My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 38

Things can no longer be hidden.

Under Ji Zeyuan’s swift and resolute management, the auto parts factory gradually got onto the right track. After the new recruits arrived, Ji Zeyuan completed her mission and prepared to return home.

While waiting at the airport, Ji Zeyuan searched every pocket but could not find her missing passport.

“Xiao En, wait a moment. I’m going back to the restaurant where we just ate to look for it.”

Zhang Linen nodded slightly, and Ji Zeyuan hurriedly ran back.

The airport was crowded. Zhang Linen pulled up her high collar to block out the Alpha and Omega pheromones drifting through the air.

Security checks were about to begin, so Zhang Linen first took her own documents out of her bag.

“Secretary Zhang?”

A familiar voice came from behind her. She turned her head to see a person wrapped tightly in a mask and sunglasses standing there.

Zhang Linen recognized Shen Jiuyue’s voice and calmly looked away.

Shen Jiuyue said to the manager beside her, “Fatty-ge, you go ahead. I have a few words to say to Secretary Zhang.”

The manager urged, “Then be quick, boarding starts soon,” and took a step ahead.

Seeing the manager walk away, Shen Jiuyue slowly shuffled over to Zhang Linen’s side. Before she could speak, Zhang Linen questioned her first: “I know you told Xiao Yuan about my depression.”

Shen Jiuyue choked, pursing her lips uncomfortably.

Zhang Linen glanced at her shallowly and asked, “What do you want to say?”

Shen Jiuyue was about to open her mouth when Ji Zeyuan, who had returned, interrupted her: “It really was left at that restaurant. Security seems to have started; let’s go.”

Zhang Linen nodded. Ji Zeyuan looked at Shen Jiuyue beside her and asked, “Who is this?”

Shen Jiuyue pulled down her mask slightly and greeted Ji Zeyuan with a smile: “President Ji, it’s me.”

Ji Zeyuan frowned unconsciously and said, “Oh, hello.”

Shen Jiuyue said, “President Ji, we should be on the same flight. Let’s go together.”

Zhang Linen said leisurely, “If it’s the same flight, of course we are going together.”

Shen Jiuyue: “…”

Ji Zeyuan and Zhang Linen walked side by side toward the gate, while Shen Jiuyue followed cautiously behind.

While queuing, Shen Jiuyue asked again, “Which cabin are President Ji and Secretary Zhang in? What are the seat numbers? Maybe our seats will be together.”

Ji Zeyuan shattered Shen Jiuyue’s expectations with a polite smile: “They won’t be. I booked out the entire First Class cabin.”

Shen Jiuyue: “…”

After landing, the large screens at the domestic airport were broadcasting current news: The mixed-race genius sculptor exposed for plagiarism; Dean of Walton states: My daughter would never do such a thing.

Ji Zeyuan needed to go to Ji Cheng to report on the specific situation of the auto parts factory, so Zhang Linen returned to the headquarters alone first.

Because Hua Jianjiu was anxious to see her, Zhang Linen parked her car at a roadside spot nearby. As soon as she walked into the headquarters’ main entrance, she caught sight of a familiar and loathsome silhouette standing at the front desk.

Mia looked exhausted, her face pale and haggard. As soon as she saw Zhang Linen, she rushed forward. Her pheromones were extremely unstable, causing Zhang Linen to frown and cover her nose.

“Is Jessica crazy? Plagiarism? Why is she doing this to me? I want to see her!” The veins on Mia’s temples bulged, her expression crumbling.

Zhang Linen’s eyes were cold. Ignoring Mia, she turned and walked inside. Security guards intercepted the losing-control, screaming Mia behind her.

On the way to her office, Zhang Linen felt many gazes upon her. Just as she reached the corner of the hallway, she saw from a distance Hua Jianjiu standing in front of the office, seemingly arguing with Zhao Yan beside her.

The sharp-eyed Hua Jianjiu saw Zhang Linen first and hurried over: “Secretary Zhang, this person cannot stay in my group. I can’t lead her.”

Zhao Yan followed closely, shouting, “Hey, you think I want to stay in your crummy group?”

Zhang Linen swept a sharp glare over them, and both immediately fell silent.

After entering the office, before Zhang Linen could even settle into her chair, the two began chirping their respective defenses.

Zhao Yan spoke first, filled with righteous indignation: “She keeps making me do chores—pouring coffee, printing documents, watering the plants each of them keeps. What kind of work is this?”

Hua Jianjiu retorted sarcastically, “Sister, I trusted you at first and let you use my computer to see important engineering files. How did you repay me? You drenched my computer with coffee. My team and I worked overtime for a week just to recreate the data you lost.”

At this, Zhao Yan seemed indeed a bit guilty. Her voice grew much smaller as she said, “Is that your reason for treating me differently?”

Hua Jianjiu gasped, staring at Zhao Yan in disbelief, speechless.

“Be quiet now.” Zhang Linen felt a headache coming from their incessant bickering. She made a decisive call: “Go back and do what you’re supposed to do.”

Hua Jianjiu was about to argue in dissatisfaction, but Zhang Linen said, “One more word and your salary is docked.”

The effect of this sentence was significant. Hua Jianjiu lowered her head dejectedly, and although Zhao Yan still looked defiant, she followed Hua Jianjiu out without further noise.

However, a few minutes later, Hua Jianjiu returned.

“Li Ziruo told me you helped her deal with those people who were bullying her,” Hua Jianjiu said after closing the door.

Zhang Linen nodded, not quite understanding where this was going.

Hua Jianjiu said, “Thank you. I’m touched. I didn’t expect you to have this side to you.”

Zhang Linen looked at Hua Jianjiu expressionlessly. Hua Jianjiu looked away, cleared her throat, and finally said what she really wanted to say.

“I saw the trending searches… the one about Shen Jiuyue and Ji Zeyuan… are you okay?”

Zhang Linen’s eyes flickered slightly. She withdrew her gaze and nodded marginally.

A period of silence followed. Hua Jianjiu hesitated, standing there for a long time. Seeing that Zhang Linen truly had nothing to say, she turned and left.

After the office door was firmly shut, Zhang Linen reopened the browser she had minimized.

The screen was full of news regarding Mia’s plagiarism. She recalled what Mia had said downstairs; it seemed Mia was already convinced that this exposure was Ji Zeyuan’s doing.

Zhang Linen wasn’t sure if Ji Zeyuan had done it either, but after she had confessed to Ji Zeyuan in the office that day… although the confession wasn’t complete and contained some forced distortions.

In short, although Ji Zeyuan appeared as calm as ever during that conversation, Zhang Linen could tell that she had indeed taken the matter to heart.

Later, Mia had come to find Ji Zeyuan as she said she would, wanting to tell her about the tracker. But because of Zhang Linen’s preemptive strike, Ji Zeyuan had refused to see her.

Mia’s scandal being exposed was a welcome event for Zhang Linen, but if Ji Zeyuan really played a part in pushing it, she was worried Mia would retaliate against Ji Zeyuan.

Furthermore, regardless of whether Ji Zeyuan did it or not, Mia seemed to have already decided it was her.

Amidst her racing thoughts, Zhang Linen glanced at the time displayed in the bottom right corner of the computer; it was already time for lunch.

After much consideration, she called Ji Zeyuan.

The call was answered quickly, and Ji Zeyuan’s familiar voice came through the receiver: “Xiao En, what’s wrong?”

Hearing Ji Zeyuan’s normal voice, Zhang Linen felt a bit more at ease. She closed the browser and asked softly, “What are you doing now? Do you have time to talk?”

Ji Zeyuan replied with a smile in her voice, “Mhm, go ahead.”

She wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but Zhang Linen felt that Ji Zeyuan had become exceptionally gentle toward her since her illness, almost to the point of granting every request.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Linen said, “Mia came to the headquarters downstairs today. She wants to see you.”

The other end of the phone was quiet for a few seconds before Ji Zeyuan replied flatly, “Don’t worry about her. Let security block her.”

“You did it, didn’t you? The plagiarism exposure.”

Zhang Linen’s sudden bluntness caught Ji Zeyuan off guard. There was another long silence on the line.

After a while, Ji Zeyuan laughed with feigned lightness: “What’s wrong? Your tone makes it feel like you want to arrest me.”

Zhang Linen sighed in her heart: So it was her.

“This matter has too much impact. I’m worried Mia will become fly into a rage and retaliate,” Zhang Linen said.

Sensing Zhang Linen’s seriousness, Ji Zeyuan’s tone was no longer so casual. She paused and said calmly, “Xiao En, the reason Mia’s incident is being reported so widely is because there is solid evidence and witnesses. But I haven’t done anything worth reporting. Don’t worry.”

Zhang Linen corrected her strictly: “Are instances of making things up out of thin air rare? Not to mention the opponent is the daughter of the Dean of Walton. If they want to strike back, Jixia might not necessarily be able to suppress it. You don’t have to socialize with such people, but there’s no need to fall out completely.”

Ji Zeyuan joked half-earnestly, “Zhang Mumu, I’ve realized you’re really good at lecturing others but not yourself. Alright, I get it. I’ll have the PR department keep an eye on it.”

Zhang Linen did not take the joke; her tone remained solemn: “I am different from you. Don’t go looking for trouble for yourself because of someone like me.”

Ji Zeyuan’s smile froze. Before she could speak again, Zhang Linen hung up the phone.

By six o’clock, the dusk was bleak. The orange afterglow spilled over the world, and birds streaked across the sky, emitting distant, sharp cries.

As Zhang Linen walked out of the headquarters building, a very conspicuous white Bentley was parked next to her car. She couldn’t help but look at it twice—not because of its luxurious price, but because the appearance of a Bentley at this location and time was extremely eerie.

Just as Zhang Linen approached, the Bentley’s window rolled down. Inside sat a middle-aged woman dressed simply, yet the aura between her brows revealed a low-profile nobility.

The woman’s face looked somewhat familiar, but Zhang Linen racked her brain and couldn’t remember where she had seen her.

The middle-aged woman stared intently at Zhang Linen. Although her gaze wasn’t aggressive, it was uncomfortable, like being shackled by vines.

Zhang Linen sped up her pace to get into her car and drove away quickly.

A sense of foreboding surged in her heart. She wanted to get home quickly to see Ji Zeyuan’s face.

Just before reaching home, Zhang Linen received a message from Ji Zeyuan.

“Xiao En, Father still has many things to discuss. I probably won’t be back tonight. Get some rest early, and remember to take your medicine on time.”

The message came at a perfect time.

Zhang Linen pushed open the front door. The house was dark but very clean. She smelled the scent of cleaning agents; Ji Zeyuan must have arranged for someone to clean before she returned.

She changed into slippers and looked around the empty house, finally lying down on the living room sofa in exhaustion.

Zhang Linen took the pillbox out of her pocket and an unopened bottle of water from under the coffee table, taking the tablets according to the doctor’s orders.

After taking the medicine, drowsiness crept into her eyes. She yawned, rested her hand on her stomach, and peacefully drifted into a dream.

A noisy phone ring dragged Zhang Linen out of a nightmare. She sat up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat.

It was still dark outside. She grabbed her phone; it was only five o’clock.

The call was from Ji Cheng. Zhang Linen didn’t understand why Ji Cheng was looking for her at this hour, so she answered in confusion.

“Linen, things can no longer be hidden.”

Her breath hitched for a second, her body suddenly going cold and numb.

“What do you mean?” Zhang Linen fumbled with her feet on the floor for her slippers while grabbing her car keys from the coffee table.

Ji Cheng’s voice was incredibly calm: “Look at the trending searches yourself.”

Zhang Linen urgently opened the app to check the trending list. The top search term had already “exploded,” and the top ten were all related to the Jixia Group.

“TV Drama Becomes Reality: Jixia Group’s ‘Civet Cat Exchanged for Crown Princess’ Revealed.”