"I see. It's fine... I was just asking casually anyway." Pan Biya stated, trying to wave off his concern with a reassuring smile.
Even so, despite her best efforts to sound entirely unbothered, the sharp sting of disappointment in her tone was absolutely impossible for her to hide.
"Senior Sister Pan, what exactly is that item used for?" Bai Xifeng asked from her side, feeling somewhat curious about her senior sister's rare herb request.
"Oh... It is an essential ingredient for my new poison research project." Pan Biya explained softly, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought about her stalled work back at the academy. "The unique properties of the leaf are supposed to stabilise the volatile components I am currently experimenting with. Without it, the mixture simply dissolves."
"I see... But doesn't the school's internal resource hall have any in its vaults?" Bai Xifeng asked, tilting her head in confusion.
