Princess Syndrome - Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Anything is Fine
Zhang Xian finally remembered why Su Lingyue sounded familiar. Before returning to the country, she had heard that name while chatting with the head secretary at headquarters. She had mentioned it when talking about the acquisition of the Su Qi Group. She had only brought the legal department, which was out of line with her usual style of work. The head secretary had whispered, "Director Zhang, I heard that President Ji’s acquisition of Su Qi is due to a personal vendetta.”
“A personal vendetta?” Zhang Xian didn’t know much about Ji Zhiyi’s private life, but out of all the people she knew, she was probably the one who knew her the most. She was so detached and serene. You could say she had no feelings, but she had had someone she liked before. You could say she did have feelings, but she was buried in work every day, and the so-called person she liked had only ever been mentioned once in an interview.
She even suspected that Ji Zhiyi had made it up because the reporters had annoyed her too much.
Having known her for so long, she had never heard anything about Ji Zhiyi's personal vendettas. When she had heard this, she couldn’t help but be curious. “What personal vendetta?”
The head secretary had said, “I’m not too sure, but it seems like it’s related to a past grievance that she had with the Su family’s young miss when they were in school.”
She had frowned. “The Su family’s young miss?”
“That’s the daughter of the chairman of the Su Qi Group,” the head secretary had said. “Su Lingyue.”
Memory flooded back.
The air went quiet.
There was a moment of awkwardness.
Zhang Xian very unnaturally took a half step back and stood up straighter. For some reason, she pictured a crow flying by her eyes. After a few seconds of silence, she cleared her throat and gave a dry laugh. “Oh, I see.”
Su Lingyue turned her head and smiled calmly at her.
After only two seconds of silence, she asked, “How did you offend her?”
Su Lingyue admired Zhang Xian. If it had been anyone else, they would have backed away from her, wanting nothing to do with her. But only she still asked with concern.
How did she offend Ji Zhiyi?
Su Lingyue had a sort of resigned calm. “I forced her to drop out of school.”
Everyone said that anyway. If she went to the design department, she might even hear an even more exaggerated version. After Su Lingyue had finished, Zhang Xian asked in confusion, “Huh?”
Then, she looked at Su Lingyue, frowning.
Su Lingyue didn’t speak. The elevator arrived. She led Zhang Xian into the elevator. When they arrived at the design department, everyone was craning their necks to look at them. She stood in front of Zhang Xian, facing her former colleagues. She calmly introduced her. “Zhang Xian, Director Zhang. Let’s give her a warm welcome.”
The colleagues in the office subconsciously looked at Chen Zhiyao.
Chen Zhiyao took the lead in standing up and clapping. The office was instantly filled with applause. Chen Zhiyao walked up to Zhang Xian with a smile. “Director Zhang, welcome.”
Zhang Xian said, “Thank you, everyone.”
Su Lingyue listened to their polite banter, then said, “I’ll head up now.”
Zhang Xian nodded, watching Su Lingyue’s retreating figure. She smiled at everyone before going into the director’s office. It was spacious, and there were a few documents piled on the desk. She flipped through them. After thinking about something, she called Ji Zhiyi.
Ji Zhiyi, who had been tapping on her keyboard, heard her phone ring. She glanced over. It was Zhang Xian.
After a moment’s hesitation, she answered it. “Hello.”
Zhang Xian said, “I just heard something.”
Ji Zhiyi asked, “What is it?”
Zhang Xian said, “They said Assistant Su forced you to drop out during your second year of college.”
Ji Zhiyi gripped her phone tightly.
Zhang Xian said, “Do you know about this?”
Ji Zhiyi said in an indifferent tone, “I know.”
Zhang Xian found it strange. She knew, but still kept Su Lingyue close to her? In the eyes of an outsider, wasn't that blatant revenge? She had already made a change to the schedule without permission, and had advanced the acquisition of the Su Qi Group, making her intentions difficult to discern. And now this? She just couldn't understand it.
Ji Zhiyi ignored the question and said, “This afternoon, go to the old processing factory and check on the progress of the No. 2 leather raw materials. Transfer part of the orders to the new processing factory.”
Zhang Xian massaged her shoulders. “Okay, got it.”
Ji Zhiyi hung up the phone.
Her face was reflected in the dark screen. She stared at it for a few seconds before pressing the intercom. Soon after, Su Lingyue walked in. Ji Zhiyi handed her the documents and asked, “Do you know where there are any furniture stores nearby?”
Su Lingyue took the documents, thinking for a few seconds. “A furniture store?”
Ji Zhiyi looked at her.
Su Lingyue said, “There’s a well-known one on Dongyun Street.”
Ji Zhiyi said, “Prepare for it. We’ll go over there at noon.”
Su Lingyue noted it down. Although she didn’t know why Ji Zhiyi wanted to go to a furniture store, she cleared her schedule. After leaving, she sent the documents to the sales department. She heard a colleague in the sales department say, “Did you hear? Headquarters is going to collaborate with Dingsheng?”
“What?” Someone immediately exclaimed. “Are they crazy? Wasn’t Dingsheng suppressing us and trying to start a price war just a while ago?”
The person speaking shrugged. “I heard it was the Madam herself who signed the contract.”
“They say a new boss lights three fires when they take office, but I’ve never seen them burn their own house.”
“I think you’re all confused. If we don’t cooperate with Dingsheng, are we just going to sit here and wait to be acquired?”
Su Qi was like a sheep in a pack of wolves. There were many competitors eyeing them. If she cooperated with Dingsheng at this time, it would be a wise decision. By relying on Dingsheng, it would be easier to get by and recuperate.
It was better to cut off a piece of their flesh than several.
Everyone understood that logic. They all nodded.
Su Lingyue stood outside, listening to the discussion, clutching the documents. Finally, she walked in. The previously noisy office instantly fell silent. Su Lingyue delivered the documents to the director’s office, and just as she was about to leave, she heard the director call out, “Assistant Su.”
She composed herself and looked at the director, her expression indifferent.
The director had wanted to show off by asking her to brew a coffee, but when she met Su Lingyue’s clear gaze, she felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest. She was clearly not the little princess that everyone had fawned over, so why was her aura still so strong?
Su Lingyue asked calmly, “Is there something?”
The director’s voice caught. She said with a smile, “Nothing.”
Su Lingyue lowered her head and left. Only after she had gone did the director let out a sigh of relief.
After leaving the sales department, she saw a message from Chu Yi: [Do you want to have lunch together?]
She replied: [I’m going out at lunch.]
Chu Yi: [Are you still busy? Did you pick up the person? Was it a man or woman?]
She could tell she wanted to gossip.
Su Lingyue replied: [I picked them up. The company’s new design director.]
Chu Yi: [Oh—]
It seemed she was a little disappointed.
Su Lingyue asked: [Are you that curious about her private life?]
Chu Yi: [Who isn’t curious about that.]
After sending the message, she realized Ji Zhiyi and Su Lingyue’s past. She quickly changed her tone. [It’s not that I’m that curious.]
Su Lingyue could tell that she was being disingenuous.
It wasn’t only her that was curious. The whole company was. Every day before Ji Zhiyi had arrived, she would hear rumors about her in the design department. Her first design, the interviews she gave, the things she had said, were all dissected by the people in the design department. This name had been ringing in her ears everywhere, from the design department to the pantry. So Chu Yi being curious wasn't a surprise.
It was just that she really didn't know.
Nor did she want to.
Su Lingyue sent: [Are you collaborating with Dingsheng?]
Chu Yi: [Huh? How did you know?]
Chu Yi: [It was finalized today. I was afraid that you wouldn’t be happy, so I didn’t tell you.]
Chu Yi: [Are you unhappy?]
Su Lingyue: [No, I’m going to get back to work.]
She put her phone away and went back to the secretary's office. She heard her colleagues discussing where to have lunch. She walked in. Wu Meiyan called out, “Assistant Su, do you have a schedule for lunch?”
Su Lingyue said, “I’m going out with President Ji.”
Everyone’s gaze shifted. No one spoke to her. Wu Meiyan said, “Does President Ji have a lunch appointment?”
Su Lingyue said, “No.”
That was probably what it was like when a conversation ended immediately.
Wu Meiyan wanted to laugh.
After being accustomed to the days of scheming, Su Lingyue was such a special existence. She was so straightforward that Wu Meiyan felt comfortable. Her attitude made the other secretaries who were waiting to see what would happen look at each other.
No one present was unaware of the reason why Su Lingyue had been ‘promoted’, but judging from the head secretary’s attitude, it didn’t seem like she was trying to get back at Su Lingyue for President Ji. Ultimately, they had no grievances with Su Lingyue. It was just that they had heard about her past conflict with President Ji and had wanted to curry favor with her by suppressing Su Lingyue in front of President Ji and the head secretary. But Wu Meiyan’s attitude made them contemplate.
Someone tentatively asked, “Assistant Su, so are you going out with President Ji to eat?”
Su Lingyue said, “It hasn’t been decided yet.”
“I know of a restaurant that’s pretty good.” The secretary who spoke took a piece of paper, writing an address and giving it to Su Lingyue. Su Lingyue took it. “Thank you.”
Wu Meiyan said, “Xiao Qi, add Assistant Su to the group chat later.”
Xiao Qi agreed. Then, she added Su Lingyue to a group chat on WeChat. It was a small group. No one had dared to add her to a group at headquarters, and at the branch company, no one would have added her. But now, she suddenly had her own small group.
This feeling was quite amazing.
It was as if she had suddenly found a place to belong.
Su Lingyue looked down at her phone. She had entered the group. She added the secretaries who had sent her a friend request, then went back to her desk. As soon as she sat down, the intercom rang. She answered it. It was Ji Zhiyi. “Come in.”
Was this woman tracking her movements?
Every time she had barely sat down, she would call her over.
Su Lingyue stood in front of the office door, took a deep breath, and knocked before going inside. Ji Zhiyi said, “Organize the documents on the coffee table.”
There was a thick pile of documents on the coffee table. Su Lingyue even suspected that she was deliberately torturing her with the damaged documents. She bit her lip, sitting on the sofa and starting to work. Ji Zhiyi would occasionally look up.
Su Lingyue’s posture went from sitting on the sofa, to sitting next to the coffee table, and finally she simply sat on the rug next to the coffee table. It was a thick, white rug. As she was categorizing and labeling the documents, she brushed aside her hair. A few unruly strands kept falling in front of her eyes. She angrily blew at them. Her hair arched upward as she moved. Ji Zhiyi, with her chin resting on her palm, watched her through her computer screen.
Her eyes were hiding a smile.
Suddenly, her phone rang. Zhang Xian’s name was flashing. She answered the call, hearing the person on the other end ask, “Have you picked out the new fall collection?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “Tell the design department to make another set of fall designs.”
Zhang Xian said “Oh.” It seemed she wasn’t too satisfied. Then she said, “Then I’ll have a meeting with them in the afternoon. Do you have any lunch plans?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “No.”
Zhang Xian said, “That works out. We can eat together. Do you like Shandong cuisine?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “No.”
Zhang Xian: “Cantonese food?”
Ji Zhiyi: “I don’t like that either.”
Zhang Xian: …
Why hadn’t she noticed before that she was so difficult to please?
Helpless, she said, “Then Hunan cuisine should be okay, right?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “You go ahead, I’m hanging up.”
Then, she put down the phone, looking over at Su Lingyue, who was sitting next to the coffee table. She asked, “Assistant Su, what should we have for lunch?”
Su Lingyue looked up, her neck a little sore. She massaged it. “What does President Ji want to eat?”
Ji Zhiyi looked at her and said, “Anything is fine.”
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