The Villain in the Quick Travel is My Wife

Chapter 43

Chapter 43.2.13

Sun Yuebai looked at his uncle with red eyes and a hunched back, his throat constricted, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

He understood what his uncle meant, but he was unwilling to accept it. He had nothing to begin with, and now he felt he might lose An Shuting as well. But if he insisted on their relationship, would An Shuting still stand firm in the face of his parents and family? Would he give up again?

An Shuting, observing the scene through the crack of the window, felt a sense of helplessness. He raised his hand and knocked on the window frame a few times. "That's enough! Take care of official business, take your medicine, or do you want to have dinner at my house today, Dad?"

Duke Zhao turned around suddenly and saw his son standing by the window, arms crossed, looking like a red plum blossom against the snow-graceful and gentlemanly. However, the understanding in his eyes and the slightly disdainful tone interrupted the bitterness in Duke Zhao's expression.

Duke Zhao glared angrily at An Shuting, thinking he had given birth to a troublesome son.

Looking around, Duke Zhao spotted the whip hanging on the wall behind Sun Yuebai. He grabbed it and rushed toward An Shuting. "You little rascal! Who do you think I'm doing this for? If you're so capable, just marry your cousin and give me a grandchild! Otherwise, don't blame me for punishing you."

Sun Yuebai was momentarily stunned, glancing at the defiant An Shuting outside the window, then back at his uncle, who was preparing to strike. He quickly intervened. "Uncle, he's young and ignorant. Don't argue with him."

An Shuting blinked at Sun Yuebai, glancing at his father as he charged forward, then suddenly slammed the window shut.

As Sun Yuebai struggled to stop his uncle, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window and shouted provocatively, "I'm all grown up now. You'd better not do anything, or I really will run away from home!"

Duke Zhao pulled at the window, but it wouldn't budge. He sneered in frustration. "You think I was scared of you as a child? If you let go of that window, I might let you off this time."

An Shuting held fast. "You tricked me into coming here, and now you're pulling this sentimental act. You just want to separate my cousin and me. You're all just acting in front of your family."

An Shuting knew his father too well. Though there might have been some sincerity in his earlier demeanor, it was mostly a façade.

As he maintained his composure, Sun Yuebai felt a moment of absurdity wash over him. Hadn't he resolved long ago to protect what was his, no matter the means? Why let his uncle's meddling cloud his mind?

Watching his uncle fume at An Shuting, Sun Yuebai tried half-heartedly to calm him down. Eventually, he escorted his uncle, still cursing about the "debts" owed to him, out of the house. As he watched the Duke's carriage turn the corner, he felt a slight lift in his spirits.

Since An Shuting had decided against going to Jiangbei to quell the bandits, he would have to face the emperor instead. Sun Yuebai hadn't expected the mission to be so difficult to avoid.

His mood darkened as he realized he had been acting like a powder keg lately, making the servants in the mansion cautious around him.

It was the Lantern Festival that day, and An Shuting invited Sun Yuebai to go out and unwind.

The streets, usually quiet at night, were vibrant and alive.

An Shuting accompanied Sun Yuebai from one end of the street to the other, navigating through the bustling crowd. At the end of the street stood an arch bridge, with water gurgling below and grass peeking out by the riverside.

As they walked side by side on the bridge, Sun Yuebai suddenly stopped. An Shuting turned to follow his gaze and spotted two familiar figures on the bridge.

It was the emperor and Lian Yu. Dressed in women's clothing, Lian Yu held a pink lotus lantern, looking elegant and striking in a turquoise gown that exuded both grace and a hint of heroism.

An Shuting recalled a scene from the book where the heroine and the emperor fell in love. He removed his cloak-the same color as Sun Yuebai's-and draped it over him. "It's going to snow."

Sun Yuebai frowned, looking up at the sky, then back down at the cloak that still bore An Shuting's warmth. "It doesn't seem cold today. Winter's already passed; how could it possibly snow?"

An Shuting smiled mysteriously and was about to reply when a collective gasp erupted from the crowd.

Upstream, the pool was filled with twinkling lanterns drifting downstream like a starry sky. The magical sight stirred admiration from everyone around.

Lian Yu's heart raced, and a radiant smile broke across her usually composed face. She lifted the lantern higher, relishing the admiration and envy of those around her. "I like this very much."

No woman could resist such intoxicating beauty and love.

Delicate snowflakes fluttered in the wind, as if bearing witness to the enchanting moment.

Lian Yu reached out to catch a snowflake, watching it melt in her palm.

Cheers and exclamations rang out: "Girl, you must cherish a lover like this!"

An Shuting didn't watch them any longer. Instead, he brushed a snowflake off Sun Yuebai's eyelashes, squatted down to retrieve a lantern from the water, and held it out to him. "Do you like it?"

Sun Yuebai glanced down to see a brightly colored camellia lantern. "It's just a lantern."

Seeing that Sun Yuebai was still not in a good mood, An Shuting smiled, tore off the paper from the lantern, and read aloud in the moonlight: "I hope Sun Yuebai is healthy and happy, and has a joyful life."

"What a nice sentiment," Sun Yuebai remarked, taking the note from An Shuting's hand. The handwriting was vigorous and strong, unmistakably An Shuting's. "Is this a gift from you?"

Soon, others began to follow An Shuting's lead, fishing lanterns from the river, each containing messages of good fortune.

"I hope Sun Yuebai becomes richer and richer."

"I hope Sun Yuebai won't lose his temper all the time. Anger isn't good for your health."

"I hope Sun Yuebai will always have stars in his eyes and live freely and spontaneously."

Listening to the wishes from these strangers, Sun Yuebai, though in his forties, felt a bittersweet sensation welling up within him.

He hugged An Shuting tightly, a smile gracing his lips, though his voice trembled with emotion. "How can you be so kind?"

Mingming had just witnessed Lian Yu's performance and dismissed it as unremarkable. He had assumed anyone could see through the emperor's façade of sincerity, but then he noticed that An Shuting had filled the entire pool with camellia lanterns for Sun Yuebai.

Sun Yuebai felt his heart swell, tightening his arms around An Shuting, wishing he could merge with him entirely.

As more people gathered to join in the festivities, they followed suit, fishing lanterns from the river and reciting an array of whimsical blessings.

Sun Yuebai's name flowed from many lips. Everyone smiled knowingly, but beneath the surface, envy simmered.

It was clear that Lian Yu had noticed the scene unfolding beneath the bridge. Her gaze shifted to Sun Yuebai and An Shuting, locked in an embrace amidst the swirling snow, and her smile faltered.

"Your Majesty, what do you think of this?" she asked.

The emperor remained silent, his expression unreadable as he stared at An Shuting and Sun Yuebai, who stood entwined in each other's arms in the snowstorm. "They've developed feelings for each other. Two men hugging like that is truly unsightly," he remarked, his voice devoid of warmth.