"What do you mean by that?" Wei Yumeng caught the undertones.
"I mean, Xin Ran drugged you because he likes you. He's probably not the type who just wants to sleep with you; he more likely wants to be with you. If that's the case, and you're pregnant, he should be happy. Why would he specifically come to the hospital to have you abort the child?" Mu Linjing found it increasingly strange the more she thought about it.
Wei Yumeng, however, found nothing strange about it. "You probably don't know, but I heard from Wei Jin today that the girl Xin Ran's parents introduced to him is about to be engaged. Because the Xin family's situation hasn't been very good lately, they need a marriage alliance to re-mobilize the company's finances and ensure they get through this difficult period."
Mu Linjing scoffed dismissively, "Isn't that still irresponsible? Regardless, it's his child. How can he make you abort it for the sake of his family's business? Is he afraid that if you have the child later, you'll go back on your word and disrupt his marriage?" Compared to men like that, she still preferred Young Master Zhan. At least before Yu Meng and Xin Ran went through what they did, Zhan Mohan had never let anyone bully her.
Wei Yumeng's head throbbed. "Forget it, let's just take it one step at a time."
"But now you need to think about what leverage you have over Wei Jin. If you don't, we can manufacture some. Otherwise, if you don't have anything to control her with, what will you do when she mentions your pregnancy to Young Master Zhan again?" If it truly blew up, there would be no room for recovery.
Wei Yumeng rubbed her chin. "I need to think. Wei Jin just had a miscarriage, and my father has dealt with the thugs who bullied her before. There's nothing else."
"Then let's wait for her to make the first move. We'll be like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," Mu Linjing said, narrowing her eyes. A fierce glint flickered in them, which stunned Wei Yumeng.
She couldn't help but laugh. "Don't tell me, you look a lot like a villain on TV, the kind who appears weak and gentle on the surface but is actually very cunning."
Mu Linjing chuckled. "I wish! But I'm going all out for you. I've exhausted my brain cells for this."
Wei Yumeng emotionally hugged Mu Linjing, resting her head on her shoulder. "Lin Jing, I'm truly grateful that you're still by my side at this time."
"What are you talking about? We're best friends. What are best friends for if not to lend a helping hand when you're at your most difficult and sorrowful moments?"
"Oh, right. In a couple of days, I have to go take care of Zhan Mohan. The doctor said he can be discharged, but he still needs someone to look after him, and he specifically requested me."
The mention of this made Wei Yumeng feel troubled. For her, it was another daunting test. Mu Linjing also knew that Young Master Zhan had a rather domineering temper, and his injury this time was because of Yu Meng. It seemed, all things considered, Yu Meng really should go and take care of him.
She patted Wei Yumeng's shoulder. "Alright then, you'll have to improvise. But don't be nervous. You're not living at the Zhan residence, and you'll be coming back at night. Just taking care of him after work should be fine."
However, they would later realize how naive they had been.
Two days later, Wei Yumeng received a call from Zhan Mohan. His tone was icy and his words precise. "Come to the Zhan residence now with your daily necessities."
Wei Yumeng frowned. "Why should I pack my things and come over? Didn't we agree that I would come to take care of you after work and then return to my own place at night?"
Zhan Mohan sneered, "Do you think the servants at the Zhan residence are lacking those two or three hours of your time?" The implication was that Wei Yumeng needed to be at the Zhan residence twenty-four hours a day to care for him.
Wei Yumeng naturally refused. "I refuse!" Her stance was firm. It wasn't that she found it troublesome; it was that she wasn't confident she could spend extended periods with Zhan Mohan without revealing her secret. Feng Shiming and Wen Yulan would be like eyes watching her from behind at all times. Moreover, she had been experiencing morning sickness for the past two days. If her secret were exposed, the gains would not outweigh the losses.
A flicker of surprise crossed Zhan Mohan's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, his voice as cold as ice. "Wei Yumeng, do you think you have the right to refuse?"
"Why wouldn't I? You got injured because of me, but I did take care of you at the hospital. Can't you stop making things difficult for me?" She didn't understand why Zhan Mohan was so insistent on her coming to the Zhan residence. Didn't he know Wen Yulan had never liked her? If she went now, she would only be trampled underfoot by them and subjected to ridicule.
"Your salary will still be paid, how about that?" Wei Yumeng was somewhat surprised that Zhan Mohan wasn't coercing her to come immediately but was instead negotiating terms with her. This was something that had never happened before. What was with this man? Had he changed his nature after getting injured? But this wasn't about salary; it was about her safety. "No!"
"Triple salary. Didn't you say you were short on money?" Wei Yumeng had her own opinions. "Even if I'm short on money, I don't earn just any money. Clearly, earning triple salary from you won't be easy." Who knew what bizarre tricks he would come up with next to scare her.
Zhan Mohan's patience was rapidly wearing thin. "It seems you're better suited for coercion." Wei Yumeng immediately detected the impatience in his tone. Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and a bad premonition washed over her. She asked Zhan Mohan, "What did you do now?"
"Nothing much. I sent someone to pick you up. I was afraid you might forget the way to the Zhan residence."
"Zhan Mohan, you despicable scoundrel!" Wei Yumeng yelled at the phone. The man on the other end replied in an infuriatingly smug tone, "Compared to your ability to shift blame, I gladly concede defeat."
Wei Yumeng was also enraged, losing her reason. She narrowed her eyes, adopting a devil-may-care attitude. "Fine, you want me to come, right? Then don't regret it!" After all, she had no connection to the Zhan family anymore. Was she afraid of Wen Yulan and the others? If anyone dared to provoke her, she would turn the Zhan residence upside down, and see if Zhan Mohan would still keep her to take care of him.
She hung up the phone and went to open the door. Fang Xun, who was standing there, was taken aback by the murderous look in Wei Yumeng's eyes. "Miss... Miss Wei, Young Master Zhan sent me to pick you up."
"Give me two minutes." She needed to pack quickly.
Five minutes later, Wei Yumeng followed Fang Xun to the Zhan residence, a place she no longer missed since leaving. There was nothing in it worth reminiscing about. She hadn't expected to return here, which was completely unforeseen.
Fang Xun carried Wei Yumeng's belongings and glanced at her. "Miss Wei, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just feel that it's nice to be this peaceful right now, without any commotion." Wei Yumeng sighed as she looked at the magnificent gate. But Fang Xun felt there was more to her words. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?" Her eyes showed a mischievous glint. "Because soon, it won't be this peaceful anymore." This time, she would make Zhan Mohan regret calling her to the Zhan residence.
Fang Xun carried the items upstairs with Wei Yumeng. She walked to a room and pushed the door open with familiar ease. Zhan Mohan sat on the bed, casually flipping through a magazine. After two days, his demeanor was much better than when he was in the hospital. He looked nothing like a patient now. Wei Yumeng walked up to him, still feeling a bit annoyed by Zhan Mohan's high-handedness.
"Zhan Mohan, do you really need someone to take care of you?" The man spread his hands and raised an eyebrow. "Do I not look like I do?"