When asked this question, both Father Qiao and Mother Qiao were taken aback. They had always doted on their daughter and, although willing to form a kinship with the Zhan family, prioritized her happiness above all else.
Otherwise, at Zhan Yichen's apartment, they would have directly issued a stern command, seizing the opportunity with both sets of parents present to finalize the marriage between the two.
The reason they had persuaded so earnestly, setting aside business considerations, was their hope that their daughter would marry happily.
Qiao Ningzhi's question had hit the nail on the head. If she were to truly marry into the Zhan family and have Wen Yulan as a mother-in-law, her future life would be uncertain.
What if Wen Yulan, displeased one day, did something to her? If she suffered injustice without being able to find the true culprit, wouldn't she be oppressed for a lifetime?
This would be contrary to her parents' original intentions.
Father Qiao considered for a long time before saying, "It hasn't been clarified yet, has it? Let's wait and see the situation. Once this matter blows over, if you really don't want to marry, we won't force you."
Between family interests and their daughter's happiness, they would undoubtedly choose the latter.
Qiao Ningzhi said nothing this time and returned to her room. All she needed now was to wait for the matter to die down. It seemed the sordid truth was better left undiscovered.
However, Zhan Yichen needed to clarify the matter to explain to Mu Linjing, so she could only cooperate.
Zhan Yichen took his blood test results to Zhan Mohan, but all Zhan Mohan could offer was strategic assistance, as he had other matters to prepare for.
With his two children's hundred-day celebration approaching, Old Master Zhan intended to hold a banquet. Although the family had encountered such a scandal, it was not suitable to hold a grand feast, lest further developments occur.
However, Old Master Zhan doted on his great-grandchildren and had planned the hundred-day banquet long ago. He didn't want to disappoint the elder's wishes.
Therefore, he decided to hold a small gathering, which would also serve as a memorial for Wei Yumeng.
Because of this, he didn't have much time to help Zhan Yichen with the matter, other than daily inquiries about Mu Linjing's whereabouts from Wei Yumeng, so that he could be at ease. Mu Linjing was enjoying herself outside, at least far more comfortably than at home.
When chatting with Wei Yumeng, she learned about the upcoming hundred-day celebration for the two little ones and decided to cut her trip short to surprise Wei Yumeng.
She had had her fill of wandering and it was time to return. As Wei Yumeng's best friend, how could she not attend the hundred-day banquet for the two babies?
Moreover, she had been following the news and was naturally affected by what she had seen. She was unsure if she would forgive Zhan Yichen after knowing he had been framed.
But one thing was clear: no matter how far or how long she traveled, she would eventually have to return and face everything.
She had chosen to leave initially to relieve her unhappiness. One could choose to escape for a while, but not forever.
Although the main characters of the event were only two people, she could not be excluded. After composing herself, she had to go back. Ultimately, she couldn't bear to let Zhan Yichen face all of this alone.
She didn't tell Wei Yumeng that she was returning. Wei Yumeng thought she wouldn't be attending the children's hundred-day banquet. While she felt regret, understanding that her friend needed her space, she hadn't mentioned her hope for her return.
Once Zhan Mohan finished his work, he would pick her and the children up to take photos for their hundred-day celebration. Since children often took a long time for photos, she prepared everything the two babies would need at home and waited for Zhan Mohan to arrive.
Two booklets, which had fallen out from a pile of luggage they had moved back from the Zhan family's residence, caught her attention. Picking them up, she realized they were their household registration books.
Previously, to evade getting registered, she had torn up the Zhan family's household registration book. This one looked brand new, likely a replacement Zhan Mohan had obtained later.
It seemed it had been ready for some time. Zhan Mohan knew she had wanted a proposal ceremony, and he had fulfilled that, but he hadn't brought up the matter of registration again. Thinking of this, she suddenly felt guilty for her impulsive act of tearing up the household registration book, which had led to their failed attempt to register. Perhaps her obvious rejection had also saddened Zhan Mohan.
Recalling the disbelief in his eyes at the time, Wei Yumeng felt a surge of apology for this unconditional trust.
Both love and marriage required effort from both parties. Just because she had given birth to two children for Zhan Mohan, did that make her great enough?
The identity of a mother was sacred yet ordinary. Sacred in relation to her children, ordinary in relation to her husband.
It seemed the whole world was telling men about the hardships women endured during childbirth and child-rearing, but no one told women about the pressure men bore as the pillars of the family, and the compromises they made within the household.
Men and women were never equal, yet as human beings, all were equal.
As a husband, Zhan Mohan was more than qualified. He had tried his best to protect their family, yet she had been solely taking. How unfair was that to Zhan Mohan?
Zhan Mohan might consider his efforts as a matter of course, but she could not accept them as a matter of course.
When the recipient learns to give, it is also a great source of emotion.
With this thought, she put the two household registration books into her bag. She also found the babies' birth certificates. Today would be the day their whole family officially "took up their posts."
Soon, Zhan Mohan arrived to pick them up. Taking the babies to the photo studio, Zhan Mohan had already made arrangements for the entire establishment to serve only their family that day.
Although it seemed somewhat extravagant, it ensured the babies' safety. After experiencing repeated harm from Jiang Siyu during her pregnancy, Wei Yumeng had become a frightened bird. Zhan Mohan's actions were meant to put her at ease.
"Mr. Zhan, Mrs. Zhan, we can start shooting anytime."
As the studio manager was about to lead them inside, Wei Yumeng was drawn to the wedding dresses in the shop.
A wedding dress was every woman's dream. Wei Yumeng and Zhan Mohan had no wedding ceremony, and thus no opportunity to wear a wedding dress. She could only look.
Seeing this, the studio manager quickly introduced, "Mrs. Zhan, are you interested in looking at wedding dresses? All our dresses are custom-made. If you need anything, we have designers who can design one for you and tailor it to your measurements."
At this point, Wei Yumeng couldn't help but look down at her figure. Although her body had recovered considerably after giving birth, it was still not the same as before pregnancy. She wished to wear a wedding dress at the most beautiful moment of her life.
With her current figure, she was hesitant to try. She shook her head with regret and smiled at the studio manager, "No need, let's take the hundred-day photos."