The secretary had something else she didn't want to say, but if she didn't, Mo Lian would blame her for neglecting her duties. "Mr. Mo."
Mo Lian was replying to emails containing New Year's cards sent to him by the children at the orphanage—dozens of them.
One of the girls has been sending him Chinese New Year greetings since high school; this is the tenth year.
He didn't know what the little girl looked like; he must have seen her before, but the name didn't match the person. There were too many children in the orphanage.
The little girl's annual blessing was simple: "Wishing you a Happy New Year, good health, success in your career, and all the best. Thank you. — Yu An"
All he knew was that her name was Yu An.
"Mr. Mo." The secretary called out again when he didn't respond.
Mo Lian also sent a New Year's card with a few simple words of blessing.
Then he asked his secretary, "What is it?"
Secretary: "Ms. Jiang Qin has been hospitalized. It seems to be acute gastroenteritis combined with the flu. Her assistant posted about it on Weibo late last night."
Mo Lian was typing, his fingers paused for half a second, then continued typing.
They didn't say anything.
The secretary waited for instructions, but Mo Lian remained silent. The secretary couldn't understand what her boss meant.
After sending the email, Mo Lian replied to the other dozen or so emails one by one.
Closing his laptop, Mo Lian finally spoke, but it was about business: "I'll personally handle the negative news online. The video conference for Mo's Real Estate this afternoon will be postponed to tonight."
Secretary: "Okay, I'll go and inform them right away."
The secretary had just reached the door when there was a knock.
The person who came in was Mo Lian's mother.
Secretary: "Hello, Mrs. Mo."
Mo Lian's mother nodded slightly.
The secretary glanced at Mo Lian, then closed the door and left.
Mo Lian made a phone call, "I'll come over to have a cup of tea, I'll be there in an hour." After hanging up, he didn't even glance at his mother.
Mo Lian's mother rushed over because she saw the news online. She called Mo Lian, but he didn't answer. She couldn't sit still at home, so she came to the company.
Chairman Mo only gave Mo Lian half of the shares. Now Mo Lian and Mo Yushen hold roughly the same number of shares, but Mo Lian doesn't have much of an advantage yet.
She comforted her son, saying, "Mo Yushen's performance today is to force your father and grandfather to make a statement. Don't take those messy things on the internet to heart."
"The remaining shares your father has will be yours sooner or later."
Mo Lian remained silent, opened the safe, and took out a file folder.
Mo Lian's mother could only say to herself, "Mo Yushen is using taking leave as an excuse. It's easy for him to leave, but it's another story when he comes back. The board of directors will be re-elected next March."
Mo Lian's mother stopped there.
Mo Lian put on his trench coat, took the file folder, and left.
Mo Lian's mother's composed expression crumbled. She and her son were at odds, unsure who owed whom.
Mo Lian entered the elevator and looked at himself in the mirror. Many years ago, Jiang Qin used one word to describe him: sinister.
He opened his phone and logged into Weibo.
Jiang Qin is among the top trending topics.
The elevator arrived at the underground parking lot, and the doors slowly opened. Familiar voices came from outside.
"Don't worry, it's just acute gastroenteritis, it won't kill you."
Mo Lian stepped out of the elevator, and Mo Yushen happened to walk out of another private elevator. The two looked at each other for a moment, then casually looked away.
One goes left, the other goes right.
Mo Yushen: "Okay. I know. I'll bring it to you in a bit."
Mo Lian glanced at Mo Yushen, then opened the car door and got in.
Mo Yushen hung up the phone, got into his car and left. He instructed the driver to find a porridge shop.
On the way, Mo Yushen received a call from his grandfather, who asked him to come home.
Mo Yushen was going to the hospital. "I'm going to see Jiang Qin; she's in the hospital."
Grandpa: "After coming back from the hospital, I came here."
Mo Yushen hesitated for a moment, but still agreed.
As soon as the call ended, Xi Jia's message came in, containing only six words: 【lalala, lalala.】
Even through the screen, you could feel her excitement.
Mo Yushen's lips curved into a smile as he replied, "You'll see me this afternoon."
Xi Jia had mixed feelings. She was happy to see him every day, but it also meant that she was neglecting some of his company's affairs. Now that the media had reported that he had taken leave, there was no turning back.
The only thing she could do for him was to try to be in a better mood every day, write the script well, and not cause any trouble for the crew.
After you arrive, you don't need to give me any special treatment.
Mo Yushen: [I won't give you special treatment. On set, I'm your boss.]
Xi Jia breathed a sigh of relief; that was good.
The drive to the hospital took half an hour due to traffic, and parking took another ten minutes. The porridge and side dishes that Mo Yushen had packed were no longer very hot.
Jiang Qin has been through so much these past two days that she's completely exhausted and has lost a lot of weight.
Upon seeing Mo Yushen, Jiang Qin narrowed her eyes and couldn't help but complain, "You knew I was in the hospital yesterday, but you kept putting it off until today. Where's your conscience?"
Mo Yushen handed the porridge and vegetables to Jiang Qin's assistant, saying, "You need to heat it up." Then he looked at Jiang Qin and said, "What was I doing here yesterday? You weren't allowed to eat anything."
Jiang Qin: "..." A troll can argue with someone until they're half dead.
She rolled her eyes.
She was still angry about what he said on the phone.
When she called, she said she was about to die. Mo Yushen replied: "Don't worry, it's just acute gastroenteritis, it won't kill you."
"Hey, apologize to me! How can you talk like that on the phone?"
Mo Yushen was too lazy to pay attention to her; he was just trying to comfort her, but when it came to her, he started picking fights.
Jiang Qin had seen the news today and knew he was busy, so she figured he wasn't in a good mood and didn't argue with him.
She wanted to show concern, but didn't know where to begin.
The name Mo Lian was too painful; it was a thorn in Mo Yushen's heart. For more than twenty years, the thorn had only gotten deeper and deeper, so she never mentioned it again.
Mo Yushen asked her with concern how she was feeling and when she would be discharged from the hospital.
Jiang Qin has already missed two days of filming. In the next few days, a model will be making a cameo appearance and acting opposite her. The model has a very busy schedule and will only be on set for three days.
She plans to be discharged tonight.
Mo Yushen frowned. "Why are there models in your show?"
Jiang Qin swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. In the drama, her father had the opportunity to study abroad, and during those two years, he had an extramarital affair, and the woman gave birth to a daughter.
She grew up abroad and later entered the modeling industry.
Mr. Yue's book is just as melodramatic and cruel as reality. The characters she and the model in the drama are just like Mo Yushen and Mo Lian in real life.
Jiang Qin gave Mo Yushen a perfunctory answer: "There's a tall girl in the show. Since our actors aren't tall enough, we found a model to play the role."
"Are you really going to become a producer?" she changed the subject and asked.
Mo Yushen: "Hmm."
Jiang Qin asked cautiously, a tone rarely used in her speech: "What about the company? Can you manage it all?"
Mo Yushen: "The earth can keep turning no matter who is gone, let alone a company."
Jiang Qin and Mo Yushen share a similar trait: they are both generally incapable of offering comfort.
She rarely said anything sentimental, “There is a connection between children and parents. You and Uncle Mo are not meant to be, so there’s no need to force it. As for those measly shares, give them to whoever you want.”
Mo Yushen looked at Jiang Qin; she was finally saying something serious.
However, the next second, Jiang Qin said, "If you go to the film crew, things will get lively. Who knows how many beautiful women will be knocking on your door in the middle of the night. Your spoiled young lady will definitely make your life miserable."
The assistant heated up the porridge and dishes and brought them over.
Jiang Qin changed the subject, "Aren't you busy this afternoon?"
"Busy." Mo Yushen stood up. "Take your time eating."
Then he left the ward.
Jiang Qin didn't even have the energy to complain in her heart. This man, what a waste of all the time she poured her heart out to him.
After leaving the hospital, Mo Yushen went straight to his grandfather's house.
Passing by that sycamore-lined path again, the branches were bare.
Mo Yushen thought that his grandfather had called him over to question him about why he had taken leave. To his surprise, his grandfather handed him two red envelopes.
"I'll give you and Jiajia your New Year's money in advance."
Mo Yushen didn't answer: "We're all too old, why would we need New Year's money?"
Grandpa: "Take it if I give it to you."
Mo Yushen took it.
The red envelope was thin, but it didn't contain any money.
Mo Yushen opened it; it was a cash check.
The amount mentioned above is enough to buy several luxury duplex apartments within the Third Ring Road.
The amount in Xi Jia's red envelope was the same as his.
Mo Yushen is not short of money. In recent years, the value of his own companies and investments is no less than the market value of his shares in the Mo Group.
Old Master Mo: "I know you have money."