I Somehow Ended Up With An Assistant Job

Ran Jiuyi wasn’t particularly worried about her identity being exposed. She was confident Meng Shan had already realized she wasn’t their enemy; otherwise, neither he nor the “Little Three” would be breathing right now.

Furthermore, the strength she had displayed was clearly far beyond the girls’ level. Without backup, the three of them combined wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

Had he not confirmed that Ran Jiuyi had no intention of striking at this moment, Meng Shan likely wouldn’t have been so bold with his testing.

Thus, Ran Jiuyi’s response was simple—she told him the truth, albeit with a bit of “artistic” editing:

“To be precise, I used to be a clerk. I worked a government job for a while and learned quite a lot during that time.”

“Later, because I wasn’t satisfied with the work, I resigned and became a freelancer. I usually take odd jobs for pay—cleaning up ‘trash,’ home renovations, that sort of thing.”

It was all true; she simply omitted the unnecessary details and polished the terminology.

“I see. You’re quite young, but you’ve certainly had a colorful life.”

Meng Shan caught her drift. Ran Jiuyi was essentially showing her hand, and while they hadn’t known each other long, she knew he wasn’t a fool.

The two locked eyes in a brief, heavy silence before Meng Shan broke the tension. “You said you’re currently unemployed. Are you free for the foreseeable future?”

“Actually, I took a job not too long ago, but I still have plenty of free time. Is there something you want me to do?”

Meng Shan struggled to sit up. Under the influence of the medication, the pain had subsided enough for him to manage some basic movement.

“Like you said, I’m basically a ‘hollow commander’ with only three girls under me. I’m perpetually short-handed, especially when it comes to someone who can handle the day-to-day logistics.”

Meng Shan extended his right hand toward her. “There’s a vacancy for a personal assistant. Why not consider it? The pay is good, the vacation time is generous, and there are various perks for the holidays.”

“More importantly, the hiring process is easy. As long as I nod and file a bit of paperwork, you’re on the payroll.”

“And didn’t you say you were short on cash? It’s perfect: I need help, you need money. It’s a win-win.”

Ran Jiuyi hadn’t expected this. Her first thought was that this was another layer of testing.

“Me, as your assistant? Are you serious? This isn’t one of those ‘assistant by day, do the assistant by night’ situations, is it?”

“I’m not joking. I’m serious.”

Looking into his steady eyes, Ran Jiuyi realized he wasn’t playing. This man genuinely meant it.

“What an interesting idea. Don’t rush me; let me think about it.”

Should I agree? She fell into deep thought.

According to her original plan, once Meng Shan woke up, she would use his resources to track Ken the Werewolf and the final two vials of serum. If she were his assistant, the plan would be much easier to execute.

Besides, it had been a long time since she’d met someone as entertaining as Meng Shan. Staying by his side for a while didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“Fine. I’m in. I’ll be your assistant for a while.”

Ran Jiuyi shook his hand. “But I haven’t done paperwork in a long time. You’ll have to teach me.”

“As long as you’re willing to learn.”

And so, Ran Jiuyi accepted the job—a role that, despite her elite skills, would soon push her to her breaking point.

“Oh, right. Since you can sit up, the meds are working. Try standing.”

“Is it okay?” Meng Shan asked. “I couldn’t even move a moment ago without screaming.”

Ran Jiuyi offered a sweet, reassuring smile. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Those are just ‘phantom’ pains. Your physical injuries are actually healed.”

“Neural and skeletal damage are the hardest to fix. The fact that you woke up at all means you’re fully recovered.”

“It’s just that Yi Ziling’s gel can’t block pain. It’s normal to hurt like hell when you wake up. It’ll pass, or you can just keep using the painkillers.”

Meng Shan tried wiggling his toes. It hurt, but they moved.

“Alright. I’ll take your word for it.”

With Ran Jiuyi supporting him, Meng Shan slowly rose to his feet.

“How is it?”

“Everything hurts like a b*tch, but I can manage.”

Ran Jiuyi nodded. “That’s the spirit. Pain is just something to be overcome. Next time you get hit like this, you’ll probably recover even faster.”

Meng Shan panted through the agony. “Easy for you to say! Have you ever tried it?!”

“Maybe I have, maybe I haven’t. Not the point.” She pulled out her phone and checked the time. “The point is the ‘Little Three’ are about to get out of school. Have you thought about how you’re going to face them?”

Meng Shan sighed deeply. “Can’t you help me draw some of the fire?”

“Sorry, no can do.” Ran Jiuyi’s voice was laced with schadenfreude. “I have to start dinner. Cooking for five takes time.”

“When will they be here?”

“I’d guess… about ten minutes?”

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang immediately. Ran Jiuyi laughed. “Looks like I was wrong. They’re early today. I’ll go get the door. Get ready.”

Ignoring Meng Shan’s pleading eyes, she hurried to the door. Standing there were the familiar three girls.

“Hey there, everyone’s here. You’re earlier than usual today.”

“Hi, Sister Ran!” two of them chimed.

Three days had been enough for them to bond. Jiang Yunshu and Yi Ziling had a very high opinion of this “big sister” who had tirelessly looked after them and Meng Shan.

Bai He’an, however, remained the outlier. Since the day they met, she had maintained a level of wariness toward Ran Jiuyi. Perhaps she had sensed that Ran Jiuyi and Bian were connected somehow.

After the greetings, Bai He’an said, “There was a school event today, so we got out early. Is… is Brother Dashan awake?”

“Since you asked, I have good news.” Ran Jiuyi beamed. “Not only is he awake, he’s standing up. He’ll be back to his old self in no time.”

“REALLY?!”

The fatigue in their eyes vanished instantly. “We’re going to see him! Talk to you later, Sister Ran!”

“I know, I know. Such impatient kids. Don’t trip!”

Ran Jiuyi stepped aside, letting the whirlwind of girls rush toward Meng Shan’s room. Only after she heard the cacophony of their voices did she leisurely stroll into the kitchen.

Once inside, however, she didn’t reach for the ingredients. She picked up a sharp chef’s knife and, with practiced precision, sliced a significant opening into the left side of her neck.

She reached her finger into the wound, rummaging for a moment until she pulled out a device no larger than a pinky nail—a signal receiver.

Using her self-healing ability to seal the wound and stop the bleeding, she deftly disassembled her phone, mounted the receiver to the back, and dialed a number.

After a few rings, a familiar voice answered. “Well, hello, Jiuyi. What brings you to call me today? You should be quite busy right now.”

“Kifli,” Ran Jiuyi snapped, “as the culprit who made me this busy, you’ve got a lot of nerve.”

“Now, now, don’t be like that,” Kifli chuckled. “It might be a hassle, but the ‘cost-performance’ ratio of this commission is excellent.”

“By ‘excellent,’ do you mean the client-bot giving me the wrong address? They waited until I spent three days scouring every inch of this city before telling me they made a mistake.”

“I wasted so much time that I had to chase Ken the Werewolf through three different cities just to find him.”

“That’s just part of the job,” Kifli sounded almost amused. “Clients rarely give perfect info. You should know that by now. So, why the call? Did the identity I made for you get compromised? Need a new one?”

“No, my identity is fine for now. I just need you to polish the ‘backstory’ a bit. Especially the work history and educational background.”

Kifli sounded surprised. “Huh? What for? Are you looking for a job?”

“I already found one. A pretty good one,” Ran Jiuyi said. “I’m the new assistant to the Commander of a city’s Magical Girl division.”

“……”

The silence on the other end lasted for several seconds. “I… did not see that coming. Look at you, moving up in the world. Listen, I won’t ask why you’re doing this; you’ve been in the game long enough to know what you’re doing.”

“But as your friend, I have to warn you to be careful. Your strength is top-tier among Magical Girls, but I’ve told you before—this country has people who can go toe-to-toe with you.”

“And don’t forget, there are those ridiculously overpowered ‘old-timers’ who pop up randomly. Remember your last mission? One of them absolutely thrashed you.”

Ran Jiuyi understood Kifli’s concern. Rationally, accepting Meng Shan’s invitation was reckless. Who knew who he really was or what he was planning? If he had a trap laid for her, she could easily end up in over her head.

But for some reason, she had a feeling. A feeling that Meng Shan was trustworthy.

In the past, she never would have trusted a “hunch.” But this time, she decided to believe it.