The Mermaid's Cat Fishing Plan - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: And You… You Seem a Bit…

On Wednesday, Qin Ran’s company prepared the usual afternoon tea.

While eating fried chicken and drinking Coke, Qin Ran pondered Tang Yi’s reaction from this morning. Nothing seemed wrong, yet she felt like she was missing something.

Qin Ran poked the arm of Kelly, who sat next to her, and asked, “Kelly, do you think a person can be so familiar that they’d drink with someone on the first day they met and even have close physical contact?”

Kelly turned her head. “Why are you asking? Did you have post-drinking messy sex with someone at a bar?”

“Cough, cough, cough—”

The Coke in Qin Ran’s mouth nearly sprayed out in shock. “Kelly, isn’t that guess a bit too bold?”

Kelly took it as a matter of course. “You said drinking and physical contact, so is there a problem with me thinking that? Besides, that’s exactly how my partner and I started.”

Qin Ran’s eyes widened. Instantly throwing her own concerns to the wind, she gossiped, “Huh? You never go to bars, and at parties… I’ve never even seen you drink.”

Qin Ran had always thought Kelly was the “good girl” type; she hadn’t expected this.

“What do you mean?” Kelly slammed the table in mock frustration. “That’s because my person won’t let me! She says she’s the ‘precedent’ for what happens, so I’m not allowed to drink outside, and definitely not allowed in bars.”

Qin Ran’s lip twitched. “Haha, so that’s how it is…”

Kelly continued her interrogation: “So, who did you have a messy night with?”

Qin Ran sighed. “Kelly, can you be a bit more normal? Does drinking always have to lead to ‘messy’ things?”

Kelly blinked and smiled slightly. “Who’s being abnormal? Drinking doesn’t always lead to trouble, but since you’re asking, something must have happened after the drinks, right?”

Qin Ran: “…”

That actually sounded very logical. Qin Ran was almost trapped by the reasoning.

She rubbed her face and explained seriously, “Look, put aside the ‘messy’ stuff in your head. What I’m asking is: would you drink with someone you just met that day? Not at a bar, but a roommate. And the ‘physical contact’ was just her getting drunk, hugging me, and talking nonsense.”

Kelly looked at Qin Ran skeptically. “Nonsense about what? Did she confess to you?”

Qin Ran really wanted to hit Kelly.

“No! Who confesses to someone they just met for the first time!”

Qin Ran began to wonder if she had picked the wrong person to confide in.

“She’s a creator, she was just talking about her creative work.”

Kelly smacked her lips, her interest vanishing instantly. “Drinking with you and then chatting wildly about her work—is that so abnormal? Maybe she’s just extroverted and wanted to build a good relationship since you’re roommates now.”

“Huh?” Qin Ran was half-convinced. “Really?”

Kelly turned back to her workstation, sounding annoyed. “While it’s good to be wary of others, I think, Elio, sometimes you’re honestly a bit too cowardly.”

Qin Ran fell into deep thought. Kelly paused, then suddenly spun her chair back toward Qin Ran. “Elio, you seem very resistant to people showing you kindness or affection.”

“I don’t think so,” Qin Ran denied subconsciously.

“Have you been scammed by someone before? Especially in terms of relationships.” As Kelly spoke, she slowly leaned closer to Qin Ran’s face.

Nervous, Qin Ran instinctively leaned back. Kelly grabbed Qin Ran’s chair and pulled her back. She whispered into Qin Ran’s ear, “Let me tell you a little secret.”

Qin Ran leaned away, trying to keep as much distance as possible. “What secret?”

Kelly lowered her voice. “The year I first joined the company, I fell in love with you at first sight during the headquarters’ annual meeting. I thought you were so beautiful and wanted to flirt with you. But the moment I proactively reached out a hand, your eyes went cold. You kept a smile on your face, but as soon as you turned around, you deleted me on WeChat.”

The expression on Qin Ran’s face froze instantly. “…Uh, that… it must have been a mistake. I definitely deleted you by accident. Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine,” Kelly raised an eyebrow and continued. “Later, when I transferred here and was put in the same group as you, you actually didn’t remember me at all.”

At this moment, Qin Ran wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She had indeed chosen the wrong person to talk to. She silently pushed Kelly’s chair away and gave a dry laugh. “Um, sorry, I might have a bit of face blindness.”

Kelly let go of Qin Ran’s chair. “Don’t be nervous. It’s been so long. I later realized our ‘roles’ clashed, and I felt relieved instantly. Luckily, I didn’t stay obsessed back then; if I had fallen for you, it would have been too painful.”

Qin Ran asked, “What do you mean ‘roles clashed’?”

Kelly went silent for a second and said tactfully, “Ah, well… I can’t quite define you. Anyway, I like being the ‘princess,’ and you… you seem a bit ‘incapable’ in that department.”

“…” Qin Ran looked at Kelly and corrected her seriously, “I am very capable.”

Qin Ran interrupted her with total solemnity. “This is very important.”

Kelly stared blankly for a moment, then laughed. “Aiyaya, fine, ‘capable.’ It’s important. What I meant to say is, Elio, I think sometimes you really need to let go. Don’t let people or things from the past affect who you are now. Wandering through a forest of flowers is fun, but the happiness of being heart-to-heart with one person lasts much longer.”

Qin Ran asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Kelly smiled knowingly. “It means stop thinking that whenever someone wants to play with you, they must be setting a trap. It’s also possible she truly likes you and wants to date you seriously.”

Qin Ran stopped talking.

A while later, Kelly leaned over again to chat, complaining seemingly at random, “Alright, Elio, stop thinking about that drinking thing. My hand hurts a bit. Do you have any medicated patches or anything?”

Qin Ran scanned her desk. She had some at home, but she hadn’t brought any to the office. “No. Does it hurt a lot? There’s a pharmacy downstairs; do you want to go buy some?”

Kelly rubbed her wrist. “It’s alright. But for people like us who are always holding phones to reply to messages and typing all day, how do you relieve that aching pain in your hands?”

Qin Ran was still caught up in the previous conversation; without thinking, she blurted out, “Maintain a routine of massages and finger exercises, and use warm water with essential oils for daily care.”

“Does it work?” Kelly pressed. “Are you still doing that yourself now?”

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