After Transmigrating into a Redemption Novel as the Evil Stepmother - Chapter 18

“I want to stay by your side.”

Ji Shuangci didn’t know how she managed to force those words out. Countless repressed emotions surged into her chest at that moment, contracting and compacting until they were impossible to contain. They erupted like magma rising in her throat, only to be doused by a sudden splash of cold reason an instant before the explosion, finally manifesting as a casual, understated remark.

It was just like every other time she had spent with Ming Jiayue.

Masking, testing, weighing, attempting to overstep—yet always maintaining a basic level of decorum.

Ming Jiayue’s expression went blank for a split second. After a few seconds of silence, she lowered her head and let out a soft laugh.

It was as if she had heard an utterly preposterous joke.

She had been working day and night for a long time now. More and more fine lines were creeping onto her perishable skin. Ming Jiayue did not believe that her weary features could make someone ten years younger, like Ji Shuangci, flock to her side.

Ming Jiayue had her own set of social etiquettes; she was typically the rule-maker and the boundary-setter.

Almost no one was like Ji Shuangci—challenging and crossing that line again and again.

Ji Shuangci appeared to be showing weakness, yet her breath, carrying the warmth of her body, wordlessly enveloped Ming Jiayue from all sides.

Sensing her boundaries being invaded, Ming Jiayue frowned coldly. She reached out, pressed against Ji Shuangci’s shoulder, and pushed her away decisively. In the next instant, before Ji Shuangci could react, Ming Jiayue’s hand slid down, passed her elbow, and locked onto Ji Shuangci’s wrist.

She gripped it, forced the hand behind Ji Shuangci’s waist, and pushed her forward.

It was a fluid, professional grappling move.

The situation reversed in an instant.

Ji Shuangci’s body was pressed tight against the cold floor-to-ceiling window. Her line of sight was cut off, and the hand pinned behind her back felt like a master, controlling her every move with irresistible force.

“Ji Shuangci.”

Ming Jiayue’s voice cut through the air, falling coolly against her ear.

Undoubtedly, this was a warning.

They were on the 38th floor; outside was the open sky without any obstruction. Ji Shuangci wasn’t sure if someone in the neighboring skyscraper happened to be looking this way. Time seemed to slow down infinitely as her heart slowly sank.

Ming Jiayue didn’t speak again, but Ji Shuangci was almost certain she was waiting for a statement—a genuine bow of the head.

Her mind raced. Ji Shuangci couldn’t figure out which part of that sentence had made Ming Jiayue so displeased.

Power, money, wisdom, grace…

In Ji Shuangci’s eyes, Ming Jiayue possessed so many magnetic qualities. Shouldn’t being admired, looked up to, or even secretly loved be something she was accustomed to?

Like Ji Shuangci’s own careful schemes, or the gaze Zhou An’an thought she had hidden so well.

Ming Jiayue might be dismissive, she might be indifferent, or she might even find a bit of amusement in it.

But no.

The result was the exact opposite of what Ji Shuangci had anticipated.

Ji Shuangci pressed her red lips into a thin line. Her expression remained somewhat steady, but the cold sweat on her back was nearly soaking through her inner shirt. She couldn’t see Ming Jiayue’s face, and she certainly couldn’t decipher her thoughts.

She thought it over and over, and the only possibility pointed toward the direction she was least willing to accept: that her affection was, to Ming Jiayue, a total bother, a complete offense, or even an insult.

The gaze from behind her was so sharp it felt like it was stripping her bare.

Ji Shuangci had heard more or less about Ming Jiayue’s ruthless methods in the business world; it was only through their personal interactions that Ming Jiayue’s indulgence had given her the illusion that she had a chance to be favored.

It was an illusion.

Therefore, she had done many things wrong.

Ji Shuangci recognized this fact with absolute clarity. She let out a choked breath, then spoke with a forced air of ease.

“President Ming, you’ve misunderstood. What I meant was that my current major aligns with your subsidiary energy company. The job market is tough right now; as an energy student, I was hoping for a chance to learn at a major firm like Ming Corporation…”

Ji Shuangci’s words were clever and very “official,” clearly redefining the roles between them.

One was the president of an industry leader; the other was a student seeking employment.

The gap between them was a chasm.

As the light shifted, Ji Shuangci looked as though she were covered in a layer of ash. Ming Jiayue observed her from a position of overwhelming pressure, scrutinizing her. If Ji Shuangci weren’t a target character, Ming Jiayue thought she probably would have driven her out of H City by now.

It was undeniable that Ji Shuangci had some wit and courage, but she also possessed the classic traits of youth: naivety, impulsiveness, and a tendency to fall into fantasies.

Fortunately, she was sensible enough to take a hint.

Ming Jiayue unhurriedly let go of her hand and glanced at the system panel. The mission progress was still stuck at 49%.

Buttoning her cuffs, Ming Jiayue walked back to the sofa and took a sip of honey water. Whether because of the water or for some other reason, her gaze sharpened as she suddenly spoke.

“Miss Ji, revealing your desire for protection and seeking the approval of others when you have no capital of your own is a fatal weakness.”

Her body felt slightly stiff; Ji Shuangci moved a fraction and immediately turned to observe Ming Jiayue.

Cold and distant, without any expression—her emotions were impossible to read.

The cold voice drummed against her eardrums. Ji Shuangci fell quiet, savoring Ming Jiayue’s less-than-polite advice. She felt a strange sense of being “favored through misfortune.”

However, she quickly calmed herself down, not daring to take another step forward, and replied obediently.

“Thank you for the guidance, President Ming. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Polite and distant.

Ming Jiayue looked up and glanced at her. Her gaze drifted down from her eyes, past the bridge of her nose, her lips, her chin, and finally settled on her fingers, which were gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

No matter how hard Ji Shuangci tried to maintain her surface calm, her mental state had undergone a very subtle shift.

At this moment, in Ming Jiayue’s eyes, she looked very much like a “drowned dog.”

Disheveled, and even a little pitiable.

Wang Ting knocked and entered, acutely sensing the awkward atmosphere. He immediately lowered his head, intending to drop off the food and flee.

“You can leave. Take them back and eat them yourself.”

Ming Jiayue spoke abruptly. Though she didn’t name anyone, it was clear who she was talking to.

Ji Shuangci froze for a moment. Staying here would only increase the embarrassment, so she took the “exit” she was given.

“It is quite late. Goodbye, President Ming.”

Proactively taking the bags from Wang Ting, Ji Shuangci walked quickly toward the door.

Wang Ting had zero desire to remain in the same space as Ming Jiayue, especially when the barometric pressure was this low. He hurriedly chimed in.

“President Ming, I’ll see her out.”

With a soft sound of the door closing, the office returned to silence.

Ming Jiayue sat on the sofa for a good while. An accidental glance caught the flowers on her desk; at some point, they had been replaced with calming lavender. The branches and leaves were arranged perfectly—clearly, they had been trimmed with care.

Ming Jiayue stared at the flowers, lost in thought for a long time.

Once out of the president’s office, Ji Shuangci’s face immediately relaxed.

“Secretary Wang, I’m so sorry for making you work overtime today. I’ll treat you to dinner next time to make up for it.”

When Ji Shuangci smiled and initiated conversation, she felt like a breath of fresh air. Wang Ting, who had been on his guard, was disarmed by her interjection and started chatting.

They were the only ones in the elevator. As they talked, Wang Ting suddenly asked.

“Did you have a fight with President Ming?”

Ji Shuangci didn’t say anything, appearing to concede by default.

Wang Ting sighed and offered a few kind pieces of advice. He felt that Ji Shuangci was young, after all, and her perspective was still a bit shallow.

“Ming Corporation has only truly stabilized in the last two years. Don’t let President Ming’s outward glory fool you; her life isn’t easier than ours. She’s young and female; the senior executives who were in her father’s generation didn’t actually respect her. If she hadn’t been tough, ruthless, and bold enough, she would have been ousted long ago.”

“Now she’s dealing with the transition and reforms—there’s too much to do. In our company, the 38th floor is always the last to turn off the lights. The business world is a struggle for survival; one slip and you’re just dust in the wind. So many billionaire bosses collapse overnight. President Ming wants to climb higher; rest is a luxury for her.”

“I can tell President Ming treats you differently. Just look at the food—she never eats in the office, but she made an exception for you today.”

“Take a brother’s advice: though you’re younger, try to be more understanding of her.”

Wang Ting spoke partly out of closeness to the person at the center of the gossip, and partly from the heart. Ming Jiayue was a flawless boss—fair, capable, and respectful—yet she carried a tragic air of a lone warrior breaking through a siege. Most importantly, her overtime pay was more than generous!

Ji Shuangci listened intently, her heart aching for Ming Jiayue. When they parted, her smile held more sincerity.

“Thank you, Brother Wang.”

Wang Ting felt a warmth in his heart and waved at her.

“Come back again! Hit me up in advance, okay?”

Ji Shuangci smiled as she walked out of the Ming Corporation building. A moon hung in the night sky, with occasional clouds passing by to shroud its light.

Finding an inconspicuous corner to stand in, she tilted her head back slightly—it was unclear if she was looking at the moon or the 38th floor.

She stood there for a long time, until the moonlight grew bright again, before taking out her phone to call a ride.

At midnight, she arrived at Jingyuan No. 2. Ji Shuangci had already calmed all her emotions. She took a photo of the moon and posted it to her Friend Circle with the caption: [Tonight’s Moon].

After posting, Ji Shuangci skillfully switched to her private Weibo “alt” account. She edited a post set to “Only Visible to Me” and hit publish:

[Unbeatable, unbreakable, unfrightened. Be a brave woman, chase the beautiful President Ming, never give up!]