"It's been three days, is she really not leaving the house?"
Catherine sat on the sofa, holding her phone, and mumbled in disbelief.
"If she stays home, how can we make our move?"
"Linlin, what are you talking to yourself about?"
Catherine jumped at Song Lijun's sudden voice. "Nothing, I just saw a news report saying someone can stay indoors for a month."
Song Lijun chuckled, "If it were you, you'd surely be restless at home."
"Mom, have you seen Yu Meng these past two days?" Catherine asked after a moment's hesitation.
As expected, Song Lijun frowned upon hearing this question, her expression turning grim.
After all, it was Catherine's instigation that led her to bring chicken soup to Wei Yu Meng, only for such an incident to occur.
Sensing the dip in the atmosphere, Catherine awkwardly said, "I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to know how she's doing, especially after what I did."
Song Lijun sighed, "From now on, don't provoke them anymore. You have to realize that your ability to get out of trouble before was pure luck."
If it weren't for the loophole in that video, Catherine might still be in the detention center.
Catherine nodded, "Mom, I know. More than provoking them, I'm scared now. If they find any more evidence, I'll have to go back to that place without freedom."
Song Lijun patted her hand, "As long as you promise me not to provoke them again, I can protect you completely."
"Okay, I won't go looking for them anymore."
Only then did Song Lijun breathe a sigh of relief. What Catherine worried about was precisely what she worried about too.
It was she who had made that coffee shop delete the video, because she didn't want the loophole she had painstakingly found to lead Zhan Mohan to other clues.
She had already made her choice in this matter. Indeed, she still chose to stand by Catherine's side, even if it meant she was letting Wei Yu Meng down.
But for Song Lijun, this was the only way she could ensure both her children's well-being.
Seeing Song Lijun's relieved expression, Catherine couldn't help but let out a cold sneer. She was surprised that Song Lijun could still be so foolishly trusting of her, no matter the situation.
Casually, she took her phone and returned to her room. Now, she absolutely had to proceed with her next plan.
It was indeed difficult that Wei Yu Meng wouldn't leave the house. She couldn't bribe the servants in Wei Yu Meng's home because Zhan Mohan had thoroughly investigated all their backgrounds. It was likely that Zhan Mohan had prepared a second course of action to prevent any incidents.
Therefore, this approach was entirely out of the question.
However, since Wei Yu Meng herself was unwilling to leave, all they had to do was find a way to force her out.
Catherine had already figured out what she needed to do. She curled her lips, picked up her phone, and typed a message.
"I've figured out what to do next."
After a day of learning, Zhan Jinzhi and Zhan Shiqing were dismissed from school. Originally, Wei Yu Meng would personally pick them up, but due to the special circumstances, Fang Xun and the bodyguards had been handling this task during this period.
Today, for some unknown reason, the school's power suddenly malfunctioned, making it impossible to continue their lessons. Thus, they were dismissed early, much to their unpreparedness.
"Uncle Fang, we're done with school." Zhan Jinzhi called Fang Xun. "Okay, we'll wait for you at the usual spot."
Zhan Jinzhi waited at the school gate as usual for Zhan Shiqing to come out. They weren't in the same class, so this was the only way they could meet.
While waiting for Fang Xun and Zhan Shiqing, Zhan Jinzhi found it strange that a long time had passed, but Zhan Shiqing's figure was nowhere to be seen.
"Classmate, has your classmate Zhan Shiqing left yet?"
Zhan Jinzhi casually intercepted a female classmate who looked familiar. Although he couldn't recall her name, he was sure she was in Zhan Shiqing's class.
The classmate became flustered when Zhan Jinzhi stopped her.
Despite his young age, Zhan Jinzhi was quite popular among the girls. However, his demeanor made him seem unapproachable, which only added to his allure as an unattainable type in the girls' circles.
Seeing the female classmate's nervousness, Zhan Jinzhi assumed his tone had startled her.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his attitude, and asked again softly, "Classmate, has Zhan Shiqing not come out yet?"
The girl seemed even more taken aback, taking a step back. She genuinely found it overwhelming to be in such close proximity to Zhan Jinzhi.
Zhan Jinzhi couldn't help but rub his forehead. Perhaps he should ask someone else.
"Zhan Shiqing has already left. When I left just now, she was already gone," the female classmate finally said.
Only then did Zhan Jinzhi realize something was amiss. He was aware of recent events to some extent, but he hadn't expected Zhan Shiqing to be in danger this time.
He didn't bother with anything else and ran back into the school. He had been waiting at the main entrance. The back of the school was usually locked, except in special circumstances.
In other words, if Zhan Shiqing hadn't left the school grounds, there was a high probability she was still inside.
"Shiqing!"
Zhan Jinzhi ran to Zhan Shiqing's classroom and, as expected, found no trace of her.
Fang Xun arrived at the school gate but was unexpectedly met with the absence of both children. Zhan Jinzhi was usually very reliable and wouldn't have left after promising to wait at the designated spot.
Considering the recent events, Fang Xun easily envisioned something bad happening. There was only one explanation for this situation: the children had likely fallen into danger.
Wei Yu Meng waited at home for the children's return, even preparing their favorite snacks.
At that moment, she received a text message. The sender's number was not one she recognized.
But the content of the message made her heart skip a beat.
"Madam, the children are missing."
The sender addressed her as "Madam," leading Wei Yu Meng to wonder if it was someone she knew. However, she couldn't rule out the possibility of a scam.
Cautiously, she decided to call Fang Xun for clarification.
"Fang Xun, did you pick up the children?"
Fang Xun hadn't expected Wei Yu Meng to call so soon to inquire.
"The children..." Fang Xun didn't know how to tell Wei Yu Meng. "I just arrived here, and I don't see them at the moment. However, we are about to go into the school to search..."
However, before he could finish speaking, Wei Yu Meng had already hung up the phone.