The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul
Chapter 937 - 936. Is Xiao Shu also in the research group?

Chapter 937: 936. Is Xiao Shu also in the research group?

The campus was completely quiet during the holiday, even the laboratory building embraced the serenity of the surroundings.

Standing in front of the window on the 10th floor, Tang Shu looked down upon the entire teaching building and the connected artificial lake, seeing only a few gardeners coming out from the residential quarters to take a stroll.

The increasingly pungent smell of medicine lingered at the tip of her nose in the lab, as the bubbling from the sand pot brewing herbs snapped everyone back to reality.

"Professor Yu, the components of pill number 7 have been analyzed. The medicinal effect of the stem of the Full Moon Plant is 25 percent lower than that of its leaves."

"That much? Increase the dosage, change the medicine intake from the original 2 grams to 5 grams, and try again."

"Okay, Professor."

The spacious laboratory was occupied by a dozen people going to and fro, with Meng Yunyun and others portioning out the concocted decoction and proceeding with the next round of medicinal efficacy testing following the previous steps.

Tang Shu held a few gray finished pills and placed them into the porcelain vase, putting down the processing tools in her hand and stood up, walking towards the Chinese medicine room with shelves in four rows.

Just as she finished her work and turned around, she saw Du An, wearing the same white lab coat, entering the room empty-handed.

"Tang Shu, are the pill number 9 done?"

"Just finished, placed on the second level of section A. Does Senior Du need them?"

"I’m going to mark them for Professor Chen. Also, I’ve compiled the data for formulas 3 and 9, should I send it to your email?"

"Yes, please, thank you, Senior."

"You’re welcome, and..."

With one hand, Du An adjusted the metal frame of his glasses on his nose and looked at the watch on his left wrist, his tone becoming much more casual.

"I heard from Qianyu that you’re having dinner at their place tonight?"

Immersed in a myriad of medicinal herb names, Tang Shu was momentarily startled before regaining her composure.

"Yes, I haven’t visited Uncle Xu for a while and thought I’d drop by during the holiday."

With a smile, Du An said, "I’m going there tonight as well, I drove today, so let’s go together later."

"...Thank you, Senior."

"We’re all family, no need to thank me. I heard that Xu Qianyun mostly stays at your place on weekends, he must have been quite the handful, hasn’t he?"

"Not really."

Tang Shu picked up a hint of affection in his voice. Was the future son-in-law of the Xu family so concerned about his brother-in-law, or was it... perhaps Qianyu who was the more concerned sibling?

Taking some processed herbs off the shelf, Du An nodded to her and left the medicine room in less than two minutes.

As Tang Shu watched him leave, she thought about the arrangements she had agreed to and took out her cellphone from her pocket, sending a message to Jing Yu – who was doing a part-time job as a driver and chef during the holiday.

He seemed to be genuinely unoccupied with other tasks as he responded quickly.

[Jing Yu]: "Send my regards to Aunt Lin, and I will pick you up at the Xu family’s place tonight."

[Tang Shu]: "Okay."

"Xiujing, pass me the electronic scale, Xiujing?"

Outside the medicine room, a tall girl was pulled back from her wandering attention by several calls and passed the closest weighing tool at hand.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought."

"No problem, working overtime during the holiday... indeed feels a bit inappropriate, right?"

The sunny-looking boy across smiled broadly, showing his understanding of their current situation.

"But you can’t deny, quietly staying in the lab is also a form of enjoyment. You must know that the research on the Full Moon Plant could potentially be a groundbreaking event."

"...You’re right."

Zeng Xiujing replied absent-mindedly, her thoughts still lingering on the scene she had witnessed earlier, her delicate brows growing increasingly furrowed.

This somewhat unpleasant mood persisted until 6 p.m., when Professor Yu announced that work was over and everyone could go home to rest, and people began to leave one after another, wrapping up their tasks.

And as she walked out of the research building, a pricey coffee-colored business vehicle drove past her, and through the faintest glimpse, she saw the two people seated in the driver’s seat and the passenger’s seat.

So, what she saw in the lab earlier was not an illusion? Du An and Tang Shu were not just simple classmates.

***

At the Xu Family’s home, Aunt Zhang had prepared a table full of sumptuous dinner, with people seated around in the dining room on the first floor of the villa.

Besides the Xu family members, Du An, the future son-in-law, and Xu Qianyu were sitting side by side, while Tang Shu was pulled over by Xu Qianyun to sit next to her.

Because of the arrival of the two, Xu Chengfeng looked very happy. This business luminary, who had been a force to be reckoned with in the business world for over two decades, knew exactly how to engage the youths in interesting topics.

"Today your Uncle Qin mentioned that Xu’s has secured the engine order. Qianyu, you’ve worked hard these past months."

"Dad, this is what I should do."

"With you in the company, I can rest assured. After all these years, I finally have some time to relax."

"You can spend more time with Aunt Lin, but I still lack experience, so I’ll need to trouble you in the future."

The father and daughter quickly concluded a summary of their recent work in just a few words.

"If there’s anything you don’t understand, just discuss it with Xiao An. Where would you need me? By the way, Xiao An, I heard from your father that you’ve been busy with a research project recently?"

When Du An was called upon, he joined the group conversation, "Yes, the Medical College recently discovered several rare medicinal herbs that had never been seen before..."

Seated across the dinner table, Xu Qianyun felt bored and started whispering to Tang Shu about various interesting events at school.

"Junfeng has been in a bad mood lately, sis. Are you sure you’re going to stay at Palm Pavilion during the holidays?"

Tang Shu glanced at him; her naive little brother had the words "I plan to take my friends to the gym to vent our emotions" written all over his face.

"You can go whenever you want. Why is he upset? Isn’t he with you over the holidays?"

Qu Junfeng was an orphan, and it was precisely for this reason that he had ended up as a street thug in the past.

"Oh, he and his third girlfriend have broken up."

"..."

Already the third girlfriend, and still not used to such frequent breakups?

Just as Tang Shu was about to express her disbelief, several pairs of eyes from around the dinner table converged on her, some of which were hard to ignore.

"What’s wrong?"

Xu Qianyun, looking bewildered by the shocked and incredulous glances her way, had yet to swallow the spareribs in her mouth.

Xu Chengfeng cleared his throat and remained composed, "Xiao An mentioned, Shushu, that you’re also part of the research group at the Medical College?"

"Yes, as a team member, um... most of the team members in the research group are students at the Medical College."

"That’s not the same thing at all, Junior Sister Tang is being too modest. Most of us are masters or Ph.D. students, and you’re the only undergraduate in the group."

Du An, Meng Yunyun, and others had already advanced to the ranks of graduate students; indeed, Tang Shu was the only exception in the research group composed of ten students.