All I Want Is to Hold the Heroine in My Arms [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 17

In the blink of an eye, the day they had agreed upon finally arrived.

In the world of the book, things only ever go wrong when the main character faces unexpected events. The rest of the time, the skies are clear and the breeze is gentle and warm.

Wan Shuang was woken by the sunlight filtering through the gap in the curtains.

The first thing she did after opening her eyes was send a message to Shi Yi.

She did this entirely because of a guide she had found online about how to pursue a girl.

The first tip: stay close to her as much as possible or give her thoughtful little gifts.
The second tip: during conversations, casually drop in compliments.
The third tip: occasionally send messages with things you wouldn’t normally say face-to-face.

Wan Shuang felt she had done well with the first two. As for the third, the guide had warned not to send messages too often. The real trick was to play a little hard to get, leaving just enough space to stir curiosity.

The content of the message should also show genuine care, ideally pointing out small details she might not usually notice in her daily life.

After thinking for a bit, Wan Shuang decided to send Shi Yi her daily horoscope.

“Aquarius Horoscope for Today:
Overall luck: 5 stars
Love luck: 5 stars”

“Love forecast: If you’re single, you’re likely to have a sweet encounter today, and your friends might help things along. It’s a great time to build a connection. For those in relationships, you may receive support from elders. It’s a good day for meeting each other’s families or discussing marriage plans.”

After sending the message, Wan Shuang added,
“Shi Yi-jie! What a coincidence, we’re meeting the parents tonight! (shy face)”

Shi Yi replied almost instantly,
“I’m a Gemini, thanks.”

“…”

Wan Shuang quickly scrolled up and realized she had sent her own horoscope by mistake.

She hurriedly deleted the message, copied the correct horoscope for Gemini, and sent it over.

Then she followed up with a voice message.

At that moment, Shi Yi was working out on a treadmill. She glanced at the messages from Wan Shuang, then tapped on the voice note.

The girl’s voice still carried a trace of sleepiness, soft and slightly drowsy. But even so, it sounded sweet and charming.

“Shi Yi-jie, I really miss you. I know we just saw each other yesterday, but I already miss you so much. I’m really looking forward to having dinner with you tonight.”

The gentle, affectionate tone in Wan Shuang’s voice tugged softly at Shi Yi’s heart.

Shi Yi stopped the treadmill and pressed a hand against her chest, where her heart was racing. Her mind drifted.

She had known Wan Shuang for nearly a month. With everyone else who had confessed to her, things always turned awkward after she turned them down. But with Wan Shuang, it never felt that way.

In fact, sometimes, just a few words or a small gesture from her would make Shi Yi’s heart race and her face flush.

She couldn’t handle the way Wan Shuang smiled at her. And she definitely couldn’t handle that sweet, teasing tone in her voice.

Even just now, hearing her voice through a phone speaker had made Shi Yi’s heart beat a little faster than usual.

She couldn’t quite explain this feeling, or why it happened.

“Could it be… I like her?” she murmured to herself.

But then she quickly shook her head, brushing the thought away before it could take root.

No way… How could that be?

Meanwhile, Wan Shuang, still waiting for a reply, finally got up and went downstairs to have breakfast.

The day before, she had visited the flower shop, just as she always did.

She hadn’t planned to ask about why Shi Yi turned down Wen Yao’s invitation to the charity ball. But curiosity got the better of her, and she ended up asking anyway.

Shi Yi simply gave a faint smile and said, “There are just some things I want to discuss with Mr. Wan in person.”

Wan Shuang didn’t press further.

As long as Shi Yi agreed to show up, Wan Shuang believed it was only a matter of time before Shi Yi would become her girlfriend.

But even after breakfast, there was still no reply.

And by the time her brother, Wan Sheng, came to pick her up in the afternoon to head to the arranged location, her phone still hadn’t lit up.

That had never happened before.

Shi Yi had always been respectful and polite. She wouldn’t ignore someone unless they had said something truly inappropriate.

Did she say something Shi Yi didn’t like? But what?

Wan Shuang went back through the chat history, checking every message. She was sure she hadn’t crossed any lines.

Still, she couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease.

“What’s wrong?” Wan Sheng asked softly. He had noticed that his sister kept looking at her phone, clearly preoccupied.

Wan Shuang shook her head, slipped her phone into her bag, and forced a smile.

“Nothing at all!”

“You mentioned Miss Shi might bring a friend tonight?” Wan Sheng asked, remembering what she’d said earlier.

“Yeah.”

“Does she not know this is a family dinner?”

“…?” Wan Shuang blinked, then felt a burst of secret joy. A family dinner? But Shi Yi wasn’t even her girlfriend yet! Still… close enough. She giggled to herself.

“Rude.”

“…?”

Wan Shuang didn’t understand Wan Sheng’s sudden judgment. But when she saw the look of distaste in his eyes, she figured out what he meant.

A family dinner? And you’re bringing an outsider?

You’ll regret saying that, she thought to herself with a smirk.

The car slowly pulled up in front of the Huangtian Hotel, the go-to gathering spot for the elite in M City. A single meal there could easily cost a regular worker’s entire yearly salary.

The original reason Wan Sheng had asked Mo Qing to book the venue here was to let Shi Yi know that his younger sister wasn’t someone easy to deceive.

But now, his thoughts had shifted. Since this person liked his sister, they needed to understand exactly how Wan Shuang deserved to be loved.

She should wear the best, eat the best, use the best.

She should never be made to suffer, not even a little.

A hotel attendant walked over in small, polite steps and opened both car doors.

A pair of slender, fair legs stepped down from the car onto the red carpet that led to the hotel. Under her wine-red cocktail dress, she wore custom-made flat shoes from abroad. A dazzling diamond necklace worth millions rested delicately above her collarbone, matching the diamond earrings on her earlobes.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Wan Shuang touched her professionally styled hair and walked over to Wan Sheng, gently tugging at his sleeve.

He leaned down so she could speak closer to his ear.

“Brother, isn’t this a bit too much?”

She was thinking back to earlier that afternoon, when Mo Qing had taken her to the company’s styling room. There, a high-end stylist had spent the entire afternoon getting her ready.

When she asked why, Mo Qing said, “President Wan wants to make a strong impression on your boyfriend, to show him that only President Wan treats you best.”

Clearly, Mo Qing still didn’t know that the person Wan Shuang liked was Shi Yi.

Even when Wan Sheng asked him to look into Shi Yi, Mo Qing had assumed it was simply because of a possible collaboration with the Shi family.

After hearing this, Wan Shuang had gone quiet.

If her brother found out that Shi Yi didn’t even like her back… would he beat her to death?

For the sake of survival, Wan Shuang had obediently let everyone dress her up all afternoon.

Wan Sheng, however, wasn’t focused on that. He was too busy admiring how different she looked today. With a hint of affection in his voice, he asked, “Xiao Shuang, do you like this outfit? If you do, I’ll get you one from a different collection every day.”

Wan Shuang, remembering the price tag on the dress, quickly shook her head. “No need! I think my tracksuits are just fine.”

“Then I’ll ask the designer to create a sportswear line.” Wan Sheng paused to think, then answered seriously.

“…It must be nice to be rich,” she thought to herself.

While they were talking, they arrived at the private room they had reserved.

When they opened the door, they realized someone was already inside.

It was Shi Yi.

Tonight, she was dressed in a pale lavender blazer over a white blouse, buttoned up to the second button. Her wavy hair was tied up neatly, and she looked every bit the image of a strong, elegant woman.

She looked incredibly restrained and composed.

Wan Shuang’s smile brightened the moment she saw her.

“Shi Yi-jie? You’re early!” She let go of Wan Sheng’s arm and happily walked over to sit beside Shi Yi. “Where’s Yao Yao-jie?”

The moment she let go of him, the smile on Wan Sheng’s face dropped.

Why had Xiao Shuang pulled away so quickly? Did she not like him anymore?

His expression turned gloomy.

“Yao Yao’s still on the way,” Shi Yi replied politely. She then stood up, gracefully walked over to Wan Sheng, and extended her hand.

“Mr. Wan, nice to see you again.”

Wan Sheng barely touched her fingers and gave a cold nod.

He didn’t have a good impression of the person who might be trying to steal his sister away.

Shaking her hand at all was purely out of respect for Wan Shuang.

After they sat down, Wan Sheng looked over at Wan Shuang, who had been staring at Shi Yi non-stop since entering the room. A wave of jealousy washed over him.

In a colder-than-usual voice, he asked, “Miss Shi, I assume you understand the significance of this dinner?”

“Miss Wan explained it to me.”

Wan Shuang froze when she heard that.

Miss Wan? Is she referring to me?

That uneasy feeling in her heart grew stronger.

Wan Sheng also picked up on the way Shi Yi addressed his sister. In fact, ever since she walked into the room, he’d felt something was off.

Shi Yi didn’t seem to like Wan Shuang the way she had described. Instead, she treated her like any other acquaintance—polite but distant.

Wan Sheng frowned slightly and, trying to sound casual, asked, “Are you interested in the details of my potential collaboration with Shi Xiangnan?”

Shi Yi’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Mr. Wan, you and my father working together likely has nothing to do with me. Since that’s the case, why would you ask?”

“Because my brother sees you as family. So of course it’s relevant,” Wan Shuang quickly interjected. Even she could sense something was off about Shi Yi today.

“Family?” Shi Yi repeated softly. That word hit her hard, leaving an emptiness in her chest. But her face showed nothing.

After a deep breath, she calmly said, “Actually, there’s something I need to clarify with Mr. Wan.”

“Go ahead,” Wan Sheng replied flatly. He already had a feeling what was coming and didn’t even bother being polite anymore. His expression darkened as he looked at Shi Yi.

“About my relationship with Miss Wan…”

“I’m sorry I’m late!” A seductive and cheerful voice interrupted just as Shi Yi was about to speak.

The door opened, and someone walked in, instantly breaking the heavy atmosphere in the room.