hit with so much shocking news that she couldn’t quite process it all. She stood stunned for a long moment.

Dr. Ai nodded to the green-eyed male who had been standing by, then eagerly departed to continue his research.

The male looked at the small, feminine figure in the cage and asked in a gentle voice, "Is the spot where he drew blood okay?"

Shi Lan ignored him. The man didn’t seem to get angry. Instead, he pulled a potted rosebush from his storage space and placed it beside the cage. "I see you’re quite fond of flowers. Looking at them might improve your mood. It might even help your wound heal faster."

In truth, the needle mark was all but invisible unless you looked very closely.

’Shi Lan didn’t understand what this self-indulgent act was for. If he was really so concerned, he should just let her out.’

She retorted tentatively, "No one would be in a good mood if they were locked in a tiny cage all day."

"Ah, that’s true!"

He nodded faintly and paused, his tone suggesting he was open to negotiation. "Then perhaps I’ll have them build you a larger space?"

Shi Lan was exasperated. "I want to get out. If all you wanted was my blood, you have it now. Can’t you let me go?"

The man chuckled. "Who said we only wanted your blood?"

A knowing smile touched his eyes, but he didn’t elaborate. "Just be good," he said. "We won’t make you suffer."

Now Shi Lan was truly disgusted.

They say the stomach is an emotional organ. Perhaps it was her foul mood, or maybe the morning sickness was starting, but Shi Lan found the pan in the corner and threw up. Thankfully, the robot cleaned it diligently every day, so it was spotless.

Seeing this, the man glanced at her lower abdomen one more time before turning to leave.

After the man left, the room fell silent once more.

Shi Lan rubbed her belly. She wasn’t sure if it was morning sickness, but she still soothed the child inside. "Don’t be afraid, little one. Mommy will definitely find a way out of here."

As she spoke, her gaze drifted to the potted rosebush. They were pink roses, and every single flower was in full, perfect bloom, with not a single closed bud among them.

She did indeed love roses. Back in her office on Black Star, she would often pick a few to keep in a vase. And that didn’t even compare to the sea of roses He Hanshi had prepared for her in the old castle when he proposed.

Shi Lan’s fondness for roses had only grown since then.

And now, even though a man she detested had just brought them, she had to admit her expression softened slightly as she looked at them.

As she gazed at the flowers, another idea suddenly struck her.

Before, the room had been nothing but cold, sterile laboratory walls, without a single green plant. Now, at least, there was this.

Shi Lan nonchalantly swept her gaze over the surveillance eye, wondering if she should use her plant-manipulation superpower to trap it. After a moment’s thought, she dismissed the idea.

’If she waited just one more day, the risk would be much lower.’

With that in mind, she lay back down under the blanket. The thought that she was likely being watched prompted her to pull the blanket all the way over her face, leaving only a tiny gap to breathe.

In the corner, the robot came forward to deal with the pan.

The robot could retract the pan into its storage space and take it away for cleaning without ever needing to open the cage.

Shi Lan’s ears twitched, but she paid the familiar sound no mind.

’Still,’ she thought, ’that pot of roses... it seems it might come in handy after all.’