What to Do, I've Been Targeted by the Villain Again [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 2

Xu Sangning lived in a neighborhood where each floor had only one apartment per elevator. As she suspected, Ji Ying lived directly above her.

After saying goodbye to Ji Ying, Xu Sangning quickly returned home and locked the door behind her.

Once alone, her expression instantly turned cold. She poured herself a glass of water and stared at it blankly, lost in thought.

This was the first time she had encountered such a situation.

It felt like a bug, a virus, or perhaps something specifically targeting her.

She combed through her memories but found no clues.

Xu Sangning checked the system backend again—still no feedback. She resubmitted the error report and even filed a self-diagnostic request.

Maybe it wasn’t Ji Ying who had a virus—maybe it was her.

A full system check was definitely necessary for peace of mind.

On Tuesday, Xu Sangning had no morning classes, so she slept in until noon. When she opened her phone, she saw a message from Ji Ying asking if she wanted to have lunch together.

Instead of replying, Xu Sangning checked the backend again—still no results!

What were the inspection center people even doing?

Xu Sangning: I already ordered takeout

Xu Sangning: Sis, you’ve been so affectionate lately—it’s kind of weirding me out.

Ji Ying: I was too distant before.

Xu Sangning: You were busy—I get it. Don’t worry about me.

[Ji Ying: I’ll pick you up after class tomorrow to get you styled for the event?

Xu Sangning: No need, I’ll go with my brother.

Ji Ying: I already talked to him about it.

Xu Sangning: Okay, then I’ll trouble you.

Xu Sangning flipped her phone face down on the bed. She really wanted to ask Ji Ying directly: What the hell are you up to?

No—she had to hold back. She absolutely couldn’t break character.

Her 100% mission completion rate came with high reward multipliers. If she slipped even once, she’d never get such favorable terms again.

Crossing her arms, Xu Sangning couldn’t shake the feeling that Ji Ying wasn’t just an NPC following the script. But she had never heard of two “workers” like herself appearing in the same world.

Small worlds were based on original stories. Once they became independent, the people within them gained more freedom—some might deviate from the main plot, but she had never seen one stray this far.

If the deviation was too extreme, she’d need to take corrective measures—not to actually fix the plot, but to show her superiors she had tried. That way, even if things went off track, she wouldn’t be held accountable.

Though her mood was far from pleasant, as a seasoned professional, no one around her could tell.

Only when Ji Ying came to pick her up did she allow herself a slight frown.

Ji Ying was driving the same pink car as before, but this time with a chauffeur. She sat alone in the back seat, already dressed for the evening event in a tailored, semi-formal women’s suit, her hair elegantly pinned up. She looked even more aloof than usual—until Xu Sangning opened the car door.

Then, that cool demeanor melted into a warm, gentle smile.

Xu Sangning tightened her grip on the door handle before stepping inside.

“I’ll take you to get styled,” Ji Ying said.

“Okay,” Xu Sangning replied with a nod.

She actually wanted to wear a women’s suit, but due to her character setting, she ultimately opted for a cute and sweet dress instead. She showed great interest in selecting accessories, though in reality, she didn’t make much of a choice.

The stylist pinned a pearl hair accessory onto Xu Sangning’s hair. When she looked up, she saw Ji Ying in the mirror standing behind her, phone in hand, scanning the densely packed text on the screen—likely handling work. But for some reason, Ji Ying’s gaze kept drifting back to her.

Their eyes met in the mirror, and both instinctively smiled.

Xu Sangning’s attention shifted to the pearl brooch on Ji Ying’s chest. At a glance, it seemed to be from the same designer as the hairpiece on her head. She hadn’t expected Ji Ying to care about such details.

But why the sudden display of “sisterly affection”?

A thought struck Xu Sangning. Given Ji Ying’s character, she was probably scheming for the shares in her hands. If that was the case, then the plot hadn’t derailed.

As the stylist finished, Xu Sangning stood up and affectionately looped her arm through Ji Ying’s. The latter stiffened for a second, as if about to pull away, but restrained herself.

Exactly as expected—it had to be deliberate.

Xu Sangning understood.

If Ji Ying truly wanted to be close, why would she stiffen and resist?

The amusement in Xu Sangning’s eyes deepened, and she relaxed slightly.

Today held a crucial plot point—the first meeting between the male and female leads at the anniversary celebration.

The female lead, Feng Xingwei, was filling in for a friend. After witnessing a drunken playboy harassing a waitress, she would step in, stop him, and slap him when he became insolent.

Since Ji Ying was busy, Xu Qiexing, as her fiancé, would handle the matter, thus meeting Feng Xingwei. Two days later, Feng Xingwei would attend the final interview at Xu Qiexing’s company, pass it, and from there, the story would truly begin.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Xu Sangning declined Ji Ying’s suggestion to walk in together and didn’t seek out her parents either. Instead, she found an empty seat toward the back and sat down.

This area was filled with employees, some already nibbling on the desserts laid out on the tables. The casual atmosphere suited Xu Sangning just fine.

“You’ll have dinner later. If you eat so much now, will you have any room left? Don’t come crying for digestive pills afterward,” Xu Sangning remarked with feigned arrogance after eating a strawberry tart, eyeing the girl beside her who had already devoured five small cakes.

Ji Ying had set the dinner standard at 800 yuan per person. If they filled up now, what would they do during the banquet?

The girl looked up. “You’re right. But these cakes are really good—worth every bit of the 60 yuan each. I’d love to take some home.”

Then, as if realizing something, she turned to Xu Sangning, studied her outfit for a few seconds, and frowned slightly in confusion.

Xu Sangning lifted her chin. “No need to stare. I’m Xu Sangning.”

The girl still looked puzzled—clearly unfamiliar with the name—but nodded anyway. “Hello.”

“Mm.” Xu Sangning acknowledged with a nod before looking away. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the girl pulling out her phone, probably asking someone who she was.

The anniversary celebration officially began.

Xu Sangning straightened slightly in her seat, but as soon as the host started speaking, she lowered her head and yawned. Only when Ji Ying took the stage to speak did she rouse herself a little.

At this moment, Ji Ying appeared quite normal. Her smile seemed warm at first glance, her gaze gentle and steady, yet the warmth didn’t quite reach her eyes—like she was wearing a mask, slightly artificial. Still, it was enough to handle most people. Judging by the expressions of the employees around her, her reputation in the company must be decent.

Someone nearby suddenly shifted, sitting up straight and putting their phone down, their expression growing more serious. Their eyes kept darting glances in her direction.

Xu Sangning’s speech wasn’t particularly long, wrapping up in five minutes. After that came the awards ceremony for outstanding employees—the prize was straightforward: money. Everyone who received a red envelope wore a jubilant expression.

Once the awards were handed out, it was time to head upstairs for the feast. During the meal, there would be performances and various raffle draws, the highlight most people had been looking forward to today. At this point, Xu Sangning couldn’t hide in the background anymore.

Seated in her spot, Xu Sangning immediately noticed Feng Xingwei by the door. Feng Xingwei had delicate, pleasant features, her smiling eyes making her seem approachable. But a closer look revealed a sharpness in her gaze—she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

“What are you looking at?”

Xu Sangning glanced up at Ji Ying, who had approached with a wine glass in hand. Why was she coming over instead of mingling with others? Even if it was just for show, there was no need to go this far.

“Just looking around,” Xu Sangning replied, averting her gaze.

“TIME is in the back. Want to go see them?” Ji Ying rested a hand on the back of Xu Sangning’s chair, leaning down to meet her eyes, her voice soft.

The distance between them abruptly narrowed. Xu Sangning tilted her head slightly, creating a more comfortable gap. “Sure.”

As she stood, Xu Sangning realized Feng Xingwei was no longer in her original spot—and neither was Xu Qiexing.

“You can just have someone take me there. Don’t you have things to attend to here?” Xu Sangning remembered the incident was supposed to happen in the back hallway. According to the plot, Ji Ying wasn’t present when it occurred. Running into her now would be troublesome—after all, Ji Ying discovering the issues between the male and female leads was a crucial plot point.

“I’ll take you. I could use a break anyway.”

Before Xu Sangning could come up with another excuse, Ji Ying grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.

As they weaved through the crowd, Xu Sangning quickly pulled up the system interface to check the leads’ locations. Then, abruptly, she twisted her hand to grip Ji Ying’s wrist instead, stopping her from moving forward and steering her in another direction. “Wait.”

“This way.”

Once they turned into the new hallway, she saw the dots representing the male and female leads appear in the original corridor—the plot had begun.

Xu Sangning exhaled in relief and quickened her pace. She had been waiting for Ji Ying to question the sudden detour, already preparing a flimsy excuse, but after a long pause, Ji Ying remained silent.

Puzzled, she glanced back. Ji Ying was staring at her, eyes slightly unfocused, cheeks faintly flushed, her lips caught between a smile and a serious expression—as if she wanted to laugh but was forcing herself to stay composed. The moment their eyes met, Ji Ying seemed to snap out of it, flustered as she looked away.

Xu Sangning inexplicably sensed a hint of… shyness?

She immediately turned her head back and let go of Ji Ying’s hand—only for Ji Ying to grab hold of her again the moment she released it.

Xu Sangning: !!!

This is a huge problem! Submit an error report, submit it immediately!

Damn it, she’s going to report the testing center too. Their work speed is ridiculously slow. It’s been so many days—what the hell have they been doing?