Wei Yumeng's eyes snapped open. She knew she'd had a terrible nightmare, but she couldn't remember any of it. She looked at her hands, feeling as if she'd lived through an eternity.
Her mind replayed yesterday's events, and a flicker of worry still lingered. To this day, she didn't believe it was all her imagination, because it had all felt so real, experienced firsthand, heard with her own ears.
"What's the rush? I'm already getting ready. Mr. Zhan has increased the bodyguards for the two children, so it takes time for me to make my move. But I've prepared everything, as long as..."
Wei Yumeng heard that voice again. This time, she didn't linger. She immediately opened the window and looked outside, but there was still nothing.
A maid happened to pass by and asked, a little puzzled, "What's wrong, Madam?"
Wei Yumeng tentatively asked, "Was there anyone else here just now?"
"Madam, I didn't see anyone else."
Wei Yumeng fell silent, closed the window, and returned to the room. Why was the same experience happening again? She had truly heard it, yet there was no one there?
Wei Yumeng now understood why Zhan Mohan's expression had been so strange when she recounted her story yesterday. The spot beneath her window was a pond. Unless that person was standing in the water, it would be impossible for them to speak from directly below her window.
Could it all truly be her imagination? Wei Yumeng curled up on the bed, feeling helpless, hugging her knees, unsure of what to do.
But how could she believe those things were mere illusions?
Days passed, and the things Wei Yumeng worried about did not happen. The two children were perfectly fine. She had almost convinced herself that the matter had passed.
"The ingredients I bought today are enough to make a delicious meal. It's time to give the children and Mohan a change of pace."
Wei Yumeng had just left the supermarket, her mood seemingly good. After all, her worries hadn't materialized, and it felt as if those events had simply faded away.
Just then, as she stepped out with her left foot, a car swerved towards her as if out of control. But at the critical moment, the driver yanked the steering wheel, altering the car's trajectory. Wei Yumeng was saved, only grazed.
Yet, the unsettling feeling that had receded from her heart resurfaced. Had those past incidents truly passed?
The driver sincerely apologized to Wei Yumeng afterward, as if it were a simple accident.
This strange sense of fear was like a snowball, growing larger and larger in her heart.
If strange things happened once or twice, it wouldn't be much. But now, they were happening one after another to Wei Yumeng, and it was no longer simple.
Her initial good mood had vanished completely. Although she wasn't injured in the accident, she couldn't feel any relief. Instead, she became even more convinced that a hidden figure was targeting her, intending to harm their entire family.
Wei Yumeng returned to her room, feeling utterly drained. Just then, the voice reappeared.
"The eavesdropping devices and surveillance have already been installed. I've obtained quite a bit of compromising material on Mrs. Zhan. When the time is right, I'll release what I have, and then we'll just sit back and enjoy the show."
This time, Wei Yumeng didn't look out the window. She knew the result would be the same no matter what. The most crucial thing now was to find those surveillance devices and eavesdropping equipment.
She searched the entire room, every corner that seemed suspicious.
"Where is it? Where could they have put it?"
The more she couldn't find it, the more anxious Wei Yumeng became. Who wanted to live under someone else's constant watch?
In the end, she couldn't find the surveillance equipment or the eavesdropping devices. But this was just the beginning.
In the days that followed, Wei Yumeng lived in even greater fear. Precisely because she hadn't found the devices before, now, no matter what she did, she felt a pair of eyes watching her.
This house, which she had once considered the safest place, now made her restless. She often found herself trying to hide.
Zhan Shiqing and Zhan Jinzhi noticed Wei Yumeng's state and became increasingly worried.
"Mom, please don't scare us like this," Zhan Shiqing said, infected by Wei Yumeng's distress and feeling a little scared herself.
Wei Yumeng pulled Zhan Shiqing into her arms, hugging her tightly. "Mom won't let anything happen to you, never. No one will hurt us."
As she spoke, she looked at Zhan Jinzhi and extended her hand.
Zhan Jinzhi hesitated for a moment but was then drawn into Wei Yumeng's embrace.
Zhan Mohan was not oblivious to Wei Yumeng's situation. He had spent these days investigating tirelessly, even retrieving the surveillance footage from the amusement park that day, but to no avail.
Upon learning of Wei Yumeng's near-fatal car accident, he had even summoned the driver to his office for an inquiry, but the outcome remained unchanged.
Seeing Wei Yumeng in this state every day was also a form of torment for Zhan Mohan.
It's said that those who know and cherish each other can easily sense each other's emotions. Zhan Mohan was no exception.
However, with no progress in their investigations, there was only one option left: to have Jing Yan examine Wei Yumeng. As the family doctor, Jing Yan also had some expertise in psychology.
Under Zhan Mohan's arrangement, he set aside a day to accompany Wei Yumeng for the examination. He knew that suggesting a psychological evaluation for Wei Yumeng could be perceived as doubting her mental state, which might be deeply disrespectful to her at this time.
That's why Zhan Mohan had to face it with Wei Yumeng, to let her know that no matter what happened, he would always be by her side.
Jing Yan, seeing Wei Yumeng's current condition, knew it was a difficult situation.
"How long has Madam been like this? When did it start?"
Zhan Mohan frowned. "It started after the last incident, when she came home from the hospital."
Wei Yumeng had returned home from the hospital and then taken the children to the amusement park.
Wei Yumeng looked at Zhan Mohan, then at Jing Yan. "You have to believe me. What I heard wasn't my imagination. It was real, it truly happened. And everything is happening one after another, directed at me. How could this possibly be a hallucination?"
Zhan Mohan pulled her into his arms, stroking her back to comfort her.
Jing Yan, observing Wei Yumeng, had already reached his own conclusion.
Jing Yan gave Zhan Mohan a look, and Zhan Mohan immediately understood.
"Alright, time is almost up. I'll take him away first. You wait here obediently for me," Zhan Mohan said, his voice filled with concern as he left Wei Yumeng.