What to Do, I've Been Targeted by the Villain Again [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

Xu Sangning desperately wanted to pull her hand back, but that would be out of character for her. After all, she was supposed to adore her future sister-in-law, and refusing to hold hands was clearly not something she should do.

The best course of action would be for Xu Sangning to affectionately cling to the other woman’s arm, but she didn’t want to.

She found Ji Ying terrifying.

More terrifying than the man-eating monsters she had encountered in her previous world.

Despite having lived for a long time, this was the first time she had met someone like Ji Ying.

Xu Sangning’s right eyelid twitched violently. As a digital lifeform, she didn’t usually believe in such superstitions, but at this moment, she couldn’t help feeling a little superstitious.

She took a deep breath.

Thankfully, they finally arrived at the door of the restroom prepared for TIME. Now she had a legitimate reason to ask Ji Ying to let go of her hand.

At that moment, Ji Ying seemed to return to normal. Without waiting for Xu Sangning to speak, she released her hand and stepped forward to knock twice on the door.

TIME was a group that “Xu Sangning” adored. To stay in character, she had memorized all the information about the band.

Once inside, Xu Sangning’s acting skills went into overdrive. She excitedly approached them to greet them, then took out photos and albums from her bag for them to sign, took pictures with each member, and finally expressed her love for their latest song before giving each of them a hug.

When she hugged the first member, Xu Sangning felt someone’s gaze on her. After hugging the last one and turning around, she saw Ji Ying still standing in the same spot where they had entered, staring at her.

Her gaze was strange, as if she had some ulterior motive regarding Xu Sangning’s hands.

Only when Xu Sangning withdrew her hand from the other person did Ji Ying look away.

Xu Sangning: “…”

“Good luck with your performance!” Xu Sangning turned around and waved at the five girls. After confirming that the male and female leads had returned to their posts, she turned and left the restroom.

“Thank you, sister-in-law, for bringing me to see them. School has been so busy lately that I haven’t had time to attend their concerts,” Xu Sangning said with a bright smile as she looked at Ji Ying.

Hearing that grating title again, Ji Ying felt her scalp prickle. Sure enough, she still couldn’t stand being called that.

“Your brother and I aren’t married yet. Just call me by my name—it sounds strange otherwise,” Ji Ying said.

“But before…” Xu Sangning frowned.

“Before, we weren’t very familiar with each other, right? Now that we’re getting closer, of course the way we address each other should change,” Ji Ying quickly replied.

Xu Sangning wanted to say they still weren’t that close, but she obediently nodded instead. “Alright, Sister Ji Ying.”

Ji Ying wasn’t particularly fond of this title either, but she knew that if she asked to change it again, Xu Sangning probably wouldn’t agree.

Once outside, Ji Ying sighed softly, gave Xu Sangning a reluctant glance, and then picked up her glass to mingle again.

Xu Sangning let out a quiet breath of relief.

“You’ve been getting quite close to Xiao Ji lately?” Noticing that the two had disappeared and reappeared together, Xu Sangning’s mother pulled her aside.

Xu Sangning glanced at her mother and nodded. “Sister-in-law recently moved into the apartment above mine.”

Xu’s mother looked surprised, clearly not understanding Ji Ying’s behavior either. Xu Sangning might be a fool, but her mother wasn’t—she could tell that Ji Ying hadn’t wanted to get too close to Xu Sangning before.

“Probably because I’m more likable,” Xu Sangning interrupted her mother’s thoughts, flashing a bright smile with all eight teeth showing.

“You…” Mrs. Xu gave her a disapproving look before helplessly tapping her forehead. “Don’t cause any trouble for Xiao Ji.”

“I know,” Xu Sangning hugged her mother’s arm. “Why do you always say I cause trouble for others? When have I ever caused trouble?”

I’d be thrilled if she left me alone—how could I possibly cause trouble for her?

Mrs. Xu patted Xu Sangning’s arm. “You really have the nerve to say that. Alright, there are so many people watching here. Sit down and behave.”

“Mm,” Xu Sangning nodded.

With the key plot of the day completed, Ji Ying probably wouldn’t have time to bother her anymore. In a good mood, she sat down to eat.

When TIME took the stage, Xu Sangning pulled out her phone and snapped eight hundred photos, then picked out the best ones to post in the fandom’s super topic. The comments from fellow fans were filled with envious “squeals.”

After finishing these tasks, her agenda for the night was basically done.

Another day of solidly maintaining her persona.

After watching TIME’s performance, Xu Sangning excused herself from the banquet early, citing an early class the next morning—just in case Ji Ying tried to stop her.

But the next day, she nearly arrived late for school again, rushing into the classroom just one minute before the bell.

“You’ve been acting kind of weird these past couple days,” Lu Yu scrutinized Xu Sangning’s face.

“Really?” Xu Sangning paused for a few seconds. “No, I haven’t.”

“Ah, absence makes the heart grow fonder, huh? Did your sister-in-law complain about you? But you haven’t done anything recently,” Lu Yu nudged Xu Sangning’s shoulder.

“No, she’s not the type to complain randomly,” Xu Sangning replied before falling silent again. The old Ji Ying definitely wouldn’t have complained, but the current one? She wasn’t so sure.

She couldn’t figure out what Ji Ying’s deal was now. Every morning, the first thing she did was check for any feedback in the backend, but there was nothing.

“After evening classes, Xiao Zhao and the others are going out for drinks. Wanna come? It’s been ages since we hung out,” Lu Yu looked at her eagerly.

Xu Sangning thought for a few seconds. “Sure.”

Perfect—coming home later would help her avoid Ji Ying and any potential dinner or late-night snack invitations.

Zhao Lin and the others had already reserved a spot. At noon, Xu Sangning had deliberately parked her car near campus so she could drive everyone there in the evening. On the way, the group was rowdy and loud—Xu Sangning kept her eyes on the road, feeling like the roof of her car might fly off from all the noise.

Xu Sangning wasn’t particularly fond of such chaotic environments. Once they arrived, she stayed seated in the booth while the others headed to the dance floor.

She lounged lazily on the sofa, sipping her drink in small, slow gulps.

Her phone vibrated on the table. When she opened it, sure enough, it was Ji Ying.

Ji Ying: Not back yet?

Xu Sangning: Nope. Going to be late tonight—classmates invited me out.

Ji Ying frowned at the late-night snacks she’d bought and sighed.

She wanted to ask where Xu Sangning was, but considering how wary the girl was of her, she decided against it.

Ji Ying: Be safe. Come back early.

Xu Sangning: Mm-hmm.

Two minutes later, Ji Ying couldn’t resist sending another message.

Ji Ying: If it gets too late, do you want me to pick you up?

【Xu Sangning: No need, I drove myself. You should rest early. If it gets too late, I’ll just stay at the dorm.】

Xu Sangning had actually been considering moving back to the dorm, but how could a pampered young lady like her ever return to dorm life?

Ji Ying sighed again as she read Xu Sangning’s latest reply.

How on earth could she get closer to her?

Xu Sangning seemed easygoing on the surface, but it wasn’t hard to see that beneath her gentle demeanor lay a cold, unyielding heart.

Ji Ying clutched her head and exhaled deeply.

——

Xu Sangning sat alone in the booth. Within half an hour, five people had already come over to hit on her.

She wasn’t sure if it was because she looked too wealthy or too gullible, but these people kept approaching her one after another.

Growing slightly irritated, she urgently summoned Lu Yu back.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Yu sauntered over and leaned against Xu Sangning.

“You invited me out, only to abandon me here alone. How thoughtful of you.” Xu Sangning shot her a sharp glare.

“Hehe, that hot guy I saw on Xiaohongshu was dancing tonight. Did you see him?”

“I did. Total catfish,” Xu Sangning remarked.

Lu Yu blinked. “Honestly, I wasn’t even looking at his face. As long as his body’s good, that’s enough. The lights were too dim to see what he really looked like anyway.”

The lighting didn’t bother Xu Sangning much—she saw him clearly and barely recognized him.

“He looks better with a mask on,” Xu Sangning commented. “And if he tilts his head slightly to the side.”

Lu Yu burst out laughing. “Keep it down. He’s got a lot of fans here tonight.”

Xu Sangning gave her a puzzled look before turning away and taking a sip of her drink.

“Your expression is priceless,” Lu Yu said, leaning on her.

“No, I just don’t quite understand… your taste,” Xu Sangning paused for a few seconds. “No offense.”

Lu Yu was silent for a moment. “Somehow, that felt like a really dirty insult.”

“I didn’t insult anyone.”

Xu Sangning averted her gaze to the stage, where the guy was gyrating and winking at the crowd. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away.

But who knew the guy would actually step off the stage and extend his hand toward her? In that brief moment, he winked twice more.

Xu Sangning: ?

She glanced at Lu Yu, who was grinning beside her, grabbed her hand, and placed it in his.

Unfazed, Lu Yu cheerfully interacted with him.

As he left, the guy subtly shot Xu Sangning a wounded look.

Twirling the seven-figure bracelet on her wrist, Xu Sangning suddenly felt that going back for a late-night snack with Ji Ying would’ve been better—at least Ji Ying didn’t treat her like an idiot.

“Hm? Sangning, what a coincidence.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Xu Sangning turned in surprise. “Ji Ying… jie?”

Talk about timing. She had only just mentioned her.

It wasn’t surprising that Ji Ying would go out for drinks, but it was unexpected to see her here—this place wasn’t exactly her scene. If Ji Ying wanted to drink, she’d definitely choose a quieter setting, not this one.

Her character was completely out of line.

And Xu Sangning was certain—this woman was here for her. But how did she even know?

“Hello, sister-in-law,” Lu Yu chirped from the side.

“Just call me the same as Sang Ning,” Ji Ying absolutely did not want to hear the term “sister-in-law.” “Mind if I join your table?”

Xu Sangning looked up: “You came alone?”

“Couldn’t sleep at night, thought I’d come out for a drink. This place seemed to have the highest ratings,” Ji Ying replied with a gentle smile as he looked at Xu Sangning.

Xu Sangning: …

An answer that was clearly problematic but couldn’t be directly called out.

Ji Ying, truly a master.

Xu Sangning’s gaze at Ji Ying held a few more traces of “admiration.”