Ch. 1291..1300

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1291 --Raising her eyebrows, Lily smiled lightly. "I do."

Immediately, Austin’s eyes lit up. "Who is it? Do I know him?"

"I think you do!" She crossed her arms as if she was thinking. Then, as she looked at him from head to toe, she unhurriedly said,

"Isn't Mr. Dominic's secret apprentice...you?!"

“I..." Austin was taken aback by what he had just heard.

‘What's wrong? Did you forget? The entire Kingdom—no, the entire country is aware that you are Mr. Dominic's secret apprentice. For you to come here today to ask me about his secret apprentice, could it be that even you have no idea who you are?"

Austin was speechless. Even his quick-witted self was pushed to his limits. He could not even say a word.

"I..." After getting over his initial shock, he began to think about how close Lily was to Dominic.

It was likely she knew the secret apprentice was not him.

Austin knew there was nothing to hide in front of her and said, "I've never admitted publicly that I am his secret apprentice.

Those people just concluded it themselves. I’ve never said that I am."

Austin had never come right out and said that he was Dominic's secret apprentice, but he had also never denied it.

Lily smiled lightly when she heard this. She understood what he was doing and did not bother to call him out. Instead, she turned around to leave, not wanting to waste any more time.

“All right now, you're free to carry on with your day, Mr. Fike. However, stay away from my car, or I'll have to get you to pay for any damages.”

Austin stayed silent. When he saw that she was already beginning to walk back, he quickly strode forward and stopped her.

"Mr. Fike, is there anything else I can help you with?” Lily asked, looking up at him.

"I heard that some reports from the project are in your hands. Since you've withdrawn from the experiment, can you give me the data?" He asked seriously.

Lily looked at him quizzically in surprise. "Are you hearing yourself?’

She did keep the reports from the experiments with her so that she could work on them at home. It was also a way to protect herself.

Lily had been through enough to know that things would inevitably get complicated with such a large group of staff. Therefore, she had to keep the reports herself.

These reports were important. Even if she had quit the project, it was still her work at the end of the day. If the research institute genuinely wanted to use them as references, Thompson should be the one to ask for them.

When did Austin get the right to do so?

"Of course I am! Since you've already quit, you don't need those reports. Besides, this isn’t your personal experiment. It's a project conducted by the research institute. It only makes sense for you to hand it over to me!” He held his head high and didn't think anything was wrong with what he had just said.

"If I remember correctly, you're knowledgeable and proficient in medicinal herbs. How can my data be of use to you? Besides, I, as a woman, collected those data myself. I'm sure it won't be any good to a man like you. Is there a need for you to use my reports as references?"

Lily deliberately emphasized the words "woman" and "man," attempting to taunt him.

Once again, he was rendered speechless by this woman. However, he was not giving up just yet.

Although he was well-versed in medicinal herbs, he didn't know much about conventional fragrances. If he had Lily's data, he might be able to deduce some commonalities between them.

Ultimately, his pride still won. He was not going to admit what his thoughts were. He wouldn't bow to a woman, no matter what.

“Enough nonsense. I'm telling you, you should give- Ouch! That hurts!” As he stretched out his hand to grab Lily by the wrist, she unexpectedly twisted his in the opposite direction.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1292--His whole body turned uncontrollably, and his arm was twisted behind him. Grimacing, he felt that his arm might break if she tried any harder.

Besides being pregnant, she was doing all this with one hand.

Austin’s eyes widened in terror. Although he still refused to believe this, he couldn't move his arm.

"Lily Christian! How dare you try and hurt me?!" He yelled angrily as he waved his other hand, trying to escape her grasp.

However, with Lily's sharp gaze and swift movements, she quickly dodged his hand and raised her leg. In one swift move, she let go of her grasp around his wrist...

Austin felt a force coming toward his stomach before his whole body was thrown forward uncontrollably.

‘Ant"

When he fell hard to the ground, he cried out and kicked up a layer of dust.

"Mr. Fike, I think there's something wrong with your memory.” Lily turned around with her hands on the door as she looked down at him on the ground. "Wasn't it you who reached out to grab me first? Take my advice and go for a check-up in the hospital for your brain. After all, doctors can't heal themselves!"

Upon saying that, she went in and slammed the door shut.

Austin stared at the closed door dumbfoundedly. He was ashamed and annoyed. He had never been so embarrassed in his life. He was kicked out of the door and flung onto the street by a woman.

"Lily!" Clenching his fists, he wished he could rush up and smash the door down.

However, he still had a reputation to keep. He could not do that in public. Ultimately, he could only shamefully get up and dust himself off.

Then he looked up at the surveillance camera and pointed his finger at it." Watch out, Lily! Do you think this experiment will fail without your crappy data? Get off your high horse. You've been in and out of the laboratory for a few months and still didn't succeed. You can't do this experiment, but I, Austin Fike, can!"

Then he turned around and stormed off.

Just as Lily reached the lounge after closing the door behind her, she heard the voice from the monitor. She did not know how to react.

Meanwhile, Olivia was rolling on the ground with laughter.

"Who is this guy? He's hilarious! He's such a fool!" She was snacking and packing her things when she suddenly heard a loud noise from the monitor. When she looked up, she saw Lily kicking him out the door.

It had been a long time since Olivia had seen Lily get this angry. That man looked like a gentleman. Who knew what he said to make Lily so angry?

However, he was also a little stupid. Seeing that the doors were closed, he decided to speak to the surveillance camera instead.

Although what he said sounded harsh, his embarrassing appearance made the whole declaration unconvincing.

"You're right.” Lily glanced at the monitor before turning it off. "He is a fool!"

Although she did not take Austin’s words to heart, it seemed like the experiment was still going on from what he said, and she had seen that they definitely wouldn't stop it.

However, Austin knew his medicinal herbs. How could he not know if the herbs used were poisonous or not? Did he still want to continue with the project even after knowing this?

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1293--That evening, Alexander came to pick Lily up as usual and went home with her.

After getting into the car, Lily noticed a large box in the back seat when she turned to fasten her seatbelt. The box was exquisitely packaged and tied with a ribbon. Smirking, she joked, "Which girl are you giving a gift to?"

“Are there other girls worthy of my gifts besides you?" Alexander asked as he naturally glanced at her fondly.

"There's no occasion today. Why did you get me a gift?" She was still delighted to receive a present but could not help being curious.

"What is it?”

"Who said there's no occasion today? Have you forgotten what day it is?"

Now, Lily was perplexed. She began to cross things out of her mind; it wasn't their wedding anniversary, nor was it any of their birthdays. It wasn't their son's birthday either. Ultimately, she turned to look at her phone's calendar. She had not marked any events on it.

"You can't remember?"

Lily blinked innocently and said nothing. In the end, Alexander sighed faintly, seemingly a little crushed.

"Today marks the 800th day since our marriage.”

Lily was speechless. ‘800?'

Although it sounded like a long time, it was just a little more than two years. However, how did Alexander count this?

"If we consider the 800th day an anniversary, what about 900 and 1000? Do we count those?" She put up her fingers and counted. She was astounded. It was no wonder she could not remember. If this were the way he counted, they would have tons of anniversaries to celebrate within a year. How could she remember everything?

“Hm...” Alexander pondered thoughtfully before solemnly saying, “We can make that work."

Lily almost yelped in surprise. How can they make it work?! If that were the case, her head would explode from trying to remember all the anniversaries.

Alexander noticed her appearance and could not help but laugh as he raised his hand to rub her head. "I'm just teasing you. I saw that and thought you might like it, so I bought it as a gift. There's no occasion today.”

Lily immediately breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this.

‘Thank God! It would have been a burden for me to remember all these anniversaries.

Once she calmed down, she became interested in the gift again. "What is it?"

The box was small, but judging from its size, it looked like it would be something besides jewelry. Alexander started the car and said, "Open it and see.”

As he spoke, Lily had already leaned over and taken the box. She tried to see how heavy it was and glanced at Alexander.

However, he did not say a thing and smiled at her. In the end, she quickly untied the ribbon.

Once she opened the box, she saw a pair of shoes inside. Its soles were soft and very comfortable to wear.

"Do you like it?” He asked.

"I do!" She loved it from the bottom of her heart. Everything he bought had always been perfect for her.

Lily cared not for jewelry, bags, or clothes. All she cared about were her fragrances. However, Alexander did not know much about those. It was hard to buy her gifts unless she had openly told him what she wanted.

A pair of shoes just happened to be what she wanted, and Lily loved them.

"I noticed your feet were a little red a few days ago, and I figured it's probably because of your shoes. I know you don’t typically buy clothes or shoes for yourself, but when I saw this, I thought it'd fit you. Plus, it seems super comfortable."

Although he casually explained himself, Lily could tell Alexander had put his heart into this gift.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1294 --Lily's feet were only slightly red, and she was not that fragile. Her feet only pushed against her shoes, probably because of the little weight she had gained or the pregnancy edema. Still, her shoes were fine, but Alexander picked up on them.

His actions moved Lily, as it was often the intention behind the gift that touched one’s heart.

Afterward, she removed her old shoes and put on the new pair. When she wiggled her toes around, she could feel the shoes were soft and were just the perfect size. It was extremely comfortable.

Seeing how she continued to wear them, Alexander smiled. “ How are they?”

"I love them!" She nodded affirmatively and praised him, "You know how to buy a gift, all right!”

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. "Is this better than that pot of...what do you call them, agarwood of yours?"

Lily was speechless. ‘This man! It has been a few days, and he's still upset about that?’

"I like them both equally!" She said after thinking about it.

"You like them both?" It was evident he was dissatisfied with Lily's answers and frowned.

If it were not for the fact that he was driving, Lily would have reached out to try and smooth out his brows. "All right, all right.

These are the best gifts you've given me, and they fit me perfectly. Are you happy now?”

Alexander's lips curled upward when he heard this, but he still tilted his head slightly. "Why do you sound so forced?"

“Enough, don't push your luck!" She shot him a look. Then from the corner of her eyes, she noticed another small gift box in the back seat. Her box of shoes hid it, so she did not see it before.

"There's another gift?"

Alexander glanced back and said, “That's not yours.”

"Is it for Galen? I knew I won't be the only one receiving gifts!"

Alexander happened to stop at a red light and turned to look at Lily smilingly. "Are you jealous?"

Of course, he knew she was not jealous of her son, but he still found it cute that she was pouting.

"I didn't buy it," He continued, "It was a gift from Mike."

"Mike?"

When Alexander brought up Mike's name, Lily immediately thought of what had happened today. "By the way, did you know that after La Beaute Group pulled out from the project and withdrew the capital"

"Mike invested in the project, didn't he?” At this moment, the light turned green, and Alexander continued to drive.

"You know about that?!" Lily was surprised. She had just found out about this today, but it seemed like Alexander had already known beforehand." When did you find out? Did you know about this before?”

"No, he came to see me today." After pondering for a while, he said, "We'll talk about this when we're home.”

There were better times to talk about work since they were on the road. After all, Alexander might get distracted. Lily understood this and nodded before falling into silence. The drive home was quiet, but Lily could not wait to return.

After all, she had devoted more than half a year to this project. She threw all her painstaking efforts and energy into this experiment. To be frank, she was reluctant to quit, but there was no way she would continue after knowing there was a problem.

Now that Mike had jumped on the bandwagon alongside Thompson's constant persuasion, even Austin’s nonsense made her feel she could not withdraw from the project so easily. She knew it was not the end.

When they reached home, Alexander knew how impatient she was. Still, he could not ignore their grinning son, who had rushed over. He quickly picked up Galen and turned to look at Lily. "Shall we talk in the playroom?"

Lily was quiet for a moment, but when she saw Galen's innocent smile, she could only nod. “Sure.”

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1295--Alexander doted on children very much, so the playroom was a combination of two rooms, making it very spacious. He covered half the room in play mats while the rest was carpeted. This way, he felt more at ease when his children played here.

Once they entered the playroom, Alexander put Galen down to let him run off to play. Unexpectedly, the little guy turned around and ran toward Lily as soon as his feet touched the ground.

"Mommy! Hug, hug!" He opened his tiny arms and shook them, making Lily unable to refuse.

"No!" Alexander stretched out his arms, blocking the two mother and son. ' You're still pregnant. You can't lift him."

However, the little boy did not understand. All he knew was that his father would not let him hug his mother. Instantly, Galen pouted and said aggrievedly, "Daddy, bad!"

His father was a supervillain in his eyes.

"Hm?" Lily raised her eyebrow and looked at Alexander threateningly. At the same time, Galen opened his mouth and began to wail.

The combination of these two defeated Alexander.

"Look at what you did! Why can't you talk nicely to the child?" Lily pushed Alexander away helplessly and pulled Galen into her arms. She took advantage of the opportunity to sit down. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Daddy is just worried that Mommy might be tired. Mommy has a baby in her tummy, so I can't carry you, but I still love you very much!"

Galen nodded with tears still brimming in his eyes, seeming to understand.

Alexander sighed and rubbed his brows. Even after all the hardships he had gone through, he always had to give in to his son. At this point, he did not know how to continue the conversation from the car.

Lily seemed to notice his helplessness and casually threw a toy ball into the distance. "Go play with your ball."

Surprisingly, the ball attracted the little boy, and he chased after it. Alexander was speechless at this scene.

"You said that Mike went to see you today?" Lily turned and got straight to the point.

With a light cough, Alexander, who was still watching his son chase the ball, nodded in response. "Mike said he plans to develop here over the next two years. He was very optimistic about the project and asked why I pulled out."

"Then what did you tell him?" She asked.

"I told him that the prospects don’t look good."

‘’Did he believe you?"

Alexander shook his head. "Nope."

That made sense. Why would Mike believe just a few words from someone else? However, there was no way for them to tell him that something fishy was going on with the project. Besides, he might not believe them.

‘Why is he so obsessed with this project? I always thought it was because he didn't understand the market.” That had tormented Lily for a long time. ’ Now that he's a part of it, I'm sure he knows something.”

"Maybe he genuinely thinks this project is promising." Alexander did not quite understand Mike's thoughts, either.

As far as the overall global economy was concerned, the world was going through an economic crisis. At this moment, everyone wanted to try and seize an upcoming industry and be a step ahead of others.

Over the past two years, pharmaceuticals had been the uprising industry besides the energy sector. However, this project was not traditional medical research.

Medicinal herbs had never had much of a place in the world. With the addition of fragrances, ordinary people would see it as more of a gimmick than for it to have any practical significance. After Lily’s detailed explanation, Alexander understood the real meaning behind conducting the experiment and the expectation of future results.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1296--Mike had no understanding of medicinal herbs. He only had some experience with and knowledge of commercial fragrances, at best. However, he was particularly persistent in participating in this project and was even optimistic about its prospects. It was indeed strange.

"Maybe he thinks he can earn money from this,” Lily said in an unsure tone.

Just as she was about to continue, Galen had already caught the ball and ran back to her.

"Mommy, mommy! Throw...”

‘Does he want me to throw the ball again?’ Lily gently tossed the ball again, and with a giggle, the little boy chased after it. Alexander watched this quietly.

"Don’t you think playing with your son is similar to playing with a dog?" He couldn't help but jibe.

Although he didn't want to compare his son to a dog, watching how Lily played with Galen made it hard for him to think otherwise.

"Huh?" Lily raised an eyebrow before turning to look at her son, who was grinning from ear to ear. "It is, but so what? He seems happy!"

Alexander couldn't refute it. ‘lt seems to be true.’

"By the way, Mike came to see me today, too,” Lily said, looking up at him.

"Did he try to get you back on the project?” He guessed.

The experiment had reached a plateau that would only progress with Lily's help. Therefore, be it Thompson or the new investor, Mike Corden, they needed her to return to the laboratory to complete this project.

"So, what did you say?" Alexander sat across from her and stretched his legs casually. He, too, was tired from working so much.

"I told him I'd think about it. Honestly, I am reluctant to give up just like that. I wonder if they agree to stop using those poisonous herbs?"

‘What if they don't?”

For them to stand in a stalemate until now meant they did not want to give up on the project. Lily understood this, which made her hesitant about leaving the project.

However, it was also because the experiment had gone stale until now, that the situation had changed.

Thompson came to her today, which showed he was eager for the experiment to succeed. If the project took any longer to finish, the research institute would lose money, people, and other resources. Even with Mike's new investment, no one was stupid enough to assume it was an endless supply.

After working on the project for so long, Lily wasn't the only one who was tired. Thompson was drained as well. Therefore, someone had to come to a consensus at a time like this, and Lily would never be the first to give in.

"They'll agree,” she said confidently.

"Sh*t!"

Along with the angry curses, there was a sharp squeak and then the sound of things breaking.

A blond-haired, blue-eyed man stomped on the cage that fell to the ground a few times. As if that was not enough for the man to vent his anger, he also began kicking it. Soon, there was no movement inside the cage, and blood stains were seen on the ground.

"It didn't work! It failed again! The medicinal properties of the herbs aren't at a proper amount. What have you guys been doing for the past few months?!"

The sentences sounded harsh, and the pair of blue eyes glowered with anger.

On the sidelines, an ashen Thompson also looked highly frustrated.

Success was just within reach, but no matter how hard he tried to stretch his fingers to grasp it, he could not.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1297--"I've already said we're still working on it. It's futile to carry out the tests now!” Thompson stated after recollecting himself.

"It's been a few months! You're all useless! These medicinal herbs are garbage!" With his hands clenched, Professor Devon slammed them on the table as he barked.

Thompson, who was already unhappy after being accused, could not hold back anymore after hearing what Devon had said.

"Watch your words, Devon! The boss holds this experiment in high regard. Are you questioning his vision?" Thompson name-dropped their boss to try and suppress Devon.

The boss had brought Devon and three other biomedical students with him when he returned from abroad. From how they talked, Thompson could tell that they looked down on medicinal herbs and saw this experiment as a waste of time. They were only here under the boss's order.

Their scope of research was very different from the experiments done at this research institute.

Thompson had no idea what experiments they were conducting, but the four foreigners had their own special laboratory, closed by a heavy iron door. Pupil scans were required for anyone to enter the laboratory.

Regarding his doubts, the boss told Devon that it was none of his business and told him to concentrate on the task. In addition to their own experiments, Devon and the others were in charge of the final test on the results that Thompson had gotten.

After countless failed trials, Devon was even more contemptuous of medicinal herbs now.

"You don't need to use the boss to try and pressure me. I don't think his vision is wrong, but he probably did not expect you people to be so stupid. All these medicinal herbs are bullsh*t and a trick to fool the gullible ones!" Devon spat. "If it doesn't work, just give up! Don't waste any more time on it! =

‘The boss brought you here to help us, not hinder us! The experiment is still ongoing, yet, you're asking us to give up? Is this because you don't understand how medicinal herbs work, or are you afraid this experiment will succeed and cause such a huge worldwide sensation? By then, humankind will know that medicinal herbs are better than your manufactured pills!" Thompson replied unceremoniously.

What he said angered the raging man even more.

Devon was shaking with anger so much that his eyes almost burst into flames. In the blink of an eye, he rushed forward and grabbed Thompson by the collar.

"What did you say?! These medicinal herbs are false concepts. It's bullsh*t! It's nowhere as good as our pills!"

As soon as Devon tightened his grip, the veins on his arms popped up. Thompson, who was already gray-haired and thin, was quickly picked up by Devon. If he tightens his grip a little more, Thompson might be crushed to death.

At this point, his face was flushed from being held by the collar, almost suffocating. However, he still refused to admit defeat.

Instead, he stared stubbornly at Devon and spat through gritted teeth, "Medicinal herbs...are the best medicines...for the people! You guys... are nothing!"

‘Go to hell!" Devon clenched his fist even harder, almost cutting off Thompson's airway.

"Professor Thompson!"

The sound came from outside, and Devon was startled. He quickly came back to his senses and loosened his grip.

"Professor Thompson!"

Austin returned to the laboratory to look for Thompson, but he was nowhere to be found. After looking for him downstairs, Austin went upstairs. He even tried calling, but it was to no avail. He assumed Thompson was off experimenting again as he wandered around, still attempting to call Thompson's phone.

Those who followed Devon quickly stepped forward to stoop Devon." Devon, don't be so impulsive! Don't forget our purpose for coming here! Don't make things worse for the old man!

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1298 --With his colleagues' persuasion and Austin's approaching voice, Devon finally let go.

As soon as he released his grip, fresh air quickly rushed into Thompson's lungs. He gasped heavily as he clutched his chest. His legs felt weak. He barely held himself up, but he did not want to succumb to Devon.

"Professor Thompson, don't say I didn't warn you. Your time is running out! If this experiment fails, no matter how hard headed you are, you can’t defend the fact that medicinal herbs are simply garbage!" Devon let out a snort and said, “Let's go!"

Several people walked out of the room, leaving Thompson alone.

Just as Austin was about to head downstairs after not finding anyone, he saw a figure coming out from the corner of the stairwell.

The figure was staggering, with one hand supporting the wall while the other was around their throat.

"Professor Thompson!’ Austin recognized the silhouette at a glance and strode over. "I've been looking for you! I have something I want to discuss with you. I've looked through the experiment, and after careful consideration, I don't think it's impossible.

"What about this? You hand this experiment over to me, and I guarantee that I'll finish it and that it will be better than how Lily would've done it. If she can't do it, it doesn't mean I can't."

Thompson was still recovering from being suffocated and trying to get his strength back. Austin sounded like chattering noises in the distance.

Once Thompson felt better, he stopped and turned to look at Austin with furrowed brows. "What did you say?"

"I said, you can leave this experiment in my hands. I'll do better than Lily!"

"You?!" Thompson questioned.

"Professor Thompson, I might not be as good at making commercial scents as Lily, but I'm sure I'm a hundred times better at making medicines out of herbs than she is. Although it’s essential to incorporate raw materials into our experiment, the main selling point is the medicinal properties of the herbs, isn't it?

"As far as I know, the main reason for the failure of the current experiment is that the medicinal properties are unstable. It is either too much of it or too little of it. This is where I come in!"

Even though he had little hands-on experience, he had read all the reports in the lab and found that most of the experiments had failed at the end because the medicinal herbs were too unstable. It should not be that difficult to solve.

After so many years of studies and research on medicinal herbs, wasn't this the best time to showcase his skills?

As for the fusion of scents, Austin would ask some perfumers for advice. Even if he had to search the entire country, he was confident he could find a perfumer more skilled than Lily.

Thompson was silent. Deep down, he still hoped Lily would return to complete this experiment. However, she refused repeatedly, and each rejection meant more time wasted. He couldn't afford it anymore.

On top of that, what Austin said seemed reasonable. Thompson still thought Austin was Dominic's secret apprentice at the end of the day. He was better than Lily at medicinal herbs, that was for sure. Although it was not easy to fuse fragrance into medicinal herbs, the stability of the medicinal properties of herbs was more critical.

"Then..." He slowly looked up with uncertainty. "Do you want to try?’

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1299--Austin had been holding back. He had not been optimistic about this project since the beginning, whether or not it would succeed. To him, this whole experiment was a waste of time.

However, after his repeated encounters with Lily, alongside how close she seemed to be with his granduncle, he wanted to show her who was on top. Lily was just a mere woman in his eyes. At this moment, Austin was keen on making achievements to prove that she was not as good as him.

Once Thompson agreed, Austin would bury himself in the laboratory the whole day. He would think about it all the time.

Traditionally, one would slowly boil medicinal herbs to obtain their medicinal properties. Not only should one pay attention to the heat, but one must also correctly control the amount of water used. After all, the medicinal properties would dissipate if the medicinal herbs were left to boil for too long.

Right now, they were not boiling the herbs. Instead, the medicinal properties would get absorbed through volatilization.

The issue with this was no one knew how much of the medicinal properties would get absorbed through volatilization. The medicinal herbs’ properties could have been more stable and easier to control. One would expect this when others used such a method.

After spending several days in the laboratory, Austin still did not think he had achieved an outstanding result. After much deliberation, he had decided to consult Dominic for advice.

Although Dominic had not practiced medicine for years, his research in medicinal herbs never stopped. His villa was full of all sorts of rare herbs. Besides that, Austin heard that Doimnic had a piece of land he had made into a large plantation.

However, Austin had never seen it before. He had tried to ask about it once, but Dominic immediately shut him down.

Austin’s visit went smoothly, as Dominic allowed him into the villa without making him wait. Although Austin did not see a red sports car outside, he still looked for Lily after entering the door to confirm that she was not there.

That made sense. With Dominic's temper, even Austin, as his grandnephew, found it hard to visit him, let alone an outsider like Lily.

Austin was sure that Dominic was only willing to meet her and treat her kindly because of that secret apprentice of his.

Austin had yet to learn who the mysterious, secret apprentice was. He had met all of Dominic's previous apprentices, but this last one seemed like a big deal.

On the other hand, Lily, who knew the secret apprentice but did not want to tell Austin, still mocked him for being an imposter.

Initially, he had never thought about taking up the secret apprentice title. However, those opinionated people began to spread those rumors.

Now, most recognized Austin as Dominic's secret apprentice. If he were to deny it at this time, it would be incredibly embarrassing, and everyone would consider him a liar.

Austin did not see anything wrong with taking a bullet for the secret apprentice since the apprentice liked being mysterious and lowkey. He thought he was helping the secret apprentice and Dominic to some extent. With those thoughts in mind, Austin felt a surge of pride.

Dominic was boiling some medicinal herbs inside the house as the smell lingered in the air. The place always smelled like this.

Whenever Austin left, his body would reek of medicinal herbs.

"Granduncle Dominic,” he called out smilingly and lifted the things in his hand. "My parents returned from a trip a few days ago and bought you a set of purple clay teapots. They know you like them.”

Dominic raised his gaze lazily and dropped them again, uninterested. What can your parents buy that will be good?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1300--"They've been asking around, and this set is specifically handmade by a master craftsman. Look!" Austin revealed a delicate- looking box as he spoke.

Dominic scoffed lightly and put up a faint smile. "These days, anyone can call themselves a master. Which master is this?”

Any ordinary person would have been discouraged after hearing this, but it was just another day for Austin. He had already mentally prepared himself for this. He kept his smile, removed the teapot set, and said, "Look! It looks like a pumpkin."

Dominic glanced at it but said nothing. However, that was already considered a perfect reaction. Since the older gentleman did not scold or shun Austin, the teapot set caught Dominic's attention.

Back then, Austin was still determining what Dominic liked. Austin would often bring over things from traveling abroad, be it expensive calligraphy, paintings, or antiques. Ultimately, Dominic would throw them all out.

After countless scoldings, Austin gradually figured out what Dominic liked.

He did not like any foreign items. If Austin tried to oversell the items, Dominic would begin to criticize the foreign countries.

Dominic cared not for the price of the items, either. He only loved two things, growing medicinal herbs and making tea.

Therefore, Austin would only bring back tea and teapots whenever he returned. After all, no matter how precious and rare the herbs he found outside, the older gentleman probably had them already.

“All right, now. You seem to be on edge these days. What's going on?” Dominic waved the cattail fan in his hand and went straight to the point. He knew Austin would not come over for no reason. Austin understood medicinal herbs well, but his mind was too slick. There was always a reason behind everything he did.

Each visit to Dominic served its own purpose. Dominic would turn a blind eye as Austin’s granduncle and occasionally advised him.

Austin used Dominic's knowledge correctly, it was good that youngsters like him were willing to learn.

However, he had been too diligent lately.

"I can't hide anything from you, Granduncle!” Austin laughed and said, "So, I've been thinking about how useful medicinal herbs are, but is there any way we can retain the medicinal properties of the herbs when it's volatile? That way, people would easily take in the medicinal properties just from breathing in the fumes.”

Dominic immediately fell silent. He stopped fanning himself and straightened up while staring at Austin.

Being stared down quietly made Austin very uncomfortable, so he quickly broke the silence. "Granduncle, did I say something wrong?"

"Are you a part of the project the research institute is conducting?” Dominic asked bluntly.

Austin was startled. "You know about the experiment?”

"Of course I do! My app-"

‘Apprentice, Lily, told me about it.’

Dominic managed to hold back his worlds in time. He rubbed his neck and continued uncomfortably, "I heard about it long ago. It seems like it's been going on for quite a while. What's wrong? Isn't it over yet?" 'So, Austin is part of the project. It's no wonder Lily brought him up the other day.’