The Villainess Awakens After Marrying the Male Lead’s Brother - Chapter 26

Restaurant Private Room

Xu Ruoyan smiled gently and exchanged a few words with the man on her left. Catching a glimpse, she noticed Jiang Yunyan on the right had put away his phone. Feeling a slight tension, she turned and asked, “Anything going on at the company?”

“No,” replied Jiang Yunyan calmly, revealing nothing more. He wasn’t one to share personal matters with irrelevant people, keeping a limited circle of friends.

Xu Ruoyan’s eyes dimmed, deciding not to press further. Although familiar with Jiang Yunyan from their high school days, their paths diverged after her grandparents’ death. She graduated and went abroad, losing touch with him until last year when she learned a bit about his current situation through mutual classmates.

Learning he was still single delighted Xu Ruoyan. She knew he wouldn’t easily settle down, despite being of similar age to their peers, he seemed wise beyond his years.

During school, he immersed himself in studies, rarely joining clubs or interest groups except for occasional tennis matches with a few childhood friends. Later, when he joined the family company as the heir, he became occupied, skipping class reunions.

Xu Ruoyan thought it was for the best, giving her time to build her own strength and eventually stand by his side.

Being an outstanding person like Jiang Yunyan, his partner wouldn’t be just a decorative figure. Last year, she seized the opportunity to return through a business collaboration.

Thinking he might have forgotten her after all these years, Xu Ruoyan was surprised when he calmly acknowledged, “Yes, I remember,” upon reintroduction. It brought her to tears, thinking she had been forgotten, considering their limited interaction in the tennis club.

Her family background wasn’t as affluent as Jiang’s, making it challenging to blend in. After going abroad, she unexpectedly caught the eye of a talent scout and started a modeling career. Facing difficulties initially, her talent shone, and within three years, she gained fame and returned to success in the fashion industry.

She then pursued studies in fashion design, co-founded a clothing brand with friends, and used her modeling reputation to promote it successfully. By the end of this year, the company went public.

Finally, Xu Ruoyan could confidently stand by his side. However, uncertainties lingered…

Certainly! Here is the English translation of the provided Chinese paragraphs with space between them:

Just…

She thought there was no one else by his side, but a man, at the dining table, deliberately taking photos to send to someone else—what does that imply? She dares not think.

Xu Ruoyan’s heart felt sour; could it be that she missed something significant in this past year?

Unfortunately, Jiang Yunyan avoids the limelight, doesn’t appear in financial news, and besides work, remains low-key to the point of being virtually unsearchable online.

She can only temporarily hold back and continue socializing as if nothing happened.

But not long after, these well-fed CEOs want to move on to somewhere else; what’s the point of just eating?

So, the group goes out.

At the entrance, Xu Ruoyan feels like someone is taking photos, but she pays no attention. Even though she left the public eye, being a public figure, there are often paparazzi or passersby taking pictures and posting them online.

Cars driven by respective CEOs approach, and Xu Ruoyan’s driver also comes over. For the first time, she feels the driver is here too early.

But soon, Jiang Yunyan’s assistant, Zhou Han, reminds her, “The car is here.”

Xu Ruoyan panics, “Mr. Jiang, we haven’t seen each other in years, how about having a meal together sometime?”

Most men would be delighted to receive such an invitation from her, not because Xu Ruoyan is arrogant, but because she indeed has that charm.

However, the man in front of her subconsciously frowns for a moment, almost imperceptibly. When facing her, he appears indifferent, polite, and distant, “Sorry, too busy, no time.”

Xu Ruoyan forces a smile, “Is that so? Well, another time then…”

This time, he doesn’t respond and gets into the car.

His assistant, perhaps intentionally or not, suddenly says, “Boss, the salt and pepper prawns at this restaurant are delicious. Do you want to pack some for the boss lady?”

The man who just claimed to be too busy and had no time nods naturally, “Good, thank you, you’ll get a bonus.”

The assistant grins, “Sure thing, please wait a moment.”

The car door closes, and the driver moves the car to the parking area, avoiding blocking the way.

Only Xu Ruoyan, with a blush on her face, quickly turns pale.

Boss lady?

He’s already married?!

She’s just a year late, and Jiang Yunyan is already married?

—

The balcony window is open, and the cold wind blows in.

When Wen Yu comes to her senses, she realizes her hands are frozen. She quickly returns indoors, her hair partially dry. Luckily, the hairdryer isn’t one from her previous life in ’69, so the temperature won’t harm her scalp.

She puts down her phone, redoes her hair, and casually adds the skincare steps she missed earlier. Looking at the mirror, her beautiful face, rosy and translucent, with a straight mouth that slightly turns downward, lacks the usual playful and lively demeanor and instead exudes a hint of not-easy-to-deal-with.

Feeling inexplicably down, Wen Yu decides to have some fun, takes selfies with her phone, adds various effects, and finally selects the ones that look the best to post on Weibo.

Coincidentally, Lao Jie urges her to open the shop, stabilizing her limited fan base.

[Weibo from @WenYu: Can you feel it? [Pictures]]

In the photo, the special effects feature a fringe, smoky makeup, and dark red lips. Combined with the built-in skin-smoothing effect, it adds a touch of innocence to Wenyu’s face, creating a striking contrast.

As soon as it was posted, numerous comments appeared:
【Ah, my wife is finally back】
【So beautiful, momentarily breathless, even sitting in the front row, I don’t know what to say】
【awsl!!!】
【Yes, yes, yes! To the extent of dreaming after watching it at night, hehe, hehe…】

Amidst the rainbow praises, haters also flocked to occupy the comment section, but Wenyu couldn’t be bothered. After reading the compliments, she happily closed the app, yawned, and went to sleep.

Her head started to spin again.
Probably from accidentally exposing herself to the cold wind just now.
Wenyu took out the cold medicine she had just put away, took it, and swallowed two anti-inflammatory pills. She curled up in her blanket, closed her eyes, and quickly drifted into sleep.

However, in her dreams, a scene suddenly unfolded. A man and a woman stood side by side, both dressed in black, exuding a strong presence. Someone seemed to be shouting in the background.
Upon careful listening: 【Ah ah ah, the power couple is here!】
【So handsome, the double A is unmatched!】
【Huh? Who is that? In comparison, they look quite short】
Wenyu: “?”

She looked around suspiciously, but no one was there. Looking at herself, it was just the three of them?
So, she’s short?
Wenyu became even more annoyed. How could she be considered short? With a height of 1.64 meters, and in high heels, she could proudly stand tall.

Certainly! Here’s the translation with space between paragraphs:

Young man!

However, she was wrapped in a thick cotton coat, resembling a ball, appearing quite short and stout.

Wen Yu immediately wanted to take off her clothes.

But as soon as she removed one piece, another magically appeared on her?

Is this a deliberate attempt to oppose her?!

Wen Yu became even angrier, feeling sweat all over her body, damp and with a headache, she whimpered in grievance.

At that moment, a familiar voice sounded in her ear: “Behave, you have a fever again, don’t move.”

——

“Big brother?” Wen Yu woke up from a dream, opening her eyes to see a stern-faced man, feeling even more wronged, angrily exclaiming, “Why are you looking at me like that?!”

As she spoke, her voice seemed raspier, and the last word even cracked.

Jiang Yunyan’s expression slightly changed. Taking a deep breath, he softened his gaze, speaking calmly, “No, you misunderstood. You have a fever again.” Pausing, he added, “Your throat is also having issues. Eating barbecue has caused so many problems; if I hadn’t returned tonight, no one would have known.”

Speaking, his recently adjusted mood turned stern again, his demeanor taking on a colder edge.

Whenever barbecue was mentioned, Wen Yu instinctively felt guilty, staring at him with wide eyes, afraid to speak.

Jiang Yunyan covered her with the blanket again, observing her distressed appearance with a mix of amusement and frustration. He reached out as if to pinch her cheek but softened the pressure when his fingers touched her skin. After pinching, he said, “The grilled salt and pepper shrimp at the restaurant I went to is delicious. I brought some for you.”

Wen Yu’s eyes slightly lit up, eager.

Yet, someone was particularly ruthless, “But you can’t eat it now.”

Wen Yu:!

She looked at him in sorrow, “How can you be like this?! It’s better if you didn’t let me know!”

Jiang Yunyan: “Exercise your willpower.”

Wen Yu felt even worse, almost smelling the aroma of the salt and pepper shrimp, “I want to eat, big brother, let me eat! You brought it back, it’s a waste not to eat.”

“It’s fine; Mom also likes it,” Jiang Yunyan said as he got up, picking up a takeout box placed on the bedside table.

Wen Yu was already upset, feeling unwell all over. Seeing him actually wanting to take away the delicious food, she was about to get up in a hurry. However, as soon as she moved, her head throbbed even more. She groaned and fell back on the bed, tears streaming down.

This cry was entirely different from the previous feigned cries during acting, more subdued, like rain without thunder.

Jiang Yunyan immediately sensed something was wrong, putting the takeout box back and lifting the person buried in the pillow. He saw a tearful little girl, looking pitiful.

Even for someone with a consistently stable mood, he couldn’t help but find it amusing and exasperating. He wiped away her tears, asking, “It’s just a box of shrimp, is it worth it?”

Wen Yu sniffled heavily, muttering, “It’s not just about the shrimp!”

Jiang Yunyan: “Then what is it?”

Wen Yu looked up.

At this moment, the man was patiently waiting for her answer, his brows and eyes profound and sharp, yet his gaze calm and gentle, his large hand gently wiping her face.

Is it because she saw rumors about him, got lost in time on the balcony, caught a cold, and now has a severe headache, making her irritable and uncomfortable?

Dreaming of him with that girl, everyone praising them while she’s criticized for being short, could any of these be the reason?

Jiang Yun Yan noticed her silence, not pushing her, considering she’s still feverish and likely feeling unwell.

He sighed silently, opened the food box, put on gloves, peeled the shrimp, and offered a piece to her: “Eat.”

Without hesitation, Wen Yu opened her mouth and was fed a piece of shrimp meat.

It’s mildly spicy due to the salt and pepper flavor, but the taste is subtle without the shrimp shell.

Delicious.

After finishing what was in her mouth, Wen Yu immediately opened her mouth again. Jiang Yun Yan continued to feed her until she ate six shrimps before stopping.

Wen Yu, expecting more, looked puzzled when he stopped: “What about my shrimp?”

Jiang Yun Yan packed the box again, “Can’t eat more. Your throat is still sore. I’ll take you for a feast when you’re better.”

Wen Yu widened her eyes, surprised that he took the food away after just a little favor.

However, Jiang Yun Yan remained unfazed and carried the packed box out.

Wen Yu: “!!!”

This is too much. It’s not even spicy, so what’s wrong with eating it?!

Feeling upset and treated unfairly, she couldn’t let herself be uncomfortable alone.

—

So when Jiang Yun Yan finished arranging the shrimp and returned, he found a fierce-looking girl staring at the ceiling.

As he walked in, the girl sarcastically said, “Finally decided to come back!”

Jiang Yun Yan: “?”

His gaze was puzzled, glancing over her face. No tears, just anger?

All for the shrimp?

Jiang Yun Yan’s lips twitched slightly, and he played along, “Hmm, I know.”

Wen Yu choked for a moment, looked at the man by her bed, and coldly laughed, “Know? You actually know?”

Seeing him pull up a chair and sit, crossing his hands on the armrest, leaning toward her with his long legs stretched out, he looked relaxed and indifferent.

At this critical moment, what’s the point of showing off!