Princess Syndrome - Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Cowardice

Ji Zhiyi immediately called Su Lingyue. Su Lingyue, sitting in the car, glanced at Zhou Yan beside her, hung up the phone, and sent Ji Zhiyi a message: [I'll get back to you later.]

Ji Zhiyi asked her: [What are you doing?]

Su Lingyue: [About to eat.]

Ji Zhiyi: [With whom?]

Su Lingyue felt the sharpness in those two words.

But she didn't hide it: [Zhou Yan.]

Ji Zhiyi: [Su Lingyue, answer the phone.]

Su Lingyue replied: [It's not convenient right now.]

Ji Zhiyi gritted her teeth: [Su Lingyue!]

In her anger, she forgot about the broken glass, stepping on a shard. A sharp pain shot through her foot. Looking down, she saw blood welling up from her sole. She snapped out of her fury, took a deep breath, and messaged Su Lingyue: [Immediately terminate the cooperation with Su Qi and come back.]

Su Lingyue noticed the change in Ji Zhiyi's tone between the messages and tried to appease her: [I know what to do.]

Ji Zhiyi's suppressed anger flared up again.

If you know what to do, why are you at Su Qi?!

She asked Su Lingyue: [Do you know what kind of person Zhou Yan is?]

Vindictive. After Su Lingyue had offended Zhou Yan so much before, this time, Zhou Yan definitely wouldn't let her off the hook!

Su Lingyue replied: [I know.]

Of course she knew. She had dealt with Zhou Yan much longer than Ji Zhiyi. She knew exactly what Zhou Yan was like.

Ji Zhiyi: [You know, and you still went?]

Su Lingyue: [I know my limits.]

Ji Zhiyi: [Limits? I already said there's no need to cooperate with Su Qi. Weren't your negotiations with Dingsheng going well?]

Su Lingyue: [And what about you? If I finalize the deal with Dingsheng, will you give up the Haoyue series?]

Ji Zhiyi: [I'm willing to.]

Su Lingyue: [I'm not. Why should it always be you making sacrifices?]

Ji Zhiyi sat on the sofa, staring at the message. The stinging in her foot continued. She pulled out the glass shard and looked at the blood staining the floor. She messaged Su Lingyue: [Lingyue, I don't think it's a sacrifice.]

Su Lingyue replied: [Then why do you think I'm sacrificing?]

Was she so used to giving without expecting anything in return?

She was even willing to give up the Haoyue series.

And she didn't think it was a sacrifice.

Su Lingyue wasn't that magnanimous. Even if Ji Zhiyi didn't feel wronged, she did.

Ji Zhiyi wasn't upset.

But she was upset for Ji Zhiyi.

Ji Zhiyi stared blankly at the message. Seeing that she couldn't persuade Su Lingyue, she called Shen Yuan. A headache, brought on by lack of sleep, surged through her. She pressed her fingers against her temples.

Su Lingyue didn't receive a reply from Ji Zhiyi after sending her message. She looked down at her phone.

Beside her, Zhou Yan said with a sardonic smile, "Miss Su seems quite busy."

Su Lingyue turned her head at the sound and smiled. "Not busy. Just having dinner. I just needed to let someone know."

Zhou Yan scoffed, "Such a big company and they still don't trust you to go out for a meeting?"

Su Lingyue said, "Of course, it's not the company. It's my girlfriend."

Zhou Yan's smile faltered slightly. "Girlfriend?"

Then he remembered the rumors.

The rumors about Su Lingyue and Shen Yuan being close.

Subconsciously, Zhou Yan asked, "President Shen?"

Su Lingyue turned her head, her expression righteous. "Of course not. How could it be Shen Yuan?"

She directly used Shen Yuan's name.

Zhou Yan was suspicious. "You've been quite close to President Shen recently."

Su Lingyue said, "It's my girlfriend. She has some history with Shen Yuan."

Zhou Yan asked, "May I know who…?"

Su Lingyue handed over her phone, her expression open. "Want to know who it is? Here, take a look. I was just messaging her."

Zhou Yan's hand reached out to take the phone.

Su Lingyue said, "However, she has a bit of a temper, values her privacy, and especially hates it when people know her private matters."

Zhou Yan's fingers, about to touch the phone, paused. "Is that so?"

Su Lingyue said, "Manager Zhou, wouldn't you know if you just took a look?"

She was so straightforward.

Zhou Yan, on the contrary, wasn't as certain as he was at the beginning. He thought he knew Su Lingyue well enough to know she wouldn’t speak without purpose. Besides, Su Lingyue being close to Shen Yuan recently was a fact. And the people Shen Yuan associated with were not ordinary. The fact that Su Lingyue could address Shen Yuan by name meant that this person, even if not a friend of Shen Yuan, was definitely someone of higher standing.

He heard that Su Lingyue had almost been fired by Ji Zhiyi several times at Yilin, but later everything had smoothed over. In the end, Ji Zhiyi had even gone abroad.

Zhou Yan's gaze was suspicious. "According to what you're saying, there's no need for you to come to Su Qi personally, right?"

Su Lingyue smiled. "I don't want to be here either."

She looked at Zhou Yan, her gaze firm. "Manager Zhou, you wouldn't happen to not know that I've already made a deal with Shen Yuan, would you?"

Zhou Yan truly didn't know about this. He said, "The PV patent is still with Su Qi. You made a deal with President Shen?"

Su Lingyue said, "Hasn't your second batch of patent allocations been fully finalized yet?"

Zhou Yan's expression changed.

This was internal information only Su Qi and Dingsheng would know.

Shen Yuan had called Zhou Shiyu yesterday, saying she wanted to add a patent. They hadn't discussed the details, but he was next to her and had overheard it. So, Shen Yuan was talking about the PV patent?

Zhou Yan laid his cards on the table. "Why negotiate with Su Qi?"

Su Lingyue was silent for a few seconds. "No matter what, I'm still part of the Su family."

Zhou Yan looked at her sideways. Su Lingyue kept her face impassive, gazing out the car window. Her profile was calm. Zhou Yan looked at her phone, his fingers curling and uncurling. Several times he wanted to grab Su Lingyue's phone, but in the end, he just crossed his arms, maintaining that posture until they arrived at Haotai.

Of course, Zhou Yan couldn't completely trust Su Lingyue. After arriving, he wanted to make a call to inquire about the news. Su Lingyue, seeing this, made space for him, saying, "I'm going to the restroom."

Then she picked up her bag and left the private room.

Su Lingyue stood at the door of the private room for a few minutes, then, clutching her phone, she turned into the fire escape beside it.

She hadn't gone far when someone said, "Huh?"

Yang Zhizhi asked, "What is it?"

"Zhizhi, I think I saw Assistant Su."

Yang Zhizhi stiffened. "Su Lingyue?"

The assistant quickly nodded. "Yes, Assistant Su. She just went that way."

She pointed towards the fire escape.

Yang Zhizhi had just finished eating and had an engagement in the afternoon. Logically, she should have left, but hearing this, she hesitated for a few seconds and said to her assistant, "Wait for me in the car."

The assistant didn't suspect anything and responded with an "Oh."

Yang Zhizhi followed.

Su Lingyue called Ji Zhiyi after entering the fire escape.

The call was picked up before the ringtone even finished, but there was no sound.

Su Lingyue hesitated. "Are you angry?"

Ji Zhiyi didn't respond, and only after a few seconds did she ask, "Where's Zhou Yan?"

Su Lingyue said, "In the private room."

She rubbed her ear.

Ji Zhiyi said, "Lingyue, I don't want you to do this."

Su Lingyue said, "Then I don't want you to hand over the Haoyue series to someone else."

Ji Zhiyi said, "This isn't the same thing!"

"It is the same thing!" Su Lingyue said, "Am I stupid? Can't I judge for myself whether it's the same thing or not? Are you the only one with a spirit of dedication, the only one who can make sacrifices, the only one who's amazing?"

She finished speaking as if venting, and Ji Zhiyi was silenced by her retort.

Su Lingyue's chest heaved after she finished speaking. After finding out last night, she hadn't confronted Ji Zhiyi, holding it all in. Did Ji Zhiyi really think she had no temper at all? Ji Zhiyi had done so much without saying a word, and Su Lingyue was both angry and heartbroken.

Ji Zhiyi remained silent.

Su Lingyue said, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Ji Zhiyi's voice lowered. "I'm afraid of being scolded by you."

She also seemed a bit aggrieved.

Su Lingyue: ...

Was she that fierce?

She bit her lip and said to Ji Zhiyi, "Then be careful next time."

Ji Zhiyi chuckled. "Mm, I'll be careful next time."

She was so obedient that Su Lingyue felt another wave of frustration.

She said, "Then I'll go back in now."

Ji Zhiyi called out, "Lingyue."

Her tone was a bit serious, becoming formal.

Su Lingyue subconsciously straightened, holding the phone close to her ear. She heard Ji Zhiyi ask, "If your cooperation with Su Qi this time means you'll never be able to bring down Su Qi again, will you still cooperate with them?"

After asking, Ji Zhiyi closed her eyes.

It seemed she could accept any answer from Su Lingyue, but a strange sense of anticipation still arose. Su Lingyue was silent for two seconds, then her voice suddenly lowered. "Will there be... no chance in the future?"

Ji Zhiyi said, "I'm sorry."

She said sorry a little too often.

So often that it ached Su Lingyue's heart.

This time hurt the most.

It hurt so much she wanted to cry, her eyes instantly burning. The thing she had once looked forward to most now had to be exchanged for the thing Ji Zhiyi cherished most. She patted her cheeks and said to Ji Zhiyi, "Just be happy, okay!"

Ji Zhiyi didn't say anything.

Su Lingyue sniffled. "Just be happy, Ji Zhiyi!"

Her eyes were red-rimmed, her voice choked with tears, but she still said firmly, "I give up."

Ji Zhiyi gripped her phone tightly, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. Her heart trembled. Su Lingyue's voice seemed both near and far, but she heard it clearly. She said, "I give up."

For her.

Su Lingyue gave up on bringing down Su Qi.

Ji Zhiyi hung up the phone and stared at it, wondering if she was dreaming.

She pinched her cheek. It hurt. Her foot hurt, her face hurt, her heart hurt. A pain like she'd never felt before, tearing at every nerve. The roar that filled her chest made her want to rush to Su Lingyue's side the next second and embrace her completely.

Su Lingyue hung up the phone, took two deep breaths, and suppressed the burning in her eyes. Then she turned and walked out of the fire escape. There was someone standing outside. She called out, "Miss Yang?"

Yang Zhizhi had been standing there for a few minutes. She had originally intended to go in and see if Su Lingyue needed help. Hearing what sounded like a phone call, she had moved further away. Now, seeing Su Lingyue come out, her eyes still a little red, she couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright?"

Su Lingyue said, "I'm fine."

She asked Yang Zhizhi, "Why are you here?"

Yang Zhizhi said, "The crew had a dinner gathering."

Su Lingyue nodded and said, "I still have some things to do, so I'll be going now."

Yang Zhizhi wanted to call out as she watched Su Lingyue's retreating figure, but didn't know what to say. Back in the car, her assistant asked, "Zhizhi, did you see Assistant Su?"

Yang Zhizhi turned to look at her assistant. "Why?"

The assistant said, "Nothing, I was just worried about whether she would be bullied by Zhou Yan."

Yang Zhizhi frowned. "Zhou Yan?"

The assistant said, "Yes, I heard she was going to discuss business with Zhou Yan."

Yang Zhizhi asked, "She's discussing business with Zhou Yan?"

The assistant explained, "I heard it's something about a patent her company has, and they need Su Qi's authorization. They're practically begging Su Qi right now."

Then, lowering her voice, she added, "Zhou Yan just called a few men inside."

They were all the same as Zhou Yan, rich second-generation kids living off their family fortunes; practically hooligans, a den of thieves.

Zhou Yan and Su Lingyue also had a history.

Yang Zhizhi's heart instantly clenched. Remembering seeing Su Lingyue's slightly red eyes just now, she bit her lip. The assistant asked her, "Zhizhi, shall we go now?"

"Wait," Yang Zhizhi said. "Wait."

She looked towards the hotel.

Su Lingyue was inside. Zhou Yan was inside.

Yang Zhizhi knew all too well what kind of things could happen. She wasn't a newcomer anymore, and she certainly understood. But the more she understood, the more anxious and conflicted she became. She looked at her phone and said to her assistant, "Wait here for me for a moment."

The assistant was worried. "Zhizhi!"

Yang Zhizhi looked at her and said, "I'll be back soon."

She gritted her teeth, got out of the car, and quickly walked into Haotai. When she reached the door of the private room, she stopped and looked at her phone. Inside were the evidence of Zhou Yan's past attempts to take advantage of her. Her manager had given her the evidence before leaving.

Yang Zhizhi knew what would happen if everyone found out about this evidence.

She would probably be blacklisted.

Regardless of whether it was her fault or not, causing a negative impact would lead to being blacklisted. Especially with evidence related to a 'scandal'.

But this evidence could help Su Lingyue escape this situation.

It could help her reach an agreement with Zhou Yan.

Yang Zhizhi's hand gripped the doorknob several times, but she didn't have the courage to push it down. She could almost hear Su Lingyue's cries for help in her ears. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her temples, her hand trembling slightly. Finally, she grasped the doorknob. Someone behind her said, "Excuse me."

It was a woman's voice.

She turned around.

She saw a woman in a business suit nod slightly at her, then open the door to the private room. Following behind the woman was Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan's expression was indifferent as she passed by her, her high heels clicking against the marble floor with each step, as if stepping on Yang Zhizhi's heart.

Crushing what she had once thought was love into smithereens.

Yang Zhizhi smiled as the door closed.

She laughed at her own misery.

She laughed at her own cowardice.

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