Chapter 1

After dying from overwork, I opened my eyes and found I'd unlocked full-on animal talk.

I could catch every cat complaint and dog insult, charm top-tier celebrity pets, and with a flick of my wrist, had the elite families eating out of my hand.

The aloof CEO, Trevor Wade's cat, impossible for him to handle, became a cuddly fluffball whenever I was around.

The sassy, internet-famous dog that no one could tame wagged its tail and snuggled up to me only.

With a monthly salary of seventy thousand dollars, the Wade family spoiled me rotten. Trevor fell for me, and those cute pets stuck to me like glue.

While everyone else was busy showing off their degrees and family backgrounds, I chatted with animals and instantly became everyone's darling in the elite circle.

*****

My name was Aimee Jefferson. When I died, I was clutching half a hamburger in my hand.

One second before, I was grinding away at a small-time company.

With a monthly salary of twelve hundred dollars, I was working overtime until three in the morning, staring at spreadsheets that never seemed to end.

Then, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, there was no smell of disinfectant, and no ICU bill in sight.

Instead, I found myself in a huge, luxurious room. The air was scented with something expensive.

The wool carpet was so soft that my feet nearly disappeared into it, and an entire wall was lined with mini pet mansions, toys, and imported treats.

One bag of cat food there would have bought me hamburgers for half a year.

A voice sounded in my head.[Talent Awakening System activated.

[Host's chronic overwork detected, unlocking bonus of animal talk, maxed out.

[You can now effortlessly understand every animal's thoughts and chat with them smoothly.]

I froze, my mind going blank.

So I worked myself to death, and what did I get? Not a dime or a steady job, but just animal talk.

I wondered if it was the kind where cats would throw shade, dogs would roast me, and it was chaos.

A haughty female voice came behind me, full of the impatience of someone who always called the shots. "Why are you standing there? Mr. Wade's pets are about to get moody from being ignored."

I turned around.

It was Mandy Hurst, the boss in charge of all the temp assistants, from what I remembered.

Next to her stood a man in a perfectly tailored black suit, with broad shoulders and a slim waist.

His face was so cold that it could've been made by an AI, handsome in that "I'm rich, stay away" kind of way.

He was Trevor, the owner of this mansion and the head of the elite Wade family.

But the silver tabby in his arms was puffed up, hissing sharp and loud like it was ready to fight.

At his feet, the golden retriever kept circling, its growls getting more intense by the second.

I swallowed hard.

So, all the pets in these elite families were this feisty.

The next second, two voices, clear as if someone was whispering in my ear, echoed in my mind.

The silver tabby Bobby: [Pathetic human. You dare serve your highness cat food this soggy? Are you trying to poison me or what?]

Golden Retriever Fido: [This collar is so tight that I can barely breathe. Is this the one I wore when I was a pup?]

My heart skipped a beat.

I couldn't believe the animal talk could be this real.

Trevor's brows furrowed tightly. "Even the pet experts are at a loss. What do you, a temp, think you can do? If you can't handle it, get out."

Mandy covered her mouth with a light laugh, her eyes showing a mix of scorn and pure entertainment.

She said, "Mr. Wade's right. You can't even handle Bobby and Fido, and you dare to try your luck with the Wade family?

"All those certified, experienced pet trainers I brought in before all ended up sneaking out with their tails between their legs."

I didn't look at her. My gaze flicked over the two pets.

I saw mushy food, a collar that was choking tight.

That was easy.

I stepped forward, calmly pushed the bowl of soggy cat food aside, and said, "This food's soggy. If he eats it, it'll mess up his stomach."

Mandy scoffed right away. "You don't know anything. This is imported premium food, four thousand a bag. Soggy? Clearly, you've never seen real luxury."

I didn't bother arguing. I grabbed a brand new bag of cat food, tore it open, and gently poured it into the bowl.

The next second, Bobby's fur instantly smoothed out, his tail gave a satisfied flick, and he dove in, munching away like he hadn't eaten in days.

Bobby: [Good, you finally get it. At last, I get some clean food. I'll give you a point for that. Keep it up. I'm rooting for you.]

I crouched down and deftly unfastened Fido's collar, loosening it by two notches.

Fido stopped spinning right away, his big tail whipping around like a mini propeller.

He kept nuzzling my palm, his warm tongue gently licking my fingers nonstop until my hand was drenched in slobber.

Fido: [You're so gentle, miss. This collar's been choking me for ages. I want to snuggle with you. From now on, I'm only sticking with you!]

It all happened in under ten seconds.

Trevor froze, his expression shifting from cold indifference to suspicion, then to shock, and finally, he stared at me like I was some miracle he couldn't explain.

Mandy's smile froze on her face, like someone had hit pause on her. The air was thick with awkwardness.

I straightened up, brushed the loose fur off my hands, and said in a tone as casual as commenting on the weather, "Alright, settle down now."

Trevor's voice was tight. "How, how did you even do that?"