What to Do, I've Been Targeted by the Villain Again [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 16

Xu Sangning started her new job. It wasn’t her first time working, but it was her first time working in this world.

She had majored in finance in college, but Xu Qiexing didn’t assign her to a corresponding position. Instead, he arranged for her to rotate through various departments. Judging by his tone, she would have to continue working even after her senior year began, and upon graduation, she would officially join the company.

She finally understood why Xu Qiexing had asked her one night whether she planned to pursue a master’s degree.

Xu Sangning didn’t get it.

This plotline was clearly off—there was no such development in the original novel. In the book, Xu Sangning was just a spoiled heiress who lived for fun, but now Xu Qiexing was clearly trying to drag her into the company.

Xu Sangning felt her vision darken.

Working during work hours—what a miserable experience.

She somewhat regretted provoking Xu Qiexing while he was working overtime. A person pushed to the brink by overtime was capable of anything.

Coincidentally, the first department Xu Sangning rotated into was Feng Xingwei’s. Her workstation was right next to Feng Xingwei’s. Feng Xingwei had joined a few months earlier and had already successfully passed her probation.

Though Xu Sangning had no desire to work, the heiress’s “refinement” was perfectly reflected in her workstation. She had copied an entire “aesthetic workstation” setup from an online work-life influencer.

A three-tiered blind box display shelf was filled with rare collectibles. Several blind box enthusiasts in the office deliberately walked past her desk multiple times just to see how many rare pieces she had.

Feng Xingwei wasn’t quite what Xu Sangning had imagined.

The novel had repeatedly mentioned how Feng Xingwei and Xu Qiexing would sneak around in the office during work hours, doing this and that.

But by noon, Feng Xingwei had only left her desk once—to use the restroom. She had been buried in work the entire time, not even lifting her head, looking every bit the overworked office drone.

Xu Sangning: ?

The plot point was clearly highlighted—so where had things gone wrong?

“Is there anything you don’t understand?” Feng Xingwei turned to ask, noticing Xu Sangning’s gaze.

“No,” Xu Sangning replied, shifting her eyes away. “Just looking around.”

That morning, Xu Sangning had familiarized herself with the department’s main tasks and workflow. Her team leader hadn’t assigned her anything too difficult—mostly just assisting—probably worried that Xu Sangning might slack off and slow them down.

The company clocked out at noon. Xu Sangning was the first to stand up, scanning the room. “Aren’t you all going for lunch?”

“Oh, yeah, just shutting down my computer,” said the girl sitting across from her. Only after speaking did she realize it was Xu Sangning who had asked, and her expression turned slightly awkward when she looked up.

“Can I join you for lunch? I don’t like eating alone,” Xu Sangning declared matter-of-factly.

“Sure,” the girl replied with another smile, though it seemed a bit forced.

“How many people are in our department? I’ll treat everyone to afternoon tea.” Xu Sangning noticed the hesitation but pretended not to—after all, that was just her character. Besides, given her status, if she didn’t take the initiative, she might go the entire rotation without anyone engaging with her. Not everyone was eager to curry favor, and Xu Sangning wanted normal interactions. “Actually, never mind—I’ll just post the menu in the group chat. Pick whatever you want, no need to hold back.”Thanks, young miss!”” A few people nearby cheered.

The girl sitting across from Xu Sangning was named Han Ying, a recent graduate who had just joined the company and was still in her probationary period. She was having lunch with two other female colleagues, and their expressions stiffened slightly when they saw Xu Sangning.

“Is the food in our cafeteria good?” Xu Sangning asked curiously.

“It’s… it’s alright,” Han Ying replied awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“The other day, I ate at Ji Ying’s company. Their cafeteria food was really good, and their milk tea was delicious too,” Xu Sangning sighed. “I hope ours doesn’t pale in comparison.”

Perhaps because Xu Sangning’s tone was so casual, the three of them relaxed a little. When Xu Sangning asked for dish recommendations, they quickly became more talkative.

In the end, Xu Sangning opted for beef noodles based on their suggestions.

Just as she sat down with her tray, before she could say anything, Lu Yu came running over with a bowl of rice topped with meat and vegetables.

“Heh heh, didn’t expect me, did you?” Lu Yu grabbed a chair and squeezed in among the four of them with effortless familiarity.

“What’s with the shocked looks? I’m pretty capable too, you know. I didn’t drop your name—I fought my way through all the rounds myself.” Lu Yu winked at Xu Sangning. “Surprise! Bet you didn’t see this coming!”

Xu Sangning: “…”

“Heh,” Xu Sangning averted her gaze. “I thought I’d finally have some peace and quiet for a while.”

“Oh, come on. If I really weren’t here, you’d miss the noise,” Lu Yu said, then greeted the other three. “No idea when you’ll rotate to our department, but when you do, we can sit together.”

“And then get fired together for talking too much? Oh wait, no—just you getting fired.” Xu Sangning replied dryly.

“Ugh, you’re the worst.” Lu Yu reached over and snatched a piece of beef from Xu Sangning’s bowl. “Wow, of course the rich girl splurged on extra beef. Give me two more pieces.”

“Get lost!” Xu Sangning shielded her bowl with one hand while swiftly stealing a chicken drumstick from Lu Yu’s plate with the other.

Xu Sangning pulled out her phone. “I’m treating the whole department to afternoon tea later. What do you want? I’ll throw in an order for you too.”

Lu Yu leaned over to glance at the screen. “I’ll take this Basque cheesecake and a milk tea. Ooh, these macarons look good too.”

“I’ll send you the menu. You can browse it later,” Xu Sangning forwarded the menu to Lu Yu. “I’ll probably place the order around 2:30 p.m., so take your time.”

“Got it, Your Highness. I’ll never leave your side for the rest of my life.”

Xu Sangning: “…”

The other three exchanged glances and breathed another sigh of relief.

They had initially thought Xu Sangning would be hard to get along with, but now it seemed she wasn’t so bad after all.

Xu Sangning took a bite of her beef noodles, then turned to the other three. “Actually, the reason I wanted to eat with you guys is… if there’s any office gossip, please share it with me.”

“Huh?” The three of them looked up at each other.

“We just got here—we don’t know anything… Plus, all three of us are introverts. If we hadn’t known each other before, we wouldn’t even be eating together,” Han Ying admitted sheepishly.

They were just as curious. Every time they saw a group huddled together, they desperately wanted to know what they were talking about—but they were too shy to go eavesdrop.

Sometimes, when you can’t quite make out what someone is saying and only catch a few words, it makes the situation even more frustrating.

Xu Sangning: …

“Leave this to me,” Lu Yu leaned in, winking. “I’ve already gotten familiar with the two sisters next door.”

All four pairs of eyes instantly turned to Lu Yu—the village’s last hope.

By the end of the meal, Xu Sangning had added all three as friends, and they were chatting and laughing as they headed upstairs together.

Xu Sangning and the others were on the 36th floor, while Lu Yu was on the 27th. When they parted ways, Lu Yu cast several reluctant glances at Xu Sangning, who promptly shoved her out of the elevator with a look of disdain.

“By the way, is there anything I should watch out for in our department?” Xu Sangning asked curiously.

If there were any oddballs in the department, it would be a particularly painful experience.

The three exchanged glances before one of them whispered, “Our department head is super paternalistic.”

Someone who’d been working longer wouldn’t have been so blunt with Xu Sangning, but since they were all new hires, their guard wasn’t up yet.

“Go on,” Xu Sangning murmured.

With no one else in the elevator, Chen Xin lowered her voice. “When I first started, I left on time, and the next day, he pulled me into his office and lectured me for half an hour—something about young people needing to strive harder or whatever.”

“But I’d finished all my work. What was I supposed to do, just sit there? Seriously.” Chen Xin rolled her eyes. “And then he wanted me to treat the whole department to milk tea, saying it’d teach me a lesson.”

“Did you do it?”

“Nope. I said I was broke.” Chen Xin snorted. “I’d only been working for three days—no way was I spending money on over a hundred people in the department!”

She might be an introvert, but she wasn’t a pushover.

“Last time, our team leader sent him some work files, and he didn’t look at them for ages. When the team leader reminded him a couple of times, he got scolded too. I overheard a bit when I passed by—something about not rushing and how life should be taken slow sometimes.” Han Ying shook her head. “Honestly, this guy just has an endless supply of excuses.”

Xu Sangning crossed her arms. “What a pain. Old geezer.”

The elevator doors opened, and everyone immediately fell silent, exchanging meaningful looks with Xu Sangning before heading back to their desks for their lunch break.

Xu Sangning scanned the area, thought for three seconds, then grabbed her blanket and headed upstairs to Xu Qiexing’s office.

“What are you doing here?” Xu Qiexing raised an eyebrow.

“Taking a nap.” Xu Sangning flopped onto the sofa with serene determination, though she still felt a bit uncomfortable. She opened her eyes and asked, “How long has it been since someone slept in your restroom bed?”

“I changed the sheets last week but haven’t had time to use it since.” Xu Qiexing glanced at her, hoping to awaken her conscience.

Xu Sangning sat right up. “Perfect. Don’t sleep there anymore—leave the bed for me. Ji Ying-jie doesn’t even take breaks, so why should you?”

Xu Qiexing watched as Xu Sangning marched into the restroom and mercilessly shut the door behind her.

Xu Qiexing: …

Once inside, Xu Sangning pulled out her phone and sent Ji Ying a message.

Xu Sangning: Ji Ying-jie, my brother doesn’t take lunch breaks either.

Ji Ying: Good!