Chapter 5 – Eight Months Ago (3)

After Xu Zhiyi left, Ren Feifei couldn’t help but vent her frustrations to Feng Lingda, a fellow doctoral student under Xu Zhiyi’s supervision.
“Every time I hear her say those seemingly compassionate, humane things, it just makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I heard that she once executed 300 lab mice in a single day. If we go by what she said today, wouldn’t that make her a mass murderer?”

“If you’re so dissatisfied with her, why do you stick with her? Choosing an advisor is like dating—there’s no sweetness in a forced relationship.”
Although Feng Lingda was the same age as Xu Zhiyi, it didn’t diminish his admiration for her in the slightest.

“Everyone knows that only by becoming her student can you get access to the P4 laboratory. Besides, my field is virology and immunology. Is there anyone more suited to guide me than her?”
Ren Feifei pouted slightly. Among the female PhD students, she was considered young and attractive, so she was always popular among her male peers and often liked to make coquettish gestures.

“Now that Zhu Ling can also use the P4 lab, why don’t you work with her instead? She’s an authority in immunology too.”
Feng Lingda idolized the austere, no-nonsense Xu Zhiyi—sometimes he found Ren Feifei’s pampered attitude a bit grating.

“In terms of character, I’d rather work with Professor Zhu Ling, but she’s already 35 and still just an associate professor. Besides, if it weren’t for the renovations in the biology lab, she wouldn’t even have been lent access to the P4 lab. Don’t you see? It’s only when we’re not using it that they get a turn.”
Ren Feifei shrugged and sighed, spreading her hands in a helpless gesture, as if to say the circumstances left her no choice.

“You’d better just stick with the boss. The experiments have been going haywire lately—she’s under a lot of pressure. Don’t show her any attitude, or you’ll get chewed out.”
Feng Lingda tapped his knuckles on the desk.

“Sigh! Just my luck to end up with this kind of she-devil.”
Ren Feifei’s lips drooped.
“We have to start culturing all the cells from scratch again, and tonight’s date with my boyfriend is ruined. Another whole night stuck in the lab in full protective gear…”
She brushed her bangs aside and tapped her forehead with her finger.
“Look, my whole face is so dry it’s peeling. And now it’s winter—no matter how many face masks I use, it doesn’t help. Ugh…”

“Tch, do you know how many people would kill to work under this so-called ‘she-devil’? You’re never able to fully get into experiment mode—that’s really not good for you.”
Feng Lingda scoffed and turned his face away dismissively.

“But I’m in love mode…”
Ren Feifei wasn’t annoyed in the least. Instead, she flashed Feng Lingda a dreamy, love-struck gaze, hummed a cheerful tune, and walked away with a smile.