The Cold Heroine Turned Into a Yandere After Being - Chapter 25

I’m Here to Catch You Cheating

Inside the office.

Mo Zhu leaned back in her chair, sipping her coffee while delegating the upcoming tasks to Assistant Xiang and Secretary Han.

Secretary Han maintained a cold, expressionless face throughout the meeting. Once she finished noting down the work details, she gathered her documents and left the room without a word.

Once they were alone, Assistant Xiang spoke up. “President Mo, the cat you requested has been picked up and is being cared for at your residence in the old family estate, as per your instructions.”

Only then did Mo Zhu remember she had tasked Assistant Xiang with this before leaving for the wedding banquet. She nodded. “Good, I understand.”

Assistant Xiang was always reliable. Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but wonder about Secretary Han, who had just walked out.

“By the way, what’s wrong with Secretary Han today? Is she in a bad mood?” Mo Zhu asked as Assistant Xiang tidied up the files.

Assistant Xiang slowed her movements and chose her words carefully. “While you were away, Secretary Han was managing the North District project alone. She’s also held three consecutive departmental coordination meetings over the last few days. She might just be exhausted.”

“Isn’t that project already finalized? Following the plan shouldn’t have caused any issues.”

Assistant Xiang hesitated, then lowered her voice. “During yesterday’s meeting, I heard that several colleagues from the project department. weren’t very respectful toward her.”

Mo Zhu set her coffee down, the porcelain cup making a sharp clink against the desk. “What does that mean? Who are these colleagues?”

Assistant Xiang provided a few names. Mo Zhu didn’t recognize them at first, but with a nudge from her assistant, she remembered exactly where they had come from.

“I see.” Mo Zhu tapped her fingers lightly on the desk. “Tell Secretary Han to take a day off. Let her go and relax.”

After receiving her orders, Assistant Xiang stepped out and returned to her desk. she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Secretary Han, who was at the top of her pinned chats.

I put in a word for you. Remember to buy me dinner tonight.

On the other side of the office, Secretary Han was currently gulping down strong tea. Seeing the message, she expressionlessly typed back four words with a paper cup still hanging from her mouth.

Busy. Not interested. No.

__

Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting mottled shadows across the desk.

While waiting for a call to connect, Mo Zhu reached out to block the light, letting it pool in the palm of her hand.

“Hello?” Ji Shubai’s voice came through the phone.

“Are you busy, Miss Ji?” Mo Zhu asked with a smile.

“No. Is something wrong?” Ji Shubai’s voice sounded intentionally hushed.

“I just wanted to ask do you hate cats?”

Having been tricked by similar tactics before, Ji Shubai became instantly alert. A faint sound came from the other end, like a window being opened. “…Did you come looking for me?”

Mo Zhu turned her hand over, letting the sunlight fall on her palm. “Do you miss me that much? If so, I can come pick you up early.”

Ji Shubai must have confirmed there was no sign of her outside. “No. What’s this really about?”

Mo Zhu sighed at the heartless denial. “Remember Xiao Ta? I’m planning to bring it to our home. What do you think?”

Ji Shubai remembered all too well; she had even kicked the woman out of bed because of that “Xiao Ta.” “As you wish.”

“While I usually appreciate that answer, this isn’t something that can just be ‘as I wish,'” Mo Zhu said. “You’re a master of that house too. You have the right to decide if it gets to come.”

Ji Shubai lowered her voice even more. “Mo Zhu, can you be serious for a moment?”

“I am being serious,” Mo Zhu replied quickly. “So, are you willing to let it come?”

Ji Shubai seemed to sigh. “Fine.”

Then, Mo Zhu heard another voice in the background a young, vibrant voice.

“Oh? There’s someone with you, Miss Ji? Don’t tell me you’re seeing someone behind my back?”

Ji Shubai snapped back, “Stop talking nonsense. Is there anything else?” Her speaking speed had picked up noticeably.

After Mo Zhu said there wasn’t, the call was abruptly disconnected.

Mo Zhu stared at her phone, thinking that Ji Shubai really was acting like someone caught in an illicit affair.

She decisively turned to the system for help. She learned that Ji Shubai had returned home and run into a younger girl who used to be her neighbor. The girl was currently visiting her house.

This girl would play a significant role later in the plot; she was partially responsible for helping Ji Shubai earn the money to pay off her debts.

However, they haven’t triggered that part of the plot yet. Do you want to go over there now?

Mo Zhu let out a soft huff. “She’s catching up with a childhood neighbor. What would I go there for?”

Alright.

Xiao Ta respected her choice. Based on its service experience, it felt that it was better to keep its mouth shut for now.

Mo Zhu stood up, grabbed her coat, and headed for the door. She waved at Assistant Xiang as she passed her desk.

“Are you headed out, President Mo?” Assistant Xiang stood up.

Mo Zhu nodded. “I’m going to bring the cat home. Come with me; you can tell me what I need to look out for on the way.”

“Understood.” Assistant Xiang quickly gathered her things and followed her boss.

The driver was already waiting in the parking garage. Mo Zhu and Assistant Xiang settled into the back seat.

Throughout the drive, Assistant Xiang briefed Mo Zhu on the cat’s details and feeding requirements.

At the Mo estate, there were staff to handle feeding and care, but it wouldn’t be as convenient once the cat was moved to the apartment she shared with Ji Shubai. She had to learn these things herself.

Fortunately, she had some prior knowledge, so she didn’t think it would be a major issue.

The car crawled into the Mo family estate. Mo Zhu noticed an unfamiliar car parked in the lot.

She took a longer look as she stepped out. The butler, seeing this, approached her and whispered, “Mrs. Wu and the young master are here today.”

Mo Zhu smirked. “Who invited them?”

The butler didn’t answer, but she already saw the truth in his eyes.

She stepped inside. Just as she entered, a commotion erupted from upstairs, accompanied by a maid’s worried voice and the faint sound of a cat meowing.

Mo Zhu’s brow furrowed, and she quickened her pace, with Assistant Xiang following close behind.

She reached the second floor and followed the noise to the hallway. There, she saw a terrified Ragdoll cat with its fur standing on end, skillfully dodging a seven-year-old boy.

The boy was waving a small stick he had found somewhere, shouting with excitement as he chased the animal.

The housemaid was beside him, her face full of anxiety. She wanted to stop him but didn’t quite dare, only able to plead in a low voice, “Young master, please stop chasing it. You’ll fall! This cat is shy, it might scratch you…”

Not far away, in the open sitting area, a finely dressed woman sat leisurely sipping floral tea. She watched the “chase” with a permissive, almost indulgent smile.

This was Wu Lan, the woman her father had married.

The original host’s downfall—being abandoned by the Mo family after a string of disasters—was largely due to this woman’s subtle manipulations.

When the maid saw Mo Zhu approaching, she looked like she had seen a savior. Her face relaxed, and just as she was about to speak, Mo Zhu’s cold voice cut through the air. “What is going on here?”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an unquestionable coldness that instantly quieted the hallway.

The boy chasing the cat was startled by the sudden voice. He froze and turned to look.

Wu Lan, who had been perfectly relaxed, froze the moment she saw it was Mo Zhu. Her smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of hidden panic.

She set her teacup down immediately and stood up, her tone flustered. “M-Mo Zhu? What are you doing back here?”

“This is my home. Do I need to report my movements to you?” Mo Zhu’s voice was level, but it made Wu Lan turn pale.

Seeing she was being ignored, Wu Lan offered an awkward smile and nudged her son. “Hao Hao, quick, say hello to your big sister.”

Mo Zhu gave the boy a brief once-over. “We aren’t close. Don’t call me that.”

Wu Lan suddenly grabbed her confused son, snatched the stick from his hand, and threw it aside. Her voice was uncharacteristically harsh. “Hao Hao! What did Mommy tell you? How could you be so naughty and chase the kitty! You’re being so difficult! Hurry up and apologize to the cat!”

She had originally intended to make the child apologize to Mo Zhu, but the words felt wrong in her mouth, so she pivoted to the cat at the last second.

The boy had clearly never been scolded by his mother like this before especially since she had just been letting him play. His lip trembled, and he threw himself onto the floor, screaming at the top of his lungs.

The maid nearby lowered her eyes, not daring to look.

“Go check on the cat,” Mo Zhu said, completely ignoring the tantrum. She directed her words to the maid and Assistant Xiang.

The two of them hurried off to find the cat.

“How noisy.” Mo Zhu looked at the source of the noise pollution with annoyance; the screaming was enough to lift the roof.

Under Wu Lan’s instruction, a nanny rushed over to scoop up the crying young master and carry him away.

As the screaming faded into the distance, the hallway finally became quiet.

“We’re leaving right now,” Wu Lan said, preparing to flee.

“Wait.” Mo Zhu called her back. “Today is actually perfect; it saves me the trouble of looking for you. Tell those useless relatives of yours to behave themselves at the company. As long as I’m in charge, they won’t see a cent from any projects. If they dare to do anything else that eyesores me, don’t blame me for turning hostile.”

Wu Lan looked humiliated. She mumbled a nod and hurried away.

On the other side of the hallway, Mo Zhu’s father had been watching for who knows how long. He only walked over once everyone else had left.

He didn’t mention a word about the incident or the people involved. “Why haven’t you been home lately?”

“I was just creating an opportunity for your family reunion,” Mo Zhu replied. Seeing that the maid had calmed the cat, she walked over and picked up the gentle creature.

“I promise you, this won’t happen again,” her father said.

Mo Zhu arched an eyebrow. “What a precious promise.”

Unable to win the argument, her father changed the subject. “You aren’t getting any younger. Were you not satisfied with Miss Wen?”

“I was satisfied. But she didn’t seem interested in getting along with my other ‘satisfactory’ partners. What can you do?” Mo Zhu’s tone was full of mock regret.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Oh? I’m just following your lead. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will follow’?” Mo Zhu smiled as she looked back.

Before her father could explode in anger, she walked away with the cat. “I won’t upset you any further. I’m leaving.”

Mo Zhu carried the cat downstairs, while Assistant Xiang and the maid loaded the cat’s essentials into the car.

Before getting in, Mo Zhu received a text from Ji Shubai.

It said she wouldn’t be coming back tonight.

So, Mo Zhu handed the cat to Assistant Xiang and told her to take it home. Then, she got into her own car and drove off.

Following the address provided by the system, Mo Zhu navigated toward her destination.

The area wasn’t far from the city center, but it was an aging, dilapidated residential neighborhood.

Because parking was so tight, the residents’ cars were squeezed into every available inch of the narrow roads. It was impossible to drive any further in, so Mo Zhu had to park and continue on foot.

The sky had already grown dark, and the streetlights here were either broken or simply weren’t turned on.

Mo Zhu had to rely on her eyes to distinguish between the nearly identical buildings, trying to make out the peeling room numbers on the walls.

With the system’s somewhat useless help, she spent fifteen minutes wandering before finally finding the right place.

She looked up at the height of the building, took a deep breath, and started climbing the stairs.

I shouldn’t have worn such high heels today.

There were motion-sensor lights in the stairwell, but they weren’t working on every floor.

However, the goddess of luck was smiling on her. As she reached the fourth floor, she heard someone coming down. The moment the light flickered on, she looked up, just as two people were about to pass each other.

Mo Zhu was quick. She reached out and grabbed the person who was rushing down with her head lowered, nearly missing her.

When Ji Shubai looked up, her eyes were filled with the lingering anxiety of her hurried descent and a natural frown from being suddenly grabbed.

But the moment she realized it was Mo Zhu, her beautiful eyes widened. Every other emotion was washed away by pure, utter bewilderment.

The dim yellow light of the stairwell cast shadows across her face, clearly showing her sudden stiffness and disbelief.

“What are you doing here?”

Facing the pressure of mounting debts, Ji Shubai and her mother had sold their previous home. Hardly anyone knew they were currently renting a place here.

Seeing Mo Zhu in this place was a complete shock.

Mo Zhu caught her breath from the climb and smiled. “I’m here to catch you cheating.”

Ji Shubai: “Are you that bored?”

Mo Zhu looked at her, a faint trace of a smile dancing in her eyes.

“The cat is already at home. I’m here to bring my little kitten home, too.”

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