My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 39

I will forever renounce all inheritance rights.

The most unfortunate thing is when the secret you have been desperately trying to conceal is publicized in the most widespread manner possible, and the even more tragic part is that you are the last person to know.

Zhang Linen mechanically swiped across her screen, staring at the content at the top of the trending searches; her mind was a complete blank.

“The biological daughter of Jixia’s Chairman suffers from a hereditary mental illness. To cultivate a perfect successor, Chairman Jixia bribed medical staff to swap his biological daughter with a healthy infant born on the same day.”

“The adopted daughter, Ji Zeyuan, knowingly participated as an accomplice, using the opportunity to steal the life of a wealthy socialite.”

“The popular young starlet, Shen Jiuyue, was once closely associated with the adopted daughter. Online rumors suggest the two are dating, and that Shen Jiuyue was also well aware of the inside story.”

“Jixia Group’s stock price continues to plummet. Is the Ji family’s business empire coming to an end?”

Ji Cheng’s voice came through the phone again: “Get ready. We are holding a clarification press conference today at eight o’clock.”

Zhang Linen suddenly snapped back to reality. The hand clutching her phone was slick with cold sweat. A cold wind blew in from a window that hadn’t been closed tightly, making her shiver.

“Does Xiao Yuan know?” Zhang Linen’s voice was like a pool of stagnant water.

Ji Cheng replied coldly: “She’ll have to find out sooner or later. I’ve already told her.”

“How did she react?”

Ji Cheng seemed to lose the patience to continue the conversation. He said, “The driver will arrive at your place to pick you up in ten minutes. You’ll see each other before the press conference begins.”

With that, Ji Cheng hung up the phone.

Ji Zeyuan knows?

Zhang Linen stared blankly at the darkened phone screen, feeling lightheaded and heavy-bodied. She hadn’t had time to digest this information yet.

What will she think?

All those slanders and insults directed at Ji Zeyuan in the reports were because of her. She had hidden the truth for so long specifically to avoid hurting her; who on earth had leaked the information?

The sudden influx of a thousand thoughts made Zhang Linen feel suffocated. Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was a psychosomatic reaction—one she had once thought she had overcome.

To have one’s identity as a wealthy heiress for so many years snatched away in an instant, and to be branded with such baseless crimes, would be humiliating for anyone.

Zhang Linen leaned back weakly against the sofa and took a few deep breaths. She turned her head to look out the window; a faint glimmer of light was already appearing on the horizon.

…

The driver indeed arrived downstairs ten minutes later. Since Zhang Linen didn’t have any formal attire of her own to wear, she took a set from Ji Zeyuan’s wardrobe.

Ji Zeyuan’s clothes were a bit large for her; wearing them, she looked like a child who had stolen an adult’s clothes.

Zhang Linen stuffed an entire bottle of lithium tablets into her pocket to stabilize her emotions, which could spiral out of control at any moment. The events occurring today were far too soul-shaking.

The driver sent to pick her up was one of Ji Cheng’s subordinates—taciturn, professional, and duty-bound. Even with such a massive news story breaking today, he didn’t give her a single unnecessary glance.

Sitting in the steady car, Zhang Linen’s mind was as chaotic as weeds growing wildly on an uncultivated wasteland.

What should I say when I see Ji Zeyuan later?

What will Ji Zeyuan say to me?

Zhang Linen frustratedly toyed with her unkempt hair, her lips trembling as she clenched her teeth to keep from crying. A layer of misty vapor rose before her eyes, blurring her vision.

Her legs shook unconsciously, her feet thumping against the floorboard. The driver reminded her, “Miss Zhang, are you alright?”

The driver’s steady voice pulled her back. Zhang Linen pressed her hands down on her legs and buried her head in the crook of her arm.

After a moment, she moved her head, turned her face slightly, and asked in a trembling voice, “Do we know who did this?”

She was asking the driver, but he remained silent, maintaining the attitude of an outsider.

Zhang Linen pinched her arm hard. She took the lithium out of her pocket, unscrewed the cap, poured out four or five pills into her palm, and swallowed them all at once.

The process of the medicine taking effect felt like being skinned and de-boned. The sounds in her ears gradually became illusory and blurred; her body lost its sensory connection to the world, as if her soul were being forcibly pulled from its flesh.

Zhang Linen had never felt any journey to be so agonizingly long.

“Miss Zhang, we’ve arrived.” The driver opened the rear door. Zhang Linen nodded blankly and stepped out of the car.

The press conference was held in the main lobby of the Jixia headquarters. When she got out of the car, several bodyguards in black suits escorted her.

Reporters were blocked at the entrance. When Zhang Linen appeared, the continuous “clack-clack” of camera shutters was relentless. Flashbulbs went off in her face without reservation, but she remained expressionless, showing no reaction.

The bodyguards led her into a lounge. Inside, Ji Cheng and a public relations officer holding several sheets of A4 paper were sitting at a round table.

The PR officer saw Zhang Linen first and hurried to stand and bow. Ji Cheng then looked up and waved, signaling for her to sit down.

Zhang Linen sat opposite Ji Cheng. She scanned the room, which could be seen in its entirety in one glance, and asked, “Where is Xiao Yuan?”

Ji Cheng pushed several drafts toward Zhang Linen and said methodically, “Memorize these scripts before the press conference starts. Xiao Yuan will arrive shortly.”

Zhang Linen didn’t look at the drafts once. She continued to press, “Why is she arriving later? Didn’t she go to your place?”

Ji Cheng frowned and looked up, scrutinizing Zhang Linen for a moment. He said, “Your state isn’t right. You can’t be like this during the press conference. I’ll call a makeup artist to touch you up.”

Zhang Linen’s eyes dimmed. She silently withdrew her gaze and asked calmly, “Have you found out who did it?”

Ji Cheng said, “We’ll talk about that later. Let’s finish the press conference first.”

Having said that, Ji Cheng didn’t stay in the lounge for long before leaving to attend to other matters.

…

The sound of several knocks on the door woke Hua Jianjiu from her sleep. She cursed inwardly, rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep.

But the person knocking was like a persistent ghost, never stopping for a moment. Beside her, Li Ziruo rubbed her eyes and kicked her leg: “Who is it? It’s so annoying this early in the morning.”

Hua Jianjiu let out a heavy, frustrated sigh through her nose and pounded the bedboard. She struggled to get up to open the door: “This better be good…”

Her words came to an abrupt halt. Ji Zeyuan stood at the door in formal attire, her expression looking terrible.

Hua Jianjiu snapped wide awake. This wasn’t the first time she had seen Ji Zeyuan looking like a ghost; a familiar feeling welled up in her heart, and she hurried to bring Ji Zeyuan inside.

“Don’t ask anything, don’t bother me, and if Zhang Linen looks for you, don’t tell her I’m here.” Ji Zeyuan dropped those words and fell face-first onto the sofa in the living room.

Hua Jianjiu found it completely unreasonable: “Again? Why don’t you go to a hotel? Why do I have to help you lie?”

Ji Zeyuan muffled her voice against the sofa: “My dad can track me at hotels.”

Hua Jianjiu: “…”

Hua Jianjiu picked up a stuffed animal from the cabinet and threw it at Ji Zeyuan: “Then at least tell me what on earth happened.”

Ji Zeyuan remained deathly silent. Hua Jianjiu walked over and poked her. Ji Zeyuan irritably brushed her hand away and muttered somewhat unclearly, “Check the trending searches yourself.”

Hua Jianjiu curled her lip quietly. She returned to the room, carefully making no noise as she took her phone from the nightstand next to Li Ziruo to check the news.

But Li Ziruo was still woken up. She looked at Hua Jianjiu with bleary eyes and asked sleepily, “Who is it?”

Hua Jianjiu paused for a second or two before saying, “Ji Zeyuan.”

Li Ziruo opened her eyes and frowned. “What is she doing at your place this early?”

While scrolling through the news, Hua Jianjiu said, “She’s hiding from Zhang Linen.”

Li Ziruo’s frown deepened. “What?”

…

“The press conference is about to begin.”

Ji Cheng’s assistant stood at the half-open door. Zhang Linen looked at her, her tone still like dead water: “Where is Ji Zeyuan?”

The assistant’s mouth twitched, and she shook her head.

Zhang Linen stared blankly at the assistant, then lowered her head after a moment: “If she doesn’t come, I’m not going out either.”

At that moment, Ji Cheng walked over, his expression grim. He asked, “Why haven’t you come out yet?”

Zhang Linen lowered her eyes and said nothing, remaining motionless.

Ji Cheng glanced at the assistant, who immediately understood, closed the door, and left.

“Linen.” Ji Cheng sat in the seat next to Zhang Linen and said earnestly, “If you don’t go out now, not only will my reputation be damaged, but Xiao Yuan’s guilt as an accomplice will be solidified.”

Zhang Linen closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in tearless agony. She silently clenched her fists, forced herself one more time, and stood up.

“Let’s go.” By the time she said these words, Zhang Linen had returned to her usual calm and rippleless demeanor.

The press conference proceeded relatively smoothly. Ji Cheng answered most of the questions, and Zhang Linen had almost no opportunity to speak.

As it neared the end, a reporter asked a sharp question: “Chairman Ji, after this incident, will there be any change to your successor? Will you change the first-in-line beneficiary of your estate to Miss Zhang?”

Ji Cheng gave a smiling, evasive answer: “I’m sorry, that question is internal corporate confidential information.”

At that moment, Zhang Linen, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly stood up. This unexpected move caused everyone to fall silent, and the cameras turned to focus on her one after another.

A flash of surprise crossed Ji Cheng’s eyes. He first gave a polite smile to the reporters, then leaned toward Zhang Linen and whispered, “What are you doing? Sit down quickly; don’t do anything unnecessary.”

Zhang Linen gave Ji Cheng a cold sideways glance, her eyes full of disdain.

“I announce that regardless of Mr. Ji Cheng’s decision, I will forever renounce all inheritance rights, and as of today, I resign from the position of CEO Secretary of the Jixia Group.”

The scene fell into a dead silence. A few seconds later, the crowd erupted into an uproar. Ji Cheng’s expression looked as hideous as if he had been forced to eat a cockroach. The cameras flashed incessantly, but Zhang Linen, having finished her statement, left the stage without hesitation.

The bustling crowd came for profit and left for profit. Once they had unearthed the news they wanted, no cameras were pointed at Zhang Linen anymore. She hurried out through the back door of the hall and immediately began calling Ji Zeyuan’s phone repeatedly.

But without exception, none of the calls were answered.

Zhang Linen’s face was as pale as paper. A kind-hearted passerby on the street came forward to express concern: “Are you okay? Your pheromone state is very bad.”

Another call went unanswered. Zhang Linen’s eyes were red, and her chest heaved violently. She roared at the passerby, “Get the hell away from me!”

The passerby was startled and backed away. Zhang Linen threw her phone onto the ground with a violent swing of her arm. The screen shattered upon impact, splintering into pieces.

She was trembling all over, on the verge of a total breakdown.

Just then, her innocently damaged phone suddenly began to ring. She scrambled to pick it up, stumbling and falling to her knees in the process. More than half the screen was black, and she couldn’t see the caller ID, but she answered it without hesitation.

“Uh… Secretary Zhang, this is Li Ziruo. I heard you were looking for President Ji. She’s at Hua Jianjiu’s place right now.”