Her Final Experiment: Their Regret

Chapter 1

"Luna, do you realize your mistake?"

Russell Fisher's voice snapped Luna Hayes out of her thoughts, and her gaze slowly focused on the face in front of her.

Wasn't she dead? She'd died in the second year after her mentor sent her to prison. There, depression prompted her to crash into the wall and end her life.

How was she now opening her eyes again and seeing Russell, her senior in school?

Luna blinked with her sore and uncomfortable eyes.

Was she seeing things again? Was she imagining that Russell was here to take her out of prison?

"We understand that you want to join Professor Hanley's research team, but that doesn't justify you slandering Mia.

"Do you know that because of you accusing her of plagiarizing your thesis, she got depressed and hasn't been to school for days? If this continues, you'll just end up driving her to her death. Since when were you this cruel?"

Upon seeing that Luna remained unmoved, Russell grew irritated and slammed the cup in his hand onto the table.

The crash of the cup against the table finally made Luna react.

It seemed like this wasn't just her hallucination. She was indeed seeing the same Russell from ten years ago.

So, she'd been reborn to a decade earlier.

Currently, she was in her senior year at Velmora Medical School. She'd just taken the entrance exam for Wilson Hanley's medical research team too. She'd entered the final selection stage by achieving the highest score in the written exam.

Coincidentally, Mia Monroe's thesis for the final assessment had almost the same approach as hers. Their research methods and ideas aligned perfectly.

Luna didn't believe that there was such a coincidence. But just as she began investigating, whispers of Mia's plagiarizing somehow began circulating in the circle.

Wilson's research topic was a domestic first, and the research team was the top in the country.

Among the previous team members were Luna's five seniors. They'd been working with her since her sophomore year. The group of six not only helped each other in studies but also took care of Luna in her daily life.

She'd long considered them family, but ever since Mia joined, everything changed. Luna didn't know when, but all the care and help soon shifted toward Mia. Even Wilson, who'd always praised Luna for being diligent, began treating Mia differently.

After the plagiarism rumors spread, her five seniors believed that Luna was the one who'd started them. Even the team's professors had angrily accused Luna of it.

Luna admitted that she hadn't been able to like Mia after what'd happened. In fact, she'd always tried to outdo Mia and hoped to win back everyone's attention. But she'd never slandered Mia nor spread such rumors!

Russell softened his tone and said, "You've made a grave mistake. Professor Hanley said that as long as you apologize to Mia in front of the entire school, he won't press charges. He'll also explain to the school and have your punishment lifted.

"But if you remain stubborn and continue to slander Mia, the punishment will be the least of your worries. You might even be expelled."

"Fine. I'll apologize." Luna indifferently looked up at Russell.

Russell was one year older than her and had grown up in the countryside like her. He was the first senior she'd met out of the five of them. They'd known each other for four years now.

Luna had assumed that given their mutual understanding, Russell would trust her and not think she was fabricating things out of thin air. But she never expected him to be the first to persuade her into apologizing!

Russell's mouth fell slightly agape, and he found Luna's expression a little strange. From what he knew of her, she wasn't one to apologize so easily.

Still, an apology was a good thing, and he didn't think too much about it.

"It's settled then. I'll tell Professor Hanley while you hurry up and write an apology letter so you can read it in front of the school tomorrow," he said.

Luna's lips curled into a sarcastic smile.

Now that she'd been reborn, she knew that those rumors had been spread by Mia herself. She was playing the victim card to drive a wedge between Luna and the seniors and professors!

Her so-called depression was nothing but a carefully crafted facade to manipulate the seniors' sympathy.

But now, none of that mattered anymore. What truly got Luna thinking was how Mia had managed to steal her thesis without anyone noticing.

In her past life, Luna had refused to apologize, and things escalated. When the school intervened in the investigation, they couldn't find any evidence that Mia had plagiarized her paper.

Not only was she scolded by her five seniors for being heartless, but she also received a disciplinary record. That led to many companies not wanting to hire her after graduation.

This time around, someone else would take that disciplinary record. She wanted no part of it.

By the next morning, Luna had prepared herself to publicly apologize and left her dorm with her backpack on.

Along the way, people were muttering behind her back.

"Look. That's Professor Hanley's only female student. She was jealous of the campus belle and spread rumors that the latter plagiarized her paper."

"She's just relying on her good grades to get the attention of the five seniors in our faculty. Who would've thought that Mia, who'd just transferred in, is not only on par with her academically, but is also beautiful and kind-hearted?"

"Look at her ugly face. She's not even fit to be compared to Mia. I wonder why the five seniors are still protecting her."

"Who said that? Haven't you heard? This time, they're all on Mia's side. It was Wyatt's idea for her to make an official apology."

So, it was Wyatt Dalton's idea!

Luna softly sneered and quickened her pace to leave. She'd just reached the field when she ran into Kevin Dorsey approaching her.

Kevin was in his first year of graduate school. Back when she'd just entered her senior year, she struggled with some major courses. It was Kevin who handed her the well-organized notes and helped her pass the exams.

When he was preparing for the graduate entrance exams, Luna had also helped him with research and found him some reference books. All in all, she never owed the seniors anything!

Kevin looked at her with a trace of disappointment. "I'd always thought you were kind-hearted. Who would've thought you'd do such a despicable thing for this assessment? Fortunately, Mia was kind enough not to hold it against you.

"You don't realize what you've done to her. She's lost weight, and she looks haggard. Her big, watery eyes don't even shine anymore. Yet, she's still concerned about you. She even pleaded to the professor on your behalf to spare you from a public apology.

"You need to have a conscience. When you see her later, make sure to apologize. Understood?"

Luna lowered her eyes and muttered, "I understand. I'll apologize properly."

"You shouldn't have acted so vain if you'd known this would happen." Kevin wanted to reprimand her a little more, but when he saw Luna lowering her head and looking like she was genuinely admitting her mistake, he suddenly felt a little heartbroken.

Over the years, Luna had always been well-behaved and thoughtful. They'd all seen her pursuit of academics and appreciated her effort and determination. However, to see her go so far as to plagiarize to secure a spot was truly disappointing!

Kevin led Luna into Wilson's office.

Chapter 2

In Wilson's office, all the members of the research team were present.

When Luna entered, everyone's expression turned sour. Only Mia stood up with a smile and stepped forward to greet her, saying, "Luna, you're here!"

"I'm here to apologize to you." Luna calmly dodged Mia's outstretched hand. She wasn't as scheming as Mia and couldn't bring herself to be warm and friendly to someone she disliked.

Mia awkwardly stepped back as if she was frightened. "Are you still doubting me?" She looked pitiful and on the verge of tears. "But I swear I didn't plagiarize your thesis. If you don't trust me, you can report it to the school and get them to investigate."

But Luna lowered her head, looking even more aggrieved than Mia did. "I said I'm here to apologize. Though I'm confused by the similarity between our theses, I never planned to report you or bring it up to anyone."

The others, whose expressions had darkened after Mia's comment, suddenly realized something—the Luna they knew wasn't the talkative type. She barely had any friends at school, and most of the time, she buried herself in the lab or hung around them. She'd only ever mentioned this incident to them.

Wyatt's expression softened a little as his gaze landed on Luna. "I believe you didn't do it on purpose, but you did hurt Mia. If you hadn't insisted on investigating, no one would have spread rumors of plagiarism.

Having you apologize to her isn't too much to ask."

Wyatt was the most academically accomplished in the team. He was the top student and the most handsome guy in the school too.

Back then, aside from their major being the mainstream in the medical school, Wyatt was part of the reason she'd chosen it.

He'd used to be her idol, but not anymore.

"It really isn't much," another senior, Ethan Stevens, chimed in. "Like Wyatt said, I believe you didn't mean it, Luna. Mia is soft. Just talk nicely to her, and we can all still be classmates."

Luna found it ironic. Mia was never soft, but she couldn't say that out loud. So, she went on with their words and said, "You're right, Ethan. I'll talk to her nicely."

"I'm sorry, Mia. It was wrong for me to hurt you, and I sincerely apologize. Can you forgive me?" Luna said.

Mia hadn't expected things to go this way. Luna was always stubborn and uncompromising. She'd dig deep once she suspected something. So, why was she letting it go this time?

As for the seniors, she had emotionally manipulated their feelings and carefully chosen words to imply to them that Luna had suspected her. Why were they still siding with Luna?

But then again, Mia had heard that before she transferred, Luna had worked with them in the same research team for years.

Humans developed bonds over time. Naturally, driving a wedge between them wasn't going to be easy.

Mia smiled at Luna. "I never blamed you, so there's nothing to forgive. Look, Professor Hanley, Luna couldn't have meant to hurt me. Don't be too hard on her." She sat down beside Wilson. Her voice was soft and sweet, as if she were acting coy.

"Even if she didn't mean it, she still did you wrong and should be punished for that.

"Luna, what do you think your punishment should be?" Wilson asked, casting Luna a displeased glance.

He used to think that she was an obedient, diligent, and promising student. But now, he felt like he'd misjudged her.

No matter how excellent Luna's academic record was, it was unacceptable that her character was flawed. She had to be punished to learn a lesson so she wouldn't slander others again.

Luna had always wondered why everyone trusted Mia so easily. But after being reborn, she figured it might be because Mia was pretty and adorable.

She had to admit defeat in that aspect, so she complied and said, "I'll accept whatever punishment you decide on, Professor Hanley."

"Our research is about to begin. Your punishment is to categorize and organize all the materials so they'll be easier to access during the study."

Wilson then waved and signaled them to leave.

With that, everyone got up and walked out, with Luna walking in the middle.

The punishment Wilson mentioned reminded Luna of her previous life. Back then, she'd received a disciplinary record and was kicked out of the team. To make up for everything, she voluntarily applied to help organize the research materials.

It had taken her a whole month. She also often ate only one meal a day and spent late nights in the resource center. As a result, she developed stomach issues and fell behind in many courses.

In the end, no one acknowledged her effort. They even blamed her for not organizing the data thoroughly enough, saying that she made it inconvenient for reference.

What a bunch of ungrateful ingrates! Even now when she was reborn, she was assigned the same pointless task again!

"Luna, let me help you. The professor won't know as long as I don't say anything," Mia whispered as she caught up and clung to Luna's arm.

"That's her punishment. Why are you helping her?" Kevin stepped in and dragged Mia away.

Russell looked at Mia and turned to tell Luna, "Don't worry. Compared to getting a disciplinary record, organizing some files is light punishment."

"I understand. Thank you, Russell." Luna smiled and quickly caught up to Mia.

"Mia, I got so caught up in apologizing that I forgot I prepared a gift for you," Luna said as she took out a delicate box from her bag.

Everyone paused and gathered around when they saw it.

"That's the medal Wyatt gave you?" Trevor Thorpe exclaimed.

Russell added, "I remember that this was from Wyatt's first medical competition. He won the grand prize and treasured this medal a lot. He gave it to you just to help you feel better."

"Yeah. I'd just joined the team back then and got scolded by Professor Hanley after failing an experiment. Wyatt gave me this medal to cheer me up.

"He said this medal would bring me luck, and it did. From that day onward, everything started going well for me, and I never failed another experiment.

"Mia, I heard this incident made you really upset and made you feel depressed. I believe that if you take this medal, you won't feel down again. This is Wyatt's certified lucky charm, after all."

Mia did want the medal, but not just because of its value. Rather, it was because it was Wyatt's, and it was also his first medal from a competition.

Firsts were always the most precious. Luna shouldn't own something so meaningful, and she didn't deserve to have anything from Wyatt either.

But since Wyatt had given it to Luna, Mia couldn't accept it in front of him!

"This was a gift from Wyatt. I can't take it," she said as she pushed Luna's hand away.

Chapter 3

Luna glanced at Wyatt and stuffed the medal into Mia's hand. "I heard that the public apology was Wyatt's idea. He must have been really worried about you.

"It's just a medal, so surely he wouldn't mind using it to cheer you up. Right, Wyatt?" Luna even smiled at him for once.

To Wyatt, that smile was piercing—Luna was blaming him for making her apologize.

But this whole thing was clearly her fault! How could she be so petty?

What did she mean by just a medal? That was the very first medal of his life. He'd been full of joy when he gave it to her back then. But now, all he felt was regret.

Luna didn't appreciate anything he'd done for her. He'd once treated her like his most cherished junior and had helped her with everything. Now, it all felt like his efforts had been in vain.

"Luna, you really are something!" Wyatt snatched the medal back from her.

But Luna didn't care in the slightest. She feigned surprise. "Oh? Don't you want to use it to cheer Mia up? I thought you'd be happy I did this."

"Seeing a present you gave be re-gifted to someone else? Of course, he wouldn't be happy. How could you not even understand something that basic?" Mia pouted.

"But you're not just anyone. You're the most cherished, youngest member of our team. How could Wyatt not want to give it to you?" Luna blinked innocently.

"Of course I'd want to give it to her." Embarrassment and anger flashed through Wyatt's usually gentle expression. He then shoved the medal into Mia's hands. "Mia, make sure you keep this medal safe. Don't lose it like some people who don't understand basic gift-giving etiquette."

With that, he stormed off.

As soon as Wyatt left, Mia's expression darkened. Though she had wanted that medal for a long time, getting it this way felt ironic and unsettling.

She'd underestimated Luna. The fact that Luna had dared embarrass Wyatt meant that she was testing his limits and risked getting kicked out of the team.

"There, there… Why'd you offend Wyatt again? Are you still going to work on research?" Russell glared at Luna in disappointment.

Luna sighed. "He cares so much about Mia, and I thought he'd be happy. How was I supposed to know he'd be so mad?

"I'm sorry, Mia. I didn't think Wyatt would refuse to give it to you… Oh well, he's agreed now. He must've decided to give it to you." Luna then turned around and walked away without looking back.

Mia wanted to sow discord, so she figured she could do the same.

The team watched as Luna decisively left and exchanged glances. In their minds, the usually quiet and research-focused Luna somehow felt a little different now.

…

The next day, Luna went to the research center. However, instead of obediently storing all the research materials like she did in her past life, she intended to change her major.

Medical school was five years long, and she was in the second semester of her fourth year. It was far too late to switch majors now, but the thought of graduating in this field disgusted her.

There was nothing wrong with this major, and it was the mainstream major at the medical school too. But the problem was that she'd offended the top students in the most competitive field. If she stayed in the team, she'd only suffer.

She didn't want to get reborn just to go through that hell again. Plus, she knew where this research theme was headed, so there was no need to waste her time here.

Besides, only by leaving could she uncover the truth behind Mia's schemes and all the unanswered questions from her past life.

But the question of what major she should switch to placed Luna in a dilemma.

She spent the entire afternoon flipping through almost every book related to every major in the research center. But she couldn't find one that was both easy to pick up and doable to graduate from in a year.

Just as she was about to leave and come back the next day, she'd turned too quickly and bumped into a desk.

The guy sleeping on the desk was startled awake by the bump, and the book under his arm fell to the ground.

Luna was startled too and quickly picked up the book. She apologized, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. You…" Her eyes fell on the cover, and her apologies came to an abrupt halt. "Acupuncture?"

"Who said you could touch that?" The guy snatched the book from her and walked out of the research center.

"Why would you mess with him? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Ethan suddenly walked in and pulled Luna aside.

Luna shook her head. "I'm fine. It's my fault since I accidentally knocked over his table. He had every right to be mad.

"Ethan, why are you here?"

"Russell and Kevin were supposed to come too, but something came up last minute, so I came by myself. Can't have you sort through all this by yourself, can I?" Ethan said as he handed her a lunchbox.

Luna took the lunchbox without hesitation. Compared to how cold they'd been to her in her past life, their attitude now was much better since she'd apologized to Mia.

She knew all of this was built on that apology. In other words, it was all because of Mia and not because they trusted her.

Luna hadn't apologized in her past life. No matter how hard she tried to explain or prove herself, no one had believed her.

Later on, when she was working in the research center, she saw Ethan passing by with a lunchbox. Back then, she'd been so hungry that she was about to faint. She called out to him and asked if she could have his lunch so she wouldn't have to waste time going out.

However, Ethan had spat at her and said that the food was for Mia. Someone like her with no morals didn't deserve to eat.

His condemnation and right to reject her of food came down to one simple thing—her refusal to apologize.

Luna opened the lunchbox and pulled herself out of her thoughts. "Thanks, Ethan. I'm starving."

She then found a corner to eat while her thoughts lingered on the medical book.

Acupuncture studies? It might actually be worth learning.

If she remembered correctly, it was the least popular major in their medical school. Traditional treatment had fewer job placements, and there were even fewer licensed acupuncturists.

Hardly anyone picked that major. But it had the advantage of being simpler compared to other majors. Plus, it had fewer students, so the professors had more time.

If she decided to start learning acupuncture, she would have better access to help.

It seemed she needed to spend time learning more about it.

"What were you thinking about? I called you. Didn't you hear?" Ethan walked over and asked.

Luna looked apologetic and replied, "I was thinking about earlier. Ethan, do you know the guy whose book I knocked over?"

"You mean Rhett Wilder?" Ethan replied with a look of disdain.

Luna blinked. "So that was Rhett?"

There was a rumor in their faculty that there were two school hunks, each representing the light and the dark.

Wyatt was the light in the dark while Rhett was the dark fog of the night.

"He doesn't get along with Wyatt and is way too gloomy. You'd better stay away from him," Ethan warned her.

Chapter 4

Luna scoffed. Since Wyatt was at odds with Rhett, she wanted to get closer to the latter all the more.

She tossed the lunchbox into the trash and planned to search for more books on acupuncture.

Ethan was annoyed to see her ignore him and said, "I was talking to you. Didn't you hear me? You upset Wyatt this morning. Don't do anything else that'll upset him more."

Luna nearly laughed in exasperation. In her past life, she'd never done anything that they didn't like because she cared too much about their opinions and would do anything to please them.

But now, all she cared about was her feelings and would only do what pleased herself.

"I'll leave the materials downstairs to you, Ethan. I'm going upstairs to take a look." Luna barely acknowledged Ethan, gave him a cool glance, and went upstairs.

Her indifference stunned him. Through all his years of knowing Luna, she'd never looked at him like that.

Was she still mad about being forced to apologize that morning?

Hadn't she always cared about Wyatt's feelings? He was simply kindly reminding her, so why wasn't she being grateful?

With a cold snort, Ethan turned and left the resource center.

When Luna came back down with the books she'd been searching for, she wasn't the least bit surprised to see the empty room.

Ethan had always been selfish. With his mediocre background and ability, he had to rely on sucking up to Wyatt to stay in the team.

Back when she was the team's youngest, most pampered member and Wyatt favored her, Ethan constantly used her to speak well of himself. Even when his failed experiment had almost ruined the project, she'd begged Wyatt and Wilson to let Ethan stay.

But when she was framed by Mia and fell out with the team, Ethan was the first to stab her in the back.

Luna scoffed. If Ethan couldn't handle even the slightest indifference from her, what would he do when she returned every hurtful thing he'd done to her, one by one?

After that, Luna dismissed Ethan's behaviour and left the resource center. All the while, she was unaware that a pair of cold, furious eyes had been watching her from behind.

Ethan had assumed that once he stormed off, Luna would frantically call him to apologize and beg for help. There were a lot of materials in the resource center, and she couldn't possibly sort them all alone.

But to his shock, she didn't come looking for him at all and simply left the room.

This wasn't like the Luna he knew.

Could this be her true self? Had the obedient, docile lady just been a facade?

As if he'd discovered a massive secret, Ethan headed to the male dorm. "Just you wait, Luna. I'll strip away your mask and get justice for Mia!"

Wyatt had suggested that Luna apologize to Mia, so that clearly meant he cared about Mia the most. So, if he could please Mia, Wyatt would definitely be glad too.

Ethan had planned to persuade Luna to apologize to Mia so that they could mend things. That way, he'd have two people win his favor with Wyatt. But Luna didn't know what was good for her and ignored his advice, so he would not show mercy!

…

Luna returned to the dorm and stuffed her laptop into her bag before leaving. Just before she did, she told her dorm mate, "If anyone comes looking for me, just say I'm sick and went to the hospital."

After that, she did go to the hospital.

As Luna carried her backpack, she headed to the acupuncture department of Velmora's Holistic Traditional Medicine Hospital, which was affiliated with their medical school.

She'd checked the school's website and knew that Erin Wilder, who taught acupuncture, would be there today supervising outpatient training.

However, before she even reached the department, she ran into Erin in the hallway. She called out, "Professor Wilder—"

But Erin cut her off and said, "You're late. Get changed and come with me to the treatment room."

Luna had heard that final acupuncture trainings were mostly hands-on. Students doing local internships would follow professors on their outpatient rounds and learn through live cases.

Luna didn't explain herself. Instead, she simply followed the others into the changing room.

Compared to Wilson, whose practical sessions were followed by dozens of students, Erin's group seemed sparse. There were just three interns, including Luna. The other two were a man and a woman respectively.

"Prepare the tools," Erin said after putting on her mask.

Luna didn't know what tools to prepare and had to quietly assist the woman, Suzie Hoffman. Luna only knew Suzie's name because she'd noticed the intern ID badge while changing her clothes earlier.

"First time here? Which professor recommended you? I don't recall Professor Wilder saying we'd have a new intern today. What's your name?" Suzie handed Luna a set of silver needles to disinfect.

Luna glanced at Erin and was relieved to see that she wasn't paying attention to them. She sighed slightly and said, "Luna Hayes."

"Luna Hayes? That name sounds familiar. Have we met before?" Suzie gave her a second look.

Luna tensed up. "Acupuncture is my second major. This is my first time here, and I came out of admiration. I don't think we've met."

"Is that true? I feel like—"

Halfway through Suzie's words, she was cut off by Erin, who was heading toward the treatment room with disinfected silver needles.

"What are you blabbering about? Get in here. Today's patient has a serious condition, and the acupuncture session will take some time. I want you all to pay attention."

Suzie stuck her tongue out behind Erin's back. Then, she grabbed Luna's arm and whispered, "Don't be scared. Professor Wilder might seem stern, but she's actually the nicest out of all the professors in the school.

"You made the right choice picking this major. Since there aren't many students, fewer get to intern locally. You'll get hands-on guidance from her.

"Once your internship ends, you'll be ready to treat patients independently. By the time you graduate and get a formal position, it'll be an official physician status.

"Compared to other majors, where new doctors have to spend a year or two assisting professors, our pay and workload are way better…"

"Hmph!" A disdainful snort interrupted her.

It came from the male intern. He'd been wearing a mask the whole time. Luna couldn't see his face or ID badge, so she had no idea who he was.

"If she's really interested in this major, she won't need that sales pitch," he said, glancing at Luna. Then, he continued, "The school didn't say we'd have a new intern today. If you're in the wrong place, you'd better leave now. Professor Wilder is kind, and she won't blame you if you go."

"Rhett, are you crazy!" Suzie yanked at him.

Luna was briefly stunned.

So, he was Rhett! That gave her more reason to stay!

She was about to speak when Erin said, "Rhett's right. If you're in the wrong place, I won't hold it against you if you leave.

"But if you stay and fail today's assessment after the session, I'll punish you!"

Chapter 5

Luna had made up her mind to change her major.

Among all the options she'd carefully considered, acupuncture was the only one she felt confident she could smoothly graduate from. So, she couldn't miss the chance.

She gritted her teeth and replied, "I didn't come to the wrong place. Everything I said is true—I did come here because I admire your reputation. I want to learn acupuncture!"

"Come in then." Erin gave her a quick glance. She had her mask on, so Luna couldn't tell if she believed her or not.

Luna nervously entered the treatment room. She thought that although she was changing majors, medical foundations were universal. Over the years, she'd done well in pharmacology and human anatomy, so she should at least be able to follow along.

But when Erin began teaching, she realized how naive she'd been!

What was OT_1? Where exactly was SP 9? Why was lighting incense needed before acupuncture? Why did the needle need to be inserted slowly and carefully into the acupoint instead of hastily?

There were too many things to remember and be cautious about. It was just an hour, but Luna felt like she'd sat through an entire day of theoretical lectures.

Plus, it was the kind where she couldn't take notes, and there would be an assessment after class.

By the time Erin had finished her explanation, a thin layer of sweat had formed on Luna's forehead.

She was terrified of failing the assessment and missing the chance to impress Erin. If that happened, switching majors would be out of the question.

"Well? How much did you remember?" Erin turned to Luna and asked as they were leaving the treatment room.

Suzie worried that Luna was under pressure and chimed in, "It's fine. Just say whatever you remember. Professor Wilder won't scold you since it isn't easy to memorize so much in such a short time."

Luna was moved. She knew that if it wasn't for her, Erin wouldn't have gone into such detail during the practical session. Suzie and Rhett were both majoring in the field, so they'd long memorized all the theoretical knowledge, acupoints, and pharmacology.

Her memory from her past life was right—Erin was indeed a good teacher. Compared to Wilson's constant yelling, Erin was much more patient during practical sessions.

A warm feeling rose in Luna's heart, and she became even more determined not to let them down.

"There were two acupuncture sets. The acupoints in the first set were OT_1, LI 4, GV 24, ST 40, HT 7, LI 11, ST 44, LR 3, ST 36, SP 9, and GV 20.

"The acupoints in the second set involved KI 3, HT 7, KI 7, LI 11, BL 26, LI 4, BL 24, and ST 28.

"The calming incense burned before acupuncture contained patchouli, cinnamon, lavender, and wood. Those are the ones I could recognize by smell."

After speaking, she looked at Erin nervously and asked, "Professor Wilder, did I get it right?"

"Are you saying you identified the herbs in the calming incense by smell? Is that true?" Erin was surprised.

Luna firmly nodded. "In my sophomore year, I took an elective course in pharmacology. I studied hard for it because I wanted to compete in the school's pharmacological theory contest and win the prize money."

"Oh, no wonder your name sounded familiar. You were the one who beat me by taking first place in the championship and that 50-thousand-dollar prize money, right?" Realization dawned on Suzie.

Luna looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Suzie. I really needed that money back then."

"Why apologize? You earned it yourself. It's not like I could've taken it from you." Suzie patted her shoulder and seemed unbothered.

Erin let out a soft snort. "You're proud even after losing, aren't you? If I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to bring it up."

"Exactly. What an embarrassment." Rhett took off his mask and shot Suzie a cold glance.

"Hey! That's—"

Suzie was about to retort when Erin interrupted, "Enough. You two go have lunch. I want to talk to Luna alone."

Luna stiffened. It seemed like Erin had heard everything and knew that she hadn't been sent here by the school.

"Don't be scared. If you're really interested in learning, tell her the truth. If that doesn't work, act cute a little. You're pretty, so she's bound to say yes." Suzie winked at Luna before getting dragged away by Rhett.

Now, only Erin and her were left in the room, and Luna felt the nerves creeping back in.

"I'm sorry I lied, Professor Wilder. I wasn't assigned here as a school intern. Before this, I'd never even taken your class."

Erin gestured for Luna to take a seat. "You did take pharmacology, didn't you? That still counts as attending one of my courses.

"Don't be nervous. Few students choose this major, and I'm always willing to teach if someone truly wants to learn with good intentions.

"But that pharmacology contest was two years ago. You said you were a sophomore then, so by now, you should be in the second semester of your senior year. That means you've started your internship, yes?

"At this point, changing majors isn't easy. Why do you want to switch now?"

Luna didn't hesitate to tell the truth. "I failed the exam to join Professor Hanley's research team. That means I'll have to find another internship, which goes against my original plan for that major.

"Instead of settling for something I don't want, I'd rather switch to a field where I can excel!"

Erin nodded. "Professor Hanley is the top domestic expert in his field. If you can't enter his team, it'll be tough to achieve much in that major.

"But this major isn't as simple as you might think. What makes you think you can excel in my field?" There was a brief flash of sharpness in Erin's eyes as she said the last sentence.

Luna knew that if she didn't answer well, she wouldn't just fail to learn acupuncture, she might also offend Erin.

She took a deep breath and sincerely replied, "I'm not saying I'll definitely be the best in this field, but based on my electives over the past few years, acupuncture is my best option if I want to switch.

"Also, I've looked into the future prospects of traditional treatment in the country. If I dedicate myself to the major, I believe I can achieve results that may not be inferior to the students Professor Hanley trains!"

Erin's serious expression cracked into a smile. "You're quite the talker. Are you saying I'm better than Professor Hanley?

"You should know that this is the most unpopular major in the entire medical school. Few people advance to obtain a PhD in this field, but it's a completely different story with Professor Hanley.

"His classes are so in demand that students have to fight to register. Those who enter his team can even go straight to the national research institutes upon graduation.

"You failed the test, but you can always try again. But if you change majors now, there's no going back. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Luna firmly replied, "Yes, I've thought it through. Acupuncture may be niche, but that means fewer students and more chances to stand out.

"There's a reason you're just as well-known as Professor Hanley in our country. I believe I've made the right choice!"

Erin looked at Luna for a moment longer and said, "You can stay, but you'll have to pass the finals before I sign your internship acceptance form."

Luna breathed a small sigh of relief, only to hear Erin add, "You got all the acupoints correct for both sets, which shows good memory and comprehension. For the finals, I expect more than just a passing grade. You need to excel!"

Luna gritted her teeth. "Sure. Starting now, may I stay by your side?"