章 11: 10. Tang Shu, you're on the campus forum again!
In the dormitory for third-year female students, as soon as Meng Yunyun returned from the laboratory, her roommate stopped her.
"Yunyun, your photo is on the campus forum again."
The newcomer had no reaction and went straight to placing a stack of research materials she held onto the desk.
"Isn't it uploaded every other day? What's so surprising about that."
As an academic ace in the traditional Chinese medicine department and one of Professor Lin's disciples, photos of Meng Yunyun walking around campus were frequently taken and uploaded by students. She had grown accustomed to this kind of live broadcast of her academic activities.
Today, Professor Lin had assigned a research topic, and while she was still in a fog about it, she planned to stop by the library to look through some material before starting to write.
The roommate directly opened the campus forum and turned the computer around for her to see.
"No, this time someone is comparing you with a freshman, saying she's more beautiful than you. It's so infuriating!"
Meng Yunyun's fingers, which were pinching the documents, paused slightly, and she raised her eyes to the computer screen. Tang Shu's campus photo instantly came into view.
At the same time, she also saw several screenshots from a TV drama.
Meng Yunyun, who was initially somewhat concerned, let her gaze fall and continued to organize the material in her hands.
"She's an actress, it's probably just for hype, creating a persona at the school."
An actress and a medical researcher simply couldn't be mentioned in the same breath.
She didn't have that much spare time to care about a star's trivial actions.
"I'm heading to the library. Carry on as you please."
After Meng Yunyun's figure disappeared at the dormitory door, the roommate couldn't help but frown.
"So an actress can just trample over others to establish a persona? That junior is far too arrogant. The Medical University is not a place where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come and exploit. Strength is the real king here."
Indignant, she decided to give "Love Tornado" a watch.
The so-called 'know thyself, know thy enemy, and you will never be defeated', right?
***
Five days were enough for Tang Shu to learn almost everything about her freshman year courses.
Aside from some subjects that were somewhat basic, there were still several that held value compared to what the Tang Sect intended to teach.
Beyond attending classes according to the curriculum, the Medicinal Garden had certainly become Tang Shu's favorite place.
The only difference was Master Yu had become Professor Yu.
Moreover, there seemed to be a trend from "Professor Yu" to "teacher."
"Let's call it a day here; it's getting late, go back and rest."
The white-coated Master Yu...
Oh no, Professor Yu took off his thick eyeglasses from the bridge of his nose and waved his hand, intending to shoo Tang Shu out of the laboratory.
This student was something special, to engage in research with such composure, even more steadily than this old man. Truly an eye-opener for him.
If he didn't send people away, he reckoned this student could make the laboratory lights burn all night long.
A word from the wise.
Tang Shu's movement of holding a glass slide paused, but her gaze never left the high-powered microscope.
"Tomorrow is the weekend. You go first, I'll stay and look a bit longer."
Under the microscope, the cells of the Snow Soul Grass appeared in different states. This meticulous research had almost plunged Tang Shu into a frenzy.
She had never imagined that one could understand the medicinal properties of herbs to such a profound degree in this world.
It was simply... entrancing!
Professor Yu habitually pinched his forehead and let out an amused laugh. "I've never seen a freshman who loves staying in the laboratory this much. Are you sure you won't consider joining my team?"
He had countless requests from inside and outside the school asking him to take them on as disciples, all of which he turned down for various reasons. He had not expected that when he finally took a fancy to a good prospect and felt inclined to take on a disciple, the prospect was not interested in him.
Quite unexpected.
Tang Shu shook her head, her hands still moving, as the cells under the microscope divided once again.
"Thank you, Professor Yu, for thinking so highly of me, but I'm still young and not in a hurry."
Rules at Tang Sect have always been strict, and she who was trained in the Tang Sect had always kept that in mind. Even now when she had assumed a different identity, Tang Shu didn't want to take another person as her mentor without the permission of her elders.
Professor Yu's face fell with disappointment as he took off his white lab coat.
"Alright then, I'll ask you again when you're not so young."
Tang Shu: "..."
So, was the focus of your attention on my saying "still young"?
She really wasn't good at understanding modern people's way of thinking.
The laboratories at Medical University occupied a large area, although they were not as vast as the Medicinal Garden, but still quite extensive.
As a leading expert on traditional Chinese medicine in the country, the laboratories under Professor Yu's jurisdiction took up half of the total area.
This elder did not abandon Western medical research simply because his medical skills were inherited from our ancestors; instead, he chose to keep the essence while discarding the dross, combining the two to allow traditional Chinese medicine to play a greater value.
This was something admired by medical practitioners everywhere.
"Please take care on your way out."
"Got it, come over for a meal at the residential compound behind here when you're free. My partner hasn't met you yet and is quite curious."
"Alright."
Tang Shu watched Professor Yu leave until at 9 o'clock in the evening she finally put down her research findings. Her right hand, holding a signing pen, swiftly penned a few lines. She tidied up her things, ready to leave.
Her slender and graceful fingers touched the switch on the electronic door, she passed through the security check with her access card, and Tang Shu's figure disappeared from the laboratory.
When Meng Yunyun came out of the adjacent laboratory, she saw only a slim retreating silhouette.
"Junior Meng, why aren't you leaving?"
"Senior Du, has Professor Yu recently been working on a project with the research group?"
The man who followed out a step later pushed up his glasses, looking somewhat puzzled.
"I don't think so; I haven't heard anything from the teacher. What's up?"
"I just... seemed to see a student coming out of Professor Yu's laboratory, probably from the research group."
Meng Yunyun was sure that the disappearing figure was definitely not Professor Yu.
With a smile, Du An reassured, "Don't worry, if Professor Yu were really starting a new research topic, he would probably discuss it with the teachers first. You know that Professor Yu's students are all working at the national research institutes, so tasks like helping out have fallen to us."
Although they talked about helping out, having the opportunity to participate in Professor Yu's research projects was incredibly beneficial, a chance that every student in the laboratory dreamed of.
"Right, Senior Du makes sense."
The two walked side by side toward the exit, and Meng Yunyun didn't bring up the matter again.
***
Returning from the laboratory, Tang Shu habitually picked up the Big Horse Monkey she got for 9.99, sitting in the girls' dormitory and flipping through books indifferently.
The next instant, someone burst through the dormitory door, and Cheng Ranran's voice, loud enough to almost lift the roof, resounded.
"Shushu! What kind of constitution do you have, to get someone to start a thread about you on the campus forum again!"
The concerned party still had no reaction, but Ye Xiaohui, who was applying a facial mask on the upper bunk, suddenly sat up, clearly excited.
"Wow~ Ran Bao, is there more juicy gossip on the campus forum? Spill it already, I can't wait to have some melon seeds!"
"Ye! Xiaohui! As Shushu's roommate, we should be united against our common foes and not cause internal division!"
"Okay, okay, I got it. I'll help you log in to the forum and scold them together, happy?"
"That's more like it."
"Then you have to tell me what happened this time first. With Tang Shu's honest nature, she shouldn't have provoked any villains, right?"
"Check your phone yourself."
On the other hand, Tang Shu had already adeptly turned on her phone, logged into the school forum, and saw the bold, red font:
[Exposing the Sly Tactics of the White Lotus Junior]
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