When this kind of incident happens, the woman's reputation will inevitably be damaged. To avoid affecting Qiao Ningzhi's future marriage prospects, the Qiao family must seize the opportunity while the Zhan family is in the wrong to make Zhan Yichen marry Qiao Ningzhi.
By achieving this goal, they would also be securing a good future for their daughter.
When asked about this, Wen Yulan, though her face showed no outward emotion, was more proactive than anyone.
She adopted the attitude of the party at fault towards Father and Mother Qiao, saying, "This was Yichen's mistake. Our Zhan family will definitely take responsibility for this. I will discuss it with our old master as soon as I get back and finalize the marriage between them."
If this incident hadn't occurred, such a solution would have been seen as rushed. But now, the situation was different, and Wen Yulan's urgency made the other party feel their sincerity.
However, upon hearing the so-called solution she offered, both Zhan Yichen and Qiao Ningzhi disagreed.
Qiao Ningzhi, who had remained silent, finally spoke up, "I won't marry him. He doesn't have me in his heart. I won't be happy with him!"
Seeing this, Mother Qiao quickly tried to persuade her, "Silly child, how long can love last? He doesn't have you in his heart now, but he will have only you in the future. Besides, after this happened, do you want to be gossiped about by others? Even if you don't care, have you thought about your parents?"
Mother Qiao's words left Qiao Ningzhi unable to retort. Of course, she didn't want to be gossiped about, but her dislike for Zhan Yichen was also very real.
Although Zhan Yichen had done this to her, and she wished she could kill him, she still trusted his character. She was more willing to believe it was an accident caused by his drunkenness.
Putting that aside, she still didn't want to marry a man whose heart belonged to another woman.
Zhan Yichen, on the other hand, was unwilling to accept this solution from the bottom of his heart. But he had no right to refuse. So, when Qiao Ningzhi refused, he felt an immense sense of relief.
As long as he didn't have to marry Qiao Ningzhi, he was willing to accept any form of compensation.
The two sides held different views and remained at an impasse. While the elders of both families unanimously desired a marriage alliance, the individuals involved were unwilling.
Caught between the inescapable societal norms on one hand and her own stubbornness on the other, Qiao Ningzhi was in agony.
Why was she, who had done nothing wrong, being forced to make such a difficult decision?
Seeing that their stalemate would lead to no conclusion, Zhan Mohan interrupted them.
"Uncle Qiao, Auntie Qiao, it is true that our Zhan family is in the wrong. However, there seems to be no better solution at the moment. Why don't you take Miss Qiao back with you? The incident happened so suddenly today, and everyone is flustered. It would be best to go back and calm down, and perhaps a better solution will emerge."
Originally, the Qiao family wanted to finalize the matter then and there. After all, if the Zhan family reneged, they might have no choice but to suffer in silence.
Moreover, Qiao Ningzhi's attitude was firm, showing no signs of wavering. Taking her back to persuade her might still lead to a change.
Zhan Mohan's words provided them with a way out.
Father Qiao grumbled with dissatisfaction, "Mr. Zhan, you are a respected figure among the younger generation. Today, I will take Zhi'er back solely on your account. However, I hope the Zhan family can give us a satisfactory answer as soon as possible."
Zhan Mohan nodded, and only then was the Qiao family of three temporarily sent away.
However, their troubles were far from over, as Wen Yulan continued to nag Zhan Yichen.
"Yichen, things have already escalated to this point. You heard what they said just now. It's not that Mom is forcing you, but do you think it's acceptable if you don't marry her?"
Zhan Yichen was already on the verge of a breakdown here, and Wen Yulan's continued nagging made him lose control, causing him to vent his anger on her.
"Is it acceptable if I don't marry her? Then is it acceptable if I don't marry Mu Linjing? She is the woman I swore to cherish for a lifetime. What wrong has she done? Is it acceptable if I don't take responsibility for the promises I made?"
He couldn't stand Wen Yulan's constant disregard for Mu Linjing. He already felt immense guilt for wronging Mu Linjing, and being pressured further made his emotions erupt.
Hearing that he was still concerned about Mu Linjing, Wen Yulan thought it was indeed time to add fuel to the fire.
"Is it useful for you to get angry with me? You were in the wrong in the first place, so am I wrong to ask you to take responsibility? I'm telling you, even if your grandfather were here, he would have the same attitude as me!"
She knew her son's temper all too well. Although her words would hurt Zhan Yichen, she could endure this little pain for the sake of preventing him from marrying that penniless girl who offered no help to his future.
In her mind, all this was her worrying for her son, and Zhan Yichen would eventually understand her good intentions.
Her words stirred the guilt that Zhan Yichen had been trying hard to suppress. Yes, he was the instigator of this incident, the culprit who had hurt two women simultaneously. What right did he have to make such a fuss?
He calmed down, lowered his head, and in utter despair, said, "Mom, please leave. I want to be alone for a while."
Wen Yulan had intended to strike while the iron was hot and perhaps persuade Zhan Yichen. But seeing Zhan Mohan still sitting there impassively, she abandoned the idea.
Zhan Mohan was a clear-headed person, and she feared he might overhear something if she said too much in front of him. Thus, Wen Yulan chose to leave the apartment.
Finally, with no one nagging him, Zhan Yichen lay on the sofa with a pained expression, covering his face with his hands. "Brother, what should I do?"
Hearing this, Zhan Mohan asked in a deep voice, "Can you remember anything at all about what happened after you drank?"
He rubbed his head and shook it. "I can't remember. I only recall that I didn't drink excessively. With my tolerance, I shouldn't have been so drunk."
This was precisely the reason for Zhan Mohan's question. He knew Zhan Yichen's drinking capacity.
This social engagement was with the Qiao Corporation. As the sole heir of the Qiao Corporation in the future, it was normal for Qiao Ningzhi to be present at the drinking party.
But they hadn't gone together. So why did they return together after the engagement ended?
Both of them were drunk, both had blackouts, and when they woke up, this happened. And by chance, the person who should have least seen it, did.
There were too many coincidences in this. It was too coincidental.
Zhan Mohan, who was well aware of such schemes, couldn't help but suspect that something was amiss. What if someone had arranged it deliberately?