Chapter 11 I want to bite into something white and soft; it must smell delicious...
Zhu Meng gritted his teeth and typed each word onto the screen.
"From now on, you are not allowed to have any physical contact with Jiangshan."
Zhao Yi was completely confused by this sentence. When did she have any physical contact with Jiang Shan? Could it be that she subconsciously patted Jiang Shan on the shoulder? But isn't that normal communication between superiors and subordinates in the workplace?
She didn't know and didn't dare to ask, only sending a "Okay, received," without noticing the camera flashing past the door.
Zhao Yi sat in the comfortable air-conditioned room, feeling as if she were walking on thin ice. Jiang Shan strode back to his workstation, reaching out to catch the sunlight streaming through the window into the corridor, feeling completely relaxed.
Jiang Shan leaned back comfortably against the chair and stretched lazily.
I feel so comfortable, having no material or emotional debts to anyone around me.
Although her happiness only lasted until she got off work.
After sending messages continuously in the group chat for two days without receiving a single word or even an emoji from Jiang Shan, Jiang's parents finally snapped.
They were just about to leave work when Jiangshan switched his phone from silent to vibrate and made a call.
Jiang Shan was so frightened that his hand trembled.
The moment the screen suddenly displayed red for hanging up and green for answering, her heart jumped into her throat, and she almost instinctively hung up the phone.
Is something urgent? They insisted on making a phone call.
A heart as calm as a lake is suddenly struck by a heavy object; the impact creates ripples that spread like wildfire.
The conversations, each one less than pleasant, swirled in his mind like dark clouds on a rainy day. After much hesitation, Jiang Shan rubbed his hands, which had grown cold without him noticing, pulled out his Bluetooth earphones, and with his phone buzzing and vibrating, walked resolutely down the stairs, step by step.
Never mind, I'll just accept it.
After all, she had been missing for two days, and her parents were probably too worried, which is why they rushed to call and ask.
...They should know that she doesn't like making phone calls, especially calls from numbers where they can't see each other and can only guess whether they're angry or not by their voices.
"Boom..."
For some reason, muffled thunder also sounded outside.
Having grown up in the rainy south, Jiang Shan is already quite used to thunderstorms.
But when she heard the thunder, her heart still skipped a beat.
What will her mom and dad say to her?
Is it concern about what happened to her these past two days? Or...?
As soon as I pressed the answer button, my father's voice came out immediately, rattling off a string of words.
"Jiangshan, Jiangshan, your mom and dad worked so hard to raise you until you graduated from university, and now you're throwing a tantrum, not replying to messages or answering phone calls for two days straight, huh?"
The roar from close range, delivered through Bluetooth headphones, pounded into Jiang Shan's ears like a drumstick striking a drumhead, causing a buzzing in his ears.
That dizziness from a high fever seems to have crept back in without me even realizing it.
The mother sighed beside her, "How can you be such a role model for your younger sister if you're so insensible? I've raised an ingrate for twenty-two years, sigh."
Jiang Shan's nose tingled with emotion.
She was in a big city where she knew no one, and there was no news for two whole days. Her biological parents didn't care what happened to her during those two days, where she was now, or whether she was safe. Instead, they criticized her for not saying a word during those two days and for not providing them with enough emotional support.
Jiang Shan's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but his throat was choked up, and he could only make a nasal sound.
Who knew that her soft hum, as gentle as the wind, was like a blazing firecracker, instantly igniting the two firecrackers on the other end of the phone.
"What are you doing, always humming and hawing? Speak up!"
Jiang Shan's eyes suddenly burned.
She's been like this since she was little; when she's feeling down, she unconsciously becomes quieter.
Actually, she doesn't talk much usually, so it wasn't too abrupt.
Unfortunately, her parents are high-needs parents; they need a response to every word she says and for every matter to be implemented.
Jiang Shan does not deny that things need to be implemented properly.
But when she doesn't want to talk, she really doesn't want to say a single word.
Anxiety, like the rising tide, surged wave after wave onto the beach called An Ding. Jiang Shan unconsciously climbed two steps up the stairs and then went down three.
I really want to bite something...
The image of Zhu Meng's enormous breasts suddenly popped into Jiang Shan's mind, and he unconsciously started licking his lips, which were as dry as withered leaves because he had forgotten to replenish his water while he was focused on his work.
It's white and soft, it must smell delicious.
Okay, she didn't send a single message in two days, which worried her parents. It was definitely her fault.
"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, I didn't mean to ignore your messages. It's just that I had a high fever and fainted two days ago. My colleagues took me to the hospital, and I was unconscious for a day. After being discharged, I went straight to work and didn't..."
So that means work is more important than mom and dad?
The sarcastic question penetrated Jiang Shan's mind through the earphone, abruptly interrupting the explanation he had painstakingly crafted after a busy day.
That's not what she meant.
Why do you always put her in a dilemma where she has to choose between two options, such as "Should I stay with my mom or dad after the divorce?" or "Is work more important, or are my mom and dad more important?" and choosing either one would be wrong?
Jiang Shan swallowed hard, carefully choosing his words as he replied in a low voice.
"No, it's definitely because you guys are better..."
"If you know that Mom and Dad are more important, why don't you send them a single message?"
Teachers treat the classroom as their battlefield, and they are indeed skilled with words. Jiang's father only heard the first half of Jiang Shan's sentence, but he could still come up with sarcastic remarks on the spot.
Feelings of helplessness and fear, like vines sprouting from the ground, wove a dense, impenetrable net into Jiang Shan's heart.
Jiang Shan pulled his collar outwards with all his might, but he still felt like he couldn't breathe.
Why force her to speak, and then interrupt her when she's speaking? Is it necessary for her to speak, or not?
After a brief stalemate, Jiang's mother's voice, like smoke, drifted in to smooth things over.
"Alright, alright, you should say less. The child just came from the hospital and may still be feeling unwell. Why are you arguing with her?"
Her hands and feet were filled with ice by her biological father's sharp and confrontational remarks, and her mother's two insipid words were like a tiny match in a heavy snowstorm, not enough to warm up the country in the short term.
It was clear from the beginning that Dad wanted to criticize her, and Dad had been talking to her for a long time. As an observer of verbal abuse, was Mom playing the "good cop" role by stepping in at this point?
My body was trembling slightly, I didn't know if it was from the chill that emanated from my bones or from the wind blowing in from outside the window.
Jiang Shan tried his best to keep his voice stable.
"Is there anything else? Mom, Dad? If not, I'll hang up now."
"There is one more thing," Jiang's mother said, her voice a little urgent.
The heart that hadn't yet been warmed by the warmth of the land suddenly plunged back into an icy abyss.
Sure enough, if there was nothing else to say, why would Mom stop Dad?
After all, mixed doubles with husband and wife is the flavor she's familiar with.
Humans are truly strange creatures. They want others to treat them well, yet they also get used to being treated badly by those people. If they don't get what they want one day, they start to feel anxious. Perhaps this is the legendary Stockholm syndrome?
Jiang Shan gave a self-deprecating smirk to the air.
"What's up?"
Jiang's mother said with a smile, "It's nothing else, it's just that your cousin is going to S City for a trip. You spent four years of college in S City, so you should know it pretty well. Why don't you take him sightseeing and treat him to a meal or something?"
Jiang Shan instinctively wanted to refuse.
Her relationship with her cousin wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. But they were both adults, and it was strange that they were alone together.
"It's nothing serious. It's a small matter for our Jiangshan. Remember, be confident and upright in front of your cousin. Don't embarrass your mom and dad."
Jiang's mother spoke so rapidly, like the stitches of a sweater, that Jiang Shan had no chance to interrupt: "Your cousin is flying to S City tomorrow. The plane ticket should be sent in the family group later. Remember to pick him up, okay? Okay, bye."
The phone call ended with a "beep beep," and Jiang Shan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
No wonder they were so quick to criticize her for not replying to their messages, yet so quick to dismiss it. She had been wondering when they had become so gentle; it turned out they had something else in mind.
A strange "sizzle" sound came from the upper stairs, like the sound of leather shoes rubbing against the ground.
Jiang Shan hurriedly lowered his head and vigorously wiped his slightly moist eyes with the back of his hand.
Who's there?
Zhu Meng, who had his fingers pressed against the wall and was about to take a step forward to see what was going on in Jiangshan, realized he had caused trouble and decisively took two steps back, lightly kicking Gao Ming's knee with his calf.
It was a move to get Gao Ming to take the blame.
At the boss's request, Gao Ming slowly peeked out from the corner of the stairs.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Jiang," he said with a professional smile, "President Zhu asked me to inquire whether you have found the link for that jacket? I have already placed the orders for the other three for you, and the address is at the company."
Jiang Shan shook his head: "No, these three are fine, thank you."
Her mind was like a ball of yarn that had been scratched by a cat, the yarn tangled and scattered everywhere, she had no interest in worrying about the coat link.
Gao Ming smiled and was about to leave when Zhu Meng poked his lower back again.
He forcefully suppressed the cry that almost escaped his lips due to the itch, dutifully acting as Zhu Meng's mouthpiece: "Excuse me for asking, why are you crying? Were you bullied by someone at work?"
Unable to vent the bitterness between himself and his parents, Jiang Shan felt trapped and suffocated. After much deliberation, he still refused to tell Gao Ming, with whom he was not particularly close, everything.
What good would it do to tell Gao Ming?
Gao Ming couldn't very well give her parents a good beating.
For the first time, Jiang Shan realized that his parents' saying, "Don't wash your dirty linen in public," actually made a lot of sense.
“Secretary Gao, your question is indeed very presumptuous. I think I have the right to remain silent.”
"...Sorry to bother you."
Jiang Shan said nothing more, nodded listlessly, went back to her workstation, picked up her bag, and wandered out of the company like a lost soul. She was absent-minded and did not notice the Rolls-Royce Phantom that had driven her out of the company's underground parking garage.
Zhu Meng's gaze was deep, and he whispered to Gao Ming, "Follow them."
Jiang Shan didn't take the subway today. She rushed to her rented apartment and wandered aimlessly around the streets, not even heading towards the apartment. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was like a headless fly.
S City is so big, where is her home?
The aroma of bread wafted into Jiang Shan's nostrils. He turned his head and, through a transparent window, saw various exquisitely sliced cakes inside.
She stood quietly outside for half a minute, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open forcefully to go inside.
"Give me a slice of tiramisu."
In the past, she would never have bought an unhealthy, expensive, and unsatisfying cake for dinner on a non-holiday.
But today, she really wanted to eat a piece by herself.
She has never eaten cake on her birthday since she was a child.
Mom said that stuff is expensive and bad for your health, and that we should understand that it's not easy for parents to work hard to earn money. Dad said that no matter how beautiful it looks, it will just turn into excrement if you eat it, so it's not worth it.
Only when a classmate or friend has a birthday party can she, like a mouse stealing fish, carefully savor the other person's double-layered animal cream cake, bit by bit, with a fork.
Today isn't her birthday; she just wanted to buy a cake to treat her younger self.
The phone pinged, and the app that had already figured out Jiangshan's preferences recommended a video of a muscular man to him without his permission, with the title "Male Mom".
As Jiang Shan watched, his eyes began to burn again.
Everyone says that her mother and father are the people who love her the most in the world. They are the ones who chose to give her life, which is why she was born.
Logically speaking, she should be the fruit of her parents' love.
but……
We lacked nothing materially, but we were never rich in spirit.
Jiang Shan gripped the cake fork tightly.
Actually, her parents weren't bad to her. They were just a little strict with her grades and how she behaved. At least they were normal people. They didn't abuse her and gave her living expenses regularly throughout her four years of university.
They're fine, they're "normal" parents, but she's too dramatic, she can't even stand this.
Even her own parents were like this, which she found unbearable.
Can you really rely on a man who has no blood relation to you?
A note from the author:
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Little Fatty Zhang [Milk Tea] ~
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