Princess Syndrome - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Name

Su Lingyue felt herself becoming increasingly susceptible to good looks.

Beauty was indeed a powerful weapon. Su Lingyue was experiencing for the first time what the ancients meant by a 'beauty trap'. If the other side sent Ji Zhiyi, wouldn't she fall for it one hundred percent?

Su Lingyue's expression was solemn.

She was acting out a scene in her mind, her expression changing constantly. Ji Zhiyi didn't turn on the car's interior lights, just enjoying watching her change faces.

A phone ring broke the silence.

Su Lingyue was startled. She picked up her phone and looked at it, finally remembering what she had forgotten.

Wu Meiyan's voice on the other end of the line was a bit anxious. "Assistant Su, where did you go?"

She had forgotten about the dinner gathering!

Su Lingyue paused for a few seconds, her gaze falling on Ji Zhiyi. She said, "I went back to the company."

Wu Meiyan was confused. "Huh?"

Su Lingyue said, "I have some things to handle."

Wu Meiyan asked, "Did President Ji ask you to go?"

Su Lingyue lied through her teeth, "Mm-hmm."

Wu Meiyan sighed. "Then be careful on the road. Call us anytime if you have any problems."

Su Lingyue said "Okay" and hung up the phone.

Ji Zhiyi chuckled softly beside her.

Su Lingyue felt the tips of her ears tingle. She turned her head to explain, "It was Secretary Wu."

Ji Zhiyi said, "I heard."

Was her phone that bad at isolating sound?

Or were they sitting too close?

Su Lingyue wanted to move to the side, but just as she used her waist to shift, the car made a turn. Her raised rear end lost its support, tilting towards Ji Zhiyi. Her whole body slid sideways, half her bottom landing on Ji Zhiyi's lap.

Half of her was now facing Ji Zhiyi.

This—

Situation—

Her—

Su Lingyue bit her lip. Just as she was about to speak, Ji Zhiyi's hand landed on her shoulder, changing it to an embracing gesture. Su Lingyue's mind buzzed. She turned her head to look at that hand.

Fair, slender, with distinct joints, a silver ring on the index finger. Illuminated by the light, she could almost see the veins.

Even her hands were this beautiful?

Su Lingyue snapped back to reality and hesitantly asked, "President Ji, why are you holding me?"

Ji Zhiyi: ...

She countered, "Isn't Assistant Su thanking me for resolving the situation tonight by 主动投怀送抱 [actively throwing yourself into my arms]?"

Oh, was that it?

Then she had misunderstood.

Su Lingyue hurriedly scrambled out of Ji Zhiyi's embrace, feeling a little hot in the face. She said, "I just didn't have a good grip."

Of course, Ji Zhiyi knew.

She was just.

Unable to resist.

However, seizing the opportunity, she nodded. "Then how does Assistant Su plan to thank me?"

There was still a need to thank her?

Su Lingyue hadn't felt a headache when she hit Zhou Yan with the bottle, nor when the broken glass scraped her cheek, but now she had a bit of a headache. She said, "I'll thank you the same way Yang Zhizhi thanks me."

Ji Zhiyi smiled. "I helped Assistant Su out of a jam, not Miss Yang."

Su Lingyue felt she was making things difficult for her.

She had no money and no power, so she might as well go all in. "Then what do you want?"

Ji Zhiyi said, "I want you—" The first three words made Su Lingyue's eyes widen. Ji Zhiyi continued, "To treat me to dinner. I haven't eaten yet."

Don't pause so dramatically when you speak!

Su Lingyue bit her lip, hiding the erratic beating of her heart after hearing the first three words.

She said, "Then I'll treat you to dinner."

Ji Zhiyi said, "Treating me isn't very sincere. You have to make it."

She had to make it?

She started to recall whether to put the green peppers or the shredded meat first when making stir-fried pork with green peppers. Should she also make an egg drop soup? Okay! That's one dish and one soup!

Su Lingyue pondered for a few seconds. "Okay."

It felt like she had bitten down on a silver tooth.

Ji Zhiyi sat beside her, looking pleased.

Despite saying she would cook dinner for her, they didn't go to the supermarket. It was only when they arrived at her apartment building that Su Lingyue started to consider what ingredients Ji Zhiyi might have in her refrigerator. However, she had only opened it to get water, not even glancing at the food, so she really didn't know. But since they had reached this point, she had to take it one step at a time.

The car stopped steadily in front of the apartment building. Su Lingyue got out first, hearing the sound of high heels behind her, a sense of urgency making her scalp tingle.

What if it didn't look good?

What if it didn't taste good?

Su Lingyue couldn't remember the last time she had felt this burdened.

In the past, it was "You're the one who ordered it, it's not my fault if it doesn't taste good." But now, she actually felt a little apprehensive.

She should have learned more dishes from Chu Yi before.

Too late for regrets.

Su Lingyue quickly entered the apartment. Xiao Mafan was squatting at the door, looking up and meowing, as if blaming her for coming home so late. Su Lingyue helplessly looked at it, bent down to pick it up, and kissed its forehead. Xiao Mafan stopped meowing and rubbed against her cheek, purring.

She also wanted to snuggle.

She also wanted to close her eyes and rest.

Su Lingyue bit her lip, having no choice but to put Xiao Mafan down. She glanced at Ji Zhiyi, hoping that she would change her mind after entering and say generously, "I was just kidding."

Ji Zhiyi was unmoved, sitting on the sofa and even turning on the TV, seemingly waiting patiently.

Su Lingyue took a deep breath and went into the kitchen.

She started searching online for recipes using the ingredients in the refrigerator. Surprisingly, there were quite a few techniques. Su Lingyue was delighted. She placed her phone horizontally on the table, turned up the volume, and followed the cooking instructions like she was completing a work assignment. Ji Zhiyi turned her head and saw her seriously staring at her phone, frowning, as if facing a matter of life and death.

Ji Zhiyi rested her chin on her hand, turning her body to watch Su Lingyue.

Su Lingyue looked up between watching the video and met Ji Zhiyi's gaze.

Even with such a simple posture of resting her chin on her hand, she gave off a captivating charm.

Su Lingyue blinked.

Had she drunk fake alcohol tonight?

However, having that gaze fixed on her, it was fine when she didn't know, but knowing made her feel uncomfortable everywhere.

Su Lingyue was distracted. When stir-frying the dish, her hand touched the edge of the wok, and the heat made her pull her hand back immediately!

Just as she was shaking her hand, someone grabbed it.

Without a word, Ji Zhiyi pulled her hand over to the sink and turned on the tap, running water over it. The skin turned red instantly, and a mark appeared. Ji Zhiyi's brow furrowed with displeasure.

Su Lingyue said, "Sorry."

She said honestly, "I'm not very good at cooking."

Ji Zhiyi said, "I can tell."

Su Lingyue bit her lip, her hand still held by Ji Zhiyi. She couldn't help but think of the private room earlier today when she had also grabbed her wrist like this, preventing her from picking up the broken glass.

She turned her head.

Ji Zhiyi's expression was indifferent as she lowered her head, seriously washing the reddened skin. Su Lingyue suddenly called out, "Ji Zhiyi."

Ji Zhiyi paused, holding her hand still.

She turned her head.

Su Lingyue was confused by her look, belatedly asking, "What?"

Ji Zhiyi's voice was low. "What did you just call me?"

What did she just call her?

Su Lingyue said, "Called you by your name."

She bit her lip. "Can't I?"

Ji Zhiyi snapped back to reality and said, "No."

Saying this, she released Su Lingyue's hand and said, "You sit over there."

Su Lingyue said "Okay" and sat on the nearby chair. Ji Zhiyi looked at the prepared ingredients and then back at Su Lingyue, packing everything up and putting it in the refrigerator. Su Lingyue: ...

She said, "Aren't you going to eat dinner?"

"Making noodles." Ji Zhiyi asked, "Do you want some?"

A perfectly good dinner turned into noodles.

It was a bit of a stark contrast.

But what she could make was probably not as good as Ji Zhiyi's noodles anyway. She nodded.

Ji Zhiyi started boiling water, frying eggs first. Su Lingyue watched her busy figure and asked, "When you were abroad, did you always cook for yourself?"

Su Lingyue didn't notice that her way of addressing her had changed.

From President Ji.

To Ji Zhiyi.

To you.

Ji Zhiyi noticed. She raised her lips, a mix of emotions rising in her heart, both sweet and astringent. After a moment of silence, she said, "Yeah, I always cooked for myself when I was abroad."

"Didn't you order takeout?" Su Lingyue had also been abroad, but she always stayed in hotels, with everything from food and accommodation to travel itineraries arranged for her, so she rarely stepped into a kitchen.

Ji Zhiyi said, "I ordered takeout when I was busy."

Hearing her say "when I was busy,"

Su Lingyue felt a pang of heartache and discomfort.

It was strange. She felt incredibly happy when she ordered takeout herself, but hearing Ji Zhiyi say she ate takeout gave her this feeling of sympathy.

It was confirmed.

She had definitely drunk fake alcohol tonight.

Su Lingyue rubbed her head, hearing Ji Zhiyi say, "Come here."

She got up and went over. Ji Zhiyi said, "Flip it over."

Flip the fried egg. Su Lingyue held the tongs, glanced at Ji Zhiyi, clamped the egg, and flipped it over. The oil sizzled, and the aroma spread. The surface of the egg turned a light golden color. She turned her head, wanting to praise herself to Ji Zhiyi, and saw Ji Zhiyi standing right behind her, her eyes fixed on her.

Their gazes met.

Su Lingyue tightened her grip on the tongs.

Ji Zhiyi casually took the tongs from her hand, her fingertip brushing against her finger.

Su Lingyue flinched.

Ji Zhiyi picked up the fried egg and placed it on a plate, saying to Su Lingyue, "You make another one."

Su Lingyue nodded, imitating Ji Zhiyi's actions, cracking an egg and putting it in the pan. After waiting for it to set, she flipped it over, following the same steps as before, but she felt it wasn't as good-looking as the first one. She put it on another plate.

Soon, Ji Zhiyi had cooked two bowls of noodles.

Su Lingyue saw her picking up the fried eggs and placing the one she had made into her bowl. When the noodles were on the table, Xiao Mafan also came over. Su Lingyue whispered, "Does this count as me thanking you now?"

Ji Zhiyi said, "How could it?"

Su Lingyue said, "I fried an egg for you!"

Saying this, she gestured to the egg in Ji Zhiyi's bowl that she had made. She said, "Rounding up, I cooked for you."

Ji Zhiyi raised her lips. "Then I cooked noodles for you. Shouldn't you thank me even more, rounding up?"

Su Lingyue: ...

Why was this person like this, not giving in at all?

She felt a little frustrated.

She pushed the bowl and chopsticks away. "Then I'm not eating."

"Suit yourself." Ji Zhiyi said, "Then I'll feed it to the cat later."

Su Lingyue turned her head to look at her. "Cats don't eat that!"

Ji Zhiyi called out, "Xiao Mafan."

Xiao Mafan immediately jumped onto the table, squatting beside their bowls of noodles. Ji Zhiyi picked up a strand of noodle, put it in a clean porcelain bowl, and the cat looked at her, then at Su Lingyue, and slurped it down.

It even licked its lips,

Seeming to want more.

Seriously.

Were this person and this cat ganging up to bully her?

Su Lingyue stood up abruptly, preparing to go back to her room, when she heard Ji Zhiyi call out, "Su Lingyue."

Her voice wasn't loud, very different from her usual tone when calling her Assistant Su, much softer.

Su Lingyue turned her head, looked at Ji Zhiyi, and asked the same question, "What did you just call me?"

Ji Zhiyi also replied, "Your name, can't I?"

She could call her name.

But why did she have to say it so nicely?

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