Emma sat on the hospital bed, watching as Jason re-entered the room. On her bed was a meal tray with the porridge Zhong Lan had ordered to be prepared.
"No appetite?" Jason asked, noticing she hadn't eaten.
Emma was quiet for a few seconds, then smiled and asked softly, "Is Mom angry?"
She was a little uncertain.
Jason looked down at her, slowly saying, "Why do you think so?"
What else could it be? Just a few days ago, she had been called back home for getting into a fight and ending up at the police station. Although Jason was the one who was reprimanded and not her, it was because Zhong Lan and Huo Zhenzhong were people of status who couldn't bring themselves to berate their daughter-in-law.
Now she was hospitalized, not for fighting, but for being assaulted.
Not just Zhong Lan, even Emma felt like she was getting into fights as if she were trying to finish all the fights in her life.
Holding a spoon in her hand, Emma stirred the food in the container while letting out a long sigh, whispering, "I've been in trouble lately."
"Do you think she would be angry with you for that?" Jason asked in a low voice.
Emma took a deep breath. Wouldn't she?
Aren't elders supposed to like daughters-in-law who are obedient and well-behaved? She and those two words probably didn't go together at all.
Jason looked down at her. Emma was wearing a hospital gown, loose and baggy, making her already slender body appear even thinner. With her head slightly lowered, her delicate and fair neck arched, revealing an extremely elegant and attractive line.
If one only looked at her appearance, she truly seemed like a frail young girl.
But her personality was so cool, handsome to the point of being excessive.
Emma was asked by his rhetorical question to raise her head, her bright black eyes looking at him expectantly, "Won't she? I'm quite troublesome, right?"
Her voice was unusually soft, a bit uncertain, and with a hope that he would deny it.
It was quite contradictory.
Jason stared at her, not knowing how long they looked into each other's eyes before he slowly leaned closer and said in a deep voice, "Just now, at the door, she told me to take good care of my fairy."
"So how could you be trouble?" Jason reached out and gently stroked the top of her head, bending down to place a soft kiss on her forehead, "You are a treasure."
Emma felt his broad palm gently stroking the top of her head, and even her cheeks felt a bit hot.
She imperceptibly licked her lips, her originally dry lips now appearing plump and soft.
Finally, she looked up at him again and smiled, saying, "I almost forgot how I managed before I had you."
Because of your existence, even when faced with great difficulties, I feel like there is someone I can rely on.
So much so that I forget how I got through those years alone before I had you.
Jason looked at her, his dark eyes deep, "You don't need to remember."
Just remember the happiness. Those times of sorrow, sadness, loneliness, and the moments when you had to grit your teeth to get through, there's no need to remember them.
*
After Wen Tang's Weibo post, not only did she attract attention, but more importantly, the incident of Emma being beaten sparked a larger discussion.
After all, as a journalist, Emma has the right to investigate and publish such articles.
If there was any falsehood in her report, Dadi Kang company could sue her. But such an attack simply hit all the anger points of the netizens.
Of course, before taking action, Jason also asked for Emma's opinion.
After all, if handled properly, Emma's fame would soar. She would no longer be just a small reporter in the newspaper office; she could become someone with a voice in the media circle.
Emma pondered for a long time, looked up at him, and shook her head gently, "That's not what I want."
If she wanted fame and fortune, she wouldn't have just been an editor at a newspaper. She would have gone to work at a TV station. With her looks, even if she started as a field reporter, she would eventually make a name for herself.
But she didn't care about her own fame.
She was just doing what she believed was the right thing to do.
After speaking, Emma let out a soft sigh, "Do I seem too selfless, too altruistic? Does it put too much pressure on others?"
Jason had never seen her speak this way and couldn't help but chuckle.
Emma looked up at him and continued, "Actually, if I really wanted to become famous, there's a quickest way."
"What way?" Jason thought her answer might be quite eccentric, but out of curiosity, he asked.
Emma: "Announce our marriage."
Jason hadn't expected that.
Emma looked at him, her eyes playful or teasing, "Don't you know you have a whole bunch of 'Emmas' online? The power of your fan club is really not to be underestimated. Even the girl who's closest to me at the newspaper office calls you 'Brother Shen Yan' all the time."
Usually, her voice was serious and cool, but now she deliberately softened her voice, imitating Hu Zhen.
Especially when she said 'Brother Shen Yan.'
Jason felt a certain place tighten, and even his Adam's apple bobbed.
Emma was right; if she really wanted to become famous, all she had to do was announce her marriage to Jason. By tomorrow, or perhaps even tonight, every detail of her life would be exposed.
But she didn't really need fame.
However, Jason's thoughts were not on this at all. He tried to control his expression and casually asked, "What did you just say people call me?"
"Brother Shen Yan." Emma blinked, thinking she had been clear enough; hadn't he heard her?
As soon as she finished speaking, the man stared at her with his dark eyes, his voice slow and deep, "Say it again, I didn't hear clearly."
Emma finally realized what was going on, gave him a look, and said, "You're taking advantage of me."
Jason saw her come to her senses and chuckled again.
But after his laughter subsided, he looked at Emma seriously and said, "But I think your suggestion earlier was not bad?"
What suggestion? Emma was puzzled.
So Jason had to remind her, "You said announce our marriage."
Emma didn't expect him to take her joke seriously and hurriedly said, "No, I was just joking."
Jason was taken aback by her immediate rejection.
Emma noticed his expression and thought he might have misunderstood her. She spoke softly, "I'm not saying it's not good to announce our marriage. I..."
She paused and honestly said, "I just don't want so many people to pay attention to me."
In fact, Jason's online fan club was secondary; the most important thing was that he was the president of Hengyia Group and was expected to take over the company in the future. His attention would always be high.
Once their marriage was exposed, Emma would really live under a microscope.
Especially in her work, she might be seen through colored lenses.
Emma took the initiative to hug him and whispered, "Marrying you is something I will never regret in my life, but can you give me a little more time?"
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
Jason sighed and finally agreed.
Afraid that her grandmother might see the news of Emma's injury at the nursing home, Jason simply sent someone to pick her up. Of course, she wasn't taken home, as the old lady would worry if she didn't see Emma for a long time.
So Jason took the opportunity to arrange for someone to take the elderly lady out for a walk, as she would be bored living in a nursing home all the time.
To ensure her health, Jason asked Tang Mian to arrange an entire medical team to accompany her, with a private doctor and two nurses following, so that if there were any real problems, she could be sent to the hospital at the first time.
The arrangements this time seemed to truly please the old lady's heart.
Before getting on the car, she called Emma, her voice brimming with happiness: "Xingxing, Grandma is going out."
"I know, it's Shen Yan who arranged for you to go out and have fun. Don't worry about us, have a good time," Emma replied, her mood lifting with the old lady's cheerful tone.
Truth be told, the old lady had indeed spent the past few years in a nursing home. Emma had wanted to take her out, but circumstances had not allowed it. Now that she could go out and enjoy herself, her spirits would surely be lifted.
Previously, to keep in touch easily, Emma had bought the old lady a mobile phone. Soon after, she received a photo from her grandmother.
The old lady was wearing a thin silk scarf around her neck, dressed warmly and elegantly, looking vibrant and full of energy. It seemed a staff member accompanying her had taken the photo and sent it to Emma.
As Emma looked at the photo, a smile couldn't help but grace her lips.
However, halfway through viewing the photos, Tang Mi called her. Tang Mi's voice was anxious: "Emma, are you okay?"
After Wen Tang's Weibo post, Emma had received numerous messages of consolation. Her college roommates had called one after another, and even Chen Chen, who was in the UK, had called her despite the time difference.
Emma reassured her: "I'm fine, still alive."
Upon hearing this, Tang Mi couldn't help but curse, saying: "I just arrived in Milan and saw the news. How could those people be so brutal?"
"Don't worry, I'm really okay," Emma earnestly comforted her.
Tang Mi felt heartbroken just thinking about it—a girl being beaten and hospitalized, what kind of situation was this?
But after a few words, she angrily said: "And that Wen Tang from your newspaper office, Hu Zhen always said how despicable she was, and I didn't really feel it before. But today, seeing that Weibo post she made, how could it be so hypocritical?"
Tang Mi, known for her sharp tongue when writing film reviews, didn't hold back when it came to criticizing Wen Tang.
She directly said: "When you were desperately searching for evidence and interviewing victims, where was she? Now that you're hospitalized, she jumps out to take the credit. I've seen people with ugly eating habits, but I've never seen anyone as shamelessly greedy as her."
This was clearly using Emma to gain attention.
Seeing Tang Mi so angry, Emma joked: "Why don't you come back and beat her up for me?"
But after saying it, Emma laughed at herself, realizing her thoughts were a bit dangerous. Why was she always thinking about using violence?
Yet Tang Mi didn't hesitate and said: "Sure, when I get back to the country, I'll go to your newspaper office and beat her up. She's despicable."
Emma laughed.
After hanging up the phone, Emma had planned to go to sleep. Jason had gone back to take a bath and change clothes. Emma had told him not to come back that night since she was mobile and comfortable, and if it weren't for the doctor's advice to stay in the hospital for observation for another two days, she would have discharged herself immediately.
Unexpectedly, her phone kept buzzing. When she checked it, she found that Hu Zhen had sent her a WeChat message.
Hu Zhen excitedly said: "Emma, check out this exposé post. My goodness, it turns out that Wen Tang actually did a feature interview with Jin Haiyang. No wonder she posted such a righteous Weibo today."
Emma clicked on the screenshot Hu Zhen had sent, and indeed, it was an interview Wen Tang had done with Jin Haiyang.
Moreover, this exposé post not only detailed the report but also published other interviews by Wen Tang, showing that her work mostly focused on business tycoons, not on exposing social issues.
"I said why this reporter's Weibo felt so odd. Nowadays, even reporters start building personas."
"Poor Jing Xi, worked hard on the report, got attacked and hospitalized, and then some nobody comes out to steal the credit."
"Still, I think Emma is more impressive, speaking with facts. Who is this Wen Tang anyway?"
Clearly, the initial good will that Wen Tang had built up with her Weibo post was completely erased after this exposé post revealed her true colors. Subsequently, more and more revelations about Wen Tang emerged, including her attempts to emulate the current wife of a Hong Kong tycoon, trying to get close to business magnates through interviews.
Hua Zhen sent another WeChat message, her tone this time clearly more gloating.
"Emma, don't you think this is karma? She wanted to steal credit that wasn't hers," she said.
Emma chuckled, but upon closer inspection of the exposé post, she felt that the content was too detailed and the targeting was so precise, it didn't seem like something written on a whim.
It seemed deliberately aimed at Wen Tang.
While Emma was looking at her phone, she heard the door being pushed open, and soon Jason walked in, now wearing clean clothes. His hair, not combed back in its usual formal style, was loosely draped over his forehead, giving him a relaxed and languid appearance, a departure from his usual formality.
Seeing Emma still on her phone, he came over and took it from her, saying, "It's time to rest."
Emma looked up at him and, after a moment of hesitation, couldn't help but ask, "A new exposé post about Wen Tang has just come out online."
What she really wanted to ask was if this was his way of handling the situation.
Jason, however, looked unfazed and replied indifferently, "She's been targeting you at every turn, isn't it deserved?"
There's no real fairness in this world. When Wen Tang used her seniority to bully Emma, she didn't consider the consequences or think about Emma's feelings.
So Jason didn't feel that having this exposé article written was an act of bullying a woman.
Because in his eyes, whether man or woman, they were the same kind of people.
Those who dared to bully Emma.
Jason looked at her with great seriousness and said, "I told you, I will protect you."
Emma was discharged from the hospital after three days. She had no internal injuries, just some external ones. In fact, it was Jason who insisted on the three-day stay, and now that her condition was good and the doctors agreed she could go home to rest, Jason naturally had no objections.
They naturally returned to the villa, and the things Emma had left in her old house were all moved over by Jason's people.
It wasn't very safe there, and he didn't want her to go back.
On the morning of Emma's discharge, Jason had to attend an important meeting that he couldn't miss.
He left in the morning with an apologetic look.
Emma, however, wasn't overly sensitive and told him to focus on his work. Honestly, Jason had already spent enough time with her during her hospital stay.
He was a man who, when busy, traveled around the world like a flying person.
Now, even for her, it was impossible for him to stay in the hospital all the time.
She was his responsibility, but Hengyia Group was as well.
However, he sent over Old Xu and Aunt Qian, who usually cleaned the villa. Jason didn't like having others in his home; while the old house had housekeepers and drivers, his own residence did not have a live-in housekeeper.
Only Aunt Qian would come to help with cleaning, a woman of few words but diligent in her work, always lending a hand.
So when Jason asked Tang Mian to find a housekeeper for Emma, Tang Mian immediately thought of Aunt Qian.
Moreover, Aunt Qian had met Emma a few times before and knew who she was.
"Madam, let me do it," Aunt Qian said, quickly stepping forward to收拾 up the daily necessities when Emma bent over to do it herself.
Emma smiled and didn't object, watching as she neatly packed everything away.
The discharge procedures were quick, and as soon as she had her things together, she was ready to leave. Downstairs, Old Xu had the car waiting at the door, the Bentley quite conspicuous, drawing glances from many during the daytime.
Emma, wearing a black mask that covered most of her small face, didn't pay attention to her surroundings as she got into the car. Aunt Qian followed and sat in the front passenger seat, and the car quickly left the hospital.
The weather in Shanghai was exceptionally clear that day, with the sky a bright, transparent blue and clouds filling the sky, full and snowy white. Even with high-rise buildings on both sides of the viaduct, the sky still seemed particularly high and distant, and just one glance made one feel particularly refreshed.
Emma couldn't help but roll down the car window a bit, and a cool breeze with a hint of autumn chill blew in.
Everywhere exuded a crisp autumnal atmosphere.
Jason's house was a detached villa with a private courtyard, and the residents here valued privacy the most. Fortunately, the neighbors were all people of status, so there was no fear of privacy exposure. Moreover, the community's security facilities were excellent, and the security guards strictly checked the identities of people coming and going.
The Bentley that Old Xu was driving had a license plate number registered with the security, so when they arrived at the entrance, the gate slowly opened.
When they arrived at the entrance, Emma saw two cars parked at the door.
Old Xu, with his sharp eyes, immediately said, "It's Madam's car."
Old Xu, before driving for Jason, was an old hand in Jason's family and, like others, was accustomed to calling Zhong Lan "Madam." Hearing this, Emma in the back seat also looked up.
She did recognize Zhong Lan's car, but she didn't recognize the other minivan.
Without thinking much about it, Emma asked Old Xu to park the car outside first, and she got out and went home.
Sure enough, as soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard noises from inside the villa, which seemed quite lively, indicating that Zhong Lan was not the only one there.
Aunt Qian, who was following behind, also hurried up and, seeing her walking so fast, quietly reminded, "Madam, please walk slowly."
Saying that, Aunt Qian opened the door for her.
Standing at the door, Emma saw the people sitting in the living room. Zhong Lan was sitting on the sofa, with Su Yiheng quietly accompanying her, and Shen Qiqi was standing and admiring an abstract painting on the wall.
"Sister Jingxi, you're back," Shen Qiqi, who saw Emma at the door first, immediately greeted with a smile.
Shen Qiqi even ran over, staring nervously at Emma's masked face and whispered, "Sister Jingxi, is your face okay?"
"Nothing serious, just a bit ugly for now," Emma said with a smile.
Then she changed her shoes at the door and went to the living room to greet Zhong Lan first: "Mom, you're here."
As for Su Yiheng, who was sitting next to Zhong Lan, she also politely nodded and said in a light voice, "Hello, Miss Su."
Her attitude towards Su Yiheng has always been polite and distant, after all, Su Yiheng's intentions towards Jason made it impossible for her to get close to her.
However, Su Yiheng nodded slightly and smiled gently, "Jingxi, I hope you don't mind that I didn't visit you in the hospital when you were injured."
"Of course not, you're so busy with work," Emma naturally didn't think she had the face to disturb the big star.
At this moment, Zhong Lan, listening to their polite conversation, finally looked up at Emma and said in a light voice, "Jingxi, Yiheng and Shen Yan have grown up together since they were children. Our two families have always been close, and she is like Shen Yan's sister, so don't be so polite and call her Miss Su in the future. You can just call her Yiheng."
Zhong Lan's words made the entire living room momentarily stagnant.
Because although her words seemed to be speaking for Su Yiheng, in reality, they were truly stabbing at Su Yiheng's heart. She said that Su Yiheng was like Jason's sister, but everyone knew that what Su Yiheng wanted was never the identity of a sister.
"I understand, Mom," Emma nodded respectfully.
She had thought that Su Yiheng was someone who was adept at speaking artfully, but she didn't expect to encounter someone even more skilled than Su Yiheng today, Zhong Lan.
These few sentences were like stabbing a knife into Su Yiheng's heart.
Even Emma, looking at Su Yiheng at this moment, couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy.
Su Yiheng came under the guise of visiting her, but she was with Zhong Lan, essentially wanting to show off to Emma how favored she was by the elders of the Jason family and how well Zhong Lan treated her.
Indeed, whether it was the relationship between the two families or the bond from growing up together, Zhong Lan had always been kind to her.
But Zhong Lan was very clear-headed.
Zhong Lan spoke again: "Yiheng is busy with work, and the hospital is a place with many eyes and ears, so she didn't go to the hospital to see you. Yesterday, she called me when she found out you were being discharged today, so she insisted on coming with me to see you."
Listen, Zhong Lan even explained why they appeared together to Emma.
She just didn't want Emma to misunderstand.
Emma nodded and turned to Su Yiheng, saying very seriously, "Thank you, Yiheng."
She said this thank you very sincerely.
Shen Qiqi, not wanting to be left out, chimed in, "Sister Jingxi, what about me? I also came to see you because I knew you were being discharged."
"Thank you too, Qiqi." Emma quite liked this young girl, who was young and lively with a bright personality.
Moreover, Shen Qiqi didn't have the restlessness and arrogance that some rich second-generation kids often displayed. Although she loved beauty and the latest designer bags, her character was excellent.
Shen Qiqi stuck her tongue out and suddenly whispered as if sharing a secret, "Sister Jingxi, I have to tell you, this is only the second time I've been to Shen Yan's house in a long time."
Emma was taken aback and asked, "Why?"
Usually, Shen Qiqi wouldn't dare to say anything in front of others, but at this moment, she seemed to have endless complaints. She said, "Because Shen Yan doesn't like people coming to his house. Not just me, even Yi Chen and the others don't come here often."
Emma thought about it and realized that since they got married, she had never seen Jason invite guests to their home.
Even if he wanted to have a party or entertain guests, he would have Tang Mian book a place elsewhere in advance.
Shen Qiqi turned her head and stared at the painting on the wall with longing. She studied oil painting and had a sharp eye for art. She said with admiration, "Now I understand why Shen Yan doesn't like us to come to your house, he has so many treasures hidden here."
Emma was taken aback.
Shen Qiqi pointed at the abstract painting on the wall and asked, "Do you know how much this painting was auctioned for?"
Emma didn't have much knowledge about art, and since Shen Qiqi asked, it must not be expensive. As she was about to humbly ask for more information, Shen Qiqi turned to her and said, "The auction price was six million dollars. I had been trying to convince my dad to buy it, but it was bought by a mystery buyer. If I hadn't seen it here today, I wouldn't have known that the mystery buyer was Shen Yan."
Emma turned her head sharply to look at the painting on the wall.
A six million dollar auction price, that's over thirty million RMB...
She thought she had already learned to be indifferent to the fact that the man she married was very wealthy, but when she heard Shen Qiqi's words, she realized that she hadn't.
"Alright, Qiqi, don't scare Jingxi," Su Yiheng naturally noticed the surprise on Emma's face.
Since Emma came home, the frustration in her heart finally eased. No matter how much she concealed it, Emma and Jason belonged to two different worlds.
They were worlds apart.
At this moment, Su Yiheng couldn't help but complain about Zhong Lan in her heart. She didn't understand why Zhong Lan, who had been so kind and supportive of her before, now had a complete change of attitude.
Shen Qiqi subconsciously said, "I'm not scaring Sister Jingxi, this painting really sold for over six million."
Emma knew she meant no harm, the young girl saw the painting she had been longing for but didn't manage to buy, and couldn't help but talk a lot.
But Su Yiheng's words were not so kind.
At this moment, Su Yiheng also got up and slowly walked over. She stood next to Emma, looking up at the painting on the wall, and said with a light smile, "Can't imagine that a painting can be sold for such a high price."
Su Yiheng's voice was very soft, so soft that Shen Qiqi's voice complaining to Zhong Lan about Jason's stinginess in not inviting them to his home almost drowned her out.
Emma amusingly turned her head and looked at her, and actually nodded politely, "Indeed."