All I Want Is to Hold the Heroine in My Arms [Transmigration into a Book] - Chapter 7
Wan Shuang turned her head to follow Jing Yijie’s gaze and saw a woman approaching slowly, as graceful and striking as a celestial being.
Unlike the other women in the restaurant who were dressed in elegant, feminine dresses, she wore a crisp white suit. The outfit gave her a sharper, more composed look than her usual gentle appearance in flowing skirts.
The crisp sound of her high heels tapping against the floor grew louder as she approached. Her features became clearer, her once playfully curled hair was now neatly pinned up at the back. The suit’s sharpness was mirrored in her demeanor; her lips and eyes held no smile, only a cool and composed calm.
This woman was Shi Yi, the same Shi Yi Jing Yijie had just referred to.
Dressed so differently from usual, Shi Yi’s appearance stunned Wan Shuang all over again.
Hearing Jing Yijie call out to her, Shi Yi walked toward him.
After dropping Wan Shuang off at home earlier, Shi Yi had returned to the house she so deeply disliked. She wanted to confront Shi Xiangnan and find out why he had suddenly called her for dinner.
“Miss,” the housekeeper, Uncle Jin, greeted her as soon as she walked in.
“Uncle Jin, where’s my father?” she asked.
“He’s in the walk-in closet.”
The walk-in closet?
Shi Yi frowned slightly in confusion, then headed upstairs and opened the door. Just as she expected, she saw Shi Xiangnan standing inside, directing others to sort through her clothes.
Even though she had already moved out, some of her old clothes and belongings were still in the house. She didn’t particularly like those items, but seeing others touch her things without permission was irritating.
Surprisingly, she felt no anger, just calm detachment as she asked, “What are you doing?”
Everyone inside froze at the sound of her voice and turned toward the door.
“You’re back?” Shi Xiangnan asked casually when he saw her.
Shi Yi ignored him and instead walked over to the others, pointing to her wardrobe. “I asked you all a question. What are you doing?”
“Miss, the Master wanted to add some new clothes to your wardrobe,” one of the staff answered, visibly trembling.
Even though Shi Yi’s voice was calm, everyone could sense that she was upset.
“I was picking out a dress for your dinner tonight,” Shi Xiangnan said, motioning for the staff to continue working. He reached for Shi Yi’s arm, trying to lead her out of the room.
Shi Yi quickly pulled her arm away but followed him out of the room anyway.
Shi Xiangnan stared at his hand where she had pulled away, his face darkening as he turned and walked toward the staircase. Without looking back, he ordered, “Come downstairs.”
Shi Yi raised an eyebrow, paused for a moment, then followed him.
“Let’s hear it,” she said, leaning back on the sofa downstairs and looking at him directly. “What’s this dinner really about?”
“I’ve been in negotiations with the Jing family about a business deal,” Shi Xiangnan replied. His earlier anger was gone, replaced with an uncharacteristic gentleness. “So, I need to treat them to a meal.”
Shi Yi had already guessed there was an ulterior motive behind her father suddenly inviting her to dinner. She showed no surprise and said, “And what does that have to do with me?”
Shi Xiangnan fell silent for a few seconds, then said quietly, “Their young heir requested you personally.”
Jing Yijie?
“I’m not going,” she replied flatly. She stood up and walked toward the door.
But just as she reached for the handle, Shi Xiangnan’s voice rang out behind her, laced with temptation. “Help me close this deal, and I’ll give you all the shares that originally belonged to Shuyun.”
Shuyun was Shi Yi’s mother.
All of the Shi family’s current success was built on the foundation laid by her. The company had originally been in her name, but because of her love and trust in Shi Xiangnan, she transferred almost everything to him, keeping only a small portion for herself.
Her deep trust was what ultimately destroyed her. When she discovered his affair, her mental state collapsed. Though she was a powerhouse in the business world, she lost her battle in love.
Now, standing in front of Jing Yijie, Shi Yi offered a polite smile.
“Miss Shi, you look stunning tonight,” Jing Yijie complimented her, choosing to ignore how she had stood him up earlier in the day.
“Meeting with Mr. Jing for business, I had to dress appropriately,” she replied.
While the two exchanged formal pleasantries, a soft voice tinged with disappointment suddenly interrupted them.
“Shi Yi-jie…”
Shi Yi had been thinking about her mother the entire time since she entered. Apart from acknowledging Jing Yijie, she hadn’t noticed anything or anyone else in the restaurant, including Wan Shuang, who had been watching her from the moment she walked in.
Hearing that familiar voice, Shi Yi turned and saw the girl leaning on the back of a chair, her big eyes blinking as if silently scolding her for not noticing her earlier.
Her expression was full of quiet grievance.
Seeing Wan Shuang’s face made Shi Yi’s own expression soften almost imperceptibly.
“Do you and Miss Shi know each other?” Jing Yijie asked, glancing between them.
Wan Shuang didn’t respond. She just kept staring at Shi Yi’s face.
Tonight, Shi Yi was stunning, so beautiful it left Wan Shuang breathless.
She already knew why Shi Yi was here tonight.
This dinner was a small turning point in the novel.
In order to reclaim what rightfully belonged to her mother, Shi Yi had chosen to cooperate with Jing Yijie, even though it was out of character for her. Jing Yijie, knowing her motives, deliberately delayed the deal so he could spend more time with her. Gradually, Shi Yi’s guarded heart began to melt.
Wan Shuang found his tactics despicable. She didn’t want to speak to him at all.
Because of her cold shoulder, the atmosphere grew awkward.
Shi Yi glanced at Wan Shuang, amused, then nodded toward Jing Yijie and said, “Yes, Mr. Jing. We know each other.”
Jing Yijie furrowed his brow and gave Wan Shuang a thoughtful look. Then he said in a deeper voice, “Isn’t Xiaoshuang waiting for her boyfriend right now? Let’s go?”
The first part was clearly directed at Wan Shuang. The second part was said to Shi Yi.
“Alright,” Shi Yi replied with a nod after glancing at the empty seat across from Wan Shuang.
But something unspoken stirred quietly in her heart.
After Shi Yi and Jing Yijie finished their meal, Jing Yijie, who had been politely turned down when he offered to walk Shi Yi home, walked to the southeast corner of the restaurant and kissed the woman who had been sitting there the entire time.
He explained to her gently, “Sorry, darling. Work has been hectic. Please forgive me for being late.”
Shi Yi overheard his voice and, following the direction Wan Shuang pointed, caught sight of a woman’s silhouette. She raised an eyebrow slightly, gave an awkward smile, brushed her hair back from her face, and said, “Since Mr. Jing already has a date with a lovely lady today, let’s talk about work another time.”
“Miss Shi…” Jing Yijie tried to stop her, but Shi Yi had already turned around and walked away.
Just before she reached the door, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Wan Shuang, standing tall with a proud look on her face, as if she had just won a battle.
“You,” Jing Yijie muttered coldly as he watched the woman he had been pursuing walk away. His gaze then turned sharply to Wan Shuang.
But he quickly collected himself. His eyes narrowed, sharp and intense like a hawk’s, and he asked coldly, “How did you know the woman sitting there is my girlfriend?”
“What’s this?” came a deep and magnetic male voice from behind Jing Yijie. “Is Young Master Jing questioning my sister?”
Jing Yijie turned around to see Wan Cheng, who had somehow appeared behind him without notice.
“What are you saying? Isn’t Shuang also like a little sister to me?” Jing Yijie replied with a faint smile that held no warmth or emotion.
He then walked up to Wan Cheng, lightly patted him on the shoulder, and said in a soft tone, “Enjoy your meal.”
With that, he headed over to the woman who had been waiting for him the entire time.
“Brother…” Wan Shuang looked nervously at Wan Cheng, who wore a gloomy expression. She called to him softly.
Wan Cheng’s attention snapped back at the sound of her voice. He walked over, gently rubbed the top of her head, and asked affectionately, “Are you hungry?”
Wan Shuang had expected to be scolded, but to her surprise, Wan Cheng acted as if nothing had happened. She didn’t question it further. Patting her growling stomach, she nodded quickly and said, “Mm-hmm!”
An hour later, with her belly full, Wan Shuang sat in the passenger seat of Wan Cheng’s car, dozing off from contentment and fatigue.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, Wan Cheng reached over from the driver’s seat with a card in his hand.
“If you’re short on money, why didn’t you tell your brother?”
“Huh?” Wan Shuang blinked, and her drowsiness faded slightly.
Looking at his dazed little sister, Wan Cheng’s heart softened. He gently pressed the card into her hand and said, “Take it.”
Then, he pinched her cheek lightly and added softly, “You don’t need to go to Miss Shi’s flower shop tomorrow.”
Only then did Wan Shuang realize why he had suddenly given her the card. He had found out about her part-time job at Shi Yi’s flower shop.
In a panic, she pressed the card against the window and looked at him. “You’ve misunderstood, Brother! I’m just helping Sister Shi Yi. I’m not short on money at all!”
“Sister Shi Yi?” Wan Cheng repeated quietly. He turned to face forward, hiding something in his expression, and asked in a low voice, “When did you two meet?”
“Uh…” Wan Shuang paused and swallowed. “A beautiful coincidence.”
A beautiful coincidence where I met little Yi Yi in the story!
“A beautiful coincidence?”
“Yeah, yeah! That’s enough now! Let’s just drive home already. I’m so sleepy!” Wan Shuang quickly shut her eyes tightly, hoping to stop her brother from asking any more questions.