Chapter 142: Long Time No See, Little Wolf

"Qingfeng is here?" Old Mrs. Tang greeted him warmly.

Wen Mubai glanced over, his body instantly stiffening. However, the Tang family's attention was entirely on the newcomer, and no one noticed his reaction.

Bai Qingfeng was a refined and scholarly man, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a gentle smile. With his long trench coat and turtleneck sweater, he appeared graceful and polite, naturally making a positive impression on anyone who met him.

After exchanging greetings with everyone in turn, he looked at the only stranger in the courtyard: "And who is this?"

Ever since Bai Qingfeng appeared, Tang Meiyun had eyes for no one else, her gaze sparkling with adoration. "This is Banxia’s husband from the countryside. I told you about him—the one who lives off her."

The people in the courtyard twitched their lips in unison. A playful smile touched Bai Qingfeng’s lips: "Lives off her?"

"Mhm, mhm," Tang Meiyun nodded. "He relies entirely on Banxia for everything. Isn't that exactly what living off someone is?"

"Is that so?" Bai Qingfeng looked at Wen Mubai with keen interest.

Wen Mubai pulled at the corner of his mouth, unable to force a smile. He never imagined that the "plain and simple bookworm" of an uncle-in-law his wife had described would turn out to be this man!

"Nice to meet you. You can call me Uncle," Bai Qingfeng said, walking slowly toward Wen Mubai and extending a hand in a friendly gesture.

Wen Mubai extended his hand with a forced smile: "Nice to meet you, I’m Wen Mubai."

Their hands, both equally lean and well-defined, touched and parted immediately. It looked like a perfectly normal social greeting, but the underlying tension was something only the two of them understood.

Tang Qiming watched them with a probing gaze, sensing that the atmosphere between the two was off. But when he looked closer, they had returned to a distant, formal demeanor, as if his intuition had been a mistake. Still, a seed of doubt had been planted in his mind.

"Qingfeng, where is Bai Zhi? Is that child all by herself at home?" Old Mrs. Tang asked.

Bai Qingfeng’s smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze: "She’s staying at a classmate’s house tonight."

As the sky grew dark, Old Mrs. Tang began organizing dinner. Both sons-in-law, Bai Qingfeng and Wen Mubai, volunteered to help. Old Mrs. Tang didn't hold the view that men shouldn't be in the kitchen; seeing them offer, she didn't stand on ceremony. "Qingfeng, you scrape the fish scales. Xiaobai, you go chop the chicken." Then she called out, "Qicheng, come and chop the meat!"

Tang Qicheng rolled up his sleeves and headed into the kitchen. However, his steps faltered when he saw the two men helping out. Did these two really not know each other? Perhaps it was intuition, but Tang Qicheng felt there was some connection between them that he wasn't privy to.

It was like now—one was chopping chicken, the other scraping fish scales. They were doing completely different tasks, yet Tang Qicheng saw a striking similarity in their movements. He felt a jolt of alarm. He knew Wen Mubai’s identity, but could his uncle-in-law also be...?

With this thought in mind, he subtly observed them while chopping the meat. Or at least, he thought it was subtle.

Bai Qingfeng and Wen Mubai were both aware of the situation. Sensing Tang Qiming’s gaze, they simultaneously shifted their rhythms. The sense of similarity instantly vanished. By the time he finished chopping the meat, Tang Qiming hadn't observed anything else. He frowned—was he just being overly sensitive?

***

To show the importance she placed on her granddaughter’s husband, Old Mrs. Tang prepared a magnificent dinner: steamed fish, mushroom stewed chicken, four-joy meatballs, braised pork, stewed pickled cabbage with large bones, shredded potatoes, and a radish soup.

Six dishes and one soup, the table filled with meat and fish. Tang Meiyun felt a twinge of jealousy. "It wasn't this grand when Qingfeng first visited," she complained.

"Eat and keep your mouth shut!" Old Mrs. Tang scolded her.

Could the situations even be compared? What were the circumstances back then, and what were they now?

Bai Qingfeng smiled elegantly: "Meiyun, you can’t compare it like that."

Tang Meiyun pouted, "I was just feeling bad for you~" She didn't want Qingfeng to feel uncomfortable; after all, they were both sons-in-law of the Tang family, so why the different treatment?

Bai Qingfeng’s gaze softened as he placed a piece of fish belly meat into her bowl: "It’s your favorite."

Tang Meiyun beamed, happily eating the meat. Her Qingfeng was the best—the absolute best! She looked around at everyone, her expression full of pride and showing off.

A single-celled organism; happiness was truly that simple. Wen Mubai thought to himself, no wonder his aunt could win over a man like this. Those with dark hearts always loved the simple ones.

Wen Mubai gave Bai Qingfeng a meaningful look. For the life of him, he never expected to become family with this man. Thinking of something, his gaze toward Bai Qingfeng held a trace of superiority—he was a live-in son-in-law, a legitimate member of the Tang family, much closer to them than this man!

Bai Qingfeng acted as if he didn't see the look. At the dinner table, he doted on Tang Meiyun, being as attentive as possible. The members of the Tang family present were very satisfied with their interaction and cast suggestive glances at Wen Mubai.

Wen Mubai, also a sharp-witted person, raised his glass: "Grandpa, Grandma, I’ve been on my own since I was a child. It wasn't until I married Banxia that I truly experienced the warmth of a home. I toast you!" He tilted his head back and finished the entire bowl of soup.

"Married?" Tang Meiyun caught the slip. The Tang family, including Bai Qingfeng, all looked over.

Wen Mubai gave Bai Qingfeng a provocative look and said innocently: "Didn't Banxia tell you? I’m a live-in son-in-law. Any children we have in the future will carry the Tang surname."

The Tang family fell silent. This, they truly did not know.

Tang Banxia never imagined that Wen Mubai could be so shameless. The talk of "marrying in" and "living in" had all been pillow talk between them. Although she secretly hoped for it, she had only said it in passing and never expected him to take it seriously. She knew that men these days were particularly sensitive about the stigma of being a live-in son-in-law. Who would have thought she’d end up with such a rare specimen—not only was he not ashamed, he was actually quite proud of it.

This resulted in her never mentioning Wen Mubai’s status to her family.

"Banxia is truly amazing," Tang Meiyun said, stunned. To be able to train a man like this... her aunt secretly glanced at her own husband, wanting to learn her secrets.

"Mubai, are you serious?" Tang Qicheng looked at Wen Mubai.

"Of course I’m serious," Wen Mubai nodded as if it were only natural.

Instantly, the way the Tang family looked at Wen Mubai changed; they felt much closer to him. Marrying out versus marrying in—it really was different.

Wen Mubai keenly sensed this shift and his smile widened: "In the future, I hope for your guidance, Grandpa, Grandma, Brother, and Aunt..." He paused, "...and Uncle."

"Easy, easy," Tang Qicheng said, finding Wen Mubai increasingly agreeable. "Since you’ve married into our family, you definitely won't regret it."

In his eyes, Wen Mubai was no longer just a brother-in-law, but a brother—the kind he could kick around if he ever bullied his sister.

And so, Bai Qingfeng watched as the Tang family became exceptionally kind to Wen Mubai. Sensing the provocative look Wen Mubai shot his way, Bai Qingfeng was almost too angry to laugh.

The meal was eaten in a state of "harmony."

Afterward, Wen Mubai and Bai Qingfeng scrambled to wash the dishes, occupying the kitchen. Only then were they finally alone.

Bai Qingfeng washed a dish and said with a mocking smile: "Wolf-cub, long time no see!"

Wen Mubai ignored him. Who was that? He didn't know him; he was Wen Mubai.

"I bet your wife still doesn't know your true identity, does she?" Bai Qingfeng was unfazed, accurately striking at Wen Mubai’s Achilles' heel. He was a son-in-law of the Tang family; how could he not know the personality of his niece-in-law, Tang Banxia?

Wen Mubai could no longer keep up the facade: "Can’t you just pretend you don't know me?"

"Wasn't it you who started this?" Bai Qingfeng hinted.

Wen Mubai snorted, though he was clearly on the losing end: "From now on, call me Wen Mubai. I am no longer Wolf-Bai."

Someone approached. Bai Qingfeng immediately assumed the posture of someone focused on washing dishes, and the atmosphere between them returned to that of distant strangers.

Tang Qicheng entered the kitchen to wash some apples and asked with a smile: "Do you need any help?"

"No need, we're almost finished," Wen Mubai replied, cutting him off.

Tang Qicheng nodded and left with the washed apples.

After he left, Wen Mubai’s expression shifted in a second: "Mind your status, Uncle," he said, enunciating every word.

Bai Qingfeng piled all the dishes toward Wen Mubai: "Uncle will treat you to a meal tomorrow at our old spot. Don't be late!"

With that, he sauntered out of the kitchen.