Qiao Ningzhi's image had always been gentle and lovely. Moreover, it was her wedding day, and she was the protagonist. To erupt in a fit of rage in front of so many media outlets at this moment was a practice that was bound to attract criticism.
However, the reporters' suspicions were truly infuriating. Mu Linjing was inside, and the situation was so dire. These people would say anything for a scoop, showing no compassion or humanity whatsoever.
Scolded by her, these reporters dared not ask anything further. Furthermore, Zhan Yichen was also present, and they couldn't afford to offend either of these families. For the sake of a headline, they wouldn't risk losing their livelihoods.
Thus, after Qiao Ningzhi's outburst, these reporters wisely refrained from making any more noise. They didn't even wait for security to arrive before dispersing. After all, they would have to report on this matter sooner or later, and a day's delay wouldn't matter.
After the reporters left, the corridor fell silent again, with only the breathing of the three of them remaining. Zhan Yichen appeared calm, having said nothing throughout, merely staring at the operating room light, waiting for the moment it would extinguish.
No one knew how long they had sat there. Zhan Mohan and Lin Jia had even rushed over, yet Mu Linjing was still in the operating room.
Upon seeing Zhan Mohan, Wei Yumeng finally broke down, "Lin Jing's face will likely bear scars. Can you find some scar-removing medicine for her? These wounds are all on her face. How will she be able to face people in the future?"
Seeing her anxiety, Zhan Mohan readily agreed, "Don't worry, I'll contact the best doctors and medicines for her. Leave this matter to me."
Despite his assurance, Wei Yumeng remained deeply worried, pacing back and forth outside the corridor. As long as the surgery wasn't over, her heart couldn't settle.
Lin Jia, finding the atmosphere eerily quiet, shifted the topic to the cause of the incident.
"Mr. Zhan and I inspected the fitting room at the hotel, and it seems Ms. Mu's face was cut by debris from a light bulb."
The hotel staff cooperated with them in cleaning up the scene. They discovered that a light bulb on the ceiling had shattered. This seemed like an unforeseeable accident, but the hotel, eager to avoid responsibility, was strenuously trying to prove that the light bulbs they used were all inspected and would not burst without reason.
"The remnants of those light bulbs have now been sent to the quality inspection department for examination, and someone is responsible for a secondary investigation at the scene. Whether it was an accident or intentional, I believe the results will be known soon."
Compared to an accident, Lin Jia leaned more towards the incident being deliberate. After all, the hotels they chose were of a certain caliber. Knowing that the Qiao family was holding their wedding there, they should have meticulously checked everything that could possibly be used. Such a lapse was uncharacteristic of such hotels.
Moreover, why did the light bulb shatter precisely when Mu Linjing entered? Her pollen allergy was an accident, the light bulb shattering was an accident, her entire face being injured was an accident. With so many accidents occurring simultaneously, could it still be considered an accident?
Speaking of the matter, Wei Yumeng couldn't help but ask, "I noticed both bouquets contained lilacs. However, these flowers are usually not used extensively in a bride's bouquet. Ningzhi, can you recall if you chose flowers that looked like these?"
Qiao Ningzhi and Mu Linjing had not known each other for long and were unaware of Mu Linjing's lilac pollen allergy. If she had indeed unintentionally chosen these two bouquets, then at least this incident could be considered an accident.
More than anything, Wei Yumeng wished it were an accident. Although it was terribly unlucky, who would willingly endure so much malice from others?
If it were truly a man-made incident, the perpetrator would be extremely ruthless. For a woman, disfigurement would be no different from death.
Qiao Ningzhi had indeed paid little attention to these minor details. She couldn't fathom that someone would tamper with the bouquets. When Wei Yumeng asked her, she could only shake her head, "I don't remember. But since it's suspected to be intentional, why not investigate all the staff? If someone were to tamper with the flowers, they would be the most likely to succeed."
Her words were not unfounded. The wedding invitations had been sent out a week prior. To prevent Qiao Ningzhi from feeling wronged in her marriage, Lin Jia had tried not to be low-key. Therefore, anyone intending to cause trouble at the wedding would have had at least a week to prepare.
For someone so calculating, someone who wouldn't even spare the bouquets, a week was ample time to make many arrangements.
Upon their suggestion, Zhan Mohan immediately instructed Fang Xun to contact the hotel's human resources department and compile a list of all personnel involved in the wedding, as well as any recent position changes.
Since they were going to investigate, they should do so thoroughly. After all, disfigurement was a truly insidious act.
After discussing the matter, they all fell silent again. The wait for the surgery to end was long. They didn't know how long they waited before the operating room doors finally opened.
Zhan Yichen, who had been silent, immediately rushed forward. "Doctor, how is my girlfriend? Are her wounds all treated?"
The doctor, also exhausted after several hours of surgery, had sweat beads on her forehead. However, her expression did not convey the relief one would expect after completing a surgery.
"The patient is still unconscious. We have treated her wounds and removed all the debris. Her wounds are of varying depths, with the ones on her cheek being particularly deep. It is presumed that due to gravity, there was secondary damage when the patient fell."
This implied that when the light bulb shattered, Mu Linjing must have been standing.
Wei Yumeng noticed the anomaly and immediately asked, "Doctor, can such an injury cause someone to faint instantly?"
The doctor shook her head, understanding her query.
"The patient was likely suffocated before being injured. We detected anesthetic components in her body. During the surgery, we were hesitant to administer too much anesthetic, which is why the patient remains unconscious. This will last until the anesthetic wears off. However, without anesthesia, her wounds will likely ache for a long time."
The doctor's words solidified their certainty about the nature of the incident. It seemed someone had planned to cause trouble during the wedding long ago. They had simply been unprepared, allowing someone to exploit the loophole.
"Doctor, is there a high possibility of scarring on her face?"
Wei Yumeng asked this question with a sliver of hope, but upon seeing the doctor's expression, she realized how unrealistic her hope was.
"You should find some highly effective scar-removing medication for her. Furthermore, besides the wounds caused by the debris, we also discovered a small area of chemical burns on her scalp."