Princess Syndrome - Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The Meeting
Su Lingyue disliked summer. The muggy, dry heat and intense UV rays were unbearable. Before, she would spend her summers holed up in resorts, never stepping foot outside. Now, she trailed behind her supervisor, Chen Zhiyao, clutching documents, on their way to the company.
“Hurry up.” Chen Zhiyao, a woman in her forties, wore a gray business suit, her hair pulled back tightly in a bun. Her black leather shoes clicked against the floor as she walked briskly, quickly widening the distance between herself and Su Lingyue. She turned, impatiently snapping, “Can you move any faster? Crawling like this, one would think you're some pampered princess waiting to be served.”
She had always looked down on Su Lingyue, believing she'd only landed a position in their department due to her status as the boss's daughter, lacking any real talent. She usually treated her like air. Two months ago, the boss had died in a car accident. Rival companies, sensing an opportunity, swooped in, and the company faced multiple financial crises. Now, the crisis was resolved, but at a cost: half the company had to be relinquished.
To Ji Zhiyi.
Ji Zhiyi was a self-made woman who had studied in the US. After graduation, she received job offers from both Lucky in the US and Choli in France. She chose Lucky, a high-end shoe company specializing in mainstream, vintage, and light luxury styles. Lucky's branding, centered around the idea that wearing their shoes would bring good fortune, was deeply ingrained in the public consciousness, citing numerous examples of celebrities who had risen to fame after wearing their shoes. Initially, Ji Zhiyi's entry into the company was met with skepticism. Making a name for oneself abroad was difficult, even more so for a foreigner.
Yet, within two years, Ji Zhiyi had carved a niche for herself at Lucky, creating the first exclusive line designed by a Chinese designer: the Haoyue1 series. It was rumored that numerous international brands had offered lucrative collaborations for the Haoyue series, but Ji Zhiyi had declined. In her third year, she returned to China with the series, establishing her own company. Her career and accolades spread like wildfire, expanding rapidly and irresistibly.
Two years ago, she acquired Tasha Footwear.
One year ago, she acquired Yuwan International.
Now, the Su Group was hers for the taking.
Su Lingyue knew why Chen Zhiyao was so eager to return. At 2 PM, the new boss, Ji Zhiyi, would be inspecting the company. Since morning, the entire company had been in a flurry of activity, cleaning and organizing. Even she, the perpetually ignored assistant, had been assigned tasks.
The more Chen Zhiyao urged her, the less inclined she was to move. Ultimately, she and Ji Zhiyi had a history, and not a pleasant one. Recently, she had even seen posts on her social media speculating that Ji Zhiyi’s acquisition of the Su Group was an act of revenge against her.
As if.
Acquire the Su Group for revenge against her? She wouldn't dare entertain such a narcissistic thought.
However, everyone around her seemed to think so and were waiting to see her become a laughingstock. The same “friends” who had once been close to her, flying over for holidays and vacations, now snickered after the company's crisis and the news of Ji Zhiyi's acquisition. "I knew that person wouldn't be arrogant for long," they'd said.
"Have you all forgotten how she bullied Ji Zhiyi back in school?"
"Who could forget? Ostracizing Ji Zhiyi until she dropped out. And here's another piece of gossip: Do you know why she was transferred to the branch company?"
"I heard she deliberately pulled Xie Lan's designs, and when her father found out, he chewed her out and kicked her out of headquarters."
"Xie Lan? The Xie Lan who won the Design Creativity Award last year?"
"The one and only. Talk about kicking a steel plate!"
Su Lingyue had been standing outside the door then. In the past, she would have stormed in and flipped the table. That day, she merely stood there calmly for a moment before turning and walking away. Her world had been turned upside down. She was no longer the cherished princess, but a joke in everyone’s eyes.
What they didn't know was that she had been a joke all along.
Su Lingyue curled her lip, wanting to laugh. Chen Zhiyao turned again. “Are you a tortoise? Crawling like that? A tortoise could move faster!”
The taunts rained down, but Su Lingyue remained unmoved. Chen Zhiyao rolled her eyes, muttered something under her breath, then quickened her pace into the company building. Su Lingyue followed her inside. From the lobby to the elevators, everything was spotless, polished to a shine. The usually wilting leaves in the vases were vibrant and green, and the entire lobby was bright and welcoming.
The receptionists had retouched their makeup three times since lunch, constantly glancing at the time on their computer screens. Hearing movement at the entrance, they looked up and saw Chen Zhiyao and Su Lingyue entering. Their nervous expressions vanished instantly, replaced with smiles. “Sister Chen,” they greeted.
Chen Zhiyao nodded. “President Ji hasn’t arrived yet?”
They bit their lips and shook their heads, their faces full of anticipation.
Chen Zhiyao breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the elevators. More footsteps approached from behind. Su Lingyue turned to see a group entering, Ji Zhiyi in the center. She wore a cream-white tailored suit that fit her perfectly, accentuating her slender waist. The blazer was open, revealing a black silk blouse underneath. Tall and elegant in her high heels, she stood among a group of men over six feet tall, her commanding presence adding to her graceful and statuesque appearance.
She was a completely different person from before.
Su Lingyue had last seen Ji Zhiyi eight years ago during a sophomore summer camp. They were participating in a game when a member of Ji Zhiyi’s team got injured, and they took turns carrying him back. By the time they reached the activity site at 9:30 PM, everyone was drenched in sweat, especially Ji Zhiyi. Her clothes were completely soaked, hair plastered to her face, her fair skin flushed. She radiated heat as she sat, and Su Lingyue, after glancing at her, had subtly moved away.
That was the extent of her impression of Ji Zhiyi.
Ji Zhiyi walked and talked in low tones with the people around her. The receptionists hurried over. "President Ji, this way please," they said.
Chen Zhiyao stepped back slightly, bowing her head. "President Ji."
With Chen Zhiyao's movement, Su Lingyue and Ji Zhiyi were face-to-face. Ji Zhiyi glanced at her, her gaze like that of a stranger. Su Lingyue stood holding a stack of documents, her face flushed from the sun, hair slightly disheveled from the heat. She could imagine how frazzled she must look.
It felt like they had switched roles from eight years ago.
She had become Ji Zhiyi.
Someone in Ji Zhiyi's entourage pressed the elevator button, and the group filed in. Chen Zhiyao and Su Lingyue remained outside. Ji Zhiyi didn't speak, and no one else dared to ask if they wanted to come in. The doors slowly closed, Ji Zhiyi's expression remaining cold, her jaw tight.
The elevator went straight to the tenth floor, where the President's office and a prepared conference room awaited. That afternoon, all department heads - marketing, HR, design, finance, and production - were scheduled to meet, each filled with apprehension. Rumors circulated that Ji Zhiyi planned to restructure the Su Group, implementing staff reductions.
Su Lingyue heard the news as soon as she entered the office. A few designers, who usually spent their time goofing off, huddled together. "There's a big meeting upstairs," one said.
"Ji Zhiyi's here," another chimed in, twirling a pen. "Have you seen her?"
Another tilted their head. "Old Li just saw her. Said she's even more beautiful than on TV.”
“Men are so superficial,” another designer said, tossing her hair. "Is Ji Zhiyi's biggest asset her looks? It's her hands, her design talent, her business acumen!"
"I'd be content with just one of those," another sighed.
"Chit-chat, chit-chat!" Chen Zhiyao interjected. "If there are layoffs, you'll be the first to go!"
The designers quickly put on obsequious smiles. "Sister Chen, are there really going to be layoffs?"
Chen Zhiyao said, "I've heard from upstairs that there's such a plan.”
"But they can't start with our design department, can they?"
Chen Zhiyao said, "Company-wide. Do you know what company-wide means?”
The design department exchanged glances, a brief silence falling over them. Su Lingyue saw a message pop up on her phone. Chu Yi had messaged her: [Ji Zhiyi is at your company?]
Su Lingyue typed: [Yes.]
Chu Yi: [That woman was outmaneuvered by Ji Zhiyi again this morning and threw a tantrum at the company.]
That woman. Her stepmother, Zhou Shiyu.
Su Lingyue: [Oh.]
Her reply was curt. Chu Yi wondered if Su Lingyue would feel any joy from this news. If she were in Su Lingyue’s shoes, she would be ecstatic. Two months prior, Su Lingyue's father had passed away unexpectedly. The will mentioned only Zhou Shiyu’s name. Chu Yi had accompanied Su Lingyue to the hospital, where they saw the lifeless man lying in bed.
Su Lingyue had been expressionless, indifferent, as if the man on the bed wasn't her father. After a while, she had turned to Chu Yi and asked, "What are we having for lunch?”
Everyone said she was driven mad by the will.
Only Chu Yi knew that she had been "mad" long before. Before Su Lingyue turned eighteen, her father had promised to transfer the ownership of their old house to her as an adulthood gift. She waited and waited, but when she finally came of age, her father transferred the house to Zhou Shiyu.
It was the only thing Su Lingyue wanted in the Su family, a house filled with memories of her and her mother. From then on, her already spoiled and arrogant nature became even more unrestrained. Her father, knowing he had wronged her, never tried to control her. But that life, along with her father, was now gone.
The current Su Lingyue, though outwardly glamorous, was inwardly a still pool of water.
Chu Yi longed for that still water to stir again.
She asked Su Lingyue: [Why don’t you seem happy?]
Su Lingyue: [I am. I’m very happy.]
With a straight face, she typed: [Ecstatic.]
Chu Yi: …
Su Lingyue had just sent the message when she saw a new notification pop up in the company group chat. She clicked on it, and a few seconds later returned to her chat with Chu Yi.
She typed: [Good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear?]
Chu Yi, bewildered, replied after a few seconds: [Good news?]
Su Lingyue: [I got promoted.]
Chu Yi: [???]
Su Lingyue didn't reply.
Chu Yi asked: [What’s the bad news?]
Su Lingyue glanced at the company group chat. The notice had been officially released. All employee positions remained unchanged, except for hers. She had been promoted from the design department to the President's office. The gazes directed at her were a mix of curiosity, confusion, and schadenfreude. Su Lingyue typed with an impassive face, sending a message to Chu Yi: [I'm Ji Zhiyi's new assistant.]
Ha.
Truly ecstatic!
- The term "Haoyue" (皓月) translates to "bright moon" or "luminous moon" in Chinese. The name evokes a sense of elegance, sophistication, and perhaps a hint of ethereal beauty. ↩
Thank you for the translations!
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