IGTCDCN chapter 21

Song Yawen stood at the door, her face quite anxious, as if she was very nervous about her own mistake.

Assistant Lin quickly spoke up for her, “Kaven said it was his mistake to accidentally take the report home, you don’t need to be so afraid.”

The dining room and living room were a bit far apart, but the view was still wide. Song Yawen cautiously looked up at Mr. Tan’s back in the dining room: “Is it enough to just give you the document?”

“Yes.” Assistant Lin thought for a moment, “You wait here first.”

He took the documents and walked to the dining room. “President Tan, Secretary Song has delivered the report.”

Tan Chen had already overheard the conversation by the door. He didn’t expect Song Yawen to be the one delivering the documents. Upon hearing this, he just gave her a brief glance before looking away.

“Mm.”

Assistant Lin, seeing that President Tan had no further instructions, quietly let out a sigh of relief and walked back to the door.

“It’s fine, you can go back and get some rest.”

Song Yawen also breathed a big sigh of relief: “I didn’t hold anything up, did I?”

“Of course not…”

As soon as the words fell, Song Yawen’s scream followed.

A silver-white cat sped through the air, stretching out its sharp claws towards her face.

Assistant Lin had his back to the cat and only saw the fleeting shadow of it passing by, and he didn’t have time to stop it.

“Dudu, stop!”

“Dudu!”

Two sounds rang out at the same time. The cat that leapt towards Song Yawen in mid-air instantly pulled back its claws. The two dirty cats stepped on Song Yawen’s face, perfectly using her face as a springboard to land at the entrance behind her.

“Meow!”

Ha! Daring to barge in so blatantly? Don’t blame her for showing a little ‘host hospitality’!

Assistant Lin had just regained his senses, and upon realizing that Dudu really hadn’t scratched Secretary Song with its claws, he let out a relieved sigh: “Dudu…”

He wanted to say something to scold it, but then he remembered that this was President Tan’s cat, and he was not qualified to scold it, so he had to shut his mouth and instead comfort Song Yawen.

“Are you okay?”

Song Yawen covered her nose, tears welling up in her eyes: “It hurts so much!”

On one side was Secretary Song, innocently affected, and on the other was President Tan’s beloved cat.

Assistant Lin turned his gaze to President Tan, who was walking over, ready to see what he would say.

Tan Chen glanced at Song Yawen, who was covering her face and holding back tears, then turned and looked expressionlessly at Su Jiujiu: “Dudu, come here.”

His tone was very calm, but Su Jiujiu felt an inexplicable sense of danger.

She hesitated and paced a few steps in place, thinking to herself, could the male lead be going to scold her?

Seeing the pressure radiating from Tan Chen grow stronger and stronger, Su Jiujiu reluctantly jumped into his arms.

“Meow!”

Don’t expect me to apologize to her!

Tan Chen stared at it: “Why scare people?”

Song Yawen, standing to the side, put her hands down. Her high nose was red from the bump, but she still tried to hide the pain and acted like she had a big heart: “Cats like to run and jump, I’m fine.”

Tan Chen ignored her and kept questioning Su Jiujiu: “Why?”

Su Jiujiu nestled in his arms, baring her teeth at Song Yawen, her fur standing on end, clearly showing she didn’t like her.

Assistant Lin guessed, “Does Dudu maybe not like strangers?”

Tan Chen neither agreed nor disagreed; he remembered the last incident with the broken mug, and for now, he just thought the cat was still holding a grudge.

He grabbed one of Su Jiujiu’s paws: “What if you don’t retract your claws and scratches someone’s face?’

Su Jiujiu meowed at him: You pay!

“It retracted its claws at the very last moment when it pounced, it was just a bit heavy, I’m fine.” Song Yawen spoke again, her eyes still glistening with a few tears, putting on a pretended stance of toughness that made her look pitiful.

Su Jiujiu threatenedly raised her paw toward her.

Pretending, pah!

“Holding a grudge this much?” Tan Chen’s voice sounded from above. He stroked the cat’s head and looked up at Assistant Lin, “Take her to the hospital for a checkup, medical expenses will be reimbursed.”

Song Yawen kept pretending: “President Tan, I really am fine, just need a moment to recover.”

“It’s still better to check.” Tan Chen said calmly, “From now on, just give the documents directly to Assistant Lin. Dudu really isn’t used to having outsiders around.”

What he said made sense, yet it didn’t. After all, this cat could roam around the company freely, but that didn’t matter—it was just an excuse to get rid of guests.

Song Yawen didn’t expect Tan Chen to be so straightforward, and her expression immediately stiffened.

“Mr. Tan, did I do something wrong?” she asked, on the verge of tears. “Or did I bother you by coming without permission?”

Tan Chen ignored her and looked directly at Assistant Lin. “Tell Kaven next week that from now on, give all the documents to you.”

“Okay.”

Tan Chen, holding his cat, turned and walked inside.

Assistant Lin had no choice but to lead Song Yawen away. “Secretary Song, shall we go to the hospital?”

Song Yawen kept staring at Tan Chen’s back, and upon hearing him, could only force a smile. “Thank you, but it’s not necessary.”

She touched her nose, holding back tears: “Maybe I scared Mr. Tan’s cat. I’ve been like this since I was little, animals don’t really like me. It’s really nothing, it just hurt for a moment, and now I’ve already recovered.”

Assistant Lin had a few years of work experience. Looking at her now, it was like seeing a newcomer who was innocently wronged at work and had to endure it, and for a moment he felt a bit of pity, forgetting somewhat about the fact that she had used connections to get in.

“Dudu wasn’t this naughty before; maybe it was really scared because there were strangers at home.”

Assistant Lin said a few comforting words and escorted Song Yawen down the elevator, watching her leave. That thin, distant figure walked farther and farther away. Even though he shouldn’t speak ill of his boss, he still felt that President Tan had handled the matter too indifferently.

An employee worked overtime on the weekend to deliver documents and almost got scratched by the cat, yet received no consolation at all.

Could it be because President Tan couldn’t stand people who got in through connections?

Assistant Lin didn’t get an answer. On the way back, he happened to see President Tan holding up the cat and scolding it.

“Why’s your temper so big? Still remembering her after a month?”

Su Jiujiu meowed and chirped in protest: No way! She bullied me yesterday! This is a totally justified counterattack!

“No more attacking others, understand?” Tan Chen said seriously, “If you don’t listen, I’ll send you back!”

As soon as these words came out, Su Jiujiu froze all over. She didn’t expect that even at this moment, the male lead would still be thinking about sending her away. Tears welled up slightly in her cat-like eyes as she stared at him plaintively.

It was the first time Tan Chen saw the cat with this expression. Even though it was somewhat similar to Song Yawen’s previous pretended attitude, he still felt a pang of guilt from this gaze.

“I didn’t mean that,” he said, putting the cat down and picking her up into his arms again. “I’m not going to send you away, I just want you to behave and not hurt people.”

Su Jiujiu’s eyes were filled with tears, and she scrambled messily into Tan Chen’s embrace, unusually clingy. She hummed while stepping on his arm with her feet, also secretly glancing at his expression.

Tan Chen: “…”

Tan Chen held the cat tightly: “I won’t send you away.”

Su Jiujiu: Yay!

Assistant Lin, who was watching it all from the side, finally understood why President Tan was so fond of this cat—who could resist this?

Compared to a cat, anyone with eyes would know whom to choose… never mind, he’s a worldly man, he’ll choose the rich and beautiful women.

Su Jiujiu stuck to Tan Chen’s chest for quite a while, successfully making him hold her while working and playing with a cat at the same time. She lay on his lap, regaining her arrogant demeanor, and glanced sideways at Assistant Lin.

Tsk, as expected, the male lead isn’t blind; he can see the other side of Song Yawen’s face!

…..

Tan Chen played with her for a while, then went back into the study, who knows what he was doing. Anyway, Su Jiujiu was used to his busyness. Big CEOs, after all, always have a lot going on, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a weekend or a workday.

After she was full, she chased a yarn ball on the floor for a while, then suddenly remembered she still had to go see Golden retriever , so she immediately squatted by the door to signal Assistant Lin that it was time to walk the cat!

Assistant Lin opened the door while exclaiming in surprise, “I’ve only heard that dogs need a walk every day, never that cats do too. I’ve never seen a cat who loves going out more than you.”

Su Jiujiu ignored him. It was almost seven o’clock now, and she was still in a hurry to go meet yesterday’s big golden retriever!

After going downstairs, she followed yesterday’s route and quickly slipped out of Assistant Lin’s sight.

Big golden retriever! I’m coming!

After turning a corner, she immediately spotted the big golden retriever sleeping soundly by the side of the road.

Wow, whose dog went downstairs to sleep?

She leapt up in a single bound and jumped straight onto the big golden retriever’s back. “Wake up! Wake up quickly!”

The big golden retriever—oh no, Fugui¹[富贵 (fùguì) means “wealth and honor”. It’s also a popular name for pets and people, especially the pairing 旺财 and 富贵, as a wish for good fortune. In some contexts it can sound slightly old-fashioned or tongue-in-cheek, but generally it’s positive.], oh wait, I think its name was something like Lin Feng, never mind, let’s just call it Lin Fugui.

Su Jiujiu tried to paw at it like a cat: “Lin Fugui, wake up quickly, I still have things I want to ask you!”

The moment she said Lin Fugui, the big golden retriever was completely awakened.

“Who are you calling Lin Fugui? I have a name! Call me Lin Fengran!”

“Alright, Lin Fengran, let’s have a chat!” Su Jiujiu jumped down from him and squatted in front of him. “Why are you still sleeping so early in the morning? Where did your aunt slip off to?”

Lin Fengran gestured not far away, “Over there, chatting with the others.”

Su Jiu followed the direction he pointed to look, and the fierce aunt from yesterday was now happily chatting with another aunt, casually leaving the big golden retriever tied to the tree without paying any attention.

“She’s really too careless!”

“I’m not a real dog anyway, why do I need to be walked twice a day? Before I died, I didn’t get up until ten every day, and now I have to come down at seven just to go through the motions. I’m so sleepy!”

“It’s fine if she doesn’t pay attention to me; I can catch up on sleep anyway.”

Although he said that, Su Jiujiu still felt dissatisfied.

“So what’s going on with the female lead you’re following? Why does it feel like you’re doing so terribly? Aren’t you supposed to be a human in this?”

Lin Fengran was still lazily lying on the ground, not wanting to move at all: “Being human is even worse. I’m following a ‘a comeback script²[逆袭的剧本 (nìxí de jùběn) means “a comeback script”: the storyline or plot of an underdog rising from a low point to success.]‘ with Long Aotian. You know what happens to the evil male supporting roles in this kind of script, right?”

Su Jiujiu shivered: “I haven’t really read male-oriented novels, what happens?”

“The system originally gave me the character: a young master from a wealthy family, flirtatious and despicable, who sets his sights on the male protagonist’s childhood friend and constantly forces himself on her, thus motivating the male protagonist to rise up.”

“In the early plot, I was really arrogant. By the later stages, I’d be constantly slapped in the face, my family going bankrupt, being beaten down by thugs pursuing debts…”

Su Jiuju clicked her tongue: “…Isn’t that way too miserable for you?”

“What about you?”

“I’m the vicious female supporting character in a sweet romance novel. I have to keep getting myself into trouble to make the male lead hate me, get slapped in the face, and serve as the contrast to the kind-hearted heroine. My career gets ruined, and everyone sees my nasty side…”

“That actually sounds pretty tough.”

A cat and a dog exchanged a look, seeing a bit of themselves in each other.

“But isn’t your owner the female lead? Why are you still doing so poorly?”

Lin Fengran: “To be precise, she’s one of the female leads.”

Su Jiujiu: “……”

“Sigh, the characteristic of a stud novel is that the male lead always has several ‘white moonlight’³[白月光 (bái yuèguāng) literally means “white moonlight,” and as slang it refers to an idealized first love or unattainable person: someone you long for, remember as pure and perfect, but can never truly have.] and ‘vermilion mole’⁴[朱砂痣 (zhūshā zhì) literally means “vermilion mole” (or “cinnabar mole”), and as slang it refers to a passionate love that leaves a permanent mark on your heart: someone who is unforgettable, vivid, and still stings a little.] goddesses. My current master is the childhood sweetheart of Long Aotian.”

“Then why is she living here?”

Lin Fengran snorted coldly: “Because Long Aotian became successful and brought her over. In this community, there are different women of Long Aotian, all living in one building. The aunt who is walking me is taking care of three women at the same time.”

This was too absurd; Su Jiujiu listened with her mouth agape.

“Did that childhood friend know Long Aotian would do this?”

“She didn’t know. I only found out from the original story’s plot.”

“After exchanging bodies with the pet, I stayed by the childhood friend’s side, which just made it easier to complete tasks. You can tell how this system works—if you’re good at wordplay, you don’t actually have to be the evil male or female supporting character, you can still rack up points.”

Su Jiujiu thought about the points she had earned and nodded in agreement.

“Do you have any way to make Qingmei⁵[青梅 (qīngméi) literally means “green plum” (an unripe plum). In slang it most often points to a childhood friend, especially a girl you grew up with who may become a love interest.] see how this aunt is mistreating you?”

Lin Fengran rolled his eyes: “So what if she sees it? Because of the mission, Long Aotian already really dislikes me. If it weren’t for Qingmei’s sake, he wouldn’t have let her bring me here to stay.”

“That old witch might even be influenced by the Long Aotian, knowing how to act polite in front of Qingmei while being extremely harsh with me in private. But it’s fine, once Qingmei’s exams are over in a few days, she’ll come to tease me herself every day.”

Su Jiujiu pondered: “Your mindset is pretty good.”

“Of course, every choice has its downsides. Since I chose to be a pet, I just have to put up with it.”

Su Jiujiu was probably still young; she just couldn’t stand this kind of humiliation.

“Anyway, I can’t stand it.”

She recounted the story of how Song Yawen bullied her yesterday and how she took revenge today.

After listening, Lin Fengran didn’t exclaim that it felt good; instead, he looked at her sympathically and said, “Believe it or not, she dared to kick you yesterday. Today, you’ve bullied her in front of the male lead—when she gets the chance, she will definitely take revenge in an even more intense way.”

Su Jiujiu: …

Su Jiujiu: “That’s true. So how should I deal with this matter?”

She glanced at Lin Fengran, who was lying there lazily and completely not caring about his own situation, and instantly felt frustrated at his lack of ambition.

“Hey, we’re at least in the same situation, shouldn’t we come up with a plan together?”

​

Kotha: It was long chapter 🫠 anyway I have set up a Kofi account, if you can consider donating on Kofi ☕ There will be bonus chapters for every Kofi 🌸🌸

• 1
  [富贵 (fùguì) means “wealth and honor”. It’s also a popular name for pets and people, especially the pairing 旺财 and 富贵, as a wish for good fortune. In some contexts it can sound slightly old-fashioned or tongue-in-cheek, but generally it’s positive.]
• 2
  [逆袭的剧本 (nìxí de jùběn) means “a comeback script”: the storyline or plot of an underdog rising from a low point to success.]
• 3
  [白月光 (bái yuèguāng) literally means “white moonlight,” and as slang it refers to an idealized first love or unattainable person: someone you long for, remember as pure and perfect, but can never truly have.]
• 4
  [朱砂痣 (zhūshā zhì) literally means “vermilion mole” (or “cinnabar mole”), and as slang it refers to a passionate love that leaves a permanent mark on your heart: someone who is unforgettable, vivid, and still stings a little.]
• 5
  [青梅 (qīngméi) literally means “green plum” (an unripe plum). In slang it most often points to a childhood friend, especially a girl you grew up with who may become a love interest.]