Wei Yumeng's eyes welled up with tears, but her gaze was as resolute as ever.
"I can't leave now, Zhan Mohan, I beg you, let me stay with her. As soon as she's out of danger, I'll go back with you immediately."
Zhan Mohan thought of his grandfather's methods and temper.
"No, you have to come back with me now!"
"Then I'll die here!" The knife in her hand was already pressed against her carotid artery. A slight exertion would end her life.
Fang Xun was startled by the scene. "Madam, please calm down!"
Anger surged within Zhan Mohan, sparks of fury igniting into a blaze.
He roared at Wei Yumeng.
"Then go ahead and do it. If you do it now, I'll tell the doctor not to bother with any resuscitation. By then, you won't even know if your mother is alive or dead."
Wei Yumeng's heart trembled. Zhan Mohan's tactic was truly ruthless.
If she died here, he wouldn't even bother to save her. Once she breathed her last, she wouldn't know if Gu Shuyi had been successfully rescued or not.
What would be the point of her death then?
"No one in this world dares to threaten me with death, Wei Yumeng, you're overestimating yourself."
Wei Yumeng's head drooped like a frost-bitten eggplant.
Yes, she was indeed overestimating herself. To threaten someone with death, that person must care about your life. And Zhan Mohan, he didn't have the slightest affection for her.
He truly wasn't afraid of her dying.
Seizing this moment, Zhan Mohan signaled to Fang Xun. Fang Xun lunged forward and snatched the knife from Wei Yumeng's hand.
"Fang Xun, get her into the car first, and then send someone to take us back."
Their time was running out.
Fang Xun immediately made a call, and a dedicated driver arrived to take Zhan Mohan and Wei Yumeng back. As she sat in the car, she leaned out the window.
"Fang Xun, if my mother comes out, you must tell me."
"Don't worry, Madam, I'll stay here."
Upon returning to the Zhan residence, Zhan Mohan cautioned her. "Grandfather is furious this time. You'd better behave, or I can't guarantee you'll live to see your mother again."
Wei Yumeng's eyes were as vacant as a doll's. Hearing his words, she merely curled her lips, her tone filled with self-mockery.
"Mr. Zhan, you don't need to pretend. Aren't you the one who most hopes something bad happens to me? If it weren't for you, how could my mother have been held captive by the Wei family, and now be in surgery?"
A hint of coldness crept into Zhan Mohan's eyes. He suddenly grabbed her wrist, exuding an icy aura.
"Don't you dare slander me! What, are you proud of running away with another man?"
If it weren't for the fact that this fool was his first woman and had conceived his child, did she think her escape would have resulted in mere days of confinement?
She probably hadn't experienced his thunderous wrath yet.
Wei Yumeng's emotions were now uncontrollable. Two days of confinement, a slap from the Wei family, and Gu Shuyi's life hanging in the balance in the operating room.
These events had become an outlet for her pent-up emotions.
"Why should I marry you? Why should I endure everything you put me through? Is it because everyone in your Zhan family thinks I'm the one who harmed you? That's not true at all!"
"What do you mean?" Zhan Mohan loosened his grip on her wrist, but his gaze remained fixed on her.
Given the situation, Wei Yumeng felt she had nothing left to hide.
"My father threatened me with my mother, forbidding me to tell the truth. Now that my mother is in surgery, I can't afford to care anymore. It wasn't me who hit you and your brother, it was Wei Jin. She was driving that day."
"Do you have proof?"
"No." How could she have imagined that Wei Anguo would pin the blame on her?
Zhan Mohan let out a sneer.
"Since you have no proof, why should I believe you?"
The truth the Zhan family had uncovered all pointed to Wei Yumeng. Could it be that the Zhan family's investigation was wrong? Did Wei Anguo have such great power to conceal the truth?
Why couldn't he believe her?
This woman, in order to escape him, could remain unfazed and refuse to speak the truth even when questioned repeatedly. What other lies could she not tell?
Wei Yumeng said helplessly, "It really wasn't me. How could I have afforded a car back then? That car belonged to Wei Jin. You can check."
"Well, I'm truly sorry, but the car was registered in your name at the time, otherwise, how could we have identified you? Wei Yumeng, take care of yourself. I've seen through all your little tricks long ago."
He averted his gaze and remained silent.
Wei Yumeng felt it was so exhausting to talk to Zhan Mohan. "I'm telling the truth, you should listen..."
"We're here, get out."
Zhan Mohan interrupted her heartlessly, his chiseled face looking extremely stern.
She stood at the doorway, looking at the place she desperately wanted to escape from, her heart feeling heavy. To her, it was like a cage, confining her freedom, and even her heart felt imprisoned here.
But it was like an inescapable shackle. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't avoid returning.
Was this fate?
Old Master Zhan was already seated on the main seat. Compared to last time, he exuded an imposing aura, and the atmosphere in the living room was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.
Even Wen Yulan, who usually loved to gossip, sat beside him in silence.
Old Master Zhan wasted no words. He spoke directly to Wei Yumeng.
"You have repeatedly violated the family rules of the Zhan family. This cannot be tolerated any longer. Bring out the family law!"
Wei Yumeng's heart skipped a beat. Family law again? How much did this Zhan family love using family law?
But she wasn't one to passively accept punishment. If she were to receive a few lashes, her life would be in danger. Gu Shuyi was still in surgery, and she still had to take care of her mother. She couldn't just let them punish her arbitrarily.
"Old Master Zhan, I had my reasons. I can explain."
"I don't want to hear your explanation. Bring out the family law!" The bookworm's den.
"Wait a moment. Aren't you curious at all about how I got out of that secret room? You locked the door, so by all rights, I shouldn't have been able to get out."
Although Wei Yumeng was grateful to the maid who opened the door for her, at this moment, if she didn't use this to clear her name, she feared she would truly be punished.
Wen Yulan quickly interjected, interrupting Wei Yumeng.
"Wei Yumeng, stop trying to confuse things. Your escape is a fact, and you dared to resist when Ah Han punished you. If you're not punished this time, won't you become unruly in the Zhan family in the future?"
She turned to Old Master Zhan and said,
"Dad, don't delay. Let's get this done quickly. A daughter-in-law like this needs to be punished a couple of times, or she won't learn her lesson."
Old Master Zhan raised his voice. "Bring out the family law!"
Wei Yumeng inwardly cried foul. They were determined to pin this on her.
Old Master Zhan wouldn't listen to explanations, Wen Yulan was fanning the flames beside him, and Zhan Mohan wouldn't speak up for her.
Was she truly doomed this time?
A servant brought out the family law and handed it to Old Master Zhan.
"Considering this is your first offense, three lashes will suffice. Do not repeat this mistake."
He raised the whip and struck towards Wei Yumeng. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly...