After Qiao Ningzhi left with Lin Jia, Zhan Yichen also left with Mu Linjing. Although they knew the matter was not over, as long as there were no rifts between them, no matter what unreasonable demands Wen Yulan made, they would always find a way to deal with it.
Now they could only hope that Qiao Ningzhi could quickly get out of this predicament. Their struggle with Wen Yulan would not end anytime soon, but no one else should be dragged into it.
They continued their usual lives, working by the clock, and spending most of their free time on dates.
A few days later, they all received wedding invitations from Qiao Ningzhi. Clearly, Qiao Ningzhi's pregnancy had forced her parents to agree to her marriage with Lin Jia. The wedding was scheduled for the following week, a tight timeline that likely took into account Qiao Ningzhi's physical condition.
They naturally offered their blessings, but Wen Yulan was furious. One phone call after another summoned Zhan Yichen back.
She pointed at the invitation on the table and asked sharply, "What is going on? Why is she marrying someone else?"
This was the daughter-in-law she had chosen. She had thought she had successfully tied them together, and now this invitation was like a bolt from the blue.
Zhan Yichen had guessed why she had urgently called him back. He took the invitation, glanced at it casually, and returned it to Wen Yulan. "What does it matter to me who she marries? Why are you reacting like this?"
Wen Yulan was exasperated, knowing he was feigning ignorance. "You two were about to get engaged, and now she's marrying someone else. Isn't this a slap in the face to the Zhan family?"
Zhan Yichen, however, was nonchalant. "When was she supposed to get engaged to me? It was all your wishful thinking. Besides, she's pregnant, so she has to get married."
He deliberately told Wen Yulan the news to provoke her further. "What did you say? She's pregnant? Is it your child? Of course, she can't get engaged to someone else. Are you an idiot?"
During this time, Zhan Laoye had confined her at home, also to prevent her from causing trouble. He had forbidden her from seeing anyone, so she had no opportunity to stir up trouble and had no way of hearing any news.
Her access to information was blocked, and she could only learn about outside events through the news.
Hearing that Qiao Ningzhi was pregnant, Wen Yulan, unaware of the inside story, naturally assumed the child was Zhan Yichen's. With this child, she thought, she would see how arrogant Wei Yumeng could be.
This was something she had always hoped for. Ever since Wei Yumeng had a child, she had worried that Zhan Laoye would pay more attention to Zhan Mohan and neglect them, mother and son.
Now that Qiao Ningzhi was also pregnant with Zhan Yichen's child, her worries could be put to rest. Thus, she was extremely anxious, and her desire to have Qiao Ningzhi marry into their family became even more urgent.
Zhan Yichen knew exactly what she was thinking. Seeing her desperation, he shrugged. "Nothing happened between her and me, so how could the child in her belly be mine?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Yulan grew more anxious. "How could nothing have happened? I clearly..."
Realizing she had let slip something, she quickly shut her mouth and looked away.
Zhan Yichen had been waiting for her to say something, so he naturally seized the opportunity. "You clearly what?"
Wen Yulan shook her head guiltily. "Nothing."
"Even if you don't say it, I know. You clearly drugged both of us, and not only that, you gave her that kind of drug, didn't you?"
Seeing that her scheme had been exposed, Wen Yulan, who had intended to bluff her way through, knew she could no longer hide. She had no choice but to confess. "Yes, I gave the drug, but how did you find out?"
Zhan Mohan sneered. "If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it. We found drug residue in our bodies long ago. Mom, you really went too far. Is your son's body yours, but others' isn't? Don't you know that drug is extremely harmful to the body? Are human lives so cheap in your hands?"
When it came to this, Wen Yulan felt he was exaggerating. Moreover, no mother wanted to leave a bad impression on her child, so she naturally defended herself. "You're overstating things. How could it be a matter of life and death?"
Zhan Yichen merely sneered and said nothing. Indeed, it seemed that no life was lost in this incident, but what if there had been the slightest mistake in the process? Or what if Qiao Ningzhi had insisted on aborting the child? Could that little life have been disregarded?
Seeing her son's silence, Wen Yulan became flustered and decided to apologize proactively. "Fine, if you say I was wrong, then I was wrong. Since she's pregnant and getting married, then your engagement is naturally off."
She said this, but it was a shame to give up such an excellent daughter-in-law. However, how could Wen Yulan bear to see her son suffer?
Since Qiao Ningzhi was pregnant with someone else's child, she could no longer marry her son. How could her son marry a woman with a belly? Although Qiao Ningzhi was outstanding, as a pregnant woman, she was now considered cheap in the eyes of Wen Yulan, who was looking for a suitable daughter-in-law.
Therefore, she finally decided to let Qiao Ningzhi go. Although she did not express her dissatisfaction with Mu Linjing this time, her desire to choose a daughter-in-law who would benefit her son's future remained restless.
Now, Zhan Yichen no longer hoped she would accept Mu Linjing. As long as the two of them could live in peace, and more importantly, if Wen Yulan wouldn't cause any more trouble, he could work harder in the future and run between them.
He had no idea what Wen Yulan was thinking. Since the wedding in the Qiao family was arranged hastily, and Lin Jia had just returned to the country and was not familiar with the domestic customs and rituals, they had invited a few of them to help.
Whether out of guilt towards Qiao Ningzhi or out of loyalty to a friend, they wanted this wedding to be magnificent.
Therefore, after leaving the Zhan residence, he went straight to the hotel where the wedding would be held the following week to help with the preparations.
Meanwhile, Qiao Ningzhi and Wei Yumeng were interacting frequently. After all, Wei Yumeng was a new mother who had given birth after ten months of pregnancy. With Qiao Ningzhi about to become a mother herself, learning some experience would be beneficial.
Wei Yumeng was naturally happy to help. Since Zhan Mohan was also invited to help decorate the wedding venue, she found herself spending more time with Mu Linjing and Qiao Ningzhi. The three women and two children made for a good way to pass the time.
Of course, she was also curious why Zhan Mohan, with his detached personality, would agree to help Lin Jia, with whom he had little acquaintance. She didn't think it was for his brother Zhan Yichen. However, there was no harm in it, so she decided not to ask for the reason.