Lin Xiaoxiao wasn't ready to point fingers directly at Zhou Xiaohong. "All I know is I need to be careful. How did white powder end up in the egg custard bowl? Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"

Lin Wenbin thought it over. The Zhou family dynamics were fairly straightforward. Zhou Bingwen was beyond suspicion; Zhou Zhennan and Li Yunlan treated Lin Xiaoxiao like their own daughter, worrying over every little thing she ate—they would never harm her.

Zhou Huai'an was completely above suspicion—she was carrying his child, after all. That left only Zhou Xiaohong and the housekeeper. He didn't know Zhou Xiaohong well, but she didn't strike him as sinister. The housekeeper, on the other hand, was less trustworthy.

Then again, if anything happened to Lin Xiaoxiao, the housekeeper would be the first suspect. She probably wasn't foolish enough to take that risk.

After analyzing the situation, Lin Wenbin looked at his sister. "Are you sure you're not just being paranoid?"

Lin Xiaoxiao glared. "Just humor me, okay? For my peace of mind, take these and get them tested. If you don't know how, find some students who stayed at the university over the break to help you."

Lin Wenbin decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Testing the samples would reassure his sister, and who knows—maybe there really was something wrong.

Lin Xiaoxiao stealthily passed him the bag and urged him to hurry back before dinner.

As Lin Wenbin stepped out with the bag, he ran into Cheng Mingyue, who was carrying a frozen chicken.

He could tell at a glance that this was Lin Xiaoxiao's biological mother. He had initially planned to ignore her, but remembering how Cheng Mingyue had hurt his sister, he stopped and faced her hesitant expression.

Seeing Lin Wenbin emerge from the Zhou residence, Cheng Mingyue wasn't sure if he was a relative of the Zhou family or the cousin Cheng Mingzhong had mentioned—Lin Xiaoxiao's cousin who had returned from abroad and was now a lecturer at Peking University.

If he could help, her son's education problems would be solved.

Although she found it hard to believe that the brother of Lin Yutang—a man she remembered as simple-minded—could have such an intelligent, successful son who had studied overseas, that didn't matter now. What mattered was getting his help for her son.S

he had bought a chicken, hoping to mend things with Lin Xiaoxiao. After all, she was Lin Xiaoxiao's birth mother—surely Lin Xiaoxiao wouldn't turn her away.

Lin Wenbin studied her coolly and spoke first. "You're my uncle's wife? Or should I say ex-wife, since you remarried."

Cheng Mingyue's face fell. So this was indeed Lin Wenbin. She hadn't expected Lin Yutang's nephew to be so well-composed and distinguished—nothing like the Lin family she remembered.

Swallowing her pride, she forced a smile. "You must be the eldest brother's child. I can't believe you're all grown up. Your grandparents searched for your father for a long time after he went missing. Who would have thought he ended up abroad and did so well? They would have been so happy to know."

Lin Wenbin smiled faintly. "Let's just call it a twist of fate. My father received treatment overseas and regained much of his clarity. He always told me that if I ever returned to China, I should find my uncle and help him. It's a shame you're no longer part of our family—otherwise, out of respect for you as my aunt, I would have helped you."

Cheng Mingyue's expression tightened. His words implied she shouldn't have remarried—that by doing so, she had severed her ties to the Lin family. She opened her mouth to defend herself but couldn't find the words.

Lin Wenbin suddenly snapped his fingers as if remembering something important. "How could I forget? My father made me promise to find my uncle and help him move to the city—he said my uncle had a hard life. I've been planning to look for a house. Since my uncle is gone, I can buy one for Xiaoxiao instead."

He paused, looking directly at Cheng Mingyue. "I assume you won't need Xiaoxiao to support you in your old age. You do have another son and daughter, after all."

Cheng Mingyue stiffened. "Xiaoxiao is still my daughter."

Lin Wenbin raised an eyebrow. "Is she? When I looked into things in the provincial capital, I found out you reported her, almost costing her her education. Thankfully, the investigation team arrived in time. You're quite the righteous mother—willing to sacrifice your own daughter, just like how you remarried in such a hurry before my uncle's body was even cold."

Cheng Mingyue couldn't argue. Her rushed remarriage was a constant source of shame that anyone could use against her.

Humiliated, she turned and hurried away with the frozen chicken, still clinging to a thread of hope.

Halfway home, something occurred to her. She turned back and saw Lin Wenbin still standing there. Walking back with a cold smile, she said, "You call yourself Lin Wenbin and claim to be Lin Yutang's nephew. Where's your proof? I know for a fact that Lin Yutang's older brother was mentally disabled from birth. How could he have gone abroad? And you look nothing like anyone in the Lin family."

She raised her chin triumphantly. "So you're not really Lin Yutang's nephew. And I wonder what your real motive is for getting close to the Zhou family? If I spread the word, who do you think people will believe—you or me?"

Lin Wenbin hadn't known that Lin Yutang's brother was intellectually disabled. It was a flaw in his story, but he was unfazed. He'd faced far trickier situations.

He looked at Cheng Mingyue with amusement. "You sound very sure. Did you ever meet my father? Do you really know him? Say whatever you want—my identity has been vetted and approved by the state. It won't be shaken by your rumors. But you—you who love writing reports so much—why not write one about your own misconduct? How you betrayed your husband and flirted with another man behind his back?"

Furious and speechless, Cheng Mingyue watched as Lin Wenbin walked away calmly.

Only when he was gone did she remember why she had come—to ask Lin Wenbin for help getting her son into university. Instead, she had offended him and ended up humiliated.

Lin Wenbin took the samples to the university. He knew nothing about lab work, so he found a few medical students who had stayed behind during the break. He presented it as a challenge: could they analyze the empty bowl and the leftover egg custard for any substances?

The results came back quickly. Within an hour, a student brought him a report: the empty bowl contained traces of Herba Aconiti, a toxic herb.

Although used in traditional medicine, even a small amount could be dangerous—particularly for pregnant women, as it could cause a miscarriage.

Lin Wenbin, unfamiliar with the herb, grew tense. "What would happen if a normal person ate it? And what about a pregnant woman?"

The student explained, "A normal person would experience diarrhea. A large dose could be fatal. But for a pregnant woman, it's especially dangerous—it can cause the fetus to suffocate and die."