After Transmigrating As The Female Lead Of A Cruel Novel, I Raised a Big Shot Cat - Chapter 22

The cat was speechless.

【You’re really prepared to stay single with me for the rest of your life, aren’t you?】

【She doesn’t need your ambiguous words. Go affirm her! Encourage her! Let her know your love!】

Bo Shuhan closed her laptop, carried the “Big Boss” (the cat) upstairs. As they turned, Ji Qingyue caught a glimpse of them from the corner of her eye, looking thoughtful.

On the balcony, the sunlight was scorching, but Bo Shuhan’s gaze was even more piercing.

“Do you really think that constantly interfering with her choices is a good thing?”

“Meow meow meow meow meow.” How is it not good?

The Big Boss’s voice was a bit small.

“You’re feeling guilty.”

The Big Boss licked its paws and didn’t answer.

Bo Shuhan didn’t expect an answer anyway. She looked into the distance, smiling at the sight of a pair of birds flying together on a branch.

“I don’t know why you’re in such a hurry, as if something terrible will happen if I don’t fall in love with Ji Qingyue in a short amount of time.”

The Big Boss remained silent. Bo Shuhan continued to herself. “Are you afraid that if I don’t love her, I won’t protect her? I won’t. Even if we are just friends, I would never stand by and watch a friend face difficulties.”

The Big Boss finally couldn’t take it anymore. 【You say I’m in a hurry, so let me ask you, why are you so slow? The ‘me’ from two years in the future only took one month to confirm that I loved her.】

“True,” Bo Shuhan said with emphasis, “But! Before that, you had already known her for a year. And with Ji Qingyue’s talent, she was bound to be the biggest darling of the fashion world by then.”

The Big Boss fell silent.

“See? When you fell in love with her, she was already a rose in full bloom. But the person I’ve met now is a version of her that hasn’t even budded yet. You’re rushing me to love her but if I truly love her now, will this rose ever get the chance to bloom?”

The Big Boss was silent again.

This topic shifted toward a single question: Is Bo Shuhan harmless?

The Big Boss understood the answer better than anyone.

They were both outlaws who held the law in contempt; they just hid it deeper. In essence, they were the same type of person as Ye Sishen.

They were used to controlling everything. Things that were out of control were either destroyed or brought under heel and love is inherently uncontrollable.

Unless Bo Shuhan was prepared to cut ties with Ji Qingyue completely, love was a luxury for someone like her.

Love is a strange thing, it makes people impulsive, hot-headed, and even reckless.

But for a controller, a single moment of irrationality can mean the downfall of a family. Therefore, if she fell in love with someone she could dominate, dominating every aspect of that person’s life would become an inevitability.

Only by making the person follow her will could the one at the helm avoid losing control and keep the family safe.

After all, why was Ye Sishen so obsessed with catching Ji Qingyue? It was because Ji Qingyue had already made him lose his self-control.

“I have no intention of glorifying love. I just understand that the best kind of love isn’t interfering with a person in the name of ‘love,’ but becoming the wind and rain, not to disrupt or harm, but to act as nutrients to protect her while she blooms.”

“A rose shouldn’t be trapped by ‘love.’ She should bloom; she should sing freely and wantonly, showing her beauty to the world, rather than being imprisoned in a cage to be toyed with by one person before she has even opened up.”

Having said all this, Bo Shuhan looked at the cat calmly.

“Now, do you still think I’m wrong?”

The Big Boss had no retort.

This was the greatest difference between the Big Boss and Bo Shuhan.

One was restrained, the other was indulgent.

While the indulgent ones passionately express their love, they often overlook the feelings of the recipient.

As for the restrained ones, they are always calculating, thinking too far ahead, and eventually losing their beloved.

“Crematoriums” (stories of regretful pursuit) and “Regret Medicine” exist because of people like them.

Neither of them was perfect. The Big Boss seemed convinced, but she was still a bit unwilling to give up.

【I want the body.】

Bo Shuhan swapped with her.

Never turning back until hitting the wall, that was classic Bo Shuhan.

After a week of recuperation, Ji Qingyue’s foot was mostly healed. Although she couldn’t run, she could walk slowly.

There was still no greenery in the small garden, but the branches of the wintersweet trees looked much more spirited.

Ji Qingyue stared at the trees, lost in thought.

Right then, “Bo Shuhan” suddenly sat down beside her.

“A-Yue.” The person in front of her clearly had a cold face, yet gave off a sense of being aggrieved.

“President Bo, what’s wrong?” Ji Qingyue joked.

“It’s nothing. I’m just curious about how you’ll choose,” the Big Boss asked directly, accustomed to being straightforward with Ji Qingyue.

Ji Qingyue looked into the distance again, pretending to be relaxed: “Actually, I haven’t decided yet.” As for Ye Sishen, Ji Qingyue didn’t want to see him even once.

“I think you should seize the opportunity. This kind of hype is hard to come by. If you’re afraid of Ye Sishen causing trouble, I can completely help you.” Perhaps eager to prove her point, the Big Boss, who might usually be more subtle, stated her thoughts very bluntly today.

Ji Qingyue let out a heavy sigh, her clear eyes holding a depth that the Big Boss couldn’t quite read.

“I know Shuhan is doing this for my sake, but I can’t rely on you every single time.”

The wind stirred the hair near Ji Qingyue’s ears. She reached up to smooth it down, her dark eyes filled with both worry and sharpness.

“And Ye Sishen is only one reason. Even though the company and you both advise me to take this chance, is this really the right ‘opportunity’ for my account?”

As she said this, Ji Qingyue took out her phone and clicked on the comments under her video.

There were insults and suspicions, but mostly just people watching the drama.

Ji Qingyue wasn’t afraid of what others said, but if she danced this time, what would be the direction of her account in the future?

Pets? Beauties? Or a sudden shift to clothing design?

An account doesn’t need conflicting elements. Under this current wave of heat, if she posted a dance video, would she have to show her face next time? And her waist the time after that?

A person’s bottom line disappears step by step through such concessions.

Ji Qingyue didn’t want that. She just wanted to be a pet blogger with traffic and then break into the fashion world she was familiar with.

The Big Boss naturally saw those comments as well, her expression darkening slightly. “So, are you going to give up?”

Looking at the dejected Bo Shuhan, Ji Qingyue somehow thought of an emoji of a pitiful dog.

Patting the person’s shoulder, Ji Qingyue raised her voice: “I didn’t say I was giving up. Don’t get sad so suddenly. Such good traffic would be a waste if I didn’t use it.”

“Then how do you want to handle it? Do you need my help?” Bo Shuhan’s eyes suddenly lit up. Her normally cold, “sanpaku” eyes were now wide and round, revealing a strangely cute quality.

The words Ji Qingyue was about to say got stuck for two or three seconds before she could speak. “I still need to think about it. I’ll definitely tell you once I’ve decided.”

“Not worried about Ye Sishen anymore?”

Ji Qingyue narrowed her eyes, seemingly giving herself a psychological hint. A sense of power slowly gathered in those beautiful peach-blossom eyes as she said coldly. “Ye Sishen? Nothing but a clay chicken or a pottery dog (a worthless trifle).”

“Little Moon, you’re so right!” The Big Boss expressed her enthusiastic agreement.

Bo Shuhan (the cat) let out a “meow-ow.” You’re breaking character, brother.

Looking at the beaming woman in front of her, a smile played on the corners of Ji Qingyue’s lips.

“Shuhan, I’ve noticed our cat is becoming so much like you. People usually say a pet takes after its owner, but how come it feels backwards in my case?”

The “Big Boss” (in Bo Shuhan’s body) stiffened and laughed it off. “Maybe it’s because I provoke her every day. After all, not many people are bored enough to argue with your cat on a daily basis.”

Ji Qingyue nodded thoughtfully. “You have a point. But it’s good for a cat to be a bit fierce; that way she won’t lose if she gets into a fight with other cats.”

The Big Boss nodded frantically, then swiftly retreated back into the cat’s body, dumping the mess back onto Bo Shuhan.

Escaping is shameful, but it works!

Bo Shuhan was almost moved to angry laughter, looking at the little kitten curled up in Ji Qingyue’s arms acting spoiled.

Her lips curled into a slight arch as she gave the cat a stroke, then said: “The power of decision always lies with you. No matter what choice you make, I will support you.”

“If you don’t want to ride this wave of hype, there will be another one. If you do, I will settle all those lingering concerns for you one by one. Of course, if you want to keep them as practice to settle yourself, I won’t refuse. I’m here to back you up, no matter what.”

Ji Qingyue’s gaze warmed. “Thank you, Shuhan.”

“It’s nothing. However, I do want to discuss one more thing with you: when do you plan to take your cat to be spayed?”

Ji Qingyue froze. The Big Boss’s fur stood on end.

Bo Shuhan continued with mock seriousness, “It’s fine now since it’s winter, but spring is coming soon. Cats in heat can be quite a handful. And…”

Bo Shuhan gave a mysterious smile. “Female cats can get ‘knocked up’ incredibly fast. If Big Boss loses a fight and ends up pregnant, giving birth to three or five kittens in three months that would be quite interesting.”

Ji Qingyue: ???

Big Boss: ????!!!!!

“Hiss!” The Big Boss hissed, fur bristling, dying to pounce and give someone a few good scratches.

Bo Shuhan acted surprised. “Oh? I feel like she can understand what I’m saying. As they say, humans grow wise with age, and cats live long enough to become like people. In the future, A-Yue, you shouldn’t let her watch while you’re bathing.”

Ji Qingyue seemed to think of something as her face flushed. “True, Big Boss is a bit of a perverted little cat.”

“Exactly. It’s probably best if you don’t let her sleep with you at night anymore, either.”

“Mm-hmm.”

As Ji Qingyue nodded, the Big Boss successfully lost two major perks of her existence.

If Ji Qingyue hadn’t been holding her tight, she definitely would have leaped up and clawed Bo Shuhan.

Wait? Why did Little Qingyue let go? Quick, hold my waist!

Under the sunlight, the two women and the cat shared a moment of joy, until the crisp sound of the doorbell broke the atmosphere.

Ji Qingyue looked over to see Qiao Hua’en standing at the gate in her police uniform, waving at them.

Ji Qingyue was surprised. Bo Shuhan asked, “Should I open the door and let her in?”

Ji Qingyue didn’t notice the slight possessiveness in the phrasing, but Qiao Hua’en did.

She looked at Bo Shuhan sitting next to Ji Qingyue, feeling that something was off.

“If you wouldn’t mind.”

“It’s no trouble.”

As Bo Shuhan opened the door, Qiao Hua’en smiled. “I didn’t expect you to actually stay here for a whole week.”

“She’s injured naturally, I couldn’t just leave her be. And you? Are you here for a census check? If so, I can tell you, there are two people and one cat in this house.”

Qiao Hua’en replied, “Miss Bo, you jest. The two of you aren’t blood-related, nor are you a legal couple. If I were really here for a census, you should say ‘two unrelated females’ plus a cat.”

“No, what I said was correct.”

“If that’s how you want to put it, then fine.”

An undercurrent surged between the two. The Big Boss looked at Bo Shuhan and then at Qiao Hua’en.

Isn’t this just pure madness?

Bo Shuhan claimed she didn’t want to “take advantage of the proximity to win the prize,” yet now that a crisis has appeared, she’s acting like a bristling porcupine.

If you’re so capable, why don’t you keep acting all indifferent and non-competitive!

Bo Shuhan didn’t respond. Leading Qiao Hua’en to the garden, she said, “A-Yue is in the garden. I’ll go brew some tea; after all, we can’t mistreat a guest.”

“Miss Bo, those words are far too formal. The police and the people are one family. I am no guest.”

The two exchanged one last jab before parting.

Qiao Hua’en walked straight toward Ji Qingyue.

“Miss Ji, it’s been a while. The verdict for that case is out. The man named Qi got 10 years, while his mother and the other two men were sentenced to fifteen, thirteen, and twelve years respectively due to the malicious nature of their actions.”

Ji Qingyue nodded, then looked at Qiao Hua’en curiously. “Officer Qiao, you didn’t come here just to tell me the results, did you?”

Qiao Hua’en smiled. “Of course not. Actually, through the last incident, I suddenly realized that some of your works are truly beautiful. I wonder if I might have the honor of learning a bit of design from you?”

“Huh?” Ji Qingyue was stunned.

Qiao Hua’en said, “Although it wasn’t my intention to hide it, I still want to apologize to Miss Ji. We are actually acquaintances.”

Ji Qingyue blinked in confusion. The person in front of her cleared her throat and spoke in a shockingly cute, soft “loli” voice: “Miss Ji, you can’t tease me next time for forgetting where my front door is again, okay?”

“Little Flower?”

Ji Qingyue was genuinely shocked this time.

“Little Flower” was her affectionate nickname for her neighbor but wasn’t her neighbor a super cute loli?

Qiao Hua’en winked playfully and put a finger to her lips. “Shh, it’s a secret.”

Ji Qingyue nodded dazedly, and Qiao Hua’en laughed.

How do you close the distance between two people? Answer: Share a secret.

The Big Boss, having heard the whole exchange, thought. Applause! Applause! I must applaud!

“Not taking the initiative,” “letting nature take its course,” right?!

Bo Shuhan, you might as well stay single with me for the rest of your life!