The buzzing vibration of a phone rang in her ear.
Wen Tang's words choked back, and she fumbled for her phone to see it was Pei Heyan.
She slid the phone open and held it to her ear.
"President Pei."
Pei Heyan's voice was cold as he asked, "When do you plan to return to the company?"
It sounded utterly decisive and devoid of any emotion.
Wen Tang looked down at her legs, not knowing when she would recover or when she could be discharged from the hospital.
"Like this, tomorrow then, come to the office tomorrow." Pei Heyan, seeing she didn't speak for a long time, made the decision for her.
Wen Tang's eyebrows twisted slightly.
She couldn't even walk properly, how could she go to the office.
"I want to rest for a few days first, wait until my leg is almost better before returning to the office."
Pei Heyan, who was tapping on his keyboard, paused, "You think?"
"It seems like the decision of when to return to work is up to you, not me as the boss."
"No, that's not what I meant." Wen Tang began to explain, but the man on the other end mercilessly hung up the call.
Clearly, he was angry.
Wen Tang's lips trembled slightly, and she stared at the wound on her leg, hesitating whether to go back to the office or not.
Just as she was indecisive, the phone rang again.
Wen Tang glanced at it, fearing she hadn't explained clearly, "Hello, Ah Qing, what's wrong?"
The voice of a young girl sobbed from the other end, "Tang, Sister Tang, I might be fired."
"Hmm?" Wen Tang furrowed her brow, "Is it a mishap with the cooperation with Zhang Group or a miscommunication with Sun Group?"
Jiang Qingqing's voice was full of grievance, "Neither."
Wen Tang grew more curious.
"President Pei has the habit of drinking coffee, as you know, so I thought I'd personally grind and bring him the coffee. He only took one sip, then poured it out, saying that even a street coffee shop wouldn't hire me for that flavor, and he almost sent me home to reflect right after leaving the office..."
Jiang Qingqing squatted outside the company building, wiping her tears.
Many passersby cast their glances.
Wen Tang understood clearly; this was Pei Heyan venting his dissatisfaction.
"Now everyone is afraid to approach President Pei's office, only the things you do meet his standards," Jiang Qingqing's voice trembled, "Maybe, maybe you should come back."
"And Xiao Bai was also scolded just now, she's lost this month's bonus, and with teary eyes, she said she has no money for rent."
Wen Tang was slightly moved.
This was all about the grudge between her and Pei Heyan, she who had provoked this formidable man.
She felt incredibly guilty about involving others.
"Alright." Wen Tang agreed promptly, put down her phone and stared at her leg, begin confounded with difficulty.
Struggling, in severe pain, helpless.
All laid bare before her.
She absolutely couldn't return to Pei Group in a wheelchair or on crutches, looking disheveled.
Yet unable to, Wen Tang changed her clothes, trying to make herself look as decent as possible, and limped out of the hospital.
She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain as she hailed a taxi, the pain in her leg making her sweat profusely.
The driver noticed something was amiss and asked through the rearview mirror, "Miss, should we go back?"
"The saying goes, injuries to the sinews and bones take a hundred days to heal. Just now, seeing your condition, you should have contacted your family to pick you up after being discharged, someone to look after you."
Wen Tang forced a smile, not knowing how to start, and finally said, "The people from my hometown can't make it here, and I don't want to worry them, so I didn't mention it."
"But I can't let work slide."
The driver glanced at her and did not speak again, his eyes full of helplessness.
The car stopped in front of the Pei Group headquarters.
The driver got out and courteously opened the car door for her.
Wen Tang thanked him and looked up at the towering skyscraper, struggling to take steps and enter the company.
Unfortunately, as she pushed open the door to the president's office, she happened to run into Lu Nianxin.
Wen Tang froze in place, gripping her hands tightly.
Lu Nianxin looked up at her, hostility emerging in her eyes.
Wen Tang tried to close the door to give them space, but Lu Nianxin stopped her first.
She sized up Wen Tang, "Doctor Cao said your injury isn't minor, but you're back at work today, so it seems it's not as serious as she said."
"These doctors, they just love to scare people."
Wen Tang glanced at Pei Heyan's gloomy face, terrifyingly calm.
As if sensing a barrier between them, she could neither see a welcome nor disgust.
In any case, this expression made him seem very unfamiliar.
Or perhaps she had never truly understood Pei Heyan.
He always maintained a distance from everyone like this, neither close nor far.
"Miss Lu, you and President Pei go ahead and talk," Wen Tang excused herself.
Lu Nianxin blocked her way, arms crossed, clicking her tongue, "Now that you're here, is there any secret that I can't hear?"
"Right? Brother He Yan." Lu Nianxin turned towards Pei Heyan.
The man did not speak, and Wen Tang swallowed.
He tacitly agreed, Lu Nianxin was intentional, it seemed she was determined to speak in front of them.
"Ah Qing is a good girl, just inexperienced as she's new to the job, she needs guidance," Wen Tang lowered her stance, ignoring the contemptuous look from Lu Nianxin and continued, "President Pei, if possible, please let her come back."
Pei Heyan paused his signing.
He lifted his eyelids to look at Wen Tang.
His eyes carried a strong oppression, "At Pei Group, we've never needed anyone who can't create value, and this has been the consistent principle of our HR recruitment."
Wen Tang's heart clenched.
God knows how much she wanted to leave with dignity right then.
But recalling Jiang Qingqing's crying, she was pulled back to reality.
And herself, she needed money and this job, and so did Jiang Qingqing, especially since she was told the reflection was because she had angered Pei Heyan.
It was directly related to her.
"Let her come back," Wen Tang pleaded in a low voice, "She was instrumental in securing the Sun Group collaboration initially. Don't underestimate her lack of social experience, it's precisely because of her solid, hardworking spirit that she had secured several projects."
Lu Nianxin smirked and shook her head from the side.
"Secretary Wen, there are many people who can secure collaborations. If Brother He Yan feels that the person named Qing is not suitable, it's only natural to let her go, no need to plead for her," she said, then suddenly got an idea, "Or, why don't you plead to me?"
"I could put in a good word for you in front of Brother He Yan. He's soft-hearted; maybe that person named Qing would come back."
Wen Tang struggled to shift her gaze from Pei Heyan and looked at her.
Truth be told, she disliked Lu Nianxin.
But she had to admit, she wasn't even worth as much as a hair on her body.
"Miss Lu," she said clearly, "please, I implore you to speak kindly to President Pei on my behalf."