Chapter 48 Chen Jiashu, are you crazy?
Before going downstairs, the two went to Zhaoye's room. The child was fast asleep and had no idea that Danie had arrived.
Qin Qiao bent down to tuck the blankets around the two children, then looked up and met Chen Jiashu's gaze, which was fixed on her.
“They used to sleep together at my place too. They’d have a ‘big talk’ before bed. Even though Zhao Ye is usually a bit timid, he’s quite the chatterbox around Xi Xi and Danie.”
Chen Jiashu laughed and said, "It's more lively over there. The kids are so active and energetic. I can't spend as much time with him as I do, and sometimes I even have to ask him to do things my way."
Qin Qiao walked over, and Chen Jiashu slowly straightened up, glancing at her sideways as he said softly, "The stool in the entryway must be pushed back against the wall after use, the flower pots in the living room cannot be moved casually, and no one can enter my study without my permission... because he has a blind father."
He was still smiling, his eyes visibly reddening, perhaps without even realizing it himself.
It felt as if a drop of scalding lava had landed on him, burning a hole in Qin Qiao's eye.
It burned all the way to her heart.
She looked away from her eyes, towards the doorway: "Let's go."
The two took the elevator downstairs. Chen Jiashu walked ahead, his familiar steps leading him straight to the sofa. He grasped the armrest before turning around and sitting down, then leaning his white cane against the sofa.
Qin Qiao sat on the corner armchair, turned to the side, and looked at Chen Jiashu. His deep eyes reflected her most vivid image.
"To be honest, I'm ashamed to say that Zhaoye used to be... a bit timid because of my mother. You know what my mother is like, once she decides something is 'good,' she'll force it on her child. Whether it's drinking milk, wearing clothes, or anything else, everything has to be done according to her rules."
Qin Qiao exhaled, letting go of some of the pent-up emotions in her heart:
"Xi Xi is lively and cheerful, broad-minded, and can handle things on her own; Zhao Ye is meticulous, and the method she figured out is to rebel by crying..."
Chen Jiashu's hands, which were resting on his knees, tucked inwards, his knuckles slightly bent. Her words moved him.
She raised the corners of her mouth, a hint of remorse in her smile: "My children were mainly raised by my mother. When I should have been with them the most, I didn't do a good enough job. So every time I tried to correct her methods, my mother would have a whole bunch of reasons to tell me, saying I didn't know how to raise children and that I had let her down. We've discussed it several times, but with little effect; instead, it only made the children more confused. Looking back now, I realize that was my dereliction of duty as a mother."
“But in the past six months, I’ve watched him change so much while he’s been by your side. You’ve given him the confidence and courage that I wanted to give him but couldn’t. Jia Shu, you see, there are some things that only a father can do.”
She deliberately emphasized the last few words.
Like a stone dropped into water, it stirred ripples in Chen Jiashu's eyes.
“One day I asked Zhaoye how he became so brave. Guess what he said? He said, ‘My dad told me the story of ‘Heroes.’ The little hero doesn’t cry when he falls off his horse because true courage is getting up after falling down.’ He also said, ‘My dad told me that the choice is mine. Whether I choose to cry or get up is my own decision.’”
"Qiaoqiao... thank you." Chen Jiashu was both touched and moved.
Qin Qiao told him that he was not only a disabled father, but also the children's only and irreplaceable father. Whenever he felt self-doubt, Qin Qiao could always "empower" him and help him see his own value.
Qin Qiao could see that Chen Jiashu's inner conflict had been temporarily resolved, and he felt more at ease, which meant that her purpose in making this special trip had been achieved.
Having studied psychology for several years during her school years, she knows that for people like Chen Jiashu who have suffered severe physical and mental trauma, their path to recovery will be a repetitive process: rebuilding from the broken, and then breaking again... countless cycles, this is a kind of "spiral growth", each fall point will not be lower than the last, the overall trajectory is upward.
But she also knew the real reality: the pain of those involved could not be easily summarized in words or a few words; it was a protracted internal war that only the person involved could understand.
“Jia Shu…”
Perhaps she was tired too; her eyelids felt sore and heavy. "Are you still traveling for work recently?"
Chen Jiashu shook his head: "I didn't make any plans before the new year."
Qin Qiao smiled and said, "Then I'll leave Xixi here with you so she can have fun with Zhaoye."
Chen Jiashu smiled and said, "Okay." Then he asked, "And you?"
"I have to go home." Qin Qiao clenched her fists. "I'll have to trouble you with Danie tonight. I'll pick him up first thing tomorrow morning."
“The snow is so heavy outside, I’m worried about you going back,” Chen Jiashu said.
Qin Qiao got up and looked out the window, where she could vaguely see snowflakes falling obliquely against the windowpane.
She turned around and said, "I'm a grown woman, don't worry, besides, it's not far."
Chen Jiashu brought out his white cane, still wanting her to stay, but he also knew Qin Qiao's personality and couldn't force her to stay.
"I'll have Old Song follow you."
As soon as he said it, Chen Jiashu remembered that Lao Song had already asked for leave to go back to visit his family.
"No need," Qin Qiao coldly refused, not wanting to give him any room for imagination.
Chen Jiashu wanted to persuade her to stay, and the words were already on his lips, but in the end he only moved his lips and said nothing, silently seeing Qin Qiao to the door.
A wisp of cold air seeped through the crack in the door, seemingly seeping into the silence between the two. Qin Qiao sat on a stool changing her shoes, while Chen Jiashu stood beside her.
The height difference between the seated and standing figures made Qin Qiao feel an invisible pressure, as if the air had become thin and breathing had become difficult.
With her feet firmly on the ground, Qin Qiao picked up her handbag and stood up, when suddenly a golden flash appeared.
As if by magic, Chen Jiashu produced a bulging black silk dust bag from his hand. The brand logo was embroidered on the bag with gold thread, and it was the English text on it that caught her eye.
"It came with the gift I bought for Xixi. Christmas shouldn't just be for kids. I'm giving it to you." He handed it over casually.
The original plan was to give it to her on a suitable day, but there was no better occasion than at home.
This bag belongs to the ultra-high-end luxury category of an independent Italian brand. A single bag from their store can be worth as much as an apartment in a third- or fourth-tier city.
Women love bags just as much as men love cars, and Qin Qiao was somewhat familiar with almost every brand that came to mind. However, she didn't own any bags from that brand in her wardrobe, simply because she never bought anything beyond her means.
In the past, Chen Jiashu had also given her bags. After each business trip, she would return with jewelry or various handbags, starting with Coach and later Chanel and Hermes...
Chen Jiashu's expression didn't seem to be lying. Qin Qiao's gaze returned to the dust bag, still skeptical: "Buy a doll and get a bag for free?"
"To be honest, without the doll, there would be no bag." His tone became slightly more serious.
This was a profound statement, with an underlying meaning: the "incidental" aspect was indeed true. Qin Qiao immediately understood: "Buy the bag and get a doll as a free gift, but you have to buy the bag to get the doll..."
Chen Jiashu was still in the gesture of handing over the bag: "Yes, both are indispensable."
"Chen Jiashu!" Qin Qiao exclaimed incredulously, raising her voice slightly, "Are you crazy? You're going to give your child the stars in the sky if they want them in the future?"
“The stars are too high, I can’t reach them…” Chen Jiashu anticipated Qin Qiao’s possible reaction, but he still couldn’t help but chuckle when he actually heard it. “But this doll, I can reach it. This is the first small wish I can fulfill for her in the six years I’ve missed… As for this bag, it’s a medium that carries beauty in this process. I want to give this beauty to you…”
Qin Qiao gradually understood that Chen Jiashu was not a father who spoiled his child with money; he was simply 'making up for' the six years he had missed, practicing his 'first lesson' as a father.
She reached out and took the bag; it was heavy. "I'll accept this kindness; it's very heavy."
Chen Jiashu's expression shifted from doubt to seriousness. Qin Qiao continued, "I will cherish it, cherish the first step you took as a father. I believe that years from now, Xixi will still remember that her father once picked 'stars' for her. Jiashu, there are still 'many lessons' ahead, and the children's wish lists are still very long, but for the children, the brightest 'star' has always been you yourself."
In front of Qin Qiao, he felt as if he were transparent. She could always see through his heart, see through his nature, and even see the future at a glance.
“Do you know what I’ve always resented about you? It’s not taking the blame for Shuang Ge, it’s not dividing the property in the divorce, it’s not even your absence during my most difficult days… It’s that you deprived me of the right to share your hardships; you arbitrarily judged that I couldn’t bear the truth, and assumed that I would back down and collapse. You… are too selfish.”
Chen Jiashu turned over, the mattress creaking as he propped himself up against the headboard.
The room was too bright, and he couldn't open his eyes for a moment.
When he was alone, Chen Jiashu never turned off the bedroom light. He was afraid of light, yet he was also afraid of losing his light. He was always so conflicted. Six years ago, he was afraid of being a burden to Qin Qiao, but he was also afraid that she would really leave him.
Chen Jiashu suddenly remembered that during the earthquake, Qin Qiao disregarded the possibility of aftershocks, ran back and hugged him tightly, crying her heart out.
Her cries contained worry for him, deep fear, and sorrow and pain because he had once again made a choice for her.
"What do you think you are?! A burden?! Or an obstacle?! You'll never change... You'll never change!"
Chen Jiashu slowly opened his eyes, and a large amount of hazy white light flooded in.
If this happens again, will he do it again?
*
At 2 p.m., a blogger named 'Pingping' posted a long article on Weibo, accusing Chen Jiashu of "hypocrisy and grandstanding": she claimed to be a former employee of Qiaoshu Group who was fired directly for a work mistake, while Chen Jiashu, as a disabled person, "had no empathy for his fellow human beings".
The photos of the resignation certificate and visual impairment certificate attached to the long article were quickly reposted by many self-media outlets, sparking a new wave of discussion.
Netizen A: I'm blind myself, yet I'm so cruel to my fellow human beings!
Netizen B: I suggest checking if his disability certificate was bought. Can a real blind person be so cold-blooded?
Netizen C: If you watch the video carefully, you can see it. I think it's just a pity-playing tactic!
...
Frustrated, Tian Jiayue scrolled through hundreds of comments, each one filled with malicious speculation and indiscriminate personal attacks.
Even though she had worked in media and knew that most netizens were like "fence-sitters" who could be vicious and filthy when they cursed, she still couldn't suppress her anger.
Since its establishment, Qiaoshu Group has recruited more than 12% of its employees with disabilities, which is far higher than the industry average.
From R&D personnel and programmers to accountants, their presence can be seen in every position.
Tian Jiayue paused her work and went to the public relations department to find Li Rong. Manager Li told her that the recording of the female employee repeatedly verbally abusing customers would be released at 7:00 PM that night.
If the other party immediately stops and issues a public apology, the company will not pursue the matter further; if they remain obstinate, a second batch of evidence will be released at 1 a.m.
Chen Jiashu was completely unaware that the frontline employee had been laid off. The former employee's accusations of hypocrisy were simply an attempt to ride the wave of attention these past few days. However, it was also possible that a competitor had deliberately bribed the former employee to smear their group.
President Li told her not to worry, that nothing could be turned out badly, and that they had all witnessed Chairman Chen's character.
Tian Jiayue felt a little better. After leaving the public relations department, she didn't go back to her office but went to the front desk to retrieve the gifts she had stored. She then carried them to the chairman's office.
"Brother, I brought a few gifts."
A delicate gray tote bag containing a few chocolates and a blue square box.
Chen Jiashu reached into the bag with his slender, long fingers, took out a box, touched it, and couldn't guess what it was.
Just as he was about to put on his vision glasses, Tian Jiayue immediately revealed the secret to him: "A neck electric massager. The shop assistant said it's the latest technology with 3D rotational vibration. This is a gift for you."
"It's no trouble at all." Tian Jiayue took the gift bag down and placed it on the low cabinet next to her. "I also bought a gift for Zhaoye, which I will deliver to him tonight. I'll have to trouble you to help deliver the gifts for Xixi and Chengcheng."
“Xixi is with me,” Chen Jiashu said.
It took Tian Jiayue a few seconds to react before asking, "You and your sister-in-law have made up?"
Chen Jiashu paused for a moment: "I'm trying."
After a brief chat, the two got into a serious working mode.
The contract in Chen Jiashu's hand is for a motor supplier, provided by the other party's supplier. Although Qiaoshu Electric is one of the top three companies in the province in terms of annual procurement volume, it is still at a disadvantage when facing technology giants like the German S company that hold core motor patents.
Therefore, even though the legal department had reviewed it twice, Chen Jiashu would still read through the contract word by word.
For example, when S Company required a five-year procurement contract, Chen Jiashu frowned and stopped reading. He took off his glasses and rejected the contract: "Five years is too long. Go and negotiate to shorten it to three years."
Tian Jiayue took the contract: "I'll take it to General Manager Feng now."
Chen Jiashu wanted to say a few more words, but when he turned his head, he only saw that the black figure had disappeared into the closed glass door. A few seconds later, even the "tap-tap" sound of high heels could no longer be heard.
The sun had completely disappeared into the dark gray clouds. It wasn't even five o'clock yet, but it was already dark outside. That's how it is in winter: short days and long nights.
Qin Qiao saw the so-called "exposés" against Chen Jiashu online. These accusations, heavily influenced by personal biases, were either instigated by someone else or were acts of revenge driven by emotion. Such accusations were too shallow and easily refuted by solid evidence. Qin Qiao wasn't worried that this wave of public opinion would have any real impact on Chen Jiashu.
She took a small sip of coffee, her gaze drifting from the fifty-story building across the street to the southeast, where she could vaguely see the headquarters of the Qiaoshu Group.
Qin Qiao returned to her desk, but before she could sit down, there was a knock on the office door.
Her slender figure was reflected in the frosted glass, revealing a light gray outline. Qin Qiao glanced at her and said, "Please come in." She then put down her phone and walked around the desk toward the sofa.
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