Wei Yumeng’s pupils contracted, how could this be.
The man slapped her phone out of her hand and grabbed her by the throat. A sense of suffocation washed over Wei Yumeng, her face turning pale.
He let out a sinister chuckle. "Did you think I would let you discover my identity so easily? Woman, you’re too inexperienced to try and contend with me."
Wei Yumeng never imagined that he was wearing a human skin mask. She couldn’t discern who he truly was.
It seemed she had miscalculated. She had thought that by seizing this opportunity, she could uncover the identity of this mysterious man, and at least, there wouldn’t be an additional threat within the Zhan family.
Who knew he had already seen through her intentions.
Since that was the case, she stopped struggling. At worst, they would tear down all pretenses, and neither of them would emerge unscathed.
"If you're so brave, then strangle me to death here in the Zhan residence tonight. Let's see if you can even walk out of this door."
The desire in his eyes was replaced by anger. He laughed coldly.
"You want to die so badly? Weren't you clinging to life quite strongly before?"
She scoffed. "I want to live, but who will give me the chance?"
"If you die, how can I continue this interesting game?"
The man's voice, entering her ears, struck her heart, sending a bone-chilling coldness spreading from within to without, leaving her utterly frozen.
For the first time, she felt despair, wanting to end her own life.
But her mother and the child in her womb kept flashing through her mind. She couldn't bear to leave her mother to live alone in this world. It turned out that death wasn't the most agonizing; perhaps it was the most tormenting.
Gritting her teeth, she even stopped bothering to struggle.
"What exactly do you want?"
"I want you." He then kissed her face intimately.
"You lunatic!"
The man flung her away. "The rules of the game have changed. From tonight onwards, I make the rules. You cannot resist, otherwise, I will take the life of the child in your belly!"
Wei Yumeng trembled with rage. This person was simply a devil.
If this man were to remain, there would undoubtedly be endless trouble in the future. She suddenly grinned, her eyes holding a ruthlessness that didn't suit her.
"There's another way: let's go down together!"
With that, she suddenly yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Help! There's a thief in the house!"
The man, not expecting her to shout for help, lunged forward and bit her lip. The taste of blood spread.
"Such a feisty one, interesting. I like it. This is a gift for you."
He turned to escape through the window. Since she had already resolved to die with him, Wei Yumeng had no intention of letting him leave. She lunged forward, trying to grab his hem, but he broke free.
She stumbled and fell to the floor. With a bang, the darkness in the room was instantly replaced by blinding light.
Zhan Mohan and Fang Xun stood at the doorway.
"Wei Yumeng, what madness is this in the middle of the night?"
His eyes seemed ready to spew fire.
"I..."
If she told Zhan Mohan that there was a thief in the house now, would he believe her?
Wen Yulan was awakened by Wei Yumeng's cry and rushed over.
"What's going on? What are you doing in the middle of the night?"
"He..."
"It's nothing. You should go back."
Zhan Mohan looked at Wen Yulan, his tone cold.
Wen Yulan naturally wouldn't leave so easily. "But I thought I heard someone say there was a thief. If there's a thief, we need to check thoroughly."
"There's no thief, Mom, you misheard. Go back to your room and rest."
Zhan Mohan insisted it was nothing, and Wen Yulan couldn't press the issue further.
"Alright, then I'll go back first. Call me if anything comes up."
As Wen Yulan left, she deliberately glanced at Wei Yumeng again. Why was her lip bleeding?
After everyone had left, Zhan Mohan instructed Fang Xun, "Handle the matter I assigned you."
Fang Xun knew that Mr. Zhan surely had something to discuss with Miss Wei.
"I'll attend to it immediately."
Zhan Mohan slid his wheelchair back into the room and closed the door. A suffocating atmosphere instantly enveloped the entire space. Wei Yumeng, staring at Zhan Mohan’s predatory gaze, instinctively recoiled.
He saw her fear, his gaze chilling, his tone sharp enough to kill.
"Weren't you shouting quite loudly just now? Why are you scared now?"
Wei Yumeng didn't know how to explain. The man had already fled. How could she explain to Zhan Mohan?
An idea flashed through her mind, and she could only fabricate a story.
"I was having a nightmare. I dreamed there was a thief in the house."
He nodded thoughtfully, feigning agreement. "You had a nightmare?"
"Yes."
"And that's how you injured your lip."
"..."
Only then did Wei Yumeng realize why the man had bitten her lip before leaving. At first, she thought she had angered him.
Now, she understood. He had done it deliberately, to make it impossible for her to explain to Zhan Mohan, to deliberately cause conflict between them.
His eyes narrowed, and he abruptly seized her chin.
"Wei Yumeng, do you take me for a three-year-old, playing games with me?"
Wei Yumeng felt guilty. Upon meeting his murderous gaze, she felt even more terrified, her words coming out in a stammer.
"Re… really, I truly dreamed of a thief in the house. Perhaps I was frightened, and I accidentally bit my lip. Besides, there are servants moving about everywhere in the Zhan residence. Even if a thief wanted to get in, they'd need the ability. Don't you think so?"
She cautiously observed the subtle changes on Zhan Mohan's face, afraid he might probe further.
However, her current excuse was the best she could offer.
His eyes shot at her like arrows. "I suspect you were meeting a man in secret and are concocting this absurd excuse for fear that I would find out."
"Even if I truly wanted to meet a man in secret, I wouldn't do it right under your nose..."
"What did you say?"
Wei Yumeng frantically waved her hands. "I didn't say anything. It's late, you should get some rest. It's beneficial for your recovery."
"You want me to recover so I can leave the Zhan residence as soon as possible, is that it?"
This man was so difficult to deal with.
Although Zhan Mohan didn't believe her, he couldn't find any evidence of her lying, so she had narrowly escaped.
However, next time, she might not be so lucky.
"I warn you, stop deceiving me. Those who lie to me face dire consequences!"
Wei Yumeng felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze.
"I… I understand."
"Tonight, you sleep in the bed."
"Why?"
Why would he want her to sleep in the bed today? Usually, he detested her, didn't he?
Perhaps sensing Wei Yumeng's thoughts, he spoke to distance himself.
"I just don't want you to do anything sneaky behind my back."
"Oh."
Wei Yumeng didn't refuse. She had thoroughly offended that mysterious man this time. Being in the same bed as Zhan Mohan would at least deter the other man from acting openly.
For now, she was relatively safe.
She would have to find a way to deal with the rest later.
She helped Zhan Mohan wash up, then gathered her own quilt and got into bed. Carefully, she occupied a tiny corner, wrapped herself in the quilt, and lay down.
Zhan Mohan was beside her, yet neither spoke. The atmosphere was somewhat stiff.
After a moment, Wei Yumeng tentatively asked him.
"Why did you help me today?"
Why didn't he expose her in front of Wen Yulan? Didn't he also detest her?
"Compared to you, I detest Wen Yulan's hypocrisy even more."
That woman was not his biological mother, after all. Although outwardly, they maintained a facade of civility, he alone knew the years of internal strife and the desire to eradicate each other.
Wen Yulan rushing over so eagerly wasn't out of concern for him, but rather to seize an opportunity to mock him.
Her influence within the Zhan family was gradually expanding, and her informants were spread throughout various departments in the company. It would take some time to completely remove her.
The Wei Yumeng before him, while lacking in other aspects, possessed outstanding work capabilities and was bold yet meticulous in her actions. She could be a valuable asset to him in the company.
Hearing his assessment, Wei Yumeng felt a mix of emotions, unsure whether to be happy or disappointed. After all, she wasn't the person Zhan Mohan hated the most.
The night wind was always strong. In her sleep, she instinctively pulled her quilt tighter, yet she still shivered. After an unknown amount of time, a sudden warmth enveloped her. Instinctively, she moved closer to the heat source, and only when her body had gradually warmed up did she fall back asleep.