The Villainess Is Pretending to Be Sweet Again Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 22

Waking up early in the morning, Nuo Yang felt soreness in her limbs and an aching back, as if she’d been squeezed all night.

Blinking her bleary eyes open, she saw Long Huaichang peacefully asleep on the pillow.

Long Huaichang was naturally a good-looking girl—at seventeen or eighteen, she was at that striking age. Her dark lashes fluttered slightly, like tiny hooks that tickled Nuo Yang’s heart.

How does anyone grow lashes that long?

I wonder how much eyelash extensions cost…

Nuo Yang reached out to touch Long Huaichang’s delicate, porcelain-like skin, only to find her hand tightly gripped by her.

Nuo Yang: “…”

What the hell???

She tried to pull free, but despite her youth, Long Huaichang had a surprisingly strong grip. The more she struggled, the tighter her hold became.

“Xiao Huai!”

Nuo Yang couldn’t help but exclaim, “Why are you holding my hand in your sleep?!”

Long Huaichang’s long, dark lashes trembled before she slowly opened her eyes.

At their close proximity, Nuo Yang couldn’t help but complain, “Ouch, ouch, ouch! Why are you squeezing so hard?”

Only then did Long Huaichang realize what she meant. She loosened her grip and nuzzled into the pillow, murmuring, “It’s because you wouldn’t stay still last night, tossing and turning. I barely got any sleep.”

Nuo Yang’s face flushed red. “I told you I’m a restless sleeper! I roll around a lot. You’re the one who insisted I stay with you…”

Long Huaichang’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. “But this was the most peaceful sleep I’ve had in half a year.”

Nuo Yang didn’t believe it. She knew her own sleeping habits—even a three-meter-wide bed wasn’t enough for her, let alone this narrow single bed.

“Then… did you at least rest well?” Nuo Yang asked awkwardly. “If not, you can sleep a little longer. I’ll get up and make breakfast.”

Long Huaichang stretched lazily on the bed. “Sure. I feel like having shumai today.”

“Got it,” Nuo Yang said as she climbed out of bed. “I’ll go downstairs and buy some!”

By the time Long Huaichang woke from her extra nap, she found Nuo Yang wandering around the living room in her pink nightgown.

The soft pat-pat of her fluffy slippers against the floor struck Long Huaichang as inexplicably adorable.

“Jiejie,” Long Huaichang called as she stepped out of the room. “What are you looking for?”

“Guazi,” Nuo Yang sighed, turning to her. “Lately, it’s been disappearing all the time. No idea where it’s hiding today.”

Long Huaichang walked over. “Don’t worry. Guazi’s just at that mischievous age. She’ll calm down when she’s older.”

Nuo Yang gave a wry laugh. “When I was sleeping upstairs, she would sneak into my room at midnight, stand by my pillow, and stare at me while I slept. Then at three or four in the morning, she’d slap me awake with her little paws. If she gets bigger, how terrifying would that be?”

She then tilted her head in confusion. “Huh? Why doesn’t she ever go into your room?”

Long Huaichang shrugged. “Who knows?”

Though puzzled, Nuo Yang didn’t press further. “Breakfast is ready. Go brush your teeth and wash up, or you’ll be late for school.”

By the time Long Huaichang came out of the bathroom, Nuo Yang had already finished her own meal and was sitting at the dining table.

“I need to go to the office early today. Make sure you finish all the remaining steamed buns and shumai,” Nuo Yang said to her. “And don’t forget to feed Guazi, or she’ll be starving like a ghost when we get home.”

Long Huaichang nodded in acknowledgment, watching as Nuo Yang went upstairs to change before quickly heading out the door.

After eating a few shumai and steamed buns, Long Huaichang was full. She stored the leftovers in the fridge, washed the dishes, and then, despite clearly being late, took her time changing into her school uniform before finally leaving the house.

Guazi suddenly appeared out of nowhere, perched on the cabinet by the door, her little eyes gleaming as she looked down at Long Huaichang, looking particularly well-behaved.

“Your food’s ready, remember to eat,” Long Huaichang said, reaching out to playfully tease the cat. “Move aside, I need to grab the keys.”

“Meow—”

Guazi nipped at Long Huaichang’s hand—not hard, just a playful nibble.

Long Huaichang didn’t scold her. Instead, she opened the cabinet and glanced at the motorcycle keys inside before finally taking them out.

It had been a long time since she’d visited the underground parking garage. As soon as she pulled off the dust cover, a cloud of dirt flew into the air.

Waving away the dust, Long Huaichang looked at her beloved bike, her mood instantly lifting.

Despite months of disuse, the motorcycle was in perfect condition—proof that expensive bikes really were worth the price.

With enough fuel still in the tank, Long Huaichang didn’t hesitate. She put on her helmet and roared off!

—

Nuo Yang had just arrived at the office and hadn’t even sat down when the receptionist quietly approached her.

“What’s up?” Nuo Yang asked, puzzled.

The receptionist pointed toward the meeting room and whispered, “Someone’s here to see you. The general manager is in there too.”

Nuo Yang frowned. “Who’s looking for me?”

The receptionist glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby before leaning in and murmuring, “It’s Long Yingjun from the Long family.”

Inside the meeting room.

The general manager was making small talk with Long Yingjun, but the latter clearly had no interest in the man, idly scrolling through his phone without even looking up.

Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, the meeting room door opened.

The receptionist stepped aside, revealing Nuo Yang behind her.

“Ah, Nuo Yang’s here! Come in, come in!” The general manager quickly ushered her inside. “Let me introduce you—this is President Long.”

Nuo Yang nodded at Long Yingjun.

Before the general manager could introduce Nuo Yang in return, Long Yingjun cut him off. “Alright, I have matters to discuss with Ms. Nuo. You can leave now.”

“Ah, of course. Call us if you need anything.”

“Mhm.”

Once everyone had left, only Long Yingjun and Nuo Yang remained in the room.

Nuo Yang studied the man in front of her, utterly confused as to why he’d suddenly sought her out. In the original story, the two of them had never even interacted…

“You’re Nuo Yang, right?” Long Yingjun tapped his phone against the table. “Take a seat. No need to stand.”

Nuo Yang clasped her hands behind her back and stayed put. “I’m fine standing.”

Long Yingjun didn’t press the issue—it wasn’t his legs getting tired, after all.

“That push notification from yesterday—you wrote it, didn’t you?” Long Yingjun said. “It was well done. The tone was gentle, the narrative clear—much softer than what the previous editors came up with.”

Nuo Yang looked at him with confusion.

Long Yingjun smiled and said, “I was complimenting you. Why don’t you say a few more words?”

Nuo Yang replied, “Thank you for the praise.”

“I didn’t come to see you for no reason today,” Long Yingjun said to her. “You should know who Long Huaichang is, right? Thanks for taking care of my sister all this time. It’s because of you that she’s still alive and well.”

Nuo Yang remained silent.

Long Yingjun continued, “I know you’ve been dabbling in stocks, throwing her a few scraps of kindness, thinking that once she comes of age and reclaims the family assets, she’ll reward you handsomely. But you’re being naive. Even though she carries the Long name, she’s not one of us.”

“Be smart about this,” Long Yingjun warned. “Before I lose my temper, kick her out!”

The atmosphere in the meeting room grew tense, but Nuo Yang showed no fear. She simply stared at the man before her and said, “Long Huaichang is my sister now. I won’t abandon her.”

Long Yingjun slammed the table in anger. “What did you just say?”

Nuo Yang replied calmly, “Mr. Long, in the future, please refrain from loitering around No. 3 High School. It’s a public school for ordinary people. Someone of your status shouldn’t be seen there.”

Long Yingjun stared at her in bewilderment, as if shocked that anyone would dare speak to him like this.

When he didn’t respond, Nuo Yang continued, “If this is all you came to say, then I’m afraid you’ve wasted your trip. You might as well turn around and leave. I have other work to attend to and can’t entertain idle chatter.”

With that, she gave a slight bow and walked out of the meeting room.

Long Yingjun was absolutely furious. He never expected a girl who looked fresh out of school to talk to him like this—it was downright infuriating!!!

Fuming, Long Yingjun stormed out of the company. Naturally, Nuo Yang was summoned to the general manager’s office.

“What happened?” the general manager asked, puzzled. “Why did he leave like that? What did you say to Long Yingjun?”

Nuo Yang clasped her hands behind her back. “Manager, you should fire me. If I stay, I might cause trouble for you.”

The general manager: “???”

Nuo Yang: “I’m serious. I just had an argument with him. You know the Long family’s influence. Keeping me around might lead to retaliation.”

The general manager: “…But you haven’t done anything wrong. How can I just let you go?”

Besides, hiring was tough these days, and training an intern into an independent editor capable of writing articles was no easy feat.

Nuo Yang sighed helplessly. “I really like everyone here. The work environment and atmosphere are great. I’d feel terrible if I caused any trouble.”

“Well…” The general manager hesitated before finally saying, “Alright, stop talking about getting fired. Just go back to work. We’re in the self-media business—offending people is part of the job. One more won’t make a difference.”

Not to mention, the editorial department still had Chu Kexin holding the fort. The number of industry tycoons she had publicly criticized could fill a Forbes list. The general manager was used to it by now.

“You’ve got a sister to take care of, don’t you?” the general manager reassured her. “If you lose your job, what will happen to her? Just focus on your work.”

Nuo Yang felt an involuntary warmth in her heart. “Thank you, General Manager! I’ll work hard! If the company ever faces any trouble, just call me—I’ll definitely help everyone!”

The General Manager brushed it off. “Alright, alright, hurry back now.”

Such a young age and already so good at boasting—it’s not like you’re a billionaire heiress, so why such big talk?