The Villainess Awakens After Marrying the Male Lead’s Brother - Chapter 45

Chapter 45
Nightfall

As the sun completely set, the sea seemed darker than the land, and after playing for a while, the surroundings turned dark.

Various lights immediately lit up on the cruise ship. Wen Yu thought it would be beautiful from a distance, but unfortunately, they were at sea now. They could check it out when they went to the island tomorrow night.

At this moment, music began playing. Several barbecue grills were set up in front of a group of people. Chefs brought various meats, seafood, and vegetables for them to grill.

After some commotion, the professional team took over. The handsome host took control, and various instruments joined in. The drum set started, followed by guitars, bass, and more, blending into the lively music. A group of guys in sparkling vests stepped onto the stage, dancing to the music.

“Wow!” Wen Yu exclaimed for the first time seeing this up close. Yao Xi’s hands turned red from clapping. “Not bad, not bad, Little Fish, your friend really knows how to pick people! Of these five, three suit my taste!”

Yuan Tan took a photo to send to a friend and added, “It’s really good. My friends all praised it, very high quality.” Wen Yu bit into a tender chicken claw after marinating it.
Agreeing with a nod: “Exactly!”
Next up, a group of beautiful young ladies danced even better than the male version, followed by the guys, and the two teams directly engaged in a lively dance-off, igniting the atmosphere.

Xiao Qiyu and others, accustomed to such scenes, immersed themselves in the excitement, swaying and enjoying the lively atmosphere.

Wen Yu, however, remained calm. She remembered to eat, enjoying her food while watching, moving to the music’s rhythm.

Some idol-turned-actors or those with dance backgrounds, called over by Wen Yu, joined the stage amid cheers.

Soon, even those who couldn’t dance went up for some random moves. It turned into a lively disco scene.

Wen Yu hurriedly summoned a waiter to rescue the barbecue stove, concerned that if the enthusiastic crowd knocked it over, it could lead to trouble.

The barbecue enthusiasts transformed into professional chefs, everyone too busy having fun to grill skewers. Wen Yu found the taste even better and decided not to insist next time.

—
After dancing for a while, Xiao Qiyu, sweating profusely, was surprised to find Wen Yu still composed. He ran over and asked, “Little sister-in-law, can you really sit through this? Did Yan threaten you secretly?”

Wen Yu quickly shook her head, feeling a bit uneasy herself. As Jiang Yunyan’s supposed wife, she didn’t want any scandals affecting his reputation.

Facing his invitation, she replied, “You guys have fun; I’m quite hungry and want barbecue.”

Reminding the chef persistently, “Uncle, add more chili powder. I can handle spice, and add more peppercorn powder too.”

The chef said hesitantly, “Be careful, it might cause irritation!”

“I’ll deal with it when it happens!” Wen Yu responded decisively.

Xiao Qiyu, unable to convince her, shrugged and walked away.

Their perspectives differed; he saw dancing as innocent, but considering Jiang Yunyan’s traditional views, it was best for Wen Yu to keep her distance.

He returned to the crowd. Qin Zhou approached, asking loudly, “Little sister-in-law not joining?”

Shaking his head, Xiao Qiyu joked, “She’s really into Yan; probably afraid of making him jealous!”

Qin Zhou chuckled and continued dancing.

Suddenly, he turned and, with a serious expression, gestured to his left. “You two, look, is a ship coming?”

Xiao Qiyu and Cheng Yan immediately looked, noticing a bright light on the sea behind them.

Though not very close, the ship was visible at night. The trio’s expressions changed: “Can’t be, right?”

“Discovered so quickly? Who snitched?”

“Must be a coincidence…” Xiao Qiyu with a gloomy face said, “Stop that; I’m scared!”

Certainly! Here’s the translated text with space between paragraphs:

Three people exchanged glances and quickly discussed: “Can we ride a speedboat back?”

“Impossible, right? It’s late at night, and we can’t see the direction clearly…”

“Then… the nearest island doesn’t seem far. Shall we go there?”

“… In the middle of the night, you want to feed mosquitoes?”

Sighing, Xiao Qiyanyan said, “Still better than getting beaten! With so many people watching, it’s too embarrassing!”

Cheng Yan glanced over there and calmly said, “No need; help has arrived.”

They quickly looked, and a faint light they saw earlier was now approaching. The outline became visible, revealing a small boat, and there seemed to be a person standing at the forefront of the deck.

Three people: “!!!”

——

As the approaching figure became apparent, the dancing crowd gradually realized something and slowed their gyrations.

Xiao Qiyanyan and his companions had particularly odd expressions.

“What’s happening?” a younger actor exclaimed in fear. “Could it be pirates?”

He just wanted to enjoy the excitement!

Never expected to be chased by pirates!

Everyone: “…”

Xiao Qiyanyan shook his head with a serious expression. “No.”

The other side breathed a sigh of relief.

He continued, “But he’s scarier than pirates.”

“???”

The performers also sensed it; the music automatically lowered. Seeing no objections, it eventually silenced. The leader asked, “Xiao Ge, still dancing?”

Xiao Qiyanyan: “…No, take a break first.”

So, an awkward silence fell over the venue, accompanied by the growing sound of the approaching boat engine.

Wen Yu looked at the sea and then at the people here. She quickly took a couple of spicy grilled skewers. This level of spiciness was usually forbidden by her mother, and she was sure Jiang Yunyan wouldn’t allow it either.

Soon, the boat approached, and the people on the deck fully revealed themselves. The sea breeze blew their hair backward, almost giving them a big quiff. Strong and handsome faces were illuminated by the cruise ship’s lights, clearly visible.

Jiang Yunyan!!!

No trace of luck remained.

Xiao Qiyanyan frustratedly exclaimed, “How did he find out!”

Little Chen, who hadn’t dared to come out, hurriedly went over. “Boss, come up here!”

Everyone: “!!!”

The traitor is here!

Xiao Qiyanyan slapped his thigh in frustration. “I knew it! I knew I overlooked something! This personal assistant, Little Chen, was still here!”

Qin Zhou’s head ached. “You didn’t tell him?”

Cheng Yan silently said, “I did.”

“How could this happen…” Xiao Qiyanyan was dumbfounded.

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

Cheng Yan muttered, “I told you.”

Xiao Qiyu was stunned, “How could this happen?”

Cheng Yan shrugged, “He didn’t listen.”

“Why didn’t you say earlier!” Qin Zhou exclaimed.

Feeling surrounded by capable individuals!

Cheng Yan sighed, “Who knew he’d promise verbally and betray us in secret.”

Looking respectable and honest, but playing the role of a spy?

Who would have thought Chen was like this?

They opted for convenience, didn’t send him away, and at the very least could have taken his phone! Now it’s all exposed, truly unfortunate!

Yuan Tan and others sensed something amiss, hesitated, and found a place to sit. Meanwhile, Yao Xi excitedly grabbed Yuan Tan’s arm, “Ah, this is my idol!”

Yuan Tan: “???”

“Didn’t expect him to get married in the blink of an eye. Too bad Xiao Yu won’t take a picture of his abs for me. I still don’t know if he has a good physique,” Yao Xi lamented. It was her small obsession; when she first knew him, he always wore suits and shirts buttoned up to the neck.

However, the more restrained he was, the more she wanted to know, to the point of yearning for several years. Now that he’s taken, she can’t see him anymore.

Yuan Tan reassured her, patting her, “It’s okay, I’ll take a picture for you next time I’m in a relationship.”

Yao Xi, touched, exclaimed, “You’re so kind!”

Overheard by Qin Zhou: “…?” Are female stars in the entertainment industry all like this?

He instinctively tightened his abdomen.

By the way, he doesn’t have abs yet.

In this year of neglecting exercise—crazy, why is he thinking about this!

Qin Zhou looked at the approaching man.

Still wearing formal attire, no, the suit is already off. Xiao Chen stood respectfully behind him, holding his suit, with lowered eyes.

But now it’s too late to say anything.

Xiao Qiyu, Qin Zhou, and Cheng Yan stood there with vigilant and confused expressions.

The man who had boarded the ship looked over with sharp eagle eyes, his cold face filled with ice, a slight frown showing clear dissatisfaction. The white shirt stuck to his lean waist due to the sea breeze, and his long legs stepped forward in leather shoes.

Wen Yu, who had hidden to the side during the dance, planned to come out to greet him but realized the situation and thought, “This is bad.”

He’s angry!

Wen Yu had never seen Jiang Yunyan angry before. In the past, he completely ignored her after being controlled. Later, when they got along, Jiang Yunyan controlled his emotions very well. The only time he was a bit off was when he was slightly down and didn’t cook for her.

Now, in this situation…

Wen Yu thought he looked quite handsome, with his hair tousled by the sea breeze, the collar of his clothes raised, pointing right at his Adam’s apple. The shadows cast by the overhead light made it even more prominent. Tall and imposing, after so many years in a high position, he exuded an aura that made the group of people opposite him seem weak and pitiful.

At this moment, he was unaware, just coldly staring at his three troublesome friends.

Others weren’t as obsessed with appearance as Wen Yu; after a brief amazement, they became suspicious.

Obviously, this man who suddenly came on the boat is not someone easy to deal with.

Among the three he was staring at, Xiao Qiyu couldn’t hold back, pointing at Qin Zhou and Cheng Yan, shouting, “An Yan! It’s all their fault. It was their idea. I’ve been paying attention, and my sister-in-law didn’t even touch them, at least three or four meters away!”

Qin Zhou and Cheng Yan: “???”

Certainly, here’s the translation with space between the paragraphs:

The two of them simultaneously held down Xiao Qiyuan’s dog head: “You scoundrel! The idea was clearly yours!”

“Of course, we guarantee that Xiao Saozi didn’t get close at all. She’s been thinking about you the whole time. Who else would she be interested in?” Qin Zhou said, “But it was this kid’s idea, so if you want to hit someone, hit him. We’ll help you hold him down!”

The three of them bickered internally, directly breaking the tense atmosphere.

“Do I need your help holding someone down?” Jiang Yunyan said calmly.

“No, no need,” the two of them hurriedly said.

With this banter, Jiang Yunyan’s expression improved slightly, his cold gaze sweeping over the group of people standing there. The difference in clothing easily distinguished between Warm Jade’s friends and the ‘friends’ invited.

When he saw the group of young men dressed provocatively with exaggerated makeup, his expression worsened, and he said sternly, “Xiao Qiyuan, have you forgotten what I said?!”

Obviously, his anger was no longer concealed.

Xiao Qiyuan thought to himself that this was not good. His good brother was exposed up close, which was a bit troublesome. He quickly tried to defend himself: “It wasn’t me, I swear! We were just watching the fun, didn’t plan anything. And Little Fish, she’s been so obedient, just eating barbecue over there. Later, we danced, and she went to hide behind alone. That…” He pointed behind Jiang Yunyan.

Seeing Jiang Yunyan turn his head to look, Xiao Qiyuan quickly made a pleading gesture with his hands, silently begging for help: Save me, save me!

Seeing Xiao Qiyuan like this, Qin Zhou and Cheng Yan felt uncomfortable, then they all silently used lip movements to pray: Save me!

If they had run away, they definitely wouldn’t be so pathetic.

But they were caught red-handed.

At this point, not admitting their mistake would only make their situation worse, wouldn’t it?!

Jiang Yunyan also noticed the little girl hiding on the side, wearing long pants and long sleeves, with a coat on, probably feeling a bit cold, as she even buttoned it up.

When their eyes met, Wen Yu smiled at him and called out softly, “Big brother!”

He subconsciously softened his expression, but suddenly caught sight of several young people on the side who were dressed provocatively with exposed clothing and exaggerated makeup, and his expression froze again as he glanced at her.

His expression cleared up, but his lips were a bit redder.

His eyes narrowed slightly, quickly looking towards the barbecue stall nearby. He could still faintly smell the spicy flavor, probably just indulged in eating too much.

Wen Yu noticed his gaze and felt a bit guilty, discreetly wiping her mouth. She had already wiped it clean.

Fortunately, Jiang Yunyan finished looking and didn’t say anything about her situation.

Roughly counting, it went much better than he anticipated, and he nodded slightly, saying, “Hmm.”
Then, his gaze toward the disco area softened a bit.
He turned towards a group of uneasy guests, looking serious and apologetic, “Sorry for the disturbance. My three friends were just playing around with me, causing a bit of misunderstanding. Apologies to everyone.” He glanced at Xiao Chen, “Fetch the red wine I have here as a gesture of apology to everyone.”

Xiao Qiyan’s eyes lit up, volunteering, “I’ll help. With so many people, he can’t carry it alone.”
Jiang Yunyan remained noncommittal.
Xiao Qiyan immediately rushed over, returning shortly with two boxes, initially unnoticed until Yao Xi picked up a bottle, scrutinizing the French words on it for several seconds before asking, “This wine looks familiar. Is it from the Bordeaux estate in F Country, the one that costs a hundred thousand per bottle?”

“Yes!” Qin Zhou smiled, “Give it a try. If it’s not good, we’ll have him replace it with something else. Let’s enjoy ourselves, continue watching the performance, keep dancing, don’t mind him.”
Initially, they refrained from drinking, fearing it might cause trouble. Now, with Jiang Yunyan providing the wine, and more people joining, they could drink without worries.

Xiao Qiyan murmured with lingering fear, “It’s fortunate you guys are here. Otherwise, we’d be in big trouble without any wine.”

Cheng Yan opened a bottle, took a sip, and advised, “Drink more; it won’t hurt as much when you get hit later.”

Yao Xi: “…”

It was turning into a beer-like situation. She recognized the wine from a TV series she acted in, where the male lead, from a wealthy family, used this wine to show off. However, that wine in the series was fake. Now, the real version was presented as an apology gift, costing several million for two boxes. Her heart trembled.

It was over; her crush became even more handsome!

With the wine, Xiao Qiyan and the others knew Jiang Yunyan wasn’t planning to pursue the matter. They actively helped diffuse the situation, and soon, the atmosphere heated up again.

Initially uncomfortable, the group relaxed as they received valuable wine as an apology. How could they remain uneasy after such a generous gesture?

Only Yuan Tan watched the man who had already approached Wen Yu with concern.

Qin Zhou noticed and reassured her, “Don’t worry; your sister-in-law holds a high position in their family. Yunyan treats her almost like a son-in-law. Yunyan wouldn’t dare to do anything to your sister-in-law.”

Yuan Tan: “?!”