For Wei Yumeng, this was perhaps the happiest birthday she had ever had. She had never imagined a day like this, celebrating with her biological parents.
Yet, she still sensed something was off. Song Lijun seemed to cast glances at Chen Yutong from time to time.
Initially, Wei Yumeng thought Song Lijun was merely curious about Chen Yutong, whom she hadn't met before. But she soon realized it was more than that.
Even Feng Zhenhua’s gaze sometimes fell on Chen Yutong with a hint of seriousness, his brow furrowed.
Zhan Mohan deliberately moved closer to Wei Yumeng and whispered in her ear, "It seems the elders have something to tell you."
Wei Yumeng nodded. She stood up and said to Song Lijun, "Auntie Song, would you like to see my room? You've never been here before, so you probably haven't seen it."
Upon hearing this, Song Lijun's face lit up with joy. "Is that really okay?"
After all, despite being Wei Yumeng's biological mother, Wei Yumeng had never called her 'Mom.' Coupled with the previous incident involving Catherine, she always felt an invisible barrier between them.
Elder Zhan saw their interaction and said, "Alright, I know about your family matters. Since mother and daughter have reconciled, why still call her Auntie?"
Zhan Mohan also nodded. "Yumeng, what do you think?"
Hearing this, Wei Yumeng looked at Feng Zhenhua and Song Lijun. She agreed it was appropriate, but she hadn't called them "Dad" and "Mom" in so long.
Seeing Wei Yumeng's hesitation, Song Lijun quickly said, "It's alright, it's alright. It's just a title, neither your father nor I mind."
Despite her words, a trace of disappointment was evident on her face.
Wei Yumeng then looked at the others, including Zhan Yangyi, all of whom offered her encouraging glances.
Taking a deep breath, Wei Yumeng finally mustered her courage and looked at Song Lijun and Feng Zhenhua. "Dad, Mom."
At the sound of her voice, Song Lijun’s eyes welled up with tears. She turned away, saying, "I apologize for my失礼 (rudeness)."
Feng Zhenhua, for his part, managed a rare smile. "Good child, good child."
Zhan Mohan looked at Wei Yumeng, gently taking her hand. Wei Yumeng returned his smile.
However, Wei Yumeng soon remembered that she had intended to take Song Lijun to her room to talk, only to be interrupted by Elder Zhan.
"Mom, I'll take you to see our room," Wei Yumeng said, standing up.
This time, Song Lijun did not hesitate. "Okay."
As Song Lijun and Wei Yumeng left, Chen Yutong fell into thought.
She couldn't have missed Song Lijun's attitude towards her. And Wei Yumeng had clearly noticed it, deliberately leading Song Lijun away for a private chat.
Chen Yutong had told herself that the topic of their conversation might not necessarily involve her, but a sense of unease filled her heart, making her restless.
Zhan Yangyi noticed her discomfort and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"
Chen Yutong gave an embarrassed smile. "I need to go to the restroom."
Zhan Yangyi nodded. "I thought something was wrong. You don't need to be so formal about these things; we're all family here."
Chen Yutong smiled awkwardly and then got up to leave.
Under the guise of going to the restroom, she seized the opportunity to slip into Wei Yumeng's room and secretly eavesdrop.
After a brief look around, Song Lijun commented, "As expected of the Zhan Corporation's wealth. This room is much better than ours. It's good that you married someone like President Zhan."
Wei Yumeng smiled. "If you like it, you can come and stay with us anytime. I'm sure the children will be very happy."
"That would be wonderful," Song Lijun replied, still touched by the day's events.
Soon, however, she steered the conversation, subtly asking Wei Yumeng, "By the way, how is your sister-in-law, Chen Yutong, with you all?"
"We're getting along well," Wei Yumeng replied. "There were some misunderstandings before, but they've all been resolved now."
"Misunderstandings?" Song Lijun frowned. "Was it because of President Zhan?"
Wei Yumeng was taken aback. They hadn't told anyone about their past issues. Song Lijun shouldn't have known.
"Mom, don't jump to conclusions. It wasn't a big deal."
Song Lijun looked at Wei Yumeng, her expression one of disbelief. "Really? Don't try to placate me. Even if you don't want to talk about it, I can see it."
Wei Yumeng looked at Song Lijun, a puzzled expression on her face. Had Song Lijun truly seen something?
Song Lijun adopted a serious tone. "Ever since your father and I arrived, I've seen her constantly looking at President Zhan, even getting close to him. It seems she's not as close to her husband."
Her words made Wei Yumeng feel awkward. "Mom, you must be overthinking. How could that be? She's already Big Brother's wife; she wouldn't act like that."
"Yumeng, you have to believe your mother. This Chen Yutong is not as simple as she seems. You need to be cautious. Don't regret it later if something happens."
Wei Yumeng lowered her head. She had finally convinced herself to let go of the past and to believe that since Chen Yutong had chosen Zhan Yangyi, she wouldn't have any lingering feelings for Zhan Mohan.
Hearing Song Lijun's words, she felt uneasy again. If Song Lijun's concerns were valid, what would happen in the future?
They were all living under the same roof now, and anything could happen.
Song Lijun reached out and took Wei Yumeng's hand, patting her hand. "I know what I've said might make you uneasy, but it's always wise to be on guard. I truly hope I'm just worrying too much."
Just then, the door to the room opened. Zhan Yangyi and Chen Yutong stood outside.
"Auntie Song, I respect you as an elder, but how can you speak ill of someone behind their back?" Zhan Yangyi exclaimed, seemingly furious.
"Yangyi, don't be like this. It's just a misunderstanding; it will be cleared up," Chen Yutong said, holding Zhan Yangyi back as if to stop him. However, Song Lijun saw a hint of cunning in her eyes.
Song Lijun, unconcerned about the younger generation, retorted, "Yes, perhaps I shouldn't have said some things, but what's wrong with an elder reminding her daughter? More importantly, you should manage your wife. Don't let me witness your downfall as an elder."
"You don't need to worry about that. I know what kind of person my wife is," Zhan Yangyi said, stepping forward. His imposing presence made everyone in the room feel a little intimidated.