After Transmigrating, I Became The Heroine’s First Love! - Chapter 18

The night sky was studded with glittering stars, their radiant white light banishing the gloom and loneliness of the night.

Billowing white smoke gradually dissipated into the air, drawing back the curtain on a new world. Within its embrace, new lives blossomed as the women shared their hardships, the clinking of wine bottles mingling with boisterous laughter. Only in these moments could they truly be themselves.

“Aren’t you cold wearing such thin clothes at night?” Qiao Yanxin’s eyes slid up and down, scrutinizing Pei Xiangwan.

Pei Xiangwan, seated on the empty stool beside her, retorted, “Thin? Look closely—it’s a knitted sweater!” She tugged at the hem. “Feel it—it’s not thin at all. It’s not even winter yet, and you’re wrapped up like a rice dumpling.”

Qiao Yanxin cracked open a peanut shell. “You know nothing. It’s cold at night.”

Her gaze flickered to Pei Xiangwan’s inner layer—a khaki tank top that revealed a sliver of her waist. Though minimal, it was clear she had well-defined abs.

Tsk, secretly working on her core behind my back! But it must feel amazing. The thought made Qiao Yanxin’s hand drift over. “Whoa, you’ve been working out! Is this your new…”

Across the table, Jiang Shiyuan watched everything with unwavering clarity. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her expression remained as composed as ever, but beneath the table, her hand clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palm, leaving crescent-shaped marks.

“Drink some water,” Pei Xiangwan interrupted, handing Qiao Yanxin a bottle. “Your mouth is as dry as a desert.” She gently pushed away the pig’s trotter Qiao Yanxin was holding.

“How thoughtful of you,” Chen Zui remarked as he approached. “Shiyuan, you’re here! Go choose what you want to eat. I’ll grab the drinks.” He gestured toward the refrigerated display case filled with skewers, said a few more words, collected the drinks, and hurried off.

“I didn’t expect this little place to be so popular,” Qiao Yanxin said, nudging Pei Xiangwan. “It smells amazing! What do you think? Though you probably haven’t tried it before.”

Pei Xiangwan smiled. How could I not have tried it? Back when she was an idol, she and her teammates used to sneak out for late-night barbecue runs, hiding from their manager. Strict diet restrictions had made grilled skewers their ultimate craving—they’d practically dream of eating it every day.

Pei Xiangwan wondered if her former teammates were doing well in that world, and what had become of her own life there. Had she been replaced too?

She tilted her head back, watching the white smoke billow into the air. It veiled Chen Zui’s face like smog, yet through the haze, his genuine smile slowly emerged. This must be his happiest moment, she thought, surrounded by his cherished family…

“Let’s go, let’s go! I want to eat lots of meat,” Qiao Yanxin said, shaking Pei Xiangwan awake from her daze.

“Okay,” Pei Xiangwan replied, rising to her feet. She turned to the Little Fox, who had been sitting quietly, and said, “Let’s go.”

Jiang Shiyuan exuded an aura of nobility and elegance, like a goddess in an ancient temple. Even without her expensive, diamond-studded dresses and precious jewelry, her presence was striking.

She wore a simple black V-neck sweater over a cream-colored blouse, the sleeves rolled up to reveal her delicate, porcelain-like skin. A butterfly perched on the back of her hand, as if listening to the pulse of her veins. Every movement she made seemed out of place in this setting.

The jade beads clinked softly against each other, silencing the boisterous laughter. Only the faint, tinkling sound of the beads remained, like a string of tiny bells gently swaying. The melodious sound was so captivating that one wanted to listen forever, but it soon faded away.

“You’re not happy.”

Pei Xiangwan lowered her head slightly and realized Jiang Shiyuan was standing right in front of her. Qiao Yanxin had already wandered over to the freezer.

“No, what makes you think I’m not happy? Jiang Jiang, you’re overthinking things. Let’s go pick out something to eat. But can you even eat?”

Jiang Shiyuan gazed at her with clear, unwavering eyes, gently poking Pei Xiangwan’s cheek a few times. “I can just tell when you’re not happy. Besides, I’m human too—why wouldn’t I be able to eat?”

Pei Xiangwan quickly grabbed Jiang Shiyuan’s hand, which was starting to twitch like a ruffled Little Fox’s paw. “Okay, okay, let’s go pick some out. Yanxin’s already finished.”

Qiao Yanxin, balancing a full plate of skewers, was astonished to see the two still there. “Hurry up and get yours! What are you waiting for? I’m done and ready to go. Honestly, you two are baffling.”

“Come on, Jiang Jiang, let’s go.”

Jiang Shiyuan didn’t press the topic further. Pei Xiangwan clearly didn’t want to talk about it, and she wouldn’t pry. Everyone had their secrets, and she had her own too.

Yet this secret was so obvious… why couldn’t the person right in front of her see it?

Jiang Shiyuan turned to look at Pei Xiangwan, who was standing beside her. Pei Xiangwan had picked up a metal tray, her eyes shining brighter than the ceiling lights. Is she really this excited?

As they chose their skewers, Jiang Shiyuan noticed Pei Xiangwan didn’t seem like it was her first time eating this. She moved with familiarity, knowing the names of the dishes and which ones were good. That familiar, unwelcome feeling crept back into Jiang Shiyuan’s heart.

No, no, no, not again! She hated being manipulated like a puppet, having others decide for her. She wanted to choose for herself, to decide everything. She was tired of hearing what was supposedly “good” for her; she didn’t want anyone else making decisions for her.

Pei Xiangwan saw Jiang Shiyuan pick up a skewer of bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms with a small piece of green pepper in the middle. Knowing it was always spicy, she reminded Jiang Shiyuan, who couldn’t handle spicy food, “This is spicy, Jiang Jiang.”

Jiang Shiyuan frowned, pouted, and declared, “I want this!” before plopping it onto her plate.

What kind of little fox is this? So adorable! Pei Xiangwan thought. Let her have her way. As long as she doesn’t waste it later.

Or else, spank the fox’s bottom!

“Do you have any wine? I don’t want juice, Xiang Wan, waaaah…” Qiao Yanxin wailed, grabbing Pei Xiangwan’s arm as soon as she sat back down.

Pei Xiangwan tried to shake her off, but Qiao Yanxin clung like a leech. “Let go of me! Look, there’s plenty in that cabinet. Just go get some.”

Qiao Yanxin finally looked up, asking with disbelief, “Can I really go get it?”

“Yeah, it’s not like you’re not paying,” Pei Xiangwan whispered, leaning close to her ear. “Go ahead. Just remember to check your phone for the message I sent you.”

Puzzled by Pei Xiangwan’s mysterious demeanor, Qiao Yanxin nodded and went to grab the wine. But all they had was beer, which tasted bland. She sighed dejectedly and pulled out her phone to see what Pei Xiangwan had sent that was so secretive.

The moment she saw the message, Qiao Yanxin froze in shock. She glanced back at Pei Xiangwan, who was sitting behind her. Their eyes met briefly, sharing a silent understanding, before quickly looking away.

“You and Qiao Yanxin have such a great relationship,” Jiang Shiyuan remarked casually, picking up her water glass and taking a small sip. The water, which had been sitting for a while, was still scalding hot, numbing her tongue. She immediately set the glass back down and glared at it, as if demanding an apology.

Her already vibrant lips seemed even redder now, and her eyes, like stars reflected in a rippling lake, were trapped by the shimmering surface.

Pei Xiangwan opened a bottle of mineral water. “Drink this instead, Jiang Jiang. Let the water in the glass cool down first.”

Jiang Shiyuan glanced at Pei Xiangwan, took the bottle, and drank a few mouthfuls. The water seemed to possess a magical quality, gradually calming her anger and helping her forget the unpleasant incident.

“Yanxin is actually a really good person,” Pei Xiangwan said, seeing that Jiang Shiyuan had returned to her usual composure, responding to something Jiang Shiyuan had said earlier.