Chapter 9: A Disastrous Morning and a Predatory Gaze

Hoo…

On her second day as a girl, Zhou Ruoyu rose early. She had consumed some alcohol the previous night in an attempt to calm her nerves after the transformation. However, upon waking, her mood had barely improved, her hair was a tangled mess, and she reeked of alcohol.

Having no other choice, the girl took another shower. She then painstakingly styled her long hair, following an online tutorial, finding the process incredibly troublesome.

Zhou Ruoyu still felt completely unaccustomed to this body. Yet, despite her fervent desire to revert to her original self, she knew she had to prepare diligently for her interview at Tatsumi Group.

After freshening up, Zhou Ruoyu stood before the mirror, suddenly distressed about what to wear. No, perhaps the biggest problem was what she *could* wear.

Normally, for interviews, she would opt for a formal suit or simple, plain casual wear. However, with her current petite frame, it seemed every item in her wardrobe would turn into a full-body suit on her.

Zhou Ruoyu despairingly tried on two outfits. As expected, all her male clothes were ridiculously oversized for her current body, and there were no girls’ clothes in her house. Could she possibly have to go buy some now? But she couldn’t even leave the house without clothes!

After a frantic search, the black-haired girl finally managed to piece together a plausible outfit. A large white T-shirt, though overly loose, looked somewhat reasonable. For the bottom, she folded the pant legs and cinched the waistband, making it barely suitable for going out.

However, she felt as though she was stuffed into a doll costume; her wrists were less than half the width of the sleeves. As for shoes, well… it wasn’t that she couldn’t wear them. She could just tie the laces tight and… shuffle along.

Zhou Ruoyu, dressed in her strange ensemble, gazed at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, noting the inexplicably upturned strands of hair. She instantly felt as though this delicate, soft, and adorable maiden’s body was quickly being ruined by her. After burying her head in her hands and falling silent for a moment, Zhou Ruoyu plunged into a deep state of self-doubt.

‘Damn it, I originally thought I could rely on this pure and lovely face to attract Gu Jiachen, even if I had no idea how to charm men. After all, good looks are a significant asset in an interview. But… it seems this advantage is completely wasted now. Going to the interview like this will create a terrible first impression!’ Hoo… ‘No, absolutely not. I need to make more preparations!’

With that thought, the girl silently pulled out her phone and anxiously typed a message to her mysterious boss, asking:

[Zhou Ruoyu: Boss! What type of girls does Gu Jiachen like? Do you know?]

[Boss: ?]

[Boss: Probably… the demure type?]

[Boss: Are you getting dressed?]

‘The demure type?’

Zhou Ruoyu put down her phone and stared at her reflection in the mirror, her brow furrowed in deep thought. She then quietly looked at the glasses case beside her.

‘Perhaps… I should wear black-rimmed glasses?’

Hmm~

‘I feel like my image has improved by just… a tiny bit?’

****

In his office, Gu Jiachen glanced at the message, replied, and seeing no further response from the girl, put his phone down to resume his work.

His male assistant, Xiao Lin, who had arrived early with a nervous heart, timidly brought in another cup of coffee. Having almost been fired yesterday, he was now even too tense to speak properly, daring not to ask unnecessary questions. He merely whispered a reminder:

“Boss, Miss Gu Xue contacted me, saying she wishes to come to the company today to talk… She seems rather down.”

“Hoo… Tell her I’m busy, and she should go out and clear her head. Honestly, that child, Xue’er… She fell in love, broke up, and never even told me her boyfriend’s name, yet she keeps calling me. I’ve answered several times… How else can I comfort her? It’s not a big deal…”

Gu Jiachen sighed, looking a little helpless. Xiao Lin awkwardly nodded, not daring to inquire further.

After another moment, the HR interviewer knocked on Gu Jiachen’s office door and then announced, “Mr. Gu, the candidate for the assistant position has arrived.”

“Oh? That was fast… Xiao Lin, go downstairs and bring her up to my office. And HR, you stay. You’ll be in charge of the interview later.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Jiachen, who had seemed somewhat impatient moments earlier, immediately looked up and instructed both of them. Xiao Lin quickly nodded, while the female HR interviewer sat beside Gu Jiachen and asked:

“Boss, you told me yesterday that this girl just needed to show up… So, how should I conduct the interview?”

“Hmm… Hmph, just follow the question bank as usual, like your normal work. This is a legitimate interview; if she’s unsuitable, reject her. The only thing you need to pay attention to is…”

****

Taking a taxi, Zhou Ruoyu arrived at the Tatsumi Group building. Gazing at the imposing modern corporate skyscraper, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of nervousness. However, before her anxiety could fully settle, the girl was led by Xiao Lin downstairs and then into an office.

The moment she stepped into the room, Zhou Ruoyu immediately felt an overwhelming pressure. The female interviewer seated behind the long table was a standard corporate woman in a suit, with a serious expression. For some reason, her appearance reminded Zhou Ruoyu of her strict high school English teacher.

And then, there was… Gu Jiachen.

As the black-haired girl’s gaze fell upon Gu Jiachen, the man she had been longing for yet also harbored immense hatred towards these past few days, she felt her entire body tremble. The man before her had side-parted black hair; his handsome, sharp features exuded the imposing aura of a lion. His broad shoulders and muscular physique filled out a sharp black suit. His deep gaze swept over the girl, making Zhou Ruoyu feel a sudden flutter of panic.

‘No, don’t misunderstand. It’s not that she found him handsome. Well… he *was* quite handsome, even standing at one-eighty-five centimeters tall and being incredibly wealthy… But Gu Jiachen was her enemy! So, she definitely couldn’t admit it!’

The reason Zhou Ruoyu felt a little panicked was simply that Gu Jiachen’s gaze gave her an intense… predatory feeling, as if a wolf king were observing a trembling little rabbit. The girl felt utterly uncomfortable and froze on the spot.

‘Well…’

In truth, Gu Jiachen wasn’t quite as aggressive as she perceived. The reason he couldn’t help but take a few extra glances was that… the black-haired girl’s attire was simply too impactful.

He had initially held some expectations for this corporate spy’s choice of clothing, but he never imagined she would show up looking like a complete mess.

‘Did… did this little one wear her boyfriend’s clothes?’

Gu Jiachen almost couldn’t suppress his laughter. Beside him, the female interviewer cast a resentful glance up and down at the casually dressed job seeker. Then, she let out a soft sneer and spoke, “Miss Zhou Ruoyu, is that right? Please, have a seat.”

“Yes…”