After Transmigrating As The Female Lead Of A Cruel Novel, I Raised a Big Shot Cat - Chapter 24

The first day after Bo Shuhan’s departure, Ji Qingyue and her team became thoroughly occupied.

It was also the first time “Great Boss” (the cat) saw Ji Qingyue in her element, acting with such vigorous resolve.

She wore a white suit, her hair intentionally straightened and tucked behind her ears, sporting gold-rimmed glasses and bold red lipstick. Ji Qingyue’s original intention was to suppress her youthful appearance, but the crimson shade on her lips added a touch of unintended charm to her reflection in the mirror.

Unable to help it, Ji Qingyue wiped off the lipstick and appeared in the video conference with a stern face. Having been an editor in chief in her past life, she possessed a natural commanding presence. Although her soft features diluted it somewhat, no one in the meeting dared to look down on her.

During the morning-long video call, Ji Qingyue clarified the roles of every team member while laying out the tasks for the month. These included promotion, marketing, and increasing the commercial value of the “Great Boss” account. Though she had always been easygoing, she never forgot the support the company provided. While she didn’t need to work herself to the bone, she couldn’t let the company lose money supporting her.

Sunlight streamed into the living room. Two clocks on the white wall, set to different time zones, reflected beautiful colors, converging into a blurry silhouette against the wall.

It was exactly 12:00 PM, and only Sister Zhang remained in the video call. Seeing the exhaustion in the young girl’s brow, Sister Zhang whose own daughter was around the same age, couldn’t help but offer some concern. “If you’re tired, you should take a rest first.”

Rubbing her temples, Ji Qingyue shook her head. “I’ve been monitoring the heat surrounding ‘Silhouette’ these past few days. While people are still discussing it, the public has become more rational. This is exactly the window I want…there’s buzz, but it’s not so intense that people will swarm and attack the livestream.”

Sister Zhang was a veteran in the influencer industry and naturally understood the brilliance of this timing. However, she hadn’t expected Ji Qingyue to grasp it so precisely. She could only conclude that the boss certainly had a keen eye for talent.

“Rest assured, we won’t drag our feet during this critical moment.”

“I trust your work, Sister Zhang,” Ji Qingyue added. “However, make sure to communicate well with the streamers who were previously criticized by netizens. Even though the fans started the trouble, we are the ones who ultimately benefited. If we don’t handle this well, we’ll likely alienate the majority of the influencer community.”

“I will follow up on this personally,” Sister Zhang promised, recognizing the stakes.

After discussing a few more details, Ji Qingyue ended the call. She took off her glasses and blazer, collapsing onto the beige sofa, feeling drained. Great Boss walked over and rubbed against her hand, looking concerned.

“Are you hungry, Great Boss?”

The cat didn’t answer, but instead squeezed into the gap by her stomach and rolled over to reveal its soft belly. Stroking the cat, Ji Qingyue finally felt a bit of energy return. “Alright, don’t worry. I’m just not used to being home alone.”

Her hand brushed against the sofa unconsciously. After standing up and placing her gold-rimmed glasses down, she said, “Time to eat. Tomorrow, you’ll have a tough battle to fight.”

As she started the stove to cook, she noticed the instant noodle pot from yesterday hadn’t been washed. Wait….did she even eat yesterday? It seemed she hadn’t.

Ji Qingyue tapped her head in frustration. “Just because Ah Han isn’t here… how did I become so distracted?”

Despite her words, she lacked the motivation to scrub the pot. “Forget it, I’ll just book a housekeeper later.”

Just as she was about to make the appointment, the doorbell rang. Standing at the door was Qiao Hua’en, wearing a long white down jacket and carrying several bags.

Opening the door, Ji Qingyue asked curiously, “What’s all this?”

Qiao Hua’en shook the food containers in her hand and smiled. “I helped a friend with a small favor yesterday, and she sent over hotpot for three this morning. It’s no fun eating alone, so I thought I’d share it with you and Miss Bo. I hope I’m not unwelcome?” Qiao Hua’en asked with a pitiful look.

Ji Qingyue’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “Not at all, but Ah Han isn’t here today.” Her mood dipped slightly at the mention of Bo Shuhan’s absence.

“Oh?” Qiao Hua’en feigned surprise, then joked, “Well, she’s missing out! Let’s the two of us eat. We’ll eat plenty, take photos for WeChat Moments, and make her jealous.”

Without waiting for a refusal, she squeezed inside. Ji Qingyue couldn’t say no and stepped aside to let her in.

“Miss Ji, where’s the kitchen? I’ll wash the vegetables.”

Qiao Hua’en busied herself immediately, and Ji Qingyue hurried to help. Seeing Qiao Hua’en peeling shrimp, Ji Qingyue tried to take over but was stopped.

“Shrimp shells are hard; I’ll handle them. If you want to help, you can wash the greens.”

“Okay.”

Ji Qingyue washed the vegetables with great focus. Turning her head slightly to watch her, Qiao Hua’en couldn’t help but smirk. With the loud sound of the helicopter yesterday, she obviously knew Bo Shuhan was gone. But her absence was for the best. After all, as someone trying to “dig at the corner of a wall” (steal someone’s partner), it was better not to make her intentions too obvious.

The hotpot was easy to prepare. Just as Qiao Hua’en suggested, Ji Qingyue posted a nine-grid photo set to her Moments. The center photo showed Ji Qingyue with a ponytail, making a peace sign at the camera.

The photo looked ordinary, but Qiao Hua’en noticed the reflection in the iron spoon and the angle of the shot, happily encouraging Ji Qingyue to share it. Ji Qingyue, oblivious to any hidden meanings, enjoyed the meal happily.

Qiao Hua’en didn’t miss the opportunity to drive a wedge. “Miss Ji, if my friend knew her hotpot ended up being eaten by a beauty like you, she’d be so regretful. I asked her to stay with me today, but she insisted she had work and ran off.”

Every word avoided mentioning Bo Shuhan, yet every word was about Bo Shuhan.

Sure enough, Ji Qingyue’s interest flagged, but Qiao Hua’en wouldn’t let the atmosphere die. She launched into a series of internet jokes and shared stories about “fishing expeditions” (undercover stings) that she was allowed to tell. Under her constant storytelling, Ji Qingyue visibly cheered up.

By the end of the meal, Qiao Hua’en had changed her form of address from “Miss Ji” to “Qingyue.” After helping clean up the remains of the hotpot, she didn’t overstay her welcome and said her goodbyes.

Watching the police officer’s steady gait, Ji Qingyue thought back to their previous conversation. Maybe it really wasn’t intentional.

Having significantly improved her opinion of Qiao Hua’en, Ji Qingyue completely missed Great Boss yawning, its eyes full of schadenfreude.

The Second Day of Bo Shuhan’s Absence

Today was even busier. Workers arrived early to install and test the livestream equipment for the afternoon. Ji Qingyue checked in with Sister Zhang, having confirmed that most influencers had accepted her apology and were willing to link up during tonight’s stream, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The influencer circle is small. While the dance and beauty sections might not be the most “powerful,” they are undoubtedly the most influential groups for the general public. If they ganged up on her, Ji Qingyue would either have to delete her account or show her face to fight everyone alone. She wanted neither, so she had Sister Zhang reach out early to settle things. Fortunately, the results were promising.

Great Boss had never seen livestream equipment before, but it felt something was off. Usually, people have a desk with a microphone. Why was there a small round stool in the middle with a mic next to it?

The cat soon got its answer.

Ji Qingyue placed Great Boss on the stool to check the size. Although it was a stool, it was more like a large cat bed, at least 50cm in diameter. Even if the cat sprawled out, it wouldn’t fall off.

“This stool is nice. You’ll be livestreaming on this today, Great Boss. Even if you fall asleep, you won’t fall off.”

Great Boss: ?

Ji Qingyue was oblivious to the cat’s confusion. She meticulously checked the equipment to ensure nothing would fall and startle it. Finally, she crouched in front of Great Boss with a serious expression.

“Boss, whether we can get traffic and stand out among the many pets depends on you today.”

She solemnly patted the cat’s thin shoulders. In an instant, Great Boss felt a pressure it had never experienced before. Seeing the cat’s face turn serious and its posture straighten up, Ji Qingyue realized she had successfully “CPU” (manipulated/brainwashed) the little cat.

She kissed its head and, ignoring the dazed feline, posted a low-key video on Douyin announcing she would livestream tonight to apologize to other creators. She then coordinated with her operations team; she wanted the heat to be neither too high nor too low.

Because the video was posted at 1:00 PM on a weekday, very few people saw it initially. By 7:00 PM, there was a surge in data, but since not everyone cares about internet drama, it didn’t even hit the Douyin trending list, especially since that’s when major studios start their push.

But Ji Qingyue wasn’t worried. Amidst the anxiety of her staff, the clock ticked toward 8:00 PM.

To ensure the apology got off to a strong start, the first person she linked with was the top creator of a partner company, Lemon C.

When Lemon C first debuted, she went viral for her tall, sexy figure and sweet, pure face. Just as the internet thought she was just another pretty face, she opened her mouth and spoke with a thick Dongbei accent, instantly shattering her “goddess” image. Coupled with her bubbly personality and talent for comedy, she gained a massive following of “troll” fans and earned the title “My Mute Bride.”

She never took offense, playing along with her viewers. Regarding the “Silhouette” incident, Lemon C hadn’t actually lost followers in fact, she trended because her fans teased her so much she “broke down” on camera. Thus, she didn’t harbor much ill will toward Ji Qingyue. Since their companies were partners, the collab was a natural fit.

Simultaneously, Ji Qingyue’s marketing accounts began to move. Titles like [Silhouette Cat Apology Livestream] started appearing across social media.

Lemon C’s studio had already notified her of the collab. She was an expert at warming up a crowd. As 8:00 PM approached, she knew it was time. She cleared her throat and stood up to show off her graceful figure.

“Family, my appetite hasn’t been great lately. Take a look, have I lost weight? Is my figure looking fantastic?” As she spoke, she didn’t forget to dish out some “electrifying” winks, switching to a high-pitched, cutesy “jiazi” voice. “So, are there any big brothers who want to see Ningning dance? It only takes one Rocket gift~”

The viewers immediately got rowdy.

Don’t, don’t, don’t, we’re all brothers here, there’s really no need…..Ah, my eyes! Er-kang, my eyes! I can’t see anymore!

The viewers were frantically memeing. Lemon C’s room already had a high headcount, and naturally, someone brought up “Silhouette.”

Old lady, stop struggling. No matter how thin you get, you can’t beat the kitty. True, true. I’d rather look at a cat than an old lady. I’m out, I’m out.

Seeing people mention “Silhouette,” Lemon C remained calm internally but put on an act of being completely “triggered” on the surface.

“Stop faking it! You’re not looking at the cat, you’re lusting after the cat owner’s body! You guys are low!”

Women only slow down the speed at which I draw my sword; I only love the kitty!

Watching the barrage of comments, Lemon C gritted her teeth in feigned anger. “It’s just because the cat doesn’t livestream. If it did, I don’t believe for a second you wouldn’t leave me!”

Right at that moment, Ji Qingyue sent a link-up request.

Seeing the cat avatar, Lemon C marveled at the perfect timing, but her face showed pure “terror.” “Holy crap, brothers, what is this? Why is there actually a cat trying to link up?”