My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 7

Chapter Introduction: “I am only reminding you to do what you ought to do well, and do not cross the line.”

Inside the dressing room, Shen Jiuyue received news from her manager that Ji Zeyuan was coming. However, she wasn’t particularly happy; instead, she was somewhat bewildered.

Aside from that one day in the private booth, Shen Jiuyue had only seen Ji Zeyuan at the new product launch. At that time, she had asked Ji Zeyuan for her contact information, but Ji Zeyuan had perfunctorily given her only a landline number.

Regarding the call she made today, Ji Zeyuan had hung up without saying a single word. Yet now, word came that she was arriving immediately—and she had even told the production team that she was coming specifically for her.

Shen Jiuyue pondered for a long while without reaching a conclusion. She nudged her stout manager’s stomach with her elbow: “Fatty-ge, the logic of these financial tycoon heirs is truly unpredictable.”

Fatty-ge, while scrolling through his phone, replied: “What are you talking about now, you brat?”

…

Twenty minutes later, Zhang Linen drove and arrived at the advertisement filming location.

Shen Jiuyue was nowhere to be seen in the studio. Zhang Linen stepped forward, intending to head toward the equipment room further inside, but was stopped by the security guard at the door.

“Hey, where’s your work ID?” the guard asked.

Before Zhang Linen could answer, the sharp-eyed producer walked over and shouted at the guard: “What’s wrong with your eyes! This is the CEO’s secretary!”

The guard’s face turned ashen. Zhang Linen said nonchalantly: “Director Zhang, it’s normal that they don’t recognize me. There’s no need to scold them for it.”

Director Zhang smiled apologetically repeatedly, saying: “Yes, Secretary Zhang is right. Secretary Zhang, why don’t you come in for a cup of tea first?”

He paused, glancing at the empty space behind Zhang Linen, and asked cautiously: “Secretary Zhang, hasn’t President Ji arrived yet?”

Zhang Linen’s face showed difficulty, feigning an expression as if something were hard to mention.

Observing her expression, Director Zhang retracted his inquisitive look: “Why don’t you come inside first, Secretary Zhang? It’s quite hot outside.”

The air conditioning inside was set very high; Zhang Linen nearly shivered.

Director Zhang rummaged through tea leaves under the workstation and asked: “What kind of tea do you usually drink, Secretary Zhang?”

Zhang Linen maintained a proper smile, trying her best to look harmless: “Just plain water is fine. No need to be formal, Director Zhang, I’ll pour it myself.”

As she spoke, Zhang Linen took a disposable paper cup from the cabinet under the automatic water dispenser and poured herself a cup of warm water.

After pouring the water, the two sat opposite each other on the sofas on either side of the coffee table. Director Zhang asked in a low voice: “Why did President Ji suddenly decide not to come? Is she dissatisfied with our work?”

Zhang Linen held the paper cup with both hands, choosing her words carefully: “Director Zhang, you worry too much. Your work is proceeding so well, how could President Ji be dissatisfied?”

Director Zhang asked in confusion: “Then just now, your… cough, that expression was?”

Zhang Linen let out a soft sigh, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes revealing a hint of “disdain.”

Director Zhang quickly said: “Please speak freely, I won’t tell anyone else.”

Zhang Linen looked at Director Zhang with “sincerity” in her eyes, performing a look that suggested: I really don’t want to say it, but since you insist on asking, I’ll tell you.

Director Zhang’s eyes were bright and focused, looking like an old-fashioned, shrewd listener.

“So you’re saying… it’s Shen Jiuyue who is one-sidedly pursuing President Ji, but President Ji is unwilling to pay her any mind?”

Zhang Linen’s eyes flickered, and she gave a difficult nod as if “ashamed” by the matter.

Director Zhang fell into thought, seemingly weighing something. But after a moment of silent calculation, he showed a strange expression and asked: “But Secretary Zhang, why are you here?”

Zhang Linen explained calmly: “Although President Ji doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for Miss Shen, Miss Shen is an important brand spokesperson. President Ji doesn’t want her to feel too disappointed, so she chose the next best thing and sent me to offer her regards.”

Director Zhang nodded as if seeing the light and said understandingly: “Miss Shen is currently in the backstage dressing room. You can go straight there using my work ID.”

With that, Director Zhang took off the work ID hanging around his neck and handed it to Zhang Linen. Zhang Linen took the ID and smiled elegantly: “Thank you, Director Zhang.”

Holding the ID, Zhang Linen headed to the backstage dressing room. Several security guards stood at the door. When Zhang Linen approached, she was almost stopped again, but she promptly produced Director Zhang’s ID. After confirming its authenticity, the guards let her through.

Pushing open the dressing room door, several makeup artists were applying makeup for Shen Jiuyue. As soon as the door opened, Shen Jiuyue turned her head, causing one of the artists applying eyeshadow to almost slip.

Upon seeing it was Zhang Linen, Shen Jiuyue’s face visibly darkened.

The stout manager, having never met Zhang Linen, questioned: “Who are you? How did you get in?”

Zhang Linen didn’t speak but looked at Shen Jiuyue. Shen Jiuyue frowned and explained: “Fatty-ge, this is the CEO’s secretary from Ji Xia, Secretary Zhang.”

Fatty-ge’s face changed at lightning speed, smiling flatteringly: “So it’s Secretary Zhang, my apologies, my apologies.”

Shen Jiuyue looked at Zhang Linen and asked: “Is President Ji here?”

Zhang Linen replied: “She isn’t coming. She asked me to relay some words to you.”

Shen Jiuyue glanced at her manager. The manager, very perceptive, led the others out of the room.

Once the others had left, Shen Jiuyue’s attitude was no longer respectful. Her face sank as she asked: “Actually, President Ji never intended to come from the very beginning, did she? That was all your nonsense, wasn’t it?”

Zhang Linen countered with a question: “Why do you say that? If you have doubts, you can call President Ji directly and ask.”

These words were thick with provocation, as it was obvious Shen Jiuyue did not have Ji Zeyuan’s private number.

Zhang Linen stepped closer to Shen Jiuyue, emitting a wave of suppressive pheromones, her face grim.

Shen Jiuyue’s expression changed instantly; she hastily covered her nose and mouth. She was a dominant Omega; if she released suppressive pheromones, Zhang Linen certainly wouldn’t be her match. But she wasn’t stupid; she wouldn’t rashly offend someone from the client’s side.

“You are indeed very beautiful, but Ji Zeyuan doesn’t like your type,” Zhang Linen spoke coldly. Her pheromones burst forth even more intensely, making it so Shen Jiuyue could hardly breathe under the pressure.

Enduring the pain of the pheromone suppression, Shen Jiuyue argued with difficulty: “Secretary Zhang, I don’t understand why you are saying these things. After all, this doesn’t seem to be within your scope of duty, does it?”

Zhang Linen’s gaze was icy; she pressed her lips together and remained silent. Only when Shen Jiuyue’s face began to turn slightly pale did she retract her pheromones.

“I am only reminding you to do what you ought to do well, and do not cross the line.” Zhang Linen’s tone was chillingly cold.

Shen Jiuyue clutched her chest, coughing and choking for a long time before catching her breath. The tears forced out by her coughing smudged her makeup, yet it did not detract from her beauty.

“Secretary Zhang, whether I cross the line or whether I can cross the line… I don’t think those are for you to define, are they?”

Zhang Linen’s face remained dark. She gave Shen Jiuyue a scrutinizing, fierce glare before retracting her gaze and turning to leave.

She opened the dressing room door. The stout manager and the makeup artists were waiting right outside. Upon the door opening, several people nodded to her in respect. Suddenly, the phone in her pocket rang—it was the specific ringtone for a call from Ji Zeyuan.

She took out her phone and answered quickly.

“I heard from Director Zhang that you went to the set?” Ji Zeyuan’s voice came from the other end.

Zhang Linen replied briefly: “Yes.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. “Why did you say that Shen Jiuyue was pestering me, and that I was forced to send you to offer regards?”

Zhang Linen remained silent and did not answer. Inside the room, the sharp-witted Shen Jiuyue guessed from Zhang Linen’s expression that the caller was Ji Zeyuan. She loudly interjected: “President Ji, you really are something! You said at the launch that you’d come when the promotional video started filming. Today I personally called to invite you and you agreed to come, even specifically having Secretary Zhang notify Director Zhang. How could you break your promise twice in just a few days?”

Shen Jiuyue already knew Ji Zeyuan never intended to come and that Zhang Linen had lied. She was exposing this so brazenly because she wanted to humiliate Zhang Linen.

“Secretary Zhang, why don’t you turn on the speakerphone? Let me say hello to President Ji,” Shen Jiuyue said intentionally.

Fatty-ge and the makeup artists all focused their attention on Zhang Linen. Zhang Linen withdrew her cold gaze, gave a faint smile, and turned on the speaker.

“Miss, Miss Shen says she wants to say hello to you.”

Shen Jiuyue asked in a saccharine voice: “President Ji, why did you say you were coming and then didn’t show up again, just sending Secretary Zhang to brush me off?”

Zhang Linen knew that by making her use the speakerphone and asking these questions to which she already knew the answers, Shen Jiuyue was trying to expose her scheme in front of everyone.

Ji Zeyuan went silent on the other end. Shen Jiuyue held her breath, waiting for Ji Zeyuan’s reply. She wanted to see with her own eyes the look of humiliation on this arrogant secretary’s face once the lie was exposed.

The silent atmosphere lasted for several seconds before Ji Zeyuan’s voice rang out.

“I had a temporary matter to attend to. My apologies.”

Shen Jiuyue’s eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly asked again: “So, President Ji, did you really intend to come originally?”

There were another few seconds of silence on the other end. After the silence, Ji Zeyuan answered succinctly: “Yes.”

Having received an unexpected answer, Shen Jiuyue was stunned. Zhang Linen smiled disdainfully and inwardly. She turned off the speakerphone, pressed the phone to her ear, and said in a low voice: “Miss, the speaker is off now. Is there anything else you want to say to me?”

“Wait until you get back. I have things to ask you.”

With that, there was a “beep”—Ji Zeyuan had hung up the phone curtly.

Zhang Linen tucked the phone into her pocket and revealed a “gentle” smile: “Miss Shen, if you have anything else to say to President Ji, call her yourself.”

Shen Jiuyue’s face was ashen, as if she had swallowed a fly. She clenched her fists and stared at the utterly hypocritical Zhang Linen, gritting her teeth with a fake smile: “Alright, Secretary Zhang.”

Fatty-ge whispered in confusion from the side: “Didn’t you say you didn’t get President Ji’s contact info? And President Ji said not to call that work number unless it’s for an emergency.”

Hearing these words, Zhang Linen showed a faint smile with dimples and waved her hand: “Then I won’t disturb you all further. Ah, right, Miss Shen—you should probably fix your eye makeup. It’s completely smudged.”

With that, Zhang Linen turned and left, without even closing the door behind her.

The makeup artists hurried over. Upon looking, the eye makeup was indeed ruined. They muttered: “Oh my, Miss Shen, it’s only been a few minutes. How did it get so wet with sweat that it smudged like this? The AC is on in here; it’s not even hot.”

Shen Jiuyue didn’t speak. She silently returned to the makeup mirror to let the artist fix her makeup. Closing her eyes, she couldn’t help but replay Zhang Linen’s arrogant appearance in her mind. The more she thought, the angrier she became. Finally unable to contain it, she grabbed a porcelain ornament from the table and hurled it violently onto the floor.

The ornament shattered with a loud crack, startling everyone present. Fatty-ge barked: “Shen Jiuyue, have you lost your mind?”

Shen Jiuyue’s face was dark. She remained silent, quietly staring at her own furrowed brows in the mirror as a thousand thoughts surged through her heart.