What to Do, I've Been Targeted by the Villain Again [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 20

“What’s gotten into you?” Xu Sangning frowned at Xu Qiexing.

“Stay away from Ji Ying from now on.”

Xu Sangning looked at him in confusion. “Why?”

Xu Qiexing fell silent for a few seconds before speaking earnestly, “Listen to your brother, alright? The eldest brother is like a father.”

“Drop dead.”

Xu Qiexing: “…”

Ji Ying sighed and sat down beside Xu Sangning. When Xu Sangning didn’t react, she sighed again, but Xu Sangning still ignored her.

Xu Qiexing let out a mocking laugh.

Ji Ying shot him a displeased look, and Xu Qiexing returned it with a cold glare.

After the charity gala ended, the rivalry between the two families escalated once more.

Xu Qiexing also became so busy he barely had time to touch the ground.

Dating? Absolutely no time for that.

Based on Xu Sangning’s observations over the past few days, Feng Xingwei seemed to be in a relationship.

Every day, someone sent Feng Xingwei afternoon tea. Occasionally, when he picked up his phone, a sweet smile would appear on his face, surrounded by an aura of pink bubbles.

Judging by the atmosphere, Xu Sangning knew it was definitely not Xu Qiexing—because she and Xu Qiexing were on the angsty, tragic romance route.

“Are you dating someone?” Xu Sangning asked casually.

“Yeah,” Feng Xingwei replied shyly, nodding. “He’s a senior from my university days.”

Xu Sangning realized the plot had completely derailed.

Was this angsty, dramatic romance suddenly turning into a fluffy sweet story?

In all her years working here, this was the first time she’d encountered a plot collapse. It was somewhat novel, and she was genuinely curious about how things would unfold.

“What kind of person is this senior?” Xu Sangning asked, remembering that the second male lead wasn’t some senior but rather the young master of the Song family.

Then it suddenly hit her.

Wait, where’s the second male lead? Where is he??

Xu Sangning’s lips twitched.

Great. The plot’s derailed, a character’s missing, and no one even noticed.

Beside her, Feng Xingwei had already begun shyly talking about his boyfriend. Based on the details he shared, Xu Sangning matched the person to a character in the script.

It turned out to be a minor character—one who only appeared once in the entire story. In the original plot, this guy had asked Feng Xingwei out to dinner, and when Xu Qiexing found out, he got jealous and locked Feng Xingwei in the villa for a month.

“Wishing you happiness,” Xu Sangning said with a cheerful smile.

Truthfully, Xu Sangning felt that Xu Qiexing’s character was also deviating from the original. In the book, though he worked hard, it wasn’t to this extent…

But then again, being a workaholic was still better than being a creep.

The feud between the Xu and Ji families came to a temporary halt after their parents found out.

When the two were being scolded, Xu Sangning secretly eavesdropped. There was a hidden space next to the reception room—she used to hide there during hide-and-seek as a child.

“If you don’t like each other, just call off the engagement. Was it necessary to escalate things like this?” Ji Ying’s mother pressed her temples, exasperated.

She had wondered why Ji Ying kept encouraging her to travel abroad, sending her to one country after another. She’d thought her daughter had finally become considerate—only to realize now… it was all just to keep her out of the way while Ji Ying stirred up trouble.

“I don’t like Xu Qiexing, but I do like the Xu family,” Ji Ying said.

Xu Qiexing’s expression darkened as he stared at her impassively. The Xu parents looked up in confusion—was she implying she wanted to be their goddaughter?

“So I think we don’t need to cancel the engagement. How about changing it to Sangning instead?” Ji Ying looked up and suggested earnestly.

Xu Qiexing: …

She actually said it! She really said it out loud! Is she insane?

“Are you out of your mind?” Xu Qiexing stood up abruptly.

The parents from both families were also stunned by Ji Ying’s words, momentarily at a loss for how to react.

Xu’s mother lowered her head and took a sip of tea. For some reason, she wasn’t the least bit surprised. She glanced at Xu Qiexing before taking another sip.

“Sangning doesn’t know about this yet. It’s just my own idea,” Ji Ying said, casting a sidelong glance at Xu Qiexing. Ever since he found out, this scoundrel had been making trouble every single day. Well, might as well let the storm rage even fiercer—after all, the plot had already gone completely off the rails.

Xu Sangning behind the door: …

She should’ve known better than to eavesdrop on this drama. Also, Ji Ying really does have some nerve.

Xu Sangning stood behind the door, peering through the crack at Ji Ying, carefully studying her face.

“You—you—” Ji’s father pointed at Ji Ying, too flustered to speak.

Xu Sangning took two steps back and quietly slipped out through another side door, leaving the tense meeting behind.

The gathering ended on a sour note, with Ji’s father too furious to speak.

Both families were reluctant to give up on the marriage alliance, but given how things had escalated between Ji Ying and Xu Qiexing, no one could feel at ease about forcing them to wed. Besides, neither of them was the type to bow to parental pressure—both held real authority in their companies and could easily act independently if they chose to.

But if Ji Ying and Xu Sangning were to end up together… No one knew whether Xu Sangning would even be willing. And even if she were, high society had never seen anything like this before.

Still, the key now lay with Xu Sangning herself.

Yet Xu Sangning pretended to know nothing about it. Xu’s mother wanted to have a serious talk with her, but with Xu Sangning busy at work, she couldn’t find the right opportunity.

With the two families no longer at each other’s throats, the atmosphere in the company became much more relaxed.

Lately, Xu Sangning had been observing the budding romance between Feng Xingwei and her senior. The two seemed to be getting along exceptionally well, and Xu Sangning could practically smell the sickly-sweet stench of love radiating off Feng Xingwei.

Ji Ying, free from overtime work for once, had informed Xu Sangning in advance that she’d come pick her up after work.

The two of them hadn’t met privately in a long time—if they didn’t see each other soon, it’d be New Year’s. And while they’d see each other more often during the holidays, those would all be group gatherings.

Listening to the pitiful tone on the other end of the line, Xu Sangning finally relented.

For this “date,” Ji Ying had put extra effort into her appearance today.

Standing at the entrance, she was just about to smile at Xu Sangning when she noticed the girl walking beside her.

System: Feng Xingwei? Who would’ve thought Xu Sangning and the female lead are on good terms now?

Ji Ying: Yeah, who’d have thought they’d get along…

Ji Ying frowned, recalling the original plot where Xu Sangning had parted ways with her and ended up cozying up to Feng Xingwei instead.

System: Wow.

System: This should be interesting.

Ji Ying: Shut up.

Xu Sangning bid farewell to Feng Xingwei.

As Ji Ying waved at Xu Sangning, she noticed Feng Xingwei running toward a man, taking his hand as the two laughed and leaned against each other, heading toward the subway station.

Ji Ying: ???

Ji Ying: Huh?

System: Yep, that’s right. Thanks to all that overtime, Xu Qiexing worked his way out of a wife.

Ji Ying: …

System: No need to stay silent—it’s all because of you. So, marriage really does affect people’s marital and reproductive lives, huh? Let me tell you, I saw this joke online before…

Ji Ying: Mute, mute, mute.

Xu Sangning noticed the change in Ji Ying’s expression. Calmly, she took the passenger seat. Tonight, she had deliberately left with Feng Xingwei.

It had to be said—Ji Ying’s flustered expression was genuinely amusing.

The moment Ji Ying’s car drove off, Xu Sangning received a call from Xu Qiexing.

“You left with Ji Ying?” Xu Qiexing’s voice was stern.

“Yeah.”

Xu Qiexing rubbed his temples. “Didn’t I tell you to keep your distance from her?”

“Why?”

“No reason.”

“If you don’t tell me why, why should I listen to you?” Xu Sangning gazed out the window.

Xu Qiexing was practically losing it. “She’s not a good person… She’s a pervert.”

In Xu Qiexing’s eyes, Ji Ying’s behavior was nothing short of luring innocent girls.

Xu Sangning: ???

“How dare you talk about Ji Ying like that? And badmouthing someone behind their back isn’t exactly honorable behavior. Brother, you’ve really disappointed me.”

With that, Xu Sangning hung up.

Xu Qiexing was so angry he could barely stand still.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Ying asked.

“Nothing. Just my brother acting up again.” Xu Sangning glanced at the messages Xu Qiexing had sent her and almost laughed.

Alright, she admitted—she was doing this on purpose.

Mainly because opportunities to see the male lead lose his cool were just too rare.

When Xu Sangning didn’t reply, Xu Qiexing started bombarding Ji Ying with messages.

Xu Qiexing: Make it clear to her. No playing around the edges.

Xu Qiexing: Xu Sangning’s naive. She’s no match for you. I won’t stop you from pursuing her openly, but if you take advantage of her trust and closeness to get intimate with her, how is that any different from being a pervert?

Ji Ying hadn’t planned to reply, but the more she read, the more absurd it seemed. The moment the car stopped, she couldn’t resist picking up her phone.

Ji Ying: What kind of person do you take me for?

Xu Qiexing: The kind who’ll do anything to get what she wants.

Ji Ying: …

Xu Qiexing: If she doesn’t like you or isn’t into girls, don’t harass her. Our families have been close for generations—let’s not make things ugly.

Ji Ying: Understood.

Ji Ying glanced at Xu Sangning beside her and held back from cursing Xu Qiexing out. After all, he was just worried about his sister.

Still, she thought Xu Qiexing’s perception of Xu Sangning was way too idealized.

Her playing Xu Sangning?

More like Xu Sangning was the one leading her around by the nose.

Ji Ying sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Sangning asked.

Ji Ying looked at her. “Your brother asked me to tell you something.”

Xu Sangning: ?

A bad feeling crept up on her.

“How about we get married?” Ji Ying asked seriously, her gaze fixed on Xu Sangning.

Xu Sangning: …

Xu Sangning: ???

Xu Sangning stared at Ji Ying, speechless, unsure how to react. All she could do was widen her eyes in feigned shock, utterly at a loss.

System: AHHHHHH!

System: He told you to say it, and you actually did? Are you insane? How could you dare?!

Xu Sangning rubbed her temples. In a way, Xu Qiexing really was her kryptonite.

“You don’t have to answer me right away,” Ji Ying said. “I was just asking. Come on, let’s get out and grab something to eat.”

Ji Ying was the first to step out of the car.

Xu Sangning silently followed, filing a report in her mind as she exited the vehicle.

When encountering major issues, she always reported first and sought instructions from her superiors—that way, she wouldn’t be held accountable.

She walked quietly beside Ji Ying.

“Being with me is great. You can do whatever you want,” Ji Ying observed Xu Sangning’s expression and whispered.

Xu Sangning wanted to say that wasn’t the point. She murmured, “Since when?”

Ji Ying wanted to explain everything clearly, but the moment the thought crossed her mind, her system blared alarms, as if trying to deafen her.

System: I won’t stop you from pursuing her, but if you dare spout nonsense in this world, you’re finished!

Ji Ying: Got it. Shut up, you’re so loud.

System: Who do you think I’m doing this for? You can’t even afford the fines! Who told you to buy that milk tea recipe!

Ji Ying: The recipe is great—it’ll help me start a business if I ever lose my job. I’m just planning ahead.

System: Just don’t mess around. If you get detained at the mission center, who knows how long you’ll be stuck there. What if Xu Sangning finds someone else while you’re locked up?

Ji Ying: …

Ji Ying pondered seriously for a few seconds.

Ji Ying: Kill the other person, then take advantage of her grief to swoop in.

System: I’m signing you up for an ethics class.

Seeing Ji Ying fall silent with a strange expression, Xu Sangning knew she was probably talking to that thing again.

After a moment, she tugged at Ji Ying’s sleeve. “Sister Ji Ying?”

“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s like they say—love comes without reason, but once it does, it runs deep.”

Xu Sangning felt a wave of disgust and couldn’t help adding the next line: “Love fades without reason, once gone, it’s gone for good?”

“Please delete that last part, thank you,” Ji Ying said irritably. “It won’t disappear. Never will.”

Ji Ying reached out to link arms with Xu Sangning, but the latter refused.

Ji Ying pressed her lips together. “It’s just linking arms. We’ve done it before.”

“No,” Xu Sangning flatly refused. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t turn down Sister Ji Ying’s requests—but this was clearly not a normal circumstance.

Xu Sangning felt her own reaction was oddly composed. She should have screamed and run away.

But she quickly justified her behavior to herself.

It wasn’t that she had no reaction—she was just stunned. A prideful young lady like her would never scream and flee in front of so many people.

Ji Ying felt her heart shatter. With a devastated expression, she trailed behind Xu Sangning, drawing curious glances from passersby.

Noticing the onlookers’ stares, Xu Sangning glanced at Ji Ying—wow, her eyes were red!

She suspected Ji Ying was doing this on purpose but had no proof.

Ji Ying: I even cried.

System: Naturally. She’s warm on the outside but cold inside—you know that.

Too proud to show weakness, Ji Ying wiped her tears before entering the restaurant and slipped on a pair of sunglasses.

System: If it were me, I’d have bolted. And yet she’s still having dinner with you. Tsk.

Tonight, they were having hot pot again. Winter was the perfect season for such warm, comforting meals.

Ji Ying had reserved a private room in advance to spend some alone time with Xu Sangning. This time, they didn’t have to queue up or rely on the “power of money” to get a table.

Once inside the private room, Ji Ying closed the door and sat across from Xu Sangning, gazing at her repeatedly. After clearing the air, she felt as though her emotions had shifted subtly.

“You won’t deliberately avoid me from now on, will you?” Ji Ying asked, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “I get the feeling you don’t actually dislike me that much.”

Dislike?

Xu Sangning considered it from her own perspective. She really didn’t dislike Ji Ying.

After all, she wasn’t human—her emotions weren’t as convoluted as those of humans. Ji Ying’s affection for her had only brought mild surprise and confusion. Plus, work had been rather dull these past few years, and now, at last, there was something new and interesting…

That was all.

“Maybe it’s because I think of you as a good person, Ji Ying-jie,” Xu Sangning replied earnestly, lifting her head.

Ji Ying’s lips twitched. That answer… She might as well not have asked.

But if Ji Ying knew what was really going through Xu Sangning’s mind, she might have found the response somewhat acceptable.

The meal passed in unusual silence.

Midway through, Xu Sangning received three calls from Xu Qiexing. Clearly, the fact that she was out eating with Ji Ying had sent her brother into a panic.

Xu Qiexing: If you don’t like her, just reject her outright. Don’t force yourself. It’s fine if you don’t marry for alliance—Mom and Dad never planned for you to do that anyway.

Xu Sangning: Okay.

Xu Sangning glanced at her phone before setting it down, feeling a little moved.

This brother wasn’t bad… She had played the role of the male lead’s sister many times before.

Most of those male leads were utterly deranged and often dragged her into their messes.

Xu Qiexing was actually pretty decent.

Xu Sangning stole a glance at Ji Ying sitting across from her. She was visibly displeased, her eyes darting over with pointed hints.

Pretending not to notice, Xu Sangning poured Ji Ying a glass of juice.

System: Observation complete. She has no interest in you.

Ji Ying: Thanks, I know. You didn’t have to tell me… I never expected her to like me right away anyway.