Chapter 33 - The Timid New Assistant
As soon as Que Tang returned to her high-end apartment, she immediately produced a roll of heavy-duty packing tape from some unknown corner. With practiced efficiency, she bound Little Mushroom’s front and back paws in pairs. Not stopping there, she slapped a large ‘X’ of tape over the cat’s mouth before finding a length of rope to suspend the creature from the revolving mobile of Ruan Mianmian’s baby carriage.
“Ruan Mianmian, look! Here’s a kitty for you to play with,” Que Tang cooed. She lifted Ruan Mianmian, who had been reaching out from the carriage with a toothless grin, and held her close enough to let the toddler tug on Little Mushroom’s whiskers.
“Mmph! Mmm-mmph!” Little Mushroom’s eyes welled with tears as it swung helplessly, staring at Que Tang in silent supplication.
“I’m not letting you off that easily this time,” Que Tang muttered, her voice cold but her actions gentle as she pampered the child. “Go on, Mianmian, keep playing with the kitty.”
As she looked down at the child, her gaze suddenly froze. Her fingers trembled as she reached out to pluck a single strand of hair from the girl’s head. It was purple. Deep, unmistakable purple.
Que Tang’s brow furrowed. She sensed that something was profoundly wrong.
She flicked off the main lights of the room and switched on a desk lamp, angling the harsh beam directly into the cat’s face like a seasoned interrogator. With a sharp *rip*, she tore the tape off Little Mushroom’s mouth and caught Ruan Mianmian’s wandering hands, tucking the child securely against her chest. Her eyes were sharp as she began the cross-examination.
“Explain. Why has Ruan Mianmian’s hair turned purple? I’ve only ever seen that color on a certain person whose name shall not be spoken!” The memory of that three-faced, split-personality maiden—Himiko, Toyosuki-iri-hime-no-mikoto—remained the darkest shadow lurking in the depths of her soul.
“Meow! This cultivation game’s settings are based on the *7D Beauty Dreamland* design!” Little Mushroom squeaked, swaying in the air. “The children in that game follow a Western art style. Having purple hair is perfectly normal! Host, please, meow!”
“Liar!” Que Tang turned Ruan Mianmian around to face the cat. The toddler squealed with delight, her tiny hands grasping at the air.
“Meow... meow!” Ruan Mianmian chirped, imitating the cat.
Que Tang was momentarily floored by the sheer cuteness, but her reason remained intact. This treacherous cat had "pitted" her too many times; she was determined to find the truth. “Are you going to talk or not?” she threatened, stepping closer with the child in her arms.
“Meow! I’m telling the truth! Host, you can check the status panel yourself!” Little Mushroom squirmed, desperately trying to dodge Ruan Mianmian’s "demonic" reaching hands.
Skeptical, Que Tang walked over to the floating interface. She navigated to the basic settings and found the hair color field. Sure enough, the initial value was set to a default that displayed a purple-haired character model.
“Host, please believe in my sincerity! My heart is as clear as the sun and moon, meow!” Little Mushroom pleaded from its suspended perch.
“...” Que Tang wasn’t entirely convinced, but she flicked the lights back on and inspected the child. At least her eyes were still black. She let out a long, relieved sigh.
Held high in the air, Ruan Mianmian blinked her large, sparkling eyes and giggled. “Tang... Tang!”
“She can talk already?” Que Tang was stunned. “She’s growing way too fast. And how does she know my name?”
“Meow! The growth rate in this program is different from reality. Ruan Mianmian is technically a year and a half old now. As for your name, you entered it into the system at the start, so of course she knows what to call you.”
“Fine... I guess...” Though the situation felt riddled with suspicious points, Que Tang couldn't find a logical flaw to exploit. She had no choice but to trust the "hacker" cat for now. “By the way, it can’t be good for a child to be cooped up in this room all day. Can I take her out?”
“Meow! After completing the fourth mission, the Small Garden was unlocked. You can take her there to play.” Little Mushroom widened its eyes, trying to look as innocent as possible. “Can you let me down now? Host? Meow?”
After a moment of silent contemplation, Que Tang gave the cat a disturbingly bright smile.
A short while later, Ruan Mianmian was dressed in a frilly lace dress and wheeled out in her carriage. Little Mushroom’s mouth was taped shut once again, and the poor creature was left to be "toyed with" by the toddler. Que Tang reclined lazily on a lounge chair, sipping a cold drink through her sunglasses.
Eventually, Ruan Mianmian grew tired. She pouted, reaching out toward Que Tang with a pitiful expression. “Tang... huggy...”
Que Tang’s heart melted instantly. She lifted the girl from the carriage and began bottle-feeding her warm milk. “You have to call me ‘Mama,’ okay? Not ‘Tangtang.’ Do you understand?” She poked the girl’s soft cheek.
Ruan Mianmian suddenly pulled away from the nipple. “No.” She followed the refusal with a mischievous grin.
“You little brat,” Que Tang teased, poking her again.
After finishing her milk, Ruan Mianmian let out a sleepy yawn and drifted off to sleep against Que Tang’s shoulder. Que Tang tried to put her back in the carriage, but the child’s small hands gripped her shirt tightly.
Que Tang looked at Little Mushroom. Little Mushroom muffled a protest behind the tape.
Careful not to wake the child, Que Tang gently peeled the tape off the cat’s mouth. “Is it time for the next mission?”
“So soon? But Ruan Mianmian won’t let go.” She looked down at the sleeping girl, feeling conflicted.
“Once you select the mission, the cultivation target will automatically return to the carriage. You don’t need to worry, meow.”
“I see. Fine then. Let’s start the next one.”
***
When Que Tang opened her eyes, she found herself sitting on a long wooden bench in a hallway. She was wearing a suit that was clearly off-the-rack and didn't quite fit her frame. Around her sat several other women in similar attire. She reached up to adjust a pair of thick, old-fashioned glasses, confirming that her current character was indeed nearsighted.
In her hands was a printed resume. Judging by the anxious expressions of the people around her, she deduced she was at a job interview. *Is this a modern-day setting?*
“Meow! Since the last two missions were high-difficulty, I’ve specially arranged a simple one for you this time.”
“Oh? And what’s the story?” Que Tang chose to ignore any words related to "difficulty" coming from the cat’s mouth.
“The original story follows a playboy heir to a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. He’s a flirtatious scumbag who treats life like a game. After meeting the female lead, he goes from malicious manipulation to genuine love, and they end up together in a grand, happy ending. Meow!”
“And the female supporting character?” It sounded like a standard, cliché romance—refreshingly normal compared to the previous worlds.
“The female supporting character, Lan Mi, is beautiful, incredibly wealthy, and possesses a high IQ and EQ. In this story, she is the heir’s original girlfriend. He doesn't love her; he’s just playing around. However, she is deeply in love with him. She suffers through his constant cheating, forgiving him in an endless cycle. Later in the novel, she is written as a ‘vicious female supporting character’ who turns bitter from unrequited love and repeatedly frames the female lead. In the end, she tries to take the female lead down with her in a car crash but fails, dying as her car plunges into the sea. Currently, the female lead—you—is here to interview for a position as Lan Mi’s assistant. Good luck, meow!”
“...What kind of grudge does this author have against rich, beautiful, and smart women?” Que Tang grumbled. “To write a high-IQ woman like that is just blatant discrimination. Anyway, what’s my character’s personality?”
“The female lead is quite weak. she’s easily intimidated, prone to overthinking, and incredibly indecisive. Aside from her work ethic and academic record, she loses to the supporting character in every category.”
“You don’t say...” Que Tang rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what these authors are thinking. Why throw away a perfect partner for someone mediocre? The ‘Overbearing CEO Falls for Me’ trope really is an immortal genre.”
“Meow! This story is titled *Taming the Flirtatious CEO*. You have no other side missions this time. Just focus on properly falling in love with the female supporting character. Simple, right?”
Que Tang gave the cat a dead-eyed stare. “You mean I should properly help the male lead fall for her so I can watch them be happy together, right?”
“Ah, it’s all the same, meow!” Little Mushroom’s irresponsible nature flared up again.
“How is that the same?!”
“Whatever works! Meow! Please begin the mission.”
“Next, Que Tang.” The door opened, and an interviewer called her name.
“I-I’m here!” Que Tang immediately adopted a nervous expression. She scrambled to grab her briefcase, nodding submissively as she followed the interviewer inside. The interviewer glanced at her, already docking points in their mind.
Que Tang sat on a lone chair facing a row of interviewers. she kept her head lowered, her hands twisting together in her lap. At first glance, she spotted the woman sitting in the center. Above her head floated a glowing system label: **Female Supporting Character of this World**.
The woman looked like the epitome of "White, Rich, and Beautiful," but her expression was as warm as a spring breeze—nothing like the cold, arrogant socialites usually found in these novels. Que Tang wanted to scream at the author. If even a woman like this couldn't find true love, what hope did "losers" like her character have?
“You are Que Tang?” the supporting character asked gently.
“Yes...” Que Tang whispered. Realizing she was too quiet, she tried again, her voice suddenly booming with unintended force. “Yes! My name is Que Tang!”
The sudden outburst startled the interviewers. After a brief silence, several of them covered their mouths to hide their snickers. Que Tang immediately slumped back down, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Lan Mi, however, didn't laugh. She remained composed and kind. “Que Tang, I see from your file that you hold certifications in accounting and auditing, yet you graduated from the English department of the prestigious University A. You also worked for a major corporation before this. I’m curious—with your qualifications, you could find a much better position. Why do you want to be an assistant here?”
“...Because my mother said... people shouldn't be overly ambitious. We should keep our feet on the ground,” Que Tang whispered.
Lan Mi smiled, looking puzzled. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
“Because my mother said people shouldn't be overly ambitious! We should be down-to-earth! Also, this place is close to my house, and the office is very pretty!” Que Tang declared loudly once more.
This time, even Lan Mi was stunned. Her expression became quite peculiar. She fought back a smile and nodded. “I see. Thank you, Miss Que. That concludes the interview. Please go home and wait for our notification.”
Que Tang’s shoulders slumped. She bowed dejectedly and shuffled out of the room, looking like a soul-crushed failure until she cleared the building. Once outside, she stood tall and unbuttoned the top collar of her shirt.
“This character is truly annoying. All that stuttering and timidity... she can’t compare to the supporting character at all. How the author turned this into a Mary Sue story is beyond me. They must really hate rich women. This time, I’m definitely going to make sure the supporting character and the male lead live happily ever after!” Que Tang’s fighting spirit blazed.
