All I Want Is to Hold the Heroine in My Arms [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 16
Wan Shuang tried to recall everything the novel had mentioned about the two of them, but came up empty.
That was because one was the third male lead, and the other was the third female lead.
“…”
Right now, Wan Shuang just wanted to write a desperate letter in bl00d begging the original author to write a side story about Wan Cheng and Wen Yao.
But even if they did write it, she wouldn’t be able to read it anymore.
Resting her chin on her hand, Wan Shuang gazed out the car window.
The people and scenes flashing by made her wonder whether this really was the world inside a book. The tall buildings and bustling crowds—these usually suffocating sights—somehow helped her anxious heart slowly settle.
Her emotions were no longer in chaos, and her mind felt much clearer.
Wan Cheng and Wen Yao getting together wouldn’t affect her pursuit of Shi Yi. So why was she stressing over it?
Finally stepping out of her mental dead end, Wan Shuang felt like the world had suddenly opened up.
In a cheerful mood, she said to the driver, “Uncle, can we go back to where you picked me up just now?”
“…”
The driver gave her a look like she was crazy.
Wan Shuang chuckled. “I forgot something, Uncle!”
Half an hour later, outside the shop Yushe.
Xiao Huang stood at the entrance and saw Wan Shuang returning. He smiled and called out, “Xiao Shuang-jie, why are you back again?”
“I missed you.”
Wan Shuang made up a random excuse and walked into the store.
“Ai, what a pity. We’re fated to meet, but not to be together,” Xiao Huang sighed dramatically as he looked up at the sky after she walked in.
Inside the shop, there were about five or six customers. Shi Yi was busy helping them. When she saw Wan Shuang enter, she glanced at her but said nothing.
Wan Shuang stepped forward, wanting to help Shi Yi. But just as she approached, she heard the group of men surrounding Shi Yi eagerly asking questions:
“Miss Shi, what kind of flowers do you like? I’ll buy them for you.”
“Miss Shi, would you have dinner with me tonight?”
“Miss Shi, what skincare products do you use?”
“Miss Shi…”
“Ahem.” Wan Shuang coughed loudly several times, interrupting the chatter.
Everyone turned around to look at her, wearing different expressions.
One of the men, standing among the group, gave an awkward smile and asked softly, “Miss Wan? Didn’t you resign?”
“What, just because I resigned, I can’t come here anymore?” Wan Shuang crossed her arms, sat down on a nearby chair, and sneered. “What did we agree on before?”
She had actually met all of these men about two weeks ago.
They were all Shi Yi’s suitors, coming under the pretense of buying flowers just to ask her out.
Before Shi Yi knew that Wan Shuang was Wan Cheng’s sister, she hadn’t planned to interfere in these matters. After all, this was Shi Yi’s personal life, and she had no right to step in.
But after Shi Yi learned her identity and after Wan Shuang confessed her feelings, she too became one of the suitors.
From that moment on, Wan Shuang began her battle of wits against the others.
In the end, using the power of being Wan Cheng’s sister, she defeated them all.
All these men came from families that owned small to medium-sized businesses. The moment they found out Wan Shuang was the sister of the man they relied on as their business backer, they started treating her with utmost respect.
“You can buy flowers, but keep at least one meter away from Miss Shi,” one man said while inwardly regretting his choices.
He had just learned yesterday that the flower shop’s “she-devil” was no longer around, and had planned to finally score a dinner invite with Shi Yi today. But who would’ve thought she’d show up again?
All he wanted was to ask Miss Shi out for dinner. Why did this she-devil act like he was trying to kidnap her child?
The other men were thinking the same.
Just two weeks ago, this woman named Wan Shuang had used Wan Cheng’s name to threaten them, telling them not to get too close to Shi Yi.
And the reason she gave?
That Shi Yi would get annoyed if they hovered around her.
And when Shi Yi got annoyed, she’d dock Wan Shuang’s pay.
They had all been stunned when they heard that.
The younger sister of a CEO worth nearly a billion actually cared about her wages?
They hadn’t believed her words entirely, but there was nothing they could do. They reluctantly agreed.
“So, what are you all doing now? Need me to call my brother?”
“No, no, that’s not necessary. We’ll leave right away.” One of them quickly waved the others along, and the whole group jogged out of the store.
Ha!
Another creative use of her brother’s reputation.
Wan Shuang watched them leave with satisfaction. When she turned back, she locked eyes with Shi Yi, who was staring straight at her.
Shi Yi had crossed her arms just like Wan Shuang had earlier. Though her lips were curved in a smile, her eyes didn’t look so friendly.
“…Did I mess up again?” Wan Shuang wondered aloud.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “Shi Yi-jie, I… I just didn’t want them bothering you.”
“They didn’t pay for the flowers they picked out,” Shi Yi replied coolly, lowering her arms and turning away.
“Huh?”
“Should I just deduct it from your salary?” Wan Shuang scratched her short hair and suggested with a sheepish grin.
“I thought you didn’t want a salary?”
“Oh, come on, how could I not want one?”
Shi Yi silently crossed out the words “Wages owed to Wan Shuang” from her ledger. She looked up and asked, “So why did you come back?”
The image of the girl rushing out of the shop in a panic was still fresh in Shi Yi’s memory. But now, she was standing there as if nothing had happened, making Shi Yi genuinely curious about her sudden return.
“I missed you,” Wan Shuang said, meeting her eyes with a playful smile and a pretend look of deep affection.
Shi Yi’s expression slowly softened at Xiaoshuang’s words. The coldness on her face began to melt into something much warmer.
Just as Xiaoshuang was about to add more compliments like, “Your outfit looks amazing today,” Xiao Huang suddenly appeared.
“Xiaoshuang, who exactly did you miss? Just now, you clearly said it was me!”
Seeing the playful smile forming on Shi Yi’s face, Xiaoshuang quickly smacked Xiao Huang’s arm off her shoulder and hissed through clenched teeth, “Shut up.”
Xiao Huang flinched at her threatening tone. He dramatically patted his chest and said in a fake, exaggerated voice, “Come on, we’re all sisters here. Why so fierce?”
“Talk like a normal person,” Xiaoshuang replied, raising her fist.
One look at her ready-to-strike posture, and Xiao Huang straightened up immediately. His voice dropped to a serious tone. “Alright. Understood.”
Xiaoshuang rolled her eyes, beyond annoyed.
The next day.
Inside a tall office building, in a wide and bright office, the tension was thick.
Jing Yijie slammed his hands on the desk and glared furiously at the man seated across from him.
The man calmly set down the file in his hand and glanced at the receptionist, who stood nervously by the door. With a simple look, he signaled her to leave. Then he asked calmly, “Young Master Jing, what brings you here?”
“Wan Cheng, what exactly are you doing?”
Wan Cheng replied without emotion, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Don’t play dumb. What’s with the cooperation agreement you sent to the Shi family?”
Jing Yijie was clearly angry.
Although he had been stalling the deal with the Shi family, it didn’t mean he didn’t want it. On the contrary, he saw the project as very important.
Yet, just this morning when he tried to discuss the deal with Shi Xiangnan, he was told that the Shi family needed more time to reconsider. The reason? Wan Cheng had already sent someone to meet with them yesterday.
“Don’t you think Yucheng Group is a better match for the Shi family’s new project than Tianjing?”
Tianjing was the name of Jing Yijie’s company.
By now, Jing Yijie had calmed himself. He sat down, loosened his tie, and leaned back slightly. His exposed neckline revealed a strong, distinct Adam’s apple. He clasped his hands and asked in a cold tone, “So what?”
Wan Cheng leaned forward, eyes sharp. “That’s my explanation.”
A moment of silence filled the room.
The two of them sat there like rivals in a negotiation. It was now a matter of who would lose their cool first.
After a long pause, Wan Cheng let out a quiet sigh. “But if you agree to one condition, I’ll withdraw from the deal.”
Jing Yijie narrowed his eyes slightly. “What condition?”
“Give up on Shi Yi, and I’ll pull out of the project.”
Wan Cheng didn’t want to fight with Jing Yijie. If it hadn’t been for Xiaoshuang, he wouldn’t have approached the Shi family at all. Shi Xiangnan wasn’t the type of person he wanted to do business with.
Even before speaking, Wan Cheng knew Jing Yijie wouldn’t accept the offer.
Sure enough, Jing Yijie laughed bitterly and said, “So this is all about a woman?”
He stood up and walked to the door. Just before opening it, he turned and said, “Then let’s see who Shi Yi chooses in the end.”
Ten minutes after he left, the quiet office was filled with a soft, confident voice.
“Of course she’ll choose my Xiaoshuang.”
That morning, Mo Qing had already delivered a full report on Shi Yi to Wan Cheng.
Although he had asked for a basic background check earlier, when he first found out Xiaoshuang was working in a flower shop, that report was only surface-level.
This time, Mo Qing had worked through the night. She even found out where Shi Yi went to elementary school.
What surprised Wan Cheng most wasn’t Shi Yi herself, but her maternal grandfather’s identity.
If her grandfather really wanted to take back what the Shi family owned, not just shares but everything under the Shi name could be retrieved effortlessly.
After reading through the report, Wan Cheng let go of his doubts about Shi Yi using Xiaoshuang for personal gain.
If Shi Yi truly wanted to reclaim her shares, all she needed was one phone call.
That could only mean one thing, Shi Yi might really care about Xiaoshuang.
Wan Cheng tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk. Originally, he had planned to use the dinner meeting tomorrow as a chance to observe Shi Yi from a businessman’s point of view. But now, it seemed he would need to view her as a protective older brother.
Still, no matter who it was…
Becoming Wan Cheng’s brother-in-law wouldn’t be easy.