All I Want Is to Hold the Heroine in My Arms [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 26

Shi Yi gently pushed Wan Shuang away and stood up from the chair.

“Xiao Huang is looking for me.”

After speaking, Shi Yi walked out.

On the surface, she looked completely calm, as if nothing had happened. But inside, she was anything but.

Wan Shuang collapsed into the chair Shi Yi had just vacated, patted her chest, and thought to herself, So this is what being a domineering CEO in a novel feels like. I wonder if that little move actually got to Shi Yi…

Just now, she had the sudden urge to try out one of those over-the-top, romantic moves she read about in CEO novels.

After all, she hadn’t forgotten she was living in one of those dramatic romance stories.

Though based on Shi Yi’s reaction, it didn’t seem very effective.

Wan Shuang sighed in disappointment as she remembered Shi Yi’s calm and unreadable expression.

“Shi… Shi Yi…” Xiao Huang called timidly after seeing her walk out. She wasn’t her usual lively self at all.

Because of her own orientation, Xiao Huang’s first reaction when she saw Wan Shuang pinning Shi Yi against the wall was: Are they… seeing each other?

Now that Shi Yi had come out, likely because of her intrusion, and with such an expressionless face that was so different from her usual warm demeanor, Xiao Huang assumed she had ruined their “moment.”

“Is something wrong?” Shi Yi asked softly.

“I just wanted to let you know… the customers are all gone.”

Shi Yi nodded, then looked at the man walking over from behind Xiao Huang and smiled gently. “Thank you for helping out today. Let me treat you both to a meal later.”

“I was just here to keep him company. No need for dinner. We’re heading out for a candlelit dinner anyway,” Xiao Huang’s boyfriend replied politely.

When he mentioned the dinner, Xiao Huang blushed and quickly hid behind him.

Shi Yi’s lips curved into a smile.

Just then, Wan Shuang came out, hooked her arm around Shi Yi’s, and whined playfully, “Shi Yi, please treat me to a meal. I’m starving.”

Seeing Wan Shuang, Xiao Huang quickly pulled her boyfriend away, giving the two some space.

No one wants to be a third wheel.

Wan Shuang noticed their quick retreat and gave them silent praise for being so considerate.

Shi Yi stiffened slightly from the girl clinging to her. The warmth of Wan Shuang’s breath from earlier still lingered on her face.

Naturally, she slipped her arm out of Wan Shuang’s grasp. But in the process, her hand accidentally brushed against something soft.

Pretending nothing had happened, Shi Yi offered an apologetic explanation. “I have to let Xiao Huang off early so she can go to dinner with her boyfriend, and there’s still a lot to wrap up. How about you go eat first and I’ll reimburse you?”

Wan Shuang let out a laugh.

“Shi Yi, that’s a pretty weak excuse to turn someone down.”

“I…” Shi Yi tried to explain, but didn’t know what to say.

She was, in fact, trying to reject Wan Shuang.

Because when Wan Shuang held her just now, Shi Yi felt her heart suddenly pound in a way she couldn’t control.

It wasn’t the kind of fast heartbeat that came from running or nervousness.

It was something else. Something unfamiliar.

And when it came to things she didn’t understand, Shi Yi always chose to back away.

Wan Shuang noticed and stuck out her tongue playfully.

“Relax. I already ate before I came.”

She glanced toward the counter with a mysterious smile. “Actually, I even brought lunch for you.”

Shi Yi followed her gaze and saw a paper bag sitting on the counter. She looked puzzled.

“Lunch?”

“Mhm. Open it and take a look.”

Shi Yi set down the marker in her hand and walked to the bag. She pulled out two clear plastic containers.

Aside from a few crumbs and scraps, they were completely empty.

Shi Yi blinked. “What…?”

Wan Shuang stared too. “Wait… what?”

Seeing the completely empty containers, Wan Shuang awkwardly scratched her cheek with her index finger.

Jiang Ye!

Where the heck is the food I packed in those boxes?!

Jiang Ye was in the dorm, gaming with his roommate. He had just finished a match when he saw Wan Shuang’s message pop up.

The food?

Wasn’t that for the stray cats? I fed them while you were in the bathroom.

No need to thank me, by the way~

Thank you? Thank your grandma’s… leg!

Wan Shuang’s long-dormant temper suddenly flared up.

That was the meal she carefully picked out for Shi Yi in the cafeteria!

Even though it was just cafeteria food, she was sure it was the best she had tasted since coming into this book, aside from the meals made by Aunt Wang and Shi Yi.

She didn’t even know if Shi Yi would like it, but at least it showed her sincerity!

And now?

“Did she expect Shi Yi to survive on just air?”

Wan Shuang was especially angry, feeling like all her efforts had been wasted. She glared at Jiang Ye with a look that could kill.

“I hope you lose every single game you play!”

Shi Yi placed the box on the table, a smile playing in her eyes as she looked at Wan Shuang.

She tapped the lid and said, “I know I’ve put on a bit of weight lately, but just a few pieces? Isn’t that a little too unfair to me?”

Wan Shuang caught the teasing in her tone and quickly hid her phone behind her back.

With a sheepish grin, she said, “It was Jiang Ye… that kid’s the one who lost the food.”

“Jiang Ye?”

It was the first time Shi Yi had heard that name.

“A childhood friend,” Wan Shuang explained.

“And also…”

She stopped mid-sentence when someone unexpected walked into the store.

The man who entered stood out in every way—his height, his figure, and his looks. He wasn’t just handsome; he was striking.

It was Jing Yijie.

When he saw Wan Shuang inside Shi Yi’s store, a trace of confusion appeared in his deep eyes, but it quickly faded.

He suddenly remembered what Wan Cheng had said on the day they cut ties.

“If you stay away from Miss Shi, I’ll walk away from the project.”

So now, even after going abroad, he still sent his sister to keep an eye on her?

Shameless.

In Jing Yijie’s mind, Wan Shuang and Shi Yi shouldn’t have known each other. The only explanation was that Wan Shuang was helping her brother, Wan Cheng.

“Shuang? What are you doing here?”

Jing Yijie walked forward, pretending to care.

“Oh, I’m going out to dinner with Sister Shi Yi.” Seeing a romantic rival face-to-face made Wan Shuang tense up. She quickly clung to Shi Yi’s arm, as if that would ease her nerves.

Jing Yijie noticed the gesture and sneered inwardly. Still, he looked at Shi Yi with gentle eyes and spoke in the tone one might use with a girlfriend.

“Yi Yi, didn’t we agree to spend some time alone today?”

“What?”

Alone time?

Wan Shuang’s grip on Shi Yi’s arm loosened slightly, and she turned to look at her.

Shi Yi didn’t notice. She was staring back at Jing Yijie, her expression cool and distant, showing a grace and confidence Wan Shuang had never seen before.

Her voice was calm as she replied, “Mr. Jing, you must be mistaken. The one who agreed to have dinner with you was your business partner, not me.”

Jing Yijie didn’t seem to expect her to turn him down.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, and the smile on his face faded.

“Then may I have the honor of inviting you to lunch now?”

“I’m sorry…” Shi Yi had just begun to speak when Jing Yijie cut her off.

“Maybe we can also talk about your mother…”

“Hold on.” Shi Yi interrupted him, almost instinctively.

Earlier, Shi Xiangnan had used Shi Yi as bait to draw Jing Yijie into a business deal. His offer to her was that, in return, she would receive her mother Lu Jie’s shares. But once the contract was signed, Shi Yi went to claim her share, only to be rejected.

Shi Xiangnan’s reason? The deal was initiated by Jing Yijie, and it had nothing to do with her. So the previous promise didn’t count anymore.

Somehow, Jing Yijie had found out about this. He approached Shi Yi and said, “Maybe I can convince your father to give you your mother’s shares. But only if you agree to be my girlfriend.”

Shi Yi knew this was exactly what Jing Yijie was about to bring up. For some reason, though, she didn’t want Wan Shuang to hear it.

What Shi Yi didn’t realize was that Wan Shuang already knew everything. She even knew what Jing Yijie was about to say next. It was nothing more than using Lu Jie’s shares to pressure Shi Yi into being his girlfriend.

After all, it had been described clearly in the novel.

After Shi Xiangnan formed a partnership with the Jing family, Shi Yi went to him and asked for her mother’s shares.

But he refused.

Heartbroken and disappointed in her father, Shi Yi eventually accepted Jing Yijie’s pursuit, simply because he promised to help her reclaim those shares.

Yes, in the novel, they ended up together.

As this thought crossed Wan Shuang’s mind, her anger surged.

But strangely, her anger wasn’t directed at Jing Yijie. It was aimed at Shi Xiangnan.

If he hadn’t gone back on his word, would Yi Yi have ever agreed to Jing Yijie’s advances?

“Tonight at eight, I’ll be waiting at Xiangke Restaurant.”

Wan Shuang had been lost in thought, but that sentence snapped her back to reality.

What?

She stared blankly at Shi Yi as Jing Yijie walked away.

Xiangke Restaurant. The place where the two of them officially got together in the book.

Was everything really going to follow the plot of the novel?

If so, what was the point of her being here?

Was it just to experience a love she could never have?

As Wan Shuang’s heart sank lower and lower, she suddenly heard Shi Yi’s voice.

It was soft, but carried a quiet strength.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jing. I’m very busy.”

Unlike the line in the novel—”See you then, Mr. Jing”—this answer made Wan Shuang lift her head.

She glanced at Jing Yijie before turning her gaze back to Shi Yi.

Jing Yijie paused at the door and turned back to look at her. He was too far away for Wan Shuang to see the expression on his face.

But according to Xiao Huang, who happened to be standing near the entrance, Jing Yijie’s face was cold and expressionless. There was a sharp, icy energy coming off him. Xiao Huang said his legs were shaking so much he almost collapsed, if it weren’t for his boyfriend holding him up, he would’ve fallen for sure.

Wan Shuang rolled her eyes when she heard that. She knew Xiao Huang was just showing off his boyfriend again.

After Jing Yijie finally disappeared from view, Wan Shuang rushed over and threw her arms around Shi Yi, holding her tightly.