My Childhood Friend, Who Is An Omega, Has Become My Personal Secretary - Chapter 8

“Sister Hua, you are the only friend I have other than Miss.”

Ji Zeyuan waited in her office from morning until the end of the workday, but Zhang Linen was nowhere to be seen.

It had always been Zhang Linen waiting for her; this was the first time Ji Zeyuan had been the one waiting for Zhang Linen, and she hadn’t even managed to see her.

Just as she was about to leave, the office landline suddenly rang.

Zhang Linen had Ji Zeyuan’s private number. If she wanted to get in touch, she would never call the office landline, especially since Ji Zeyuan rarely used it.

Although logic and common sense reminded Ji Zeyuan that this likely wasn’t Zhang Linen calling, she moved her arm anyway. Her heart couldn’t help but harbor a tiny sliver of hope as she picked up the phone.

What if?

Ji Zeyuan held the receiver to her ear, holding her breath and listening, until Shen Jiuyue’s voice came through from the other end. Her tense back slumped in disappointment.

“President Ji, is that you?” Shen Jiuyue asked cautiously.

“Miss Shen, is there something I can help you with?” Ji Zeyuan’s tone was cold.

“It really is you! This time, you finally answered the phone yourself,” Shen Jiuyue joked.

Ji Zeyuan was somewhat impatient. Her mind was still occupied with wondering where on earth Zhang Linen had gone, and she completely failed to appreciate Shen Jiuyue’s attempt at humor.

After a few seconds of silent awkwardness, Shen Jiuyue spoke leisurely: “President Ji, actually, I have something I want to tell you regarding Secretary Zhang.”

Ji Zeyuan snapped back to attention, blabbing out instinctively: “What is it?”

Shen Jiuyue replied, “I need to tell you this in person. Right now, there are people all around me, and I don’t have your contact information. This phone line isn’t very convenient for reaching you.”

Ji Zeyuan hated people who played games, and she didn’t believe Shen Jiuyue could say anything about Zhang Linen that would actually interest her.

“Miss Shen, I understand my own secretary. What could possibly happen that you know about but I don’t?” Ji Zeyuan’s voice grew colder, even tinged with a hint of anger.

Just as Ji Zeyuan was about to hang up, Zhang Linen’s voice suddenly came through the receiver.

“Who are you talking to? Is it Miss?”

Zhang Linen’s voice was faint; she wasn’t speaking to Ji Zeyuan, but seemed to be questioning Shen Jiuyue.

Ji Zeyuan, who was about to set the phone down, pulled it back sharply. Her tone was urgent: “Why is Zhang Linen still there?”

After a few seconds of static, Zhang Linen’s voice came through clearly: “Miss, is there a reason you’re calling Shen Jiuyue?”

Ji Zeyuan instinctively lowered her voice and asked, “Zhang Linen, you are my secretary. Who gave you permission to stay out all day?”

A crisp laugh came through the receiver: “Miss, now that sounds more like you.”

Ji Zeyuan was momentarily speechless. After a pause, she asked, “What are you doing there?”

Zhang Linen answered, “Shen Jiuyue lost her temper on set and was scolded by Director Zhang. Director Zhang wanted to replace her.”

Ji Zeyuan frowned and sighed, muttering to herself: What is all this nonsense?

“So you’re there acting as a mediator?” Ji Zeyuan asked, feeling both angry and slightly amused.

“Mhm, something like that,” Zhang Linen’s tone was light. She then repeated her previous question: “So, why did you call Shen Jiuyue?”

Ji Zeyuan thought to herself: Why should I have to explain anything to you?

But in the end, her lips moved faster than her brain: “She called me.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Zeyuan heard Zhang Linen give a displeased “tsk.” A few seconds later, Zhang Linen asked again, “Did you eat on time today?”

Here we go again. Are you a secretary or a nanny? Ji Zeyuan grumbled internally.

Ji Zeyuan had been avoiding Zhang Linen for the past few days. Although they hadn’t met face-to-face, Zhang Linen hadn’t stayed idle. She sent Ji Zeyuan messages at every mealtime like clockwork, always saying, “Have you eaten? You’ll get a stomachache if you don’t.” It was like a broken record that never ended.

Ji Zeyuan’s replies were always uniform and cold: “None of your business.”

But even though Ji Zeyuan was freezing every time, Zhang Linen remained persistent, sticking her “warm face against a cold butt” by messaging every single day.

Ji Zeyuan said helplessly, “Zhang Mumu, are you an old grandmother? Are you never going to stop asking?”

Zhang Linen let out a chuckle and said, “Ji Yuanyuan, if you’d just cause me less worry, this ‘old grandmother’ wouldn’t have to fret so much, would she?”

Watching from the side, Shen Jiuyue saw Zhang Linen’s mushy behavior and couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth. She thought: What is wrong with this person? Does she have a split personality? Where did that aggressive attitude from this morning go?

Ji Zeyuan’s mood inexplicably brightened, and her previous gloom vanished. She sat back in her office chair, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the rose-scented diffuser on her desk.

“Come to my office first thing tomorrow morning,” Ji Zeyuan said.

“Mhm, as long as you don’t hide from me,” Zhang Linen said gently, her voice tinged with a faint sadness.

Ji Zeyuan was taken aback. She thought for a moment but didn’t respond to that statement, placing the receiver back on the landline.

The moment the call ended, Zhang Linen’s face transformed instantly. The gentleness vanished, replaced by nothing but coldness.

Shen Jiuyue watched in stunned silence, truly beginning to suspect that this woman had studied acting.

That morning, the ceramic ornament Shen Jiuyue had thrown in a fit of rage had startled Director Zhang, who used the opportunity to give her a harsh scolding.

However, Zhang Linen had lied. She hadn’t acted as a mediator at all. She had intended to return to the company directly, but Director Zhang insisted on taking her on a tour of the entire studio to see their filming process. Zhang Linen found it hard to refuse such hospitality and ended up staying until evening.

The only reason she brought it up was to ruin Shen Jiuyue’s image in Ji Zeyuan’s eyes.

Zhang Linen turned her cold gaze back and returned the phone to the seated Shen Jiuyue: “Miss Shen, do you think our CEO at Jixia is very idle? Unless it is work-related, please do not disturb her unnecessarily, alright?”

Shen Jiuyue looked indignant as she snatched her phone back, ignoring Zhang Linen.

The CEO’s office was bright and clean. Intense, dazzling sunlight streamed through the high glass walls, casting dappled spots on the marble floor like beautiful crystal stones.

Zhang Linen stood with her hands hanging naturally at her sides, her eyes fixed intently on Ji Zeyuan. Ji Zeyuan sat at her desk, holding her forehead as she asked, “Do you dislike Shen Jiuyue that much?”

“Yes,” Zhang Linen answered directly.

“Do you realize she is the brand ambassador for our new product?” Ji Zeyuan’s gaze was serious.

Zhang Linen nodded slightly.

Ji Zeyuan stood up, walked over to Zhang Linen, and looked at her with crossed arms.

“So, whether you dislike her or not isn’t important. Do not let personal emotions smear our spokesperson. We are still in the pre-sale phase for the new product. Rival companies would love nothing more than to plant moles here to find dirt on us; we should be trying to avoid trouble.”

Ji Zeyuan paused, then added with a sigh, “You used to be so disgusted by rumors and slander, why now…”

Zhang Linen’s brow furrowed. She looked at Ji Zeyuan, wanting to explain, but Ji Zeyuan glanced at her watch and looked down. “Be careful in the future. I won’t tolerate this every time. You may go.”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a knock on the CEO’s office door. Ji Zeyuan returned to her desk and said deeply, “Come in.”

The person who entered was Hua Jianjiu. She was visibly startled to see Zhang Linen there, but she immediately masked her expression and walked toward Ji Zeyuan.

Zhang Linen bowed politely to Ji Zeyuan and then turned to leave the office.

After leaving Ji Zeyuan’s office, Hua Jianjiu felt as if she had been stripped of a layer of skin. Her planning for the first wave of live-stream sales had been completely rejected and sent back by Ji Zeyuan. This was the first time Hua Jianjiu truly experienced Ji Zeyuan’s reputation as the “Great Demon King.”

Dejectedly, Hua Jianjiu was about to return to the Brand Planning Department when she was stopped after only a few steps by Zhang Linen, who was waiting at the door.

“Supervisor Hua, please come with me for a moment.” Zhang Linen gave a thin, artificial smile. Goosebumps rose on Hua Jianjiu’s back, and a chill ran through her entire body.

Hua Jianjiu followed Zhang Linen to the lounge on the 16th floor, which was reserved for employees with an A16 rank. Zhang Linen pulled a black hard card from her pocket and tapped it against the sensor. With three beeps, the electric door opened.

As the CEO’s secretary, Zhang Linen’s rank was only A9, making it hard not to suspect that this was a special privilege granted to her by Ji Zeyuan.

As if she could read minds, Zhang Linen saw through Hua Jianjiu’s thoughts and explained calmly, “This isn’t a card given to me by Miss.”

Hua Jianjiu was stunned, thinking: Then whose is it?

But after some deliberation, she decided not to ask. Having the card meant the source was certainly not simple; it didn’t matter how she got it.

The lounge was spacious and magnificent, even featuring a private bathroom with a large, white porcelain circular bathtub. From this position, one could overlook the entire city.

However, no one ever used these facilities except for Ji Zeyuan; the top-tier management was rarely at the company.

“Sister Hua, please, have a seat,” Zhang Linen said, leaning back comfortably on a cream-colored leather sofa.

Hua Jianjiu sat down somewhat awkwardly on the tatami opposite Zhang Linen. Although they had known each other for years, Hua Jianjiu felt she had never truly understood her. Zhang Linen was an inscrutable person.

Zhang Linen began, “Sister Hua, that… I forgot her name, your lover. She hasn’t caused any more trouble in the department, has she?”

Hua Jianjiu hurried to say, “No, no. She understands now that she needs to be careful with her words and actions.”

Zhang Linen narrowed her eyes slightly and said with a faint smile, “Instead of messing around with those trivial things, improving her work ability is what’s most important.”

Hua Jianjiu nodded repeatedly.

Zhang Linen watched Hua Jianjiu quietly, a subtle light in her eyes. After hesitating for a long time, she suddenly said, “Sister Hua, you are the only friend I have other than Miss.”

Hua Jianjiu’s body jolted, her eyes filled with surprise. In all these years, Zhang Linen had never once acknowledged her as a “friend.”

“Do you remember what you promised me before?” Zhang Linen’s eyelids lifted, and her tone suddenly grew heavy.

Hua Jianjiu’s nerves tightened. She nodded slowly. She had promised to help Zhang Linen complete one task unconditionally.

“I can’t stay here for too long; I have work to do, and I’m sure you have your own things to attend to.” Zhang Linen clasped her hands over her lap.

Hua Jianjiu didn’t quite understand, but she agreed: “Yes.”

Zhang Linen pulled her phone from her pocket, her fingers moving quickly across the screen. She then raised the phone, turning the screen to face Hua Jianjiu, holding it before her eyes.

“Can you help me keep an eye on this person?”