I Don’t Want to Be the Heroine Anymore - Chapter 6

“Would you like to have lunch together?”

Mang Ke stared blankly at the woman before her as the surrounding crowd erupted into screams, the noise making her ears ring.

“Huh?”

Thinking she must have misheard, Mang Ke instinctively asked again, “What did you say?”

“Let’s eat together.” Yue Yin chuckled lightly, reaching out to take the broken glass and tissue from Mang Ke’s hands and tossing them into a nearby trash bin. “Would you honor me with your company?”

The crowd around them screamed again. Mang Ke scratched her head. “But… I’ve already had lunch.”

“Then let’s order less.” Yue Yin seemed determined not to change her mind. She took Mang Ke’s wrist with a smile and said, “Come on, I’ll get you excused.”

“Excused?”

Before Mang Ke could explain she wasn’t from the company, Yue Yin had already pulled her out of the lobby and into a car.

“Ahhhhhh—!”

“Why is Yue Yin taking that woman to lunch?!”

“Oh my god, which department is she from? Someone ask in the group chat—I want Yue Yin’s autographed photo!”

“Already asking, already asking!”

“Ahhhhhh I want to have lunch with Yue Yin too!!!”

Meanwhile, in her office, Xun Fangyun was working when she noticed the company logo in the bottom right corner of her screen flashing incessantly.

She opened it to find the company’s thousand-member group chat buzzing with activity.

Does anyone know which department this person is from?

Image attached

What happened to her?

Who is this? A new hire?

Xun Fangyun found the blurry photo oddly familiar. She clicked to enlarge it, and after a few seconds of loading, a familiar face appeared on her screen.

Mang Ke’s profile filled the monitor, and Xun Fangyun’s brows instantly furrowed.

What was going on?

Judging by the decor behind Mang Ke, that was the company’s first-floor lobby.

Xun Fangyun was baffled. Why was she here??

Before she could process it, another message popped up in the group—a short video.

She went out to eat with Yue Yin! If anyone knows her, please get me an autographed photo!

Ahhhh I want one too!

When did Yue Yin come to the company? What did I miss?!

Just now, around 1 PM. They met in the first-floor lobby.

Oh my god, why did I have to eat so early!!!

If I’d eaten later, I could’ve seen her in person!!!

Ahhhhhh no more takeout—I’m eating downstairs from now on!!!!!!!!

As the group chat exploded, Xun Fangyun’s face darkened instantly.

What was happening??

Why was the female lead with the supporting female character??

And judging by the video, Yue Yin holding Mang Ke’s wrist looked far too intimate—so intimate it made Xun Fangyun’s face turn green.

Xun Fangyun had always been indifferent toward Yue Yin. Though this woman was her “first love” in the novel’s plot, how could she take fictional events seriously? But that Mang Ke… she was becoming more and more of a distraction.

First at the banquet, now at the company.

Xun Fangyun bit her lip, shaking with anger.

Damn that woman. Why did she care so much? Was this the curse of being a fictional character?

Someone ask HR to find out who this is—I need her info in three minutes!

Don’t bother.

Xun Fangyun typed in the group chat: The work group is for work discussions, not for fangirling. Whoever posted those photos, take them back now, or pack your things and get ready to leave!

Instantly, the group fell silent.

Then, in the blink of an eye, hundreds of messages were recalled in unison.

Xun Fangyun pushed her keyboard away and grabbed her phone to call Mang Ke, only to find that the woman had actually called her several times—she just hadn’t noticed because her phone was on silent.

Damn fictional character!

Why didn’t you answer my calls?!

———

Meanwhile.

At an upscale restaurant, Mang Ke looked at the table by the window and asked nervously, “Are we sitting here?”

“Yes,” Yue Yin turned to her with a smile. “The view is amazing from here. You can even see the ocean.”

Mang Ke shrank back slightly. “Sorry… I, uh, have a fear of heights. Could we switch seats?”

Yue Yin hadn’t expected Mang Ke to be afraid of heights, but she didn’t refuse her request, asking the waiter to take them to a more inward table instead.

Once seated, Mang Ke finally let out a relieved sigh.

Looking at the girl with chestnut-brown hair across from her, Yue Yin couldn’t help but chuckle. “Last time, we were in such a hurry that I didn’t even get to ask your name.”

Mang Ke smiled too. “I’m Mang Ke. I’m—”

“I know, Xiao Chen already told me,” Yue Yin said. “You’re Xun Fangyun’s secretary, right? You even accompanied her to the banquet last time.”

Mang Ke: “…Ah, yeah.”

Yeah???

Why did she just admit to that?!

Where was her protagonist energy?!

But faced with Yue Yin’s radiant smile, Mang Ke couldn’t help but back down.

Fine, fine. Right now, she just needed to play the role of a pretty vase—anything beyond that wasn’t for her to think about.

Yue Yin watched the slightly flustered Mang Ke with interest. For some reason, she found this girl incredibly adorable.

Her big eyes kept darting around, too shy to meet Yue Yin’s gaze.

Her chestnut hair was fluffy and soft, looking like it would be nice to touch.

Her skin was fair with a rosy tint, almost like… a little bunny.

Unable to resist, Yue Yin chuckled softly. “Mang Ke, you’re really cute.”

Mang Ke: “…Huh? Th-thank you.”

Though she didn’t understand why she was suddenly being complimented, it still made her happy. Mang Ke flashed a bright smile. “Miss Yue Yin, are you here to see President Xun?”

“Mm,” Yue Yin replied. “But since I ran into you in the lobby, I figured I wouldn’t bother her.”

“I see…”

The waiter soon brought out two servings of Western cuisine. Mang Ke’s portion was slightly smaller but still quite lavish, making her stomach growl in anticipation.

“Let me tell you a little secret,” Yue Yin poured Mang Ke a glass of red wine. “Their wine is especially good. I order it every time I come here.”

Seeing Yue Yin pour herself a glass as well, Mang Ke quickly said, “Aren’t you driving later? You shouldn’t drink.”

How thoughtful—this little bunny was even worried about her drinking and driving.

Yue Yin felt a sweet warmth in her chest and smiled at Mang Ke. “Xiao Chen is coming to pick me up later, so it’s fine.”

Mang Ke nodded in relief. “That’s good. Drunk driving is dangerous, and you’re a celebrity—it’d be a huge mess.”

The two chatted idly, with Mang Ke more interested in the restaurant’s food, diligently cutting her steak. Yue Yin, on the other hand, had muted her phone after sending a text to Xun Fangyun and left it aside, paying it no further attention.

Halfway through their meal, three elegantly dressed women arrived at the next table. As they passed Mang Ke’s table, they spotted Yue Yin and immediately exclaimed in surprise, “Yue Yin!”

Hearing her name, Yue Yin turned in surprise, studying the three women. They looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place them. Smiling, she greeted, “Hi, how are you?”

The women, dressed in high-end fashion and in their twenties, eagerly approached her.

“Yue Yin, you’re here for Western food too?”

“Yeah, just craving it, so I brought a friend along.”

“Oh, what a coincidence!”

A woman with long black hair said to Yue Yin, “Last time we met at Oriental Tower, we talked about coming here together.”

Yue Yin thought for a moment, finally recalling who they were.

In this big city, wealthy socialites were never in short supply. The lives of the rich were often dull—especially for affluent women who grew tired of domestic routines. They gathered for afternoon tea, gossiping about the latest scandals.

These young, idle, and moneyed women were collectively known as—the Socialite Wives’ Club.

And the three before her were members of that very club.

The woman in burgundy business attire casually took a seat, while Mang Ke, sitting across from her, held her utensils in confusion, unsure who these people were or why they had suddenly appeared.

“And this is…?” The burgundy-clad woman eyed Mang Ke curiously, scrutinizing her from head to toe.

A bargain-bin jacket, a mass-market hoodie, cheap jeans.

No jewelry, no signs of high-end skincare—clearly a nobody.

Yue Yin introduced, “My friend.”

“Friend?” The burgundy woman sighed. “Yue Yin, you’re too kind. I’ve told you, people these days are ruthless—everyone just wants to latch onto you. Don’t call just anyone a friend, or you’ll exhaust yourself.”

Yue Yin frowned, while Mang Ke simply looked bewildered, oblivious to the fact that she was being judged for her lack of wealth.

The long-haired woman noticed the convenience store bag beside Mang Ke and picked it up. “Whose trash is this? Why leave it on the table? Let me throw it away for you.”

Mang Ke quickly protested, “Don’t throw it! That’s mine!”

“Huh?” The woman blinked. “Isn’t this garbage?”

“No, it’s a bag,” Mang Ke explained, thinking she didn’t understand. “It’s from the convenience store near my place. Sturdy and useful, so I use it to carry things.”

The moment she finished speaking, the women burst into laughter, their amusement unrestrained.

Finally realizing what they were laughing at, Mang Ke stared awkwardly at the bag, unsure how to react.

Sure, it was just a convenience store bag—but it was eco-friendly and stylish, even redesigned from an expensive design competition. Yet to these women, a trash bag was a trash bag, no matter how pretty it looked.

“That’s really rude of you.”

Yue Yin wiped the corner of her mouth and said to the women sitting beside her, “And did I invite you to sit here?”

The women: “…Yue Yin?”

Yue Yin looked up at them. “I’ll choose my own friends, thank you. If you’re not here to dine, then please leave this restaurant. The owner is a friend of mine, and I doubt she’d appreciate people like you.”

Her words instantly darkened the women’s expressions. Aware of the powerful backing behind Yue Yin, they dared not voice their anger. With a resentful huff, they linked arms and left.

With peace restored, Yue Yin rolled her eyes and grumbled, “Those women are so annoying.”

Mang Ke said sheepishly, “Did I cause trouble for you? Kicking out customers must be difficult for your friend, right?”

“No problem at all.”

Yue Yin pressed her lips together in a smile. “The friend I mentioned… is me~”