My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 19

“I hope you will be happy forever.”

“Who scratched this out? This is so unethical,” Shen Jiuyue said, seeking justice for the unknown individual.

Ji Zeyuan lowered her head in silence, thinking to herself: A normal person wouldn’t usually do something so detrimental to others without benefiting themselves; I probably came back and scratched it out myself.

But why?

Ji Zeyuan fell into deep thought. Her already flat and dull mood was stirred by this crossed-out sentence, becoming somber and sorrowful.

Shen Jiuyue silently observed the quiet Ji Zeyuan.

The dim light of the restaurant cast an ambiguous hue over Ji Zeyuan’s face. Combined with her perpetually slightly furrowed brows, it created a naturally melancholic temperament.

“President Ji, I saw a news report about you before… it was a bit private. It said you’ve never been in a relationship. Is that true?” Shen Jiuyue asked, resting her chin on her hand and blinking.

Ji Zeyuan lifted her gaze to glance at her and said somewhat bluntly, “Miss Shen, does that have anything to do with you?”

Being struck by such a direct rebuff, Shen Jiuyue froze in surprise.

Was Ji Zeyuan actually showing emotion?

In the past, the version of Ji Zeyuan that Shen Jiuyue had seen—while not exactly warm—was at least tranquil, giving off the impression of someone who had no interest in anything. She certainly didn’t seem like the type to get angry over a simple inquiry.

As Shen Jiuyue pondered silently, Ji Zeyuan lowered her head again, returning to her usual cold demeanor.

“Then can I ask it this way?” Shen Jiuyue reformulated her words. “President Ji, are you currently single?”

Ji Zeyuan looked up at her again. Before she could speak, Shen Jiuyue quickly added, “President Ji, this is very relevant. It’s very important to me.”

The atmosphere thickened for a few seconds. Ji Zeyuan’s expression was awkward, and she answered with visible reluctance, “Yes.”

Shen Jiuyue breathed a sigh of relief, her tone becoming light and airy. “Has President Ji ever considered what kind of partner you’d want in the future?”

After speaking, she stared at Ji Zeyuan with anticipation, swallowing nervously.

Ji Zeyuan narrowed her eyes at her and spoke slowly, “No. I am a proponent of celibacy. I intend to remain unmarried and childless for life.”

Shen Jiuyue: “…”

Shen Jiuyue curled her lips helplessly. “President Ji, you’re supposed to be apologizing to me today, right? Why are you speaking so aggressively?”

Ji Zeyuan replied calmly, “Apologies. I thought I was simply answering your questions normally.”

That wasn’t wrong. Shen Jiuyue felt frustrated at being silenced by Ji Zeyuan’s bluntness but couldn’t find a flaw in her logic.

The dishes began to arrive one after another. The aroma of the food was rich, and Shen Jiuyue temporarily fell silent to focus on eating.

Before picking up her chopsticks, Ji Zeyuan took a photo. She carefully ensured that Shen Jiuyue was not in the frame before sending the photo to Zhang Linen.

“I’m eating. Have you eaten?”

The message received a reply almost instantly: “Not yet.”

“Are you eating alone?”

Ji Zeyuan replied: “Yes. Take a photo for me when you eat; don’t just settle for fast food again.”

“Okay.”

“But are you really eating alone?”

The corners of Ji Zeyuan’s mouth twitched slightly. She thought: I checked the photo this time; no one else is in the frame. No matter how many times you ask, I’m alone.

“You ordered so many dishes for just one person?”

Zhang Linen’s unexpectedly meticulous train of thought made Ji Zeyuan unable to suppress a smile.

“Everything looked delicious, so I accidentally ordered it all.”

After thinking for a moment, Ji Zeyuan deleted that line. With Zhang Linen’s rigorous way of thinking, such an obviously flimsy excuse would never fool her.

“I was originally eating with a business partner, but she had something urgent come up right after the food was ordered and had to leave.”

Across from her, Shen Jiuyue watched Ji Zeyuan busily typing on her phone and couldn’t help but ask, “Who is President Ji messaging? You’re smiling so happily.”

Ji Zeyuan looked up, her smile fading slightly as she gave a perfunctory answer. “Work.”

Shen Jiuyue: “…”

What kind of ‘work’ involves sharing photos of your meal?

This time, Zhang Linen’s reply was slower. About five minutes passed before she wrote: “It looks good. I’ll come try it sometime too.”

Ji Zeyuan replied with a faint smile: “It’s too far away. There are good restaurants everywhere; no need to come all this way. If you want to taste it, I’ll hire the chef to come to the house and cook for you.”

“That’s too much trouble. I’m not that greedy.”

Shen Jiuyue ate mechanically, finding that the delicious food tasted like wax.

To get a breath of air from this suffocating atmosphere, Shen Jiuyue stood up and said, “President Ji, I’m going to the restroom.”

Without even lifting her head, Ji Zeyuan gave a soft “Mm.” Shen Jiuyue sighed almost imperceptibly, pulled on her mask, and left the booth.

As noon approached, the restaurant was becoming crowded. Shen Jiuyue carefully navigated through the flow of people to reach the restroom.

She leaned against the sink in exhaustion, staring blankly for five minutes until someone brushed past her, snapping her out of her daze.

Forget it. Why hang myself from a single tree?

Thinking this, Shen Jiuyue turned on the faucet to wash her hands, feeling much more refreshed.

Her steps were light as she headed back, so light that she didn’t notice the pedestrian walking toward her.

She bumped into a tall man, about thirty years old. His companion behind him was shorter and younger, appearing to be in his early twenties.

Shen Jiuyue was knocked back two steps. She lowered her head, about to apologize, but the man had already started shouting loudly: “Don’t you have eyes? Do you know how to walk?”

Endure for a moment, and the wind and waves will calm, Shen Jiuyue repeated the phrase in her mind. She didn’t want to start a fight with a stranger here and be recognized.

“I am truly sorry for causing you trouble,” Shen Jiuyue said.

Her posture was very humble, but the man remained relentless. He even began to push and shove her, saying, “This is your attitude for an apology? Do you think I’m easy to bully?”

This was clearly a deliberate provocation. Although Shen Jiuyue wanted to settle the matter peacefully, she couldn’t stand a villain looking for trouble. She immediately dropped her submissive attitude and quietly assessed the person in front of her.

The man appeared to be an Alpha, his pheromones aggressively released without restraint—clearly an intentional act.

The companion behind him didn’t seem affected by the man’s pheromones; he was likely a Beta, or perhaps a partner already marked. Judging from the lack of intimate social distance between the two, the former was more likely.

Shen Jiuyue was a Premium Omega; her pheromones could completely suppress ordinary Alphas and Omegas.

“Move,” Shen Jiuyue said in a low, unfriendly voice.

As she spoke, she began to release suppressive pheromones. The man’s expression changed instantly, and he stammered, “Tch… I’ll let you go today!”

Having said that, he turned to flee, and Shen Jiuyue breathed a small sigh of relief. Suddenly, with a loud “thud,” she looked up sharply. The man had fallen to the ground.

Ji Zeyuan had appeared in front of them at some unknown moment. With a cold expression, she had one foot pinned on the man’s chest while her hand gripped his companion’s collar.

“Hand over the photos,” Ji Zeyuan said coldly. Her Premium Alpha suppressive pheromones were released wantonly, forcing everyone passing by to retreat five meters away.

The man’s face turned pale, and he shouted roughly through his tremors, “Idiot, give them to her!”

The companion was so terrified he was shaking as he handed over a miniature camera hidden at his chest.

Ji Zeyuan took it and, without hesitation, threw the miniature camera onto the ground, crushing it to pieces with her foot.

“Get out.” Ji Zeyuan lifted her foot and released the other man. The two scrambled away, stumbling in their haste to escape.

Shen Jiuyue witnessed the whole thing in amazement, rendered speechless by the shock.

Ji Zeyuan, however, acted as if nothing had happened. she glanced calmly at Shen Jiuyue and said, “Let’s go.”

Shen Jiuyue nodded dumbly.

Only as they walked out of the restaurant did Shen Jiuyue realize what had happened. She stole a glance at Ji Zeyuan and asked curiously, “President Ji, why did you come out? Were you looking for me?”

Ji Zeyuan explained plainly, “You were out for a bit too long. I thought you might have been recognized and held up.”

A wave of warmth flowed through Shen Jiuyue’s heart, and she instantly threw her earlier “forget it” thought to the back of her mind.

“The roller coaster is right ahead! Let’s go ride it together.” Shen Jiuyue pointed to the roller coaster operating in the distance.

Ji Zeyuan looked in the direction of her finger. The sky-shaking wails rose and fell like waves in the ocean.

Her gaze was unconsciously drawn to an old building not far from the roller coaster—a self-service photo sticker booth.

“This place…” Ji Zeyuan looked away in a daze, murmuring, “I think I’ve been here.”

Shen Jiuyue looked with confusion at Ji Zeyuan, who stood frozen with a shifting expression. She carefully poked Ji Zeyuan’s shoulder and asked, “President Ji, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Jiuyue’s voice broke Ji Zeyuan’s meditation. She withdrew her gaze and her thoughts.

“No. Let’s go,” Ji Zeyuan said, lowering her brows.

Time passed quickly. After only a few attractions, it was already three o’clock.

“President Ji, I had a great time today. I hope…” Shen Jiuyue hesitated. She originally wanted to say she hoped for another chance to come out together, but after a moment’s thought, she felt it wasn’t the right time. Given Ji Zeyuan’s personality, she would likely say “No,” which would ruin the mood.

“I hope you are as happy as I am,” Shen Jiuyue smiled. After saying this, she took off her mask, revealing her stunning beauty.

Ji Zeyuan frowned, not understanding.

People nearby soon recognized Shen Jiuyue, and screams erupted one after another.

“Is President Ji prepared to be on the front page tomorrow?” Shen Jiuyue gave a mischievous smile. Ji Zeyuan relaxed her brow but said nothing.

Passersby swarmed around. Though there weren’t many, it was enough to block the exit completely.

Shen Jiuyue’s manager arrived just in time. Seeing the crowded scene, the manager nearly fainted from anger as security guards hurried forward to maintain order.

Ji Zeyuan didn’t stay any longer. She turned and left the chaotic scene.

However, she didn’t leave the amusement park immediately. Instead, she doubled back to that Anhui-style restaurant from earlier.

Ji Zeyuan stood in front of the restaurant, looking at the photo booth from a distance. She took out her phone and scrolled through the album she hadn’t looked at in a long time, titled “With Zhang Linen.”

From age five to nineteen, it contained almost all of her memories with Zhang Linen.

During every lonely, agonizing night abroad, Ji Zeyuan would flip through these photos, to the point where Mia had become familiar with the face of Zhang Linen despite never meeting her.

Ji Zeyuan searched and screened every photo, finally finding this familiar scene in the folder from when she was fourteen.

A blurry roller coaster, and the photo booth that was freshly painted and not yet old.

Below that were sticker photos of her and Zhang Linen, the two of them sitting on a double seat on the carousel, Ji Zeyuan pinching Zhang Linen’s cheek, and distorted handwriting left on a wall in red ink.

Deep memories began to surge. In an instant, the surrounding scenery found its reflection in her memory.

Ji Zeyuan’s body felt weak, and her heart ached to the point where she could hardly breathe.

She turned and walked into the restaurant. It wasn’t mealtime, so there were no customers inside.

When Ji Zeyuan entered, the two staff members on duty stood up to greet her but froze the moment they saw her. The older staff member asked, “Ma’am, did you leave something behind?”

Ji Zeyuan’s eyes were red. She closed them, holding back her urge to cry, and asked politely, “I really like the food here. I would like to leave a message on the wall. Is that alright?”

The staff member took a couple of seconds to react, then smiled and said, “Of course! Where would you like to leave it? Our customers love leaving messages in the shop.”

With that, the staff member brought several oil-based markers for Ji Zeyuan—blue, black, and red.

Ji Zeyuan took the red one and thanked them politely, “Thank you.”

Then, Ji Zeyuan walked into the booth where they had just eaten. A short while later, she finished writing. After returning the pen to the staff, she left the shop directly.

After Ji Zeyuan left, the younger staff member asked curiously, “What do you think she wrote? She’s been gone so long and then ran back just to leave a message.”

The older staff member was also quite curious. She nudged the younger one with her elbow and said, “Let’s go look.”

Carrying their curiosity, the two lifted the curtain of the booth. They saw that above the original message that had been scratched out with black pen, a new blessing had been written in bright red oil ink.

“I hope you will be happy forever.”