The following days saw a return to the quietest days of companionship.
With Qiu Zhun present, Wen Xueshan's condition could only improve step by step.
Wei Yumeng was now considerably more at ease about Wen Xueshan's illness, but her worry had shifted to Qiu Zhun.
For the first few days, she could still catch glimpses of Qiu Zhun's brief moments of relaxation beneath his gentle pretense of caring for Wen Xueshan. But later, she saw him only occasionally, and now, she hardly saw him at all.
This reminded her of what Jing Yan had said: if Qiu Zhun's psychological state were to be affected by the matter concerning Wen Xueshan, it would truly be disastrous.
"A'Zhun, I just felt the baby move inside me."
Wei Yumeng looked over at the sound of Wen Xueshan's voice. Wen Xueshan's face was filled with happiness, and her eyes held a hint of a smile as she looked at Qiu Zhun.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Zhun immediately walked over, affectionately leaning down to listen to Wen Xueshan's abdomen.
"I heard it. I heard the baby moving inside."
Looking at the two of them, Wei Yumeng felt a moment of daze, as if her worries had never existed. They seemed destined to be a perfect couple.
However, she quickly shook her head, reminding herself not to be deceived by the current facade. Even if Wen Xueshan and Qiu Zhun were caught in an illusion, she had to remain clear-headed and prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
After Qiu Zhun settled Wen Xueshan to rest, Wei Yumeng called him out.
They went to a rarely used stairwell, where Wei Yumeng finally spoke, "Mr. Qiu, are you alright now?"
Yet, Qiu Zhun's face still held his feigned smile. "Of course I'm fine. Miss Wei, why do you suddenly ask such a question?"
Wei Yumeng frowned. Qiu Zhun's expression indicated that he was, in fact, not alright.
She took a deep breath, realizing she could only try to draw Qiu Zhun out of his pretense. "Mr. Qiu, are you really planning to continue like this? According to the current situation, will you naturally have a child with Wen Xueshan and start a family?"
Of course, if Qiu Zhun's answer were affirmative at this moment, Wei Yumeng would have nothing more to worry about.
But when Qiu Zhun heard the phrase "start a family," he flinched instantly. Finally emerging from his pretense, he revealed a hint of weariness.
"I… I don't know what's happening to me," he said, rubbing his temples. "I clearly feel… but lately, I seem to have become accustomed to that state."
As he spoke, Qiu Zhun genuinely felt a headache coming on. He suddenly feared losing himself.
Wei Yumeng remained silent. As expected, Qiu Zhun's condition had worsened, but she, of all people, didn't know how to prevent it.
Indeed, forcing Qiu Zhun to go through the motions with a woman he didn't love would always come at a cost.
"There's a saying that's true: if you wear a mask for too long, you might not be able to take it off," Qiu Zhun said with a sigh.
He even thought carefully: after this period of interaction, his dislike for Wen Xueshan had begun to fade. He could see that Wen Xueshan was truly trying hard to change, and he could see how much she valued their relationship.
So much time had passed; he couldn't say he felt no emotion at all.
But he still knew clearly in his heart that the person he loved was Wei Yumeng. This had never changed.
The evidence was that no matter how lost he became in his pretense, he was always called back by Wei Yumeng when they interacted.
But if that were the case, were all the feelings he experienced during his time with Wen Xueshan false?
He couldn't answer this question for himself. He was genuinely starting to become confused.
"How about this," Wei Yumeng decided. "No matter what happens, I can't stand by and watch you make one mistake after another. Why don't you go back first today? I'll think hard about how to bring this mistake to a perfect conclusion."
Even if this solution proved difficult to find, Wei Yumeng believed that with effort, a solution would emerge.
Qiu Zhun nodded, agreeing that he indeed needed to calm down and think about the situation.
As he turned to leave, he stopped. "Oh, Miss Wei, after I leave, please continue to look after Xue Shan for me…"
Wei Yumeng naturally agreed.
But before Qiu Zhun had walked far, he stopped again. "Also, if she wakes up and asks where I've gone, tell her I was called away for work. That way, she'll be more at ease."
"Alright," Wei Yumeng agreed again.
But Qiu Zhun stopped once more. "There's one more thing…"
He trailed off at this point, finding it strange himself. Was this concern and these instructions merely due to habit from their recent interactions?
Or was it…
Wei Yumeng regarded Qiu Zhun with a meaningful gaze. Was Qiu Zhun's concern for Wen Xueshan an indication that he had truly changed his view of her?
Ultimately, Qiu Zhun said no more and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Wei Yumeng felt that this matter might not be purely a bad thing. Perhaps there was another possibility.
That evening, Wei Yumeng lay in bed, but sleep eluded her. She tossed and turned, lost in thought.
She had to devise a foolproof plan that would allow Qiu Zhun to escape this predicament while also ensuring that if Qiu Zhun's feelings for Wen Xueshan had indeed changed, there would still be time for him to reconsider.
"What should I do?" she mumbled.
"What are you doing?" Zhan Mohan sighed, turning on the light and sitting up.
Wei Yumeng felt a bit awkward. "You have work tomorrow, so don't worry about me. Get some rest early."
Zhan Mohan said helplessly, "You're restless even in my arms. How can I sleep?"
Wei Yumeng sighed in frustration. "I really can't sleep. If I can't resolve this problem soon, how can I find peace?"
Zhan Mohan raised an eyebrow at Wei Yumeng, an implicit invitation for her to tell him what had happened.
After listening to Wei Yumeng's account, Zhan Mohan didn't find it particularly difficult.
"Actually, this plan isn't hard to execute. It might just require a bit more effort."
Hearing Zhan Mohan's words, Wei Yumeng's interest piqued. "Does that mean you've thought of a solution?"
"Yes, for now, there are two outcomes we need to achieve. One is to allow Qiu Zhun to withdraw completely with minimal harm to Wen Xueshan."
Wei Yumeng nodded in agreement.
Zhan Mohan continued, looking at Wei Yumeng, "The other is to test whether Qiu Zhun has truly fallen for Wen Xueshan. If he has, this plan can also serve as an opportunity for Qiu Zhun to acknowledge his inner feelings, and it won't cause him any trouble afterward regarding Wen Xueshan."
Wei Yumeng nodded again. These were precisely the two points she found difficult to balance.
Zhan Mohan shared his plan with Wei Yumeng. As she listened, her eyes shone brightly. Indeed, no matter how troublesome the situation, when it came to Zhan Mohan, a solution always emerged.