Wen Yulan finished speaking with Li Sao and headed upstairs. Zhan Mohan glanced indifferently at Wei Yumeng.
"Come up with me."
Wei Yumeng assumed Zhan Mohan would reprimand her about Wei Jin and Yin Fang. Once they were in her room and the door was closed, Zhan Mohan grasped her wrist.
"Zhan Mohan..."
Her voice trembled with fear of him.
Zhan Mohan pulled her to sit on the bed, retrieved a medical kit from the cabinet, and then sat back down.
Wei Yumeng suddenly realized; he was going to apply medicine to her. She had thought...
A blush crept onto her cheeks. What was she thinking about all day?
Zhan Mohan saw her flustered shyness and chuckled, his words laced with teasing.
"What did you think I was going to do to you?"
"Nothing," Wei Yumeng replied, feeling a pang of guilt.
Zhan Mohan watched her fair earlobes turn crimson. His eyes seemed to hold a bright, captivating light. She subtly recoiled, which only fueled Zhan Mohan's desire to tease her.
The man gradually leaned down, closer to her. Her uneven breath brushed against his face, a ticklish sensation.
"Nothing? But your expression has betrayed you."
Wei Yumeng found herself speechless, her dazed expression surprisingly endearing.
Zhan Mohan stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly laughed, whispering, "In your eyes, is that all I can think about?"
Wei Yumeng wanted to retort that if he wasn't thinking about that, why had he done those things the previous times...
Never mind, she thought. If she said it, he'd likely pester her again.
"No, you only think about money, otherwise, how could you have developed the company so well?"
She quickly smiled, her eyes curving, offering flattery in hopes of a peaceful night.
Zhan Mohan let out a soft scoff, a rare hint of tenderness softening his features.
"I said, if you don't cause trouble, I won't look for it. Since you are my wife, Zhan Mohan's wife, you must have some understanding."
Her eye twitched. When had she caused trouble? She interacted normally with everyone outside. He was the one overthinking and misinterpreting.
If you believe someone is bad, then everything they do will seem malicious.
But her current relationship with Zhan Mohan wasn't deep enough for such profound discussions.
Seeing that he had retrieved everything, Wei Yumeng quickly took it from his hand.
"I'll do it myself."
Zhan Mohan let her; however, he had no intention of leaving.
"Outside, just now, what did you say to make them retreat?"
Wei Yumeng gently rolled the cotton swab soaked in disinfectant over her wound, flinching from the pain.
"Actually, I didn't say much. I just told them about the potential consequences. You allowing me to speak with them alone was also for this purpose, wasn't it? Your mother's argument with them put them at a disadvantage from the start, and you certainly couldn't handle it. I, as the mediator, was the most suitable."
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhan Mohan's deep eyes. She understood things quite clearly.
"Then what do you think?"
Wei Yumeng paused. "This isn't something I can control. It depends on the Zhan family's attitude. The second young master clearly doesn't want to marry Wei Jin; I haven't even seen him in the past two days."
"However, if this matter escalates too much, it won't benefit the Zhan family either. You'll also be thrust into the spotlight of public opinion, and you are from the Wei family."
Zhan Mohan had considered this very point, which was why he hadn't immediately refused, opting instead for a compromise to temporarily send Yin Fang and her daughter back.
But he wouldn't reveal these considerations to Wei Yumeng; it would only make her feel entitled.
Wei Yumeng was self-aware. She would rather have no hope than be disappointed.
"Mmm, I can't manage this. Even if Wen Yulan pressures me, I can't influence Wei Jin and the others' decisions."
"The urgent matter now is to confirm whether the child in Wei Jin's womb is Yi Chen's. If not, it needs to be dealt with promptly."
Zhan Mohan would not allow the Zhan family to bear this burden, especially given the poor character of Wei Jin and her mother. If they were truly to enter the Zhan family, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Wei Yumeng couldn't help but recall her first pregnancy, a sharp pain in her heart. That child was also her flesh and blood, lost just like that.
Seeing the light in her eyes dim and a look of disappointment cross her face, Zhan Mohan said, "If you also want a..."
"I'm going to wash up," Wei Yumeng interrupted him, standing up.
Zhan Mohan watched her dejected back, a hint of frustration evident as he rubbed his temples. Had she been harboring resentment all along?
He suddenly stood up and quickly walked behind her, grabbing her.
"Wei Yumeng, that child, he..."
"Zhan Mohan, that child was in my womb for several months. Even if I never mention it, it doesn't mean I don't feel pain. Must you rub salt in my wounds?"
Wei Yumeng's eyes reddened, her voice choked with emotion.
Zhan Mohan frowned. Seeing her aggrieved and sad, something within him felt a tug, intensifying his frustration.
He had merely wanted to tell her that if she wanted a child, he was willing.
Instead, she had coldly interrupted him. He had wanted to explain about the previous child, but before he could say anything, she had started crying.
It made him feel like a heinous villain, as if he had murdered the child in her womb.
"Wei Yumeng, can you be reasonable? Have I bullied you?"
His patience had reached its limit for the day.
Wei Yumeng raised her hand, wiping away the stubborn tears from her eyes. Dammit, she didn't want to cry in front of Zhan Mohan. He might think she was putting on an act again.
"You didn't bully me. It's my own problem."
This man was so strange. Couldn't he stop harping on this issue?
"Then why are you feeling wronged?" Zhan Mohan was baffled by what was going on in her mind.
"I'm not feeling wronged. Can you please stop asking?"
With that, Wei Yumeng pulled her hand away and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Zhan Mohan lowered his gaze, looking at his hand, still frozen in mid-air, his eyes filled with a dark glint.
He no longer wanted to patiently interrogate her. Wei Yumeng's emotions were clearly affected, and they didn't speak to each other for the rest of the night.
A few days passed like this, with Wei Yumeng and Zhan Mohan in a cold war. Even when they encountered each other at the company, she would avoid him, and Zhan Mohan would pretend not to see her, his expression indifferent.
But Fang Xun was having a much harder time enduring their cold war. The General Manager's emotions had been volatile these past few days, flying into a rage over the slightest issue.
The entire company atmosphere was tense. In the morning meeting, he had berated those who had made mistakes with the data.
If it had been a female employee, she would likely have run out crying.
Wei Yumeng, carrying coffee and a file, was preparing to return to her seat. She saw everyone gathered around the notice board, murmuring.
Curiosity piqued, she joined them and read the clearly posted notice:
All company employees, aside from their work, are not to visit other departments unnecessarily. Violators will be subject to company disciplinary action.
Wei Yumeng wondered why such a notice had suddenly appeared.
Her colleagues were equally perplexed.
"Why? Visiting doesn't hurt anyone."
"Who knows? Maybe one of our department's employees behaved improperly."
"We already have many single male colleagues in our department. With this, they probably don't want us to find partners anymore."
Wei Yumeng didn't pay much attention and walked away.
Just then, Chu Zi'an called her.
"What's up?"
"Our department needs some project documents, and only your department has them. Would it be convenient for you to find them? I'll come over to pick them up later."
"Okay, I'll find them for you later. But you might not be able to come over. We just posted a notice saying that departments are not allowed to visit each other without important business."
Wei Yumeng saw that the notice seemed very strict and feared that violating it would cause more trouble with Zhan Mohan.
"Mmm, I saw it. But this is work-related, so it's not considered 'visiting,' right?"
Chu Zi'an chuckled on the phone, his laughter ringing out, clear and bright, to Wei Yumeng's ears.
She rarely heard Zhan Mohan laugh like that, and even seeing him smile was a novelty.
"Okay, come over later. I'll find them for you first."
"Deal. Thanks." Chu Zi'an hung up the phone with a brisk tone.
After finding the documents, Wei Yumeng prepared to wait for him in the hallway, to avoid any misunderstandings from colleagues. However, as soon as she stood up, Chu Zi'an entered.
"Yumeng..."
His calling her name startled Wei Yumeng. The other colleagues in the office also turned to look.