What to do if I've locked myself in a book! - Chapter 2

The tall, handsome figure strode toward her on long legs. As he brushed past her, a cold, clean scent laced with juniper slipped into her nose.

The chilly wind lifted a few strands of black hair from his forehead. Beneath sharp, sword-like brows were deep, icy eyes. Over a high, straight nose and blade-thin lips, his gaze swept over her from above, as if it could pull her into the boundless night.

His bone structure was striking, his proportions flawless. Under a gray suit jacket, he wore a black turtleneck. His long legs were straight and powerful; as he walked, the creases of his trousers traced perfect lines—textbook model build.

He looked far too much like her editor, Ji Shi…

Cold sweat broke out. Not only did he resemble Ji Shi, from his aura to his outfit, but the man also matched the male lead of her novel—Cheng Ye—uncannily well.

“…Cheng Ye?”

She murmured without thinking. The man heard her clearly. A trace of surprise flickered in his eyes. “Have we met?”

As his thin lips parted, his deep, cold voice blended with the autumn chill. He asked because the woman looked oddly familiar, yet he couldn’t recall any memory of her.

“Ah… why would I have such a dream…”

“A dream?”

He frowned. The woman kept muttering, glancing around uneasily.

This had to be a dream. Maybe she fell asleep while writing, and the text changing on its own was part of it.

With numbed fingers, she pinched the flesh of her forearm. Real pain shot through—she yelped.

The man had only come out for some air, not expecting to meet such a strange woman. He stopped by the white stone railing, crossed his arms, leaned back against it, and glanced sideways at her, calm and detached.

“If it’s a dream, jump down and see.”

“Huh?”

“Three floors. Jump—either you wake up, or you never open your eyes again.”

“Yes, that works!”

Without hesitation, she turned, grabbed the railing, and looked down. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself, swung one leg over, and looked ready to jump.

He froze, unsure whether this odd woman was unbelievably brave—or unbelievably foolish.

“…Ah!!!”

The moment most of her body tipped forward, she regretted it. As she wobbled, about to fall, a sudden, strong force from behind yanked her back.

“Mm!”

With the momentum, she crashed hard into the man’s solid chest.

The crisp juniper scent filled her nose. Her nearly frozen face pressed against his warm, firm chest. His steady, powerful heartbeat thudded in her ears, leaving her flushed.

“You really were going to jump? Do you have a death wish?”

His low, magnetic voice sounded by her ear. When she looked up, above his sharp Adam’s apple were a defined jawline and a downward gaze.

Under dark lashes, eyes like a deep pool shifted to meet her panicked stare. She swallowed, her heart racing. Realizing she was still in his arms, she pushed him away gently.

“Ahem—th-thank you…”

Just then, a waiter carrying a tray walked from the hall onto the terrace, heading straight for Ling Qianqian. She thought she was about to be thrown out for improper attire, but when he stopped expressionless in front of her, she jumped. He looked just like the clerk at the convenience store near her home—far too strange.

“Miss Ling, you have a message.”

“A message?”

She was still stunned by his face and now shocked that he knew her surname.

The waiter smoothly took a small white card from the tray and handed it to her.

On it was a neat line of black fountain-pen writing:

【Act immediately, or the situation will change—and keep getting worse.】

In the corner was the signature—her own pen name: Little Chili Pepper.