The Heroine Pays Me to Fall in Love (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 35

Jiang Zhinan never expected to see Su Jin here.

One moment, she was still describing Su Jin’s appearance to Wang Xiran, and the next, Su Jin had appeared in her line of sight. Though it was just for a brief instant, Jiang Zhinan took in every detail.

Her long hair fluttered in the wind, her posture was straight and commanding, and those long, lean legs and expressionless features—everything about her exuded an unshakable presence.

“Stop the car!” Jiang Zhinan quickly shouted, turning to Chen Bin in the driver’s seat. “Go back!”

“Got it!” Chen Bin didn’t ask why and immediately turned the steering wheel. The car made a U-turn and retraced its path.

“Ms. Zhou, what’s wrong?” Wang Xiran looked a bit confused. “Did you forget something?”

“No.” Jiang Zhinan shook her head, a subtle smile tugging at her lips. “I just happened to see the friend I was talking about.”

“Really?” Wang Xiran replied, glancing sideways out the window after Jiang Zhinan spoke.

Just earlier, Ms. Zhou had praised this person endlessly, as if everything about her was perfect, which piqued Wang Xiran’s curiosity. She now eagerly wanted to see what kind of person had earned such high praise.

The car slowed and eventually stopped by the roadside.

Jiang Zhinan was the first to step out, her stride larger than before when she met Wang Xiran. The composure she usually carried—the air of maturity—suddenly vanished, and in that instant, she seemed completely relaxed.

“That’s her!” Jiang Zhinan looked back, a beautiful smile lighting up her face. “She’s exactly who I was talking about.”

She looked like a lively little bird basking in the sunlight—gone was the serious, composed executive image that had been etched in Jiang Zhinan’s mind.

“She’s really beautiful.” Wang Xiran’s gaze lingered briefly on Su Jin before returning to Ms. Zhou.

But Jiang Zhinan didn’t notice her actions; she was too busy looking for the so-called friend.

“Su Jin, what are you doing here?” Jiang Zhinan asked. At the same time, she noticed something on her phone screen—her own personal page, with a prompt asking whether she wanted to remove the friend.

“You.” The instant Jiang Zhinan read the words, her smile disappeared, replaced by a straight line. “Are you trying to delete me again?”

Su Jin said nothing, just stared at her.

Jiang Zhinan persisted, locking eyes with her. “Is that it?”

Her tone was a mix of exasperation and a hint of anger.

After a long silence, Su Jin turned off her phone screen and said softly, “No. I just pressed the wrong button by accident.”

For some reason, she had blurted out a clumsy lie without thinking.

“Really?” Jiang Zhinan looked at her, then let out a small sigh, murmuring under her breath, “You scared me.”

Su Jin hadn’t heard clearly, but judging from her expression, she could guess what Jiang Zhinan had said.

“You really don’t want me to delete you, huh.”

Su Jin raised an eyebrow slightly.

There was a pretty young woman standing right behind her.

Am I that important?

More important than her?

“Hello.” Wang Xiran stepped forward and extended her hand, a smile in her eyes. “I’m Wang Xiran, Ms. Zhou’s business partner and friend.”

Whether intentional or not, she emphasized the word friend.

Su Jin let out a soft chuckle, wondering who she was trying to impress.

“Su Jin.” Su Jin responded without saying anything else, shaking Wang Xiran’s hand before turning to leave.

“Where are you going?” Jiang Zhinan quickly reached out to stop her, her voice gentle. “If you’re not in a hurry, why don’t we have lunch together?”

Her tone was obviously tentative, even tinged with hope, as if she eagerly awaited Su Jin’s agreement.

Su Jin sighed, a sudden, inexplicable irritation rising in her chest. At this moment, she felt she couldn’t read the person in front of her at all.

Not long ago, she had been certain that this person had a mischievous, flirtatious personality—someone who pursued whoever caught her eye and discarded them when bored.

Truth be told, Jiang Zhinan’s appearance and figure were exactly Su Jin’s type.

But Su Jin knew there would never be anything between them. Since it was destined to end sooner or later, it was better not to let it start at all—to nip any potential in the bud.

So normally, Su Jin paid little attention to Jiang Zhinan, wary that too much notice could complicate things.

But now.

The sun was bright, the day hot. In the few moments since their brief exchange, sweat had already formed on Jiang Zhinan’s forehead, tiny crystals sliding down her skin, some falling into her hair, some soaking into her clothes.

One even clung to the tip of her nose, catching the sunlight and glinting like a tiny prism.

Su Jin felt herself acting on impulse, reaching out to gently wipe it away.

The motion was completely unconscious. By the time Su Jin realized what she had done, she was momentarily stunned.

Jiang Zhinan seemed equally surprised, her gaze lingering on Su Jin’s face before she awkwardly smiled.

Su Jin withdrew her hand, her ears tinged red—whether from the sun or the warmth of Jiang Zhinan’s skin, she wasn’t sure.

In the end, Su Jin agreed to have lunch with Jiang Zhinan.

Since Wang Xiran was from Sichuan and loved spicy food, Jiang Zhinan had chosen a Sichuan restaurant to accommodate her tastes.

Wang Xiran was surprised by how considerate she was, praising her thoughtfulness repeatedly.

Jiang Zhinan only smiled when she heard this, but deep down, her heart had already started pounding.

In her previous world, Jiang Zhinan could handle spicy food without issue—she’d even pile spoonfuls of chili into a simple bowl of soup noodles, claiming that was the only way to truly enjoy it.

But for some reason—probably because of Zhou Ying’s body—Jiang Zhinan couldn’t tolerate chili at all in this world.

She had tried before. Even a tiny bit of chili would make her face flush red as if it was on fire. Eat too much, and she might even cry from the spice.

So, for today’s lunch, she had steeled herself.

Her only strategy was simple: eat sparingly.

I’m just here to accompany them, she reassured herself, handing the menu to Wang Xiran and telling her to order whatever she liked.

Wang Xiran didn’t hold back and quickly made a few selections. Soon, the waiter brought out several dishes, all glistening with red chili oil.

The mere aroma was enough to make Jiang Zhinan uneasy.

“Can I order something too?” At that moment, Su Jin spoke up from beside her.

“Of course,” Jiang Zhinan quickly handed over the menu.

Su Jin flipped through it carefully and, surprisingly, ordered only a plate of smashed cucumbers and a plate of green, cold vegetables.

“You like this?” Wang Xiran smiled. “A bit bland, right?”

“No,” Su Jin replied, her gaze flickering faintly toward Jiang Zhinan before adding, “To balance it out.”

“I see,” Wang Xiran nodded, saying no more.

The restaurant served dishes quickly. Not long after they had ordered, everything was on the table.

Jiang Zhinan and Wang Xiran went through the motions of toasting, then relaxed. After all, they were close in age, and there wasn’t much awkwardness between them. The meal wasn’t dull at all.

Jiang Zhinan reached for some vegetables while noticing Su Jin piling a large portion of tripe onto her plate. The glossy pieces were coated in red oil and looked extremely spicy.

And yet, Su Jin ate it without a flinch.

So, she wasn’t afraid of spice—but then why order cucumbers and green vegetables?

Half the meal had gone by, and no one had touched those dishes—Jiang Zhinan was the only one eating them.

“Doesn’t President Zhou like spicy food?” Wang Xiran asked, noticing Jiang Zhinan’s avoidance.

“No, no,” Jiang Zhinan shook her head. “Just a little overheated lately.”

“No problem,” Wang Xiran said with a shake of her head. Then she picked up the shared chopsticks and placed a piece of meat on Jiang Zhinan’s plate. “Just try a bit. You’re here; you should taste some.”

“You’re right.” Jiang Zhinan had no choice but to comply. She steeled herself and popped the meat into her mouth, forcing her expression to remain neutral.

It was a small piece, but the effect was devastating. A wave of heat surged from her throat down to her stomach, like sparks igniting a fire she couldn’t contain.

She nearly coughed.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Wang Xiran said with a smile, standing to leave.

At this moment, only Jiang Zhinan and Su Jin remained at the table.

“Spicy?” Su Jin asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Clearly, Jiang Zhinan couldn’t handle the heat, yet she had insisted on coming to a Sichuan restaurant. Was that smart or foolish?

“Spicy.” Jiang Zhinan hung her head, whispering the word pitifully.

Seeing her like that, Su Jin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity. She got up and poured a cup of tea, extending it to Jiang Zhinan. “Here.”

But Jiang Zhinan didn’t take it, still bowing her head. Moments later, a soft sniffling sound came from her.

“What are you doing?” Su Jin frowned slightly, gently lifting Jiang Zhinan’s chin to see her expression.

And then, she noticed that Jiang Zhinan was crying.

Tears streamed down in large drops, her little nose turning red from the upset.

“It’s really spicy, it’s killing me,” she murmured, wiping her eyes, her voice small, soft, and pitiful.

Thump.

For some reason, Su Jin felt her heart skip a beat.