Chapter 33: 033 part 1
Not only did Fang Ning discover that the lavender was even more effective than she had imagined, but other buyers also found that after placing the lavender in their homes, their sleep quality truly improved. The situations of tossing and turning for an hour or waking up in the middle of the night due to anxiety were completely gone. They fell asleep almost as soon as they lay down, and even if they couldn’t sleep until dawn, they could get about two hours of deep sleep.
With the body’s need for rest fully met, they became more energetic. This lavender was too magical! It was more effective than specialized medicine.
Thus, in the insomnia communication groups, the saying that “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance’s lavender can treat insomnia” gradually began to spread, garnering widespread attention. Insomnia is often caused by psychological rather than physiological reasons, which is why many patients find that various drugs don’t have significant effects.
But now, someone was actually sharing that “natural lavender can treat insomnia,” and they even attached a sleep quality report. The report showed that after placing the lavender in the bedroom, deep sleep time increased from less than half an hour to two hours, and total sleep duration increased from 1.5 hours to 4.5 hours. It was hard to imagine lavender having such an effect.
In the group, message notifications rang incessantly:
[Does anyone on the same planet want to go in on a bulk order of lavender? After we buy them, we can book a room, send each other our ID cards, and try the effects together. It’s not about the money; it’s that lavender is impossible to snag. I’m at Rainbow Star.] [Me! Let’s snag it together the next time the owner lists stock.] [Anyone on Obsidian Star? Anyone on Obsidian Star want to split an order?]
…
That night, many patients who suffered from insomnia for various reasons found hope and formed teams to prepare to snag lavender together.
Jialan Planet Plant Research Institute
The institute was brightly lit throughout the night. Pot after pot of natural plants grew rapidly in a special filtered environment with the help of technology. From buds to leaves and then to stem growth, everything went smoothly. However, every time they were supposed to bloom, the entire plant would begin to suffer from disease at the top. The tender green would turn withered yellow, spreading down to the roots. Then, in less than a minute, the entire plant would die, becoming a pile of useless trash.
Natural plants were extremely difficult to cultivate, even in an environment with complete facilities like the institute. Even if the most senior researchers handled every step with extreme care, the plants would still die. And such unsatisfactory results were not a minority.
“Researcher Lai, your package is here.”
“Alright, I’ll go get it now.”
The man called Researcher Lai stopped his work. He took off his special protective suit and passed through several layers of custom metal doors to reach the mailroom. The package had been sent to him by another researcher who had been transferred elsewhere and could only send him things by mail.
Lai Ze still wore a gentle, spring-like smile, no different from usual. He was humble and came from a good family, enjoying a good reputation in the institute. He wasn’t surprised to receive a gift.
However, after opening the package and seeing the contents, the pupils of his brown eyes behind his silver-rimmed glasses contracted slightly. The gift was actually a… very well-grown natural plant. The stems were strong, the leaves were emerald green, and the purple flowers at the top were in full bloom, radiating a peaceful fragrance.
“This is… Lamiaceae lavender.”
Lai Ze held the lavender and looked at the card that came with the package, his smile deepening. “It’s a plant from the Starbuy shop ‘Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance.’ Not a plant cultivated by the institute…”
“Interesting.”
Lai Ze headed home with the package in a good mood. He had originally wanted to study the institute’s natural plants for a bit longer, but… something more attractive had appeared.
Unlike other customers who had to try every means to snag a lavender plant, Ye Zhao didn’t need to fight for the new product because he had won the contest.
At 1:30 AM, after finishing his day’s schedule, Ye Zhao and Zhou Zheng returned to their residence. The two collapsed on beanbag chairs together, looking like deflated balloons, not wanting to move at all.
In the next moment, accompanied by Starbuy’s unique spatial fluctuation, a package landed softly on Zhou Zheng.
Zhou Zheng was confused: “My package? I didn’t buy anything…”
Ye Zhao immediately snatched the package away. “It’s my package; it has your name on it.”
“Oh.” Zhou Zheng reached out weakly. “What did you buy? Food? I’m hungry.”
Ye Zhao slapped his hand away. “What food? It’s the lavender I bought.”
Zhou Zheng’s heart skipped a beat. Lavender… why does that sound so much like a natural plant name?
No way, no way… Had Ye Zhao managed to get another natural plant from “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance”?
Ye Zhao tore open the package. Sure enough, accompanied by a pleasant, light fragrance, a plant with blooming purple flowers appeared before them. Ye Zhao’s gaze was completely captured by the plant; he couldn’t look away for a second. The lavender was full of vigorous life—fresh stems, expansive and full leaves, and clustered flowers… everything displayed a unique natural beauty.
Is this lavender? It’s even more elegant than in the photos.
And its scent was incredibly mesmerizing. Unlike the daisy’s scent which was close to earth and wilderness, the lavender’s aroma was long-lasting and tranquil, with a finish of fresh grass. Ye Zhao lowered his head to sniff the purple flowers, lost in the scent for a moment.
Zhou Zheng also sniffed and let his gaze drift to the lavender unconsciously. Hmm… it’s quite pretty, and the smell is quite nice.
Zhou Zheng asked, “You bought it from ‘Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance’?”
Ye Zhao was proud: “Didn’t buy it. I answered correctly in the guessing game; the owner sent it.”
Zhou Zheng: 6 (Impressive).
Ye Zhao waved the lavender in front of Zhou Zheng. “What do you think? Isn’t it beautiful?”
Zhou Zheng was stoic: “It’s just average.”
“Hmph, you have no taste.” Ye Zhao moved the lavender aside and warned, “I’m going to shower and sleep now. I’m warning you: don’t touch my flower.”
Zhou Zheng was dismissive: “Who wants it? I won’t touch it. Go rest!”
After getting Zhou Zheng’s guarantee, Ye Zhao went into the bathroom. Zhou Zheng, left in the living room, looked at the lavender once, then again. He smelled the fragrance, then smelled it again. Within seconds, his eyelids grew heavy.
No, no, shower first then sleep. Zhou Zheng slapped his cheeks to force himself awake, focusing his gaze on the lavender.
Well… there are so many flowers on this lavender. If I break off one tiny flower, it won’t be noticed, right?
Thinking this, Zhou Zheng reached out and carefully broke off a small sprig of lavender, hiding it in his palm. The lavender flowers were small and dense; taking one tiny sprig was indeed hard to spot with the naked eye.
When Ye Zhao came out after his shower, Zhou Zheng acted as if nothing had happened and urged him sternly: “Stop looking at your flower. We have to wake up early tomorrow for a promotion. Go to sleep!”
Ye Zhao then carried the lavender into the bedroom, and Zhou Zheng entered the room opposite while holding the tiny lavender flower. In the dark room, a light fragrance drifted, the scent of lavender bringing peace and sweeping away days of fatigue and worry.
That night, both of them slept exceptionally well. When they woke up the next day, they were both energetic, and the fatigue from continuous promotions was cleared. They felt reborn.
Zhou Zheng looked at his spirited self in the mirror and pondered. Hmm… these natural plants seem useful. I slept so comfortably last night; should I buy one too?
No, no… natural plants are so expensive. I can just mooch off Ye Zhao’s.
Anyway, he won’t notice if I take a flower or two.
It’s decided!
It was another sunny day with clear skies. The deep blue sky had a few white clouds floating by, making one feel joyful. The humidifier Zhu Ran bought, the carrier oil for diluting essential oils, 10kg of soil, and the spiritual sea monitoring device had all arrived.
Zhu Ran first opened the humidifier and the carrier oil, preparing to test the effect of the lavender essential oil on the spot. He added 100ml of purified water to the desktop humidifier and then dropped in three drops of lavender oil. After turning on the humidifier, the device immediately atomized the water, which puffed out of the outlet as mist.
The mist carried a rich lavender scent, stronger than the flowers but not as overpowering as the pure oil. As the mist spread, the entire living room was soon filled with the aroma of lavender, as if surrounded by a large cluster of lavender bouquets—cozy and tranquil.
Zhu Ran sat still and closed his eyes to feel the effect of the aromatherapy. Lavender naturally had the effect of stabilizing emotions, and the oil seemed to amplify this effect, not only calming the mind but also helping the spiritual sea. Zhu Ran could feel his spiritual sea gradually becoming relaxed and stable, indirectly promoting the repair process.
“For now, I don’t feel any side effects, just a bit sleepy.”
“I think this scent is very mild. I wonder if others will find it irritating. I’ll ask Z later.”
Zhu Ran turned off the humidifier, but because the fragrance had already spread throughout the room, the scent would linger for several hours even with the device off.
Zhu Ran then tried mixing the oil with the three grades of interstellar carrier oils. He mixed five drops of oil with 10ml of carrier oil to create a topical massage oil safe for human skin. After blending, Zhu Ran applied the three massage oils to the inside of his wrist and waited fifteen minutes for the results.
He compared them based on absorption, spreadability, and whether they irritated the skin. The result was quite unexpected: the cheapest B-rank carrier oil worked best, and the skin absorbed it more easily.
“It’s likely like the interstellar soil; S-rank carrier oils have expensive synthetic substances added that don’t match well with natural plants, hence the poor effect,” Zhu Ran guessed.
After testing it on himself, Zhu Ran took the equipment and knocked on Z’s door.
“Enter.”
With permission, Zhu Ran opened the door.
“The new product is ready. Assistant, it’s time for you to take the stage.”
Z, recovering from his injuries, was leaning against the bed wearing a loose black silk shirt. Several buttons at the collar were undone, revealing white bandages beneath. His golden hair was unstyled, falling softly over his brow and softening his aggressive aura. Seeing Z like this for several days, Zhu Ran had almost forgotten the deliveryman Z who had been so intimidating at their first meeting.
Zefaer nodded. “Alright. How do you need me to cooperate?”
Recommended Reads
![[ABO] President Shou Is Not a Total Shou](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/the-shou-is-not-a-total-shou-214x300.jpg)
