Chapter 10: Double Standards - Soft, bouncy, and heartwarming...
With a high fever, Jiang Shan had little rationality left in his mind, but his threshold for laughing was getting lower and lower.
She pressed her cool phone case against her burning forehead and silently smiled for three seconds.
That's brilliant; why call it a domineering CEO's speech?
It wasn't that she discriminated against the secretary because her salary wasn't as high as the president's, or that Gao Ming wasn't qualified to send out such news.
Gao Ming's tone was as if he had suddenly transformed from a meek and humble working man into a domineering and self-centered CEO, as if he had been possessed...
Wait a minute, is the person who sent the message really that clever?
The signal was poor in the subway station, and Jiang Shan's mind was also dizzy from the high fever. She clung tightly to the last bit of rationality, refunded the fever reducer she had mistakenly ordered, waited for the circle on the screen to spin seven or eight times to show that the refund was successful, and then returned to the chat software to send her location and the last voice message before her wrist went weak.
"Secretary Gao, I might need your help to come to the subway station and take me to the hospital for an IV drip. I'll pay for the medical expenses and your trouble once I wake up, is that alright? Thank you so much."
The phone fell with a "thud" into Jiang Shan's handbag, which had been unzipped long ago.
Luckily it didn't fall to the ground, otherwise I would have had to spend money to buy a new phone.
A monthly salary of nine thousand is not a small amount, but it's not a large amount either. After all, this salary isn't just for her; it also has to support her family. So, she should try to save money wherever possible.
Jiang Shan hunched over, trying to press his upper body against his thighs, curling up into a small ball on the fairly spacious seat, as if only in this way could he withstand the wind and frost from all directions and find that little bit of security.
Consciousness becomes increasingly scattered over time.
Jiang Shan kept telling herself not to fall asleep, because fainting in the subway station alone could be dangerous, but her exhausted body wouldn't listen to her.
She tried to use the fingers dangling from the armrest to pinch her other arm, hoping to regain some rationality through the pain, but her hand was too sore to exert any strength, and she couldn't even scratch an itch.
The subway station was still noisy, but the announcements about trains arriving and departing were muffled and difficult to hear.
Jiang Shan could no longer tell what time it was; his head was spinning, his hands and feet were cold, and his chin felt like it was weighed down by a lead weight. He was involuntarily falling downwards with the help of gravity.
Gao Ming... is he not coming?
Yes, she and Gao Ming weren't familiar with each other and hadn't exchanged many words. Also, there's a difference between men and women. As Gao Ming was the boss's personal servant, it's normal that he wouldn't come after get off work if she "harassed" him during his off-hours.
When she was five years old, after kindergarten, while the other children were taken home by their parents one by one, she waited from afternoon until dusk, and then until night. The scene of her going from crying loudly to becoming numb, and finally being personally taken home by the principal, replayed in her mind like a revolving lantern.
Jiang Shan was very young at that time, so logically he shouldn't remember much.
But she could never forget that when the principal took her home, her parents forcefully pulled her inside. One second they were apologizing to the principal, "Sorry, we were so busy we forgot," and the next second they turned around and glared at her, "You've troubled the teacher again!"
Yes, because both her parents were teachers, they could understand her teacher's predicament.
Two high school teachers with countless students who have taught countless students and who even visit them in person after graduation, can only smile at their students, but cannot smile at their daughter.
Jiang Shan shook his head slightly, unwilling to dwell on this helpless past.
Sure enough, she should have realized long ago that relying on others is risky; relying on people is risky, and doing everything herself ensures that no mistakes will be made.
You shouldn't place your hopes on someone you don't know well.
It's a favor if someone helps her, and it's their right not to.
Jiang Shan's temples throbbed, his limbs felt weak, and he unconsciously slumped down, vaguely falling into a warm embrace.
It must be brilliant.
He's such a kind person; he even helped her up when she fell.
But this feel... seems a bit familiar?
Soft, bouncy, and warm...
Jiang Shan racked her brains, trying to find another tactile adjective that overlapped with her memory, but her brain completely shut down due to the signal of "rescue is coming, safety is assured," forcibly shutting down all the body's operating codes, leaving her exhausted and unconscious.
When Jiang Shan woke up again, most of the day had passed. Zhao Yi sat by her bedside peeling an apple, muttering to herself.
"Xiao Jiang, you really don't take care of your health. You had a fever of 39 degrees Celsius and fainted at the subway station..."
Huh? It's Zhao Yi?
Wasn't it a smart move to take her to the hospital?
Jiang Shan had just opened his eyes, which were still covered by a thin layer of mist, but he subconsciously looked out to find the figures of others.
"Looking for Secretary Gao, right?" Zhao Yi sighed softly, mentioning Zhu Meng, who was standing outside the half-closed door. She had already taught her the proper way to speak, "Men and women shouldn't be too close. He took you to the hospital, so it wasn't convenient for him to take care of you. He sent me over."
It was clearly President Zhu who personally went to the subway station and took Jiangshan to the hospital.
During the half-day that Jiang Shan was unconscious, President Zhu was handling official business on his laptop while taking care of him at his bedside. Why did President Zhu attribute this credit to Secretary Gao and her?
Zhao Yi couldn't understand it, and didn't dare to ask any more questions.
"Oh, I see. Thank you so much."
Jiang Shan had just woken up, her voice still hoarse. She managed to squeeze out these words before turning her head and starting to cough.
Zhao Yi quickly poured her a glass of warm water: "No rush, come on, drink some water to soothe your throat."
Jiang Shan had just moistened his throat, and his voice sounded normal. He couldn't wait to grab the paper cup and ask Zhao Yi, "How much is the medical bill? I'll transfer it to you via Zhifubao."
The medical expenses were all paid into Zhu Meng's account. Zhao Yi didn't know exactly how much it was, but she knew that she absolutely could not accept Jiang Shan's money: "No need, no need. You should take good care of yourself. You don't need to worry about this small amount of money."
Jiangshan has never been one to owe anyone or anything.
She believed that if she owed someone money or favors, she would always have to repay them. She was unrestrained and loved freedom, and did not want to be tied down by such things.
"You went through so much trouble to get me to the hospital and took care of me for so long, I should give you some compensation for your hard work."
"No, no, really no!"
Having worked in the workplace for over a decade, Zhao Yi was quite the seasoned veteran. This was the first time she felt like she was walking on thin ice. She repeatedly refused, almost jumping up and running out of the ward.
Jiang Shan had just recovered from a serious illness and was too weak to compete with Zhao Yi.
She thought about it and realized that the four-figure cosmetics set she bought for Zhao Yi a few days ago should have arrived soon, so she decided to go with the flow.
"Thank you so much. I bought you a set of cosmetics. It's not expensive. Please don't refuse. Consider it a token of my appreciation for your trouble."
Zhao Yi was afraid that if she rejected him too harshly, she would displease Zhu Meng, who was listening outside. So she changed the subject, saying, "You should take good care of yourself first," while reaching out to press the call button by Jiang Shan's bedside, hoping that the nurses and doctors who were coming would come to save her from this predicament.
The doctor examined Jiang Shan's various medical indicators and nodded slightly at her.
"You're recovering well, your fever has mostly subsided, but your health isn't the best... Young man, you probably stay up late a lot, right? You should get more rest in the future. That's all. You can be discharged tomorrow morning."
Jiang Shan nodded and agreed to everything.
Upon hearing that Jiang Shan was alright, Zhao Yi, fearing that she would be pestered by him again and give herself away by asking too many questions, slapped her forehead and said that she had forgotten to turn off the gas at home, and then slunk away.
After she left, Jiang Shan noticed something strange when he saw his medical record on his bedside table, which bore the name of the hospital.
Why is she in a private room? And this hospital seems to be a well-known private hospital in S City; the fees must be quite high…
A faint sense of being watched swept over him, and Jiang Shan suddenly turned his head to look at the door.
Why does she always feel like there's someone else outside?
Jiang Shan, holding onto the bed railing, slowly got out of bed, grabbed the leather shoes he had worn when he was admitted to the hospital, and tiptoed out.
The corridor was empty; there was no one there.
Jiang Shan shook her head slightly as she sat back on the bed. She really needed to rest; she was even hallucinating from her illness.
Jiangshan slept soundly through the night. The next day, he was discharged from the hospital. He changed out of his hospital gown and put on the coat he had worn when he was admitted. He could vaguely smell a sweet scent.
She sniffed and frowned silently.
Strange, there seems to be a men's cologne scent coming from the armhole of this garment.
Is it just an illusion?
After leaving the hospital, Jiang Shan first went to the courier station near his rented apartment to pick up the cosmetics he had bought for Zhao Yi, and then immediately took a taxi to the company.
Zhao Yi was giving instructions to her subordinates when she saw Jiang Shan arrive. She looked surprised and said, "Hey, Xiao Jiang, didn't you just get discharged from the hospital today? Why are you at the company again?"
"...I'm here to submit yesterday's leave slip. I'm sorry, my fever came on so suddenly that I didn't have time to ask for leave." Jiang Shan said earnestly. "Besides, I was supposed to come to work today anyway."
"What's the rush? Your health is the most important thing. I already made up the sick leave slip for you." Zhao Yi was really worried about Jiang Shan, this chosen worker who came to work before he was fully recovered.
If anything goes wrong with Jiangshan, she'll be drowned in President Zhu's spittle!
She led Jiang Shan to her office and said earnestly, "Xiao Jiang, you haven't taken your probationary leave yet. How about I give you five days off? Listen to me, go back and rest first, okay?"
Five days off?
If this were Jiang Shan during his student days, he would be so happy that he couldn't sleep at night. But Jiang Shan in the workplace always feels that something is wrong with this non-statutory holiday.
Taking a long vacation seems a bit like a covert suspension.
After all, paid leave doesn't align with the boss's exploitative nature towards workers.
"Okay, I'll finish my shift today before I go home."
Jiang Shan took out the iron key he always carried, cut open the tape on the express box, and pulled out the whole set of cosmetics inside: "Sister Zhao, thank you for taking care of me at the hospital yesterday. This is a little something I wanted to give you as a token of my gratitude. I was supposed to open it on the way, but I was carsick and didn't dare to move it. I'm sorry."
Zhao Yi knew something was wrong the moment she saw the brand.
Jiang Shan truly lives up to his reputation as one of President Zhu's men; the gifts he sent are incredibly expensive!
But she had promised Jiang Shan yesterday, so she couldn't refuse. She could only accept it with a smile: "It's only right for colleagues to take care of each other. Xiao Jiang, you're too kind!"
After politely handing over the empire, Zhao Yi's phone vibrated, and she immediately received a questioning from Zhu Meng.
Why is she still going to work?
Zhao Yi had nowhere to confide in: "I arranged for her to take five days off, but she insisted on finishing her shift today. I didn't dare to refuse her... Mr. Zhu, do you need me to kick her out of the company right now?"
"No."
Zhu Meng watched the surveillance video over and over again, staring at Zhao Yi's hand on Jiang Shan's shoulder as if in self-torture, scratching the skin under her tie until it was red and slightly bleeding.
What gives Zhao Yi the right to challenge Jiang Shan? Just because Zhao Yi is a woman?
When Jiang Shan handed the item over, his hand touched Zhao Yi's... but Jiang Shan didn't dodge at all!
Jiang Shan wasn't like this before. When she had low blood sugar and leaned on him, she opened her eyes and ran faster than a rabbit!
How could the country be like this?
...double standards!
A note from the author:
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