She suddenly felt that her comfort was unnecessary, as the girl seemed to be able to convince herself on her own.
After they had their fill on the lake, they slowly paddled back to the original spot. At this point, the group fishing had also made a decent catch. Emma walked over to Jason's side and saw a small bucket next to him, which surprisingly contained a rather plump fish.
Emma nodded in approval, "Not bad, we have enough for a fish soup lunch."
"Han Zhao, the fish you caught is huge, Yichen can't compare to you at all," Shen Qiqi excitedly compared the buckets of the two men.
Xiao Yichen complained, "Qiqi, I don't mind you praising your Han brother, but you can't step on me like this. Although the fish I caught aren't as big as his, I caught three, and he only caught one."
Xiao Yichen was actually competing with Shen Qiqi.
Shen Qiqi retorted, "That's not the point, we value quality over quantity."
The moment Shen Qiqi returned, the shore became particularly lively, and even Jason couldn't help but glance over at the noise before quietly asking, "She didn't disturb you, did she?"
"No, we had a good chat," Emma chuckled softly.
"What did you talk about?" Jason asked.
Emma was taken aback; they didn't really discuss anything significant. It just reaffirmed how fortunate she was to meet him at the best age of her life.
After two weeks of rest at home, Emma's facial injuries had healed well. Fortunately, she wasn't prone to scarring, and her body didn't bear any marks.
So she called Lao Zhang to discuss her intention to return to work on Monday.
Lao Zhang was quite concerned about her health and told her not to rush back to work, emphasizing the importance of taking care of her body.
However, Emma was indeed bored at home, having watched countless documentaries. If she stayed any longer, she might really go stir-crazy.
Seeing her insistence, Lao Zhang stopped objecting.
Thus, on Monday, Emma prepared to return to the office. She drove herself to work this time. During her recovery, Jason had Tang Mian prepare another car for her.
A white Audi A4, not too flashy.
Emma didn't refuse this time and accepted the keys without hesitation. As she pulled the car out of the garage, Jason, dressed in a suit, was waiting at the door.
She rolled down the window, and the tall and elegant man bent down slightly.
In the clear morning light, his face approached gently until he tenderly kissed her lips and whispered, "Drive carefully."
Emma blinked and looked up at the man who had stepped back two paces from the car door.
How was it that living with this man every day, she still found him excessively handsome?
Emma sighed in her heart; she might be beyond help.
She had fallen for a poison named Jason.
But as this thought flashed through her mind, Emma shivered. She was becoming a bit too sentimental, even to her own discomfort.
It must be from staying at home for too long.
She left early to avoid the morning traffic and arrived at the office ten minutes early.
It had been so long since she last came; the Freshness she felt as she walked upstairs was akin to her first day on the job.
Upon entering the newspaper office, her colleagues in the office were surprised to see her.
However, after the initial shock, everyone gathered around to express their concern.
Emma was not used to being surrounded by so many colleagues, but since they cared for her, she patiently answered all their questions.
It was when Hua Zhen arrived that she almost leaped over and hugged her tightly, "Emma, you're finally back."
If Emma hadn't quickly used her palm to stop Hua Zhen's forehead, her face would have buried itself in Emma's chest.
She was not accustomed to such closeness with anyone other than Jason and reluctantly said, "Let go of me first, I can't breathe."
Hua Zhen was startled by her words and immediately released her.
Fortunately, everyone dispersed at that moment. Hua Zhen scrutinized her for a while before To say with grievance, "I wanted to visit you, but you actually went back to your hometown."
To decline the visits from Lao Zhang and the editor-in-chief, Emma had announced to everyone that she was going back to her hometown in Nanxun for a quiet recovery.
Previously, to make this reason more convincing, she had posted a WeChat moment indicating that she was indeed in Nanxun.
Fortunately, the ancient towns in Jiangnan all bear similarities, and everyone couldn't quite distinguish between Nanxun and Tongli.
"Recently, you've been away, and I've had a tough time," Hua Zhen complained. Being too close to Emma, she naturally fell out of favor with Wen Tang. Now that Emma was gone, with Wen Tang slightly ostracizing her, her days had become quite difficult.
She had mentioned this to Emma on WeChat before, so Emma was quite worried.
Emma didn't expect that after the incident with Wu Mengni, Wen Tang would still resort to such petty means of exclusion.
While Hua Zhen was complaining, Wen Tang happened to walk in.
The reason for Wen Tang's anger was undoubtedly due to the exposé post that had appeared online. She had deliberately established herself as a conscientious journalist, but her reputation collapsed within a day.
Not to mention the merciless ridicule from netizens, even many colleagues in the newspaper office were laughing at her.
After all, although Wen Tang was arrogant and high-profile, she did have some ability, and her capabilities were indeed strong among the journalists in the newspaper office.
But this time, she tried to take credit for Emma's work. Others might not know, but the people in the newspaper office were well aware.
As soon as a colleague had an accident, she couldn't wait to reap the benefits, which was quite despicable behavior.
Everyone felt quite disheartened and disdainful.
Wen Tang glanced at Emma, her eyes sweeping over her face. She had asked Lao Zhang before, saying that Emma was severely injured. Originally, she had hoped that Emma would never return to the newspaper office.
But now, not only was she back, but she also seemed fine.
She snorted coldly and swayed back to her desk.
Hua Zhen leaned close to Emma, lowering her voice, "Jing Xi, you have to be careful. Wen Tang is telling others that you're deliberately smearing her."
As soon as Wen Tang saw that post, she was almost furious to the point of fainting.
Even though she had been complaining and privately messaging the other party, there was no response. Moreover, because the other party neither fabricated stories nor insulted, the post couldn't be deleted.
It's still hanging online.
Wen Tang naturally assumed that Emma was deliberately targeting her behind the scenes, as Emma was the one who benefited the most from this incident.
As for Emma, when she heard what Hua Zhen said, she didn't feel smeared at all.
Because Jason had indeed ordered this done, and what he did was no different from what she would do.
If Wen Tang really came to ask her, Emma wouldn't deny it.
Soon, the editor-in-chief called for a meeting, not a small group meeting, but a large one in the newspaper office's largest conference room. The quarterly summary and commendation meeting for the last quarter had not been held yet.
As soon as Emma returned, the meeting was convened.
On the way there, Hua Zhen whispered, "Do you think the editor-in-chief didn't mention the meeting before, and as soon as you came back, they held a meeting. Could the quarterly outstanding employee award be for you?"
The newspaper office holds a commendation and reward meeting every quarter, and generally, employees at most receive an encouragement award.
However, the outstanding employee is considered the grand prize, awarded to journalists who have made significant contributions this quarter.
The reason why Wen Tang was so arrogant in the newspaper office was that she had won this award for four consecutive quarters, which was a real reward.
Among so many senior employees in the newspaper office, her continuous winning was indeed related to her own strength.
At this moment, with a sudden meeting, everyone inevitably associated it with Emma.
In the workplace, no one is a fool.
Even Wen Tang seemed a bit restless. She had won this award by defeating her seniors and then won it for four consecutive quarters, with unparalleled prestige.
If Emma won this time...
Thus, the meeting was held with everyone being a bit distracted, until it came to the final award moment.
Everyone suddenly perked up.
There were smaller awards earlier, such as the Model Employee Award for those who hadn't been late, left early, or taken any sick or personal days for three consecutive months, and the Outstanding Progress Award.
Although the monetary amounts weren't significant, they were meant to encourage.
The recipients were still very happy.
Hua Zhen received an Outstanding Progress Award and, upon getting it, she excitedly said to Emma, "I'll treat you to crayfish tonight."
As it came to the end, everyone seemed to hold their breath.
All eyes were on the editor-in-chief, who even noticed that for the first time in his meetings, everyone was so focused.
Until the editor-in-chief smiled and said, "Now let's congratulate..."
Everyone's hearts were in their throats, but the editor-in-chief actually paused, as if he were hosting a TV show.
Fortunately, the next second, he announced the name.
"Emma."
Suddenly, the large conference room erupted in thunderous applause, with a sense of the old order being overthrown and a new force rising, as if there was a change of dynasty.
Everyone was quite into the drama.
*
After receiving the bonus, Emma's team didn't make a fuss, but people from other teams insisted she treat them.
Emma naturally agreed, but Lao Zhang stood up for her, saying, "You guys have the nerve, this young lady works hard to get such a small bonus, and then treats you all to dinner. Don't end up having to pay more out of your own pocket."
Lao Zhang was protective of his team.
However, Emma didn't mind and offered to treat everyone. The people who had been teasing her felt embarrassed.
In the end, Emma decided to spend the money, although it was only eight thousand. The moment she received it, she had already thought of how to use it.
When she got home in the evening, Jason hadn't returned yet.
She took what she had bought and wandered around the room for several rounds, contemplating whether it would be better to place it by the bedside for him to casually discover or inside the blanket so he would see it as soon as he lifted it.
After thinking for a long time, she decided to keep it by her side.
Perhaps because she particularly hoped Jason would come home early that night, it wasn't until after eleven at night that she heard the door open.
Jason, looking tired, pushed the door open and saw the bedside lamp still on. He glanced at the person sitting on the bed and gently said, "Why are you still awake? Waiting for me?"
"Mm-hmm," Emma nodded.
Jason had a banquet today, so he still had a bit of alcohol on him. Although no one dared to force him to drink due to his status, if someone raised a glass to toast with him, it would be impolite to refuse.
Jason: "I'll take a shower outside first."
He didn't even enter the room for fear of bringing the alcohol smell back.
But Emma became anxious, turned from the blanket, knelt up, and called out, "Come here first."
Jason turned his head, his dark eyes filled with a thin layer of red blood vessels, looking really pitiful. Emma looked at him and said, "Come over here first."
She patted the palm of her hand on the edge of the bed.
Jason let out a chuckle, his good-natured demeanor unwavering as he strolled over and took a seat by the bed, looking at her with a leisurely gaze. "What's up?"
Emma hadn't felt awkward when she bought it, but now, as she was about to give it, there was an indescribable sensation that washed over her.
However, she only hesitated for a second before producing a red box from behind her. "I got a bonus at the newspaper today, and I bought this..." Emma flipped the box open with a crisp click, drawing Jason's eyes to its contents.
Inside lay a pair of plain white gold rings, unadorned and minimalistic. They were the most basic model from a well-known luxury brand.
Jason stared at the rings for a long while, remaining silent. Emma, on the other hand, bit her lip and explained, "The rings you've bought me before were all too expensive to wear to work. So, when I got the bonus, I thought I'd get us a pair of rings we could wear every day."
Indeed, there was nothing wrong with the rings Jason had bought; they were just too costly. She couldn't just wear a million-dollar ring on her finger every day.
Suddenly, Emma thought about Jason's status, how every move he made was scrutinized by the media. If he suddenly wore a wedding ring, would it attract attention?
She considered herself a smart person, but it seemed that around him, she often did silly things.
Just as she was about to retract the ring box, Jason's hand pressed down on it. He looked up at her and said, "If it's not for me, why don't you put it on me?"
His voice was unusually tense.
Emma blinked, and in the next moment, she carefully picked up the ring and slowly slid it onto his finger. The ceremony they had once performed in the church was now being relived, and her heart still felt like it was about to jump out of her mouth.
Thump, thump, the sound never ceased.
As soon as Emma finished putting the ring on him, Jason picked up the other ring meant for her and slowly slid it onto her slender, snow-white finger.
Once it was in place, he looked down and said in a low voice, "This time, no one takes them off."
The next day, Tang Mian came to pick up Jason for work. Emma had left home earlier by car, so when Tang Mian arrived, only Jason was at the entrance of the villa.
As Tang Mian got out of the car to open the door for him, the man who should have bent down to get in suddenly placed his hand on the door and asked, "What's the schedule for today?"
Tang Mian was taken aback; Jason occasionally asked about his schedule, but it was always in the car.
It wasn't until he noticed the plain white ring on Jason's ring finger that Tang Mian, who was with him every day, knew Jason's usual attire well. He had never seen this ring before this morning.
So he cautiously said, "President Jason, your ring?"
Jason glanced down at the ring on his finger and finally smiled. "Oh, Jing Xi bought it especially for me. It's a pair with hers."
Emma arrived at the office, clocked in, and was just making her way to her desk when the front desk administrator approached her. "We've had another concerned citizen call the front desk, asking to speak with you," she said.
The case involving Dadi Kang had reached a preliminary conclusion, with sixteen high-ranking individuals from the company being detained. Not only Dadi Kang, but many health product companies were now under scrutiny and undergoing rectification. As a result, Emma's name was on everyone's lips, with many people reaching out to her through the newspaper's official Weibo or hotline to share tips. Although Emma hadn't been with the paper before, many leads had been taken up by other journalists.
The editor-in-chief even praised the newspaper for shedding its previous lethargy and being infused with a fresh vitality. Although Emma wasn't mentioned by name, everyone knew she was the catalyst for this change. While one person couldn't change the entire environment, she was making a difference through her actions.
Emma took the call, "Hello, this is Emma."
Her proactive greeting caught the caller off guard, and after a pause, a man's voice, not too young but not old either, responded, "You're journalist Emma, right? I have a situation I'd like to bring to your attention."
Emma guessed he was around forty years old.
"Please go ahead," Emma said, her voice calm and soothing despite its lack of enthusiasm.
The man continued, "My son is in junior high school at Jia Rui School in Shanghai. It's a private institution, but recently we've noticed some kids have been experiencing diarrhea and headaches, leading us to suspect the school cafeteria isn't clean."
School cafeteria issues?
Emma had covered civil news during her internship, even joining an education bureau inspection team to check the hygiene of school cafeterias. The editor-in-chief had a good relationship with a leader in the education bureau, so their newspaper was assigned to follow up on the story.
At the time, Emma was just an intern, following behind senior journalists and helping to organize drafts.
She didn't take this tip lightly, asking, "Are you certain these symptoms are related to the school cafeteria?"
"What kind of question is that? You don't believe me?" The caller's tone rose in apparent offense.
Emma frowned slightly and replied softly, "Sir, I don't mean to doubt you, but many students eat off-campus, so I just wanted to confirm."
After all, it wasn't uncommon for junior high students to dine outside of school.
However, the caller felt Emma was being dismissive and raised his voice, "Of course, it's related to the school cafeteria. Ever since they outsourced the cafeteria last year, our kids have been getting sick with vomiting and diarrhea. We've reported this to the education bureau."
Before Emma could ask another question, the caller impatiently said, "I have photos, and you need to write an article like the one you did on health products to bring attention to this cafeteria. Our children are the future of our country."
Emma found it somewhat amusing but remained patient, "Sir, every article I write is based on actual investigation and solid evidence. So, please don't worry, I will visit the school today to understand the situation..."
"I've told you the situation, just write the article," the caller insisted, clearly unhappy that Emma wasn't following his demands.
Emma's face showed her helplessness, but her tone was as calm as she could make it, "School food safety has always been a priority for us. Since you've tipped us off, we will definitely provide a report that satisfies you after we've uncovered the truth..."
At that moment, Wentang, carrying her bag, entered from outside. As she passed the front desk, she saw Emma standing with her back to the door, holding the receiver. She hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching.
Wentang usually didn't need to clock in, but at that moment, she pretended to, and just happened to overhear Emma's conversation with the caller.
"Fine, if you won't cover it, I'll find someone who will," the man huffed angrily over the phone.
The call ended abruptly, leaving Emma momentarily stunned before she gently replaced the receiver. Such reactions weren't uncommon; people often leaked information to journalists, hoping for media exposure to achieve their desired outcomes. However, Emma wasn't the type to write a story based on a few words from a source. Every word she wrote was based on her own investigation, just as she had been responsible for every word in her articles about the Dadi Kang incident. She wasn't afraid of so-called legal letters.
As she turned to leave, she nearly bumped into Wentang, who was standing behind her. "Sorry," Emma said, not giving it much thought as she returned to her office.
After Emma left, Wentang quickly approached the receptionist. "I need to use this phone," she said.
The receptionist, busy with other tasks, casually replied with a smile, "Go ahead, Team Leader Wen."
Wentang quickly checked the recent call records on the desk phone, and the first number was the one Emma had just called. She whipped out her phone and snapped a photo.
After ensuring she hadn't been noticed, Wentang replaced the phone and left with her bag, making her way to a spot where she could make a call without being overheard. She dialed the number she had photographed.
It didn't take long for the man to answer, "Hello, who is this?"
"Hello, I'm a reporter from the Shanghai Daily," Wentang introduced herself, wanting to make sure the man didn't hang up on her as a telemarketer.
The man was taken aback but his tone softened significantly, "Which reporter are you?"
"Did you just speak with reporter Emma?" Wentang didn't answer his question but instead asked one of her own.
The man whispered, "Yes."
Wentang chuckled lightly, "Emma is quite busy these days, probably too occupied to follow up on your news. But if you need someone to continue the investigation, I'm your person."
Lately, there had been a constant stream of tip-off calls to the newspaper, but none had caught Wentang's interest. However, when she overheard Emma discussing school food safety, she spotted the potential for a big story.
"You?" the man's voice was filled with doubt, "Can you write an exposé?"
Wentang bristled, feeling the urge to vent her frustration. Before Emma joined the paper, Wentang was one of the top reporters, interviewing CEOs of listed companies and individuals who could influence the national economy.
If it weren't for her unwillingness to be overshadowed by Emma, would she be going to such lengths to call this minor character?
Wentang composed herself and said with a smile, "I can write more than just exposés; I can write viral articles."
A previous exposé had left Wentang feeling exposed, and she was convinced it was Emma who had orchestrated it from behind the scenes. She was determined not to be outdone and was resolved to regain the upper hand.
Emma was unaware of Wentang's contact with the informant because she was preoccupied with Hua Zheng.
Hua Zheng clutched Emma's wrist, staring at the simple ring on her ring finger, and after a while, she whispered, "Emma, tell me this ring is just for fun."
Hua Zheng hadn't paid much attention when she first saw the ring on Emma's hand. It was only when she realized it was on Emma's ring finger that she snapped into action, grabbing Emma's hand to ask about it.
"Do you think anyone would wear a ring on their ring finger just for fun?" Emma asked with a light laugh.
Hua Zheng was left speechless.
Wearing a ring on the ring finger? That's a wedding band.
Hua Zheng stared at Emma, her eyes wide with shock. After a long silence, her voice trembled as she spoke: "You... you're saying you're married?"
Emma didn't respond right away, but a light smile played on her lips.
Hua Zheng felt her entire worldview being reshaped. She had always thought that Emma was like her, single and unattached, but it turned out that while on a two-week vacation, Emma had gotten married?
"You didn't have a boyfriend?" Hua Zheng exclaimed in disbelief.
Emma nodded and softly said, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"But I have a husband."
At that moment, Hua Zheng felt like she'd been struck by lightning, too dazed to comprehend. Emma was married?
As for Emma, she had never intended to publicize her relationship with Jason, not even to her close college roommates, who were still unaware of her marriage.
The gap between her and Jason was as vast as heaven and earth.
Yet, they were together.
At first, she didn't want to go public because of the inconvenience, not wanting her life to be filled with intrusive scrutiny. Although she spoke of Jason's fangirls with a jesting tone, she also wondered, this man was hers, yet she couldn't tell the whole world.
Over time, she realized that she was unhappy about keeping it a secret.
Now, even without revealing who her husband was, just admitting that she was married was enough to make her happy.
Hua Zheng didn't understand her feelings and was still grappling with Emma's sudden announcement. "How did you just get married, Emma? How did you?"
They had agreed to remain single together, but in the end, Hua Zheng realized she was the only one still single.
At lunch, they happened to meet with Tang Mi.
As soon as Hua Zheng saw Tang Mi, she grabbed Emma's hand, almost pushing her palm in Tang Mi's face. "See this? See this?"
Tang Mi took a closer look and noticed a ring on Emma's ring finger.
It was a very simple and elegant design.
"Whoa," Tang Mi whistled, genuinely surprised. "I've never seen you wear that ring before."
Tang Mi had seen the engagement ring Jason had bought for Emma, a classic Tiffany six-prong diamond ring, even though he had bought it in a hurry.
Moreover, Tang Mi had seen the new ring Jason had bought for Emma when she visited their villa.
Such a simple, basic model didn't seem like Jason's style at all.
"I bought it," Emma said nonchalantly.
Tang Mi nodded in understanding. She knew Emma wasn't the type to show off. The diamond ring from Jason was beautiful, but Emma probably wouldn't wear it on a daily basis.
Hua Zheng, seeing Tang Mi's lack of surprise, almost shouted, "You knew?"
"Don't be angry," Tang Mi patted her shoulder, laughingly comforting her. "I stumbled upon Emma's secret love affair by accident; otherwise, she would have kept it from me too."
Hua Zheng was puzzled: "Why would Emma hide her marriage from others?"
Tang Mi looked at Emma with amusement, curious to see how she would handle the question.
But Emma simply said, "Personal preference."
Hua Zheng: "……”
Tang Mi: "……”
Especially Tang Mi, who was about to kneel and sing in admiration, what a freaking personal preference.
However, Hua Zheng actually looked admiring and after a while, she sincerely admired, "Truly, Emma, even your personal preferences are so unique."
Tang Mi turned to look at her, thinking this person was beyond help.