Chapter 33: Raise in Salary

Jiang Yan arrived at the Jiang residence, feeling a sense of unease as she noticed the tense atmosphere. She could sense that something was wrong. As she hobbled to her room with her injured leg, she winced in pain, struggling to bear the weight of her body.

Chu Ran, who saw her struggling, quickly moved to help her. "Jiang Yan, let me help you," she offered.

But Jiang Yan refused, "No, Chu Ran, I don't want you to get into trouble because of me."

As she entered her room, Jiang Yan could feel the tension in the air grow thicker. She knew that Madam Tian was going to be furious when she found out about her injury.

In another room, Madam Tian was fuming with anger. She was pacing back and forth when Aunt Chen walked in.

"Aunt Chen, have you seen Jiang Yan?" Madam Tian asked, her voice laced with anger.

"Yes, Madam Tian. She just arrived and her leg is injured," Aunt Chen replied, her voice trembling.

Madam Tian's expression softened slightly upon hearing about Jiang Yan's injury. "Well, at least she's learned her lesson. I hope this will teach her to be more careful," she said with a hint of satisfaction.

Just then, Madam Tian's phone rang. She picked it up, and her face lit up when she saw that it was her daughter, Jiang Yixuan.

"Yixuan, darling! How are you?" Madam Tian exclaimed.

"I'm good, Mom. The shooting is finally over, and I'm coming home soon," Jiang Yixuan replied.

Madam Tian couldn't contain her happiness. "That's great news! We've missed you so much," she said, beaming with joy.

They chatted for a while longer before hanging up. Madam Tian turned to Aunt Chen and said, "Make arrangements for Yixuan's arrival."

Aunt Chen nodded and left, leaving Madam Tian to bask in the happiness of her daughter's impending arrival.

***

Feng Yuehua was sitting in her elegant study, surrounded by books and antique artifacts, when her phone rang. It was her son Yun Cheng, whom she hadn't spoken to in a while due to her busy schedule.

Feng Yuehua's heart skipped a beat as she listened to her son's story. She hadn't heard from him in a while and was eager to catch up, but what he said left her speechless. "A pretty sister who saved your life? Who is she?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Yun Cheng excitedly told her about Jiang Yan, a girl he had met in the village. He described her as brave and kind, and said that she had saved him from drowning in a river. Feng Yuehua was amazed and grateful that her son had been rescued by someone so courageous.

But then Yun Cheng dropped another bombshell: Jiang Yan had come to the capital and met his uncle, Feng Yuansheng. "And she was injured, so Uncle Feng carried her," Yun Cheng said matter-of-factly.

Feng Yuehua's eyes widened in shock. Feng Yuansheng, her cold-hearted and distant brother, had carried this girl? There was something more to this story than her son was letting on.

"Are you sure it was your Third Uncle? Feng Yuansheng who carried her?" she asked, needing confirmation.

Yun Cheng nodded. "Yes, it was third uncle. He helped me meet her too. But I don't know where she lives, Mom."

Feng Yuehua's mind raced with questions. Who was this girl and why was her brother so involved with her? She knew from experience that Feng Yuansheng never got involved with anyone from the opposite gender no matter how much beneficial it was for him or the company.

She couldn't help but be intrigued by Jiang Yan, and decided to ask more about her. "Can you please ask Your Third where she lives? I would like to meet her too. But don't tell him that I am asking about her," she said.

Yun Cheng pouted. "I don't know if he'll tell me. But I'll try, Mom."

Feng Yuehua knew that her son was right to be cautious. Her brother was not someone who shared his secrets easily. She also knew that if Feng Yuansheng was involved with this girl, then she must be someone special.

As she hung up the phone, Feng Yuehua couldn't contain her excitement and quickly dialled a number she knew by heart. She needed to share this news with her sister-in-law. As the phone rang, she paced the length of her elegant living room, waiting for the call to be answered.

Finally, a voice on the other end picked up, "Hello, Yuehua?"

"Hello, Xiaoli!" she said, her voice rising with enthusiasm. "I have some exciting news to share with you."

***

As Feng Yuansheng sat at his desk, he found himself immersed in his work. The sound of the ticking clock echoed in his ears as he scribbled away on some papers. Suddenly, his phone began to ring. Feng Yuansheng glanced at the screen, and his heart sank as he recognized the number.

He hesitated for a moment, letting the phone ring until it stopped. Feng Yuansheng hoped that his friend would give up and not call him back. He could vaguely guess why he was calling. But then another call came in, and this time, it was Li Ming's phone. Li Ming stood in front of him, patiently waiting to collect some documents. He offered an apologetic smile before answering his phone. Feng Yuansheng watched as Li Ming's expression shifted, indicating that the call was for him.

Li Ming turned to Feng Yuansheng and said, "Boss, this call is for you."

Feng Yuansheng gave him a look refuse to take his phone. Li Ming was sweating at his boss's indifferences. Finally, not to torment him further, Feng Yuansheng reluctantly took the phone from Li Ming. He could already anticipate what was coming, but he still answered, "Hello?"

On the other end of the line, a voice asked, "Is it true? Did you really bring a woman to the hospital?"

Feng Yuansheng's headache worsened as he heard the question. He knew exactly who was calling. It was Huo Jingtao, his best friend and the heir of Imperial Crown Hospital and the Imperial Groups. Feng Yuansheng had taken Jiang Yan, to the same hospital where Yun Cheng was treated. The hospital was very particular about their patient and would never leak any information about them to anyone no matter what. However, the doctors there had been extremely nosy and had told Huo Jingtao everything. After all it was Huo Jingtao's hospital, how could they hide things from the CEO.

He sighed deeply and replied, "Why do you want to know?"

Hearing Feng Yuansheng not refusing the statement, Huo Jingtao's voice went comical as he said, "Third Brother, you finally have a woman beside you and you hid that from us? Even me, your best friend? Come on, you can't keep secrets from me forever."

"I don't have time for this, Fourth Brother," Feng Yuansheng said curtly. "I have work to do."

But Huo Jingtao wasn't about to give up so easily. "Come on, Third Brother," he cajoled. "You can't keep secrets from me forever. Who is she? How did you meet her? Is she one of the daughters of the wealthy conglomerate who have crush on you? Come on tell me!!"

Feng Yuansheng remained silent, hoping that his lack of response would discourage his friend from prying further. But Huo Jingtao was persistent and kept pressing him for details.

Frustrated, Feng Yuansheng finally snapped, "If you want to find out, do it on your own."

Huo Jingtao chuckled. "Well, that's easier said than done. Your secretary Li Ming is just like you - he's good at keeping secrets. He even made sure that those medicine bills were made in your name, so obviously I can't even find out her name. And the way you carried her inside the hospital, the CCTV camera at the entrance doesn't show her face. You've really got me curious now."

Feng Yuansheng expression turn sullen. He hadn't realized that Huo Jingtao would be so thorough with his investigation. Fortunately, Li Ming had been careful in covering his tracks. Right now he couldn't let anyone know about Jiang Yan, not even his closest friend.

Without another word, he hung up the phone and turned to Li Ming, who was still standing there. "From now on, don't take any calls from my brothers," he ordered. "I don't want them bothering me about this."

Li Ming nodded his head in agreement and said, "Yes Boss."

Feng Yuansheng leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning over Li Ming's face. "Also, add a bonus for yourself at the end of this month."

Li Ming's eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you, Boss. I really appreciate it."

He then quickly left the room to carry out his boss's orders. Feng Yuansheng sat at his desk deep in thought, wondering how he was going to keep his relationship with Jiang Yan a secret. He knew that his friend Huo Jingtao was not one to keep secrets, especially when it came to women.

As he sat there lost in thought, he remembered the day he first met Jiang Yan in the mountains. Their eyes had met, and in that moment, he knew that he was deeply attracted to her.

Feng Yuansheng knew that he had to be careful from now on, especially if he wanted to keep his relationship with Jiang Yan a secret. He couldn't afford to let anyone find out - not even his own brothers. After all, he wasn't even sure about his own feelings towards her. Was it just attraction or was there something more?

Meanwhile, Li Ming was walking down the hallway feeling grateful for the bonus his boss had just promised him. He knew that he had been careful with Jiang Yan's information, but it was nice to be recognized for his efforts. He thought to himself, "Maybe Miss Jiang will become the future madam boss of the company." Li Ming was determined that he would be very careful and make sure that he was on her good side.

As he turned the corner, his phone rang again. As he saw it was Young Master Huo, he silently prayed for himself and hung up the phone. No matter what he will not betray his boss.

***