Princess Syndrome - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Makeup
Su Lingyue first went to Ji Zhiyi's apartment, located in the Xicheng Lakeside district. A step forward was Xicheng Lake, a famous scenic spot, and a step backward was Xicheng Street, the most bustling street in the entire city. Here, land was worth its weight in gold, and housing prices were twice as high as in the city center. She had lived here during college. After graduating, her father had sent her on a trip. When she returned, Zhou Shiyu's brother was living in the house. Her brother even mentioned not minding "keeping it in the family." Disgusted, she moved out that very night.
She had never returned to this area after moving out, but the layout was still familiar to her.
The first two rows were apartments, and the ones behind were high-rises. The apartments faced West Lake, offering an unobstructed view. Su Lingyue got out of the car, keys in hand. Xiao Li said, "Assistant Su, it's right up ahead."
The door number was 109, easy to remember.
Su Lingyue walked inside. The first thing she saw was the entryway. She took off her shoes. On the shoe rack were two pairs of pink slippers. Su Lingyue didn’t put them on, walking in barefoot. The living room had floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, the sunlight flooding the space, making it unusually bright. The wallpaper was mainly gray and white, a cool tone. Paired with expensive furniture, the apartment appeared both high-end and luxurious. The apartment was climate-controlled, and a gust of cool air rushed out as she opened the door, dissipating the heat from her body.
She walked past the entryway. The door on her right was half-open. Su Lingyue walked in. It was a walk-in closet with two large rows of wardrobes, all containing summer clothes. Thinking of Ji Zhiyi’s words, "the third row," she counted each compartment as a row. She stopped before the third row. A long, deep red evening dress hung there.
The design featured an off-the-shoulder neckline and a long skirt with a waist belt. It had no unnecessary embellishments, simple yet elegant.
Without hesitation, Su Lingyue took the dress. She saw two rows of shoe racks at the back of the closet, built into the wall, covering half the wall. Most of them were high heels. It seemed Ji Zhiyi liked wearing them. Su Lingyue turned to look at the dress. Considering the light-colored shoes Ji Zhiyi had worn earlier, which didn’t match the dress, she picked out a pair of high heels in a similar color, packaging them in the shoe box. Then, she caught a glimpse of the area in the very back.
The very back of the closet was dark, with curtains drawn. She could barely make out a few display cases. Su Lingyue took two steps forward, turning on the light next to the shoe rack. Several pairs of high heels were inside the display cases.
She recognized them: the Haoyue series, for which countless international brands wanted high-priced collaborations.
Nine pairs.
All were mainly adorned with diamonds, each a different color. The diamond chains encircling the ankles were fastened with a moon emblem. The moment the light was switched on, they glittered like a bright moon in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars.
This was the origin of the name Haoyue.
Rumor had it that the series was kept in a museum or a safe. Su Lingyue hadn't expected to find them in Ji Zhiyi's home, in her closet. Even after just looking at the two rows of high heels, she was still mesmerized by the Haoyue collection.
They were, without a doubt, masterpieces that had been highly sought after since their debut, truly stunning.
Su Lingyue was dazed for several minutes before coming back to her senses. She turned off the light, left the closet, and went to the next room to get the jewelry. There were two rooms next door. The door closest to the closet was locked. Su Lingyue tried the handle but it wouldn't open. She turned and tried the other door, which opened. It was a room for storing jewelry.
She went in, selected a set of jewelry, put it in her bag, and left the apartment.
Xiao Li was standing by the car. He opened the door when he saw her coming out. Su Lingyue sat down, thinking about Ji Zhiyi’s words about changing clothes. She looked down at her own outfit and told Xiao Li a location.
Around 3 PM, Wu Meiyan knocked on Ji Zhiyi's door, reminding her: “President Ji, the Lin Group’s summer launch reception starts at 4:30. Shall I send you back to change now?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “No need. Assistant Su went to get them.” She paused. “In the future, all travel arrangements will be handled by Assistant Su.”
Wu Meiyan looked up at her, thinking of the rumors circulating in the company, but she didn’t dare to say anything more. She bowed her head and said, “Okay.”
After Wu Meiyan left, Ji Zhiyi stood up, took her cup, and walked to the window. On the tenth floor, it wasn't very high, but from this angle, she could just see people coming in and out of the main entrance.
Su Lingyue quickly walked into the company. A car horn sounded behind her. Xiao Li stuck his head out of the car window, "Assistant Su, your bag."
She was holding the shoe box and the formal dress in her hands. She stood there for two seconds, then turned and opened the car door, grabbing her bag. The sun was burning hot. Su Lingyue looked up at the sun. Ji Zhiyi was watching her from the tenth floor.
Then, she took a sip of coffee.
Su Lingyue merely stood there for a few seconds before walking into the company in her high heels. The receptionists were stunned to see her.
Unlike her simple attire at noon, she was now wearing a knee-length, medium-length dress in a pale yellow color, a small, Western-style dress with see-through lace sleeves, and a yellow flower embroidered on the collar. Her waist was so slender it looked like a single grasp could break it. Her hair was tied up, exposing her beautiful, long neck. She wore a pearl necklace and pale yellow high heels, their shiny surface and high heels making her legs appear even longer and thinner.
She also had makeup on, her eyebrows like distant mountains, her eyes like rippling autumn water. But that expressionless face exuded a sense of detachment, cold indifference, and a lack of worldly desires.
The receptionist only reacted after Su Lingyue had walked past.
She pulled another receptionist next to her. “I finally understand why they used to call her a princess.”
That kind of nobility that came from within, a product of overindulgence and cultivation, created an unreachable aloofness. She truly did feel like a stubborn princess who had fallen on hard times. The other receptionist said, “You're just figuring that out? But being beautiful isn't necessarily a good thing."
The receptionist didn't understand. "Why do you say that?"
"Do you know why she wasn't left a single thing in the will?" The other receptionist said mysteriously, "My friend told me that it was because the chairman was forcing her to get married.”
“Married?” The receptionist was surprised. “To whom? I haven’t heard that she’s dating anyone?”
The other receptionist said, "To the chairman's wife's brother."
“Zhou Yan?” The receptionist lowered her voice. “Is that really true?”
“That’s what I heard,” the other receptionist said, lowering her head. “They forced her to get married right after she graduated. She didn’t agree. The chairman used her trip as an opportunity to put someone in her house. They said if she didn’t marry Zhou Yan, she wouldn’t get a cent from the family."
The receptionist covered her mouth. "That's awful!"
The other receptionist shrugged, “Who knows.”
The receptionist cautiously looked at the elevator entrance. The elevator had stopped on the tenth floor. Su Lingyue had already gone up. She knocked and entered Ji Zhiyi’s office, reminding her to change. There was a rest area and a changing room inside the office. Ji Zhiyi nodded slightly, finishing up her work before going into the changing room. Su Lingyue stood outside. Ji Zhiyi stared at her fixedly. Su Lingyue, finally realizing she also needed to go in, lowered her head and entered the rest area in her high heels.
Ji Zhiyi asked, “Can you do makeup?”
Su Lingyue said, "Yes."
Ji Zhiyi gave a soft acknowledgment and went into the changing room. She came out a moment later, wearing the formal dress. She was slightly taller than Su Lingyue even in slippers. The long, red dress looked like it had been custom-made to fit her, highlighting her assets. Her chest was full, her waist slender, her hips slightly curved, and her legs long. Even with her serious expression, she exuded a sense of sensuality. She sat before the mirror, putting on her earrings as she turned her head, “Come and do my makeup.”
Su Lingyue took a step forward, seeing a set of unopened makeup products on the vanity. She opened the makeup, lining them up in an orderly fashion, looking at Ji Zhiyi in the mirror.
She had never seen Ji Zhiyi this closely before.
She vaguely remembered them being in the same class in college. Ji Zhiyi had been the freshman representative, participating in all kinds of activities. She, on the other hand, had been surrounded by friends and classmates, and her social circle never overlapped with Ji Zhiyi's. That’s why her impression of Ji Zhiyi was so minimal.
If it hadn’t been for that summer camp incident in their sophomore year, she might never have remembered her name.
Was it really her that forced Ji Zhiyi to drop out?
Su Lingyue looked at the face so close to hers, her thin lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but she remained silent. She picked up a hair clip from the table, pulling Ji Zhiyi's hair back into a simple updo. Ji Zhiyi's hair was different from hers. When she was four or five, she had cut a buzz cut. Her mother had laughed at her, saying that people with that kind of hair had a fierce, stubborn, and inflexible personality. And it had turned out to be true.
Ji Zhiyi's hair was soft and smooth, like silk. Unlike her own, whose hair was a struggle to put up each time, Ji Zhiyi’s hair was very obedient.
Obedient?
Her hand paused, then she continued putting up her hair, pulling all of it back, leaving a few strands to curl down, framing her neck and resting on her pale skin. The three extreme colors of black, white, and red made it hard for anyone to look away.
Ji Zhiyi, who was looking at the monthly sales figures on her tablet, looked up, glanced at herself and Su Lingyue in the mirror. Her hand, gripping the edge of the tablet, pressed down with force, leaving a mark on her fingertip. Su Lingyue said, “President Ji, it’s time for makeup.”
Ji Zhiyi put the tablet down. Su Lingyue swiveled her chair so that they were face to face. Ji Zhiyi’s nose was filled with Su Lingyue’s subtle, floral fragrance.
She had liked that perfume in college.
She still used it now.
Ji Zhiyi braced herself on the armrests of her seat. She watched Su Lingyue working, and their eyes would occasionally meet. Su Lingyue's eyes showed no emotions, as calm as a stagnant pool. Her delicate features gave off a faint sense of detachment and alienation. Ji Zhiyi heard Su Lingyue say, "Close your eyes."
She closed her eyes.
Su Lingyue was in a daze for a moment. This was the first time she was doing makeup for someone else, and it was completely different from doing it for herself. This face wasn’t familiar, it was even strange. Ever since she walked into this office, she had been ready to be humiliated, even looking forward to it. But Ji Zhiyi’s every move had been unexpected. Now she was even cooperating like this.
This left her with a strange and indescribable feeling.
If Ji Zhiyi scolded, messed with her, or ridiculed her, she would have understood and accepted it, but not this. It left her overthinking.
She didn't move. Ji Zhiyi opened her eyes and, without looking at her, tapped her watch face.
A silent reminder.
Su Lingyue gathered herself and began to apply Ji Zhiyi's makeup. Her hair was soft and smooth, but her features were quite sharp and dignified. She had great skin, making it easier to apply makeup. Su Lingyue barely had to try to finish the makeup quickly. “Done, President Ji,” she finally said.
Ji Zhiyi looked at herself in the mirror and gave a slight nod.
Su Lingyue tidied up the vanity, ready to stand. She noticed Ji Zhiyi pushing a bracelet over to her.
This bracelet was part of Ji Zhiyi’s set of jewelry. There was a necklace, a ring, earrings, and a bracelet. Now, only the bracelet was left. Su Lingyue was confused. “Do you want me to put it away?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “You wear it.”
Su Lingyue frowned. She was wearing a pale yellow outfit today, which didn't match the red bracelet at all. And it was obviously part of Ji Zhiyi's jewelry set. It felt strange for her to give her the bracelet like that.
But she obeyed.
Su Lingyue took the bracelet and put it on her wrist. Ji Zhiyi watched her for a few seconds, then stood up. “Let’s go.”
When they exited the office, Xiao Li was already waiting. “President Ji, the car is downstairs.”
Ji Zhiyi nodded. “You don’t need to come with us.”
Xiao Li nodded and handed the car keys to Su Lingyue. Su Lingyue and Ji Zhiyi took the elevator downstairs together. The car was parked outside. The two walked to the car, and Su Lingyue habitually went to the passenger side, opened the door, and sat down.
A few seconds later, she turned her head.
Ji Zhiyi was looking at her through the other car window.
Su Lingyue looked down, at the car keys in her hand. Even someone as shameless as her felt embarrassed. She immediately opened the door, got out, walked to Ji Zhiyi's side, opened the back car door, and, while touching her hair, looked away awkwardly, "Sorry~"
Comments
Post a Comment