roccoschili Chapter 258: Developing New Products
Chapter 258: Developing New Products
"Hey, sister, what you said is all well-intentioned." Concubine Shu sighed, pretending to be aggrieved.
Then he walked up to Sister Cen Xiao and said respectfully, "Oh! The famous Dean Cen is here too. I've heard of your name for a long time, and seeing you today, I can see that your reputation is truly well-deserved."
Cen Jiexiao smiled faintly and replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "Your Highness, you are too kind. I only know a little bit and do not deserve such praise from you."
"Dean Cen, I have been feeling unwell recently. Why don't you take a look at it and make a plan for me?" As Concubine Shu said this, she stretched out her slender jade hand. On her wrist was a gold-thread eight-treasure bracelet. It swayed gently with her movements, making her skin look whiter than snow, like the finest mutton-fat jade.
Cen Jiexiao glanced at Concubine Shu calmly and sneered in her heart. It was obvious that Concubine Shu was here to watch the fun. She came here to treat Concubine Li today and had not received any order to treat Concubine Shu. Moreover, Concubine Shu had always been in good health and had no discomfort at all. She said this just to embarrass her.
"Empress Shufei, I have other appointments today, so I'll take my leave now." Cen Jiexiao said, and turned to leave. She didn't want to waste time here and act with Concubine Shufei.
"Dean Cen, what do you mean? Do you look down on me?" When Concubine Shu saw that Sister Cen was about to leave, her face changed and she spoke sternly, her tone full of dissatisfaction and threats.
Cen Jiexiao stopped, turned around, looked at Concubine Shu with a half-smile, and said calmly: "My Lady Concubine Shu, I am only a teacher, not an actor. I have no obligation to act with you."
Concubine Shu ignored Cen Jiexiao and turned to look at Concubine Li.
Concubine Shu covered her face with her silk scarf, unable to hide the smile on her lips. She said delicately, "Oh, Sister Li Fei, please don't be too anxious. The matter of having children depends on fate and cannot be forced."
She paused, a hint of provocation flashing in her eyes.
"As for me, although I am not of high birth, I have at least given birth to a princess for the Emperor."
She paused again, as if deliberately whetting Concubine Li's appetite, "Unlike you, sister..." She deliberately prolonged the ending tone, and the corners of her eyes and eyebrows were full of pride, as if she was showing off her victory.
Concubine Li's face turned from pale to blue, then from blue to purple, and finally to a sullen hue. Anger burned fiercely in her chest. She bit her lip, trying to control her emotions, but ultimately, she couldn't help herself and shouted, "Concubine Shu, stop being so sarcastic! Your princess is a sickly child, constantly sick, and you still have the nerve to show her off!"
Concubine Shu restrained her smile, and her eyes became sharp, shooting straight at Concubine Li like a knife: "Sister, watch your mouth!" Her tone was cold, with a hint of warning.
"But, a sickly person is better than someone who thunders loudly but doesn't bring rain, right?"
She smiled contemptuously.
"Sister, you have served the Emperor for many years, but your pregnancy is still quiet. No wonder the Emperor has rarely visited your bedroom lately."
Concubine Li was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at Concubine Shu's nose with a trembling finger and could hardly speak: "You! You..."
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and then gritted her teeth and said, "Shu Fei, you are just a bitch who was born a singing girl, and you dare to be so presumptuous in front of me!"
"Bitch? You are wrong, sister." Concubine Shu fought back without showing any weakness, her tone full of sarcasm.
"How can the Concubine Shu, who was personally appointed by the Emperor, be considered a bitch? But you, sister, are of noble birth, so what? You still can't have children?" She pressed on step by step, her words were extremely harsh, and every word was like a sharp knife, piercing Concubine Li's heart.
Concubine Li could no longer contain herself, and the rage in her heart erupted like a volcano. She raised her hand and slapped Concubine Shu hard: "You little bitch!" The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the bedroom, and the palace maids were so frightened that they trembled and dared not breathe.
Concubine Shu staggered from the blow, and five bright red fingerprints instantly appeared on her fair cheek. She covered her cheek, a trace of resentment flashing in her eyes, as cold and venomous as a venomous snake: "Concubine Li, you dare to hit me! I will not let you go!"
Rage completely consumed the last vestiges of their rationality. Like two enraged beasts, they tore at each other's hair and clothes. The scene was a scene of utter chaos. Exquisite makeup was smudged, gorgeous clothes were torn, hairpins and rings were scattered all over the floor, and the bedroom was filled with shouting, crying, and struggling.
The palace maids were too frightened to step forward to dissuade them, and could only hide in the corner, trembling, for fear of being caught in the storm. They watched the two ladies wrestling with each other, but were powerless and could only pray silently that the fight would end as soon as possible.
Cen Jiexiao watched all this with a cold eye, sneering inwardly. She was accustomed to the harem's struggles. These women would do anything to win favor, biting each other like mad dogs. It was truly pathetic and ridiculous. She was too lazy to pay attention to these meaningless fights and turned to leave the concubines' bedroom.
Back at Jinxiu Yantang, Cen Jiexiao couldn't wait any longer and rushed straight to the research lab, her mind full of new product development plans. She reviewed the ingredient lists of modern cosmetics and skincare products, muttering to herself, "Hyaluronic acid, ceramide, niacinamide... We need to find suitable alternatives."
She picked up the medical book Liu Renxin had sent her and carefully flipped through it, her brow furrowed at times, her eyes brightening at others, as if she were searching for treasure in the vast world of medicinal herbs. Ginseng, ganoderma lucidum, pearl powder...all sorts of rare herbs flashed through her mind.
"Doctor Liu, what do you think of the combination of Angelica dahurica and pearl powder?" Cen Jiexiao suddenly looked up and asked.
Liu Renxin stroked his beard and pondered for a moment: "Angelica dahurica whitens the skin, and pearl powder brightens it. The combination of the two is indeed very effective, but..."
"Just what?" Cen Jiexiao asked.
"It's just that the medicinal properties are a bit overbearing, so it needs to be balanced with something mild." Liu Renxin replied.
"Licorice, you can try licorice." Sister Cen Xiao had an idea.
The two hit it off and immediately plunged into their new experiment. Mixing and testing again and again, the bitterness of failure intertwined with the joy of success. After countless days and nights, Cen Jiexiao finally found the perfect formula.
"It's done!" she shouted excitedly, with a gleam in her eyes.
Subsequently, they developed several other products, such as the "Qingyan Facial Cleanser" for deep cleansing, the "Snow Skin Cream" with a refreshing texture, and the "Ningzhi Yulu Cream" for anti-aging.
"Ningzhi Yulu Cream, this is a good name." Liu Renxin nodded approvingly.
"Of course, this is my masterpiece." Cen Jiexiao raised her eyebrows proudly.
“It leaves skin feeling creamy smooth and the results are immediate.”
Once the product was launched, it triggered a frenzy of buying by the ladies of Linkang Prefecture and several surrounding towns. The "Ningzhi Yulu Cream" was especially in short supply.