"Aunt and Uncle, Mo Han and I are here to pick you up. It's freezing outside, so hurry into the car. Everything at the hospital is arranged, we'll start with a full physical check-up for Auntie," Wei Yumeng said as she guided them into the car, explaining the day's schedule.
It wasn't quite appropriate for Elder Master Zhan to pick them up himself, but Zhan Mohan, as a junior and someone who fully managed the Zhan family's affairs, coming in person was enough to show the Zhan family's earnestness. Uncle Mu was satisfied with these arrangements.
After sending Auntie Mu to the hospital, Wei Yumeng and her husband accompanied her throughout all the examinations. Finally, Auntie Mu was admitted to the hospital.
"Auntie, don't worry. There's no major problem with your health. You'll be fine after a period of recuperation. When you're discharged, Lin Jing and I will take you around," Zhan Yichen said, sitting by the hospital bed to comfort Auntie Mu. All the necessities for hospitalization had been prepared in advance, and this attentiveness made Auntie Mu even more pleased with him. Moreover, seeing the Zhan family's attitude, their previous concerns seemed to be unnecessary.
Now that they were back, and with about a month left until the company's annual leave, Mu Linjing had to quickly get back to work, especially since she had been away for so long. After a detailed handover with Zhan Yichen, she arrived at the company early the next day, before anyone else in the office.
Her colleagues, unaware of her return, assumed Zhan Yichen was in her office when they saw someone sitting there. Only after everyone had gathered did she emerge from the office, "Everyone, five minutes for a meeting to report on your work."
Seeing her, everyone had expressions as if they had seen a ghost and started whispering amongst themselves. Mu Linjing paid no mind to this, as they would all be in front of her in five minutes to report their recent work. After everyone had reported, she had a general understanding of the project's progress and was ready to discuss it with them.
"I know that Zhan Shao has been managing this department during my absence for the past six months. With my sudden return, some of you might find it a bit unaccustomed, but this is temporary. I hope we can all adapt quickly. Thank you for your hard work. I've booked lunch at the downstairs restaurant. Let's all go together at noon."
Mu Linjing felt rather guilty about her position. After all, she had taken frequent leaves since being assigned to this role. She believed that if it weren't for President Zhan considering Zhan Yichen's feelings, this position wouldn't have been kept for her return. She could only repay this kindness through hard work.
After the departmental meeting, she immediately had to rush to a larger conference room for a company-wide meeting. This was her first day back, and Zhan Yichen's position had been adjusted following her return, which required a meeting to inform all the leadership.
As she had expected, upon seeing her, the expressions of those present were filled with displeasure. They were all employees working for a living, and her receiving special treatment was bound to make many envious, as who didn't like to slack off? If the company didn't have attendance bonuses and penalties for lateness, many would likely be slacking off and earning their salaries on a part-time basis. Currently, Mu Linjing was no different from being on paid leave, so who could be satisfied?
However, a few months ago, Zhan Yichen had nearly gotten into a fight with someone who suggested removing Mu Linjing from her position and finding someone else. Zhan Yichen's identity was well-known, and if a fight had broken out, he certainly wouldn't have been the one to be fired. Work was not easy for adults, and when one could endure, who would be foolish enough to jeopardize their livelihood? Mu Linjing only knew part of the story and didn't elaborate, especially given her own guilt.
Zhan Mohan took in everyone's expressions. He knew it was time for him to give everyone an explanation.
"I will announce something today. Mu Linjing is back and will continue in her original position. Since Zhan Yichen was handling her work for the past six months, his salary for this period will be paid to Zhan Yichen. Does anyone have any objections?" As the boss, he understood how to weigh the pros and cons and knew he couldn't show favoritism too obviously. Mu Linjing was already considered a beneficiary of connections here. Retaining her position was already a concession, and not imposing a slight penalty might cause discontent, which would not be beneficial for the company.
Mu Linjing and Zhan Yichen naturally had no objections to his decision. Seeing that others' expressions had softened considerably, they knew the matter had passed.
It was almost noon when the meeting ended. Mu Linjing led her department members to a private room in the downstairs restaurant. She raised a glass of wine and drank it in one gulp.
"I'll drink this as a penalty. I've caused everyone to work overtime due to my work mistakes over the past half-year. I previously promised that I would do this job well, and I've broken my word. This drink is my apology to everyone. I hope you'll judge me by my future performance." Although she was their superior, she had also been promoted from a subordinate. She had a good understanding of what the people below her thought and their psychological state. If a team lacked unity, it would lead to many disputes. By admitting her mistakes and apologizing to everyone today, she aimed to curb the emergence of disputes from the outset. When someone admits their mistakes voluntarily, others, no matter how justified they might be, would not say much more. Since she had already expressed her apologies, everyone else also raised their wine glasses and accepted her apology.
She put down her wine glass and did not sit down to eat lunch. Her mother was still in the hospital, and she had to rush back to be with her.
Upon arriving at the hospital, she discovered that it wasn't her father sitting by her mother's bed, but Cen Yuan. On the bedside table sat an open thermos flask. Mu Linjing understood that Elder Master Zhan had sent someone to check on her.
"Jing'er, are you off work?" Her mother was the first to see her. Cen Yuan also stood up. "Miss Mu, this is the soup Master asked me to deliver to your mother. It was made by the auntie at home and is very nourishing."
Mu Linjing nodded. "Thank you. Please thank Grandpa Zhan for me. I'll go see him once I'm done with things here." Cen Yuan had come with Elder Master Zhan's intentions. They knew what the Mu family parents were worried about, and Zhan Yichen had already communicated with Elder Master Zhan. Seeing his grandson trying his best to persuade him, Elder Master Zhan had no reason not to help. Hence, the next day, he sent Cen Yuan to deliver soup and visit. This was to show that the Zhan family did not look down on them based on external factors, and it also expressed Elder Master Zhan's affection for Mu Linjing. Hearing Mu Linjing's words, Cen Yuan smoothly replied, "Okay, I'll report back to Master. He's been looking forward to you going to keep him company."