Chapter 140: Wen Mubai vs. The Eldest Cousin

Having obtained the answers she sought, Tang Banxia stopped wandering and returned to her living quarters.

No sooner had she arrived than her golden needles were delivered to her by Xu Sheng. It seemed that Xu Sheng was the one assigned to handle her miscellaneous affairs. After checking that the needles were indeed hers, she set them aside.

Shortly thereafter, the person Xiao Haiyang had mentioned arrived to collect her. She followed him to the edge of the village, boarded a jeep, and drove into the mountains. About an hour later, the vehicle came to a stop.

Her guide led her into a mountain cave, which was spacious and dry, wide enough for two people to walk side by side. After a short walk, the path opened up into a cavern. The chamber was over ten meters long and seven or eight meters high, divided into several smaller alcoves. Tang Banxia could see people inside these alcoves, busy with their work.

Her guide pointed to one of the empty alcoves and said, "Professor Tang, that is your laboratory. There are virus samples inside. If you need anything, just let me know; I am responsible for everything you need within the lab."

Tang Banxia nodded to show she understood and walked toward her designated laboratory. Once inside, she realized that despite being in a cave, it was fully equipped with petri dishes, microscopes, sealed canisters, and everything else she might require.

Her attention was immediately drawn to a test tube of blood on the table. Unlike normal blood, this sample was a deep, dark red, bordering on black, and it looked quite ominous. The label on the tube read "Sample." Tang Banxia looked away and turned her attention to the documents on the table.

She picked them up and read them carefully. This new type of poison was codenamed "Zero." It was colorless, had a fragrance similar to a pear, and was extremely difficult to detect. Those poisoned would experience a surge of manic energy, followed by bleeding from the seven orifices after fifteen minutes, though it would not kill them immediately. The most diabolical aspect of this poison was that it allowed the victim to remain fully conscious as they felt their blood being drained away, dying in a state of extreme agony and terror.

At the end of the report, there was a series of proposed solutions from various experts, but without exception, none of them were very effective.

Having finally glimpsed the true face of the Zero poison, Tang Banxia did not rush to begin her work. Instead, she sat down and read the documents from start to finish once more. Only after consolidating the knowledge in her mind did she pick up the tube of blood, extract a single drop, and place it under the microscope for observation.

Meanwhile, as Tang Banxia’s life settled into a routine, Wen Mubai arrived at the gate of the Tang family courtyard, accompanied by Geng Zhengfei.

After dropping him off, Geng Zhengfei and his companion departed, leaving Wen Mubai standing before the small courtyard gate. He smoothed his clothes, feeling a bit nervous, and knocked on the door.

With a creak, the door opened.

Wen Mubai reflexively flashed a harmless smile. Tang Qicheng, who had opened the door, was met with the sight of a gentle and shy young man—bright as the moon and pure as a rabbit. That was Tang Qicheng’s first impression of Wen Mubai.

Nevertheless, he curled his lip and asked, "Who are you?"

"Hello, I am Wen Mubai. Banxia is my wife." Wen Mubai did not know who this person was, but since he was a member of the Tang family, he felt it was only right to be polite.

"Ah, Comrade Wen," Tang Qicheng drawled, "You arrived so quickly?"

"I took the train the day before yesterday and arrived at the station this morning," Wen Mubai explained honestly.

Tang Qicheng maintained a smile. "Come on in."

Wen Mubai picked up the basket at his feet and added, "These are gifts from Banxia for her grandparents."

Tang Qicheng made no comment.

Once inside the courtyard, Grandfather and Grandmother Tang were basking in the sun, chatting. Hearing footsteps, they both looked over.

The moment she saw Wen Mubai, Grandmother Tang stood up. "Is that Little Bai? Banxia has told me so much about you. You must be exhausted from the journey, right?"

"Qicheng, why are you just standing there? Go take your brother-in-law’s luggage," Grandmother Tang chided.

Tang Qicheng’s smile stiffened as he glanced at Wen Mubai. Wen Mubai, sensing the situation, said tactfully, "Grandmother, I can manage. These are all gifts Banxia specifically asked me to bring for you and Grandfather. She insisted that I hand them over to you personally."

"This child," Grandmother Tang said, stepping forward. The more she looked at Wen Mubai, the more she liked him. "Why bring gifts? You didn’t need to; we have everything we need here."

Wen Mubai smiled shyly, set down the basket, and took out the gifts—wolf-bone wine and local mountain goods. Grandmother Tang didn’t even look at the gifts, keeping her eyes fixed on Wen Mubai, clearly delighted.

Tang Qicheng stood to the side, feeling his teeth ache. His grandfather had already told him about this boy’s true identity; why was he putting on such an act?

"Little Wen, is it? I heard that you’ve been living off Banxia in the countryside?" Tang Qicheng asked, making no effort to hide his hostility.

"Yes," Wen Mubai admitted candidly. There was no point in denying it, especially since the Tang family surely already knew. Why bother with a lie?

Tang Qicheng’s smile deepened. "Then what right do you have to stay by Banxia’s side? Is it just because of your face?"

His words were blunt, but Grandfather Tang continued to sip his tea slowly, rocking in his chair as if he had heard nothing. Grandmother Tang remained focused on examining the gifts.

To this, Wen Mubai merely smiled. "That’s right—Banxia likes this face of mine." What else could he rely on? It was simply his wife’s preference.

"Aside from your face, is there anything else you can offer?" Tang Qicheng pressed, his second question just as sharp. He couldn’t help it; he couldn’t bring himself to be pleasant toward someone who had taken advantage of the situation to marry their youngest sister.

Wen Mubai was completely frank. "Isn't that enough?" He reasoned, "Banxia has both ability and ambition. What she needs is not a husband who competes with her, but a supportive partner who can stand behind her. I believe I am perfectly capable of fulfilling that role."

After spending so much time with her, he understood his wife well. She didn’t have high demands for her partner; as long as he was pleasant to look at and, ideally, listened to her in everything, that was perfect. Tang Banxia was a person with a strong need for control, especially over those close to her; she required absolute obedience rather than constant debate.

Tang Qicheng’s mocking smile faded, his sharp eyes fixed on Wen Mubai. "And are you content with that?"

The Dragon Group—the sharpest blade of the country his aunt served in. The people there were all highly skilled, comparable to elite soldiers. Could someone like that truly be content playing the role of a supportive husband?

"Why wouldn't I be content?" Wen Mubai’s smile shifted, turning sharp. "When Banxia needs me, I will be her blade and her shield. When she doesn't, I am simply a live-in son-in-law."

He had seen once again how much the Tang family doted on their own. To earn their approval, he had to show them something real.

"Besides, I have already retired from the Dragon Group. I am now just an ordinary educated youth in the countryside." This was the first time he had spoken of the Dragon Group since his departure.

Retired?

Grandfather Tang stopped rocking, sat up straight, and looked at Wen Mubai. Old men like him were well aware of the existence and importance of the Dragon Group. Could a place filled with such secrets truly allow someone to leave? And to leave unscathed and intact?

Wen Mubai did not offer further explanation. "I am just Wen Mubai—Wen Mubai who belongs to Tang Banxia."

This was his promise to the Tang family: no matter what happened, he would always belong to Tang Banxia.

Tang Qicheng fell silent, while Grandfather Tang squinted at him. Wen Mubai met his gaze openly.

After a long while, Grandmother Tang stood up. "Oh my, this is wolf-bone wine. Look at these bones—they look fresh, as if the wolf just died, don't they?"

The tension in the courtyard eased.

"That's right," Wen Mubai said, the sharpness in his eyes softening. "Banxia really is incredibly perceptive. She said you would definitely be able to tell, Grandmother."

"This girl," Grandmother Tang said, clutching the bottle of wine, unable to let it go.

Grandfather Tang joined in, "This is for me, right? The last time we met, she said she would send me a jar."

"What do you mean, for you?" Grandmother Tang shot him a glare. "What’s yours is mine."

The atmosphere in the courtyard became cheerful again, but before long, another knock sounded at the gate.