Jason was well aware of Emma's habit of storing all the collected materials on a USB drive. He had seen her at home, going through this evidence before.
After Tang Mian left, Jason stood at the door for a while. Reporting in one's own name was something a journalist would do. So as the husband of a journalist, doing this would also bring her honor, wouldn't it?
Jason knew he was leveraging his influence, because no one would take Jason of Hengyia Group's words lightly.
He was determined to bring those people down.
Such a cold and restrained person, when he really got serious, would leave no room for mercy.
After everything was done, Jason gently pushed the door open and walked in.
The room was dimly lit, with only a very faint light outside casting a soft glow. He walked slowly to the bedside, where she lay quietly, though not in a comfortable position.
Jason sat by the bed and looked at her cautiously. The room was very quiet, with only the faint sound of the vital signs monitor and the IV bag hanging by the bed.
He reached out and touched Emma's palm, which was cold due to the IV. Gently and cautiously, he lifted her hand and placed it in his own, carefully cupping it without touching the needle in her hand, but still trying his best to warm her palm.
He looked down at her cheek and noticed her brows were slightly furrowed, even in sleep she seemed a little sad.
The doctor said she would have a tough night because of the pain.
Tough, thinking of this word, Jason suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
His star had always seemed to have a hard time. He thought that with him, he could always protect her, so she wouldn't have to suffer anymore, wouldn't have to bear those setbacks and pain.
But he failed to do so.
Self-blame and guilt are terrible emotions, so terrible that even he almost couldn't bear them.
Jason hardly closed his eyes that night, until the morning when the nurse came in to remove her IV. Seeing his bloodshot eyes, the nurse couldn't help but whisper, "Why don't you rest first?"
"Thank you," Jason politely thanked her.
But he still sat quietly by the bed, watching over her, until Emma's body stirred slightly. She had been in pain all night, with such movements not uncommon.
But this time her eyelashes trembled, her thick long lashes fanning like two little fans, fluttering a few times, and finally lifting slowly.
Even though Emma barely opened her eyes, she still felt the heaviness of her eyelids, so heavy that she wanted to close them again as soon as she opened them.
But her eyes still tried to focus on the person sitting by the bed.
Little by little, her dark eyes regained their clarity, until she saw him clearly.
They looked at each other quietly, as if neither wanted to look away.
Until Emma gently opened her lips and called out in a very hoarse voice, "Jason."
Just as she had called his name before she fainted, at that moment she felt as if calling his name would make her fearless.
At this moment, she still called his name.
Not harshly, but with infinite peace of mind.
Jason immediately asked the nurse to come in and check her again, and changed the gauze on her wounds once more, telling them that Emma should only eat liquids for the next few days because her mouth was also injured, which, although not serious, greatly affected her meals.
After the nurse left, Emma was already half-sitting on the bed.
She looked at Jason and said, "I'm sorry."
Jason was taken aback.
Emma gave a wry smile, "I was overconfident. Even Tang Mi reminded me that I should be careful. But I was still so careless."
She had a fearless nature and was aware that journalists could sometimes face retaliation for their work. Yet, she held the mindset that if she dared to write such articles, she wasn't afraid of any backlash.
"What are you apologizing for?" Jason asked, his head slightly lowered, his eyes fixed on her.
In reality, he understood; she felt she hadn't handled the situation well and had caused trouble for others.
Emma didn't know what to say, whether she was apologizing to herself for being too careless, worrying him, or for some other reason.
Jason reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of hers, his voice extremely firm as he said, "Xingxing, look up."
After apologizing, Emma, who had been hanging her head, lifted her face.
Jason looked at her earnestly and said, "Xingxing, you are a journalist; you published an article. You've done everything you were supposed to do, upholding your journalistic integrity and professional conscience. No one can ask more of you, demanding that you write a good article while also being able to fight off two opponents at once."
"I didn't fight off two, but I did take down one," Emma recalled using the spray to incapacitate one of the men.
Jason reached out and patted her head, chuckling, "You did great."
At that moment, Emma suddenly remembered and said, "I haven't asked for leave yet."
In such a tense moment, even Jason was impressed by her dedication; she was thinking about asking for leave...
Jason looked at her helplessly, and Emma looked at him imploringly, "Can I have my phone first? At least let me ask for leave."
"I'll have Tang Mian help you ask for leave," Jason said.
But as soon as Jason finished speaking, Emma immediately said, "No, I'll do it myself."
Of course, Emma didn't dare to let Tang Mian ask for leave on her behalf; it would expose her relationship with Jason. Seeing the expression on her face, even Jason could guess what she was thinking.
But what could he do? In the end, he still indulged her.
He took out Emma's phone, which had been in her clothes and was now by his side.
However, as soon as she reached for the phone, she received a call from Hu Zhen.
Hu Zhen: "Emma, why didn't you come to work today? You know what? Our entire newspaper office has gone crazy."
"What happened?" Emma was a bit confused. If she hadn't just confirmed that only one night had passed, she would think she had been unconscious for several days.
Hu Zhen excitedly said: "The news came out this morning, the government has decided to send an investigation team to Dadi Kang to thoroughly investigate."
"You did it, you succeeded."
One person, one pen, completely changed all of this.
Emma was still in a daze after hanging up the phone. She had thought it would be a protracted war, a difficult path of struggle that many journalists had taken.
But she had won.
When she turned her head and looked into Jason's smiling eyes, she seemed to understand again.
She looked at him and finally, despite the intense pain, reached out to hug his neck.
Actually, this was something she had wanted to do since a while ago.
"Actually, when I was being beaten, I wasn't scared at all," Emma leaned on his shoulder, her voice floating into his ear.
She chuckled softly; any movement would cause her body to ache slightly.
But she wasn't afraid anymore.
She whispered: "Because at that time, I was thinking, my husband will definitely not let them off when he comes back."
Jason gazed down at the girl in front of him, her eyes hiding a mischievous glint, the cute expressions that danced across her face as she spoke, and the complete trust she placed in him when she uttered those words.
For so long, he had expended a patience he would never have again in this lifetime, gradually entering her world, trying to break through the tough and formidable shell she wore.
Finally, for the first time, he felt close to success.
Was this sentiment childish? Yes, it was.
It was like something a kindergartener would say: when bullied, the first thought is to call for backup, to have my allies know, and they won't let any of you off the hook.
But was it funny?
No, it wasn't funny, and not only was it not funny, but it also moved him. His girl had for the first time realized she didn't have to carry the weight of the world on her own, that when she fought against the world, there would always be someone behind her to protect her.
Jason closed his eyes for a moment, then reached out and gently pulled her into his embrace.
If not for her current condition, he would have held her tightly, as if to meld her into his being.
Until the girl in his arms mumbled, "I think I haven't asked for leave yet."
Jason: "..."
If it weren't for her injuries, Jason would have really not let it go; he had never seen a girl who could break the mood as effectively as her.
Emma made a call to Lao Zhang, and as soon as the call connected, Lao Zhang was cheerful on the other end, saying, "Jing Xi, you've really made a splash this time. Dadi Kang is really not going to make it past the fifteenth. The editor-in-chief just asked about you, when are you coming to the newspaper office?"
Because the working hours for journalists at the newspaper office were quite flexible, some who had interviews scheduled didn't need to clock in for work in the morning.
Of course, these were privileges reserved for the senior journalists.
Newbie journalists had to endure their share of hardships.
At this moment, she hadn't arrived yet, and Lao Zhang didn't reprimand her, simply turning a blind eye.
Emma whispered, "Chief, I need to take a few days off."
Lao Zhang was taken aback. With Emma on the verge of becoming a big shot at the newspaper office, why would she want to take leave? So he cautiously asked, "Is there something at home?"
"I was beaten up and am now hospitalized. So, I need to take a few days off," she said, her tone as plain as if discussing the weather.
Not only was Lao Zhang on the phone stunned by her calm tone, considering whether he had heard wrong, but even Jason, sitting by the bed, couldn't help but look at her a few more times.
If he loved Emma, her personality was definitely one of the reasons.
Her character was really cool and tough, too individualistic.
That kind of spirit, Jason had never seen in anyone else.
Lao Zhang really took dozens of seconds to gather himself before asking, "You... you were beaten up?"
Emma hummed, her tone still calm, "The doctor said I need to be hospitalized for observation for a few days, so I need to take a few days off."
"So serious? Which hospital are you in? I'll tell the editor-in-chief later and come to see you."
Lao Zhang paced back and forth in the office. Although Emma didn't say it explicitly, he immediately thought of retaliation. After all, such a pretty girl, men usually can't take their eyes off her, who would want to beat her up for no reason?
It must be because of the article, someone retaliated against her.
Emma glanced at the man beside her; if her colleagues really came to visit her, everything would be exposed.
So she whispered, "Thank you, Chief, it's not necessary to go through the trouble. And the doctor said I need to rest quietly now."
Oh, right, rest quietly, no disturbances. Lao Zhang quickly nodded, not realizing that the person on the other end couldn't see him nodding.
But Lao Zhang still admonished, "You take good care of your injury. A month should be enough, right? Don't worry about the editor-in-chief, I'll definitely speak for you, this is an occupational injury on your part."
This, this counts as an occupational injury, right?
Such a thought suddenly popped into Lao Zhang's mind.
But Emma was also taken aback by his words, instead, Lao Zhang said actively, "Don't lose your hospital bills or anything, I'll try my best to get them all reimbursed for you if they can be reimbursed."
Lao Zhang truly embodies the excellent tradition of southern men being thrifty and family-oriented.
As they were about to end the call, Emma couldn't help but say, "Chief, could you please not tell the team about me getting beaten up?"
Lao Zhang was taken aback.
He heard a sigh from the other end: "It's quite embarrassing."
Emma genuinely felt embarrassed. If she had been the one to beat someone up, she wouldn't mind Lao Zhang spreading the news. But now that she was the one who ended up in the hospital, Emma felt a bit uneasy about her pride.
While she was on the call, Jason kept looking up at her.
Seeing his hesitant expression, Emma simply asked, "What's wrong?"
"I was thinking about what kind of girl I married," Jason said with a straight face.
Other girls, let alone being beaten, would cry and complain even if they just cut their finger. But she, mentioning her own beating, spoke with an indifferent tone and an even calmer expression, as if she were talking about someone else's business.
Emma tilted her head slightly, her plump lips curving into a smile: "Baby."
You married a precious girl.
Jason scratched her nose: "You're not shy at all."
"By the way, Lao Zhang said I must keep the hospital bills. The newspaper might reimburse me later," Emma said, wearing a light pink patient gown, her eyes filled with laughter. "He said this counts as a work-related injury."
Jason: "..."
He couldn't help but feel that she was rather proud of the situation.
So he decided to pour some cold water on her, looking around the ward and whispering, "Do you think this place can be reimbursed?"
It was then that Emma took a closer look at the ward. The pure white room was elegantly decorated, with carpets on the floor, decorative paintings on the walls, and a vase of fresh and elegant lilies on the table by the windowsill.
Moreover, the ward was not just a single room; there was also a small reception room outside, furnished with a set of sofas.
Emma blinked and finally admitted, "It does seem like it can't be reimbursed."
The price of such a ward, calculated by the day, would definitely not be reimbursable.
*
After hanging up the phone, Lao Zhang immediately reported this matter to the editor-in-chief. The editor-in-chief frowned and said, "Didn't you ask which hospital she is in now?"
"Jing Xi said she needs to rest quietly, so I didn't press for details."
The editor-in-chief was slightly angry: "Foolish."
He stood up, looking at Lao Zhang a bit helplessly and said, "She said she doesn't need us to visit, and you really won't go?"
Lao Zhang was taken aback.
"Emma was attacked this time, most likely because of her involvement with Dadi Kang," the editor-in-chief sighed and continued, "The more at a time like this, the more we should support our journalists. After all, if even the newspaper is indifferent to this, who would dare to report the truth next time?"
To be honest, this morning when the news came out that the investigation team had entered Dadi Kang, even the editor-in-chief felt quite inspired.
After all, this article was published with his approval. Perhaps his ambition and keen sense for news are not as sharp as they were when he was young, nor as sharp as the younger generation. But he was glad that someone like Emma stood up in the newspaper office.
If all news were peaceful and tranquil, would there still be a need for journalists?
Moreover, Emma was attacked because she reported the truth. Regardless of what the outside world says, the newspaper must stand behind her and become her support.
This way, such excellent and enterprising young journalists like her will not lose confidence and a sense of responsibility.
Hearing this, Lao Zhang quickly said, "I'm sorry, Chief Editor, I didn't think of it that way. I just wanted Emma to rest in peace."
"It's not your fault. For now, let Emma rest. In a couple of days, when she has recovered a bit, I will go with you to visit her."
Lao Zhang nodded.
Then Lao Zhang personally went to the administration to help Emma apply for leave.
When Wen Tang came back from the restroom, she happened to see Lao Zhang talking to the administration, saying, "The medical leave slip will be provided later, thank you for your trouble."
"You're welcome, Chief Zhang. This is our duty."
After Lao Zhang left, Wen Tang slowly walked over, and the administrative staff greeted her with a smile. Wen Tang asked, "I just heard you talking about a sick leave note. Is our team leader sick?"
"No, Team Leader Zhang was asking for leave on behalf of Emma, saying she's ill and needs to take leave," the administrative staff replied.
Wen Tang responded with an "Oh," but inwardly she sneered, thinking how precious Emma had become, needing Lao Zhang to ask for sick leave on her behalf.
She was about to leave with a smile when the administrative staff muttered, "I wonder what illness Emma has. To take a month off, it must be serious enough for surgery."
Wen Tang was taken aback, clearly puzzled by this.
As soon as she returned to her desk, her phone rang. It was a police officer she had met during an interview before.
Being a journalist meant meeting all kinds of people, as every new contact could be a new lead.
The officer said with a smile, "Wen, my beauty, are you alright?"
Confused by the out-of-the-blue question, Wen Tang replied, "What could possibly happen to me?"
"Your newspaper office hasn't been very peaceful lately. I'm calling to check up on you," the officer, who had previously shown affection towards Wen Tang, said. However, Wen Tang, with her high aspirations and good family background, didn't consider a mere police officer a match for her.
Wen Tang keenly sensed there was more to his words and immediately asked, "What do you mean? Has something happened?"
"You don't know?" The officer sounded surprised and quickly continued, "Our police station arrested a few people last night who assaulted a female journalist. I only found out today that she's from your Hu Min Daily, so I hurried to call and check on you."
Hu Min Daily? Female journalist??
Wen Tang's mind flashed to Emma, who had suddenly taken a leave of absence for a month. She had thought Emma was just sick, but it turned out she had been injured.
To confirm the identity, Wen Tang deliberately softened her voice and feigned surprise, "Was the person injured named Emma?"
"I'm not in charge of the case, so I'm not quite sure," the officer replied helplessly.
Wen Tang's voice became even more gentle, "Could you please find out for me? There's no news from the newspaper office yet. I suspect someone is deliberately suppressing the news. I'm really worried about her."
The officer, apparently moved by her worried demeanor, immediately said, "Alright, don't worry. I'll definitely find out for you."
After hanging up, he texted Wen Tang shortly after, confirming that the assaulted female journalist was indeed named Emma.
Wen Tang held her phone, contemplating for a long time, and finally opened Weibo.
*
Emma had just rested for a while in the morning and opened her eyes to find Jason sitting on the sofa in the living room, dealing with work.
She smiled, but her phone on the bedside table rang.
Emma turned her head and saw that it was Hu Zhen calling. She picked up the phone, and as soon as she answered, she heard the agitated voice on the other end: "Jing Xi, you... you were beaten? What happened, is it serious? Which hospital are you in, should I come to see you right away?"
Emma was taken aback and after a moment, she quietly said, "How did you know I was hospitalized?"
She had specifically told Lao Zhang not to tell anyone about it.
It wasn't just about feeling embarrassed; she didn't want her situation to draw too much attention. All the public opinion and focus should be on the Dadi Kang incident.
Hu Zhen paused and said, "It's because Wen Tang posted on Weibo, and it's already trending."
Emma hung up the phone first, opened Weibo, and she didn't need to look hard because the top trending topic was clearly about a Hu Min Daily reporter being assaulted.
The first popular tweet was from Wen Tang.
"I think everyone would be delighted with the progress of the Dadi Kang incident so far, but no one knows that a reporter from our newspaper was retaliatorily attacked yesterday and is now hospitalized. But even if the road ahead is truly dark, I believe my colleagues and I will forge ahead. I will continue to report on the Dadi Kang incident and will not back down half a step."
Below were a chorus of supportive comments.
"Protect our side's senior sister, what kind of amazing newspaper is Hu Min Daily that has so many beautiful and righteous senior sisters?"
"Believe in you, go for it. We will pay attention along with you."
"That's right, we must not retreat half a step."
At that moment, the door to the room was gently pushed open, and Jason stepped forward, taking the phone from Emma's hand, and whispered, "The doctor said that the most important thing for you right now is to rest. Don't worry about anything else; I'll handle it."
Emma frowned, but then she suddenly thought of something and said, "Grandma."
"Do you think Grandma might see this news?" Emma suddenly felt anxious. Wen Tang's tweet was nothing more than a bid for fame.
Especially her last sentence, that she would continue to focus on the Dadi Kang incident...
Hehe, back when Emma wrote this report, Wen Tang had been nothing but sarcastic and dismissive, implying that Emma was just trying to grab the spotlight.
But as soon as she was hospitalized, Wen Tang posted this tweet to steal the credit.
Emma didn't care about Wen Tang taking credit; after all, what she had done and what Wen Tang had done were clear to anyone with eyes to see. But she was angry that Wen Tang had exposed her hospitalization. If her grandmother saw it, the old lady would surely worry.
"don't worry, I'll handle Grandma's side too," Jason said, gently patting her shoulder.
Jason sat down and looked at her, "Are you hungry? Lao Xu will bring food later. You can only have liquids for the next few days, so bear with it."
Emma shook her head and suddenly looked up, saying, "My face hurts a lot."
She had been afraid to ask this question, but just now she caught a glimpse of her face from the reflection on her phone, and even though it was just a blurry glimpse, she could see that it seemed very serious.
"Will I be disfigured?" Emma looked at him.
Jason had thought she would ask this question as soon as she woke up, but he didn't expect her to wait until now. He had a slight smile on his lips and seriously examined her cheeks.
When Emma was feeling restless from his gaze, she saw him reach out his hands and gently hold her cheeks, whispering, "Such a beautiful fairy is actually mine."
Emma looked into his sincere eyes and was almost comforted by his words.
But at that moment, there was a light cough from the door.
When they turned to look, they found Zhong Lan and Aunt Zhou had somehow moved from the reception room to the door of the ward.
Emma blinked, her face flushing with embarrassment.
Zhong Lan, who was originally full of anger and annoyance, encountered this scene in the ward and was left with only embarrassment.
"Mom, why are you here?" Jason stood up and asked.
Zhong Lan snorted coldly, "Such a big thing, and you didn't even tell me. Don't call me mom anymore."
Emma bit her lip lightly, not knowing what to say.
Until Zhong Lan came to her side, looked at her a few times, and her face, which was originally cold, was now full of anger and heartache, blurting out, "These people are damned, how could they beat such a pretty girl like this?"
Emma: "……”
Zhong Lan was really protective, and moreover, Emma hadn't done anything wrong in this matter. She had seen Emma's article and thought it was particularly well-written.
Who would have thought such a thing would happen? Although Zhong Lan was annoyed that they hid it from the elders again, she also understood their intentions, which was nothing more than not wanting to worry her.
Zhong Lan brought food for Emma and didn't stay here for a long time, seeing that her energy wasn't very good.
After she got up and left, Jason saw her out.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he got to the door, he saw Zhong Lan look at him and said lightly, "Alright, don't see me off."
"Go back and accompany your fairy," Zhong Lan said calmly.
Jason didn't say anything, just stood there.
Seeing him standing there, Zhong Lan immediately said, "Don't think I'm sour when I say this, your dad can be very sweet-talking too."
Jason: "…"