Chapter 59 She really doesn't seem to...
The following morning, Lino held a small meeting, which was unusual for her as it was a Tuesday.
After discussions among senior officials, including Mariana, it was decided that, in order to avoid potential public opinion risks, if Mark Trey's topic did not clearly explain the source of inspiration in the final draft, then all potentially controversial content would have to be deleted; or the topic would be scrapped altogether.
It was already late June when Mark Cui finally received his first feature for the second quarter. He didn't want the feature to go to waste, but he clearly didn't want to cut corners either.
"If we absolutely have to delete those parts, there won't be much content left. The remaining parts simply can't support a complete feature."
Mark Cui shrugged, his face showing reluctance, his tone full of helplessness: "The deadline is fast approaching, and in such a short time, it's difficult to make up for the breadth and depth required for the topic."
Lino didn't say anything more, only nodded regretfully at him, giving him a helpless and apologetic smile.
Mark Tse rarely had a story to choose from, but it was aborted just before publication. He usually got along well with everyone, and his colleagues genuinely felt sorry for him.
Jules stood up, walked around the low table, patted Mark on the shoulder, and said, "I feel sorry for you, Mark."
“Don’t be too discouraged, Mark, there will be other opportunities next time,” another colleague chimed in.
Mark shook his head, forcing a smile, but he couldn't hide the disappointment and frustration on his face.
Although no one said it outright, Jiang Nuanyu vaguely felt that she seemed to have become the culprit in everyone's eyes for making the team members so frustrated, because she was the one who first raised the relevant questions.
She did not deliberately avoid the dissatisfaction or complaints that her colleagues around her expressed intentionally or unintentionally; she simply sat quietly without saying or showing any extra words or expressions.
She didn't want to offer insincere comfort to Mark, nor did she want to apologize for the current situation or defend herself.
She is only responsible for her own actions; other people's opinions are their business, and she neither cares nor wants to. She is not responsible for other people's emotions.
Lino said, "Although this was originally Mark's topic, it also belongs to the group. Since Mark can't continue, what are everyone's thoughts?"
Upon hearing this, the colleagues who had just been comforting Mark Tse all stopped expressing their sympathy and regret and fell into thought.
Mark Trey's article had already taken up a special section in this issue of the magazine. Now that Mark Trey's article is cancelled, the vacant page has become a resource that the team members can compete for.
Everyone weighed their options and considered which of their ongoing projects had a chance of being published soon.
But today is already Tuesday, and Friday is the deadline for this issue of the magazine. After the final draft is approved, it needs to be sent to the printing press immediately. The timeframe is too tight.
No one has the confidence to complete a high-quality feature article in just three or four days. If you take on a project rashly and it is rejected due to poor quality, or if it is hastily published and receives a poor response, it would be counterproductive.
The opportunity was rare, but no one was in a hurry to speak. Lino's gaze swept over the silent members, and she said, "If no one has any ideas... then it's a pity, our group has lost an opportunity to have a feature published."
Lino's tone was somewhat heavy.
The number of topics assigned to each group in each issue is not fixed. There is competition among group members, as well as between groups.
If a group successfully publishes a feature article, it has a greater chance of getting more and higher priority topics and content space in the next issue, rather than picking up the usual content that other groups don't want but the magazine has to do. As the leader, Lino naturally feels the pressure.
At this moment, Jiang Nuanyu, who had been silent all along, suddenly suggested, "Perhaps I can collaborate with Mark to complete this project together."
Lost in thought, the group looked up in confusion – if Mark's project was scrapped, how could they possibly finish it together?
Mark himself was also full of doubt, but unlike the others, his doubts were clearly mixed with a few traces of expectation.
“Please share your thoughts, Nora,” Lino said.
Jiang Nuanyu said, "It is necessary to indicate the source of inspiration, but since there are difficulties in implementation, then we should avoid it." She said, "I have thoroughly studied those traditional Chinese elements that seem to be reflected in the designer's work in the past few days, and I think they are worthy of publication."
Everyone watched her silently, unable to guess what she would do next.
Jiang Nuanyu said, "What if this part of the article were published together with Mark's original feature? The magazine itself would not make any subjective interpretations and would leave it all to the readers to judge for themselves."
Lino nodded slowly and said, "Providing different perspectives is indeed a way to avoid controversy."
Seeing that Linuo had agreed, Jiang Nuanyu continued, "My part doesn't require interviews or filming. I can handle the writing of the script and the organization of the pictures. Mark's content only needs simple adjustments and doesn't need to be cut extensively."
Lino hummed in agreement, then turned to Mark Trey and asked, "Mark, what do you think?"
“I…” Mark Tse smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. He was in a state of confusion and momentarily became incoherent, “This… if the topic can be published, I would definitely be happy to see it happen.”
Lino raised an eyebrow, and considering the deadline was fast approaching, she couldn't help but worry, "It's just a matter of time... Nora, will your content be ready in time?"
“Although it’s not the complete version yet, I’ve already done some systematic work on it in the early stages.” Jiang Nuanyu thought for a moment and said solemnly, “I’m confident that I can finish the final draft one day before the deadline.”
Lino nodded, glanced at Mark Tse, then gave Jiang Nuanyu an approving smile and said, "Okay. I think the editorial department will approve your proposal."
*
After the meeting, Cui Mark went to Jiang Nuanyu's workstation and even brought her a cup of coffee, which he placed on her desk.
Jiang Nuanyu was quite surprised, but she didn't put on airs, said "thank you," and accepted the gift.
Jiang Nuanyu knew why Cui Mark had come to see her, so she took the initiative to share the current progress with him directly, and also mentioned her initial ideas on how to integrate the two projects.
Jiang Nuanyu sat down, and Cui Mark stood next to her, one hand on the table, leaning slightly to listen to her speak and discuss things with her.
Midway through, Mark Choi probably got tired of standing, so he switched hands to support himself and used the other hand to hold his waist.
Jiang Nuanyu saw what was happening halfway through her sentence and changed the subject, saying, "Why don't we go to the rest area to talk?"
“No need.” Mark smiled and pointed to her computer. “You can continue.”
"Oh." Jiang Nuanyu glanced at him and continued talking about the project.
As her colleagues passed by Jiang Nuanyu's workstation, they saw Cui Mark standing next to her and instinctively glanced at him again.
The two were usually quite distant and rarely communicated in private, so everyone was somewhat surprised by this situation.
After a brief vacancy, the spot for the special topic ultimately returned to Mark Trey. The other members of the team didn't express much regret or dissatisfaction; it wasn't originally their opportunity, and none of them had suitable content to fill the vacancy.
As for Jiang Nuanyu, everyone not only acknowledged her professional abilities but also sincerely admired her character and sense of responsibility.
However, Jiang Nuanyu did this not out of sympathy for Cui Mark.
After careful consideration, she concluded that this was a feasible solution that would neither cause the team to lose a project for nothing nor further escalate the already strained relationships among colleagues.
Most importantly, rather than letting Mark Tse's topics be withdrawn or preventing works suspected of cultural appropriation from appearing in the public eye, she hopes that those traditional Chinese elements themselves can have the opportunity to be published and reported, and to have exposure globally.
She's not afraid of comparisons because she believes in its uniqueness and value. She has that confidence.
*
Jiang Nuanyu's "parallel reporting" proposal was deemed feasible by the editorial department and was not hindered.
On the morning of the deadline, Mariana reviewed the final draft of the project alone. After confirming that everything was correct, Jiang Nuanyu and Cui Mark came out of the director's office and walked together towards the office area.
Initially, Cui Mark thought Jiang Nuanyu chose to collaborate with him because of his existing project content. However, he later discovered that Jiang Nuanyu's contribution alone, in terms of information content, structure, depth, and completeness, was enough to support an independent project. Her collaboration wasn't necessary, but she did it anyway.
He had been openly and secretly targeting Jiang Nuanyu, that was true, but he didn't dislike her. In fact, when Jiang Nuanyu came to complete her procedures before starting work, the first time he saw her, his heart fluttered for no reason.
When Jiang Nuanyu first arrived, he saw her struggling due to cultural differences, language problems, and her inability to adapt to the new environment. Occasionally, he would feel similar sympathy and want to help her.
But he wasn't exactly a kind person. He preferred the satisfaction of helping others to come from achievements in his own work. That was the key to climbing the ladder more smoothly.
Therefore, even though he knew Jiang Nuanyu's French was not good, he would deliberately speak it; when he found that her topic selection was novel, well-prepared, and clearly expressed, he would frequently nitpick.
He couldn't be more discreet about these things, and he knew Jiang Nuanyu had probably found out. But what she certainly didn't know was that he had secretly told other colleagues that he thought Jiang Nuanyu was very introverted.
He knew perfectly well that this was because she was new to the area and didn't speak the language, but he still wanted to give everyone that impression, to label Jiang Nuanyu in that way.
In their industry, introversion is a definite negative trait; it usually means poor adaptability, weak communication skills, and insufficient influence. He knew this all too well.
As fellow "Asian editors," he and Jiang Nuanyu are naturally grouped together and compared by outsiders. They also joined *Chaleur* around the same time; while she wasn't doing well, he was relatively better off.
He didn't think he had done anything wrong; it was a dog-eat-dog world where only the fittest survive.
On the way back, Jiang Nuanyu didn't say a word to Cui Mark.
She wasn't feeling well.
She had barely slept the night before, and her head was feeling very heavy. Besides that, probably due to the immense pressure of meeting deadlines in the past few days, coupled with lack of sleep and poor eating habits, she was experiencing some stomach discomfort. Now, her lower abdomen was starting to ache slightly again.
But Jiang Nuanyu had always had a good pain tolerance, so she didn't take it too seriously. Passing by the tea room, she turned and waved to Cui Mark, indicating that he could go ahead.
She thought they would part ways there, but unexpectedly, Mark followed her and stood aside watching her operate the coffee machine.
After watching for a while, he asked, "How much coffee do you drink every day?"
Jiang Nuanyu glanced at him and gave a weak smile: "I haven't counted."
Mark Cui didn't say anything more, and Jiang Nuanyu didn't pay any attention. A faint aroma of coffee filled the air, but it made her feel a little nauseous.
The coffee machine finished working, and Jiang Nuanyu put a lid on the cup. She turned around and saw Cui Mark still standing at the door.
Looking at her less-than-pleasant expression, Mark Cui said with rare sincerity, "The special feature is finished. Take a good rest this weekend."
"Mm." Jiang Nuanyu nodded, replying simply, "You too."
She didn't know if Mark's words were his usual amiable tone or genuine concern, nor did she intend to delve into it. In the past day or two, she seemed to sense that Mark's attitude wasn't as confrontational as before, but that didn't mean they would become friends.
She gradually realized that Mark's various attacks on her were not due to personal grudges, and therefore could not be resolved through personal communication.
However, it would be good if we could avoid being so hostile.
As she passed by Cui Mark, seeing him still looking at her, Jiang Nuanyu finally said, "It's a pleasure working with you."
Mark walked beside her, glancing at her sideways: "It's a pleasure working with you."
Jiang Nuanyu did not respond to him again.
After returning to her workstation, putting down her coffee, and sitting down, Jiang Nuanyu pushed off the ground with her feet. Just as she was about to move her chair closer to the table, her vision suddenly began to darken in circles.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opened them again, her vision was clearer, but her head felt increasingly heavy and she felt like she was about to fall.
She thought it was a side effect of staying up all night, so she quickly took a sip of coffee. Before she could swallow it completely, she felt nauseous from her stomach to her throat.
She tried to suppress the urge to vomit, gripping the edge of the table tightly. Feeling a tingling sensation in her fingertips, she instinctively looked down and realized her entire hand was trembling uncontrollably. She quickly used her other hand to touch it.
She thought to herself, "I'll make an appointment with a doctor this weekend."
Her body seemed to hear her thoughts and immediately became even more uncomfortable. She hadn't eaten much, yet her entire abdomen was terribly bloated. The abdominal pain, which she had been able to tolerate just moments before, suddenly intensified, causing her to break out in a thin sweat. Her belly felt like it was shrinking into her body, and every breath was excruciating.
It was summer, and the air conditioning wasn't cold, but she felt chilly all over. She wanted to go out into the sun by the window to warm up for a while, but as soon as she stood up and took a step, it felt like she was walking on cotton; she couldn't find any footing to take the next step.
She felt like she was dreaming, her whole body felt lightheaded. But she knew this was definitely not a dream.
She needs to clear her head.
She tried to perceive it, but she couldn't control the scene before her as it gradually twisted, blurred, and reversed... Her consciousness, which was constantly dissipating in all directions, finally collapsed completely in a dizzying state.
With a "bang," it was as if a heavy door had suddenly slammed shut.
The sounds around me seemed to come through a wall, hazy and indistinct, sometimes near, sometimes far, until I could no longer hear them.
…………
The light was blinding, a gentle breeze caressed my face, and all I could hear were the sounds of footsteps and wheels rolling.
Jiang Nuanyu squinted, and the blue sky of Paris was gradually replaced by the rooftops of buildings. She vaguely saw the word "Emergency Room" on the glass, then felt another wave of dizziness. She had no choice but to close her eyes again.
She was surrounded by the calm and efficient communication of medical staff. Doctors touched her face, neck, hands, and other places. She didn't feel offended at all; she only felt that the skin on their hands was soft and warm.
Someone was talking to her, and she seemed to be trying to respond.
Her eyes seemed to open again, and she saw Lino's figure at the foot of the bed, as well as Tremark and another colleague.
…………
After completing all the tests, Jiang Nuanyu, still hooked up to an IV drip, was a little drowsy, but much more alert.
Her appendicitis had perforated, causing an intra-abdominal infection, requiring surgery. Jiang Nuanyu signed the consent form herself, and the surgery was scheduled for the afternoon.
She didn't want to trouble her colleagues, repeatedly thanked them for bringing her to the hospital, and emphasized that she could hire a caregiver to accompany her and didn't need to stay to take care of her.
Nevertheless, several colleagues stayed until just before her surgery before leaving.
Jiang Nuanyu couldn't quite remember what happened after that day.
All she remembered was a beautiful sunset outside the ward window, as beautiful as a Turner painting.
That was the clearest memory in my fragmented consciousness after waking up from anesthesia.
To promote the recovery of normal bowel function, Jiang Nuanyu needed to get out of bed and move around a little with the help of a caregiver starting the day after surgery.
Minimally invasive surgery leaves very small incisions, and the dosage of postoperative pain medication is also low. After the anesthesia wears off, the pain at the wound site is tolerable while lying down, but it is completely different when standing up.
Jiang Nuanyu had also forgotten exactly how the pain occurred. She recalled that she felt her entire body trembling, from head to toe, from her muscles to her skin.
On the third day, after Jiang Nuanyu finished using the restroom, she glanced at herself in the mirror as she passed by and didn't recognize who it was.
Deeply sunken eye sockets, dull and empty eyes, dry and bloodless lips, and lifeless skin. The whole person was withered and listless, like a ghost.
Whether it was fear or shock, she covered her mouth with her hand, and the person in the mirror did the same.
Finally, she cried.
Large tears streamed down her swollen knuckles. Only then did she truly realize what her body had endured.
She sobbed uncontrollably, which aggravated her wound and caused her pain. Afraid of tearing the wound open, she wiped her tears with her sleeve, turned away from the mirror, and tried to numb herself by not looking at her reflection.
That evening, 48 hours after the surgery, Jiang Nuanyu's intestines had not yet resumed functioning. In other words, she still could not eat.
After the surgery, she didn't eat a single bite of food or drink a single drop of water, relying solely on the fluids in the IV drip to maintain her body's most basic needs.
Late at night, Jiang Nuanyu lay in the quiet hospital room, silently shedding tears. It wasn't because of the pain in her wound, nor because she was afraid of not recovering well, nor because she was ashamed of her appearance, but because she was crying from hunger.
The glucose flowing through her blood vessels could sustain her vital signs, but it could not satisfy the stomach and brain's instinctive craving for food.
Jiang Nuanyu never imagined that she would crave food so much, and even shed tears because of it.
She wanted to eat her mother's braised beef brisket with tomatoes and her father's fried rice with eggs. She wanted to sit at the dining table at home and eat a meal she hadn't had in a long time, but whose taste she could still vaguely remember.
In the stillness of the night, by the moonlight streaming through the window, Jiang Nuanyu reached under her pillow for her phone.
Opening Lin Zhiwei's chat window, she pouted and typed a few words before sending: "Mom, I'm hungry."
As the message was sent, tears welled up in my eyes again.
In the infrequent chat messages, almost every time, even if it was just a few words, her mother would remind her to eat well.
Before coming to Paris, she promised them that she would take good care of herself.
But she broke her promise.
She seems to be really not doing well right now.
She longed to hear her father's voice and wanted her mother to hug her.
Lost in these thoughts, she finally fell into a deep sleep.
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