After Transmigrating As The Female Lead Of A Cruel Novel, I Raised a Big Shot Cat - Chapter 23

“Are you pretty surprised?” Qiao Hua’en spread her hands, looking expectant of Ji Qingyue’s reaction.

“Indeed,” Ji Qingyue replied, feigning surprise to play along.

She had sensed something was off the first time she met Qiao Hua’en. Now that Qiao Hua’en had come clean, it wasn’t so much surprise as it was a moment of realization.

A fake act is just that fake. Qiao Hua’en was a police officer, after all, there was no way she wouldn’t see through it. However, she didn’t feel embarrassed. If Plan A didn’t work, there was always Plan B.

“As expected, my clumsy disguise couldn’t fool Miss Ji,” Qiao Hua’en shrugged, unaffected by the awkwardness.

“Actually, everything else is secondary. The main point is that I am your neighbor, Miss Ji. As the saying goes, a near neighbor is better than a distant relative. I wouldn’t want a tiny misunderstanding to cause unnecessary friction between us as neighbors.”

“Ah?” Ji Qingyue seemed somewhat confused.

Qiao Hua’en leaned in slightly and lowered her voice purposefully. “For instance… is it a lapse in morality or a distortion of society? A dignified female officer entering a loli’s house without her consent.”

Ji Qingyue was amused. Thinking about it, if she constantly saw a female officer entering a loli’s house, only for the loli to disappear whenever the officer left, she definitely would have called the police.

Imagining Qiao Hua’en, with her mature “big sister” face, trying to explain to her colleagues that she was also the loli… the scene was quite hilarious.

Seeing Ji Qingyue smile, the corners of Qiao Hua’en’s mouth curled up. She then added with a hint of helplessness, “Actually, it’s not that I want to play a loli. Since stepping back from the front lines, I’ve been handling trivial matters. While it’s all in service to the people, it gets a bit boring after a while. So, I started posing as a loli online to go ‘fishing’ after all, those fraud syndicates love lolis.”

Even though she knew about “sting operations,” hearing a police officer describe the process of “fishing” firsthand was still a fascinating experience for an ordinary person like Ji Qingyue.

“Does it sound interesting?”

“It does.”

“Actually, it’s quite hard on me sometimes,” Qiao Hua’en noted the time and expertly cast her second bait.

Sure enough, Ji Qingyue’s interest was piqued.

Qiao Hua’en didn’t keep her in suspense. “As a ‘fishing’ loli, I don’t just have to be ‘sweet and naive’ enough. I also need superior eloquence and the skills to make people fall head over heels in love.”

“I’ve been ‘scamming’ for so long that I subconsciously start flirting even in my daily life. The assistants behind me have changed from men to women, and even among the girls, I’ve already gone through three partners.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Qiao Hua’en’s face showed a mix of strangeness and resignation. “Later, I talked with a psychologist for a long while, and we settled on a treatment plan: when I’m playing the loli, I can let loose in every way. But when I am my mature self, I must be a serious officer.”

Having said all this, Qiao Hua’en looked at Ji Qingyue with an apologetic expression. “However, since I’ve only just started the treatment, I was inevitably a bit out of line yesterday. I am truly sorry.”

Looking at the sincere officer before her, Ji Qingyue responded generously, “It’s fine. If anything, I should thank you officers for working so hard for our peace and security.”

After a few more pleasantries, Qiao Hua’en left before Bo Shuhan came out.

She had only one goal in coming here: to fix the flirtatious atmosphere she had created yesterday. As for the “fishing” operations, those were real, though the details varied slightly.

Regardless, it was for the good of the people.

As a former front-line officer, her character was beyond reproach.

Bo Shuhan, carrying tea as she walked out, watched Qiao Hua’en leave and asked, “Why did she go?”

“She said she had things to attend to.”

“Meow~” She left because she finished flirting with your girl, the cat thought.

“Was something wrong? You were inside for so long.”

“Meow.” Yeah, your wife was being flirted with and you didn’t seem worried at all. Contempt.

Hearing the exchange between the person and the cat, Bo Shuhan set the tea down. “Yes, someone just called me. They informed me that the theme for next March’s fashion show has been decided.”

Ji Qingyue’s eyes lit up. “So soon?”

“Not exactly. It’s inside information,” Bo Shuhan said nonchalantly.

Ji Qingyue frowned slightly. “Doesn’t that count as cheating?”

“No. All the major fashion design academies have received the news, it just hasn’t been released to the public yet.”

“I see.”

“By the way, what exactly was that police officer doing here?” Bo Shuhan asked, seemingly at random, as she finished arranging the tea.

Hearing this, Ji Qingyue rested her chin on her crossed hands and smiled. “I thought you wouldn’t ask.”

“I wasn’t going to, but since it concerns you, I figured I’d ask,” Bo Shuhan replied with a calm expression.

Ji Qingyue couldn’t help but look at Bo Shuhan.

When they first met, Bo Shuhan had a cool “wolf-tail” haircut. Two months had passed, and her hair had grown a bit. The messy strands partially obscured her stern eyes, making her high-bridged nose and pale pink lips particularly striking, along with her sharp jawline.

From the side, Ji Qingyue often had the illusion that this person looked like a shy young man.

“A-Han.”

“What is it?” Bo Shuhan turned her head slightly, her gaze wandering. She felt flustered being scanned inch by inch by the person in front of her.

Coupled with “The Boss” (the cat) constantly chanting “Kiss her” in its own way, she felt an ambiguous tension brewing between them. However, her relationship with Ji Qingyue had always seemed perfectly platonic; this sudden spark left Bo Shuhan unsure of how to react.

Especially with that soft, gentle call from Ji Qingyue, if Bo Shuhan didn’t have incredible self-control, her ears would have turned bright red.

“Let’s dance. How about a Waltz of Love?”

“Not a dance under the sunset?” Bo Shuhan managed to steady her nerves.

“I just simply want to dance a song with you.”

Under the sunlight, the girl’s eyes curved into crescent moons. The light spilled around her and into her eyes, shimmering with an intoxicating golden hue.

She reached out her hand, and Bo Shuhan took it.

There was no music, but the wind blew through the trees, birds chirped happily, and the two of them danced in perfect, silent harmony.

The rhythm of the skirt was the notes; the meeting of their eyes was the accompaniment.

The song was very short, yet the song felt very long.

It wasn’t until “The Boss” was picked up again that the cat felt a bit dazed.

“Meow.” Bo Shuhan, you must protect her.

“My rose will never change hands.”

After that day’s dance, the cat felt that something between the two had changed and yet, it felt as if nothing had changed at all.

Bo Shuhan sat at the small bar counter working, while Ji Qingyue worked on design drafts at the large table.

The storms on the internet were left unmanaged after a while, they were simply forgotten.

However, Ji Qingyue knew that it wasn’t truly over.

The internet trolls and thrill-seekers wouldn’t allow the matter to end so quietly, and those she had stepped over to rise wouldn’t let her calmly enjoy that wave of traffic.

Everyone was simply waiting, waiting for a turning point.

And that turning point would be Ji Qingyue’s next video.

Sister Zhang had urged her countless times, but Ji Qingyue continued to make the final revisions to her draft in an orderly, unhurried fashion.

Until….

Bo Shuhan took off her glasses and looked at the winter jasmine in the courtyard with a hint of exhaustion. It was still dry and withered, lacking any sense of beauty.

Noticing that the sound of typing had stopped, Ji Qingyue turned around. “Finished with work?”

“Technically no, and I have to go abroad.”

“Is it that difficult to handle?”

Leaning back against the beige sofa behind her, Bo Shuhan hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yes. Some items have been detained, and the company’s head of operations needs to go to customs to communicate.”

Ji Qingyue nodded thoughtfully, then glanced at the calendar on her phone.

“Today is December 6th, the 5th day of the 11th lunar month. Are you coming here to spend New Year’s Eve with me?”

Bo Shuhan wasn’t sure, but she still smiled. “If possible, I certainly won’t leave you alone this New Year’s Eve.”

“Stop it. You make it sound like I have no one else to spend it with,” Ji Qingyue teased sarcastically. “If you don’t come back, I’ll just go next door and find the lady police officer to spend it with me.”

“Then I must come back,” Bo Shuhan laughed.

“Anyone can give a verbal promise,” Ji Qingyue said in a snarky tone. “When are you leaving?”

“Estimated in ten minutes.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingyue walked toward the kitchen, muttering as she went, “Isn’t your schedule a bit too tight? Leaving in ten minutes, don’t you need to prepare clothes or anything?”

As she spoke, Ji Qingyue turned on the stove. A bright blue flame licked the bottom of the pot. She added some hot water and looked up to see Bo Shuhan sitting on the sofa, resting her head on her hand and watching her bustle about.

Ji Qingyue suddenly felt a bit of a spark of annoyance. “I asked you, don’t you need to pack clothes?”

“I have clothes at the manor abroad.”

“Then is there nothing else you need to take? For example, a phone charger, a laptop charger, things like that?”

Bo Shuhan glanced at her side, where those two items were sitting right within arm’s reach.

Ji Qingyue followed her gaze, couldn’t help but huff, and turned around.

She had originally intended to make a bowl of Longevity Noodles, but now, instant noodles seemed most appropriate!

Placing a bowl of fragrant Spicy Beef Noodles with an added egg in front of Bo Shuhan, Ji Qingyue set it down firmly.

“It’s currently 10:30, but since you’re leaving, it means you might not be able to eat lunch or dinner today. So hurry up and eat your ‘last meal.'”

Bo Shuhan was wearing a brown sweater today. The knit patterns were beautiful, but the material was also a magnet for smells.

If she ate these spicy beef noodles now, the scent would likely linger in her nose from the moment she boarded the plane until she landed.

However, Bo Shuhan didn’t hesitate. Halfway through, she even offered a compliment: “The taste is really good.”

Ji Qingyue accepted the praise without any shyness. “Thanks. My cooking skills have always been this good.”

While they chatted, the thundering sound of a helicopter came from outside. Ji Qingyue checked her watch.

Tsk, talk about punctual. Ten minutes meant ten minutes, not a second off.

Bo Shuhan picked up her belongings and headed out.

“So, are you coming back for the New Year or not?”

Watching her retreating back, Ji Qingyue finally couldn’t resist asking one more time.

Bo Shuhan looked back and seemed to say something.

But the noise from the helicopter was too loud. Ji Qingyue couldn’t hear a thing, and she was a bit of a “little dummy” when it came to reading lips.

It wasn’t until the helicopter disappeared into the distance that Ji Qingyue carried “The Boss” back to the sofa. With a clear sense of purpose, she opened her phone and scrolled through the countless comments under her video.

The cat then saw a version of Ji Qingyue that was instantly brimming with fighting spirit.

Meanwhile, sitting on the plane with Bo Shuhan, the secretary had a look of utter numbness.

She wanted Spicy Beef Noodles too!