Tang Wen moved with practiced grace to stand before the woman, offering a slight bow. "Hello. I am Tang Wen."

Whether it was the devastating allure of his face or merely his name, a flicker of panic crossed the woman’s expression before she swiftly masked it with an impassive look. "Sit."

Tang Wen settled into the chair opposite her.

The woman had intended to snap, "Hurry up and say what you need; my time is valuable," but the moment her gaze met Tang Wen’s, she was utterly subdued by his presence, leaving her speechless.

Tang Wen chose no gentle preamble. He began directly, "Your daughter is dead. Are you finally happy? No one will ever know you gave birth to a daughter again."

The color instantly drained from the woman's face.

She jabbed a finger at him. "You... who in the blazes are you?"

Tang Wen gave a mocking smile. "Since you know my surname is Tang, you should know where I come from."

The woman ground her teeth. "What do you want?"

Tang Wen curled the corner of his lip. "You've already guessed, haven't you?"

"I have a husband and children now! Don't come into my life!" she spat out angrily.

Tang Wen laughed instead of growing angry. "If you feel that way, why did you give birth to a little girl back then only to abandon her, and then marry the man you have now with a clear conscience? Tell me, if he knew what you did years ago, what do you think he would feel?"

The woman’s complexion cycled rapidly from red to pale, finally settling on ashen as she averted her gaze, unwilling to meet his eyes.

Tang Wen stated mildly, "I actually just came to tell you that your daughter from that time is dead. Her remains were never recovered recently in the Tubar Galaxy. Oh, right, you might not even know her name. Her name was..."

"Enough!" The woman slammed the table and shot to her feet, her voice exceeding the parameters set for the service bots. The robotic staff in the establishment immediately began approaching her.

She hurriedly sat back down, forcing the rage down. "What exactly do you want?"

Tang Wen replied, "I just wanted to chat with you about what happened back then."

The woman retorted stubbornly, "I've forgotten."

Tang Wen didn't take offense. "That's fine. I will make you remember, and I will make sure your husband and children know exactly what happened. You know I can do that."

The woman glared at him venomously, while he maintained his faint, unruffled smile.

The woman finally broke, lowering her head. "It was just an accident. I never intended to have any connection with him. That day, someone had drugged him, and I happened to be on duty. Someone wanted to smear him, so they locked him and me together. Those people meant to ruin his reputation, but when he woke up, he suppressed the news and paid me to leave."

The woman sobbed weakly, "I was already thirty then, unmarried. I thought having a child would be good, saving me the trouble of IVF. His genetics weren't bad either. But right after I gave birth, my current husband fell for me. I didn't want him to know about that disgraceful period, so I had to get rid of the baby."

As she recounted the past, the woman completely broke down. "I beg you, don't tell anyone about this."

Tang Wen scoffed, a short, sharp sound, and rose to his feet. "I think if that child were still alive, she wouldn't forgive a mother like you."

The woman reached out to grab Tang Wen's clothes. "Is she really dead?"

Tang Wen turned his head to glance at her. "In your eyes, what difference does it make if she is dead or alive? Why the sudden hypocrisy now?"

With that, Tang Wen strode out of the coffee shop, unwilling to spare her another look.

He had only come today to clarify the events of that year; he had no interest in hearing the woman’s tragic history.

He simply didn't know what his mother would choose.

Faced with infidelity, women usually made one of two choices: one being, 'I am fine, take care of yourself,' and the other, 'Marriage is hard-won, cherish what you have.'

Without a doubt, he knew his mother would choose the 'I am fine, take care of yourself' path. But his mother had left her own family to marry into the Tang Clan; to her family, she was merely an in-law, and to the Tangs, she only had him and Father Jin.

If they separated, his mother would be left utterly alone.

Ultimately, she was the one who would suffer.

At that moment, Madam Tang had already risen and sent the report to Master Tang.

Her original intention had been to investigate Ziye's background, but she uncovered her husband’s affair instead. Madam Tang wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry; she merely suppressed her emotions and said to Bran, "Bran, I'm leaving. Take good care of Tang Wen."

Bran intercepted her. "Madam, if he returns and doesn't see you, he will be upset."

Madam Tang looked at him and suddenly burst into laughter. "Bran, aren't you worried that if I stay, I will be upset?"

Bran realized his mistake instantly and quickly shut his mouth.

Madam Tang had no intention of holding it against him; she waved her hand, dismissing it.

Bran was fundamentally oriented around Tang Wen's will, always and forever.

She used to think Bran’s compliant nature was a good thing, ensuring Tang Wen wouldn't be taken advantage of. But now, heartbroken and provoked by Bran’s words, she almost wanted to strike him.

Madam Tang was fundamentally rational. She waved him off again. "He will understand me." Then, she left with her escort of bodyguards.

Bran watched her depart, suddenly unable to grasp how things had escalated so quickly.

Tang Wen arrived right as Madam Tang was leaving. Seeing Bran standing there looking lost, he immediately asked, "Where is my mother?"

Bran lowered his head. "She left. She said you would understand her."

Tang Wen looked up toward the sky outside the window. A battleship ascended, piercing straight into the heavens.

He tilted his head back and smiled faintly. "Let her go."

Bran sensed a current of sorrow in Tang Wen, but he couldn't pinpoint its source, nor did he know how to offer comfort. The words he had prepared tumbled over his tongue, but by the time they were spoken, they carried no solace.

He managed to ask, "Where should we go?"

Tang Wen was silent for a long moment. "We're going to stir up trouble." Bran’s eyebrow twitched. Tang Wen smiled again, though the expression held a touch of melancholy. "She's my sister. Dead or alive, I need to see her body."

Bran asked, "The Tubar Galaxy?"

Tang Wen shook his head. "No. If anyone was in the Tubar Galaxy, they would have been dug out by now."

Bran suggested, "Shall we find the people involved?"

Tang Wen reached up and patted Bran’s head. "Good boy. Progress."

Bran nearly spat blood. Damn it, was he treating him like a pet?

Tang Wen ignored him, stating coolly, "You still have the personnel files from that accident in the Tubar Galaxy, right?"

Bran nodded.

Tang Wen continued, "The key players were all from the Interstellar Federation. It’s most likely Bai Lanxue’s doing. We’ll just kidnap Bai Lanxue and see if she talks!"

Tang Wen did not go home.

Neither did Madam Tang.

Master Tang, finally having quelled the unrest in Tanada, returned to an empty house. Only a single hospital birth certificate lay quietly in his mailbox.

Master Tang opened it, and his face instantly turned pale.

-RS