There was an anatomy class that day. But Leon had already mentioned that, instead of a regular class, they would be heading to the laboratory to observe a cadaver. Hence, they could gain a direct understanding of the human body's organs and tissues. It was just for observation that day; later, they would need to get hands-on experience.

A group of students, dressed in white lab coats, walked toward the laboratory building. Melissa walked alongside Kelly and seemed nervous as she said, “I barely slept last night. I couldn’t stop thinking about today’s class. You should know I…”

That was just how Melissa was. She was afraid of corpses, muscles, horror movies, and…

Kelly had previously inquired about her decision to pursue medicine, especially after that jerk ditched her and decided to major in IT. Melissa had explained that she and her first love had planned to apply to medical school together, but in the end, he left her alone to face the chaos of medical school. Even now, the wall of their dorm still had his name carved into it by Melissa, a testament to her hatred. She also wished that the jerk would never fall sick and need to see her for treatment.

Kelly reassured her. “Someone willing to donate their body for medical research after death must have been a kind person. Someone that kind wouldn’t be malevolent, not when they were alive, and definitely not after they passed away.”

“I know. I understand. I mean no disrespect to the cadaver. If anything, I’m full of admiration. But I’m still scared,” Melissa trembled, her fear evident. She kept muttering anxiously all the way to the entrance of the laboratory building.

Leon was already waiting at the entrance. It was the first time Kelly saw Leon in a white lab coat. His posture was upright, and he gave off an indescribable sense of tranquility. The clean, white lab coat matched his stylish and disciplined personality. A few strands of hair moved gently in the breeze, giving a touch of gentleness to his looks.

The crowd around them gasped in excitement upon seeing Leon. “Your husband is so handsome! Seriously, how do you stop yourself from jumping him?” Melissa whispered.

Kelly wanted to do so as well, but she was in her first trimester. There was no way she could do that…

“You’re a medical student, right? You should know that people aren’t supposed to have sex during the first trimester,” Kelly said,

“Even if you can’t use the main course, at least have a taste of the sides. Don’t you have the desire when Professor [name] looks like this?”

Kelly’s face flashed as she gave Melissa a gentle shove. “We’re about to go in. Be serious.”

Melissa instantly stopped teasing Kelly.

At that moment, Leon announced, “The specimen room was established by the school to help medical students understand the structure of the human body better. But let me make this clear: the cadavers are people who made a selfless contribution to the medical field. We should give them our utmost respect. You are not allowed to take photos or make disrespectful remarks.” Leonard's voice was firm when he said the last sentence. Everyone replied solemnly.

“Good. The smell inside is not exactly pleasant, so put on your masks,” Leon added.

A soft rustling could be heard as everyone put on the masks they had prepared in advance. Leon wore his mask and turned to open the door to the specimen room. The students entered and were instantly quiet. A pungent, unpleasant smell of formaldehyde filled the air. It was used to preserve the bodies and prevent decay.

Kelly’s stomach churned with nausea, but she forced herself to endure it as she scanned the room. The scene was simply awe-inspiring. Behind clear glass panels were preserved specimens, including brains, hearts, lungs, livers, and entire skeletal systems, along with networks of blood vessels in full body displays. There was even a complete torso. It was stripped of skin and fat, showcasing the muscles in stark detail. In another container, just-gestated babies at various stages of development were preserved in solution. What they had only read about in textbooks was now right before their eyes.

Someone couldn't take it anymore and bolted out of the room to vomit. Kelly stopped in front of one of the specimens. That was a mother. Her skin and fat had been stripped away, and her uterus was carefully opened to reveal a tiny fetus. Next to it was a summary of her story. She had died in an accident. Before passing, she had chosen to donate both her body and her unborn child. It was a brave and selfless act. Kelly wondered if she could have done the same; probably not.

With his mask on, Leon’s deep-set eyes and eyebrows were all that could be seen. His gentle, gruff voice was tinged with a kind of mystery.

He finished explaining to a group of students beside a specimen, then his gaze swept across them before falling on Kelly. She had been standing in front of the mother-child specimen for quite some time now.

“Ugh! Kelly, I can’t take it anymore. I need to step outside and get some fresh air.” Melissa couldn’t hold it in any longer and rushed out of the specimen room.

Kelly felt a wave of nausea surging in her stomach because of Melissa’s reaction, but she could still force herself to hold it back. Then, she saw a classmate, Chester Harding, sneakily pull out his phone and point it toward the specimen.

She frowned and questioned, “What are you doing, Chester? The professor has said that we’re not allowed to take photos.”

Chester replied nonchalantly, “Just one picture. I think it’s pretty fun.” He had actually described something serious like this as fun. When she saw that he was about to put his phone away, she stepped forward and grabbed his hand. “Delete the photo.”

Chester was taken aback, for he hadn’t expected Kelly to be this firm. “What’s your problem, Kelly? I didn’t take a photo of you. Why are you sticking your nose into someone else’s business?”

Kelly held his hand tightly and refused to let go. “Delete the photo.”

Chester was slightly annoyed and yanked his hand. “It’s none of your business,” He exerted so much force to free himself from Kelly’s grip. Having been shoved, she was caught off guard. She stumbled backward and was about to fall on her back. Instinctively, she covered her abdomen.