Crossing the Line – Chapter 34

by Little Panda

A Bit Hungry.

It was still a rest day. Lin Xuebo had prepared a table full of breakfast, not knowing when her daughter and daughter-in-law would wake up, whether they’d linger in bed a while, and perhaps do some morning collaborative stretching between lovers.

Going to the bedroom door to call them at this hour seemed less than considerate. As a mother, it was also a bit awkward, so she let Fan Qing go check.

Fan Qing, entrusted with this important mission: …

Would me going be any more considerate, any less awkward?

Also, Auntie Lin, crouching by the corner to eavesdrop costs extra.

The boss’s mother had spoken. Fan Qing had no choice but to grit her teeth and go, praying BOSS wouldn’t find out.

She walked quietly to the second-floor door and peeked first.

Luckily, BOSS didn’t make things difficult for her.

The bedroom door was open, and she could see Jiang Siyi sitting on the sofa, working on Lin Ji’s laptop.

Fan Qing was relieved she didn’t have to crouch by the corner eavesdropping, but cast a slightly pitying look at Lin Ji, who had turned a warm, sweet morning into an overtime session.

Lin Ji, who had just come out after washing up: ?

Half an hour ago.

Jiang Siyi had received a WeChat message from Manager Wu, saying that a collector she’d been maintaining relations with had some changes to auction items and needed her to handle it personally.

Working a little overtime on a rest day was a daily routine every corporate slave was used to.

At home, she’d use the computer directly — whether communicating with clients, updating information, or logging into the company system, it was all more convenient.

Right now, her computer wasn’t within reach. As she typed on her phone, Lin Ji walked past, glanced at her screen, and came back with a laptop in hand.

Jiang Siyi was grateful but also a little worried. “What if there are trade secrets on your laptop, and I accidentally saw something?”

Lin Ji: “Crack open your skull, brainwash you, force you to forget.”

Jiang Siyi: .

Lin Ji: .

Lin Ji: “You didn’t actually believe that, did you?”

It was really just a joke, even though she wasn’t good at jokes.

After getting their marriage certificate, Jiang Siyi still often couldn’t get on the same wavelength as her. Lin Ji also wanted to soften her image in Jiang Siyi’s heart, to seem a bit gentler and kinder. Cracking a joke from time to time was the first step toward completely dispelling Jiang Siyi’s fear of her.

Jiang Siyi laughed and said, “How could that be?” — but in her heart, she’d actually believed it for a few seconds.

Lin Ji: …

It seemed the first step had gone off track.

To avoid disturbing Jiang Siyi’s work, Lin Ji went to wash up and stretched out the routine. She changed out of her nightdress and even put on light makeup before coming out.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Fan Qing standing at the bedroom door.

Fan Qing: “Breakfast is ready. Auntie Lin asked me to come get you for the meal.”

A reasonable, believable excuse — trying her best not to look like someone who’d come specifically to eavesdrop by the corner.

Lin Ji asked Jiang Siyi, “Are you done with work?”

Today it wasn’t Wang Tai Tai rushing to meet the deadline to add auction items again. Instead, a client of hers had waited until the deadline to withdraw auction items and hadn’t yet decided what to substitute.

Jiang Siyi said apologetically, “I need a little longer. You all go ahead and eat. Don’t wait for me.”

She and breakfast had always been on casual terms anyway — skipping a meal was the norm.

With that, she refocused her attention on work.

She didn’t even notice when Lin Ji left.

Duan Ning said the situation was hard to explain over voice and asked if they could video call instead.

They connected the video call and worked through the issue together, finally finishing the work.

Duan Ning breathed a sigh of relief and said, 【These rich people, I swear — changing their minds on a whim. Us corporate beasts of burden have lives too, okay?】

She stood up and stretched her back, her attention caught by the room behind Jiang Siyi.

She’d never been to Jiang Siyi’s place, but they often video-called on rest days to finish work together.

Jiang Siyi’s rented apartment had been elevated by her good taste in soft furnishings, but it was a completely different style from the space she was in now.

Duan Ning asked casually, 【You’re not home? Where are you, this early in the morning…】

Right after she said that, the door behind Jiang Siyi opened, and Lin Ji came in carrying a breakfast tray.

Lin Ji: “I brought it up for you. You can eat up here…”

Hearing the movement behind her, Jiang Siyi turned around instinctively. The turn opened up the view, and Duan Ning saw Lin Ji directly.

Duan Ning blurted out, 【Holy shit?】

Lin Ji’s footsteps paused slightly.

She hadn’t expected Siyi to be on a video call.

If not for the tray in one hand, the milk in the other, and the door being wide open, she would have knocked first.

While Duan Ning’s brain was being swept away by a whirlwind of speculation, Manager Wu — as if to emphasize symmetry — appeared behind her at some unknown point.

“Video-calling Xiao Jiang…”

Duan Ning, having accidentally stumbled upon a secret romance, felt her heart pound. Not knowing whether Siyi had any plans to go public, she spun around and covered Manager Wu’s eyes.

“Guess.”

Duan Ning’s move appeared to be just covering her eyes, but the force was enough to snap Manager Wu’s neck.

Manager Wu’s mouth twitched. “…Guess what?”

Duan Ning seized the opportunity to close the video call with her elbow, and while performing this difficult maneuver, didn’t forget to answer Manager Wu.

“Guess who I’m video-calling.”

Manager Wu: …

Manager Wu: “Are you blind or am I? Let go, or I’ll let you guess whether you’ll survive today.”

The video was already off. Duan Ning released Manager Wu with a guilty conscience.

Manager Wu’s skin around her eyes had reddened into two handprint marks. She glared at Duan Ning and demanded:

“What’s wrong with you!”

Duan Ning had no way to defend herself and could only accept Manager Wu’s doubts about her mental state.

Once Manager Wu left, Duan Ning immediately contacted Jiang Siyi.

【What’s going on?! You and Lin Ji-jie are already…】

Jiang Siyi felt embarrassed about actually eating in the bedroom, and since work was done, she carried the tray and juice, followed Lin Ji down the stairs, and went to the dining room.

By the time she received Duan Ning’s WeChat message, she was already sitting at the dining table.

Lin Ji, Lin Xuebo, and Fan Qing were all there. Not wanting to look at her phone too much, she quickly replied to Duan Ning.

【We’ll talk tomorrow.】

Duan Ning: 【You’re not getting away tomorrow!】

She put her phone back in her pocket. Lin Xuebo kept rotating food toward her and lecturing her about nutrition.

“You’re too thin. Look at those slender arms. You need to eat more healthy, nutritious food. Xiaoyou, Siyi is busy with work. You need to pay more attention.”

Jiang Siyi thought to herself that Lin Ji was far busier with work than she was.

Lin Ji replied, “Okay.”

She answered with quite genuine feeling.

As if truly in a marriage, the feeling of being held in someone’s heart made Jiang Siyi’s heart flutter a little.

If this relationship were real…

Jiang Siyi said nothing and lowered her head to eat quietly.

After breakfast, Lin Xuebo had wanted to take Jiang Siyi out for a stroll, but an old friend had something urgent and urged her to come help. She had to leave first. With the parent gone, the children could be more at ease.

When Lin Xuebo exchanged WeChat contacts with Jiang Siyi, she reminded her that the auction items selected yesterday were already in the bag she’d brought with her. Then she left reluctantly.

Jiang Siyi wondered — with Lin Xuebo gone, was the mission of meeting the parents already complete?

She should take the hint and take her leave.

Jiang Siyi said to Lin Ji, “I still have some work things to take care of. How about I head out first?”

Lin Ji took it at face value. “I’ll drive you.”

“No need. I can get back on my own.”

Lin Ji picked up her handbag. “It’s hard to get a cab here.”

“Oh…”

Fan Qing walked ahead as the three of them headed toward the underground garage.

Looking at Fan Qing’s back, Jiang Siyi suddenly thought of Zhou Ni and told them both about how Zhou Ni had suddenly appeared to protect her last time.

Jiang Siyi asked curiously, “Is Zhou Ni still nearby?”

Right after she said that, Jiang Siyi felt a chill on her back. She turned around and actually saw Zhou Ni walking over from the other side of the garage.

Zhou Ni looked the same as last time — wearing a navy pinched-waist suit, long-legged, black hair in a single ponytail, bangs covering her eyebrows and the upper half of her eyes. Her expression was unreadable; all you could feel was a deep, piercing gaze from behind the bangs.

Fan Qing greeted her. “Long time no see.”

She’d been in the area all along, yet even Fan Qing hadn’t seen her in a long time. It seemed she was even better at hiding than imagined.

Zhou Ni only slightly turned her gaze toward Fan Qing in acknowledgment, then, like a mute shadow, got into another black sedan in the corner.

Fan Qing saw that Jiang Siyi looked surprised and curious, and explained:

“She’s just like that. Doesn’t like to talk much, but she’s actually a good person.”

Jiang Siyi: “I know. If she hadn’t shown up in time to help me last time, I don’t know how it would have ended.”

Zhou Ni had probably told them about it already. Neither Lin Ji nor Fan Qing was surprised or asked further.

Zhou Ni drove out first.

Jiang Siyi got into the car with Lin Ji and asked curiously:

“Lin Ji-jie, is Zhou Ni your… bodyguard?”

Like in some TV dramas, those in power always seemed to be in danger, with skilled bodyguards at their side, always alert to threats, turning peril into safety.

Lin Ji: “She’s a bodyguard, but not mine.”

Jiang Siyi was confused. “Hmm?”

Fan Qing, driving ahead, gently turned the steering wheel and said, “Between Zhou Ni and her previous employer… well, there was a little incident, and the employment relationship couldn’t continue. She really needed money, so I introduced her to come help out on BOSS’s side temporarily.”

So it was a temporary employment arrangement.

Which meant Zhou Ni could leave at any time.

Jiang Siyi’s thoughts had just reached this point when Lin Ji said:

“If she leaves, I’ll make other arrangements. Don’t worry.”

The next day at work, Jiang Siyi arrived at the office on time to clock in.

Duan Ning, who had said “You’re not getting away tomorrow,” had been dispatched to the head office for an exchange meeting and wouldn’t be back for a few days.

Nobody liked these meetings — long, tedious, and seriously draining on social energy. Duan Ning suspected Manager Wu was using public duty to settle a personal score.

While Duan Ning couldn’t dig up any gossip about Jiang Siyi and was devastated, Zhao Yong from the Network Operations Department had regrouped and treated the entire Gold, Stone, and Jade Department to pastries. This time the scale was even bigger than before — and Duan Ning missed it entirely.

Manager Wu specially took photos and sent them to Duan Ning:

【Thanks to Xiao Jiang today, the whole department got one each. So delicious—someone missed out.】

Duan Ning: 【Zhao Yong again? I don’t believe it. Siyi would definitely save me some!】

Manager Wu: 【I told Xiao Jiang. I ate your share.】

Duan Ning: 【???】

Duan Ning screenshot the conversation and posted it to her WeChat Moments, inviting everyone to behold how Manager Wu was outrageously bullying her subordinate.

After posting the screenshot and receiving several likes, Duan Ning thought it over, decided it wasn’t a good idea, and deleted it.

After all, the situation between Jiang Siyi and Lin Ji-jie was still unclear. Mentioning Zhao Yong was inappropriate — what if it reached Lin Ji-jie’s side?

Oh no. Duan Ning suddenly remembered she’d added Fan Qing as a friend.

Fan Qing was Lin Ji-jie’s assistant. Reporting to her would be a matter of seconds.

But it was only up for such a brief time before she deleted it. There was no way Fan Qing could have happened to see it, right?

No way, Duan Ning reasoned. The assistant to the chairman of Huanwei Technology wouldn’t be so idle as to constantly scroll through her phone.

Duan Ning, patting her chest in self-consolation, had no idea what an assistant’s duties actually entailed.

One of Fan Qing’s responsibilities was to monitor all information related to BOSS.

Let alone dynamics related to BOSS’s wife.

On the other side of the city.

Lin Ji was in a meeting. The supposedly idle Fan Qing sat at her desk, filing the screenshot of Duan Ning’s WeChat Moments post into a dedicated folder.

Recalling the content Duan Ning had just posted, Fan Qing’s brow furrowed slightly. She opened it again for another look.

Her gaze swept over the phrase “Zhao Yong again,” and she fell into thought.

Lin Ji came out of the meeting, standing at the front of the crowd leaving the conference room, speaking with the General Manager of the Brand and PR Department, who nodded repeatedly.

Since her sleep had improved, Lin Ji’s meeting efficiency had increased noticeably.

What used to take an hour was now wrapped up in forty-five minutes.

The attendees’ lower back problems had also improved.

“BOSS.” When Lin Ji sat down to drink water, Fan Qing walked over and said, “There’s something you might want to know.”

Lin Ji twisted the cap of her thermos and looked up at her.

“How understanding are you going to be today?”

By early morning, Zhao Yong was already on his fourth cup of coffee. Like a meerkat, he stood at the entrance of the Gold, Stone, and Jade Department, gazing out, eagerly anticipating Jiang Siyi’s figure.

Jiang Siyi was on the phone again, leaning against the coffee table in the pantry, patiently explaining the details of this year’s autumn auction to a collector she’d been working with for two years.

Jiang Siyi was so patient. Zhao Yong was going crazy with impatience.

The cake he’d bought last time never made it into Jiang Siyi’s mouth, which was a bit discouraging.

People all liked following trends and chasing novelties. He felt no girl could resist the hottest internet-famous products of the moment.

Getting it into her mouth wasn’t the most important thing. What mattered was having someone pursuing her, someone willing to spend money — snapping a photo and posting it to WeChat Moments or a group chat, how impressive was that? Jiang Siyi couldn’t possibly not like it.

Today he’d switched to a trending pastry shop that had been blowing up on a certain social app — rainbow-colored butterfly cakes, expensive and purchase-limited, so outrageous that you even needed a scalper to buy them.

Zhao Yong had spent a fortune getting someone to buy it for him. Combined with the small pastries for the other colleagues in the Gold, Stone, and Jade Department, the price at checkout stung terribly.

Painful as it was, as long as Jiang Siyi liked it and remembered his kindness in her heart, it wasn’t a loss.

If she’d go on a date with him, it would all be worth it.

Zhao Yong stared at Jiang Siyi’s graceful silhouette the whole time, wishing he could just cut off her phone call.

Who was it, rambling on at such a critical moment? How could they be so inconsiderate?

Jiang Siyi finally hung up and headed toward her workstation.

As she passed by Zhao Yong, he cleared his throat, held his coffee, leaned his body at an angle, and leaned casually against the doorframe, asking Jiang Siyi:

“Have you had breakfast?”

Last time, she’d already eaten breakfast and didn’t have room for the little cake he’d brought.

Jiang Siyi thought it was just casual small talk between colleagues.

“Not yet.”

She’d gotten up too late again this morning. When walking Xueqiu, the dog had been lazily reluctant to walk, insisting she carry him home, which made her almost late and left no time to eat.

Zhao Yong mentally cheered Yes! This time was a sure thing.

Just in case, he added another reminder:

“Don’t forget to check what’s new on your desk.”

Jiang Siyi: ?

What’s new? Was it inexplicably extra workload?

Back at her workstation, she immediately spotted the rainbow butterfly cake, so vivid it was almost blinding.

Jiang Siyi asked the colleague at the next desk, “Who’s treating?”

Zhao Yong smoothed his hair, ready for his grand entrance.

The colleague was about to answer when they suddenly heard Manager Wu exclaim in surprise:

“Chairman Ji? What brings you here?”

Jiang Siyi and the colleague at the next desk both looked toward the entrance.

Zhao Yong: …

Who was this now!

Jiang Siyi’s eyes focused. It really was Lin Ji.

Why was she here?

Her first reaction was that she’d come to find her.

Lin Ji was saying something to Manager Wu. Jiang Siyi was some distance away and could only catch fragments like “acquisition” and “asset disposal,” giving her a general idea of why Lin Ji was here.

After a company was acquired, some fixed or intangible assets needed to be handled.

Lin Ji had probably acquired a company and wanted Jiashibi to assist with asset valuation, pricing, and the subsequent public auction.

But this wasn’t the Gold, Stone, and Jade Department’s responsibility. Still, it wasn’t serious enough to warrant Lin Ji coming in person, was it?

Upstairs, CEO Gu heard Lin Ji was here, and came down with the Vice President, Business Director, and a whole group.

Lin Ji was speaking, her eyes shifted slightly, and she looked precisely past the crowd toward Jiang Siyi.

Even from such a distance, Jiang Siyi could still clearly see the glints of light in her eyes.

Being separated by the crowd and space gave it an even more secret sense of connection.

Jiang Siyi subconsciously touched the ring on her ring finger.

Lin Ji didn’t go to the conference room. While chatting with CEO Gu about the auction, she “casually” wandered to Jiang Siyi’s workstation.

With a major client at the door, CEO Gu immediately confirmed, saying they’d rush the special auction proposal and could have it ready by next week.

Lin Ji: “Then thanks in advance.”

CEO Gu smiled from ear to ear, telling Chairman Ji not to be so polite.

The two made some more small talk, then Lin Ji said, “This auction is a bit rushed. I was in a hurry coming over and forgot to eat breakfast…”

Then she “accidentally” noticed the cake on Jiang Siyi’s desk. She looked up and said to Jiang Siyi:

“A bit hungry.”

Jiang Siyi: .

Jiang Siyi: “…Then, do you want to eat this?”

She’d thought that given Lin Ji’s personality, she’d at least decline.

Unexpectedly, Lin Ji said with certainty:

“Yes.”

Since Lin Ji had put it that way, Jiang Siyi had no choice but to open the cake in front of everyone, unwrap the fork, and hand it to Lin Ji.

Lin Ji ate elegantly but without pause, looking as if she intended to finish it in one go.

Zhao Yong: ??

CEO Gu and the other colleagues didn’t find anything unusual. After all, the two had chatted at the after-party and were old acquaintances. It was just a piece of cake.

They even felt that Lin Ji was truly getting familiar with Jiashibi — being able to eat breakfast here was a good sign.

Jiang Siyi had thought Lin Ji was very particular about healthy eating and moderation. She hadn’t expected her to devour an entire cream cake in one sitting.

How awful, Lin Ji thought. And so greasy.

Thank goodness this awful, greasy food hadn’t entered Jiang Siyi’s mouth.

If not for the need to maintain politeness under the watchful eyes of everyone, this cake would already be in the trash.

After finishing the cake, Lin Ji said to Jiang Siyi before leaving, “I’ll buy another one to make it up to you.”

Hearing her say that, Jiang Siyi assumed it would at least be lunch.

Instead, an express delivery arrived right after.

As Jiang Siyi went downstairs to pick up the delivery, the stranger it seemed.

Why did it feel like Lin Ji had arranged everything in advance?

Later, she heard from a colleague that Zhao Yong was the one treating — it had been him last time too. The obvious differential treatment and the way Zhao Yong looked at her — Jiang Siyi seemed to understand his intentions.

Could Lin Ji have known about this and come deliberately?

But even so, how did Lin Ji know?

While musing, she returned to the office, sat at her workstation, and opened the delivery packaging — another healthy, lavish breakfast.

Sunlight happened to stream in through the window, falling on Jiang Siyi’s hand. Two colleagues walking by noticed her hand glittering.

“A ring? Siyi, you never used to wear rings.”

“And on your ring finger. Wow — is it what I think it is?”

Her colleagues had suddenly discovered this big news and asked her in surprise.

“You’re married?”

She’d been wearing it for so many days without it being noticed — partly because she’d been away at training for a few days, and partly because everyone was busy.

But it was bound to come out eventually.

Hearing their conversation, the surrounding colleagues all turned to look at her. Zhao Yong, who often lingered around their department, immediately poked his head in from the doorway.

No way. Zhao Yong couldn’t believe it.

Deny it, quick!

Meeting everyone’s gaze, Jiang Siyi smiled. Without hesitation or evasion, she said plainly:

“Yes, I’m married.”

The author has something to say:

Lin Ji: Wife-pampering Step 6 — Take good care of wife’s stomach. Only “Lin Ji’s Selection” may enter her mouth.