Wen Yulan wished she could strangle Zhan Yichen to death right then and there. Was this kid insane, selling out his own mother in front of so many people?
Zhan Yichen, however, saw nothing wrong with it. Wen Yulan was the matriarch, and it was natural for her to want to investigate things thoroughly. It was just that his grandfather didn't know about these matters.
Wen Yulan tugged at the corner of her lips, her smile a little stiff, but she remained relatively calm.
"Dad, I was only half-informed at the time and wasn't sure. You said Wei Yumeng married into our family, but I needed to find out her background and any relevant information. It was for the sake of our Zhan family. When I saw this photo, she looked a bit like Ah Han, but Ah Han couldn't walk back then, could he?"
"I... I suspected Yichen. What if Wei Yumeng had something going on with Yichen, and then married Ah Han? Wouldn't that be a joke?"
Zhan Mohan's gaze was complex. He hadn't expected his stepmother to pull this trick, never forgetting to drag someone else down with her.
Her words, in essence, were implicitly telling his grandfather that he had been able to stand for a long time and had been faking it all this while.
What a clever tactic, truly worthy of someone who had climbed over his own mother's corpse to get where she was.
Upon hearing this, Old Master Zhan paused, his clouded eyes filled with doubt.
"If I understand you correctly, coupled with what Ah Han just said, if the child in Wei Yumeng's womb is indeed Ah Han's, then Ah Han must have been able to... long ago?"
The rest of the words, though unspoken, were clear to everyone present.
Wen Yulan deliberately remained silent, waiting to see how Zhan Mohan would explain himself to Old Master Zhan.
Old Master Zhan's gaze gradually shifted to Zhan Mohan, his voice sharp and forceful.
"Ah Han, what exactly is going on? Didn't you only just get back on your feet yesterday? How do you explain the photo?"
As soon as Old Master Zhan finished speaking, Wen Yulan quickly handed over the photo.
The figure from behind did indeed resemble Zhan Mohan, but upon closer inspection, it also looked quite like Zhan Yichen. The brothers were of similar height.
The Zhan family was known for its tall men.
However, based on a mere back view, it was truly impossible to accurately guess who it was.
Zhan Mohan remained composed, no hint of panic on his face. His long legs were elegantly crossed, clad in black trousers and a black shirt.
"Grandfather, I wasn't actually bedridden until yesterday. It's because I suspect someone has been trying to harm me since my car accident."
Old Master Zhan frowned. "Harm you?"
"You can ask Jing Yan about this." Zhan Mohan knew his grandfather always demanded evidence. His feigned paralysis wasn't entirely because of Wei Yumeng.
With a single phone call, he summoned Jing Yan. Jing Yan was initially bewildered, but upon hearing that Zhan Mohan had an urgent matter, he rushed over without hesitation.
When Jing Yan arrived flustered at the Zhan residence, he immediately sensed the oppressive and heavy atmosphere. Everyone's expressions were unusual.
"What... what's going on here?"
Old Master Zhan's face was stern. "Jing Yan, I'm asking you, what's this about Ah Han saying someone tried to drug him?"
Jing Yan looked at Zhan Mohan in surprise and then noticed he was standing. Was he planning to reveal everything?
That he had recovered from his paralysis long ago was known to very few, only those he trusted.
However, since Zhan Mohan was no longer concealing it, Jing Yan spoke frankly.
"Old Master, I discovered a strikingly similar ingredient in the prescriptions given by the doctors who treated Ah Han's legs. After further investigation, I found a pattern: every doctor who came to see Ah Han added the same type of medicine to their prescriptions. This medicine not only prevented Ah Han's legs from healing but also caused them to worsen, eventually leading to amputation."
Old Master Zhan was shocked. "Who did this!"
Jing Yan subtly glanced in Wen Yulan's direction.
Sensing his gaze, Wen Yulan shrieked.
"Jing Yan, why are you looking at me? The doctors were hired by Old Master. Are you suggesting I would harm my own son?"
Her own son, listen to her, so affectionate. If she truly considered Zhan Mohan her son, how could she have been so cruel?
The truth was, it stemmed from jealousy that even with Zhan Mohan paralyzed, Old Master Zhan had no intention of letting Zhan Yichen inherit the presidency of the Zhan Group.
Jing Yan knew all these things, and Zhan Mohan was even more aware. Otherwise, he wouldn't have faked his paralysis for so long, all to prevent Wen Yulan from causing trouble.
"Mom, you know whether it's true or not. You can also call those doctors here to ask them again."
Wen Yulan stared at Zhan Mohan. As she watched him, her face filled with grievance, and tears began to fall.
She choked back sobs, filled with disappointment. "Ah Han, you know better than anyone how I've treated you. When you were first paralyzed, wasn't it me who stayed by your side all night? Why are you saying these things to frame me now? If you're worried about Yichen taking your presidential position in the future, I can assure you he won't. Even though you two don't have the same mother, you share the same father's blood."
To outsiders, she appeared to be an exceptionally good stepmother.
The servants even wondered if there was some misunderstanding.
Sister Li stepped forward to defend Wen Yulan. "Young Master, you must be mistaken. Madam has treated you like her own son all these years, how could she possibly harm you?"
"There's a saying, 'killing with kindness,' do you understand?"
Zhan Mohan naturally wouldn't listen to Sister Li; they were in cahoots, of course, she would defend her.
Old Master Zhan lowered his head slightly. This matter was not easy to handle. After all, Wen Yulan was the matriarch of the Zhan family, and someone had to manage internal and external affairs.
As for Ah Han's words, further investigation was needed. He only hoped it was all a misunderstanding.
Wen Yulan looked pleadingly at Old Master Zhan. "Dad, you must do me justice. I swear I have never harmed Ah Han."
Wei Yumeng stood by the side, completely unable to interject. She didn't want to be entangled in family affairs. Originally, she was being questioned about where she went last night, but it had led to the exposure of a conspiracy.
So, Zhan Mohan's feigned paralysis wasn't solely to toy with her, but also to prevent Wen Yulan from harming him further?
Usually, she had seen Wen Yulan treat Zhan Mohan like her own son, speaking words that were insightful and seemed genuinely for his well-being.
Take the incident of her pregnancy last time, hadn't Wen Yulan caused the death of the child in her womb for the sake of Zhan Mohan's reputation?
The feuds within wealthy families were truly hard to untangle in just a few words.
Old Master Zhan suddenly stood up. "Regarding your mother harming you, I need to find someone to investigate further. We cannot simply assign guilt based on the words of just two people."
Jing Yan eagerly interjected.
"But Old Master Zhan, Ah Han would never lie to you. It's true..."
"Jing Yan, stop talking."
Zhan Mohan's low command cut him off, his eyes swirling with unreadable emotions.
Jing Yan cast a resentful glance at Zhan Mohan, then reluctantly fell silent.
"Everyone, disperse. Since Ah Han can stand now, he and Yumeng should quickly have another child. This is my task for you."
With that, Old Master Zhan slowly ascended the stairs.
In the living room, only Wen Yulan and a few others remained. Since the old master had said no more, staying would only lead to awkwardness.
"Sister Li, let's go back to our room."
"Yes, Madam."
Zhan Mohan turned and looked at Wei Yumeng. "Since you're back, come back to my room with me."
Wei Yumeng also had something she needed to clarify with Zhan Mohan.
Seeing everyone else leave, Jing Yan hurriedly stepped forward. "What about me?"
"There's nothing for you here. You can go back."
Zhan Mohan directly issued the eviction notice.
Jing Yan's eyes widened like saucers. "What? You're just abandoning me now? Burning the bridge after crossing the river!"
Wei Yumeng followed Zhan Mohan back to the room. He closed the door, and Wei Yumeng eagerly spoke.
"You just said the child in my womb is yours, what's going on? Zhan Mohan, explain it to me clearly!"