My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 52

“Will you marry me?”

Ji Zeyuan’s first reaction was that Hua Jianjiu was playing a joke on her, so she simply said indifferently, “I don’t have time for your nonsense. Give me the documents.”

Hua Jianjiu silently handed over a folder. Ji Zeyuan took it and looked; it was a resignation letter.

“The manufacturer’s information is underneath the resignation letter,” Hua Jianjiu said, turning to leave. Only then did Ji Zeyuan realize she was actually serious.

“Hua Jianjiu.” Ji Zeyuan called out to her. Hua Jianjiu turned her head, and Ji Zeyuan asked in confusion, “Is it because of what I said to you today?”

Hua Jianjiu’s face looked slightly exhausted. She said, “No. Simply… I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Ji Zeyuan tucked the resignation letter into a drawer and said, “I’ll give you two weeks off. Come back once you’ve thought it through. If you can’t think it through, then don’t come back at all.”

Hua Jianjiu didn’t say anything else; she turned and walked straight out of the office.

Once the office door was tightly shut, Ji Zeyuan took the resignation letter out of the drawer and threw it into the wastepaper basket.

Given Hua Jianjiu’s personality, she wasn’t the type to have a “glass heart” that shattered over a few words. Ji Zeyuan found it strange but couldn’t think of a reason. She felt that Hua Jianjiu would eventually regret it, and Ji Zeyuan didn’t truly want to fire her; she just wanted to wait until Hua Jianjiu cleared her head so she could ask for the real reason.

The manager of the jewelry store sent a message: “President Ji, I just checked with the designer. She is happy to push back her other schedules for you. She can deliver the goods to you in about a month.”

Ji Zeyuan instantly threw the previous unpleasantness to the back of her mind. She even began to hum a cheerful tune: “I found a love for me…”

Back when she was abroad, various holidays would always feature songs about love, and at that time, hearing them only made her feel irritable.

Ji Zeyuan replied with a “Thank you,” and at that moment, another call came in. It was Zhang Qian.

She hesitated for a moment whether to answer or not. After a brief struggle, she picked up the phone.

“Xiao Yuan.” Zhang Qian’s voice was tentative, as if she were terrified that any random word might make Ji Zeyuan unhappy.

Although Ji Zeyuan had many grievances against her, hearing that cautious tone caused her heart to soften slightly. She gave a flat, “Mm.”

“I don’t really have anything specific; I just wanted to ask if you’ve had dinner yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Why are you eating so late? Your stomach has never been very good; you need to eat on time.”

Ji Zeyuan thought back to that water-ripple ring and, with a sudden change in tone, asked, “Have you eaten?”

Zhang Qian was speechless for a moment before saying, “No… not yet.”

Ji Zeyuan asked, “Then can I go to your place for dinner tonight?”

After she said those words, perhaps out of extreme joy or excitement, Zhang Qian fell silent for a long time. When she spoke again, her voice carried a slightly raspy sob: “Yes, of course you can.”

Ji Zeyuan felt a strange sensation in her heart. She said, “Alright, I’m heading over now.”

With that, Ji Zeyuan hung up the phone. After shutting down her computer, she left the office.

It took some time for the driver to bring the car around. While Ji Zeyuan was waiting at the base of the building, she saw Hua Jianjiu. She initially wanted to go forward to ask again what was really happening today, but her gaze shifted. When she saw the person standing next to her, she stopped in her tracks.

“I’ve resigned now, and I can’t help you.” Hua Jianjiu’s tone was cold. She didn’t even look at Li Ziruo as she turned to leave.

Ji Zeyuan’s brow furrowed. She assumed this person was pestering Hua Jianjiu and was about to step forward to help her drive the person away. Suddenly, the previously ice-cold Hua Jianjiu turned around, hugged the person, and kissed them.

At that moment, the driver pulled up in front of Ji Zeyuan. Ji Zeyuan stared blankly, frozen in place. At that point, Hua Jianjiu seemed to hear the sound of the car and instinctively turned her head to look. In that split second, she locked eyes with the dumbfounded Ji Zeyuan.

Li Ziruo also looked over as she turned. The moment she saw Ji Zeyuan, her face instantly turned ashen.

Hua Jianjiu was stunned for a moment, but then she became composed. Ji Zeyuan’s brow was tightly knit; after her gaze lingered for a second or two, she leaned down and got into the car.

Sitting in the car, Ji Zeyuan traced back various details in her mind, arriving at her destination before she knew it.

It had been two months since Ji Zeyuan last came to the Zhang household. As she stepped onto the dilapidated stairs of this old residential compound again, she felt an indescribable sensation in her heart.

The person who was supposed to have been born here was her, yet due to a mistake by the hospital, her life and Zhang Linen’s had been swapped.

Ji Zeyuan walked to the door of the Zhang house with mixed emotions. She raised her hand to knock, but before she could, Zhang Qian opened the door from the inside.

The mouth-watering aroma of food piqued Ji Zeyuan’s appetite. Zhang Qian, with tears in her eyes, greeted her: “Quick, come in. No need to change your shoes.”

Ji Zeyuan felt a bit awkward. She entered the living room and saw three dishes already laid out on the dining table. Zhang Qian added, “We can eat as soon as the chicken soup is ready.”

“Zhang…” Ji Zeyuan instinctively wanted to say “Auntie Zhang,” but the words stayed in her mouth and she took them back. After a pause, she said, “It smells very good.”

Zhang Qian noticed her unease and hurried to say, “It’s alright, you can still just call me Auntie Zhang.”

Ji Zeyuan forced a slight tug at the corners of her mouth, offering a polite smile.

Before long, the chicken soup was ready. Zhang Qian ladled out the soup and specifically placed it in front of Ji Zeyuan, saying eagerly, “This chicken soup is very fresh; try some.”

As she spoke, she picked up the soup spoon to serve Ji Zeyuan a bowl. Ji Zeyuan said, “I’ll do it myself.”

Zhang Qian’s smile froze for a moment. She set the soup spoon down and turned the handle toward Ji Zeyuan.

“Xiao Yuan, I really didn’t expect you to be willing to eat with me. I thought you were angry with me and didn’t want to talk to me anymore.” Zhang Qian stole a glance at Ji Zeyuan’s expression as she spoke.

Ji Zeyuan set down her half-empty bowl and said seriously, “I am indeed very angry with you, but not to the point of ignoring you entirely.”

She looked at Zhang Qian with a heavy gaze and asked, “Why did you treat Xiao En like that? She is your daughter.”

Zhang Qian’s expression darkened, and she muttered softly, “You are my daughter.”

Ji Zeyuan’s eyes flickered, but she kept her lips pressed tight and remained silent.

“Xiao Yuan, Linen is no longer the person you think she is. Many things happened during the years you were abroad. She… sigh, she is no longer like she was before,” Zhang Qian said, her tone carrying more disdain than sorrow.

Ji Zeyuan’s brow tightened as she asked, “What do you mean?”

Zhang Qian lowered her head and sighed. After a moment of silence, she raised her arm and pushed up her long sleeve.

On her emaciated arm were hideous and terrifying burn scars, red as if they had been scorched by the fires of hell.

Ji Zeyuan’s pupils constricted. Zhang Qian pulled her sleeve back down and said, “She scalded me with boiling water.”

“Xiao Yuan, Linen is not a normal person. Her mind is not right. She is a lunatic,” Zhang Qian said, her tone very heavy.

Ji Zeyuan’s heart ached, and she immediately retorted, “Don’t talk about her like that!”

Zhang Qian’s expression turned dejected. She chuckled weakly, “Sigh, in the end, I still don’t hold the same status in your heart as she does.”

Ji Zeyuan suppressed the discomfort in her heart and asked, “Why did Xiao En become like this?”

Zhang Qian said, “Regarding that, you should ask her yourself. I’m afraid if I tell you, you’ll be unhappy.”

Ji Zeyuan remained silent. A moment later, she stood up to leave. Zhang Qian hurriedly asked, “Are you leaving already?”

Her steps paused. With her hand still on the doorknob, she looked back.

“I came here to tell you something, because no matter what, you are considered my mother.”

Zhang Qian pressed her hands against the table, her expression confused. She asked, “What is it?”

Ji Zeyuan smiled indifferly and said, “There is no longer a need to say it.”

With that, Ji Zeyuan left the place without any lingering attachment. Her heart felt sour; she felt that doing this was perhaps a bit cruel to Zhang Qian.

But as soon as Ji Zeyuan thought of Zhang Qian’s various attitudes and behaviors toward Zhang Linen, she truly couldn’t find a way to forgive her.

Originally, Ji Zeyuan had come here because she wanted to tell Zhang Qian that she and Zhang Linen were together, and that she planned to propose to Zhang Linen next month.

But it seemed that telling Zhang Qian wouldn’t result in any blessings, so she decided to let it be.

Ji Zeyuan walked downstairs. When she got into the car, the driver asked, “President Ji, are we going home now?”

The night was not yet deep. Ji Zeyuan looked at the dim yellow streetlights, and a sudden thought appeared in her mind. She said, “Not home.”

…

“Manager, look.” The clerk pointed toward the shop entrance. The manager looked up and quickly put on a professional smile, saying, “Oh, President Ji, what brings you here? Your ring will definitely be finished next month; it’s not time yet.”

Ji Zeyuan said, “No, I want something in stock. Size 11.”

When the manager heard this, she knew Ji Zeyuan’s size wasn’t that number. Looking at the situation, it was meant as a gift.

“Certainly! I’ll bring out all the stock in the store for you to see. Please wait a moment in the VIP room,” the manager flattered her profusely.

Ji Zeyuan said decisively, “No need. Just bring it here for me to look at.”

The manager thought to herself: Oh, such a hurry?

“Yes, yes,” the manager replied repeatedly. She turned and called several employees to bring out the entire inventory of the store.

…

The silver-black Maybach drove to the base of Zhang Linen’s building. Ji Zeyuan had her hand in her pocket, constantly touching the gold velvet gift box inside.

Ji Zeyuan walked up the steps one by one. Each step felt as heavy as if her feet were filled with lead, but that wasn’t due to muscle fatigue; it was because of the weight of the wish in her heart.

Because Zhang Linen had said beforehand not to come looking for her, Ji Zeyuan did not rashly enter the password to open the door when she reached it.

Ji Zeyuan raised her hand, wanting to knock, but hesitated for a few seconds and put it back down. She repeated this several times.

The sound of a car horn came from downstairs, and Ji Zeyuan’s heart skipped a few more beats. She leaned against the wall next to the door, adjusted her breathing, and then took out her phone to dial Zhang Linen’s number.

The phone rang twice, and Zhang Linen’s voice came simultaneously from inside the room and through the phone receiver.

“What’s wrong?”

Ji Zeyuan’s fingertips frequently brushed against the seam of her trousers. She swallowed and asked, “What are you doing?”

Zhang Linen laughed: “Nothing. What are you doing?”

Ji Zeyuan said, “I… I have something to do, and right now I am very, very nervous.”

After a moment of silence, Zhang Linen asked hesitantly, “Why do I feel like I can hear your voice?”

Ji Zeyuan smiled and said, “That’s because we are on the phone.”

The other end of the line went silent. A few seconds later, the front door was opened. Zhang Linen pushed the door open and looked at Ji Zeyuan. She was wearing pajamas, her hair was loose, and her expression was one of shock.

“Xiao En.”

Inside the gold velvet gift box, a cushion-cut diamond ring on a rose-shaped base shimmered with a faint white light under the lamps.

Ji Zeyuan held the gift box up in front of Zhang Linen. Her amber eyes were deep and bright. She took a deep breath and said, “Will you marry me?”