Ch. 1361..1370

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1361--Unexpectedly, Rhea said, "I know! You're talking about Mr.Dominic's secret apprentice.Is there any proof of it? As far as I know, he has never disclosed who his apprentice is.Could he just be a fraud?"

"No, no!"

Maria quickly defined.

"I heard about this from an insider.It took me a lot of effort to find that informant.I'm sure the news is reliable! Mr.Austin has never publicly declared that he is Mr.Dominic's secret apprentice.He's not a liar.He took excellent care of my friend's cousin's grandson!"

Rhea was speechless at her mother's feeble attempt to convince her.

"All right, now.Let's not talk about this.It's making me angry! That brat doesn't even appreciate my efforts!"

The more Maria talked about this, the angrier she became.

In the end, she waved around and stopped talking.

"Did you say that Anastasia doesn't want to be cured? That she doesn't want to lose weight?" Rhea asked again after returning to her senses.

"Who knows?! I think Mrs.Russell is brainwashing her!"

"Mrs.Russell?"

Rhea, who initially wanted to hang up the phone, unknowingly became more interested.She wondered what had happened since she left and why there were so many new updates from her mother.

Maria’s somewhat boring life seemed to pick up the pace finally.

Now, Rhea was intrigued.

"Oh, you don't know her.Anyway, Mrs.Russell is super annoying.She seems to have some conflict with this miracle doctor I hired.I don't know what she said to Tasia, but she seemed to have Tasia wrapped around her fingers.Now, Tasia refuses to see the miracle doctor."

"Anastasia listens to her?"

Anastasia rarely interacted with people, so the person must be capable since Anastasia listened to an outsider whom she had not known for very long.

"Exactly! She even lashed out at me tonight! I don't think she sees me as her aunt at all! Didn't I take care of her when she was a child? Even you were jealous, saying I treated her better than you.Now, she's snapping back at me, telling me I don't care about her self- esteem!"

However, Rhea could not be bothered about this.

"So, Anastasia didn't meet the miracle doctor you hired?"

"Yeah! I've been running around trying to get her an appointment, and it was all for nothing! Initially, 1 thought if I got the miracle doctor to cure her, our uncle would owe us a big favor.That way, your dad could venture more into the business industry.Then it'll benefit our family as well! Who could've thought..."

Maria seemed to have thought of something while speaking.

"Hold up! Did Mrs.Russell do this on purpose? She must’ve known that our family is competing against La Beaute Group for the bidding.By not giving me a chance to cure Tasia, your uncle wouldn't have to owe us any favors!"

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

When she thought about what her husband had said before, she started to understand how businesses worked.

"That can't be.I have to talk to your father."

"Wait!"

It was rare for Rhea not to hang up first, so Maria continued listening.

"Mom, did you pass Anastasia the agarwood I gave you?"

""Agar—what?"

Maria did not know what her daughter was talking about. novelebookThen she quickly remembered.

"Oh, you mean the potted flower? I did, but Tasia isn’t you.

She won't appreciate these plants, so why do you keep giving them to her?"

"It's just my gift for her!"

Rhea continued, "All right, I'll return to my experiment now."

"Rhea..."

Maria was just about to speak when the dial tone sounded.

She shook her head and sighed.

Her daughter was so caught up with her experiments that Maria, as her mother, had to make big life decisions for her.

"Rhea..."

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1362--The lights in the institute’s laboratory were on all night.

Austin yawned at the crack of dawn as he removed his mask and washed his hands.He rubbed his worn-out, swollen eyes as he left the lab.He had not stayed up for two nights straight in vain.

They were already at their final stage.

He did not think the problem was that serious.

Over the past two days, he had carefully pondered the issue at hand.

Since Lily could do it, why couldn't he? How was she any better than him? She was only a part of this project earlier than him and had more experience than him.

Since she had more opportunities for practice, she would be further along than he.

He must have been too impatient these days to have overlooked this.

With this new point of view, he let himself get caught up in the project and worked long hours.He wanted to spend more time narrowing the gap between him and Lily.He needed to achieve something.

If he failed to overthrow this woman, he would have to reevaluate himself.

Austin felt a tightness in his chest when he thought of how Dominic looked at him and the harsh words he said.

Austin knew he had to succeed.

No, he must be more successful than Lily.

Only then would he be proud.He stretched and shrugged his sore shoulders.

Although he didn't know much about raw materials, seeing how Lily succeeded without much knowledge of medicinal herbs meant that the two had something in common.

That was his train of thought.

Lily was selfish and refused to give him the previous experimental data.

In the end, Austin had to look through all of the failed experiments in the lab and come to his own conclusions.

Then he thought of sandalwood.

Although common, it would be easiest for him to use it as a base to fuse with the medicinal herbs.

On top of that, he did not need to create a unique scent.He was not a perfumer, after all.

‘That’s it!"

Austin felt quite proud of himself when he thought about this.

It meant he was as bright as her.

As he stood by the window and stared down, he was surprised to see other people here at this time.

Thompson was facing him and was talking to someone.

From the back, it seemed like the person was a woman.

Although there were women other than Lily in this research institute, what Austin found weird wasn't that there was a woman around.

It was what she was doing here at this time.

‘Could that woman be Lily?!’ Thinking of this, he immediately leaned forward and squinted to get a closer look.

However, judging from her figure, the individual did not seem quite like Lily.

Since Lily was pregnant, she would often wear casual and loose clothing.

Instead, this woman was wearing a long black dress with the waist cinched—clearly an effort to make her look extra slender.

At that moment, Thompson noticed Austin and raised his head before waving.

"Austin, you're up all night again!"

"I couldn't sleep, so I did some experiments to pass the time," Austin replied smilingly.

"I thank you for your hard work!"

Thompson knew Austin was trying to compete with Lily.

For Thompson, friendly competition like this was a good thing.

Therefore, he did not call Austin out and instead encouraged him.

"You can do it."

The two exchanged a few more sentences, but the woman did not turn around. novelebook She had no interest in seeing who was behind her.

That piqued Austin's curiosity, and he wanted to see who she was.

Besides Lily, were there any other women who would work as hard and stay up as late as him?

"I thank you for your hard work!"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1363--Even if the woman did not stay up, it was still early for her to be here.

"Hold up, Professor Thompson.I have a quick question to ask."

With that, Austin quickly turned around and went downstairs.

However, as soon as he reached the first floor, he realized that Thompson was alone.

The woman seemed to have left.

"Austin, what's the matter?" Thompson asked with a smile, apparently waiting for him.

"It's just a little bump I've encountered during the experiment."

Looking over his shoulder, Austin asked, "Professor Thompson, who was that woman just now? Is she also from our institute? Why is she here so early?"

"Oh, she is, but she's working on another project," Thompson answered lightly.

"That's why you haven't seen her much. So, what is it that you want to ask?"

Ignoring his question, Austin nodded.

"Oh, I see. I never knew we were doing other projects. I've never heard you mention anything about them. What project is it?"

"Austin, you've been here long enough to know that you shouldn't ask so many questions. To be honest, there are things I don't know either. The most important thing novelebook for us now is to do our part and do it well, don't you think?"

Thompson prodded earnestly.

Austin could tell from Thompson's words that he wanted to avoid questions.

That made Austin even more puzzled.

However, Thompson seemed to have no intention of talking about this anymore.

Ultimately, Austin decided to redirect the conversation back to his experiments.

"You're right.

So, here's the thing.

When I was experimenting last night..."

A strange feeling bubbled up in him as he spoke.

Just as he raised his head to look around, there was nothing to be seen.

Once Thompson was done explaining to Austin, Thompson looked up to see that Austin had zoned out and couldn't help but feel displeased.

"Austin!"

"Yes, Professor Thompson?"

"Do you understand what I just said?"

"Ah, yes, Ido!"

Austin immediately returned to his senses.

"I was a little confused before this, but I get it now."

"Austin, I know you’re considered very accomplished and qualified among the younger generation.

However, all of you have the same problem —you guys are complacent.

Look at Mr.Dominic.

He has dedicated his entire life to medicinal herbs and has never been complacent.

He has always been humble.

There is no end to learning!"

Thompson wanted Austin to know that he was smart and successful, but that his fame and reputation shouldn't make him think he was better than he was.

After all, there were always more mountains to climb and more people to meet.

Even if Austin were Dominic's secret apprentice, he still wasn't Dominic himself.

When Austin heard Thompson's praises for Dominic, images of the older man immediately flashed across Austin's mind.

His stubborn temper, how he scoffed at Austin and sent him out of the house, and how he splashed everything he taught with a hint of cynicism Austin broke into laughter.

"Professor Thompson, have you met Mr.Dominic? How would you know if he had never been complacent?"

"I...have not, but I've heard a lot about him."

After letting out a few coughs out of embarrassment, Thompson glanced at Austin.

"Why, can you introduce me to him?"

"Why, can you introduce me to him?"

This question instantly froze the smile on Austin's face.

Although Dominic was Austin’s second great-granduncle, it was already hard for Austin to meet him, let alone introduce an outsider to him.

Austin didn't even have to think about it.

That old man would send them out of the house with a broom.

"Haha.Professor Thompson, you must be joking.Mr.Dominic isolated himself and hadn't seen outsiders for years.How can I change that?" Austin replied with a dry laugh.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1364--Thompson smiled, unimpressed.He was expecting to hear this.

Seeing his smile, Austin felt shame wash over him.

Although he never explicitly stated that he was Dominic's secret apprentice, others were spreading the word for him.

Austin did not correct them either.

Therefore, this smile that Thompson had was as if he could see right through Austin's charade.

"The old man hasn't felt very good for the past few years, so he doesn't want to meet outsiders.

However, if you have any questions that you need me to ask him, maybe I can help you with that,"

Austin added after clearing his throat.

These words implied that he was close to Dominic.

Although Austin couldn't bring Thompson to see Dominic, he could still offer to help solve a problem or two.

"Really?"

Sure enough, this piqued Thompson's interest.

"If that's the case, great! There are a few problems I've been trying to figure out.Austin, if it’s no trouble please help me ask Mr.Dominic."

"Of course!"

Austin straightened his back and smiled.He felt like he had saved his reputation, or at least what was left of it.

After a few more casual exchanges, Thompson headed into the building.He had just arrived, while Austin was planning to leave.He planned to get a change of clothes before dropping by to see Maria's niece.

Normally, he would not bat an eye at such trivial matters.

After all, he had a rough idea of the situation, which was very common.

Maria's niece was just obese.

Regarding obesity, it could either mean the patient had suffered from gluttony or laziness.

Otherwise, it would be just some endocrine disorder.

There was no other reason.

Austin usually considers such minor problems a waste of time.

However, this was different since Lily had intervened.

That fat girl was listening to Lily so much that she doubted Austin’s capabilities.

Lily even called him a charlatan.

Lily must have said something to that girl.

Since that was the case, Austin felt he needed to help the girl just to prove himself to Lily.

At this point, money didn't matter.

Austin wanted to seize every opportunity to prove his capabilities and show that he was better than Lily.

He wanted everyone to acknowledge that he had a natural talent and did not have to rely on his family.

The works of a woman were superficial.

Yawning, he walked to where he had parked his car.

There, he noticed another car parked not far away.

Although it wasn't uncommon to have other cars parked there, the strange thing was that a woman was standing beside the car.

Judging from her figure and clothes, she should be the woman who was talking to Thompson just now. She was leaning against the car novelebook with her hands crossed in front of her chest.She slightly raised her chin as her long hair flew wildly in the wind.

This sight made Austin stop in his tracks.

He was hesitant.

Looking at her posture, it seemed like she was waiting for him, but Austin didn't know who she was.

He didn't want to assume, as it would be embarrassing.

While he took his time to think things through, the woman straightened up and quickly walked toward him.

She was swift.

She appeared before him in a few steps as she looked at him from head to toe.

"Mr.Austin Fike?"

"Hm?"

He raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Are you the miracle doctor everyone talks about?"

She asked directly.

Although such a title did not bother Austin, when she said it, it sounded as if she was questioning whether he was the charlatan.

Discomfort immediately engulfed him, and he frowned.

"I'm not the miracle doctor.

You've got the wrong person!"

He reached out to get into his car.

A fair palm quickly pressed against his car door.

Austin's hand would have gotten pinched if he hadn't withdrawn it fast enough.

This startled him, and he jumped out of the car angrily.

"What are you trying to do, Miss?!"

"I just want to talk."

The corners of her lips curled up into a smile.

"I don't know you.," Austin snapped, trying to suppress his anger.

"There's nothing for us to discuss."

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1365--The woman ignored his anger, and her lips' corners curved upward slightly.

"I don't know you, but we will once we talk."

Austin did not know what to say.

‘The world has changed! When did women become so bold and crazy?!’ Before this, there was Lily, who was always there to condemn him everywhere he went. Now, this woman also happened to be from the research institute.

‘Are all the women from this institute insane?!’ At that moment, Austin suddenly remembered that she was a part of the research institute and that Thompson said she was working on another project.

With that in mind, he toned down his temper.

"All right, but this isn't a suitable place to chat. Let's go somewhere else."

Austin glanced around and suggested, "There's a nearby—"

"Here is just fine," she interrupted him.

"Let's just talk here."

"Here?"

Austin looked around.

They were close to the laboratory building, and although it was still early, it was almost time for work.

There would be people coming in and out from it.

When he turned around, the woman was leaning against his car, looking at him.

"Yes, here! We'll talk in broad daylight, in an open space.That way, we can leave as soon as we're done and not waste anyone's time."

Austin stayed silent.

‘This woman is so straightforward!’ After hearing that, he had no choice but to give in.

"Okay, what do you want to discuss?"

"Are you Mr.Dominic's secret apprentice?" She asked directly.

Austin replied smilingly, "What if I said I'm not?"

"So, you're an imposter, then?"

Austin immediately burst into laughter.

Just because I said I'm not his apprentice, how does that make me an imposter? Miss, did you make a mistake?"

"If you're not his secret apprentice, why would people say you are? " Every word from the woman was sharp.

No one had ever asked him that before. Everyone took the news for granted and never bothered to clarify.

Of course, these people would not dare to ask Austin such things, fearing they might insult him.

Austin shrugged, putting on an innocent look.

"How would I know? If they think I am, so be it.If you don't believe them, that's up to you.After all, you’re free to believe what you want."

After so long, he knew how to deal with this situation skillfully.He could always get away with it by being ambiguous. novelebook He would deny it while making the other party feel like he did it to be humble.

Although he didn't explicitly state it, most could interpret his words as such.

This art of speaking was something he had cultivated...

Sure enough, the woman seemed to have bought it.

She rested her chin on one of her hands and lowered her eyes as if trying to process what he said.

Austin noticed her appearance and asked, "Are you done?"

Then she raised her head and looked at him without saying anything.

"If you're done, is it my turn to ask questions?"

He took a step forward and continued, "So, who are you?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1366--The woman’s gaze was sharp as her eyes focused on him.

Her thin lips moved, spitting out a name.

''Rhea Moore."

"Rhea...Moore," Austin repeated after her.

He ransacked his brain, attempting to match a face to that name, but to no avail.

Then he nodded.

"Are you from the research institute too? Professor Thompson mentioned that you're in charge of another project. What is it?"

Rhea looked at him with squinted eyes.

"Are you the one who will be treating my cousin?"

"Who?!"

Austin was startled by her question.

"Anastasia Rollins," she replied, "Didn't you promise my mother?"

Only after Rhea mentioned Anastasia's name did Austin remember what had happened.

"You mean that fat—"

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, he quickly corrected himself after feeling like it was inappropriate.

"So, you're Mrs.Moore's daughter."

"Do you know how?"

Rhea ignored his words and asked directly.

"Of course I do.Isn't that girl just obese? It's as hard and as easy as it can get.The important thing here is the willingness for one to cooperate."

As usual, being ambiguous was Austin's expertise.

That way, no one could know what he was insinuating.

Rhea raised her eyebrows and shifted her stance out of fatigue.

With her arms still crossed before her chest, she tilted her head and asked, "What's the easiest solution?"

"I'll take her pulse and prescribe some traditional medicinal herbs to regulate the symptoms.Besides her self-control, it usually has something to do with her endocrine system.Once her metabolism is regulated, she will gradually lose weight," Austin explained.

Only after he finished talking did he realize something was wrong.

‘Why am I answering her questions without hesitation? It seems like she has me on a leash"

It was out of character for Austin to unknowingly cooperate with Rhea, like an obedient student that answered all his teacher's questions.

Austin quickly regained his composure and widened his eyes to keep himself fresh.

He must have been exhausted after staying up all night.

That must be why he was falling into her trap.

"Ms.Moore, did your mother get you to invite me over?"

He cleared his throat and asked, emphasizing the word "invite."

However, Rhea was unbothered by him.

"We're two different people."

"So, you— "

Austin had just spoken two words before she interjected.

"What’s your relationship with Mrs.Russell?"

This question took Austin by surprise.

"Nothing," he subconsciously denied.

He only hated how Lily always managed to be one step ahead of him.

‘Relationship? I want nothing to do with her after our encounter the other day"

Ever since Lily silenced him with a poke at his acupressure point, he wanted nothing to do with her.

"Is there a misunderstanding?" Austin asked tentatively.

After all, he had no idea if Rhea and Lily were friends or enemies.

"Lily is also a part of our research group.Are you two friends?" Rhea snorted.

"So, that's her name."

Austin was speechless.

The two should not be friends if Rhea did not even know Lily's name.

However, how could Rhea be enemies with someone she did not know? Rhea was more challenging to read than Lily.

Austin could not figure out what she wanted.

Then he heard her ask, "Did you say she's also from our research institute?"

"Yes.Didn't Professor Thompson tell you? He admires her very much and thinks she's competent.She came into this project earlier than me.She's very well respected here," Austin deliberately explained as he studied Rhea’s face.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1367--On the surface, it sounded like Austin was praising Lily.

However, he had a feeling that the woman before him was not someone that a few simple praises would sway.

Her attitude was a prime example of that.

Others who saw him as Dominic's secret apprentice approached him respectfully and politely.

Rhea knew that her mother was begging for his help, yet she did not even consider his presence.

There was no sense of respect from her.

It even seemed like she was a little cocky.

Austin had met many people over the years, and Rhea seemed similar to him—conceited.

People who could work in this research institute and have a close relationship with Thompson must be capable.

Those who were capable were typically arrogant, especially youngsters.

If she heard that Lily was more respected than her in this research institute, Rhea would turn green with envy.

Sure enough, a cold smile appeared on her face.

"Very capable?"

"Yeah.It's a pity you're not on the same project.Otherwise, there might be things you can learn from Mrs.Russell,"

Austin said smilingly, adding fuel to the fire.

Rhea shot him a glance and said, "Aren't you on the same team as her? You must’ve learned a lot, then."

He was speechless, and the smile on his face froze instantly.

Rhea's insipid sentence quickly diminished his burning flame.

Austin let out a stoic laugh and said, "We've learned from each other!"

He would never admit he wanted to learn from Lily.She did not deserve it.

With that, Rhea straightened up and turned to leave.

It seemed like she was done with the conversation.

After taking a few steps, she turned around.

"By the way, many have tried to help my cousin, but it never worked.If you want to maintain your reputation, it's best to leave her alone!"

Then with a scornful smile, she turned around and left.

"Hey!"

Austin opened his mouth to retort, but Rhea had already walked away.

Suddenly, he felt the surrounding air tighten, and he began to choke.He knew she was trying to provoke him, which was her way of getting him to see Anastasia.

Otherwise, it would mean he was not confident in his strength.

Lily had been absent from the laboratory for the past two days.

Her days spent at home made her feel unsettled.

The only time she could relax was when she played with her son.

Other times, she felt restless, like the raging sea.

It had been a while since she had felt this way.

Alexander had arrived safely, but after telling Lily that he had landed, she did not hear from him anymore.

There wasn't even a simple text from him.

She had tried texting him to ask whether he had resolved the matter, but he did not reply.

This worried her as she began to pay extra attention to the news revolving around Burnwken over the past two days.

After all, it was a chaotic country.

She was afraid something terrible might happen.

As this thought flashed across Lily’s mind, she shook her head vigorously.She did not want to think about it.

‘Bah! Enough negative thoughts! Of course, nothing will happen.He’s such a smart and capable man.It's not like he hadn't experienced big cities before.I know he'll come home safe and sound"

"Lily? Lily!"

Olivia called out twice before Lily returned to her senses.

"What?"

"You..."

Olivia's gaze dropped as she pointed to Lily's hand.

Lily followed Olivia's gaze and lowered her head, only to find that all the liquid in the dropper she held had leaked out.

Lily hurriedly put the dropper down and got a cloth to wipe her hand.

After that, she put the test tube aside, only for it to fall to the ground with a crisp crack.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1368--Lily stared blankly at the shattered glass on the ground, anxiety rising as though the sharp sound had found its way into her heart.

Then she crouched down to pick them up before Olivia quickly grabbed her.

"Don't! Let me do it!"

"I'm sorry..."

Lily mumbled.

It seemed like she was in a trance.

"What are you apologizing for? This is your studio,"

Olivia joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She noticed Lily's absentmindedness today but did not bring it up or ask any questions.

Once she saw how out of it Lily was, Olivia knew Lily couldn't continue working.

"Go and rest.Leave this to me!" Olivia said, pushing Lily out before she turned to clean up the mess on the floor.

It was fortunate that the contents were merely perfume- making raw materials.

Even if it were broken and scattered, it wouldn't be harmful.

Once she was done cleaning up, she saw Lily sitting on the sofa outside with a calm look.

However, Lily seemed immersed in her phone, scrolling through her messages.

"Has Mr.Russell not replied to you?"

Olivia asked as she walked to the flask on the table and found that it was empty.

Then she turned to boil some water to fill it up.

It was no secret that Alexander was off on a business trip, and Olivia knew about it.

Edward was tagging along as well, so she understood how Lily felt.

"Did Edward call you?" Lily asked.

Oliva shook her head and replied, "I think it should be fine.This is not their first business trip.They're used to flying around like this.Despite this, this trip was a special case.If things were not serious, they would leave early and be back by the evening.This time, it had been two days.Lily knew what Olivia meant, but she still had no idea why she felt so flustered.

Lily's grip on her phone tightened.

There was an unexplainable sense of unease that lingered in her.

"Edward texted me that they had arrived safely.He said that although the incident this time isn't small, it's nothing new.They will check on the situation first, find out the cause of the poisoning, and look into the ones responsible for it.Then they'll figure out how to deal with it and what compensation they should give.They'll come back once that’s settled,"Olivia said.

While waiting for the water to boil, she continued, "Something similar happened here before.When it comes to collective poisoning, be it food or someone who maliciously poisoned the factory, the person in charge must be held responsible unless the perpetrators are found.That way, they will be punished accordingly.These things are complicated.Don't worry too much."

"People are dead," Lily uttered.

Her mood was low, probably because of the deaths related to this case.

When she heard that there were casualties, her heart dropped.

In some cases, there was a drastic difference between the number of deaths and those wounded.

They were still La Beaute Group’s employees, even if she did not know them.

They all had their own lives.

It was natural for her to feel a little unsettled.

Hearing this, Olivia also lowered her eyes and sighed faintly.

At this moment, the kettle clicked.

Olivia then grabbed two sachets of tea and put them in two cups.

After filling them with boiled water, she brought them to Lily and placed them in front of her."Here, this is to calm you down.You're still pregnant.You shouldn't be stressing yourself out."

Lily put one hand on her lower abdomen.She knew that feeling this way would not be good for the baby, but it was not easy to control her emotions.

"Let's talk about something else.I heard that you're helping a chubby girl lose weight?"

Olivia asked in a relaxed tone in an attempt to divert not only Lily's attention but also her own. Lily nodded.

"I suppose so."

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1369--"What do you mean?"

Olivia was a little curious.

After all, it was a yes-or-no question.

"Instead of saying that I'm helping her lose weight, it's more of trying to cure her illness."

When Lily picked up the teacup, there was an anti- scalding cover over it.

It wasn't hot enough to burn her hand, but she felt refreshed when the heat blew against her face.

"Cure her illness?" Olivia asked, a little puzzled.

Then something clicked.

"I get it now. Other things cause obesity. Does it have something to do with her endocrine system?"

To her surprise, Lily shook her head.

"No."

After saying a word, she fell silent again and blew on the tea as if deep in thought.

Olivia did not bug her either. She just found all this a little strange.

After a while, Lily finally spoke.

"I haven't figured it out yet.It's just a wild guess.I'll have to look deeper into it."

"Oh," Olivia responded.

Just as she stretched out her arm to pick up her glass of tea, she saw Lily put hers down and stand up.

"I have to go out for a while."

"Where are you going?"

Olivia was startled and immediately retracted her hand.

"I'm going to look for someone to ask about some things," Lily answered vaguely.

"Don't wait for me.I don't think I'll come back here again.Also, don’t stay here on your own! Go home!"

Olivia saw how rushed she was and let out a blank "Oh."

Coming back to her senses, she quickly chased after Lily, worried.

"You shouldn't be driving! Your emotions are all over the place right now.You shouldn't be driving! Do you hear me?!"

"I know.I'll take a cab!"

Lily took her coat off the rack alongside her bag and thought for a moment before turning back to look at Olivia.

"You should be careful too.Take a cab back.Don't overthink, okay?"

Olivia was dumbfounded.

In this state, Lily was still concerned about her.

In the end, Olivia nodded in reassurance.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Seeing Lily still staring at her, she added, "All right, all right. I'll call a cab back, okay?"

"You have to!" Lily emphasized.

She knew that Olivia was worried about Edward as well.She simply kept it to herself.

In the past few days, it was inevitable for the two women to feel uneasy if they didn't hear from them.

With that, Lily took a cab and went straight to the suburbs.

The journey took so long that she almost fell asleep.

When she arrived, the old man was busy having dinner.

A large pot of boiled pork slices was on the table alongside a bottle of hot sauce and a large bowl of rice.

The room was filled with a delectable aroma.

The older man picked up a piece of meat when he saw her.

He was so surprised that the piece of meat slipped off his spoon.

"What are you doing here?"

He stared at her and subconsciously reached out to protect his food.

"You're not here for my food, are you?"

It had been decided that Lily could come over whenever she wanted and didn't have to let him know in advance.

She went directly to his room because his butler did not announce her arrival.

The old man did not expect her to come at this time.

These days, she appeared to be a regular visitor.

The number of times she came over was almost more than she had spent learning with him over the past few years.

It was a refreshing sight.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1370 --"Aren't I welcome here?" Lily said as she strode in.

"Why, of course, you are. Why wouldn't you be?"

The older man said it with a smile.

"However..."

Seeing how he was protecting his food with his hands, Lily sighed.

"The doctor told me I shouldn't eat spicy food throughout my pregnancy."

"Then you can't have this.I put a lot of peppers in it. Oh my, what a pity!"

He quickly said before returning to his meal with a joyful expression.

Seeing this, she shook her head, speechless.

Who would have thought that the world-famous miracle doctor's favorite thing to do was to eat? On top of that, he was also very protective of his food.He would always be afraid that someone might steal it.

Even after Lily clarified that she was not interested, he would still protect it.

Dominic casually asked as he ate, "By the way, I heard your experiment was a success.

Not bad! You're my apprentice, indeed!"

He was triumphant, with a proud look on his face.

Although outsiders did not know that Lily was his secret apprentice, every achievement she made put a radiant look on his face.

"How do you know?"

As soon as those words came out, Lily remembered.

"Your rotten grandson told you?"

"Bah, what do you mean, my rotten grandson? He's not my grandson!"

He spat as if it were a curse to be associated with Austin.

Dominic shook his head and stuffed another piece of pork into his mouth.

"Although that kid is quite talented..."

He shook his head and swallowed his words.

Lily didn't think much about it.

Dominic had always been eccentric.

He insisted on taking her as his apprentice, saying she was very talented and extensively understood medicinal herbs.

However, her mind was only on conventional scents then, and she refused.

On the contrary, this made him even more determined to get her.

Only after along while did she finally agree.

If people knew how the miracle doctor they desperately wanted to meet was busy trying to convince Lily to become his apprentice, they would be furious.

"Since you love food so much, do you know of herbs that can open up one's appetite?" Lily suddenly asked.

"You don't know the answer to that? Here I was, thinking someone with your comprehension should know as much about herbs as I do," Dominic droned on as he buried his head in the rice bowl.

Then, as if remembering something, he stopped and covered the food with his hands.

"Why? Are you not trying to get your appetite to open up so you can have a few bites? No, no.The doctor said you couldn't have any spicy food.Listen to your doctor!"

Dominic seemed to have forgotten that he was a doctor himself, and not just any doctor—he was a miracle doctor.He was so afraid that Lily might steal his food.

"I'm not going to take your food!" She rolled her eyes helplessly.

"Of course, I know the medicinal properties of the herbs, but is there a possibility for the herbs to harm the body if I put poisonous and non-poisonous herbs together with some food?"

Hearing how she had no intention of eating his food, Dominic felt relieved.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "It can work.

If foods can neutralize each other, medicinal herbs can do the same.

But...did you say putting them together?"

"Will there be that effect if I just put them together? If that's the case, the herbs are powerful! According to what you said, wouldn't we have died long ago, seeing that we have so many herbs planted together?"

Rubbing his neck, he indicated that it was improbable.

"After all, our herbs are all planted in the greenhouse.There are all sorts of herbs there.If they are strong, doesn't that mean we could put a few herbs together and have a new product? "Huh?"

Dominic raised his eyes when he detected a hidden meaning behind her words.

Finally, he put down his utensils and pondered for a moment before saying, "That's not impossible.

What's wrong? Did you stumble upon a new problem during your research?"