My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 34

“Let me help you forget Zhang Linen.”

Zhang Linen spent a full day getting a clear understanding of the branch factory’s situation. She wanted to inspect the workshops with Ji Zeyuan, but Ji Zeyuan feared that the enclosed space of the workshop would cause Linen physical discomfort, and thus vetoed the idea.

The mess at the factory was extensive; handling it was both time-consuming and exhausting. Through negotiations, Ji Zeyuan obtained concessions from the client, reaching an agreement that if the next batch of goods met the standards, the partnership could continue; otherwise, it would be terminated.

After the sentence was commuted from “death penalty” to “stay of execution,” both Ji Zeyuan and Zhang Linen became as busy as spinning tops.

By Sunday, Ji Zeyuan was finally able to carve out some time to meet Shen Jiuyue. Fortunately, Shen Jiuyue’s schedule hadn’t ended yet, and she was still in Country G.

Just before heading to the workshop, Ji Zeyuan finally notified Zhang Linen: “Go back to the hotel by yourself this afternoon. I have a meeting.”

Zhang Linen keenly detected a slight unnaturalness in Ji Zeyuan’s voice, but she did not expose it directly. Instead, she feigned nonchalance and asked, “Do you know when it will end?”

Ji Zeyuan said with feigned indifference, “Soon. I’ll be back before seven.”

Then, she specifically added, “If you feel unwell, remember to call me.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Linen took her hand off the mouse, narrowed her peach-blossom eyes, and stared at Ji Zeyuan with a subtle gaze.

Ji Zeyuan froze for a moment and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Linen propped her chin up with her hand and said with a shallow smile, “Are you sure I can call you? What if you are drinking?”

Ji Zeyuan stood stunned for two seconds, then burst into a wry laugh.

“I won’t drink anymore,” Ji Zeyuan promised. As she opened the office door and walked out, she added, “And no matter what I’m doing, you can call me.”

Zhang Linen watched Ji Zeyuan leave with a smile. After the “thud” of the door closing, she retracted her smile, connected her Bluetooth headset, and skillfully opened the path broadcast of the tracker.

After walking out of the office, Ji Zeyuan did not go to the workshop but got straight into a car.

She gave the driver an address—the restaurant where she and Shen Jiuyue had drinks the other day.

The restaurant was not far away, taking less than ten minutes to reach. As soon as Ji Zeyuan stepped out of the car, she saw Shen Jiuyue waiting at the entrance.

For every meeting, Shen Jiuyue dressed up meticulously. In contrast, Ji Zeyuan was at the other extreme, wearing whatever her commute clothes were for the day.

Ji Zeyuan looked serious, while Shen Jiuyue was all smiles: “President Ji, there seem to be many entertainment options nearby. I haven’t had a chance to play properly since I arrived. Shall we hang out for a bit later?”

Hearing this, Ji Zeyuan looked around. The variety of entertainment products made her eyes reel. She scanned them with a vacant gaze, genuinely considering it.

Before going back, I should bring Xiao En here to play once.

Thinking this, the corners of Ji Zeyuan’s mouth curved upward.

Shen Jiuyue mistakenly thought Ji Zeyuan had tacitly accepted her invitation. Instantly beaming, she led Ji Zeyuan inside: “Let’s eat first.”

Ji Zeyuan withdrew her gaze, her expression returning to coldness.

It was the same private room as before. Ji Zeyuan took the lead and sat down. Shen Jiuyue looked left and right before finally sitting opposite Ji Zeyuan.

“Ever since our photo hit the trending searches, this place has become a holy land for domestic tourists to check in as a couple,” Shen Jiuyue said with an ambiguous smile. Ji Zeyuan remained dull and silent with her head lowered. At that moment, the waiter entered with the menu.

Shen Jiuyue took the menu and asked with a smile, “Is there anything President Ji wants to try? We can order something we didn’t have last time, or perhaps some wine.”

Ji Zeyuan raised her eyes coldly, not saying a word.

Shen Jiuyue froze slightly and immediately put away her smile. She casually ordered a few dishes and let the waiter leave.

Looking out the window, the ocean during the day was different from the deep, terrifying darkness of the night. Under the bright sun, it was brilliant and beautiful, the sea and sky merging into one, washed in azure.

But the two people sitting there clearly did not have their minds on the scenery.

Ji Zeyuan did not speak a word until the dishes were served. When the last dish arrived, Ji Zeyuan specifically instructed the waiter that they did not need to return to the room unless called.

The atmosphere suddenly became solemn and grave. Ji Zeyuan did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point, saying in a deep voice, “Miss Shen, keeping your mouth shut about that matter is my only requirement for you, whether to the public or to Xiao En.”

Shen Jiuyue looked at Ji Zeyuan, furrowing her brows into a rather strange expression: “President Ji, I’ve wanted to ask since last time—do you mean Secretary Zhang knows you are biological sisters?”

Not understanding the point, Ji Zeyuan nodded slowly.

Shen Jiuyue’s frown deepened.

Having spent many years in the dating scene, she wouldn’t get this wrong. To her, Zhang Linen’s various behaviors and expressions undoubtedly treated her as a “love rival.”

While Ji Zeyuan was bitterly guarding the bottom line of ethics and morality, Zhang Linen had likely already broken through that line in her heart, hadn’t she?

Shen Jiuyue pondered privately but did not pursue that topic. With a smile on her lips, she said seriously and sincerely, “President Ji, you underestimate me too much. I wouldn’t do something like casually leaking someone else’s privacy.”

Ji Zeyuan did not believe this simple verbal promise. She took a checkbook out of her handbag, prepared in advance, and said directly, “Miss Shen, no need to be embarrassed. Name a price. I’m buying peace of mind.”

Shen Jiuyue fell into a fixed silence for several seconds, then let out a long sigh, appearing quite helpless.

“President Ji, even if we aren’t close, after meeting several times, do you still not understand what I want?”

Ji Zeyuan’s eyes shifted slightly, and the flat corners of her mouth tightened.

Shen Jiuyue propped her chin on her right hand, looking directly at Ji Zeyuan, and teased with a smile: “A check? Do you really think I would accept that?”

Ji Zeyuan remained silent. She had no desire to speculate on the meaning of Shen Jiuyue’s words; she only wanted to end this quickly.

Shen Jiuyue also saw Ji Zeyuan’s lack of focus. She stopped being indirect and said bluntly, “President Ji, you don’t need to promise me anything, and I won’t leak the secret. If you must buy peace of mind, don’t use money—use a person.”

She thought she had made herself clear enough, but Ji Zeyuan still maintained an expression of “What on earth are you trying to say?”

“President Ji, give me a chance,” Shen Jiuyue said, her words blunter than the dried salt on the beach. “I want to pursue you.”

Ji Zeyuan, expressionless, was just about to open her mouth to refuse when Shen Jiuyue cut her off: “Let me help you forget Zhang Linen.”

The beach was teeming with crowds in various cool swimwear, laughing and overflowing with the noisy sounds of joy.

Zhang Linen, wearing sunglasses, tilted her head slightly to look at the restaurant’s large sign written in the local script.

The electronic female voice in the headset broadcast: “The target is within fifty meters of your location. Please pay close attention.”

Zhang Linen took off the headset, pulled up the hood of her black hoodie, and stepped into the shop.

Such an outfit was particularly striking on a hot day. As soon as Zhang Linen entered the shop, she attracted the attention of many.

“I want to book this room,” Zhang Linen said in English, holding up the trending photo of Shen Jiuyue and Ji Zeyuan.

The staff member took a look and understood immediately, smiling, “Oh, are you also a fan of this person? So many people have come to check in these past few days.”

Zhang Linen smiled faintly, neither admitting nor denying it.

The staff member showed a regretful expression: “I’m very sorry, this room has already been booked. If you want to reserve it, I’m afraid you need to book several days in advance.”

Hearing this, Zhang Linen feigned a disappointed look and asked, “May I ask where this room is? I want to take a photo outside.”

The staff member smiled and pointed to the middle room on the second floor. Zhang Linen looked where she pointed, and her fake smile instantly turned cold.

“Are there any rooms next door that haven’t been booked yet?” Zhang Linen asked.

The staff member smiled, “Yes, the one on the right had a last-minute cancellation. If you want it, I can give you a discount.”

Without hesitation, Zhang Linen said, “Take me up.”

After a long silence, Ji Zeyuan picked up the teapot at the edge of the table to her right and poured herself a glass of water.

Shen Jiuyue’s eyes were full of expectation, thinking the silence meant Ji Zeyuan was considering it.

Ji Zeyuan picked up the teacup, took a sip, turned her face to look at the blue sea outside the window, and let out a light sigh: “Shen Jiuyue, I admire your persistence. So, as a return for that persistence, I will state this to you solemnly.”

Shen Jiuyue’s eyes flickered as she listened quietly.

Ji Zeyuan turned to look at her, her eyes devoid of any emotion: “Once, in order to forget Xiao En and this feeling, I cowardly fled the country.”

She paused, rubbing the palm of her left hand with the tip of her right index finger, and said slowly, “Eight years. Eight years later, I came back, but the feelings haven’t diminished at all. I want to be cold to her, I want to distance myself from her, but as long as she appears before me, everything goes to waste.”

Shen Jiuyue’s pupils shrank slightly. Ji Zeyuan lowered her eyes, her expression somewhat sorrowful: “I shouldn’t love her, but even more so, I shouldn’t have left her. I’ve known her since kindergarten, and yet, I only found out from you that she has depression.”

Ji Zeyuan fell into thought, her voice stopping as she seemed to be reminiscing about the past in her mind. After a moment, as if finishing her recollection, she looked up at Shen Jiuyue.

“I only want to be able to accompany her when she needs me, to make up for my past neglect of her… If she doesn’t need me in the future, I will quietly withdraw from her life.”

Ji Zeyuan’s intention in saying this was to dissuade Shen Jiuyue. She never expected Shen Jiuyue’s unique logic; after hearing these words, she became even more determined to pursue Ji Zeyuan.

Such a devoted, self-controlled, non-promiscuous, and outstandingly beautiful chaebol second-generation—you couldn’t find another like her even if you searched with a lantern!

Besides, she and Zhang Linen couldn’t be together anyway. As the only daughter of Jixia… aside from the undisclosed daughter Zhang Linen, the only legitimate heir, Ji Zeyuan would surely have to marry in the future.

This hidden gem she discovered first—she certainly couldn’t let anyone else take it.

Thinking this, Shen Jiuyue quietly decided on a stalling tactic.

“Since President Ji says so, I know how to back off gracefully,” Shen Jiuyue said, her gaze deep. “But I hope we can be friends.”

Ji Zeyuan’s expression remained unchanged, her tone cold: “I don’t really need friends, but if that helps you keep the secret, I can try my best.”

Shen Jiuyue smirked and said, “President Ji, I’ve already said—even if you don’t agree to anything, I won’t leak the secret.”

Ji Zeyuan did not respond but silently lowered her head to eat.

Summer was the peak season for beach travel, and the restaurant became increasingly crowded. A waitress squeezed through the long corridor with a tray to deliver food to a room, only to find the customer had disappeared.

Customers skipping out on bills wasn’t uncommon here. The waitress skillfully picked up her walkie-talkie and called the front desk: “Check the surveillance. Did the customer in the far right room on the second floor leave the shop?”

As the waitress set down the items from the tray and turned to leave the room, she caught a glimpse of a rather conspicuous figure in her peripheral vision.

There were many customers, but only one was wearing a pure black hoodie on such a hot day.

The waitress quickly whispered into the walkie-talkie to the front desk: “No need to check. The customer is outside the room.”

A “received” came from the other end.

Then, the front desk asked gossipingly: “What is that strange person doing? The supervisor said she entered the room without even looking at the menu and said she wanted to order the exact same food as the room next door.”

The waitress stole a glance at this beautiful customer with foreign features and gossiped recklessly in the local language: “She’s standing perfectly still outside the room next door. How strange. Does she know the celebrity couple inside?”

After saying that, the waitress peeked again. This time, the customer turned her head, her gaze landing on the waitress’s face. Her eyes were fixed, and the waitress’s heart skipped a beat.

Zhang Linen said coldly in English: “The two people inside are not a couple.”

The waitress looked at her in shock, stammering in broken English: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to judge you…”

“It’s fine,” Zhang Linen said in English, then whispered a low sentence in Chinese: “I can’t hear what they are saying.”