Princess Syndrome - Chapter 137
Chapter 137: The End
Su Lingyue didn't even find out who had called her before she fell asleep. When she had gone to answer the call, Ji Zhiyi had leaned close to her ear and laughed. Su Lingyue realized that she had been teased. She turned her head to look at Ji Zhiyi. Under the flickering light, Ji Zhiyi's features were even more defined. She lost her temper because of her laughter, and she started laughing too.
Of course, they hadn’t had dinner either. The two of them had made do with the cake and then had gone to sleep. The next day, as dawn broke, Su Lingyue was woken by her alarm. Ji Zhiyi also opened her eyes. Only after the two of them had lingered in bed for a long while did Su Lingyue finally turn off the alarm. Her voice was lethargic as she asked Ji Zhiyi, "Are you going home today?"
Ji Zhiyi: "Yeah, I’m going to the new company today."
Su Lingyue complained, "You're not even resting for a few days."
Ji Zhiyi said, "I’ll rest in a few days."
Su Lingyue knew that Ji Zhiyi would have to participate in the grand annual meeting. When she had been making the schedule, she had seen Ji Zhiyi’s name. At the time, Zhang Ting had been excited. "Is President Ji coming back?"
Wu Meiyan had laughed. "Who said President Ji is representing Yilin?"
Zhang Ting had been puzzled. Su Lingyue looked at Wu Meiyan. Wu Meiyan, who was at the head office, knew more news than Zhang Ting and the others. She probably knew that Ji Zhiyi had left Yilin, but she didn't say much.
Su Lingyue nodded. "Then, I'll go home tonight."
Ji Zhiyi said, "Okay."
After the matter had been happily settled, Su Lingyue went to work with a bright smile on her face. The secretaries who were setting up the venue with her noticed her happiness and couldn’t help but ask, "Assistant Su, is there anything good happening?"
Su Lingyue said, "I’m going home tonight."
What kind of good news was that?
Everyone was usually exhausted, and driving back for such a long time was tiring, so they were too lazy to go home. Besides, Su Lingyue’s parents weren’t around anymore. Instead of feeling sad, she was actually so happy to go home?
Although no one understood, they didn’t ask much. Only Zhang Ting, when she heard the news during lunch, was suppressing a laugh.
She wasn't in the same venue as Su Lingyue today, she was in the one next door, so they hadn't had a chance to meet.
Now, hearing everyone discuss Su Lingyue, she explained, "You guys don't know anything. Home is not just about your parents. You also have your partner."
The others realized it and then became curious. "Where is her partner from?"
This question had troubled everyone for a long time, but no one had been able to come up with an answer. If it hadn't been Su Lingyue admitting it herself, everyone would have thought that the rumor was false. Zhang Ting said, "It's from our company."
"Office relationships are really easy to start."
"I'm so envious. If only I had gone to Yilin too."
"Just because you went to Yilin, would Assistant Su take a liking to you? It’s not like she’s desperate."
"What do you mean? What's wrong with me?" The man retorted. Zhang Ting glanced at him, looking disdainful. Even if there was nothing wrong with him, Su Lingyue wouldn't like him!
They were discussing it heatedly while Su Lingyue was working seriously. The venue set-up was reaching the final stage. The things that needed to be done had mostly been completed. Some of the secretaries had already applied to go home early. Originally, Wu Meiyan had also wanted to apply to go home, but Zhang Ting had begged her to stay for two more days. She couldn’t help it. She ended up staying for two more days. As they were finishing up, Su Lingyue stood at the entrance.
In the past, she had only been a participant, so she had never paid attention to the venue setup. She didn’t know that there were so many hardships behind it. Wu Meiyan, holding her bag, saw her. "Assistant Su."
Su Lingyue turned her head and saw Wu Meiyan. She called out, "Sister Wu."
Wu Meiyan asked, "Did Zhang Ting leave?"
Su Lingyue said, "Yes, she left in the morning."
Wu Meiyan said, "Do you want me to send you off?"
Su Lingyue: "No need, I drove here."
Wu Meiyan laughed, "Rest well tomorrow, you've been working hard for a while now."
Su Lingyue nodded. "You too."
Two simple words contained all their hard work during this time. Wu Meiyan walked out of the venue with Su Lingyue, chatting casually. "It seems like Yilin still plans to have a price war with Dingsheng before the new year."
Su Lingyue knew about this. The atmosphere in the venue had been strange these past two days. That had been part of the reason. As far as the market was concerned, Dingsheng and Yilin were both big brands. Especially with Yilin’s launch of the Dual Life series, their brand recognition had risen to another level. Based on how fast Yilin had been expanding before, they definitely weren't content with this and would definitely continue to develop. But when Ji Zhiyi had been at Yilin, she had been the one who had set many of the policies. After Ji Zhiyi had left Yilin for half a year, Yilin had remained stagnant. Aside from Dual Life, they hadn't made any other achievements, so everyone thought that maybe Yilin was going to ask Ji Zhiyi to go back.
But Yilin hadn't asked Ji Zhiyi to go back.
And they were still attacking Dingsheng.
This was unexpected. Even those who weren't that sensitive could smell the gunpowder in the air.
Wu Meiyan was in the secretariat at Yilin headquarters, so her sources were more numerous and accurate than theirs. Su Lingyue said, "Sister Wu, it seems like you'll be busy again."
"When am I ever not busy?" Wu Meiyan's attitude was calm. Ever since Su Qi had been slowly dismantled and she had been transferred to the head office, she had already prepared herself. Su Lingyue turned her head to look at her. Wu Meiyan made eye contact with her for two seconds before laughing.
Just as they were reaching the entrance, Wu Meiyan received a call. After listening, she said, "Okay, I'll be right there."
Su Lingyue said, "Then, Sister Wu, you should go and be busy with your things."
Wu Meiyan nodded. "See you in two days."
Su Lingyue said, "See you in two days."
After saying this, a black sedan honked its horn. The sound was clear and sharp. Su Lingyue looked over and smiled at Wu Meiyan. "I'm leaving first."
Wu Meiyan asked curiously, "Is that your friend?"
Su Lingyue didn’t hesitate. "My girlfriend."
Wu Meiyan nodded hesitantly, looking at that black sedan. She felt like she had seen it before, but it was too far away, and the car windows were blacked out. She couldn't see who was inside. The car drove off. Though Wu Meiyan felt doubtful, she didn't think much of it. She hadn’t expected to see the car a second time so soon.
It was parked next to her, but no one was in it. She was wondering if Su Lingyue had come in her girlfriend's car when she realized that Su Lingyue still hadn't arrived at the venue.
"The people from the branch haven’t arrived yet." A statistical assistant asked Wu Meiyan, "What’s wrong? Sister Wu, are you looking for someone?"
Wu Meiyan said, "No, has anyone arrived yet?"
"A few of the bosses have arrived." The assistant said softly, "President Ji has also come."
Wu Meiyan was a bit surprised. "So early?"
Ji Zhiyi usually always came right before it was about to start. The assistant laughed. "I saw her just now. She's with President Shen."
Shen Yuan had also arrived?
Wu Meiyan felt that it didn’t fit her usual style. When she arrived at the venue, she saw that Ji Zhiyi and Shen Yuan were chatting harmoniously. The two of them were sitting on a sofa in the corner. They were surrounded by display cabinets. Red carpets stretched to the steps. The lights were dazzling, making the venue bright. Even though it was still broad daylight outside, it felt like it was already time for an evening party.
She scanned the room, put on an earpiece, and not finding anything wrong, she was about to go out when she saw people walking in at the door. It was Zhang Ting and the others. Su Lingyue was among them. Everyone was wearing evening gowns. Su Lingyue’s was simpler, a form-fitting white dress. Her hair was loose, hanging behind her back. The color wasn't bright, but she was still eye-catching. She was beautiful like a landscape painting. When she walked through the entrance, it was as if she was bringing her own spotlight. Even the light from the crystal lamps on her was a softer color than on the others.
The person next to Wu Meiyan sighed, "I wouldn't be able to look that good, even if I had plastic surgery."
She laughed. "Go and get busy."
Su Lingyue walked in with Zhang Ting and Secretary Li. She saw that many people had already arrived. Although it hadn't officially started yet, they were already clinking glasses. Zhang Ting, upon entering, picked up a signal. "President Shen's over there."
Secretary Li said next to her, "Their new year promotion style clashed with ours."
Zhang Ting said, "Not only that, but I heard from sales that they’ve been having meetings recently."
They were loud and boisterous, so it was hard not to hear them.
Su Lingyue walked in. Zhang Ting said excitedly, "President Ji is also here."
Secretary Li asked, "Does that mean we’ll be able to see the last pair of Haoyue shoes later?"
Zhang Ting nodded. "It's great that we get to see it first. It’s such an honor. Do you know how many brands wanted to come today but didn't get a spot?"
Secretary Li said, "Yeah, there were even people who wanted to use me to get a spot."
She was just a small secretary; how was she able to help?
As Su Lingyue listened to them, she looked around. She saw the person in charge of Aron. That person was surrounded by a few people, men and women. They were dressed exquisitely, with impeccable manners. Su Lingyue recognized two of them. They were collectors.
She glanced around again, and Ji Zhiyi was also surrounded by a few people. She was sitting across from Shen Yuan, holding a glass of red wine. Occasionally, she would clink glasses with the people beside her, her expression calm.
She suddenly thought about how, over these past few years, Ji Zhiyi had often appeared in front of her with this kind of expression, and she had never paid attention?
Thinking this, Su Lingyue’s heart was twisted. It hurt.
She picked up a glass. A brand representative came over to greet her. Su Lingyue nodded and smiled, taking a sip of wine.
Ji Zhiyi glanced at her actions out of the corner of her eye, shaking the glass in her hand. The red wine gently swirled inside. She heard Shen Yuan say, "Assistant Su has arrived."
The others were surprised that she mentioned a small assistant, but they didn’t dare ask more. Ji Zhiyi looked up and paused. "Is Sister Yunlu not coming today?"
Shen Yuan said, "She wanted to come, but she wasn’t feeling well today."
In reality, it was because Jiang Ya was coming today, and Jiang Yunlu didn't want to run into her, so she was avoiding it.
Jiang Ya would be coming.
Ye Qiuyun would also be coming.
The two brands had been in a price war recently. Other brands were all just watching, wondering if Ji Zhiyi and Shen Yuan would start fighting, but the two of them were chatting happily. On the other hand, Jiang Ya and Ye Qiuyun were sitting on opposite sides, seemingly secretly competing with each other.
The atmosphere in the venue was changing rapidly. Everyone was clever, not participating or discussing, just casually chatting about some unimportant topics.
Baoshun was the last to arrive.
It wasn't Chairman He who had come personally, but his daughter. She was currently the head of Baoshun. She was good at investing. She had brought a lot of business to Baoshun, had sharp eyes, and was decisive, but she didn't like socializing. She rarely appeared in public. She hadn't expected that she would come to the annual meeting this time.
There were quite a few people discussing it.
"Has President He come too?"
"It's said that she's here for that pair of Haoyue shoes."
"Those people over there are all here for those shoes, right? Is President Ji planning to auction them?"
"They haven't said anything about an auction. They're just here to try their luck."
After all, the Haoyue series had never said anything about being auctioned, but this time, the last piece of art from Haoyue was being displayed at the annual meeting. If Ji Zhiyi changed her mind and decided to participate in an auction, then it wouldn't be worth it if they hadn't come, so the people who could come all came.
Su Lingyue stood by the window, next to a white paulownia table. The smooth porcelain surface reflected the venue, making it even more colorful and dazzling. The lights were golden. The secretaries were either next to their bosses or sitting to the side. Wu Meiyan had gone to look for Jiang Ya.
Zhang Ting patted her shoulder. "Hasn't the display cabinet been brought out yet?"
Just as she said that, the emcee went on stage, giving a beautiful and official speech. Everyone listened without really paying attention, continuing to clink glasses and chat with the people next to them, but their voices were a lot quieter. Only when the display cabinets were pushed out one by one did the venue quieten down.
Su Lingyue also gripped her glass, looking over each display cabinet. These were all the works of art that the four brands had collected. Of course, there were also some new products, like the Dual Life series, which was also there. Soon, the display cabinets were arranged on both sides of the red carpet. The spotlights were suspended over the cabinets, adding a bit of aloofness and preciousness.
Although it was said to be a meeting that was jointly organized by the four brands, there was always one main organizer each year. This year, Yilin was the main organizer, so Ji Zhiyi had agreed to let them display the final piece of the Haoyue series. It was actually a way to choose between Dingsheng and Yilin. Su Lingyue knew her. Although she had broken ties with Jiang Ya, she wouldn't really do anything that would betray the company.
This could be considered the final return to Jiang Ya for the care she had once shown her.
She knew this, and Jiang Ya naturally knew it as well. Of the people who had come here today, it was no exaggeration to say that a third of them had come for the Haoyue series. This was the first time that Yilin had hosted the grand annual meeting, but so many people had come to support them. Regardless of the reasons, they had all come. This was an honor for Yilin.
So Jiang Ya had tacitly approved Ji Zhiyi opening a new company.
She knew that if she didn't approve, she would gain another enemy, and she couldn't afford to be attacked on all sides right now.
But the feeling of being controlled by others was truly annoying!
Jiang Ya tipped back a glass of wine. Then, she heard the emcee get to the main point. "Finally, of course, the one that everyone is most interested in, the Haoyue series..."
Su Lingyue looked up as she watched the display cabinet being pushed to the space they had left on the red carpet. The venue became silent. Everyone looked over. Su Lingyue had worn this pair of shoes, but even at this moment, they felt a bit surreal.
There were many who shared her feelings. Zhang Ting was eager to move forward, but she didn't dare to compete with the bosses for space, so she had to stand at the back, craning her neck to look. Secretary Li, being quick-witted, pulled out her phone, opened her camera, and kept zooming in until her screen was filled with diamond cut facets. She exclaimed, "If I could just touch it, I’d be so happy."
It would be really great.
Su Lingyue thought that the feeling of stepping into these shoes was like stepping onto a cloud, onto the moon, like you were in a dream. She still couldn't believe it.
While no one was paying attention, she sent Ji Zhiyi a smiley face.
Everyone's gaze was on the display cabinet that had just been pushed out. Ji Zhiyi looked down and saw Su Lingyue's message. She laughed. She looked at Su Lingyue through the crowd and was about to walk towards her when the emcee said, "Next, please welcome President Ji to say a few words."
Ji Zhiyi paused and turned to look at the emcee. Then she looked at Jiang Ya.
Jiang Ya was looking at her from afar. She raised her glass and took a sip of wine. Ji Zhiyi understood. She was using Yilin to make her a wedding dress. Jiang Ya was now going along with it, knowing that the new company would not be able to be established. She had clearly planned to let everyone know that even if Ji Zhiyi was no longer at Yilin, she was still part of Yilin, and that even if she had a new company, it would still be under Yilin.
A good move.
She was indeed the Jiang Ya that she knew.
But by doing this, she was practically handing Ji Zhiyi her cards. She wanted them to rise and fall together. She had probably forgotten that Yilin had originally been built up by Ji Zhiyi. Ji Zhiyi knew the pros and cons even more clearly than her.
Jiang Ya’s move, which seemed like she wanted to tie Ji Zhiyi to her, and let her take the blows, was actually giving Ji Zhiyi a tailwind.
Who would be the lead in the future was still unknown.
Ji Zhiyi didn't expose Jiang Ya's plans. Instead, she collected her thoughts and went up on stage, taking the microphone. From the time she had joined lucky to when she had founded Yilin, Ji Zhiyi didn't know how many times she had stood on the red carpet. She had given numerous speeches, both with and without a script. But today, she didn't want to say anything pretty. Instead, she got straight to the point. "As we all know, the Haoyue series is my favorite series of all my designs. It’s because of the inspiration for this series, which everyone knows about, because of someone I like.”
She was so honest that it took everyone by surprise. Su Lingyue tensed up, looking at Ji Zhiyi.
Ji Zhiyi gripped the microphone and smiled. "But perhaps you don't know why I chose the name 'Haoyue'.”
Zhang Ting whispered in Su Lingyue's ear. "Is President Ji going to auction it?"
So was it her way of expressing her inner feelings before the auction?
Su Lingyue was silent.
Secretary Li's eyes were sparkling. She said confidently, "I told you. President Ji must be heartbroken, so she decided not to create this series anymore."
Just as her words ended, Ji Zhiyi said, "The meaning of Haoyue is confessing to the moon. In high school, I liked a girl very much. In my eyes, she was the moon that I couldn’t reach."
Secretary Li's hands went up to her mouth to clap in excitement! Her face turned red, but she dared not make a sound!
The venue was silent. Everyone's expressions were different. Jiang Ya also gripped her glass tightly as she slowly stood up, looking at Ji Zhiyi.
Ji Zhiyi walked towards the display cabinet, turned off the alarm, and took out the pair of shoes from inside. Looking down at the shoes, she said, "This series, she was the inspiration for it. Without her, there would be no Haoyue series. So this last pair of shoes, I want to give it to her."
After saying this, she looked to the right side of the venue. Everyone’s gazes followed hers, trying to figure out who that 'she' was. Ji Zhiyi said, "Miss Su Lingyue, are you willing to accept it?"
Su Lingyue's heart rate suddenly quickened, and her limbs went numb. Her heart was beating wildly, pounding in her ears. The sounds were muffled and violent. Su Lingyue felt like Ji Zhiyi was proposing to her, but regardless of what it was, she smiled at Ji Zhiyi. "I do."
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