Princess Syndrome - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Fine Then

Su Lingyue actually knew that if Ji Zhiyi could let her off easily, she wouldn't have transferred her to be her assistant as the first thing at the new company. Unless she vented this anger, she probably wouldn't let her leave.

She didn't plan to leave either. A promotion and a raise, without having to do anything unacceptable. Ji Zhiyi's retaliation was restrained, which Su Lingyue admired and had to concede. She remained outwardly calm, meeting Ji Zhiyi's gaze in the rearview mirror, then mustered a smile. "President Ji, shall we go back to the company?"

Ji Zhiyi said, "Let's go back."

Su Lingyue drove back to the company.

On the way, Ji Zhiyi kept looking out the car window, her gaze lingering on the base of every passing tree. While waiting at a traffic light, Su Lingyue saw her gaze in the mirror and couldn't help but glance out the window, but there was nothing there.

The scorching sun made even the shade under the trees feel fiery hot.

Ji Zhiyi saw her turn her head to look out the window and asked, "Assistant Su, do you like summer?"

Su Lingyue said, "I don't."

Ji Zhiyi: ...

She pursed her lips, looked out the window for a few seconds, then looked at the back of Su Lingyue's head. Su Lingyue's long hair was tied up with a light-colored hair tie and secured with a hairpin, not too loose but not too tight. Her hair was thick, black, and dense, with a slightly stiff texture. Even when tied up, there were unruly strands falling near her neck. The air conditioning vent was directed at her upper body, making her hair strands flutter backward. Ji Zhiyi looked at the back of her head and said, "I like it very much."

Hearing this, Su Lingyue turned her head, but Ji Zhiyi had already lowered her head to look at her tablet. She shrugged and continued waiting for the traffic light.

They arrived at the company before the end of the break. The office was quiet, with a few empty seats. Wu Meiyan was talking quietly with the person next to her and nodded and smiled when she saw Su Lingyue. The person next to her also greeted her softly, "Assistant Su, you're back."

Su Lingyue smiled faintly.

Ji Zhiyi sat in the office, and Su Lingyue's figure could be seen through the transparent glass. She had often looked at Su Lingyue from afar through the glass like this. After Su Lingyue participated in countless competitions, she would always pass by that classroom. The head teacher had talked to her several times, "Zhiyi, participating in competitions is a good thing, but you should still focus on your studies."

She nodded and thanked the teacher.

She didn't participate in all the competitions.

Only those held at Second High, she never missed, just to pass by that classroom at the end and take a look inside. Su Lingyue sat by the window, a secret tremor taking root and blossoming into a small flower.

First love in the age when she didn't know how to restrain herself, watching the emotions ferment, like a tide sweeping in, she accepted it in a panic.

Then came a heart full of joy.

At the end of the year, on Su Lingyue's birthday, she bought a gift and found out the location of the party, mustering up the courage to go. She saw her surrounded by a group of people. Her classmate handed her a bag, "Lingyue, this is a gift my mom brought you from France. You can't buy it in China yet."

Her friend said, "Lingyue, this is a diamond necklace I had Ms. Jiali custom-made. Happy birthday."

The voices of many people overwhelmed her. She looked at the gift boxes on Su Lingyue's left, each gift exquisite, beautiful, and expensive. Then she looked at her own hand, holding the perfume she had bought at a boutique with her saved money, the paper packaging bag digging into her fingertip. She stood there, a waiter hurrying inside bumped into her, and the gift fell to the ground with a muffled sound.

The wrapping paper wasn't broken, but it was wet. She didn't know if the perfume bottle was broken or cracked.

The smell of perfume filled the air.

Strong and pungent, completely different from how it smelled in the store. She lowered her head, the waiter apologizing profusely. She suppressed her emotions, her voice trembling, "It's okay."

The gazes from the table behind her felt like needles on her back.

She clenched her hand, not having the courage to turn around.

Someone said, "What's that smell? It's so awful."

Her face flushed red, and she fled.

The unspoken birthday wish became a vain hope.

A message popped up on the computer screen, bringing her back to reality. She looked at the message from Zhang Xian: [Are you coming to the design department meeting this afternoon?]

Logically, she didn't need to go, but the autumn collection was, after all, the first shot she fired after acquiring Su Qi, so it wasn't surprising that Zhang Xian asked. However, she had other meetings in the afternoon. Just as she replied to Zhang Xian, there was a knock on the door. Ji Zhiyi said, "Come in."

Su Lingyue came in with a cup of coffee and placed it on her desk. The aroma filled the office. Su Lingyue looked at the documents on the coffee table and said, "President Ji, should I go out and work?"

Ji Zhiyi still had her head down, her tone indifferent, "Stay here."

What, is she afraid I'll leak confidential documents?

Su Lingyue grumbled inwardly but smiled. "Okay."

Saying that, she sat on the sofa and flipped through the documents with a rustling sound, a bit louder than in the morning. After flipping through a few pages and feeling bored, she softened her movements. Ji Zhiyi listened to the faint sounds, occasionally looking up at Su Lingyue.

Su Lingyue didn't rest at noon, and working with text made the black words on the white paper blurry. She made a fist and put it to her mouth, yawning, then took a sip of coffee to refresh herself. Ji Zhiyi rubbed her temples and asked, "Want to rest?"

Hearing the voice, Su Lingyue turned her head. Ji Zhiyi was looking at her. Before she could speak, she yawned again.

Ji Zhiyi said, "You can rest for fifteen minutes. Come with me to the sales meeting at one thirty."

Su Lingyue raised her eyebrows.

Is Ji Zhiyi being this nice?

Then Ji Zhiyi said, "Don't fall asleep in the meeting room."

Oh—

She's afraid I'll affect the meeting.

Su Lingyue readily agreed. Not to mention fifteen minutes, she would be happy with just two minutes to nap. When Ji Zhiyi looked up again, Su Lingyue was resting by the sofa. She must have felt it was inappropriate to lie on the sofa, and leaning against it wasn't comfortable, so she sat on the carpet, resting her head on the edge of the sofa, and even knew to put a pillow between her waist and the sofa. Ji Zhiyi watched for a few seconds, wanting to laugh, then went back to her work. Su Lingyue still showed no signs of waking up. She got up in her high heels, and after a couple of steps, she heard the clicking sound of her thin heels. She took off her high heels, walked barefoot, took a blanket, and covered Su Lingyue, then walked out.

The door closed gently.

Wu Meiyan saw Ji Zhiyi come out and quickly stood up. "President Ji."

Ji Zhiyi asked, "Is the meeting room ready?"

Wu Meiyan said, "It's ready. Shall I contact Assistant Su?"

"No need," Ji Zhiyi said. "You come with me."

Wu Meiyan lowered her head and picked up her notebook. "Okay."

As soon as she left, the other secretaries exchanged glances and whispered, "I heard that yesterday afternoon, Assistant Su and President Ji went to a wine reception and ran into Yang Zhizhi. She was forced to drink several glasses."

"Yang Zhizhi? That's not surprising. She never liked Assistant Su."

"President Ji doesn't even need to lift a finger. Just bringing her to someone who hates her is probably enough to vent her anger."

"Sigh, to be honest, Assistant Su is quite pitiful. Although she's wealthy and from a good family, it's a pity her father is a confused old man who insisted on forcing her to marry Zhou Yan, and she wouldn't get a penny of the inheritance if she didn't! That's why she has no inheritance."

"But she's quite something, preferring to break rather than bend. I don't understand why the chairman insisted on her marrying Zhou Yan. Is Zhou Yan a good person? He's always in the news with scandals."

"I heard that the chairman had a sudden allergy attack before, and Zhou Yan saved his life by taking him to the hospital in time, so he believes Zhou Yan is a good man."

"If he's such a good man, then the chairman should marry him himself."

The office was silent for a moment after this, then everyone burst into laughter. The words were crude but true. Saving his life is being repaid with his daughter's happiness. What kind of man is that? They had previously heard that Su Lingyue was headstrong. In such an environment, not to mention being headstrong, she could develop autism.

The already unfamiliar impression of her was now tinged with pity.

Su Lingyue was completely unaware. She was still resting on the pillow. She hadn't dreamed of her university days since graduation, but after their reunion, she dreamed of them for the second time. It was a morning class. She went into the classroom with bread. Eating in the front was too obvious, so she chose a seat in the back, by the window. The professor hadn't arrived yet. Her friends weren't there that day, and the seat next to her was unusually empty. Before one male student after another could sit down, she said, "Someone's sitting here."

Just before class started, a girl sat down. A faint fragrance reached her nose. She didn't pay attention and lowered her head to eat her bread, making very little noise, but the gaze beside her was fixed on her. She glanced over. It was a girl wearing a hat, her eyes on the bread in her hand. She broke off half of the bread and offered it. "Want some?"

The person next to her took it, her voice very soft, "Thank you."

That's a nice voice.

Su Lingyue opened her eyes. So the person sitting next to her back then was Ji Zhiyi. Why didn't she remember later? Oh well, she fell asleep on the desk after eating her bread. It was good enough that she remembered this much. Who would care if the person sitting next to her was an ordinary person or a deity.

The office door was pushed open. Su Lingyue woke up and looked over. Ji Zhiyi walked in wearing high heels. Seeing her, she stood up. "Awake?"

Su Lingyue subconsciously looked at the time.

Two ten.

She smiled. "The sales meeting..."

Ji Zhiyi said, "It's over."

Su Lingyue paused. "Why didn't President Ji call me?"

As soon as she said it, Ji Zhiyi glanced at her, and Su Lingyue realized her mistake. Asking the boss to call the assistant to a meeting?

She admitted her mistake. "Sorry."

Ji Zhiyi's tone was indifferent. "Pay attention next time."

Su Lingyue nodded. Ji Zhiyi asked, "Have you contacted Yang Zhizhi?"

She picked up her phone and looked at the friend request from noon. She saw that it had been accepted and had added the business contact. Su Lingyue sent a message to the business contact, and they replied quickly: [Please wait a moment.]

After a while, they sent a recommended contact.

Yang Zhizhi isn't that hard to contact after all.

Thinking this, she looked up at Ji Zhiyi and said, "I've contacted her."

Ji Zhiyi said, "Since you've contacted her, send our letter of intent and invite her to dinner in the next couple of days."

Su Lingyue said, "Okay."

She sent a friend request, and it was accepted instantly.

So fast.

Yang Zhizhi: [Su Lingyue?]

A straightforward greeting. Su Lingyue replied calmly: [Yes, Miss Yang. Do you have some time recently? We'd like to discuss endorsement cooperation matters.]

The other end sent: [Do you know why I added you?]

Su Lingyue was honest: [I don't know.]

There was no reply for a few seconds.

Su Lingyue's curiosity was piqued. She sent another message: [Miss Yang?]

An eye-catching red exclamation mark floated on the screen.

Su Lingyue: ...

Fine then, now I know.

VerseVoyage