My Boss Transmigrated Into a Maid and I Became Gay - Chapter 5

The time before 10:00 AM is usually when the brain is at its sharpest. Lu Ying always enjoyed tackling difficult tasks in the morning, but today, she couldn’t find her focus. She found herself getting distracted by even the simplest data entry.

To avoid making any careless mistakes, she slipped into the restroom for a bit of “paid slacking.”

The events of the past few days were still far too surreal; she had to vent to someone.

[Sakura-chan: Doggy-Egg, there’s a sequel to that dream I mentioned.]

[Sakura-chan: I swear on my life every word is true.]

Hiding in a stall, she dumped the entire story on her best friend. A long string of question marks popped up almost instantly.

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: Holy s—t?!]

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: You mean you’re actually physically there?! Did you look in the mirror?]

[Sakura-chan: I look mostly like myself, just a bit paler, and my hair is different.]

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: …I’ve decided I need to read that story of yours.]

[Sakura-chan: QAQ I already deleted it!! I was terrified I’d transmigrate again tonight, so I nuked the post.]

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: Are you sure deleting it stops the transmigration?]

[Sakura-chan: I have no idea… but I couldn’t think of anything else.]

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: True. That’s all you can do for now. Are you going to ask your boss about it?]

[Sakura-chan: Of course I’m curious! But asking her isn’t realistic. I still want to keep my job and earn money.]

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: Good point… You’re in a tough spot!]

[Sakura-chan: The moral of the story is: never use yourself or people you know as prototypes for a novel. :)]

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: Bullsh—t. I project myself into the heroine of every one of my romance novels, and I haven’t transmigrated once!!]

[Sakura-chan: Meow? You’re accepting the idea of transmigration this fast? You actually sound like you’re looking forward to it?]

[Rainbow Doggy-Egg: Duh! In fact, you’ve solidified my resolve to keep using myself as the prototype for my next book. I think I’ll use Li Zeyan as the model for the male lead. Heh heh heh~]

[Sakura-chan: …………]

Classic Doggy-Egg.

Still, chatting with her friend had successfully dialed down her panic about the unknown. Now, all that remained was the anxiety of the impending 1-on-1 with President Jian.

Ten minutes before ten o’clock, Lu Ying made one more trip to the restroom. When she returned, Sister Zhuan looked at her with pure judgment. “It’s just a meeting with the manager. You’ve gone to the bathroom three times in one hour.”

Lu Ying felt like crying. “You don’t understand. I’m too nervous.”

“You weren’t this nervous for the last review,” Yu Linchuan said, arching an eyebrow. “You look like you’ve committed a crime. What’d you do? Embezzle funds?”

Lu Ying rolled her eyes. “How would I even embezzle at this job? What am I going to steal? The snacks from the breakroom?”

Yu Linchuan laughed. “True. Snacks are the only thing worth stealing here.”

As the clock ticked closer, Lu Ying was terrified that Jian Qin would ask something that would make her slip up. At 9:58 AM, she finally—reluctantly—peeled herself out of her chair, took a deep breath, and headed for the corner office.

Don’t let it show… do NOT let it show!

Steeling her nerves, she knocked and entered. President Jian was on a trans-Pacific call and gestured for her to sit. Lu Ying took the chair across from her, not daring to look up. She kept her eyes glued to an abstract metal ornament on the desk.

Jian Qin had a beautiful voice—crisp and clear like a mountain spring, but without the usual softness of flowing water. It had a rhythmic, tinkling quality that seemed to strike a chord in Lu Ying’s heart with every sentence.

Her English is incredible…

Listening to her, Lu Ying felt like she was in an English listening exam. Specifically, an advanced exam where she could only catch the keywords. Finally, she heard the word “Bye,” and Lu Ying sat bolt upright.

Jian Qin put down her phone and looked at the girl who had been staring intensely at a metal sculpture since she walked in. “Lu Ying, you don’t need to be so nervous,” she said helplessly. “We’re just going to have a chat. And… I have some good news for you.”

Lu Ying stiffened her neck. “I-I’m not nervous.”

Jian Qin’s gaze also drifted to the metal ornament. She couldn’t help but wonder: Is this thing really that interesting to look at?

She cleared her throat, getting back to business. “Anyway, sorry about that. A sudden call from HQ kept you waiting. Shall we begin?”

“Yes.”

“As usual, let’s start with any issues you’ve encountered in work or life lately. This is just between us, so feel free to speak your mind. Don’t be nervous.”

Hidden beneath the desk, Lu Ying’s hands were twisted into a knot. She trusted President Jian; in the few months she’d been here, she had become completely convinced of her boss’s competence. But this… she truly could not say.

Lu Ying looked up at Jian Qin’s face and gave a slow, deliberate shake of her head. “No issues at all.”

Jian Qin hadn’t expected her to confess anything, but hearing the denial still brought a flicker of disappointment.

Yesterday, in that strange world, Jian Qin had been unable to stop herself from asking, “Are you Lu Ying?” but the words had been muted, as if she were under a silencing spell. She knew she was speaking, but she couldn’t even hear her own voice.

Topics related to reality are censored. That was her discovery from yesterday.

After two days, Jian Qin felt like she was trapped in a video game from her student days—constantly completing tasks to move the plot forward. The Young Mistress who looked like Lu Ying was probably just an NPC designed to make the tasks difficult. However, tasks she had completed before seemed easier the second time around; for instance, carrying the girl out of bed had been much simpler the second time.

But why did the NPC have to look like Lu Ying? Jian Qin felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she put on her professional smile. “Alright, let’s get to the point. The annual salary adjustment quotas were just distributed. Based on your excellent performance, the managers and directors are very optimistic about your future here. We’ve decided to give you an 8% raise.”

The news caught Lu Ying completely off guard. Her eyes lit up as she suppressed her excitement. “Thank you, President Jian!”

Two days ago I said she didn’t give the horse any hay, and here it is! For this much hay, I can definitely keep working overtime!

“You should thank yourself; you’ve worked hard lately. The raise is effective this month, so you’ll see the change in your paycheck at the end of the month.” Jian Qin caught herself staring into those bright eyes for a second too long before continuing. “Any questions regarding the adjustment?”

There were questions. Lu Ying had only been out of her probation period for two months. Sister Zhuan had said new hires usually didn’t get their first raise until the following April. It was nowhere near April, yet she’d been given a slot.

Had her month of overtime actually moved the leadership team?

But she couldn’t ask that. “No questions,” she said instead.

Jian Qin maintained her businesslike tone. “Good. Then that’s all. Just a reminder: salary information is strictly confidential. Only a few people received adjustments this time, so let’s avoid any unnecessary friction.”

“I understand. Thank you for the heads-up, President Jian.”

The 1-on-1 was much easier than Lu Ying had feared. She left the office feeling buoyant. Sister Zhuan was slumped over her desk and didn’t ask what was said. It was an unwritten rule in their department to respect each other’s privacy unless someone volunteered the information.

It was one of the reasons Lu Ying loved this place. The transmigration was a nightmare, but at least she was getting a bigger “salary bag”! What could be better than more money?

Fueled by the raise, Lu Ying successfully shoved the “transmigration” drama to the back of her mind and dove into her work.

At lunch, Sister Zhuan still didn’t have much of an appetite. Lu Ying bought her some pumpkin porridge and didn’t feel at ease until she saw her friend take a few bites.

The workload was light today. Lu Ying spent the afternoon on high alert, waiting for Jian Qin to drop a new “special task” on her, but nothing happened until clock-out time. After a month of overtime, leaving on time for two days in a row felt strange. She almost felt like she was letting down the new “hay” she’d been promised.

I’m becoming a workaholic masochist, she grumbled to herself as she took Sister Zhuan home.

After stopping at a small supermarket for vegetables, Lu Ying got Sister Zhuan settled and whipped up a quick meal of blanched lettuce, egg soup, and two baskets of steamed shrimp dumplings. Sister Zhuan was a gracious guest and ate a fair amount. When she moved to do the dishes, Lu Ying stopped her.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll do them. Go hang your clothes up. I don’t have many clothes, so half the closet is empty.”

Yu Linchuan looked at her in surprise. “You’re so pretty, yet you don’t like buying clothes?”

“Stop with the embarrassing flattery,” Lu Ying rolled her eyes. “Go on, get settled. I’m coming back to hear you curse that scumbag.”

Linchuan smiled. “Deal.”

She opened her suitcase and began moving her clothes into the bedroom closet. She didn’t have much either, and it fit perfectly in the spare half. She knelt on the floor, looking at the mostly empty suitcase. The only things left were toiletries.

It was sobering how little you took with you when you left someone.

When Lu Ying returned, they spent the next two and a half hours tearing the ex-boyfriend to shreds until their throats were dry. Lu Ying, feeling lightheaded from the ranting, called for a halftime break and poured water. Yu Linchuan still wasn’t satisfied; after drinking, she called her ex and spent one full minute screaming at him at lightning speed until he hung up in a rage.

Having vented at the source, Linchuan felt refreshed.

Lu Ying laughed as she refilled her glass. “Alright, don’t be angry anymore. Congratulations on getting rid of that jerk. Go wash up and get some rest.”

Yu Linchuan sighed with genuine emotion. “Sakura, you’re so good to me.”

Hearing those words, Lu Ying had a flash of memory. Back in university, she had worked part-time at a milk tea shop. A customer who worked nearby had once looked at her the same way and said, “You’re so good.”

Unfortunately, Lu Ying had quit that job to focus on her writing, and she had never seen that “older sister” who had wiped away tears in the tea shop ever again.

*****

The next morning, the sun rose in the east, and the world was bathed in light.

Having slept fitfully all night, Yu Linchuan crawled off the sofa. She quietly prepared breakfast and then knocked on the bedroom door. She had forgotten to set out her work clothes for the day and intended to wake Lu Ying up to grab them.

However, after knocking for ages, there was no response.

Is she really that deep of a sleeper?

To oversleep on a workday at her age… Linchuan smiled and pushed the door open.

The blankets were still in the shape of someone sleeping. Yu Linchuan pulled back the covers. Lu Ying wasn’t there—but her pajamas were laid out in the bed, perfectly shaped as if someone were still wearing them.

The eerie sight sent Yu Linchuan stumbling back a few steps.

What the hell… where is she?!!

*****

Note:

The mystery deepens! Not only is Lu Ying gone, but she’s left her clothes behind—literally “naked” transmigration. 

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