My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 20

Let us stay embraced like this forever.

The midsummer heat was unbearable, the sunlight dazzling and piercing. The cicadas chirped in rhythmic bursts of “zhi-zhi,” and the public benches in the amusement park, exposed to the sun, were as hot as a freshly heated frying pan. Tourists, despite their aching legs, preferred to remain standing.

Ji Zeyuan arrived at the small kiosk, wiping away sweat with a tissue while saying, “Boss, two bottles of ice water.”

The owner responded, “Coming right up!” Just as he was about to grab the water from the freezer, Zhang Linen, standing beside Ji Zeyuan, suddenly spoke up: “Boss, not ice-cold. Room temperature is fine.”

The owner paused, glancing at Ji Zeyuan. Although Ji Zeyuan looked somewhat reluctant, she nonetheless nodded and echoed, “Then room temperature it is.”

The scorching sun parched the soul; such weather was clearly unsuitable for an outing.

Ji Zeyuan shielded her eyes with her hand, looking up at the blazing sun. “I’m sorry, Xiao En. I forgot to check the weather. How about I call the driver to pick us up now, and we can come back another day?”

Taking the water from the owner, Zhang Linen gave a shallow smile and said, “We’re already here. I want to try these rides. My mother was always too busy; I’ve never been here before.”

Ji Zeyuan’s brow twitched slightly. She instantly dropped her previous expression of restless irritation and smiled. “You should have said so earlier! Come on, I’ll take you on everything!”

The first attraction they encountered was the carousel. The queue wasn’t long, and they chose to sit in a simulated double-seated carriage.

As the carousel spun slowly to the sound of cheerful, soothing music, Ji Zeyuan prattled on with a laugh, “This is boring. Let’s go on the roller coaster later—that’s thrilling. And the drop tower…”

Her voice trailed off abruptly because Zhang Linen was gazing intently at the distant roller coaster roaring along its tracks.

Ji Zeyuan followed her gaze and then quickly looked back. Zhang Linen’s eyes were far away, her demeanor serene; amidst the surrounding clamor, she looked like a hermit from another world.

“Xiao En, let’s take a photo,” Ji Zeyuan called softly. Zhang Linen peacefully withdrew her gaze and replied with a shallow smile, “Okay.”

Ji Zeyuan took out her phone and shifted her weight to sit closer to Zhang Linen. Zhang Linen tilted her head as well, and the two pressed intimately together.

A second before the shutter clicked, Ji Zeyuan reached out and gently pinched Zhang Linen’s cheek.

As noon approached, the temperature reached its peak for the day. Unable to withstand the heat any longer, the two went on the rotating swing ride one last time before finding a restaurant to sit down in.

Ji Zeyuan took the menu, flipping through the pages. “Oh, they have stir-fried beef with millet chili here! I—”

Zhang Linen interrupted her. “No. You were just in the hospital last month for acute gastritis. You can’t eat anything spicy, ice-cold, or highly stimulating.”

Ji Zeyuan pouted. “Fine.”

After ordering, Zhang Linen stared blankly at the colorful decorations in the shop.

“It’s really beautiful here,” Zhang Linen murmured to herself. Ji Zeyuan looked around and couldn’t see what was so beautiful about it, but she echoed Zhang Linen regardless: “It is.”

When a waitress passed by their table, Zhang Linen pulled back the curtain and asked somewhat shyly, “Miss, is it okay to leave a message on the wall here?”

Ji Zeyuan was taken aback and whispered, “What message are you going to leave?”

Zhang Linen smiled faintly and ignored her. The waitress was also surprised. “I’m not quite sure about that. Let me go ask the manager for you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” Zhang Linen said, politely bowing her upper body.

The waitress smiled. “You’re very welcome.”

Once the waitress left, Ji Zeyuan followed up curiously, “Xiao En, what exactly are you going to write?”

Zhang Linen pursed her lips and smiled, but still didn’t answer.

A moment later, the waitress returned with a red permanent marker. “Our manager says it’s okay.”

With that, she handed the red pen to Zhang Linen, who received it with both hands and offered another word of thanks.

After the waitress left, Zhang Linen uncapped the pen, stood up, and began writing on the wall.

Because the surface of the wall was rough, writing wasn’t easy, and her handwriting was a bit distorted.

Ji Zeyuan watched silently as Zhang Linen haltingly wrote a single sentence on the white wall: “I hope we can be happy forever.”

“Tsk… that sentence is a bit cheesy,” Ji Zeyuan remarked, rubbing her chin.

Zhang Linen shot her a glance and gave a light huff. “What do you know?”

Ji Zeyuan smiled, then, despite her verbal teasing, took out her phone and snapped a photo of the line of text.

After finishing their meal, they walked out of the restaurant to see the roller coaster in operation right in front of them.

“Wow, that looks pretty good. Let’s go on that,” Ji Zeyuan said while taking a photo with her phone.

Zhang Linen pursed her lips hesitantly. Her eyes inadvertently fell upon a brand-new small hut next to the roller coaster, which was labeled “Self-Service Sticker Photo Booth.”

“We shouldn’t ride the roller coaster right after eating,” Zhang Linen said, looking toward the booth. “Let’s go take some sticker photos.”

Ji Zeyuan leaned in toward Zhang Linen, looked at the booth, and readily agreed. “Let’s go then.”

There were quite a few people waiting for the photo booth; the two queued for over half an hour before it was their turn.

“Phew… finally our turn.” Ji Zeyuan slumped onto the stool in front of the machine, exhausted, lightly massaging her aching thighs.

Zhang Linen didn’t say much; she was quietly adjusting the machine settings.

“How do you take these?” Ji Zeyuan leaned closer to the machine, staring wide-eyed. Zhang Linen pressed the shutter—click—and Ji Zeyuan’s funny expression was captured.

Zhang Linen printed the photo and gave it to Ji Zeyuan. Looking at her “ugly” self in the photo, Ji Zeyuan was stuck between laughter and tears. “Xiao En, why did you sneak-attack me like that?”

“Alright, let’s take another one,” Zhang Linen laughed, grabbing Ji Zeyuan’s wrist to bring her closer to the machine. Ji Zeyuan threw an arm around Zhang Linen’s shoulder, pulling a smile that was even more awkward than her intentional funny face. Zhang Linen smiled naturally.

After leaving the photo booth, Ji Zeyuan kept comparing the two of them in the sticker photos. In the joint photo, Ji Zeyuan’s smile was stiff—a “skin-deep” smile—while Zhang Linen looked gentle, natural, vivid, and beautiful.

“I look so terrible!” Ji Zeyuan complained with a long face. Zhang Linen smiled faintly and said nothing.

Ji Zeyuan stared intently at the photos for a while, her pace slowing down unconsciously. When she looked up again, Zhang Linen was already walking ahead of her.

“Xiao En, wait for me,” Ji Zeyuan called out, catching up and hugging Zhang Linen around the waist from behind.

For girls of fourteen or fifteen, their bodies are at their most sensitive. With such a forceful hug, a numb, electric-like sensation spread from Zhang Linen’s spine. Her whole body shuddered, and she hurriedly slapped Ji Zeyuan’s arms wrapped around her waist. “It tickles! Let go!”

Ji Zeyuan didn’t let go; instead, she pressed her body against Zhang Linen’s slender back, cloyingly rubbing her cheek against Zhang Linen’s. She acted spoiled: “Xiao En, why aren’t you sweating? Your body feels so cool and comfortable. Let us stay embraced like this forever.”

Warm breath brushed against Zhang Linen’s even more sensitive earlobe. Her ears turned a shade of pink, and her voice softened. “It really tickles, Xiao Yuan. Please let me go.”

Seeing Zhang Linen begin to yield, Ji Zeyuan felt a restless itch in her heart and wanted to tease her even more. She pretended to agree and loosened her grip, but just as Zhang Linen breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly pinched Zhang Linen’s waist hard.

“Ah…” Caught off guard by the “attack,” Zhang Linen instinctively let out a soft moan.

But the sound was too soft, too sweet—almost coquettish—completely different from Zhang Linen’s usual serious and cool demeanor. Both of them froze simultaneously.

Ten seconds later, Ji Zeyuan slowly withdrew her hands, blushing from her face down to her toes.

Zhang Linen coughed awkwardly. After hesitating for a few seconds, she turned and continued walking. After a few steps, noticing Ji Zeyuan hadn’t followed, she looked back and called her, “The park is about to close. What are you still standing there for?”

Only then did Ji Zeyuan snap back to her senses, hurriedly trotting to catch up.

…

The main gate of the amusement park was crowded because of Shen Jiuyue. Ji Zeyuan took a long detour through a side gate to find her parking spot.

Before leaving, Ji Zeyuan sat in her car and looked out at the dilapidated amusement park in the distance, feeling a sense of melancholy.

Many things she no longer remembered. To avoid her forbidden feelings for Zhang Linen, she had buried many memories deep away.

That was why she felt so lost when she inadvertently touched a dusty corner of the past.

According to her original schedule, Ji Zeyuan had an internal company meeting to attend at five in the afternoon, but at this moment, she had no strength or energy left.

Ji Zeyuan sent a message to Zhang Linen, asking her to postpone the meeting.

Afterward, Ji Zeyuan chose not to go home but went instead to the Ji family’s private library. She didn’t like drinking or smoking; her way of easing her mind was to sit quietly and read for a while.

When she was feeling depressed, Ji Zeyuan would read some brainless romance novels, peeking into the convoluted but perfect love stories of the characters.

Even if reading them didn’t make her feel any better, it at least served as a distraction, preventing her pain from becoming too concentrated.

Ji Zeyuan became lost in her reading until the library steward reminded her it was late at night; only then did she leave.

The cool summer night breeze was gentle and not biting. Ji Zeyuan opened the car window slightly, and the harmonious breeze brushed through her hair, carrying away the heat from inside the car.

…

“Popular Starlet Shen Jiuyue and Jixia Group CEO Ji Zeyuan Spotted Low-key at Amusement Park; Atmosphere Intimate While Playing Together.”

The next day, the scandal involving Shen Jiuyue and Ji Zeyuan dominated the social media headlines. Major media outlets scrambled to report the news, and the top ten trending topics were all related to photos and videos from that day at the park.

Among those close to Ji Zeyuan, the first to call was Hua Jianjiu.

Before the first light of dawn could fall on Ji Zeyuan’s bed, she was awakened by Hua Jianjiu’s phone call.

“Xiao Yuan, is what the trending topics are saying true?” Hua Jianjiu’s tone was very urgent, and she had a thick nasal voice as if she, too, had just woken up.

Ji Zeyuan checked the time; it was only four o’clock.

However, Hua Jianjiu was somewhat excusable, as Shen Jiuyue was her idol.

After a moment of thought, Ji Zeyuan said, “I’m sorry. Even though she’s your idol…”

Before she could finish, Hua Jianjiu cut her off. “No, wait. Are you really dating Shen Jiuyue?”

Ji Zeyuan pinched the bridge of her nose and said, “Not really, but we did go to the amusement park together. Those photos and videos are real.”

There was a silence on the other end of the line. Ji Zeyuan thought Hua Jianjiu was devastated because her idol was getting cozy with her best friend. Just as she was about to hang up, Hua Jianjiu spoke up slowly.

“Did Zhang Linen know beforehand about you going to the amusement park with Shen Jiuyue?”

Ji Zeyuan’s heart skipped a beat. She lowered her tone and said, “Does she have to know? It has nothing to do with her anyway.”

After a minute of silence, Hua Jianjiu was the one to hang up the phone.