What to Do, I've Been Targeted by the Villain Again [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 15

Xu Sangning ate until she was about sixty percent full, saving some room for milk tea.

Her timing was perfect—by the time she finished her meal and arrived at the milk tea shop, her order was just ready.

Ji Ying took the milk tea bag from Xu Sangning’s hands, and this time, she didn’t refuse.

She had come to terms with it—if Ji Ying wanted to do something, so be it. It wasn’t like she was losing anything.

Back in Ji Ying’s office, Xu Sangning returned to her “throne,” while Ji Ying settled back into her workstation.

Xu Sangning took a sip of the milk tea—it was genuinely delicious, unlike any she’d had before, with a richer and more complex flavor.

She took several more sips before she couldn’t resist checking her in-game store.

There were milk tea recipes there too, but after glancing at the prices, she decided to pass.

Xu Sangning lazily leaned back on the sofa.

“Is this not comfortable enough for you?” Ji Ying asked.

“Hmm? A little.”

“How about I install a projector in the office?” Ji Ying looked at her with enthusiasm.

Xu Sangning: “……”

“That’s really not necessary,” she declined politely.

That would just be too weird.

“It’d distract you from work, and I might not have time to come here often in the future anyway.”

Ji Ying sighed. “Damn Xu Qiexing.”

Xu Sangning pretended not to hear.

Ji Ying muttered complaints under her breath while working—though very quietly. Xu Sangning counted: eight gripes about the client, thirteen curses directed at Xu Qiexing, and an uncountable number of other indiscernible but likely equally scathing remarks.

Xu Sangning almost laughed. Just as she was dozing off while watching a variety show, a thunderous thud startled her upright.

Ji Ying was slumped over her desk.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Sangning asked.

“Work is killing me,” Ji Ying lifted her head, her eyes hollow.

Xu Sangning: “……”

“Then take a break? What do you want to eat? I’ll order some afternoon tea.” She had initially planned to ignore it, but Ji Ying looked too pitiful. “How about cake? Something sweet might cheer you up.”

“Okay,” Ji Ying nodded, sighing again.

Xu Sangning got up and stepped out, discussing with Ji Ying’s assistant before treating the entire executive department to afternoon tea.

Less than three minutes after she paid, Xu Qiexing called.

“You treated Ji Ying’s team to afternoon tea?”

Xu Sangning paused for a few seconds. “How did you know? Did I accidentally use your supplementary card?”

She wasn’t surprised that Xu Qiexing knew where she was.

“Yes,” Xu Qiexing gritted his teeth. “Hah, treating the rival company instead of your own?”

“What rival company? Aren’t we going to be family sooner or later?” Xu Sangning replied nonchalantly. “Brother, since when have you become so petty?”

“Hmph,” Xu Qiexing scoffed. Family? After things had escalated to this point? The engagement was 100% doomed. He was already strategizing how to maximize benefits when the breakup inevitably happened.

“Did something happen?” Xu Sangning feigned ignorance.

“Nothing,” Xu Qiexing hung up.

He decided not to tell Xu Sangning for now. Given how close she was with Ji Ying, if she found out they were already at odds, she’d probably make a fuss. Besides, he was confident she wouldn’t side against her own family.

Things were already frustrating enough—the last thing he needed was a traitor at home.

Xu Sangning sent Xu Qiexing three eye-rolling emojis before heading back to her office.

The shop for afternoon tea had been enthusiastically recommended by her assistant, and the taste was indeed excellent—Xu Sangning ended up eating two portions herself.

Ji Ying planned to finish reading the document in her hands before eating, hoping to chat with Xu Sangning in the meantime. But when she looked up after signing the document, she was shocked to find Xu Sangning already asleep on the sofa!

Ji Ying: When will my little love bird finally fly to me?

System: Tough luck~

Ji Ying: I’m so sad, waaaaah!

System: Please stop screeching, you’re hurting my ears.

Ji Ying sighed—though silently, afraid of disturbing Xu Sangning’s sleep.

Ji Ying: I really want to hold her and sleep together…

System: Hurry up and finish your work. If you wrap it up before leaving, you might still have time to go out with Xu Sangning tonight.

Ji Ying exhaled deeply, finished her cake, and downed the black coffee on the desk in one gulp.

Xu Sangning slept for about an hour. When she opened her eyes, she saw Ji Ying coolly handling work, looking every bit like the Ji Ying from the novel’s plot.

Though awake, she didn’t feel like moving. After glancing at Ji Ying, she closed her eyes again and lazed for another half hour before sluggishly getting up and shuffling to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Ji Ying’s office building was the tallest in the area, and her office had an unobstructed view with breathtaking scenery. Standing there, Xu Sangning felt her ambitions swelling.

She checked the time. “Are you getting off work at the usual hour today?”

“Mm.” Ji Ying nodded. “Having you here has been relaxing. I’ll definitely leave on time today.”

She stretched. “It’s been so long since I’ve left the office at this hour—just thirty more minutes!”

“But won’t you have to work overtime after going home tonight?”

“Don’t worry, with you here today, my efficiency has been through the roof. Most of the work is already done—just need to wrap things up later.”

“That’s good.”

“So we can go out tonight!” Ji Ying stretched again. “Is that okay? Are you free?”

“Yeah…” Xu Sangning studied Ji Ying, who seemed as excited as a grade-schooler on winter break.

“Pick what you want to eat—I’ll send you a document.” Ji Ying forwarded her restaurant research to Xu Sangning.

Opening it, Xu Sangning found it far more comprehensive than the last one, which had only summarized eateries near their neighborhood. This one covered delicacies from every district, ranging from high-end spots costing thousands per person to hole-in-the-wall joints under twenty. Some names alone hinted at their obscure locations.

Xu Sangning clicked through. “Aren’t you usually super busy?”

“Yeah, so I just researched places to take you next time—helps me unwind mentally.” Ji Ying twirled her pen. “See what you feel like having.”

Leaning back in her chair, Ji Ying found herself distracted from work. She glanced at her watch—how had only three minutes passed?

Xu Sangning reclined as well, scrolling through the document, which even included photos of signature dishes.

By the time they clocked out, Xu Sangning had chosen a Huaiyang cuisine restaurant not too far from where they both lived.

“This one.” Ji Ying peeked at the screen. “Nice, I’ve heard their lion’s head meatballs are amazing.”

Right on schedule, Ji Ying and Xu Sangning stepped out of the office together.

“Let’s all head home early today,” Ji Ying said cheerfully.

Although many people had taken advantage of Xu Sangning’s presence this afternoon to submit their haphazard work, Ji Ying was still in a good mood.

As Xu Sangning passed by the assistant’s desk, the assistant lowered her voice and pleaded, “Miss Xu, you must come more often!”

“We’ll see.”

The assistant’s face fell, and she seemed about to say more, but she immediately clamped her mouth shut when Ji Ying glanced back.

“Can’t help it—I have work too,” Xu Sangning replied with an equally crestfallen expression before quickly catching up to Ji Ying.

Ji Ying took Xu Sangning’s hand as they stepped into the elevator.

“I always feel like there’s something off about the way CEO Ji and Miss Xu act around each other.”

“Right? I think so too… but I don’t dare say it.”

The two exchanged a knowing glance before lowering their heads to pack up and prepare to leave.

Though Ji Ying and Xu Sangning had rushed off right after work, they got stuck in traffic, and by the time they reached the restaurant, they had to wait for a table.

“Next time, we should pick a restaurant before leaving work and make a reservation in advance,” Xu Sangning said, leaning back in her chair.

“Hungry?” Ji Ying asked.

Xu Sangning shook her head.

“Didn’t you say last time you wanted to wait in line with me? If you’re not hungry, shall we wait a bit?” Ji Ying looked at Xu Sangning.

Xu Sangning raised an eyebrow. “You still remember that joke I made?”

“Is there anything you’ve said that I don’t remember?” Ji Ying checked her phone. “Should we grab some drinks first and come back to wait?”

“Sure,” Xu Sangning nodded. “Let’s get fruit tea—milk tea keeps me up at night.”

Ji Ying scooted closer with her phone. “Want to try their new flavor?”

“Okay, I’ll have mine iced.”

“Mm, I know.”

“Then why did you pick ‘less ice’?” Xu Sangning narrowed her eyes.

“Because it’s cold out, and you already had something cold earlier.” Ji Ying moved her phone out of reach, dodging Xu Sangning’s attempt to change the order.

Xu Sangning crossed her arms. “Fine… then you can’t have iced either.”

“Mm.”

Xu Sangning chose cherry fruit tea, while Ji Ying went for strawberry.

Ji Ying went to pick up the drinks while Xu Sangning stayed behind to hold their spot, fending off several people who tried to take the seats. Guarding seats definitely required a certain level of shamelessness.

Ji Ying returned soon after, poking open both cups. “Want a sip of mine?”

“Sure.” Xu Sangning took a sip from the cup Ji Ying offered. “Here, try mine too.”

Seeing the unusually delighted expression on Ji Ying’s face, Xu Sangning immediately regretted it.

Who could possibly look shy and bashful just from drinking tea? As soon as Ji Ying finished her sip, Xu Sangning quickly snatched her cup back.

“Yours tastes better.”

“Want to swap?” Xu Sangning asked.

“No need.”

Xu Sangning didn’t understand what Ji Ying was up to, but since she refused, she went back to drinking her own. By the time she’d finished a quarter of it, their table was finally ready.

“Next time, no more waiting in line. I really don’t like it,” Xu Sangning muttered.

She had originally wanted to test Ji Ying’s patience, only to realize she was the impatient one.

“Ah…” Ji Ying sounded a little disappointed.

She actually liked waiting in line—as long as it was with Xu Sangning. Even sitting together doing nothing made her happy.

“Sometimes it’s nice to slow down a little in life,” Ji Ying remarked.

Xu Sangning glanced at her. “You seem like you’d be perfect for a part-time job standing in lines.”

Ji Ying: “…”

“Well, that depends on who I’m with.”

“Anyway, I’m not doing any line-standing gigs.”

Ji Ying: “…”

Ji Ying studied Xu Sangning’s profile.

Ji Ying: This woman has no sense of romance!

Ji Ying: But is she secretly laughing?

There was a good reason this restaurant had such a long queue.

Xu Sangning had ordered all the signature dishes of Huaiyang cuisine, each one delicious—especially the crab roe lion’s head meatballs, each as big as a fist. She polished off two of them with rice.

Ji Ying watched Xu Sangning’s expression closely, then added three words to her notes: “Worth revisiting.”

Xu Sangning even drank up the broth from the meatballs before leaning back in her chair, too full to move.

Every time she went out with Ji Ying, it was all about eating. If they met up too often, Xu Sangning was sure her weight would skyrocket.

“Feel like taking a walk?” Ji Ying asked, looking at her.

Xu Sangning, who had planned to make up some excuse to leave after the meal, nodded.

After dinner, most of the fruit tea remained untouched—when the food was this good, drinks lost their appeal.

This time, they finally made it to the pedestrian street Ji Ying had wanted to linger at last time.

Xu Sangning usually stuck to big shopping malls when she went out, while Ji Ying rarely left the house at all. It was the first visit to this street for both of them. A few years ago, the area hadn’t been this lively, but with the recent addition of numerous stalls, the crowds had grown noticeably.

They weren’t looking to buy anything—just soaking in the atmosphere.

Ji Ying linked arms with Xu Sangning affectionately, scanning the wares on either side of the street.

“They sell everything here…” Ji Ying leaned in close to Xu Sangning’s ear. “Is that a fortune teller over there? Is that even allowed?”

“Probably not. Look at his stall—it’s clearly makeshift, not like the others.”

Ji Ying turned to Xu Sangning. “I’m kind of curious.”

“Then let’s go. It’s just for fun,” Xu Sangning said, also intrigued by what he might predict. “Hurry up, before someone chases him off.”

The man, bundled in a cotton-padded jacket, beamed as soon as he saw them approaching.

“I want my love life and career fortunes read,” Ji Ying declared, pulling Xu Sangning down to sit beside her.

Xu Sangning propped her chin on her hand, watching with amusement.

After taking Ji Ying’s birth details and examining her face and palm, the fortune teller stroked his beard, his expression turning grave.

Ji Ying and Xu Sangning exchanged glances before looking back at him expectantly.

“You come from a well-off family, don’t you? You’re a strong-willed person, and that stubbornness has made your romantic path quite rocky… There’s someone on your mind, isn’t there? But things haven’t worked out yet—maybe because of disagreements or other issues.”

Ji Ying’s fingers tightened slightly into a fist.

“Your career is solid, but you’ll face some challenges ahead—promotion hurdles, conflicts with superiors…”

Ji Ying frowned, her fist loosening again. Xu Sangning almost laughed.

“But don’t worry—this isn’t irreversible. My luck-changing talisman will ensure smooth sailing in love…”

Ji Ying was already reaching for her wallet when he added:

“It’ll guarantee you marry the man you love and enjoy a much smoother career path.”

“Not a single bit accurate.” Ji Ying put her phone back with a frown and stood up unhappily. “The career fortune part was completely off.”

“Huh?”

“Do I not look like someone who could be a boss?” Ji Ying complained, then quickly glanced at Xu Sangning and lowered her voice, “Besides, I hate men.”

Ji Ying quoted a base price, pulled Xu Sangning away with a dark expression, and muttered, “Scammers like that should be kicked out.”

She hadn’t believed much in the first place, just wanted to hear a few nice words. Who knew there wouldn’t even be any flattery? Not only were the predictions inaccurate, but the person couldn’t even read the room!

No wonder no one was visiting.

“Don’t be upset,” Xu Sangning patted Ji Ying’s hand. “It was just for fun.”

“That’s exactly why I’m angry—because it wasn’t fun at all.”

Ji Ying exhaled sharply. “I was already full, and now I’m even fuller from anger.”

“Want to try the claw machine?” Xu Sangning looked toward the nearby arcade, packed with plush toys. “Or maybe not—if you can’t grab any, you might get even angrier.”

“That won’t happen. Even if I don’t win anything, I won’t be mad if I’m playing with you.” Ji Ying abruptly changed direction, pulling Xu Sangning inside. “My mood is already starting to improve.”

The last time Xu Sangning played a claw machine was when she was third-wheeling for the main couple. Those two were being all lovey-dovey beside her, winning plenty of toys, while she stood awkwardly in the way, failing to grab even one. In the end, the female lead took pity and gave her one.

Seeing a promotion, Ji Ying immediately topped up 5,000 credits.

“Why so much?”

“For next time.” Ji Ying handed the card to Xu Sangning. “Besides, this way we won’t have to worry about not winning.”

That’s what she said, but after spending over a hundred coins without a single win, both of them were slightly frustrated.

“They adjust the odds, but isn’t this a bit too extreme?” Xu Sangning frowned, focusing intently on the claw. She was sure the angle was perfect to lift the toy.

The claw did pick it up—but just before reaching the drop zone, it suddenly went limp, as if suffering from muscle weakness, and let go.

Xu Sangning crossed her arms, staring at the machine.

She wondered if cannon fodder and villainesses were just destined to fail at claw machines.

Maybe they were—but money could defy fate. Ji Ying glanced at Xu Sangning, then quietly found an attendant and paid to have the odds on Xu Sangning’s machine adjusted from the backend, setting it to a 100% win rate, eliminating any chance of failure.

From then on, whichever machine Xu Sangning played, Ji Ying had the odds tweaked—though not to 100%, letting her fail a few times to keep it believable.

Watching the smile gradually return to Xu Sangning’s face, Ji Ying basked in silent satisfaction.

Xu Sangning exchanged the small toys she’d won for a large one and gave it to Ji Ying, who had been watching eagerly.

“Thank you.” Ji Ying accepted it with delight.

“No need.”

“I’ll put it by my bed when we get back.”

“Remember to have it washed first.”

“Of course.” Ji Ying hugged the oversized plush, drawing plenty of attention on the pedestrian street—though she quite enjoyed being the center of it.

If she weren’t afraid of startling Xu Sangning, she would’ve loved to shout, “The person I like gave me this!”

Xu Sangning walked beside Ji Ying, exhaling softly as she looked at her, feeling something indescribable.

System: Tone it down. You look like an idiot.

【Ji Ying: What do you know? I’m already holding back by not flying off the handle.】

【System: I’m worried Xu Sangning might think you’re an idiot.】

Ji Ying paused mid-step, glanced at Xu Sangning, then looked away.

【Ji Ying: Not at all. She’s in a good mood too.】

【Ji Ying: I feel like our progress is excellent right now!】

【System: Really? I don’t see it.】

【Ji Ying: That’s because you’re not human.】

The trunk of the car Ji Ying drove today was spacious enough to fit the doll, which was wrapped in plastic to keep it clean.

“Where are you staying tonight?”

“Wenhe.”

Ji Ying pondered for a moment.

“You’re not thinking of moving there too, are you?”

Ji Ying did have that idea: “Would you not want me to move there?”

“Moving back and forth is a hassle. It’s not close to your office either. It’s just winter break—there’s no need. And even if you did move, we probably wouldn’t have much time to see each other.”

“We didn’t meet much when I was in school and not busy. Now that I’m working and getting busier, we’ll see even less.”

Ji Ying sighed.

Xu Qiexing, you’re so annoying!