Princess Syndrome - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Please

When Ji Zhiyi entered the private room, Su Lingyue had just hung up the phone, her expression was a bit unhappy, similar to when they first had lunch. She sat down next to Su Lingyue: "Who was that on the phone?"

Su Lingyue put away her phone: "Chu Yi."

She was straightforward and clear: "My friend, she works at Su Qi."

Ji Zhiyi didn't hear the second half of the sentence.

Her friend?

Had they had a fight?

Ji Zhiyi nodded slightly. Su Lingyue looked up: "Don't you remember? She was our classmate too."

Was she?

Ji Zhiyi's tone was indifferent: "I don't remember."

Su Lingyue gave an "oh". Chu Yi remembered it very clearly. Every time she heard news about Ji Zhiyi, she would always say, "Lingyue, how is it that people are so different!"

She would say, unconcerned: "How so?"

Chu Yi would say: "We're both people, look at Ji Zhiyi, and then look at me."

Su Lingyue would say, puzzled: "What's there to compare between you two?"

Chu Yi would say, "We're both poor people!"

Su Lingyue: ...

In her classmates’ eyes back then, Ji Zhiyi didn’t seem like a wealthy person. It was said that she worked hard to get good grades in order to get a scholarship, and she used the scholarship money to support her family. She couldn't imagine that kind of life.

It was a world apart from hers.

Now, she suddenly became a bit curious about Ji Zhiyi’s world.

Su Lingyue looked at Ji Zhiyi. The contours of her profile were distinct and sharp. When her expression was indifferent, her eyebrows and eyes looked sharp, her lips were thin. She only looked a little gentle when she smiled.

She had been looking for a long time. Ji Zhiyi tilted her head: "What are you looking at?"

Su Lingyue's expression was calm: "Your makeup is smudged, do you need to touch it up?"

Ji Zhiyi turned her body to face her. Her face was slightly lifted, and her features were instantly clear, even more three-dimensional. The visual impact stunned Su Lingyue for a few seconds. She said: "Close your eyes."

The person in front of her closed her eyes.

Su Lingyue bit her lip, took out a lipstick from her bag, and applied it to Ji Zhiyi. Ji Zhiyi pursed her lips: "Isn’t this the one from this morning?"

"Mm." Su Lingyue said matter-of-factly: "This color is more suitable."

Ji Zhiyi didn't ask any further questions. After pursing her lips, she got up. Su Lingyue watched her thin lips painted with a pale red, it didn't have the sharp feeling of the deep red. It added a gentleness to her.

She was quite satisfied.

After getting in the car, Ji Zhiyi looked at her lip color in the rearview mirror and smiled.

They went directly back to the company. The people in the secretarial office were resting. Ji Zhiyi told Su Lingyue to find a lawyer in the afternoon to draft a contract with Lin Fei. Su Lingyue coldly gave an "oh" and went back to her seat.

Ji Zhiyi watched her walking away, and realized that Su Lingyue's temper came and went quickly.

She was very unpredictable.

She had been like this when they were in school. She was also criticized behind her back for being a young miss with a temper. It was just that at that time, she really was a young miss, so in those sarcastic remarks, there was an overflowing envy and jealousy.

Su Lingyue's reputation wasn't good back then. She didn't care either. She had a flamboyant personality, and she did things in a high-profile way. If she was even a little bit unhappy, she would give people the cold shoulder. She went to bars and skipped classes. Her bad reputation was passed on again and again. Even when she went to the school next door, there were conversations about Su Lingyue.

Just like in high school, she was like a hurricane, sweeping through every inch of her surroundings.

Or perhaps, she was just paying too much attention.

Ji Zhiyi pursed her lips and sat in front of her computer. She turned her head and saw that Su Lingyue was eating snacks at her desk, with a small plate and a cup of coffee in front of her. She took a bite, and it seemed like she didn’t like it, her eyebrows furrowed.

The secretary next to her asked her something, and she busily distributed the remaining snacks.

Ji Zhiyi chuckled and turned to look at her computer.

After sharing the snacks, Su Lingyue looked at Ji Zhiyi's office. From the glass, she could see her typing. Then she thought about the lunch today, and letting Lin Fei become a spokesperson. Did she want to sign both of them?

That would be too bold.

Of course, there were events where two artists were the spokespersons together, but those were usually a very popular CP, or artists who had gained a large amount of CP fans after a drama had finished airing. Usually, they were the male and female leads. The others belonged to those who were in competition. Even if they did sign, they had to stagger the promotions.

Signing two artists who had never worked together at the same time, this had almost never happened before.

So, she didn't really understand it. She was still thinking about this when she got in the car with Zhang Xian. Zhang Xian was driving the car. Su Lingyue didn't know the way. After Zhang Xian got into the car, her attitude was different from before. She was very reserved.

It seemed like she was afraid that Su Lingyue would ask about why Ji Zhiyi hadn't let her go yet.

As a result, Su Lingyue didn’t say anything for half of the trip. She breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if she was too petty and had thought of Su Lingyue as too calculating. After all, what she had said sounded like a consolation.

There was no need to be bothered by words of comfort.

So, she relaxed and asked Su Lingyue, "What are you thinking about?"

Su Lingyue turned her head and said, "I’m thinking about the endorsement."

Zhang Xian nodded: "Are you going to sign both Yang Zhizhi and Lin Fei at the same time?"

Su Lingyue said, "Director Zhang also knows?"

Zhang Xian said: "President Ji has mentioned a little. Isn't she using Xie Lan's design to make two new products?"

Su Lingyue remembered. Wu Meiyan had mentioned this before. At that time, she said one of them was for Yang Zhizhi's measurements. So, the other was for Lin Fei's measurements. Was she sinking costs too high, and didn’t want to investigate? Or did she simply not believe her?

This matter made her chest feel a bit uncomfortable.

The already depressed mood became even more depressed. Her face was stiff. When they got near the entrance, she asked Zhang Xian: "Did President Ji say anything to you about Xie Lan?"

"Xie Lan?" Zhang Xian asked: "What about Xie Lan?"

Su Lingyue was speechless.

She hadn't said anything.

She lowered her head, and her tone was muffled: "It's nothing."

Zhang Xian looked at her suspiciously. She thought it was still those old matters between them, and she couldn't help but advise her: "Now that you're all colleagues, try to see things with a bigger heart."

Su Lingyue shrugged: "What’s there for me to not see with a bigger heart?"

Her tone was very casual.

She had already told Ji Zhiyi everything she knew. As for how Ji Zhiyi would handle it, that was her business. At most - at most, she would feel temporarily unhappy because Ji Zhiyi didn't trust her.

Anyone would feel unhappy for not being trusted, right?

Thinking this, she felt that her unhappiness was even more justified.

She didn't even reply to Ji Zhiyi’s messages when they arrived at the factory.

Ji Zhiyi was looking at her phone. The HR Director called out: "President Ji?"

She snapped back to reality, and said: "Okay, you can put the plan down. I’ll take a detailed look at it later."

The HR Director placed the documents on the table. He saw that Ji Zhiyi was still looking at her phone, it seemed like she was waiting for a message. He didn't dare ask any further, and turned around and left the office. Ji Zhiyi held her phone, and clicked into her chat page with Su Lingyue. The message that asked her if she had arrived still had no reply.

But, Zhang Xian replied to her with: [Look.]

And sent her a picture.

In the picture, Su Lingyue was standing next to her, both of them were about to enter the factory and were changing into work clothes. She replied with 'Got it’ and put down her phone.

Su Lingyue didn't often come to the factory. In the past, when she had argued with her father, during their worst argument, her father had said, “The comfortable life you’re living now is all given to you by me. Without the Su family, you'd be nothing." He had even told her to come to the factory to work. She hadn't cared, and had prepared to go to the factory the next day, but then she had been brought back by her father.

After she went inside, she found that the factory wasn't operating. The workers were transporting goods. She asked, curiously, "It’s still not open?"

Zhang Xian walked to the machinery and said, "It's not operating."

Su Lingyue said: "Not operating the machinery?"

Zhang Xian said, "No, we’re just stocking up."

Su Lingyue was even more confused.

She walked to the goods area, looked down at the models and then at Zhang Xian: "Are these second and third-grade raw materials?"

Su Qi hadn’t used second or third-grade materials for many years. Now, they all used first-grade raw materials. Why was Yilin still using second and third-grade ones? She remembered that the purchase and shipment records were all for first-grade materials.

Could it be that Yilin wanted to pass off inferior goods as superior ones?

Zhang Xian said: "They are second and third grade materials."

Su Lingyue said slowly, "Yilin couldn't possibly be..."

"It’s not for Yilin to use." Zhang Xian said, "What were you thinking about?"

Su Lingyue nodded.

She said: "Then who's using them?"

Zhang Xian shook her head: "I don't even know why President Ji is collecting so many second and third-grade goods."

And, she was buying them in bulk. Now they were having others work overtime to make them, and after they were made, they sent them here. But they didn’t use them, and just stacked them here. She had to come here every day to check the warehouse.

Su Lingyue looked at these raw materials, she couldn’t make sense of it at all.

But, Ji Zhiyi was always thinking three steps ahead. Everyone thought that she was fighting with Su Qi over Yang Zhizhi. No one would have expected that she would use Lin Fei to set Su Qi up. Now, even if Zhou Shiyu realized it, it would be too late.

She came back to reality and asked Zhang Xian: "Do we just have to check the warehouse?"

Zhang Xian said: "You can check that side, there's less over there."

That side had a lot of different models and products, she had to come in person. Su Lingyue nodded, and took the list from Zhang Xian and started to check it against the products. Zhang Xian was on the side watching her work, and she found it hard to reconcile her serious expression with the rumored arrogant Su miss.

She suddenly became curious, had Su Lingyue really called Ji Zhiyi a beggar back then?

Why couldn't she picture it?

She wanted to ask, but her phone rang, interrupting her. Zhang Xian went to the side to answer the call. Su Lingyue was checking these raw materials for the first time. She was unfamiliar with the models and materials, and it took her a lot of time. Zhang Xian came back after the call, and she had only checked a fifth of the list. Zhang Xian didn’t bother her, and both of them started working in silence.

Near the time that they were about to get off work, she received a call from Yang Zhizhi's assistant. She spoke with her nicely about dinner that night. In the past, she would be the one who was making these kinds of calls, but she now had a strange sense that the tables had turned.

However, who wouldn’t be happy when they were being treated with such respect?

Su Lingyue’s depressed mood got better and she said: "President Ji already knows, we'll see you later."

The other side hung up the phone. Zhang Xian asked: "Did you finish checking?"

Su Lingyue said: "There's still a small portion left."

Zhang Xian glanced at her watch: "There's not enough time today. I have a meeting when we get back, and you also have something to do, right?"

Su Lingyue said: "I have to meet Miss Yang tonight."

"Oh, Yang Zhizhi." Zhang Xian said as she walked, "She must be getting anxious now, right?"

Su Lingyue thought of her assistant's attitude just now, and nodded: "Mm."

Zhang Xian changed her clothes, waited for Su Lingyue. Finally, both of them walked out. After being busy for the whole afternoon, she was a little thirsty. She went to the convenience store by the factory entrance to buy water. When she saw a familiar drink, she picked it up.

Zhang Xian walked over: "How come you have the same taste as her? Is this really good?"

Su Lingyue had already picked it up, it wasn't good to put it back down, she paid for it and said, "It's pretty good."

Zhang Xian said: "I feel like it’s just okay." She turned her head: "She also liked to drink this when she was overseas. You don't know, she was so stingy, she wouldn't even give me one if I wanted to drink it!"

Su Lingyue was thinking, really?

Last time they had dinner, she had split a bottle with her.

She said, "She’s not stingy, right?"

Zhang Xian turned her head.

Su Lingyue’s expression was calm: "I think she's quite generous."

Zhang Xian: ...

Unbelievable.

Su Lingyue was actually speaking up for Ji Zhiyi?

Su Lingyue didn't pay attention to her surprised expression. After getting in the car, she stepped on the accelerator and drove back to the company. Thinking about the dinner tonight, she wanted to go back and change her clothes. Ji Zhiyi called her on the internal line when she arrived. Su Lingyue hadn’t even sat down when she received the call.

Ji Zhiyi said: "Come in."

She: ...

Did she install a radar?

She slandered in her heart, took a deep breath, and entered the office.

Ji Zhiyi asked, "How was this afternoon?"

Su Lingyue said, "Still learning."

After she said that, she sniffed and said, "President Ji, can I go back and change my clothes first?"

Ji Zhiyi looked at her when she heard that. Su Lingyue must have been sweating, her makeup wasn’t as exquisite as it was in the morning. She nodded, and Su Lingyue turned her head and left. Ji Zhiyi said: "Don't go back to the company, just go straight to Haotai."

Finally, she said something that she liked to hear.

Su Lingyue said, "Okay, President Ji."

She didn't waste any time when she returned. Even hugging her cat took only a few minutes. Xiao Mafan kept meowing, as if complaining about why she had only just come home. Su Lingyue's heart ached when she heard it. She picked it up and kissed it. That got Xiao Mafan to calm down.

The meowing stopped. Su Lingyue took her pajamas into the washroom, and took a comfortable shower. She did her makeup, and when she sat in front of the mirror, she looked at the person inside. She felt that she was slightly different than before.

Her complexion?

No.

Her appearance?

No either.

She stared at the person in the mirror for a while. Her phone rang, startling her. Su Lingyue snapped back to reality. It was Ji Zhiyi's call. She asked her if she was ready yet. She thought of Xie Lan’s matter, and her tone was a bit listless: "Almost done."

Ji Zhiyi pressed on her head, she heard a cat’s meow from her end.

Su Lingyue said, "I'll hang up first."

Her tone was slightly higher because she was unhappy. It was also lazy and indifferent. Ji Zhiyi said: "Okay."

After hanging up, she sat in the car, watching the people coming and going outside. In a while, she saw Yang Zhizhi and her assistant walk in. The driver said: "President Ji, Miss Yang has arrived."

She gave an indifferent "mm".

The driver didn't say anything either when he saw that she didn't move.

Ji Zhiyi was looking at her watch. The time on it was ticking away second by second. Finally, at the entrance, she saw a familiar figure.

"Assistant Su." Su Lingyue was about to enter when she heard a voice and turned her head. Ji Zhiyi was walking over in her high heels. She said: "You didn't go in first?"

Ji Zhiyi said: "I just arrived, let's go in together."

Su Lingyue: "Oh."

She walked inside with Ji Zhiyi. When they reached the entrance of the private room, they saw Yang Zhizhi’s assistant standing there. When she saw them, her eyes lit up. She busily greeted them: "President Ji, Assistant Su."

She said: "Zhizhi is inside."

Ji Zhiyi nodded slightly and walked inside. Yang Zhizhi turned her head. When she saw them enter, she stood up. Things were different now than they were before, her attitude had also changed. There was a hint of inscrutableness in her smile. Su Lingyue followed Ji Zhiyi and sat down. After that, Yang Zhizhi said: "President Ji, I..."

"Let's serve the dishes first." Ji Zhiyi interrupted her, her tone was gentle but left no room for argument.

Yang Zhizhi nodded: "Of course."

She waved at the waiter to bring the dishes. She kept her mouth shut, waiting until they had served the last dish. Ji Zhiyi tilted her head, and gestured at the waiter. The waiter walked to her side, and Ji Zhiyi whispered something. The waiter nodded and walked out.

After the waiter left, Ji Zhiyi said: "Haotai is also known for its drinks apart from its food. How about Miss Yang try it later?"

Yang Zhizhi smiled: "Sure."

A few minutes later, the private room door was opened again.

The waiter came in holding three glasses of Thousand Branches Drunk.

Yang Zhizhi was stunned. She looked at Ji Zhiyi. Ji Zhiyi looked calm, and with a hand gesture, she motioned to Yang Zhizhi, and said: "Miss Yang, please."

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