Princess Syndrome - Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Help

The room fell into an awkward silence. The two looked at each other. Su Lingyue thought, "It really was for your face, otherwise how could it be called 'lust at first sight'?" But the words caught in her throat, she couldn't say them.

At first, she really was interested in Ji Zhiyi’s appearance. Every feature was to her liking, especially her beautiful swan-like neck, which she liked so much that she had wanted to touch it even before she was completely attracted to her.

But, was it completely her looks that had attracted her?

It wasn't as if there weren’t other people as good-looking as Ji Zhiyi. Hadn't there been many in her circle before?

Quite a few.

But she had never felt a spark.

Those had all been superficial acquaintances, just exchanging a few words in passing, without going any deeper or having much contact.

It was different with Ji Zhiyi.

But how exactly was it different?

Su Lingyue had never thought about this question in depth. Was it because of Ji Zhiyi's way of handling things? Was it because she had become Ji Zhiyi's assistant and spent every day with her? Or was it because of her promise to help her bring down Su Qi?

It seemed to be for those reasons, but not entirely.

She couldn't figure it out, and could only chalk it up to being "just right."

It was just right that she liked Ji Zhiyi's appearance, it was just right that she became her assistant, it was just right that she had the opportunity to be close to her, it was just right that that promise had made her heart flutter.

She nodded.

Then shook her head.

Ji Zhiyi's gaze remained fixed, observing Su Lingyue's expression, and seeing her act like this, she asked, "What does that mean?"

Su Lingyue said, "I like your face."

Ji Zhiyi was silent.

Su Lingyue continued, "It seems to be more than just your face, though."

Ji Zhiyi's heart leaped, her eyes brightened: "What else is there?"

Su Lingyue said: "I'm still thinking."

Ji Zhiyi: ...

She watched as Su Lingyue lowered her head in thought. Her profile, illuminated by the light, was particularly gentle. She reached out and touched Su Lingyue's cheek. Su Lingyue turned to look at her. Ji Zhiyi said, "Don't think about it."

If it was only her face, then so be it.

After all, the person was by her side now. She could touch her, hold her, kiss her.

Not a vague fantasy, not a mirage.

Su Lingyue blinked at her. Ji Zhiyi suddenly leaned against her, her head tilting onto her shoulder. Su Lingyue's body stiffened. She glanced at Ji Zhiyi out of the corner of her eye. She didn't know why, but she felt that Ji Zhiyi was very vulnerable at this moment.

This was a Ji Zhiyi she had never seen before.

The stuffiness that had built up in her chest turned into heartache. She sat still, letting Ji Zhiyi lean on her shoulder. Ji Zhiyi's hair brushed against Su Lingyue's chin, tickling her a little. She moved it aside. Ji Zhiyi leaned closer, her breath falling on her neck.

That patch of skin turned a delicate shade of pink.

Even the exposed white skin on her neck was tinged with a faint blush. She felt hot, but she still sat there, pretending to be calm, trying to distract herself by playing on her phone.

Ji Zhiyi suddenly asked, "What are you looking at?"

Su Lingyue said, "Gossip news."

Ji Zhiyi watched her phone from that position. She couldn’t see it, so she moved up a bit. Su Lingyue leaned forward, making it more comfortable for Ji Zhiyi to rest. The screen also moved down unconsciously, as if their argument earlier hadn’t happened. An indescribable harmony permeated the room.

The gossip was about which celebrity was dating, which celebrity had broken up, or promoting a new drama. Su Lingyue didn't find it very interesting and was about to turn off the screen when Ji Zhiyi's finger tapped her screen, dragging it down.

Su Lingyue said, "You like to read gossip too?"

Ji Zhiyi said, "I look at it sometimes."

Thinking about the gossip she had heard on the plane, Su Lingyue understood. Who said bosses didn't like to listen to gossip? They liked it more than anyone else. She said, "Which one do you want to see?"

Ji Zhiyi said, "Anything is fine."

She was speaking close to Su Lingyue’s ear.

The tip of her ear went numb.

Su Lingyue clicked on the second item on the trending list. Ji Zhiyi asked, "Why not look at the one on top?"

Su Lingyue said, "That one is fake."

Ji Zhiyi tilted her head.

Su Lingyue said, "She doesn't like men. That's all just for promotion."

Ji Zhiyi: "How do you know she doesn't like men?"

Su Lingyue: "She confessed to me before."

Ji Zhiyi: ...

The second trending topic was about a celebrity throwing a tantrum on set. They watched for a few minutes.

Ji Zhiyi asked, "Is this real?"

Su Lingyue said: "Probably."

Ji Zhiyi asked, "Do you know them too?"

Su Lingyue: "I don't, but that guy cheated before, so he's definitely not a good person."

Ji Zhiyi: ...

Her way of judging whether gossip was true or false was really simple and direct.

That was very Su Lingyue.

She suddenly asked, "What about me?"

Su Lingyue lowered her eyes, her gaze meeting Ji Zhiyi's. She asked, "What about you?"

Ji Zhiyi asked, "Am I a good person or a bad person?"

Was it because they were too close, or did it just seem like her voice was sticky and sweet? Su Lingyue's ears heated up. She said, "Of course you're a good person."

Ji Zhiyi said, "Is there a reward for being a good person?"

Su Lingyue: ...

A reward for being a good person?

She mumbled, "At birth, people are naturally good..."

Ji Zhiyi: "What are you reciting?"

Su Lingyue: "The Three Character Classic."

Ji Zhiyi was confused, looking at her.

Su Lingyue said: "The book says that we're all born good, good people don't need rewards."

Ji Zhiyi laughed at what she said.

Her voice was soft and her body trembled slightly. Su Lingyue glanced at her profile. Her eyebrows were slightly tired, her eyes half closed, her nose was delicate and straight, and her thin lips curled into a slight smile. Maybe it was the position, just leaning lightly against her, that made her seem so soft. Su Lingyue felt a tap in her heart, and her heart rate evened out.

Her voice lowered: "Are you going to sleep?"

Ji Zhiyi asked: "Can I?"

Su Lingyue said: "Do you want to go to the bed?"

Ji Zhiyi asked: "Together?"

It seemed like they were talking about different things.

But it was strangely harmonious.

Su Lingyue kept her eyes and nose focused. Her heart was thinking about Ji Zhiyi. She didn't say anything, and Ji Zhiyi didn't urge her. Time passed quietly. After a long time, Ji Zhiyi lay down on her lap, closing her eyes to rest.

Su Lingyue lowered her head, looking at her closed eyes. Her profile was sharp, and her eyebrows were like a painting. She rested against the back of the sofa, her hand falling onto Ji Zhiyi’s back, patting it twice.

Ji Zhiyi, with her eyes closed, said, "Are you coaxing a child?"

Su Lingyue felt playful: "That's right, I'm coaxing a child." She rubbed Ji Zhiyi’s earlobe, joking, "Call me mommy."

Ji Zhiyi: ...

Su Lingyue bit her lip.

She changed her words: "Call me big sister."

Ji Zhiyi said: "I'm older than you."

Su Lingyue: "I'm January!"

Ji Zhiyi: "I'm one year older than you."

Su Lingyue gave up.

Ji Zhiyi: "It would be more appropriate if you called me big sister."

Su Lingyue was stubborn: "I won't call you that."

Ji Zhiyi: "Mm, you will later."

Su Lingyue's face suddenly flushed. She was just about to push Ji Zhiyi away when Ji Zhiyi turned over to face Su Lingyue, her head still resting on her lap. She was lying on her side, with her eyes closed. It was as if their earlier conversation had all been a joke, but Su Lingyue's heart was pounding.

She said: "Go sleep on the bed."

The sofa was really small, and Ji Zhiyi was curled up. Su Lingyue felt sorry for her.

Ji Zhiyi said: "It's no trouble, I'll have to go upstairs soon."

Su Lingyue took out her phone and glanced at the time.

She would have to go upstairs soon, and wouldn’t be able to sleep for long. She simply let Ji Zhiyi rest like that. She couldn’t move. She curled up on the sofa, using a pillow as a blanket to cover Ji Zhiyi. As soon as she put it on, Ji Zhiyi asked: "Are you still angry?"

Su Lingyue then remembered the stuffiness in her chest.

She had almost forgotten about it with Ji Zhiyi interrupting.

But she still said stiffly: "I'm still angry."

Ji Zhiyi opened her eyes. Su Lingyue, wanting her to rest, covered her eyes with her hand, saying: "Sleep."

Ji Zhiyi: ...

Su Lingyue felt her eyelashes brush against her palm. Ji Zhiyi blinked, then closed her eyes again. Su Lingyue carefully took her hand off, letting out a sigh of relief.

Actually, it seemed like there was nothing to be angry about.

Ji Zhiyi had explained everything clearly, and there was nothing ambiguous about her relationship with Mao Jing'an. Their interactions were all within the boundaries of friendship. Ji Zhiyi had even lied about a toothache to avoid taking her snacks.

But emotions weren't logical.

Logic was understandable, anyone could understand it.

Emotions weren't.

When she thought of Mao Jing'an, what Su Lingyue felt wasn't perhaps anger, but an inexplicable frustration, some frustration that stemmed from jealousy.

She was jealous that they had known each other for so long.

Jealous that they understood each other.

And her accompaniment in the afternoon had been like that of a bystander, listening to their past, which was why she had felt upset.

But in the end, it wasn't Ji Zhiyi's fault. And, if you thought about when they had met, she and Ji Zhiyi had known each other since college. It was even earlier than when Ji Zhiyi met Mao Jing’an.

That's right!

Why hadn't she thought of that in the afternoon!

Su Lingyue regretted it.

She had a sense of annoyance that she hadn't argued well back then.

After a while, Ji Zhiyi woke up and saw Su Lingyue lying on the sofa with a defeated look on her face, looking like she'd lost all hope in life. She pinched the bridge of her nose, sat up, and called, "Lingyue?"

Her voice, just after waking up, was still so pleasant.

Su Lingyue turned her head. The seductive sound brought her back to her senses a bit. Ji Zhiyi asked, "What's wrong?"

Su Lingyue didn't want to talk about something so embarrassing. She said, "Nothing."

Ji Zhiyi looked at her a couple of times. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything, she didn't pursue it. She got up and quickly tidied herself in the bathroom. When she came out, Su Lingyue was carrying her bag. They still needed to go upstairs to change into their gowns and do their makeup. Ji Zhiyi didn't delay. She left with Su Lingyue.

They hadn’t been in the room for short amount of time. After they left, other secretaries who had seen them secretly discussed it: “Did you see Su Lingyue? She looks like she's been tortured, so expressionless.”

“I saw it just now too, her face was so pale.”

“I heard that when she was at Yilin, she would have to kneel in President Ji's office everyday to organize files!”

“I heard that too...”

Su Lingyue rubbed the bridge of her nose, wanting to sneeze but it wouldn’t come out. Her eyes were tearing up. The secretaries who had just come down the elevator looked at her with teary eyes, then exchanged glances and quickly lowered their heads and left.

After getting into the elevator, the air conditioning blew, and Su Lingyue sneezed.

Ji Zhiyi tilted her head: "Did you catch a cold?"

Su Lingyue didn't care and shook her head.

Ji Zhiyi was still worried. After returning to the room, she still made her a drink. Although Su Lingyue didn't think it was cold enough to catch a cold, she still obediently drank it. Ji Zhiyi watched as she finished it. Just as she was about to ask her to go change her gown, the doorbell rang. Su Lingyue looked at Ji Zhiyi. Ji Zhiyi said, "I'll go open the door."

Su Lingyue put down her cup, and followed her to the door.

There was a voice outside: "Zhiyi?"

It was Mao Jing'an.

Ji Zhiyi looked at Su Lingyue. Su Lingyue stepped back half a step, standing behind the door. Seeing this, Ji Zhiyi opened the door. Mao Jing'an greeted her with a smile: "Zhiyi, the back of my dress is a little hard to fasten. Could you come over and help me?"

Someone tapped her on the back.

Ji Zhiyi straightened up. She felt Su Lingyue's finger poking her back every now and then. She said, "I understand, go back first."

Mao Jing'an turned and went back to her room.

Ji Zhiyi closed the door.

Su Lingyue looked at her with a straight face.

Ji Zhiyi chuckled.

A moment later, there was a knock on Mao Jing'an's door. She hurried over to the door, opened it, and a hotel attendant stood at the door, with an elegant, courteous smile: "Miss Mao, I heard that you need help. I am here to assist you."

Mao Jing'an: ...

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