Chapter 132

Chapter 132

Theoretically speaking, the odds were so low that even Nan Mu had stopped insisting on a paternity test.

But after tossing and turning in her dorm room all night, Wen Miao decided she still wanted to do one and see.

Wen Xin found it baffling. “What are you thinking? You actually believe you and Meng Ran could be related like that?”

Wen Miao said, “Honestly, if I were only looking at my relationship with Meng Ran, I wouldn’t want to believe there’s any parent-child connection between us either. But from the perspective of the matches, it really could explain one of the reasons they were able to lock onto the matches so quickly. After all, Gu Zhishu and Jia Lingyuan’s son look way too alike. You saw it too, didn’t you?”

“I mean, sure…” Wen Xin muttered. “But not all of them have to be the biological children of their matches, right? That’s just way too absurd.”

“That’s why I figured, whether it is or isn’t true, there’s no harm in doing a paternity test. If it is… Well, if it isn’t, at least we’ve ruled out one possibility. Right?”

“Fine.”

In truth, Wen Xin could understand Wen Miao’s reasoning. It was the same as when they ran experiments. To prove a possibility, what method did they use most often? Exhaustive elimination. Rule out the impossible again and again until they found the truth.

Wen Miao patted Wen Xin on the shoulder. “Then I’ll leave the task of collecting Meng Ran’s biological sample to you.”

After all, out of all of them, Wen Xin was the one closest to Meng Ran. Only he had a chance of obtaining Meng Ran’s biological sample.

Wen Xin made an “OK” gesture, then added, “Oh, right. When you do the test, you’d better go to Wen Tangtang and have her help you find a university lab to do it. Don’t go to a hospital…”

The thought that every physical exam report Gu Zhishu had received at the hospital had been fake sent a chill through Wen Xin. “Hospitals require you to register your personal information. Who knows if they’re secretly monitoring you?”

“All right. I know.”

But at the mention of Wen Tangtang, Wen Miao couldn’t help asking, “Do you know what Wen Tangtang has been busy with lately?”

Wen Xin found it a little strange that Wen Miao would ask that. “No. What’s wrong with her?”

Wen Xin had been at Wisdom Biotech Company these past few days. It was only because today was Sunday and he didn’t have to go in that he had time to eat with them at school. In the end, Wen Tangtang had run off somewhere because she had something to do.

Wen Miao hesitated for a moment, then repeated to Wen Xin what Wen Tangtang had complained about last time-that the school was even darker than the outside working world.

“I don’t know if I’m overthinking it… but I keep feeling like something’s off with her lately. I just can’t say exactly what,” Wen Miao sighed. “I asked her, but she refused to say anything. Anyway, if you get the chance, ask her if something’s happened recently. Keep an eye on her condition.”

Wen Xin looked thoughtful. “All right. I understand.”

===

Unlike Wen Xin’s reserved nature and Wen Miao’s quiet demeanor, Wen Tangtang had always been outgoing and cheerful.

Among the three of them, Wen Tangtang had always been the one with the widest circle of friends. The phrase “having friends wherever she went” might as well have been made for her.

So it was actually quite easy for Wen Xin to ask around about Wen Tangtang.

“Wen Tangtang? Hasn’t she been busy with her new SCI lately?”

“Wait, SCI? Wen Tangtang is publishing another SCI paper? Terrifying!”

The two girls speaking in front of him were both classmates who were fairly close to Wen Tangtang. Wen Tangtang had introduced them to Wen Xin before, so both of them knew that Wen Xin was Wen Tangtang’s “older brother.”
“Then you two must have had it pretty rough at night lately.” Wen Xin ordered two cups of milk tea and handed them over. “My treat. Thanks for looking after our Tang Tang.”

Whenever Wen Tangtang worked on an SCI paper, she always burned the midnight oil. It was a good thing she got along so well with the people in her dorm, or she would have been cursed out long ago.

“Oh, we’re all classmates. There’s no ‘looking after’ involved.” The girl with the ponytail accepted the milk tea with a smile. “Besides, Wen Tangtang hasn’t really been coming back to the dorm at night lately, so she hasn’t actually disturbed our sleep.”

Wen Xin froze slightly.

What did she mean, she hadn’t really been coming back to the dorm at night? If she wasn’t going back to her dorm in the middle of the night, where could she be going?

The other girl, who had short hair, gave a little start. “Now that you mention it, that’s true. No wonder I didn’t even know she’d started working on an SCI paper again.”

The long-haired girl teased her, “You’ve been so wrapped up in your new romance lately that you don’t hear a thing going on outside your window. How could any worldly matters possibly enter your eyes? Wen Tangtang was still coming back to the dorm before. She just stayed in the lab until eleven every night and only came back when the lights were about to go out. It’s only been these past two days that she hasn’t returned.”

The short-haired girl went bright red and shoved the long-haired girl, flushed all the way to her ears.

Wen Xin was still hung up on the fact that Wen Tangtang had been staying out all night, so he pressed, “Did Wen Tangtang say where she’s been resting at night?”

The long-haired girl looked surprised. “Wen Tangtang didn’t tell you? I did ask her once. I think she said she needed some materials or something, so she was spending the night at an internet café.”

Seeing that Wen Xin’s expression didn’t look too good, the short-haired girl hurried to smooth things over for Wen Tangtang. “Internet cafés are pretty safe these days. Honestly, it’s pretty normal. We pull all-nighters at internet cafés all the time too, right?”

The long-haired girl said, “Ah… oh, right, right.”

Wen Xin smiled and agreed with them for a few more lines, then found an excuse and left first.

===

That evening, around dinnertime, Wen Xin sent a message to their small group chat of three.

Wen Xin: [Dinner? I saw at noon that the Second Cafeteria has pork crackling and taro soup tonight. @Miao @Popping Candy, you in?]

After a while, Wen Miao was the first to reply.

Wen Miao: [You guys go ahead. I won’t be joining you tonight. I’ve got a date.]

Wen Xin raised an eyebrow. [With Nan Mu? You two can come to the school cafeteria together.]

This time, a long while passed before Wen Miao replied.

Wen Miao: [Thanks but no thanks. Candlelit dinner. Not bringing you along.]

Wen Xin sent over a goofy picture. [Oho, hohohohoho, look at you. What a big deal.]

Wen Miao threw over a bonking emoji, and then there was nothing more from her.

The two of them went back and forth for over ten minutes, but there was still no movement at all from Wen Tangtang’s end.

It wasn’t until more than half an hour later that Wen Tangtang finally showed up late. She didn’t comment on the conversation above at all and only sent one message.

Wen Tangtang: [I’ve got something to do tonight and already ate. @WX, you’ll have to go by yourself.]

After that, there was no word from her.

Wen Xin looked at Wen Tangtang’s reply and sensed that something was off.

Wen Tangtang loved joining in the fun more than anyone. Under normal circumstances, when Wen Miao said something like that, even if Wen Tangtang didn’t jump in to heckle them, she would at least insist on tagging along to watch their date. How could she possibly ignore it completely without making even a single comment?