The Villain in the Quick Travel is My Wife

Chapter 51

【The heroine's mother is a sycophantic villain, while her son is a dandy scholar (younger).】

"

Mrs. An may be the guest of honor at this birthday banquet, but here we are-a bunch of idlers-making the most noise!"

The lively voice of a woman jolted An Shuting from his half-asleep state. Her cheerful tone nearly shook him fully awake.

Mrs.? Miss? His mind lingered only on the vivid, enticing dream he'd just had.

In his dream, a beautiful, long-haired woman stood before him, her jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall and her face as delicate as jade. She looked at him with reddened eyes, her gaze sparkling. Their entangled moments were wild and consuming, leaving him spellbound and captivated.

He pulled the quilt around himself and frowned, hoping to drift back into the dream. But the fog in his mind lifted, and he couldn't recapture it.

As disappointment set in, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged through his mind.

He was forced to relive another person's life, as though it had been written for him in some book. A lifetime, though that life had ended far too soon, at only twenty. The memories stirred in him a painful, seething empathy, filling him with grief and frustration.

A muffled, hoarse cough broke the silence.

An Shuting froze, keeping his eyes closed in denial. If these new memories were real, then his so-called "dream" was no dream at all. He had, in fact, spent the night with an unknown man.

The steady rhythm of breathing beside him seemed to drum against his chest. Finally, he sat up, reluctantly glancing over his shoulder.

The man lying next to him was in his early thirties, his handsome face pale and almost translucent in the dim light. Furrowed brows hinted at discomfort, and the skin on his wrists and neck, visible above the quilt, was mottled with telltale marks.

Every detail in the room confirmed what had transpired the night before.

Wonderful. An Shuting had intended to rescue the infamous villain, Sun Yuebai. Instead, the moment he arrived, he'd ended up in bed with him, half by force.

This was Sun Yuebai-the book's ruthless antagonist, known for his chilling cruelty. Rumor had it he once poisoned and silenced a servant, selling him to the mines simply for mistakenly entering his chambers.

An Shuting felt a cold sweat on his palms.

As the noise outside grew louder, Sun Yuebai stirred awake, recalling the struggle and intense confrontation from the night before. The loss of control, the overwhelming passion-it all replayed sharply in his mind.

Sun Yuebai's eyes snapped open, his gaze icy and sharp as a blade, fixed on An Shuting with emotionless intensity.

An Shuting held his breath, pausing briefly as he met the stare. He couldn't focus on Sun Yuebai now. They were both in immediate danger.

"If we don't handle this, we'll both be ruined-and far from home," he said, his voice steady as he threw off the quilt. "Do you want them to walk in on us like this?"

Sun Yuebai's gaze lingered, studying him intently. Finally, he pressed his lips into a thin line, turned his back, and began to dress, fastening each layer with quiet resolve.

"Mrs. An is truly blessed-cherished by her family, and all her sons are successful. We could only wish to be so fortunate!" The voices outside grew nearer, carrying with them words of admiration.

Just then, a maid from the mansion knocked gently on the door. "Madam, are you in there?"

An Shuting froze, briefly pausing his dressing. He motioned quickly to let down the bed curtain, grabbed a moon-white robe, and tossed it to Sun Yuebai.

Sun Yuebai gave him a glance, noticing An Shuting's tense gaze fixed on the door. He took the robe, wrapping it tightly around himself.

With a soft creak, the closed door opened a crack, letting in a sliver of sunlight that mingled with the dappled shadows of the trees outside. An Shuting's heart raced as he shielded Sun Yuebai from view, the two of them almost holding their breath.

"What are you all doing gathered around my room? It sounds like you're having quite a time out here." Bai Wanqiu's clear, amused voice sounded from outside.

The maid who had cracked the door closed it hastily, looking flustered.

"Madam An, we were looking for you! You disappeared after changing clothes, and Mrs. Liu brought a rare double-sided embroidery. They say the technique has been lost, and she wanted you to appreciate it."

Xu Ruoshi, who hadn't expected Bai Wanqiu to be absent from the room, quickly masked her surprise and turned with a polite smile.

Bai Wanqiu's gaze briefly shifted to the maid lingering by her door before she turned to face Xu Ruoshi, her longtime rival, with a serene smile. "My apologies for the trouble, ladies. You're welcome to join me in the front hall." Her raised hand and warm tone left no room for refusal.

Xu Ruoshi's smile tightened as she looked to an elderly woman in the crowd, who gave her an approving nod. Xu Ruoshi dabbed the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. "Madam An, we thought we heard noise coming from inside just now. Perhaps a thief broke in, or... are you hiding someone in there?"

The crowd fell silent. These two women, both powerful and often at odds, commanded respect. No one dared speak, fearing they'd be caught in the crossfire.

Bai Wanqiu's brow knitted, and her tone turned icy. "Please watch your words, Madam."

Xu Ruoshi sneered, "What's the matter? Perhaps the lady of the house has a hidden lover?"

Bai Wanqiu remained unperturbed, but Xu Ruoshi was too invested in her plan to let this pass. She had spent too much time planning to back down now. Without waiting, she lifted her skirt and kicked the door open.

Inside, the bed curtains swayed slightly, casting shadowed figures in the breeze. The ground was littered with discarded clothes and a fallen wine glass, the scent of alcohol heavy in the air.

Xu Ruoshi turned, smirking triumphantly at Bai Wanqiu. "See? I told you there was someone here. I just hope you can maintain that calm composure in a moment."

Ignoring Bai Wanqiu's response, she moved toward the bed and yanked the curtains open. But in that instant, her smug grin faltered.

"What... how is this possible? There's no one here?"

Xu Ruoshi scanned the room, bewildered. The space was small, with no obvious hiding place.

Bai Wanqiu's voice cut through the silence, cold and dismissive. "Madam, this is quite enough. Please, don't go too far."

Meanwhile, on the ceiling beam above, An Shuting and Sun Yuebai exchanged a look of relief as they watched Bai Wanqiu-usually so composed-stand her ground, driving everyone away.

An Shuting let out a quiet sigh, glancing over at Sun Yuebai, who wore a cold, unreadable expression. He felt a pang of helplessness; he had arrived at the end of the book, only to take on the role of the third son of Bai Wanqiu and the hero, An Qiming.

But none of that mattered now. What mattered was explaining how he'd somehow, in a haze, managed to drag Sun Yuebai into this mess the night before.

This was Sun Yuebai, after all-the notorious villain in the book, ruthless enough to poison a servant simply for entering his chambers by mistake.

And now he was the person An Shuting was meant to save.

An Shuting barely dared to imagine how he'd complete his mission. Yet, he reminded himself that Sun Yuebai wasn't quite the villain yet. At this point in time, while hardened, he was still viewed as the dignified, gentle, and knowledgeable Mr. Sun in the eyes of the world.