“Dummy, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and eat!”
Ling Xiaoxiao’s voice suddenly rang out from the doorway. I jumped up like my tail had been stepped on, the tip of it smacking the door with a sharp “pa” sound. She leaned lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed, her bunny ears twitching. “If you keep staring at the crepe like that, you’ll burn a hole right through it. If you don’t eat soon, it’ll get cold! If you’re late for your first day, you’ll be in real trouble~”
Only then did I snap out of it, hurriedly grabbing the crepe on the table and stuffing it in my mouth, cream smearing all over my lips.
“Who—who was spacing out!” My cheeks were so hot you could fry an egg on them, but my cat ears drooped pitifully.
“Oh?” Ling Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow and walked closer, suddenly reaching out to poke my cheek. “Just now, when Sister Yue Ran left, someone’s tail was wagging like a propeller. And now you’re grinning at an empty bag. Could it be that Sister Yue Ran has enchanted you?”
“Of—of course not!” I nearly choked on my cake, waving my hands in a fluster. “That jerk who always stole my snacks as a kid and deliberately hid my homework… how could I possibly…”
I didn’t even finish my sentence before my voice betrayed me—the ending quivered like a kitten caught in the rain. Ling Xiaoxiao laughed even harder, her pink and white bunny ears twitching non-stop. “Oh? Really?”
“Of course! Th—that’s a totally different matter!” I buried my face behind my milk cup, the tips of my ears burning numb. “Even if she takes care of me… it—it doesn’t mean I’ll change my mind so fast!”
“Oh~ so if it’s a bit longer, your opinion will change?” Ling Xiaoxiao suddenly leaned in, her warm breath brushing over my cat ears.
“No way!” I slammed my milk cup down on the table with a “clang,” my tail beating the floor behind me in frustration. “D—don’t spout nonsense! Hurry up and eat your crepe! If you dawdle any longer, we’ll really be late!”
Just as I finished, I moved too fast and nearly dropped the rest of my crepe on the floor. Ling Xiaoxiao looked at my panicked flailing and laughed so hard her shoulders shook, but finally didn’t tease me any further and obediently took a big bite of her strawberry crepe.
After breakfast, the scene shifted, and I was already standing in front of the company elevator.
Remembering what happened during yesterday’s interview gave me a headache.
Ning Dongya is really a tough one now. I hope I don’t run into her again today.
“Ding—”
The elevator doors opened in response, already packed with suit-clad office workers.
I stood on tiptoe, barely spotting a space in the corner. I squeezed half my body inside, when suddenly the fur on the back of my neck bristled.
A gaze, sharp as a laser, locked onto me with pinpoint precision.
Meow!! This isn’t good!!
I hurriedly turned around and saw Ning Dongya standing directly across from the elevator doors. Her long hair was pulled into a simple, neat ponytail, and her sharply tailored black suit made her skin look even paler.
Unlike everyone else with their heads down on their phones, she tilted her head slightly, a hint of a smile playing at her lips, those amber eyes sizing me up like a canary in a cage.
Meow!!! My heart instantly jumped to my throat! The cat ears atop my head shot upright with alarm.
On reflex, I tried to back away, but the crowd behind me shoved me forward a step. Suddenly, ice-cold fingers grabbed my wrist. “The new intern?” Her voice was low, carrying an invisible pressure. “Why are you running?”
With a “beep,” the elevator doors closed, blocking off any chance of escape. The mirrored surface reflected my pale, stricken face.
I—I’m doomed! Why is she here too?!
My heart raced faster and faster, my tail rigid behind me.
My toes curled with nerves, my gaze fixed on her hand gripping my wrist—a slender hand, joints well-defined, a silver ring on one finger catching the light as she moved.
But unexpectedly, she simply let go, turning around to look at her phone, her back to me.
Her long, jet-black hair draped over her shoulders, hiding her expression. I secretly let out a breath; my back was soaked with cold sweat. So it was just routine? I thought she was lying in wait for me!
The elevator stopped on the 4th floor, and I decided I might as well get out.
If worse comes to worst, I’ll just wait for the next one. If I stay in here with Ning Dongya any longer, who knows what could happen!
But just as I took a step out, a hand grabbed me from behind, freezing me in place. Mechanically, I turned my head.
Sure enough, it was Ning Dongya. But now her face had lost its former coldness, replaced with a teasing smile at the corner of her lips. “The new trainee area is on the 15th floor. Where do you think you’re going?”
The tip of my tail involuntarily thumped against my thigh. My fingers clutched my employment notice so hard they turned white. How did she know I was going to the trainee area? Did she investigate me beforehand? Cold sweat dripped down my spine into my collar as I forced myself to act calm and stepped back in.
“I—I got the floor wrong!”
At last, the elevator “dinged” on the fifteenth floor. I practically scrambled out on all fours, pressing my back against the cold wall and panting.
As the elevator doors slowly closed, I caught a glimpse of Ning Dongya still inside, her wine-red hair swaying as the elevator descended, those silver-grey eyes seeming to look at me through the narrowing gap. Only when the metal doors fully shut did my tense body finally relax. My cat ears drooped as I let out a long sigh.
Finally shook her off!
The hardest hurdle is over. I patted my burning cheeks and straightened the wrinkled collar of my shirt.
It’s just the first day of trainee orientation, probably just some basic stuff. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Following the signs to the assigned room, I opened the door to find a dozen or so young people in the same white shirts already seated inside.
I found a seat by the window. Once the teacher saw the headcount was right, she started the class early.
After a while, bored out of my mind, I twirled my pen, my tail tip sneaking in a yawn beneath the chair.
It’s not that I don’t want to learn seriously, but the first lesson is just about basic functions and keyboard shortcuts. Isn’t this a total waste of time?
I’ve already been hired by your company—how could I not know my way around shortcuts?
Honestly, the only reason for this class is to avoid the company noticing there’s no real difference if the trainee department didn’t exist at all!
A glance around showed barely anyone actually listening.
Even the trainer looked bored and lazy, as if she knew this was just a filler class.
But for some reason, the teacher’s voice suddenly became a lot more serious, and even the students sat up a bit straighter.
I scoffed at this, pulling out my phone to kill time.
Seriously, paying this much attention to basic functions and shortcuts—might as well go work construction!
But soon, I sensed something was wrong.
Back at school, what was it that could suddenly make a rowdy class go quiet and well-behaved?
I hurriedly put my phone away, but at that moment, a familiar voice spoke up from behind me.
“This classmate, it seems you’re not too interested in the training course here~~”
“Meow!!!!!!!”