The entire affair was meticulously planned by a single individual. Whether there were accomplices remains uncertain, but the mastermind must know Mu Linjing very well, and it's highly probable they knew each other.
With this thought, Wei Yumeng already had a suspect in mind. However, to avoid troubling Mu Linjing further, she kept it to herself.
Exchanging glances with Zhan Mohan, their thoughts converged. They could clearly see who the other suspected.
"Just focus on recovering. We will investigate this thoroughly and ensure you get an explanation."
Zhan Mohan, whether as a boss or as the husband of a good friend, would not stand idly by.
However, these words of comfort seemed to offer little solace to Mu Linjing at this moment.
She no longer clamored to see a mirror, as she had likely guessed how disfigured she was. Looking would only bring more distress.
Wei Yumeng and the others didn't stay the night. They returned home under the cover of darkness.
The next morning, Wei Yumeng arrived early with the two children to take over. Zhan Yichen, who had stayed up all night, had eventually succumbed to exhaustion and dozed off by the bedside.
Noticing he had fallen asleep, Mu Linjing quietly picked up her phone. Using the screen, she saw her entire face was bandaged, leaving only her eyes exposed. Her heart sank.
She naturally thought of disfigured characters in television shows and how they looked when their bandages were removed.
Thinking of that, she put down her phone and wept silently.
Wei Yumeng, standing outside the door, witnessed it all. For a moment, she hesitated to push the door open, not knowing how to comfort Mu Linjing.
But seeing Mu Linjing cry, she quickly pushed the two strollers inside and used tissues to gently dry the tears on Mu Linjing's cheeks.
"Don't cry. It's not good for the wound to get dirty. Mohan has arranged for an expert to arrive this morning. Your face will be fine."
Hearing these words, Mu Linjing squeezed her eyes shut. She tasted the powerlessness of surrendering her fate to others once again; it was truly unbearable.
However, glancing at the exhausted Zhan Yichen by her bedside, she tilted her head back, holding back the tears that had already welled up.
Everyone was trying to find solutions for her, carefully protecting her inner vulnerability. How could she adopt a negative attitude and disappoint them all?
Blinking her eyes forcefully, she looked at Wei Yumeng, trying to make her voice sound less dejected. "Why are you here so early?"
Knowing she was hinting at her purpose, Wei Yumeng followed her lead. "Yichen has been busy for long enough. I'm here to relieve him so he can go get some proper rest."
Mu Linjing then woke Zhan Yichen. They had been busy with wedding preparations before, not getting much sleep for days. Now, utterly exhausted, he was sleeping soundly. Mu Linjing shook him several times before he suddenly woke up in alarm.
"What's wrong, Linjing?"
Seeing his panicked expression, Mu Linjing's heart ached. "Yumeng is here. You should go get some rest, and let Yumeng and the two babies stay with me."
Her sudden change in demeanor made Zhan Yichen understand. She didn't want those who cared about her to be sad.
If that was the case, everyone should put on a more optimistic act.
He obediently left, allowing Wei Yumeng and the children to stay with Mu Linjing.
"You suspect Ai Mi did this too, don't you?"
Mu Linjing's sudden question startled Wei Yumeng, but she quickly nodded. "I think she's the most likely culprit. After all, you had just argued with her, and after she was fired, Yichen vowed that no one in the industry would dare hire her."
Mu Linjing had only just learned that Zhan Yichen had warned his peers not to hire Ai Mi. If that were the case, her suspicion grew even stronger.
"So what has she been doing these past two months? She couldn't have gone without income the entire time."
They both knew Ai Mi's lifestyle habits. She didn't seem like someone with savings, and her work experience wasn't that long, nor was her salary as high as the promoted Mu Linjing. Going without work for nearly two months would mean trouble with basic living expenses.
Mu Linjing's words reminded Wei Yumeng. "I'll have Fang Xun immediately investigate where Ai Mi went after she resigned. She definitely wasn't just unemployed at home."
Soon, news came from Fang Xun that surprised them. Ai Mi had been unemployed for over a month. After facing rejections a few times when looking for work, she stopped interviewing with companies and instead went traveling with her luggage.
After her travels, she surprisingly took a cleaning job. And the place she worked at was none other than the building where the Qiao family held their wedding yesterday.
"Yesterday, we investigated the list of employees involved in the wedding preparations, and Ai Mi's name was not on it. However, according to documents from HR, Ai Mi's name appeared among those hired within the week. They said Ai Mi was new and lacked experience, which is why she wasn't assigned to the wedding preparation team."
After Fang Xun explained this, Wei Yumeng was almost certain that Ai Mi was behind it.
"But where did the money for her travels come from? I don't think she had that much savings."
Mu Linjing knew Ai Mi's salary better than anyone. Given her habit of borrowing money just to buy designer bags to satisfy her vanity, she didn't seem like someone who would secretly hoard wealth.
Mu Linjing understood her meaning and immediately told Fang Xun, "Go and check if Ai Mi's account has received a sudden large deposit recently."
Having been with Zhan Mohan for a long time, Fang Xun naturally understood that they now suspected Ai Mi was being manipulated. However, suspicions needed evidence to be confirmed. He immediately followed Wei Yumeng's instructions.
As it was approaching noon, Zhan Mohan went to the airport to pick up the expert he had hired for Mu Linjing. Meanwhile, the hospital received an uninvited guest.
Wen Yulan had not appeared at yesterday's wedding. Although the Qiao family had sent her an invitation and she intended to attend, Mr. Zhan, not wanting her to say anything embarrassing that would disgrace the Zhan family, had confined her at home.
However, the bloody incident at the wedding was no longer a secret. Knowing that Mu Linjing was at her most grief-stricken and upset, and with Mr. Zhan not at home, Wen Yulan headed straight for the hospital. Mu Linjing's mood had just begun to improve. She was amusing the children, and seeing their smiles had dispelled some of the gloom in her heart.
Just then, Wen Yulan pushed open the door and walked in. Mu Linjing had long anticipated such an impolite entrance.
Wen Yulan despised her and always believed she had bewitched Zhan Yichen. Upon hearing of her current miserable state, it was almost certain she would come to mock and taunt her. Mu Linjing had been waiting.