Wei Yumeng served dinner and brought it up. Zhan Yichen tried his best to be attentive, almost to the point of having "trying to please" written on his face. However, Uncle Mu still didn't seem entirely satisfied.
He had brought wine specifically for today, intending to have a few drinks so Uncle Mu might not ask so many questions. But now, he also wanted to seize this opportunity to ask Uncle Mu his thoughts.
So, he raised a glass of wine, "Uncle, let's have a drink. Thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter."
These were meant to be words of praise. Uncle Mu drank his glass of wine, but he still didn't seem very happy.
Then, seeing Zhan Yichen pour himself another glass of wine and down it in one gulp, he finally asked Zhan Yichen, "Yichen, with your family background, our Lin Jing is marrying up. Do your family members also agree?"
His question hit the mark, causing Wei Yumeng and Zhan Yichen to look at each other. For a moment, neither of them could answer.
The issue of family background – wasn't this the fundamental problem from the very beginning? If not for this issue, the subsequent series of events wouldn't have happened, and Mu Linjing wouldn't be in her current state...
Their silence made Uncle Mu see the problem. He put down his wine glass and sighed deeply.
"I knew it. How could someone of your family background possibly look favorably upon a humble family like ours?"
Hearing Uncle Mu's words, Zhan Yichen suddenly remembered that Mu Linjing had said similar things to him, with a similar expression and tone.
They say daughters take after their fathers, and indeed, Uncle Mu's demeanor at the moment was very much like Mu Linjing's.
"Uncle Mu, please rest assured about this matter. Although there were some complications before, my grandfather has already agreed to us being together. Moreover, he has always liked Lin Jing very much. We will absolutely not let Lin Jing suffer any grievances."
He promised Uncle Mu with almost an oath-like tone. However, Uncle Mu merely sighed in response.
He waved his hand, "I'm full. You two enjoy your meal."
He could see through the situation at a glance, understanding that his daughter might very well face hardship because of this in the future. As parents, who wouldn't want their daughter to be respected?
But when it came to family background, whom could he blame? He could only blame himself for not working harder when he was young, for not being able to give his daughter a better starting point.
Uncle Mu's departure brought the atmosphere at the dining table to a freezing point. No one had the appetite to eat anything anymore.
The dinner ended unpleasantly. Wei Yumeng cleared the dishes and asked Zhan Yichen to go and talk with Aunt Mu.
As it was getting late, after she finished washing the dishes, she could use the excuse of having children at home to leave with Zhan Yichen.
As she finished tidying everything and was about to leave, Aunt Mu spoke first.
"Yumeng, could you call Lin Jing for us? We haven't been able to reach her, and it's been over a month. Your Uncle Mu and I are very worried. Could you please call her for us, so we can speak to her for a moment?"
This was a mother's plea. Wei Yumeng found it very difficult to refuse.
Zhan Yichen exchanged a look with her and then pulled Aunt Mu aside, "Auntie, it's still working hours for Lin Jing. There's a time difference. They're not allowed to use their phones during work hours there, so Lin Jing might not answer if you call."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Mu's face showed undisguised disappointment.
"She's my only daughter. I haven't heard from her in over a month. Please, just call her for me, even if it's just to hear her hang up the phone."
Wei Yumeng almost couldn't hold back tears. Hearing Aunt Mu's plea, neither of them could refuse.
However, they couldn't make that call. After all, the call would likely be met with an unanswered ringing, without even a rejection.
They looked at each other, neither speaking. Aunt Mu and Uncle Mu began to get flustered.
"What do you mean by that? Has something happened to my Lin Jing, and you're deliberately hiding it from us?"
She had hit the nail on the head. Wei Yumeng instinctively retorted, "Of course not, Auntie. How could anything happen to Lin Jing? We would never lie to you about something like this. It's really due to work."
But she wasn't good at lying, and her gaze flickered. This also allowed Uncle Mu to see something amiss.
"If not, Yumeng, why are you so nervous?"
Wei Yumeng was rendered speechless. Was today's matter going to be exposed after all?
Perhaps out of guilt, they couldn't come up with any other excuses, and the truth they had deliberately concealed was unearthed by Uncle Mu.
He took a deep breath and slowly sat down, "You can tell us. Whatever happened to Lin Jing, we can bear it."
Seeing that he was convinced something had happened to Mu Linjing, Wei Yumeng knew she couldn't hide it any longer. Rather than fabricating other excuses, it was better to tell the truth.
They had kept it a secret for long enough. If Mu Linjing remained missing, the truth would have to come out eventually.
Since that was the case, what difference did it make whether it was revealed sooner or later?
"Uncle and Auntie, I'm so sorry. Lin Jing... she's missing."
As she uttered these words, Wei Yumeng didn't dare to look at Uncle Mu's and Aunt Mu's expressions, but she felt a sense of relief, as lying always carried a burden.
The room fell into a silence. After a long while, Aunt Mu's cry broke the atmosphere.
"My daughter..."
She couldn't help but cover her mouth and cry. No one could accept this – their beloved daughter suddenly disappearing. Heaven knows the hearts of parents; they would rather something happen to themselves than to their child.
Wei Yumeng fought back her own emotions and went to comfort her, "Auntie, we've been searching for her and have never given up. Please give us a little more time, and give Lin Jing a little more time. Good people are watched over by heaven. Lin Jing will be fine."
Despite saying so, she knew in her heart that these were merely words to comfort others. What scientific basis was there for "good people are watched over by heaven"? It was all self-deception.
Zhan Yichen approached the couple and slowly knelt down, "Uncle and Auntie, it's my fault for not protecting Lin Jing. From now on, I will be your son."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Mu suddenly stood up, "What do you mean by that? Are you wishing my daughter doesn't return? Get out, get out of my daughter's house!"
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Zhan Yichen stood up with regret. He intended to explain, but Uncle Mu didn't want to listen.
Given the disparity in their families, Uncle Mu hadn't been very optimistic about them in the first place. Now, with his faux pas, Uncle Mu had found a reason to vent his frustration.
He knew that nothing he said would be of any use, so he had to leave for now.