Zhan Mohan saw her fidgeting as soon as she returned to the bedroom and asked with concern, "What are you thinking about?"
She confided her dilemma to Zhan Mohan, hoping he could help her make a decision.
But Zhan Mohan's opinion was not to interfere too much. "If they both require your help and support from the very beginning, will you have to solve every problem they encounter in the future? If Zhan Yichen truly likes Mu Linjing, he should be the one to handle these obstacles."
Her concern had clouded her judgment. She didn't want Mu Linjing to get hurt, so her considerations were somewhat flawed.
Wen Yulan's opposition was a long-term obstacle they would inevitably face, and it indeed should be resolved by Zhan Yichen. If he couldn't handle it, Mu Linjing would only suffer by his side.
Realizing this, she was no longer so conflicted. Nothing had been easy lately, but she was pregnant and truly didn't want the child to be affected. She could only try to cast aside these unpleasantries and await childbirth peacefully.
The next day, Zhan Yichen found it strange when he received a call from Wen Yulan.
His mother rarely called unless there was something important. This time, she simply asked him to accompany her for lunch. He felt something was amiss.
However, if he refused such a simple request, it would surely displease Wen Yulan, so he had no choice but to agree.
Fortunately, Mu Linjing's foot injury had almost healed, so it wouldn't matter if he wasn't there to attend to her for a while.
When he informed Mu Linjing that he would be having lunch with Wen Yulan, Mu Linjing didn't think much of it. She just felt that Wen Yulan was always difficult to deal with, and since she herself had no major issues, it was fine for him to go.
"I'll have a colleague bring me lunch. You go ahead."
Zhan Yichen felt relieved and headed directly to the restaurant where he had arranged to meet Wen Yulan after work.
Wen Yulan had only told him which private room it was. When he pushed open the door, he saw more than just Wen Yulan.
There was also a woman he didn't recognize. He immediately understood the purpose of this lunch. Without a second thought, he closed the door and left.
Since he had already decided to pursue Mu Linjing, he naturally had to refuse all behavior that could be construed as ambiguous. He didn't want to create a mess of misunderstandings before his relationship with Mu Linjing even began.
Wen Yulan had been in the middle of a pleasant conversation with Qiao Ningzhi when Zhan Yichen so blatantly walked out, causing her to blush furiously. She quickly appeased Qiao Ningzhi, "Please wait a moment, I'll go and see."
Qiao Ningzhi was not foolish; she understood the obvious refusal from Zhan Yichen and knew that this blind date was doomed.
Confident in her own pride, she felt it would be embarrassing to stay after being rejected. Thus, she did not heed Wen Yulan's words and left the private room.
Furthermore, commercial marriages had never been her intention, and now she had a perfect excuse to tell her family.
As she exited the private room, she overheard the conversation between Wen Yulan and her son.
"Mom, marriage is your wish, but I've never agreed to sacrifice my marriage for so-called family interests. You should abandon this idea soon."
Zhan Yichen's attitude was firm. He knew that if he gave in, Mu Linjing would be the one to suffer.
These words, however, sparked a trace of curiosity in Qiao Ningzhi about this man, wondering what kind of person would share her sentiment on this matter.
Therefore, she didn't leave immediately but watched the mother and son from a distance.
Clearly, Wen Yulan was very satisfied with Qiao Ningzhi's appearance and family background, so she tried her best to persuade Zhan Yichen to go in and talk to her. "Yichen, Miss Qiao is the only daughter of the Qiao family and a returnee from overseas. She would be of great help to your career. It doesn't matter if you don't like arranged marriages; once you develop feelings for each other, it won't be called an arranged marriage anymore. Trust my judgment, Miss Qiao will be a good helper for you."
In a sense, these words were not without merit. But the order of appearance in life was crucial. Zhan Yichen had already met Mu Linjing, and his heart could only hold one woman.
"Mom, I have someone I like. No matter how good Miss Qiao is, if she's not the one I love, I won't marry her."
Upon hearing that he had someone he liked, Wen Yulan immediately asked, "Yichen, whose daughter is the one you like? Let Mom meet her?"
Hearing this question, Zhan Yichen's dissatisfaction surged. He didn't think Mu Linjing was inferior to any of those prominent ladies.
"Mom, you don't need to worry about my affairs. I hope this is the last blind date like this."
Wen Yulan's face immediately darkened. She understood her son to some extent and quickly guessed that the other party's conditions might not be good. "Tell me, have you taken a liking to some unknown wild girl?"
Hearing her speak of Mu Linjing like that, Zhan Yichen's anger intensified. "Mom, she's not a wild girl. I like her, and it has nothing to do with her background. I hope you can respect her too."
From a distance, Qiao Ningzhi saw the mother and son arguing heatedly. She stepped forward to interrupt their conversation. Also, she was curious about what kind of girl could capture the favor of the second young master Zhan, especially since she felt a sense of common ground with him.
"Aunt Zhan, may I speak with the second young master Zhan alone?"
Her appearance made Wen Yulan curb her displeasure and greet her with a smile. "Of course, Yichen, please go and chat with Miss Qiao properly."
Zhan Yichen had intended to leave, but since she was already in front of him, it was impolite to refuse so outright. He reluctantly returned to the private room with a heart full of frustration.
With only the two of them, he got straight to the point. "Miss Qiao, I apologize for my mother's arrangement today. I was unaware of it at first; otherwise, I would have refused. I have someone I like, so I cannot accept this kind of blind date. This is not your fault; it's just unfortunate timing and we have no destiny."
It was evident that he wanted to end this blind date as quickly as possible. Qiao Ningzhi couldn't help but appraise the person in front of her. Among his peers, he was indeed outstanding. Moreover, she had learned some information about Zhan Yichen beforehand. Rather than being curious about him, she was more curious about whom Zhan Yichen liked.
"If possible, I'd like to see what the person the second young master Zhan likes looks like."
Her casual remark caused Zhan Yichen to become wary. "What do you mean?"
Seeing his reaction, Qiao Ningzhi couldn't help but smile. "Just curious. Zhan Yichen, you don't think I came to this appointment because I like you, do you?"
Judging by her tone, the answer was clearly no. Zhan Yichen blushed, feeling somewhat awkward. "Then, Miss Qiao's intention is..."
Qiao Ningzhi stated her intentions directly. "I don't like arranged marriages either. I think it might be easier for us to become friends than lovers."
Saying this, she extended her hand to Zhan Yichen. "Hello, I'm Qiao Ningzhi."