Princess Syndrome - Chapter 7
Chapter 7: The Key
Su Lingyue’s face was covered by a towel. She didn’t want to take it off. The towel was cotton, and it was half-dry, half-wet with the water. A scent of lotion seeped from the towel, a cool fragrance. If it were her previous self, she would have sat up and thrown the towel back at her, but now she was like a salted fish, lying there, not moving or speaking.
Seeing that she was still lying there, steady and undisturbed, Ji Zhiyi couldn’t help but pull the towel away. She heard Su Lingyue say faintly, “You really don’t want to kick me a couple of times?”
“No.” Ji Zhiyi’s voice turned indifferent again.
Su Lingyue asked, “Why not?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “I don’t want to be on a legal program.”
Su Lingyue: …
Hearing her cold voice, Su Lingyue became somewhat more awake. Thinking about how much she still had to organize in the study, she sat up, ready to stand, but her body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. She asked, “Does the study have to be organized today?”
Ji Zhiyi said, “If you’re tired, you can continue tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Su Lingyue immediately perked up, jumping up. As she reached for her bag, she heard Ji Zhiyi say, “The guest room is next to the walk-in closet.”
Guest room?
Su Lingyue looked at Ji Zhiyi, surprised.
She heard her say, “Continue tomorrow.”
So she wouldn't let her leave until she finished organizing, right?
Su Lingyue gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath and putting on a smile. “Okay, President Ji.”
Hearing her grinding teeth, Ji Zhiyi casually walked to the bar, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Su Lingyue smelled the aroma of the coffee, but remained silent. Ji Zhiyi asked, “Do you want a cup?”
She was being quite generous.
She said, “Thank you, no.”
Ji Zhiyi sat on the sofa with her cup. Her back was slender, and her spine was straight. Her wet hair was draped behind her, some of it sticking to her cheeks and neck. Contrasting against her skin, it was clearly black and white. Su Lingyue looked at her for a few seconds before saying, “President Ji, I have to go back. My clothes…”
“There are new ones.” Ji Zhiyi spoke slowly, her expression indifferent, not even moving her eyebrows.
Su Lingyue took a deep breath. “My toiletries…”
Ji Zhiyi took a sip of coffee. “There are also new ones.”
Okay.
She was beginning to realize what torture meant.
Su Lingyue turned her head to look at the guest room she had mentioned. She left without even saying goodbye to Ji Zhiyi. The room was quite large. A bed was placed on the far right side, along with a large bay window. The decor was mainly off-white, making it bright and open. A white vanity table was placed in front of the window, with unopened makeup and skincare products, which were the same brand as Ji Zhiyi’s.
She walked over, looking at the brand-new makeup products with a sigh.
Her head was pounding.
She had been exhausted all night, drinking and organizing the study. Every part of her ached. Su Lingyue didn’t even change her clothes, simply lying down on the big bed. The soft comforter enveloped her, making her feel incredibly comfortable.
Her eyes closed.
She almost fell asleep.
Her phone rang, and she fumbled around, picking up the vibrating phone. As she swiped it open, Chu Yi’s voice came through the speaker. “Lingyue, are you still at work?”
She rubbed her forehead. “I’m off work.”
Chu Yi was confused. “So you’re on your way home?”
Su Lingyue said, “I’m not going back tonight.”
“Hiss—” Chu Yi gasped. “What happened?”
Su Lingyue said, “Nothing much. I have to help Ji Zhiyi organize her study.”
Chu Yi asked, “Organize it all night? Is she doing it on purpose so that you can’t sleep?”
That wasn’t it.
Su Lingyue lay on the bed, the soft mattress like a cloud, making her feel very comfortable. She said, “No, it’s just that I have a strong sense of responsibility. I can’t sleep if I don’t finish.”
She lied without batting an eye.
Chu Yi: …
Was that even a human response?
Su Lingyue said, “Don’t wait for me tonight. Go to sleep early.”
After her graduation trip, when Zhou Yan’s incident had happened, she had moved out that very night. She hadn't had anywhere to go, so Chu Yi had let her move in with her. Later, the two had moved into a two-bedroom apartment and had been living together ever since. Then, her father had cut off all her financial resources, forcing her to marry Zhou Yan.
The night she had moved out, she had called her two friends. The sisters who used to be so affectionate on the phone had said that they were busy.
Su Lingyue wasn’t stupid.
She knew her plastic friendships well enough.
She had just never expected them to be so fake.
They couldn't even pretend a little.
She hadn't had high expectations when she had called Chu Yi. Chu Yi had almost gotten scammed when she was looking for a job after graduation. Su Lingyue had stepped in and had helped her get out safely. Su Lingyue had even helped her get a position at the Su Group. She hadn't thought about what kind of return she would get. That night she had called her, it was because she had been angered by those two friends.
But she hadn't expected Chu Yi to get a cab to pick her up without a second thought.
The one-bedroom apartment, less than 40 square meters, was very small compared to Su Lingyue’s previous place, but it had made Su Lingyue feel at peace. It was just that it was inconvenient. Su Lingyue had lived there for one night, then she and Chu Yi had looked for a two-bedroom apartment.
Chu Yi asked, “You’re really not coming back?”
Su Lingyue said, “You go to sleep early.”
Chu Yi had no other option but to say, “Well, give me a call if anything happens.”
Su Lingyue smiled slightly. “Okay.”
She put down her phone. She wanted to turn over and go back to sleep, but she couldn’t. She wanted to take a shower, but she didn’t have any clothes to change into. She got up and went to the closet, opened it, and casually glanced inside, then stared blankly.
Inside the closet was an entire row of new summer clothes, from dresses to business suits to undergarments.
Su Lingyue vaguely recalled Ji Zhiyi saying:
There are new ones.
This was a little too…
There were almost 30 different styles of pajamas alone.
Su Lingyue blinked, choosing a long-sleeved shirt and pants, along with a set of toiletries and skincare products and went to the bathroom.
The bathroom was a separate space, and even had a bathtub. She didn’t have the time to take a bath, but she still filled it with water and soaked her feet.
Ji Zhiyi was sitting in the living room. The rooms were well-insulated. She could barely hear anything from the guest room. The large apartment seemed to be only her. She turned on the TV and watched the news for a while, then looked at the time. Su Lingyue was still quiet.
Ji Zhiyi swung her empty cup into the kitchen. As she passed Su Lingyue’s room, she paused. Although she couldn’t hear anything inside, the orange light reflected from under the door added a touch of warmth to the room.
She poured another cup of coffee.
She finished drinking it.
Turning around, she noticed the lights in Su Lingyue’s room had been turned off.
Ji Zhiyi put down her cup, got up, and went back to her room. As she passed Su Lingyue’s room, she took two steps back, stopping in front of Su Lingyue’s door. She knocked on the door.
There was no response for a few seconds.
She was very patient. She knocked on the door again.
Su Lingyue came out in her slippers, cautiously opening the door a crack, sticking her head out. “What?”
Ji Zhiyi met her clear gaze and pursed her lips. Su Lingyue had taken a shower and removed her makeup. The effects of the alcohol had faded. Her face was clear, her forehead full. The fine hair at her temples were tucked behind her ears, and she was wearing light-colored earrings. She looked very bright as she stood there, her gaze questioning Ji Zhiyi. Ji Zhiyi remained silent, lifting her wrist to tap her watch.
Su Lingyue frowned.
What was she trying to do?
Reminding her to go to sleep early?
Su Lingyue thought she was right. She was about to nod when Ji Zhiyi said, “The bracelet.”
Oh, yeah.
She was still wearing her bracelet!
What was this about reminding her to sleep early? Su Lingyue rolled her eyes at herself. Ji Zhiyi would definitely laugh to death if she had said it out loud.
She turned around, went to the vanity and took the bracelet, handing it to Ji Zhiyi. Seeing that Ji Zhiyi was going to the jewelry room, she paid it no more attention, closing the door and returning to bed, her whole body sinking into the soft feeling once more.
She didn’t usually have trouble sleeping, but it was also not easy for her to fall asleep in a strange place.
Tonight.
Not only had she fallen asleep, but she had slept very well. She faintly had a dream, but she had forgotten it. When the alarm went off, she sat up. Her hair was disheveled, and the collar of her pajamas was large and loose, slipping down to her shoulder. She sat there blankly for a few minutes before coming back to her senses. She picked up her phone and looked at the time, then jumped off the bed. After washing up, she looked at the closet full of clothes.
She finally chose a white shirt and long pants. She didn't know if she and Ji Zhiyi wore the same size, but the clothes unexpectedly fit her well. It was just that the shirt was a bit long. She tucked a little of the hem into her pants. After getting dressed, she left the room.
Ji Zhiyi was sitting at the dining table. She seemed to be on a call. The person on the other end was speaking respectfully: “President Ji, I’ve already informed them about the meeting with the Southern agency candidates at ten.”
“Okay.” Ji Zhiyi was eating bread. Hearing movement, she looked up and saw Su Lingyue walk out in a white shirt. The secretary heard the noise on her end, but didn’t dare to ask. They remained silent. Ji Zhiyi said, “Let’s leave it there for now.”
The secretary agreed. Ji Zhiyi hung up the video call, then made another call, saying, “Send a breakfast over.”
It was the apartment’s caretaker.
Su Lingyue was familiar with him. She had to bite the bullet and say, “Good morning, President Ji.”
Ji Zhiyi lifted her chin, motioning for her to sit down.
Su Lingyue sat across from her. Ji Zhiyi was looking at the financial news, eating breakfast. Even eating a piece of bread looked as elegant as enjoying a French meal. Su Lingyue listened to the voice coming from the tablet. No wonder she was Ji Zhiyi. She had breakfast with the news. Amazing!
She glanced at Ji Zhiyi. She was wearing a light gray cardigan over a white shirt. The buttons of her shirt collar were undone, revealing her fair, slender neck. When she turned her head, her collarbones looked smooth and even, with a beautiful curve. But even beauty couldn't hide her all-business demeanor. She was like an ancient military advisor planning her every move.
She really hadn't woken up yet, she was just letting her thoughts run wild. Su Lingyue came back to her senses, seeing that Ji Zhiyi was still looking at the tablet. She picked up her phone to browse.
She quickly browsed the news.
Then, she went to her WeChat group.
She saw her name.
[Let’s bet on how many days Su Lingyue can last.]
They really thought she was dead? Talking about her like this in the group while she was still there?
Su Lingyue scrolled past it, seeing the barrage of replies below.
[A week is impossible!]
[How can she last a week? Did you know that President Ji’s last assistant left after three days? Said she was too tired!]
[I bet two days! She’ll definitely be crying and begging to resign!]
[If I were her, I’d just try to suck up to Zhou Yan. Maybe he’d take her back and let her continue to be a princess.]
She hadn’t even eaten breakfast and she already felt nauseous. Su Lingyue didn’t have much of an appetite. When breakfast was sent over, she just drank a little milk. As she was about to stand up, Ji Zhiyi took a key from her side and handed it over.
Su Lingyue looked at her, confused.
Ji Zhiyi met her puzzled gaze and said, “Apartment keys.”
Su Lingyue asked, “For me?”
Ji Zhiyi nodded. “In special circumstances, you’ll need to rest here.”
Su Lingyue paused, still asking, “What are the special circumstances?”
Ji Zhiyi paused for a moment, looking at her. “Like what happened last night.”
Su Lingyue: …
The way she said it.
It sounded like something had happened between the two of them last night.
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