With a direct slap, Yin Fang struck Wei Yumeng's face, even startling Wei Anguo who was just about to go upstairs.
Perhaps due to extreme anger, Yin Fang's hand was still trembling in mid-air, her face contorted.
"Wei Yumeng, you are becoming more and more insolent. I am your elder, and you dare to speak disrespectfully to an elder!"
Wei Yumeng, covering her aching face, looked at Yin Fang with an icy gaze that made Yin Fang's heart pound. How dare this brat look at her like that.
"Do you consider yourself an elder? If you hadn't been fanning the flames in my father's ear, my mother and I wouldn't have wandered outside for so many years. And you, you usurped our home, living as Mrs. Wei these past few years, have you forgotten your own surname?"
Yin Fang snorted, baring her teeth.
"Your mother! Your mother found another man outside, that's why your father didn't want her!"
"Nonsense. My mother never did anything to betray my father. As for you, when you were working outside, who knows how many men you hooked up with, but it was your father who took the bait!"
"Wei Yumeng, what has happened to you? Is this how being raised outside has turned you?"
Wei Anguo could no longer bear to listen. He stepped forward and roared at Wei Yumeng.
Wei Yumeng feared nothing now. If Gu Shuyi were to suffer any harm, she would drag her family down with her. No one would have peace.
"If you don't hand over my mother, I have worse things in store for you. Do you want to see?"
"You..."
Wei Anguo raised his hand to hit Wei Yumeng.
Wei Yumeng didn't flinch. She tilted her head back, her eyes clear and bright, yet filled with hatred.
"Go ahead and hit me. This woman already slapped me, so one more slap won't make a difference. When outsiders see this, what will they say about you?"
Everyone knew these two valued their reputation above all else. If this got out, they might not dare to show their faces again.
Wei Anguo's eyes burned with rage: "You're threatening me? You dare to threaten your father!"
"You forced me!" Wei Yumeng's eyes reddened, but she stubbornly refused to shed tears.
While Wei Yumeng and Wei Anguo were at an impasse, with them refusing to reveal Gu Shuyi's whereabouts and Wei Yumeng refusing to leave, at the Zhan family's residence, Fang Xun rushed into the study.
"Something's wrong, President Zhan. Madam..."
"What happened to her?"
"She ran away!"
The pen in Zhan Mohan's hand snapped. He looked up again, his eyes glinting with coldness.
"How did she run?"
"It seems a servant opened the door to bring Madam some water, and she took the opportunity to escape."
"Did you find out where she went?" Zhan Mohan was angry, but not flustered. Xin Ran was still inside, and with her sudden escape, she couldn't possibly leave Pengcheng with any help.
Besides, her mother was still here. Wei Yumeng couldn't have gone far.
Mentioning her mother, Zhan Mohan asked again.
"You said earlier that Wei Yumeng's mother went to the Wei family?"
"Yes."
"Then did you find out where Wei Yumeng went after leaving the Zhan family?"
"I checked the license plate. She went to the Wei family." Fang Xun exclaimed, suddenly realizing. Could Madam have gone to the Wei family to find her mother?
Zhan Mohan tapped his fingers on the table.
"Then the question is, she was confined inside, how did she know her mother went to the Wei family?"
"This..."
Fang Xun was stumped for an answer.
Zhan Mohan put down his pen. "Go and bring her back first."
Wei Yumeng searched every corner of the Wei family, from top to bottom, without missing any spot, but couldn't find Gu Shuyi.
Feeling on the verge of collapse, she turned and roared at Wei Anguo and Yin Fang.
"Where did you hide my mother?"
Yin Fang had been somewhat wary of Wei Yumeng earlier, but her words had also angered her. Seeing Wei Yumeng's anxious and panicked state now, she felt immensely pleased.
"Wei Yumeng, I told you, your mother didn't come here. If you can't find her, you should look elsewhere. Don't throw a tantrum here."
"It was you! Fang Xun found out that my mother came to find you, you must have secretly hidden her."
If Wei Yumeng couldn't find Gu Shuyi today, she would never leave the Wei family.
Yin Fang, annoyed by her persistence, directly ordered the servants.
"Drag her out!"
Several servants stepped forward, grabbing Wei Yumeng and attempting to drag her out. Wei Yumeng struggled.
"Let go of me!"
Fang Xun and Zhan Mohan entered just as they witnessed this scene.
Fang Xun clapped his hands, his voice echoing in the living room, instantly chilling the atmosphere.
Wei Anguo's eye twitched. He was unsure what to say, as Zhan Mohan's presence here was unexpected.
"Well... Mohan, why are you here?"
Zhan Mohan's gaze fell on the disheveled Wei Yumeng, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"If I hadn't come, I'm afraid I, Zhan Mohan, would have had to remarry."
Wei Anguo then realized that two servants were still restraining Wei Yumeng and quickly ordered them.
"Let her go immediately!"
The servants released Wei Yumeng. She stood there, afraid to look at Zhan Mohan. He already knew she had run away, and she didn't know what awaited her upon their return.
Yin Fang tugged at her coat, letting out a sarcastic snort.
"Since Mohan is here, quickly take Yumeng back and stop her from causing further trouble."
"She merely came to find her mother, how is that causing trouble?"
Zhan Mohan's expression remained unchanged, but a cold, menacing aura surrounded him.
Wei Anguo appeared exasperated. "But we truly don't know where Gu Shuyi went. She came here wanting me to save Yumeng. I didn't understand at the time, Yumeng is living well as the young madam at the Zhan family, what needs saving?"
"And then she left."
Wei Yumeng suddenly interjected, "Didn't you just say my mother never came?"
"Your attitude was so atrocious just now. I am your father, am I supposed to comply with your every request?"
Yin Fang also chimed in to accuse Wei Yumeng.
"Exactly, should we be suppressed by a junior like you? You stormed in here yelling and screaming."
Wei Yumeng was almost driven mad by these two liars.
"You want to cover up the fact that you hid my mother, and now you're framing me!"
In the past, she had held some hope for Wei Anguo, believing he still had some conscience, perhaps blinded by Yin Fang. But now, it seemed they were birds of a feather.
Regarding the matter with Wei Jin, she now felt that the punishment was too light. If she had known, she would have let Zhan Mohan strike them harder, so these people would understand the consequences.
Yin Fang denied it. "Yumeng, don't try to sow discord between us in front of Mohan. Your father and I did not hide your mother. Besides, she's a living person, where would I hide her?"
Zhan Mohan spoke slowly. "Since you both say you haven't hidden anyone, then it seems Yumeng is being overly sensitive."
Hearing Zhan Mohan's words, Wei Yumeng spun around abruptly.
"Fang Xun clearly told you in the study that my mother came to the Wei family, how could I be overly sensitive!"
Did Zhan Mohan intend to switch sides now? Why would he say that?
Or had he already decided to side with Wei Anguo and Yin Fang against her?
When she saw him, she thought he had come to help her. He had once said that no matter how much he disliked her, she was his wife, Zhan Mohan's wife, and not to be bullied by outsiders.
Now, he was going back on his word and helping these two bully her.
Seeing that Zhan Mohan had spoken, Yin Fang's face lit up with joy.
"Yes, yes, I said just now that Yumeng was being oversensitive. But this child, her emotions have been too volatile lately. Perhaps, Mohan, you should take Yumeng to the hospital for a check-up, see if she's been traumatized recently?"
Wei Yumeng stood frozen, her pupils shrinking. Hearing Yin Fang's implication, she realized she was suggesting she was mentally unstable and needed psychiatric evaluation?
"I know her condition better than you do. If you both claim not to know the whereabouts of her mother, then let Fang Xun investigate. Everything will be revealed then."
Yin Fang and Wei Anguo, upon hearing this, their faces changed drastically.
"Mohan, isn't this making too much of a fuss?"