Marked by My Scummy Ex-Wife’s Boss (GL) - Chapter 31.1

Zhu Sui looked mildly surprised. “Try what?”

Song Zhen, brimming with excitement, said,

“To save her! To save Mrs. Brown! We can absolutely reference this treatment model—use our own drugs to rescue her!”

Hearing this, Zuo Tian leaned over to join them.

Zhu Sui raised an eyebrow slightly, but Song Zhen was too excited to care whether she followed or not. She slapped the ingredient sheet onto the table in front of Zuo Tian and rushed out in a single breath:

“Tiantian, look—Tong Xianglu really is a genius. Her drug formulation has nailed the exact proportions…”

“The biggest problem with Mrs. Brown is that she’s reacting to every drug—we can’t use anything. But we could completely model this treatment approach using suppression-based pharmacology to stabilize her!”

“Pregnant women naturally produce suppressants. Once those run out, the built-up pheromones in their system rebound with violent backlash. The issue is—we don’t know how to deal with that backlash because Mrs. Brown is allergic to all existing drugs!”

“But what if we follow this mechanism—using suppressants to keep the body under control, while simultaneously soothing the suppressed pheromones? Isn’t that a glimmer of hope?”

“The acknowledged difficulty with this method is finding the optimal ratio between the suppressants and the soothing agents. But look! Tong Xianglu’s formulation already passed clinical trials and is patented.

That is the optimal ratio. We can take her data and try adapting it to our drugs!”

Eyes glowing, Song Zhen summarized:

“If the suppressant fails, the body instantly suffers a pheromone rebound. So instead of letting it fail, we maintain a stable suppressant presence in her system, then layer in our soothing agent, based on Tong Xianglu’s ratio, and see if the suppressed pheromones can be gently released and neutralized.”

“And right on time—the samples from Mrs. Brown’s earlier medication just arrived. Once we identify the active suppressant ingredient, we can formulate the compound!”

She spoke rapidly, unable to contain her enthusiasm, and used so much technical jargon that Zhu Sui was completely lost halfway through.

But Zuo Tian, also a scientist, became more and more excited. As soon as Song Zhen finished, she grabbed the formula sheet and scanned it quickly.

“I’ll apply for access to the internal clinical records—see if I can retrieve the data from her patent trials and reports on adverse reactions from test subjects.”

Always the hands-on type, Zuo Tian immediately turned and called out,

“Chen Ye, come give me a hand.”

Cao Fan, the final member of Team Two, stood up and added,

“I’ll go check the drugs we received. Once they pass our lab’s safety screening, I’ll start analyzing the active suppressant ingredients.”

With that, all of Team Two cleared out.

Song Zhen lowered her head, still looking over the data with visible excitement. She looked up again to speak to Zhu Sui, only to meet her gaze—and in Zhu Sui’s eyes, she didn’t find the same exhilaration, only quiet confusion.

Song Zhen froze.

A moment passed before she realized, “Wait… you didn’t understand any of that, did you?”

Zhu Sui said nothing, just tilted her head slightly and stared at her—almost playfully.

The small, teasing gesture left Song Zhen flustered. She chuckled awkwardly.

“Uh… want me to explain that again, more simply?”

Trying to rein in her enthusiasm, Song Zhen slowed her speech for the second round, and kept it straightforward:

There was a method for treating pheromone disorder that used both suppressants and soothing agents—but getting the ratio right was crucial. Too much of either, and it wouldn’t work.

Because of that difficulty, most hospitals excluded this approach entirely. Almost all standard stabilizers contained only soothing agents—no suppressants.

But now, they had Tong Xianglu’s patented formula, complete with the perfect ratio.

It was like being handed the answer to the hardest question on the test.

And now they could try applying it directly.

This time, Zhu Sui understood.

Finishing her explanation, Song Zhen frowned and glanced again at the ingredient sheet.

“Wait… weren’t we supposed to receive the formula and samples for the drugs they used on Mrs. Brown? Isn’t this one of Tong Xianglu’s own patented research formulas? Why would they send this too?”

Zhu Sui saw she had finally caught on and recounted everything that had happened in District Three.

“Mr. Brown went over there, and Tong Rou had very good attitude. She claimed she had no knowledge of the matter and immediately called an emergency meeting at the Pregnancy Adrenaline Institute.”

“She didn’t just agree to all of the First Research Institute’s demands—she also voluntarily added an extra drug and its complete formula as a goodwill gesture. Said she hoped it might help in any small way.”

Zhu Sui straightened up, arms crossed. Her tone became vaguely amused.

“That same afternoon, she called the meeting right after hearing Mr. Brown out. No delays. Since the drug needed refrigeration, her staff immediately started prepping the cold boxes and finalizing the formulations. Later that night, she personally came to find Mr. Brown again.”

She smiled slyly.

“Guess why?”

Song Zhen looked skeptical.

“…Apologize?”

Zhu Sui beamed.

“Jiejie, you’re so smart. Yes, to apologize. And she didn’t come alone—she brought both Tong Yun and Tong Xianglu. The whole thing felt… calculated. Tong Rou had red eyes the entire time, saying it was all her fault, poor oversight, scolding Tong Xianglu in front of everyone. Then Tong Xianglu started crying and saying she only meant to help and didn’t expect her plan to backfire…”

Zhu Sui tilted her head, recalling the scene. She had to admit—it was impressive.

“And then the most dramatic part—Tong Xianglu, sobbing like a mess, kept saying it was her own poor judgment. That they’d worried District One would refuse to treat Mrs. Brown if they knew she’d been tampered with by their rival lab. That they’d panicked and decided to cover it up…”

Song Zhen’s expression grew increasingly complicated.

The logic was full of holes—anyone could see that. But still…

Zhu Sui continued,

“Mr. Brown had been furious. But Tong Xianglu cried for nearly an hour, and Tong Rou played the part to perfection. She even promised to set aside all her other projects and personally visit District One to express remorse.”

“People are emotional creatures. And the Tong family—well, they created such an earnest atmosphere. Mr. Brown eventually softened.”

Song Zhen looked down, her voice calm and rational:

“If they truly regretted it, Tong Rou should’ve said District Three would bear full responsibility. And if Tong Xianglu really cared about Mrs. Brown, they wouldn’t have recalled the signed agreement.”Zhu Sui clapped.

“Wow, someone’s crystal clear!”

Song Zhen blushed slightly. “You knew all that too.”

Zhu Sui sighed.

“Oh, I knew. Mr. Brown definitely knew. But with the Tong family lowering themselves so thoroughly—with Tong Rou apologizing in person, berating Tong Xianglu, and even handing over her research to us…

what else could he do?”

“Mr. Brown’s already in a politically sensitive position here in Huaguo. If he refused to give them even a shred of dignity, it would look bad on a diplomatic level…”

“These are the calculations behind it all. And clearly, Tong Rou understood that from the very beginning.”

Lowering her gaze, she chuckled.

“She’s a fox—a very old fox. And somehow, Tong Xianglu hasn’t inherited even half of that cunning.”

Song Zhen laughed—wryly.

“So now, Mr. Brown probably won’t press charges against her, right?”

Zhu Sui shrugged.

“That depends on what happens next. If Mrs. Brown doesn’t improve, both sides will share the blame. But if she recovers—well, they might forget Tong Xianglu altogether.”

After a pause, Zhu Sui added seriously,

“By the way—just saw Vice President Rong. Word is, if we save Mrs. Brown, there’s a second-class merit award waiting.”

Song Zhen looked down.

“I don’t really care about that.”

Of course Zhu Sui knew that. Despite Cheng Lang being credited for the Z-serum, Song Zhen never showed the slightest concern for fame or recognition.

Looking at the ingredient sheet again, Song Zhen seemed to want to drop the unpleasant topic.

“Did the other drug compositions come too? Let me take another look.”

“Here.”

Zhu Sui handed her the rest.

Song Zhen examined them intently, her almond eyes round with focus. From the side, she looked adorably serious.

Zhu Sui’s heart stirred. She casually started a new topic,

“When you said we could try their method, I thought maybe you’d had a breakthrough on your own harmonizer formula?”

That made Song Zhen pause.

She had been thinking about it—half-heartedly—while focusing on Mrs. Brown. But now that Zhu Sui mentioned it…

“You’re right!” she said suddenly.

“They’re not exactly the same, but I can definitely apply a few ideas from this!”

She picked up the sheets, muttering excitedly to herself as she counted through the components—only she knew what she was tallying.

Watching her so immersed, Zhu Sui smiled.

Song Zhen heard the soft laugh and looked up sharply, her eyes still wide with excitement.

“W-What? What’s funny?”

Zhu Sui shook her head. Seated with her elbow on the table, she propped up her chin, tilting her head slightly. Sunlight streamed across her silken hair in soft, golden ripples.

She smiled with crescent eyes.

“Nothing. You’re just… really cute, you know?”

Her gaze was fixed, voice light and languid—but warm.

Song Zhen’s face flushed.

With a potential solution finally in hand, the entire Adrenaline Division dove into action.

They refined the formula, tested on volunteer pregnant patients, held meeting after meeting, reformulated, re-reviewed…

And just as this process was nearing completion, Tong Rou arrived in District One—with Tong Yun at her side.

In the morning, Tong Rou represented the Third Research Institute to negotiate with the First Research Institute. That afternoon, she requested a meeting with the Adrenaline Division, but the First Research

Institute declined, citing their busy schedule. Tong Rou wasn’t upset. She simply smiled and said that Mrs. Brown’s treatment took precedence, and they would not impose.

The next day, she reached out again—this time, through the research institute—asking whether the Adrenaline Division might be open to a joint meeting to analyze Mrs. Brown’s case. After all, when it came to stabilizer development, District One lacked the experience and interim results that District Three had accumulated.

Since this problem had originated with Tong Xianglu, Tong Rou expressed her sincere wish to contribute District Three’s expertise to Mrs. Brown’s recovery.

Previously, the patented formula developed by Tong Xianglu had been sent over and proved quite helpful to the Adrenaline Division.

The proposal left many in the division tempted—everyone except Cheng Lang, Song Zhen, and Zhu Sui.

Cheng Lang said, “No need. If District Three gets involved at such a critical stage, and something goes wrong during Mrs. Brown’s treatment, we’ll just end up arguing over whether it was District One or District Three’s fault. Let’s not invite trouble.”

Song Zhen added, “A lot of the techniques we’re using now build on Team Two’s previous emergency cases. The next phase involves derivatives of the Z-serum. I think we need to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.”

Both of them made fair points.

But Zhu Sui’s words were the most cutting—and most decisive. When reporting to Vice President Rong, she said:

“There’s no need. If District Three really had a solution, Mrs. Brown wouldn’t have been transferred to District One in the first place.”

That single sentence was passed on verbatim to Tong Rou.

Tong Yun was already upset. But Tong Rou only smiled, unfazed. She maintained a humble, courteous tone when speaking with Vice President Rong:

“If we’re not needed, then we won’t insist. Sorry we couldn’t be of more help.”

She paused, then added sincerely,

“This all stems from Little Lu’s youth and shortsightedness. The fault lies with our side—District Three. We sincerely apologize. If the Adrenaline Division needs anything from us at any point, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll provide all the support the Pregnancy Adrenaline Institute can give, to the fullest extent possible.”

Whatever grudges might exist beneath the surface, her words were gracious and hard to fault.

After seeing Vice President Rong off, Tong Rou personally escorted him out of the hotel.

Once he was gone, Tong Yun couldn’t help but complain.

“We’re trying to help, and they’re acting all high and mighty. Can’t they at least be civil?”

Tong Rou turned to her elder daughter, her gaze sharp and commanding. Tong Yun immediately fell silent.

“That’s enough. Don’t say things like that.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Our attitude was clear—that’s all that matters. Who cares how they responded?”

With a cold snort, she added,

“If it weren’t for the mess you and Little Lu caused, do you think I’d be groveling like this?”

Tong Yun lowered her head.

Tong Rou took a deep breath, exhaled heavily, and muttered,

“So much for using this opportunity to understand how they managed Zhu Yi last time. That seems out of the question now. Still, if they don’t need us, that saves us the trouble.”

She glanced at her elder daughter.

“What about Little Lu? Still sulking?”

“Xianglu said she’s locked herself in her room for two days,” Tong Yun replied, her tone softening with worry.

“She has no spine. So full of ideas when creating a mess, but too ashamed to apologize herself!” Tong Rou’s expression darkened. “It’s my fault. She’s always been gifted at research, and as the younger daughter, she was spoiled. With the Tong family’s backing, she’s always had everything handed to her.

But aside from her scientific talent, she’s growing more and more disappointing. Maybe taking a fall like this will be good for her.”

Tong Yun knew her mother was always focused on the long game. Even so, hearing her speak that way left her uneasy.

“You don’t think… she’ll actually go to prison, do you?”

“That depends on Mrs. Brown’s outcome.”

“What? Mom—you’re not going to protect her?”

Tong Rou’s expression hardened.

“If I weren’t protecting her, would I be here right now? Talking to the First Research Institute like this?”

Tong Yun was speechless, lowering her head.

“If things go badly,” Tong Rou said coolly, “yes—I’ll let her go to prison. One year inside might do her some good. Let her calm down, think about who she is. When she gets out, with the Tong family behind her, she’ll still have a future—and hopefully, a bit more maturity.”

Tong Yun was stunned.

But hearing her mother speak so decisively, she swallowed the rest of her objections.

She knew their mother had already done all she could. If not for District Three’s swift, sacrificial response, Tong Xianglu might already have lost her research privileges permanently under military tribunal.

There was no more room for maneuvering.

Tong Yun looked down and let out a slow breath.

Now, everything depended on what District One could accomplish.

—

Song Zhen was completely swamped.

Several drug formulations were prepared in parallel, with Cheng Lang working around the clock to optimize the dosing ratios.

Everyone in the Adrenaline Division looked exhausted—except Zhu Sui, who wasn’t a researcher. The rest all sported dark circles under their eyes.

Mrs. Brown’s family had never told her the truth about her condition. They fabricated a story, saying that District One simply wanted to run a full battery of tests.

But with so many people constantly entering and exiting the room—Cheng Lang, Zuo Tian, and Song Zhen often standing outside with stacks of charts and whispering while glancing at her—Mrs. Brown wasn’t oblivious.