Transmigrated as the CEO's Top-Tier Stand-in - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Today, Ji Yu was substituting for a voice lesson teacher.

A few students in the class, finding the new substitute teacher pretty and gentle, gathered around her, asking all sorts of questions:

“Teacher Ji, you’re so pretty and your singing is so nice, why don’t you become a big star? If you become a big star on TV, lots of people will definitely like you!”

A girl’s eyes shone brightly as she leaned on the edge of the piano, asking Ji Yu.

Ji Yu gently moved her little hands away, afraid she might form a habit that would lead to her hands being accidentally caught by a closing piano lid later. Then, she answered with a smile: “Teacher doesn’t want to be a celebrity.”

“Why?”

Another slightly chubby boy came closer, also asking curiously.

Ji Yu just smiled, checked the wall clock, and, finding it was one minute past twelve, looked at the other students: “That’s it for today’s lesson. Everyone, hurry home for lunch.”

“Will you come next time, Teacher Ji?”

“Teacher, do you teach dancing next door? I want to take your class too! Can I ask my mom to register me for another class?”

Ji Yu answered them one by one, finally walking these inquisitive “Ten Thousand Whys” to the door. After their parents picked them up, she stood at the entrance, squinting at the scorching sun outside.

She saw a Bank of China branch across the street.

Thinking of the transfer she received from Meng Rendong this morning, Ji Yu casually grabbed a communal umbrella from the art center entrance. She opened it and walked towards the bank. Her slender, fair figure was shielded by its own patch of shade in the sunlight until she reached the shelter of the roof and stopped in front of an automatic deposit machine.

Ji Yu closed the umbrella, propped it at her feet, pulled a small wallet from her waist pocket, took out a bank card from the inner layer, and inserted it into the slot.

The mechanical female voice, after the standard reminder for customer safety, sounded again:

“Please enter your password—”

“Please select the transaction you wish to perform.”

Ji Yu tapped “Interbank Transfer,” patiently waited for the jump to complete, then took the card out, put it back in the wallet, took out another golden card, and repeated the process, this time for an account balance inquiry.

A line of numbers appeared on the screen:

$4,790,000.00$

Looking at the more than four million yuan, Ji Yu’s expression remained calm. The majority of the money was transferred to her by Meng Rendong over the past four years, while the rest was earned from her own part-time jobs.

To be honest, Meng Rendong was indeed generous to her lovers, Ji Yu thought casually. Even the apartment she currently lived in was under Meng Rendong’s name.

Just a little more and it would have been a round number.

Thinking this, Ji Yu reopened her umbrella, planning to buy some fast food for lunch. She had only taken two steps when her phone vibrated with a message: “7 PM tonight, Uncle Zhang will pick you up.”

Even without the name, the tone was unmistakably hers.

Meng Rendong, who sent the message, had an unpleasant morning.

Kong Rufan did not directly agree to manage Chu Nanxing. She indicated that if the partnership with Lizhi Net was successful, and once Chu Nanxing truly demonstrated her abilities, she would then assess whether the person had the potential for her to manage.

Chu Nanxing’s expression immediately soured.

She couldn’t help but throw a small fit, as if Kong Rufan’s reluctance meant the golden manager was unworthy of her reputation.

Although both managers gave her face, Meng Rendong still felt a sense of fatigue. Even when she discussed the program with Wang Luoshui in the afternoon, directly confirming that the final debut spots on the show would prioritize members from Huangting Entertainment, that strange feeling of hers was not relieved.

As closing time approached, she uncharacteristically checked her watch frequently, her thoughts drifting to the other person she had a date with:

Will Ji Yu like her compensatory gift?

She will, right? She likes me so much.

Thinking of the warning she gave Ji Yu yesterday about secretly seeking out others, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Meng Rendong’s eyes. She spun the pen in her hand, thinking to herself that she must have been overthinking.

Ji Yu’s heart and eyes were completely filled with her. Where could there be room for anyone else?

“You’re here.”

At 7:30 PM, Meng Rendong sat by the panoramic window of the restaurant Xue Lian had booked. Against the backdrop of a beautiful bouquet of red roses on the table, she gave a slight smile to Ji Yu as she approached.

Ji Yu smiled back at her. Since they were in public, she didn’t get too close to Meng Rendong. Meng Rendong was pleased with her thoughtfulness and clapped her hands to signal the waiter to start serving the dishes.

Dongpo Pork, West Lake Vinegar Fish… one sweet-leaning dish after another was presented.

Ji Yu’s expression remained unchanged. She picked up her chopsticks as usual but still ate very little. Fortunately, Meng Rendong was used to this. When Ji Yu put down her chopsticks, Meng Rendong signaled for the cakes and chocolates that had been kept in the fridge to be presented.

“I… forgot it was your birthday yesterday. I’m sorry. I wanted to make it up to you today.”

A look of surprise crossed Ji Yu’s eyes. Upon seeing the ordinary, colorful cakes that looked like castles or were adorned with flowers and fruits, she gently curved her lips, lowered her eyes, and said, “You don’t have to do this.”

Meng Rendong assumed she was shy and urged her: “Try them. Eat more of whichever flavor you like.”

A waiter handed her a cake knife.

Ji Yu lightly gripped it and, without much selection, chose the nearest one and cut into it. Under Meng Rendong’s gaze, she ate the sickly sweet cream along with the layered bread and fruit, her expression unchanging:

“This one is quite good.”

Meng Rendong: “Is it? I also had a box of chocolates air-freighted for you. Want to try that too?”

Ji Yu saw the anticipation on her face.

On a strange impulse, she initially planned to find an excuse to refuse, but then proceeded to swallow all the cakes and chocolates, bite by bite.

She even forgot how she eventually managed to leave the restaurant.

When she regained her senses, it was already dark. She and Meng Rendong were back in the apartment. Meng Rendong’s arm was draped over her waist, holding her close. Her breathing was steady, but Ji Yu couldn’t sleep.

Even lying still, the pain in her stomach had already secretly soaked the back of her shirt with sweat.

Ji Yu lay staring at the ceiling. After making sure she wouldn’t wake Meng Rendong, she quietly slipped out of bed in the dark, went to the bathroom, and crouched by the toilet, trying to expel something.

Physical memory instantly overpowered logic. The painful shadows of the past resurfaced. Before she could even begin to vomit, physiological tears streamed out. Ji Yu looked up at the ceiling, then collapsed weakly onto the cold tile floor.

Meng Rendong was awakened by a fit of agitated dog barking.

When she discovered Ji Yu’s distress and rushed her to the hospital after calling an ambulance, she experienced a rare moment of helplessness in her life—

“The patient has a history of chronic gastritis. Does she have diarrhea? How many times did she vomit? Did she eat anything cold for dinner?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so?”

“Is there anything she absolutely cannot eat?”

“…I don’t know.”

“She has an acute flare-up of chronic gastritis. She has inflammation and needs an IV. Does she have any drug allergies?”

“I—I’ll ask her.”

Since it was the middle of the night, Meng Rendong had no assistant and had to take care of Ji Yu alone. After feeling embarrassed by the doctor’s questions, she went to the patient lying on the hospital bed to ask her one by one. Seeing Ji Yu’s pale face, she instinctively reached out and touched her cheek.

A nurse walked by, and Meng Rendong quickly called her over, asking what she should do at this moment. Even though the nurse was patient, Meng Rendong became dizzy from paying fees, getting medicine, and bringing Ji Yu for injections. She even burned her little finger while trying to use the old-fashioned water boiler to get hot water.

Meng Rendong endured the pain, brought a cup of warm water to the IV area, and saw Ji Yu lying on the bed staring at the door.

She walked over and handed the water to Ji Yu, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

Ji Yu smiled at her affectionately, no sign of pain visible on her face: “I couldn’t see you, so I couldn’t sleep.”

Meng Rendong’s breath hitched. She sat by the bed and raised her hand, intending to pinch Ji Yu’s face, but her palm ultimately rested on the top of her head.

The inner turmoil had only just subsided. Now, looking at Ji Yu, Meng Rendong let out a long breath, averted her gaze, and said, “Don’t act spoiled here. Sleep. I’m watching you—”

She paused, then added: “The doctor said you can’t eat anything too sour or too sweet right now. You need to restrict your diet for a few days.”

Ji Yu replied calmly with an “Mhm.”

Meng Rendong, thinking of how much she liked sweets, instinctively turned back to her: “Don’t even think about sneaking food. I’ll be watching you these next few days. I’m staying here anyway.” Until Chu Nanxing leaves for the show.

Ji Yu listened blankly.

Meng Rendong couldn’t stand her intense gaze and finally couldn’t help but cover her eyes again: “Alright, sleep.”

Ji Yu didn’t close her eyes.

Her eyelashes brushed against the palm covering her eyes. All Ji Yu could hear was the phrase, ‘I’m staying here these next few days.’ In four years, Meng Rendong had never stayed at her place for more than three days, so it hadn’t significantly impacted her life.

Now, with this long-term stay, she didn’t know how many days she wouldn’t be able to focus on dancing.

What should I do?

Ji Yu blinked several times. One moment she was thinking the Chu Nanxing and Meng Rendong plot should start soon. The next, she was thinking about the waist pain from being constantly intimate with Meng Rendong instead of practicing her dancing. After a long while, a thought suddenly popped into her head:

How about…

We break up?

Support Transmigrated as the CEO’s Top-Tier Stand-in