Crossing the Line – Chapter 50
by Little PandaA Scalding Impulse
【My clothes look really good on you.】
Lin Ji’s clothes?
Jiang Siyi quickly turned her head toward the half-length mirror nearby.
She had never once doubted that what she was wearing wasn’t the “69-yuan member exclusive” T-shirt.
But now that she looked—this really was Lin Ji’s clothes.
The two garments were similar in style and color, both solid-colored mock turtlenecks.
But looking closely, the one she had on now was a structured-shoulder tee with understated waist-sculpting details.
The most obvious difference was the small logo on the side of the short sleeve.
The “69-yuan member exclusive” didn’t have that.
No wonder Duan Ning had reacted that way when Siyi said she’d bring her one.
This piece of Lin Ji’s clothing probably cost as much as a hundred of the member exclusives.
After moving in together, household chores were handled by the community butler, while more personal matters were taken care of entirely by Lin Ji.
Jiang Siyi felt bad about letting Lin Ji handle so much, so she naturally took on her share of the work.
Doing the laundry was one of the chores she had claimed for herself.
After the recent “Wife” incident, Siyi’s mind had been preoccupied, and laundry was a fairly mechanical task. While sorting the dried clothes, she had zoned out and mistakenly hung one of Lin Ji’s tops in her own closet space.
This morning, already distracted while getting dressed to go out, her brain completely filled with thoughts of Lin Ji, she had grabbed it just because it was a mock turtleneck.
No wonder it had felt slightly too big—that wasn’t just her imagination…
Jiang Siyi’s vision went dark. She didn’t dare turn back to face Lin Ji on the video call.
Would Lin Ji think she had some kind of fetish?
How could she possibly explain this away?
She could only bite the bullet and tell the truth:
【If I said… I really just grabbed the wrong one, would you believe me?】
【Mm, I believe you.】
Someone said she believed her, but the amused expression on her face told the exact opposite story.
Jiang Siyi: …
Before she could even attempt her flimsy justification, Lin Ji added another line:
【Wearing a mock turtleneck to cover kiss marks. That’s my fault.】
Jiang Siyi: .
This apology was clearly designed to make her blush even harder.
Just watching Lin Ji unbutton her outercoat had her thoughts running wild; continuing down the topic of kiss marks would only make things worse.
Lin Ji’s teasing stopped at just the right point—after all, Siyi still had to work in the afternoon.
She was about to change the subject when a knock came from her door.
Duan Ning’s voice drifted in from outside.
“Siyi, are you asleep? Manager Wu says there’s a meeting.”
The afternoon shift had started earlier than expected.
She had just said she’d stay on with Lin Ji until she fell asleep.
And now she had to leave for work.
Siyi was still figuring out how to phrase it.
Lin Ji spoke first: 【I’m already drowsy. Once I hang up, I’ll fall right asleep. Go to your meeting.】
【Then…】
【Good night.】
Lin Ji smiled, reluctantly hanging up the video call first.
After washing up, she saw that Jiang Siyi had sent a sticker.
An animated gif of someone patting a little dog’s head and saying “Good night.”
The corners of Lin Ji’s lips curved slightly.
Holding the “Shi Shi Ru Yi” persimmon pendant1 that Jiang Siyi had given her, the soft rabbit-fur texture felt pleasant in her hand, and kneading it in her palm gave her a sense of security.
In the past, when traveling on business, having a small plush to squeeze did make it easier to find sleepiness.
But tonight, the darkness pressing in was no longer the most obvious source of pressure.
The hollow emptiness beside her was far more noticeable.
For so many years, she had grown accustomed to sleeping alone. In her loneliest days, she had never felt she needed anyone’s company.
After sharing a bed with Jiang Siyi for just one week, the absence of the person beside her was impossible to ignore.
She kneaded the little rabbit-fur persimmon in her hand for ages, but sleepiness never came.
Worried she might deform or shed the little persimmon from too much squeezing, Lin Ji set it beside her and tucked half the blanket over the little round ball.
Lying flat on her back with her eyes closed, she tried to will herself into sleep.
The hotel’s internal bar stayed open around the clock.
Fan Qing, adjusting to the time difference, sat by the window of the bar wearing over-ear headphones, listening to music.
She casually snapped a photo of the sun rising through the gaps between skyscrapers.
Propping up her drowsy head with one hand, she sent the photo out.
A minute later, the reply came.
Qiao: 【So you’re not sleeping either?】
_: 【Mm, I’ll down some coffee and get back to work in a bit.】
Qiao: 【Staying up all night ages you fast. Nothing but abuse for that pretty face of yours.】
Fan Qing smiled, then glanced up at her own face reflected in the glass wall.
When people saw the scar on her face, they either found it ugly or frightening.
Only this person would talk about a “pretty face.”
No wonder she could keep so many “pets,” each one hopelessly devoted to her.
A frivolous auntie.
But genuinely charismatic.
The smile curving Fan Qing’s lips lingered for a long while before she noticed a second figure reflected in the glass.
Lin Ji had walked to the bar in her outer coat, ordering a drink.
Fan Qing locked her phone screen and slipped the headphones down around her neck.
“BOSS.”
Lin Ji sat across from her: “Can’t sleep either?”
“Mm, I’m adjusting my clock; I’ll catch up later. Your insomnia acting up again?”
Lin Ji nodded.
She had long grown accustomed to insomnia, able to push through by force of will.
But recently, because Jiang Siyi was right beside her, she had enjoyed several nights of peaceful sleep. Now, plunged back into insomnia, she found herself—almost petulantly—unable to tolerate it.
Lin Ji drained her glass in one go and raised a hand, signaling the bartender for another.
Fan Qing: “You really should drink slower.”
She offered the words of caution, but after all these years working beside Lin Ji, she knew her BOSS’s temperament well enough to know she couldn’t actually deter her.
Often, when work demanded it and sleep eluded her, Lin Ji’s go-to method was to use alcohol to forcibly summon unconsciousness.
Sometimes alcohol did work—it could increase the probability and speed of falling asleep.
The side effects, of course, were hardly negligible: next-day headaches, fatigue, stomach discomfort, and arrhythmia, to name a few.
To sustain her work, Lin Ji had always been ruthless with herself.
Even Fan Qing—someone who had fought her way out of the “dark jungle” by any means necessary, whose hands had seen blood—thought Lin Ji treated her own body with shocking disregard.
Before this year, her BOSS had seemed like an AI devoid of desire, indifferent to how long she lived, having long since discarded half her life and all seven passions to some hidden, unknowable abyss.
Until she witnessed Lin Ji’s reunion with Jiang Siyi.
The lost soul seemed to have been gathered back, piece by piece. She was like a living person again.
Lin Ji picked up her glass for another drink, and Fan Qing—rarely—pushed further.
“If you rely too heavily on alcohol, it could cause severe headaches. Miss Jiang would worry, wouldn’t she?”
The glass paused at her lips.
She thought of Jiang Siyi—how she had grabbed hold of her in alarm upon hearing about the car accident, her eyes filled with genuine concern.
She could not bear to see any hint of disappointment in those beautiful eyes.
After a moment’s hesitation, she set the glass down with a dull clunk.
Fan Qing thought to herself: the three words “Miss Jiang” were more effective than any prescription.
Lin Ji asked the floor butler to bring her a book—preferably an original Russian edition.
The butler brought a Russian-language edition of Oblomov.
A little presumptuous, though the book’s soporific effect was indeed extraordinary.
The Russian edition doubled the effect.
While Lin Ji read, Fan Qing surreptitiously snapped a photo, composed a caption, and posted it on Moments.
She had been understanding and accommodating so many times; it was only fair to let Miss Duan have a turn.
J City, Jiashibi.
The meeting continued with discussion of the autumn auction items. Toward the end, Manager Wu announced that the biennial Jiashibi Global Exchange Conference was approaching.
“As one of the departments with the fastest-rising domestic performance this year, our Gold, Stone, and Jade Department will have the honor of representing J City. It’s time to showcase our department’s excellence. So—who’s interested? Step up and volunteer.”
At Manager Wu’s words, everyone in the Gold, Stone, and Jade Department went blank.
The Jiashibi Global Exchange Conference was essentially an internal performance-sharing summit—not only tedious, but also requiring a polished presentation. You had to bring glory to both your department and your branch office.
The main feature: a thankless endeavor where the effort far outweighed any reward.
Worse still, every edition of the conference was held in London.
The last one had been attended by an auctioneer from the Oil Painting Department.
That auctioneer had come back from London five pounds lighter, nauseated at the sight of potatoes, and needed over half a month to recover.
Since then, the “Group Exchange Conference” had occupied the top spot on Jiashibi’s urban horror story rankings.
Manager Wu smiled, waiting for her colleagues to nominate themselves.
Alas, no one volunteered.
Not only did no one volunteer—no one even dared to breathe too loudly.
In the silence, Manager Wu looked at Duan Ning.
Duan Ning flinched under her gaze.
The good stuff never comes my way, but for this kind of crap, I’m the first one on the list, huh?
“I’ll gracefully decline—I already attended the domestic headquarters exchange last time.”
After saying it, she felt she had been a bit too casual.
She and Manager Wu had a good personal relationship and joked around often, but they were in a meeting, and her tone had been too relaxed.
If other colleagues got the impression that Manager Wu was a pushover, it wouldn’t be good for her management down the line.
Duan Ning added, “Manager, dear, I’ve really sacrificed enough for the department. Can someone else go this time? London—doesn’t anyone want to go? You could squeeze in some sightseeing.”
Someone suggested: “It’s got to be Xiao Jiang—she’s our department’s backbone.”
The truth was, the moment she heard the word “London,” Jiang Siyi’s heart had stirred.
Lin Ji was in London on business; who knew when she would be back.
If she went to London, she might get to see Lin Ji.
Only, she couldn’t exactly ask outright for the opportunity to attend the conference—that would look like she was seeking credit.
Besides, Lin Ji was there resolving pressing work matters. She was very busy. Going over might disturb her.
And then there was the fear of seeming too clingy.
As if a kiss entitled her to demand more attention.
Siyi weighed her options, smiled at the colleague who had nominated her, and said nothing.
Manager Wu saw that Jiang Siyi hadn’t spoken up and assumed she didn’t want to go.
Who would want to go? If it were her, she wouldn’t want to fly that far for a stupid conference either.
Manager Wu had to play hardball: “Then we’ll draw lots.”
The colleagues groaned in protest.
“No way, that’s just cruel.”
“My luck is always terrible—I’d like to opt out in advance.”
“Then nobody here has any luck at all.”
Manager Wu’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen—CEO Gu was calling—and gave the room two perfunctory chuckles.
“If no one volunteers by tomorrow’s meeting, we draw lots for life and death. Hello, CEO Gu…”
Coming out of the meeting room, Duan Ning linked her arm through Jiang Siyi’s and whispered:
“Did you notice? Wan Xin wasn’t at the meeting.”
Siyi thought back—the entire department had been in the meeting room, and Wan Xin was the only one absent.
“Oh, yeah.”
Duan Ning: “I heard she resigned.”
Jiang Siyi wasn’t particularly invested in other people’s affairs. She mentioned it casually to Duan Ning and then went back to work.
While pulling up the auction lot spreadsheet, a WeChat notification popped up on her logged-in desktop.
Oliver.
She had almost forgotten this person existed.
She glanced at it without clicking the message open, didn’t let him eat into her time, and kept working.
Near the end of the workday, Jiang Siyi went to print some documents. Duan Ning came jogging up behind her and tugged quietly at the hem of her shirt.
“What’s going on with our Lin Ji-jiejie?”
Siyi’s heart lurched. She immediately took the phone Duan Ning offered.
On the screen was Fan Qing’s Moments post.
【On a business trip. A new round of insomnia. Luckily the boss is keeping me company. The boss has it worse than I do—she can’t sleep either. sigh sigh】
It came with a photo.
In the photo, Lin Ji sat across a table. The setting was dim—it looked like a bar.
Lin Ji’s long hair draped over her shoulders, and beside her hand sat an empty glass.
So it was insomnia.
Earlier, Lin Ji had told her about being in a car accident overseas, so when Siyi heard Duan Ning’s words just now, her mind had flashed to a horrific accident. Thank goodness…
After the initial relief, she looked at the photo again.
Whether anyone else could tell, Jiang Siyi noticed at a glance: Lin Ji was in a very bad state.
Those eyes—always so clear and sharp—were now dulled by exhaustion.
Zooming in on the original image, she could even see the bloodshot in them.
So she had already finished one glass of alcohol.
Trying to use alcohol to help her sleep?
That would only make her feel worse.
She took care of others so attentively, so meticulously—why was she so rough and dismissive with herself?
Worry swayed in Jiang Siyi’s heart.
It gave rise to a scalding impulse.
She turned and walked down the corridor to knock on Manager Wu’s office door.
Manager Wu, who had been spinning an electronic pen, looked up. Jiang Siyi had already stepped up to the desk.
“I’d like to apply to attend the London exchange conference.”
At that moment, Jiang Siyi hadn’t yet realized that her heart was already so full of the desire to see Lin Ji, she had cast aside all concerns about being “too clingy.”
Back in the hotel room, the book resting on the nightstand, Lin Ji lay with her eyes open, staring quietly at the ceiling.
Exhaustion tugged relentlessly at her nerves. Her heart raced as if someone were drumming against her chest.
Beyond the curtains, daylight was already seeping through.
Another dawn had arrived, and she still hadn’t slept.
Of course she knew why she couldn’t sleep.
She had endured all those years when she couldn’t get close to Siyi, when she couldn’t even touch her.
Now that she had held her, tasted her kisses—the loneliness had become unbearable.
I miss her so much.
She held the persimmon pendant again.
Not kneading it this time, just cradling it gently.
Using it to imagine Jiang Siyi beside her.
…
Inside the cabin, waiting for takeoff, Siyi received a video message from the community butler.
The video showed Xueqiu at the pet resort, playing with a Corgi. He looked like he had already adjusted to the boarding environment.
The butler offered a professional smile into the camera: 【Miss Jiang can log into the surveillance link I sent you to check on Xueqiu’s status in real time. Our monitoring is online 24 hours. You can also video-call Xueqiu if you’d like. If there’s anything else you need at home, feel free to contact me anytime. Have a pleasant trip.】
Jiang Siyi: 【Okay, thank you.】
The community services were thorough. She wouldn’t have to worry about Xueqiu while she was away.
As the plane surged through the clouds and J City grew smaller beneath her, Jiang Siyi’s heart filled with anticipation.
At the same time, the nagging worry of being “too clingy” crept back in alongside her rationality.
But she had also learned to make excuses for herself.
—After all, I’m going for work.
Worst case: it was perfectly normal for a newlywed wife to fly thousands of miles to see her beloved for a moment.
Lead-gray clouds pressed low against the sky.
As Fan Qing drove Lin Ji back to the hotel, raindrops finally broke through the cloud cover, spattering the roof one by one before quickly merging into a full curtain of rain in their field of vision.
Just now, meeting with the legal team, Lin Ji had been shrewd and decisive, her commanding presence making it impossible for anyone not to trust her. But at this moment, she wore an eye mask, the car seat reclined to its flattest position, silent and still—like a soulless shadow.
Fan Qing knew she still hadn’t managed to sleep.
By her count, the BOSS had now been awake for over forty hours straight.
Among all her past bouts of insomnia, this was severe.
Approaching the hotel, Lin Ji spoke slowly: “Did she contact me?”
As an excellent assistant on a million-dollar salary, Fan Qing didn’t need the BOSS to finish the name. She knew exactly which “she” was being asked about.
Lately, the top entry on BOSS’s attention list was always that three-character lady.
No need to even activate her professional radar—any friend could have guessed it easily.
Jiang Siyi had sent a WeChat message, but not to Lin Ji. She had messaged Fan Qing.
And Zhou Ni had also called to say Jiang Siyi had suddenly left for London; she couldn’t follow because of visa issues.
Sanzhuang Tusi: 【Miss Fan, I’m coming to London for a business trip. Could you give me her hotel address? I want to find her. Also… please don’t tell her about this for now. I want to give her a surprise.】
A married couple indeed—down to using “her” the exact same way.
Miss Jiang had actually come straight to London.
It seemed Miss Duan’s thoughtfulness had a touch of telepathy after all.
And this “business trip” was quite a sensible one—the destination just happened to be where her wife was.
The only problem was that it put Fan Qing in a difficult spot.
She didn’t want to ruin Miss Jiang’s plan or waste her effort.
She could imagine how happy the BOSS would be when Miss Jiang suddenly appeared after flying across the Eurasian continent.
At the very least, there was hope for alleviating that severe insomnia.
The trouble was that she was the BOSS’s personal assistant—the relationship that demanded the most mutual trust. She couldn’t keep anything from the BOSS. In all these years, she had never hidden a single thing.
After weighing her options, Fan Qing said, “BOSS, Miss Jiang says she’s come to London on a business trip and wants your hotel address to surprise you without your knowing. When you see her, could you pretend you never knew about this?”
Lin Ji: …
The author has something to say:
Lin Ji: Another day of being pampered by my wife.
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