Chapter Seven: Clinging to the Boss's Beloved's Coattails
When Jiang Yunzou woke, she stared blankly at the white ceiling above her.
“Miss Jiang, you’re awake.”
Seeing a man she didn’t recognize, Jiang Yunzou’s face showed confusion. “Hello, have we met?”
Ge Xingjing smiled and explained, “Miss Jiang, I was the one who found you fainted last night and brought you to the hospital.”
At his words, Jiang Yunzou paused in surprise. “Thank you. I’ll transfer you the medical expenses.”
Ge Xingjing shook his head. “That’s not necessary; I wasn’t the one who looked after you last night.”
Her confusion deepened. “Oh?”
Ge Xingjing hesitated. If he exposed his boss now, would he be thrown into the open sea to feed the fish?
“No need to pay me back, but we can add each other as friends. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know.”
They exchanged contact information, and Ge Xingjing’s eyes shone with anticipation as he looked at his phone. From this moment on, he was determined to cling tightly to the boss’s beloved.
“You must be hungry. I’ll go buy you breakfast right now!”
Before she could refuse, Ge Xingjing turned and left.
Jiang Yunzou could only lie back on the hospital bed.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Shen Ruizhang.
She hesitated, and only answered as the call was about to disconnect.
“What took you so long to pick up?”
“I—” she began, but before she could explain, Shen Ruizhang ordered, “Qingfei and I were photographed by the paparazzi. Go deal with it.”
A sharp pain pricked at Jiang Yunzou’s heart. “Uncle, I’m allergic to grapes and still in the hospital.”
Shen Ruizhang paused. “If you can answer the phone, you’re fine. Go to the office and handle it now. It won’t take long.”
“But—”
Before she could finish, his tone grew stern again. “When did you become so delicate? It’s just an allergy. If Qingfei’s scandal isn’t dealt with, her career will be ruined. This isn’t the time to be willful.”
Beep, beep—
He hung up.
Jiang Yunzou stared blankly at her phone. She felt awful, pain searing through her entire body. Shen Ruizhang knew how much she suffered from her allergies, but for Zhou Qingfei’s sake, he didn’t care at all.
She had barely spaced out before Assistant Li called, informing her that the car was already waiting at the hospital and she needed to come down immediately. So Shen Ruizhang knew exactly which hospital she was in. He simply didn’t bother to come care for her.
Not even a stranger…
Jiang Yunzou quickly tidied herself, applied a bit of blush to keep her face from looking so pale, and returned to the company to deal with the scandal.
The moment she arrived, the public relations department seemed to regain its backbone.
The head of PR looked at her with distress. “Sister Jiang, it’s not that we don’t want to suppress the trending topic, but someone is working against us. Every time we bring down the heat, it spikes again.”
He handed her a tablet. After reviewing the data, Jiang Yunzou quickly surmised that someone was deliberately fueling the gossip.
All the trending topics were calling for Shen Ruizhang to take responsibility for Zhou Qingfei. The hand behind it was obvious.
She handed the tablet back and instructed her assistant, “Release the recent rumors about King Li.”
Immediately after, several other minor scandals were exposed. With the public’s attention diverted, Zhou Qingfei’s matter was soon forgotten, and the trending topic faded.
Everyone in PR breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Jiang Yunzou allowed herself a faint smile and dialed Shen Ruizhang’s number to report.
“Zhouzhou, are you looking for A’Rui?”
A sweet, coy voice answered: Zhou Qingfei.
“I’m afraid he can’t take your call right now. He was exhausted last night and is still sleeping. Maybe try again later?”
Jiang Yunzou was silent a moment before she replied coolly, “Miss Zhou, I’ve already handled your scandal with President Shen. If you keep a low profile these next few days, no one will bring it up again. Please cooperate.”
Zhou Qingfei let out a mocking laugh. “And if I don’t?”
Jiang Yunzou’s gaze sharpened with annoyance. “Miss Zhou, if you insist on making trouble, I’m afraid our cooperation can’t continue. After all, you and your husband haven’t divorced yet. If this comes to light, not even the gods can save you. Are you prepared for years of obscurity?”
“Oh?” Zhou Qingfei fell silent for a long time. Just as Jiang Yunzou thought she might give in, Zhou Qingfei laughed.
“Zhouzhou, with A’Rui supporting me, my career can only shine. If things go wrong, it’s your fault, not mine.”
Beep, beep—
Zhou Qingfei hung up.
Jiang Yunzou stared at her phone, a self-mocking smile on her lips. Shen Ruizhang’s indulgence toward Zhou Qingfei had already abandoned all principle. Even if she committed murder, he’d find someone else to take the blame for her.
Even at the height of his favor for Jiang Yunzou, he’d never been this biased.
Suppressing her frustration, she walked out. Before she reached the door, Sang Bai’s assistant rushed over, blocking her path.
“Sister Jiang, you’d better go see Sang Bai. She’s drowning her sorrows in alcohol at home and threatening to quit the industry and expose the company’s secrets.”
Jiang Yunzou’s brows furrowed. “What happened?”
Sensing her displeasure, the assistant shivered, head bowed, unsure how to explain.
“Speak.”
The assistant dared not hide the truth.
While Jiang Yunzou had been busy managing Zhou Qingfei’s scandal, things hadn’t gone well for Sang Bai either. Her only high-end endorsement was snatched away, and the only supporting actress role she had secured was given to someone else.
In the car, after quickly learning who had taken Sang Bai’s endorsement and role, a chill spread from Jiang Yunzou’s feet.
It was Shen Ruizhang’s doing—he had handed both the endorsement and the supporting role to Zhou Qingfei.
Yet he knew full well how hard Jiang Yunzou had fought for Sang Bai’s sake. He hadn’t even asked her before simply giving everything to Zhou Qingfei.
Forcing down her anger, Jiang Yunzou dialed Shen Ruizhang’s number.