"Major General Gu, I have been transferred from the A17 division and will soon become your new adjutant. My name is Bai Wei, but you can also call me by my code name, 1753."
"Okay, go directly to the military tomorrow for the handover, you can deal with the enlistment matters with my other adjutant, Shan Ni'er"
"Understood, Major General. I will comply."
After Bai Wei finished speaking on the communicator, she fell silent, waiting for Major General Gu Sijiu to end the call. Feeling Bai Wei's gaze on her, Gu Sijiu inexplicably felt a bit awkward. She disconnected the communicator and glanced at the clock pointing to 9 o'clock, then looked at the cold dinner on the table, hesitating whether to call Song Jinzhi.
Holding the communicator, Gu Sijiu pulled up Song Jinzhi's contact, but before she could make the call, she abruptly closed the screen. Looking at her own conflicted face reflected on the screen, she irritably tossed the communicator aside. Just then, the front door was pushed open, and Gu Sijiu looked up to see Song Jinzhi appearing at the doorway, holding a stack of documents and looking exhausted.
Song Jinzhi was someone who placed great importance on appearance and etiquette, largely due to her upbringing and family background. Gu Sijiu rarely saw her in a disheveled state. This person's clothes were always spotless, exuding a faint scent that matched her demeanor, and her hair was neatly arranged as it had been for the past ten years.
Lately, Gu Sijiu had noticed that Song Jinzhi seemed troubled, likely related to work. Continuous overtime had left her with dark circles under her eyes that even makeup couldn't conceal. Gu Sijiu had seen the study light still on during late-night bathroom trips more than once, and during breakfast, Song Jinzhi wore a gloomy expression, having not been seen at dinner for several days.
Gu Sijiu admitted she was quite worried about Song Jinzhi's current state. From what she knew, Song Jinzhi hadn't had a proper rest for about a week, sleeping only a few hours each day and relying on nutritional supplements and coffee instead of regular meals. Remembering that she had overheard Song Jinzhi talking with her so-called second uncle on the communicator yesterday about a significant issue with a recent project of the Song family that was being blamed on Song Jinzhi made her concern deepen.
Gu Sijiu had once been a manager in her company, and she understood how difficult it was for a woman to establish herself in the workplace, as well as the malice that women faced from the outside world. If her own world was like this, it was even more so in a world so clearly divided between Alphas and Omegas. Watching Song Jinzhi look so exhausted every day made Gu Sijiu feel both heartbroken and concerned—this concern gnawed at her insides and appeared inexplicably.
This feeling hadn't just arisen recently. After the heat period, she found herself unable to help but focus her gaze on Song Jinzhi, unconsciously paying attention to her actions and thoughts. Comparing Song Jinzhi's usually cold expression to her passionate demeanor in bed, Gu Sijiu would even go out of her way to make her favorite foods, pretending not to know that she was placing them in front of her.
Gu Sijiu was aware that her feelings were dangerous. In terms from her previous world, she was "bending." It was quite surprising for her—after living 28 years as a straight woman, she found herself gradually becoming more attracted to a woman within just six months here. Gu Sijiu laughed at her own predicament. She had no intention of controlling her emotions or suppressing her feelings. Since she hadn't yet figured out whether she truly liked Song Jinzhi, she decided to let things be.
"Back already? Do you want something to eat?" Gu Sijiu noticed that Song Jinzhi's hair was a bit disheveled and that she looked so tired that even her back seemed slightly hunched. It was rare for her to show such an disheveled appearance in front of others, clearly, she must have been extremely worn out.
"No, thank you." Song Jinzhi didn't want to say much. She bypassed Gu Sijiu and went straight to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee and two nutritional supplements before heading upstairs. Gu Sijiu opened her mouth to say something but caught a glimpse of Song Jinzhi's expressionless profile, forcing the words back down her throat. Well... after finally shaking off the "wooden face" label not long ago, it seemed like she'd upgraded to "ice cube face" these days.
Gu Sijiu knew it was best not to disturb Song Jinzhi at this moment, yet she couldn't help her concern for her. Before going to bed, Gu Sijiu glanced at the study where the light was still on, pacing back and forth at the door several times and retracting her hand from knocking more than once. Finally, she sighed and returned to bed. With Song Jinzhi not sleeping, she found herself unable to sleep as well.
Early the next morning, Gu Sijiu got up early, wanting to talk to Song Jinzhi, only to find that Song Jinzhi's room was surprisingly open. Peering inside, she noticed that the bed showed no signs of having been slept in. Clearly, Song Jinzhi hadn't rested at all the night before and had left early in the morning. Song Jinzhi had indeed gone a whole night without sleep. Even if she wasn't busy with work, the pile of tasks would keep her awake in bed, so she might as well put the time into working.
As she got out of the car, the extended lack of rest led Song Jinzhi to feel a strong sense of dizziness, her head heavy, and her legs weak, with a burning discomfort in her stomach.
She forced herself to focus, nodding to passing employees as she headed straight for her office. At the door stood Jennifer, who quietly said that the chairman was inside. Song Jinzhi wasn't surprised that her father had suddenly come to the company. Given the significant mistake she had made, she was mentally prepared for some criticism when she entered.
"Dad, you're here." Song Jinzhi entered the room, seeing her father sitting on the sofa, and said softly. Upon seeing Song Jinzhi's haggard face, her father frowned with concern.
"Xiao Jin, I'm sure you know why I'm here today." he said gently, his tone lacking much reproach, though his words made the usually outstanding Song Jinzhi feel somewhat ashamed.
This time, the mistakes in Song Corporation's bidding were entirely her fault. She hadn't anticipated the issues in that area, leading to an incorrect estimated value after the bid, which resulted in cash flow problems for the company. Song Jinzhi's face turned pale, this was the biggest blow she had ever faced as someone who had always excelled. Although her father hadn't intended to blame her, seeing his daughter's guilty expression pained him deeply. After all, she was their family's princess—when had she ever suffered such grievances?
"Xiao Jin, I definitely didn't come here to blame you today. Besides, our Song Corporation won't be severely affected by a single bidding project. I just think that your current workload might be a bit too much for you. I haven't seen you for a few days, and you've lost quite a bit of weight. Your health isn't as strong as an Alpha's. I heard from your second uncle that you've been busy with work lately, what will happen if you wear yourself out and get sick?"
Her father spoke with concern, but upon hearing these words, Song Jinzhi felt no comfort. She understood what her father meant. He didn't blame her, but this lack of blame was because she was an Omega. Such things had happened many times since childhood, every time she achieved good results, there were always people praising her endlessly.
Even though Song Jinzhi felt those accomplishments were quite ordinary, others exaggerated how exceptional she was. All of this was simply because she was an Omega, and being placed in a disadvantaged position meant that her accomplishments were often overstated. If her younger sister had made this mistake, their father would have likely scolded her harshly, but when it came to Song Jinzhi...
"Dad, this mistake is entirely my fault. As the general manager of the company, I must take full responsibility. I will revise the plan to recover the losses for the Song company. If I can't do this, I'm willing to resign from my position as general manager and start over in another department." Song Jinzhi said seriously, but her father shook his head repeatedly after hearing this.
"Xiao Jin, you're just too stubborn, and I don't know where you got that temper from. I think your second uncle has a point. As an Omega, you shouldn't push yourself too hard. If work is exhausting, give yourself more time to rest. Our family doesn't lack the money for this one project, and I don't want to see you so worn out."
Her father spoke what he thought were considerate words, but as Song Jinzhi listened with her head down, tears began to well up in her eyes. She understood that her father cared for her, but such words completely negated all her efforts over the years. Feeling somewhat disappointed, Song Jinzhi wondered if others thought she was too greedy. Despite having parents who loved her so much, she wanted to walk a path not suitable for an Omega. She wanted to do what she could do and not just live a conventional life. Was such a desire considered greedy?
Song Jinzhi chuckled bitterly and suddenly bowed deeply to her father. "Chairman, I will handle this mistake properly. If there is nothing else, I need to get back to work." She raised her head defiantly. Her father glanced at her, hesitated as if wanting to say something but, in the end, just patted her shoulder before leaving the office.
Sitting at her desk, Song Jinzhi spread out the piled-up documents one by one. During that time, Jennifer came by and noticed the redness in Song Jinzhi's eyes, offering her some eye drops. Song Jinzhi thought she was strong enough, but throughout the afternoon, she found it impossible to concentrate on her work. She felt she needed a break, if she didn't stop now, she might completely break down.
"Jennifer, let's leave everything for tomorrow. I'm heading home now." Taking several important documents home with her, Song Jinzhi sat in the car and activated the autopilot while holding the eye drops Jennifer had given her. Although it was just a simple bottle of eye drops, looking at it made Song Jinzhi's nose suddenly feel sore.
She could hold herself together in front of her colleagues and father, but now, with no one watching, she felt it was okay to be vulnerable for a moment without being mocked. Clutching the bottle of eye drops, she curled up in her seat. The usually tall and poised woman appeared fragile and vulnerable at this moment.
Song Jinzhi stayed in the car for half an hour, only getting out once her emotions had calmed down a bit. She wiped away the traces of tears from the corners of her eyes and opened the door to find Gu Sijiu sitting on the sofa. Their eyes met, and Gu Sijiu noticed Song Jinzhi's swollen eyes. She could tell that Song Jinzhi had just cried and didn't want to let anyone see it. Gu Sijiu quickly averted her gaze, pretending not to notice as she walked to the other side of the room.
Throughout the evening, Song Jinzhi didn't come downstairs. She made dinner and called for Song Jinzhi to come down, but received no response. After thinking for a moment, Gu Sijiu decided to go upstairs to the study and pushed the door open.
"Song Jinzhi, are you facing some trouble?" Originally, Gu Sijiu's sudden entrance had already disrupted her, and now hearing this question made Song Jinzhi inevitably a bit irritated.
"Gu Sijiu, I'm busy. If there's nothing important, please don't disturb me." Song Jinzhi's voice was very cold, reminiscent of when the two first started interacting. Gu Sijiu knew she was annoyed. Normally, she would have gotten angry and ignored Song Jinzhi, but in this situation, she understood that Song Jinzhi was on the verge of breaking down and couldn't take her words seriously.
"Hey, I just want to help you. If I didn't see how exhausted you are, I wouldn't bother. I actually know a little about business matters, otherwise, I wouldn't..."
"Gu Sijiu, I said I'm very busy right now! I don't want to waste time talking to you. Can't you be a little more understanding and not bother me at this time? Can you just let me have some peace?!"
Song Jinzhi suddenly raised her voice. Song Jinzhi knew her thoughts were in disarray and that she was unfairly taking out her frustration on Gu Sijiu. After shouting, she immediately regretted it, especially when she saw that Gu Sijiu wasn't angry at her words The guilt in Song Jinzhi's heart grew. Her eyes reddened, and the whites of her eyes were veined from several days of sleepless nights.
"I'm sorry, Gu Sijiu. I... I didn't mean to lose my temper at you. I just... I just... don't know what to do. I'm sorry..." Song Jinzhi said tiredly, covering her face with her hands, thinking that this would hide all her vulnerability. The Omega's pheromones she emitted revealed a sense of helplessness and despair, like sinking into the deep sea, unable to breathe and suffocating her. Gu Sijiu sensed that Song Jinzhi was seeking help, she was waiting for someone to assist her, even if it was just a little bit. Seeing Song Jinzhi like this made it hard to blame her for losing control. Instead, it only evoked sympathy. Gu Sijiu walked over and hugged her from behind the chair.
"Wooden face, why are you getting so worked up? You were already ugly, and now you look even worse when you're angry. I told you I would help you, you can tell me anything that's bothering you."
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