The person on the bed immediately opened their eyes upon hearing these words, "Dad, do you have to expose me?"
Old Master Zhan turned his head and looked at her indifferently, "Finally can't keep up the act?"
She knitted her brows and looked at Old Master Zhan, "Dad, I don't understand why you're helping that girl so much. What's so good about her that you're so willing to let her marry into the Zhan family? Or are you biased towards Zhan Mohan, with the goal of making my son powerless?"
She finally voiced the concerns that had been weighing on her mind. Old Master Zhan had always known her thoughts and was not surprised by her question.
He merely looked down at her from above, "I don't need you to question my actions. I'm kindly advising you to stop now; don't sever your mother-son relationship."
This was not the first time Old Master Zhan had warned her. The last time, she had dismissed it with disdain, but this time, she fell silent.
She hadn't forgotten the words Zhan Yichen had spoken before she fainted. For Mu Linjing, mother and son had almost reached the point of severing ties. If she hadn't fallen ill, her own son would likely have left with another woman long ago.
"As long as I'm not awake for a single day, they won't be able to rest easy. I won't let them be together comfortably."
As these obsessive remarks were spoken, the hospital room door was suddenly kicked open. Zhan Yichen, furious, entered with Mu Linjing. He had witnessed the entire scene from outside the door and, upon hearing Wen Yulan's reason for feigning illness, could no longer tolerate it.
This morning, like any other, he and Mu Linjing had come to visit Wen Yulan.
When he learned from Cen Yuan that Old Master Zhan was inside, he was about to push the door open when he heard Wen Yulan speaking.
Despite his disbelief, he patiently listened at the door. He never expected that to prevent them from being together, to make them both suffer from guilt, Wen Yulan would resort to such absurd actions.
"Mom, during your unconsciousness, it was Linjing and I who took care of you. I'll let that slide, but Linjing is not related to you by blood, and yet she took care of you for so long. Even without merit, there's effort. A heart of iron would be warmed, but how can you not see Linjing's goodness?"
He spoke with anguish. With such a mother, how could he possibly marry Mu Linjing?
Wen Yulan scoffed at Mu Linjing's care, "I don't need her to take care of me at all."
"Then what about me?"
Zhan Yichen raised his voice in accusation, "Am I your biological son? I've never seen a mother like you who obstructs her son's happiness. You constantly say it's for my own good, but in reality, you're just using me to achieve your own goals."
Mother-son affection is always the most unreasonable thing in the world. He had never taken any action against Wen Yulan, simply because she was his birth mother.
However, on this matter, he was utterly heartbroken.
"You always say it's for my own good, but after you fell unconscious, you saw my self-reproach. You were clearly awake, yet you feigned illness, all to use my guilt over this matter to make me and Linjing uneasy even if we were together, right?"
With this selfish truth revealed, Zhan Yichen's last remaining guilt vanished.
He took Mu Linjing's hand and turned away, "Since you're awake, my past mistakes have been compensated. I owe you nothing from now on."
This time, he no longer listened to anything Wen Yulan said and left directly with Mu Linjing.
Wen Yulan was left staring blankly at his retreating back. No one would sympathize with her condition any longer.
"Dad..."
She tried to seek help from Old Master Zhan, but he directly rose and called Cen Yuan in.
"Make arrangements for Madam. Her health is not good, so she needs to be sent to my villa in Country B to recuperate. Find some reliable people to take good care of her."
The implication was clear: he was sending Wen Yulan away and having her watched. She likely wouldn't be able to return to the country without his permission. Realizing her predicament, Wen Yulan, without a second thought, scrambled down from the bed and clung to Old Master Zhan's leg.
"Dad, I know I was wrong. I promise I won't obstruct them again. Please don't send me away!"
Old Master Zhan had made this decision as soon as he suspected she might be faking her illness. Her explicit statement of her reason for feigning illness only strengthened his resolve.
He ordered Cen Yuan to pull away the obstacle from his leg and walked out of the ward.
Furthermore, he arranged for two people to monitor her at the hospital until she was sent abroad.
Looking at the hospital room that felt like a prison, Wen Yulan never imagined she would completely lose her freedom.
In Zhan Mohan's apartment, several people sat together, the silence lingering for a long time until Zhan Mohan's phone rang. It was Cen Yuan.
He knew it was the result of his grandfather's decision regarding this matter, so he put the call on speakerphone.
"Young Master, Master has instructed you to arrange for someone to send Madam to the residence in Country B as soon as possible."
"I understand."
After hanging up, he looked at Zhan Yichen, "If you still can't bear it, you can still go beg Grandpa now. Perhaps he'll change his mind."
Zhan Yichen gritted his teeth, drained the wine in front of him in one gulp, and then heavily placed down the glass.
"I'm not going. I think Grandpa's decision is correct."
If Wen Yulan continued to stay in the country, she would surely cause more trouble, harming herself and others. He didn't want to see Mu Linjing hurt because of it again.
Sent abroad, away from the hustle and bustle of the country, perhaps Wen Yulan's disposition could calm down.
The saying that relationships without parental blessings don't last would be broken by them.
He would rather his relationship not receive his mother's blessings, as long as it meant Mu Linjing was spared trouble.
Seeing the decisions he had made for her sake, Mu Linjing knew she hadn't chosen the wrong person.
Since he had made up his mind, Zhan Mohan no longer tried to persuade him. "In that case, I'll make the arrangements as quickly as possible. You can choose a time to say goodbye."
Zhan Yichen didn't want to discuss the topic further and switched to another subject.
"Linjing, since our matters are settled, when will you take me to meet your parents?"
At his words, everyone seemed to realize something. Not a single one of them had thought of such an important matter.
Upon hearing this, Mu Linjing subtly touched the uneven scars on her face and pursed her lips, "After the injuries on my face have healed."
Children always report good news and hide bad news from their parents when they are away, and she was no exception. Although she didn't know if her face would fully recover, she had no intention of telling her parents and causing them unnecessary worry.