I whipped around suddenly, crashing into a pair of almond-shaped eyes cold as ice.
Those eyes were like chilly stars falling into a deep pool, their slightly upturned corners carrying a sharp, cool edge, yet in their depths was a hidden liveliness, subtle and hard to detect.
She wore a sharply tailored black suit dress, the crisp shoulder lines outlining a clean silhouette, and at her collar, a perfectly tied silver tie gave her just the right degree of aloofness, paired with an inexplicable sense of pressure.
Her long hair was twisted into a low bun at the back of her head, a few stray locks hanging beside her ears. Minimalist platinum earrings on her earlobes caught and reflected the faintest glint of light. There seemed to be a gentle barrier of distance surrounding her, making people hesitant to approach, yet unable to resist being drawn in by her chilly beauty.
It was Ning Dongya! Instantly, I froze on the spot, the tip of my cat tail quietly curling around my ankle, even forgetting to breathe.
She, however, acted as if she hadn’t seen me at all, raising her hand directly to press the hidden silver-button with small letters at the bottom of the Panel. The “3A” Panel Light flicked on in response.
As she was retracting her hand, the elevator suddenly started up and I lost my balance. Instinctively, I grabbed her hand. She frowned ever so slightly, but said nothing.
She didn’t look at me again, instead shifting her attention elsewhere, allowing me to let out a small sigh of relief.
If, right here, Ning Dongya realized that this little catgirl before her was not only the instigator of the rumors about her in the comics, but also her former boyfriend—what kind of reaction would she have?
But that kind of thing is pretty much impossible. As long as I hide myself well and never bring it up, she’ll never have the time or energy to notice such trivial matters.
Once I get out of the elevator, I probably won’t run into her again, right?
The elevator soon reached my destination floor. I stepped out, thinking I surely wouldn’t see Ning Dongya again. Yet, at that very moment, she also exited right behind me.
Hearing the sound of high heels behind me, my body stiffened instantly.
Ning Dongya, seeing me stop in my tracks, simply walked around me. As she passed, she shot me an expressionless glance.
Only then did I collect myself. Just now, Ning Dongya had pressed “3A” without me saying anything. She probably hadn’t noticed anything odd about me, just happened to have the same destination.
Since our floors are the same, I can only hope she doesn’t end up going to the exact place I’m headed next.
But things never go as hoped. Turning the corner, the sign for the Interview Zone appeared right before my eyes. Ning Dongya was seated in the Director’s Seat behind the interviewers, her fingertip tapping on a Tablet as her sharp gaze swept over every Applicant.
I froze on the spot, staring at the Queue stretching all the way to the elevator doors, my cat ears plastering themselves to the top of my head uncontrollably.
Honestly, even though I know it’s impossible, whenever I see Ning Dongya I get nervous and guilty. I’m terrified of being discovered, but I can’t bear to give up this dream job. All I can do is wind my tail tighter and tighter, praying I can blend into the end of the Queue like an invisible person and not attract anyone’s attention.
As the Queue shuffled forward, anxiety got the better of me and I couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Ning Dongya.
She was looking down, flipping through a Resume, her profile sharp as if outlined by a steel pen. Sunlight slanted through the blinds, casting a pattern of light and shadow across her shoulder, even making the stray hairs at her ear glow softly.
I got a little lost staring, until she suddenly lifted her head, her eyes meeting mine with uncanny precision.
My heart skipped half a beat! Her gaze wasn’t as razor-sharp as before—there was even a trace of something probing—but, just as quickly, she looked away.
Frightened, I jerked my head down, my cat ears instantly flipping into plane ears, tail stiffening into a little flag behind me. Even my breathing became a stifled gasp. I’m done for, I’m done for. Did she actually recognize me?
I-it shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Besides, even if I am exposed, she’s sitting up there at such a high position now—there’s no reason for her to care about an ex-boyfriend who’s turned into a catgirl.
As long as I’m not exposed as the author of that comic, I should be fine. And maybe, even if she does figure it out, she won’t care… P-probably, ha…hahaha…
The Queue moved quickly. Most Applicants only had their Resume glanced at by the interviewers and answered a couple of questions before being told to wait for further notice. I knew this was just polite rejection from the panel.
After all, there are far more people than spots. Big companies like this still attract tons of graduates.
Ugh, if I’d known it was this tough, I wouldn’t have wasted my time coming here.
But since I was here, and I’d already spent so much time waiting, even though I could guess the outcome, I still wanted to give it a try. Otherwise, all this would’ve been for nothing.
Soon, there were only two Applicants left ahead of me. Even though I knew I probably wouldn’t get picked, seeing the people in front being interviewed made me rehearse answers in my mind for the questions I might get from the panel.
As I nervously sorted through possible responses, a gaze, out of nowhere, cut through the crowd and locked onto me.
My whole body tensed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ning Dongya turning ever so slightly, her fingers, which had been resting casually on the desk, paused in midair. Those eyes, always glazed with a layer of thin ice, were now like a precise scanner, tracing from the tips of my cat ears down to my white-knuckled grip on my Resume, not even missing the unconscious little flick my tail made across the floor.
The probing in her eyes was several times stronger than before. Why is she staring at me like that?
My cat ears exploded like dandelion fluff, my tail instantly going straight as a steel rod. Every bit of rehearsal vanished from my mind.
“Next.” The Panel Sound crashed in my ears like thunder. I snapped back, icy fingers swiping open my phone screen—only then did I realize the Resume was still my Male Resume!
Right now, there was no way Ning Dongya could recognize me like this, but if she saw this Resume, she’d definitely get suspicious!
Cold sweat drenched my back as I frantically tapped the screen to switch files, but my cat paws slipped in my panic and the phone fell with a clatter onto the gleaming floor tiles, the screen lighting up dazzlingly under Ning Dongya’s gaze.
“Meow!!”
I practically pounced on all fours to snatch up my phone, the screen burning my palm like a branding iron.
Scrambling to my feet, phone in hand, I caught a glimpse of Ning Dongya out of the corner of my eye—she seemed to tilt her head slightly, spinning a steel pen between her fingers, the silver tie at her collar rising and falling gently with her breath.
I had no idea what she was thinking, but I was getting more and more afraid. Who knew if she’d just seen my Resume?
That thought made the urge to flee erupt wildly in my mind. Maybe it wasn’t too late to bolt from the conference room right now?
“Hmph hmph~”
Amidst the tense atmosphere, Ning Dongya’s soft chuckle sounded, freezing my body all over again.