Transmigrating Into a Book, the Villain Becomes the White Moonlight!

160: Chapter 160 Lin Wan and Mu Xue’s Peaceful Time(I’ve been very sleepy since the stitches were finished after the brain hemorrhage; I’m only awake for a few hours a day.)

(I didn’t write these; I just want to earn my pay for this month.)

(My apologies to everyone.)

”Let’s talk upstairs.” Su Bai pushed open the door to a nearby private booth and gestured for the two women to enter.

Mu Xue and Lin Wan walked in and sat on the sofa. Su Bai closed the door and sat across from them.

”What I mean is,” he looked at the two women, his tone tinged with confusion, ”how did you find out about this place?”

He had never mentioned this place to them.

The Club’s affairs, Chu Ci’s matters, those shady businesses—he had always kept them strictly separate from their lives.

Mu Xue didn’t speak, only glancing at Lin Wan.

Lin Wan leaned back against the sofa with a calm expression. ”Uncle Fu told us.”

Su Bai’s brow twitched.

”We called him,” Lin Wan continued, ”and asked if he knew where you were. He said you might be here, so we came.”

Su Bai was silent for a few seconds before nodding.

Indeed, he couldn’t hide things from Uncle Fu.

The booth fell silent for a moment.

Mu Xue looked at him and spoke up. ”You didn’t come back all night, and you didn’t answer your phone. Did something happen?”

Su Bai leaned back on the sofa, not answering immediately.

He looked at the two women across from him—one was his girlfriend in a confirmed relationship, and the other was his fiancée by marriage contract.

They sat there, their gazes fixed on him, not pressing for answers or blaming him, just waiting for him to speak.

”Something came up,” he said. ”I spent the whole night dealing with it.”

Lin Wan saw the unmistakable exhaustion on his face and didn’t ask any further.

”Is it finished?” she asked.

”Pretty much.”

Mu Xue stood up. ”Then let’s go home.”

Su Bai looked at her, suddenly at a loss for words.

Mu Xue was already walking toward the door. Lin Wan stood up as well and glanced at him.

”What are you dazing off for?” she said. ”Let’s go.”

Su Bai stood up and followed them out.

As they reached the exit, he suddenly remembered something and looked back at the iron door leading to the basement.

Mu Xue followed his gaze but didn’t ask anything.

The three of them left the Club. Sunlight fell on the steps in front of the entrance, stretching their shadows long.

Su Bai walked in front, with Mu Xue and Lin Wan following behind. None of the three spoke.

Chu Ci stood at the entrance of the Club to see them off, only turning to go back inside once the black sedan had driven out of sight.

It was very quiet inside the car.

Uncle Fu drove, glancing at the three in the back seat through the rearview mirror. He didn’t ask anything, simply keeping the car’s speed steady.

Mu Xue sat to Su Bai’s left, leaning against the window and watching the streetscape flash by. Lin Wan sat on the right, looking at something on her phone, the screen’s light reflecting on her face.

Su Bai was sandwiched in the middle, leaning against the seat back with his eyes closed.

He hadn’t slept a wink last night, and now that the sun was up, exhaustion was setting in.

Random thoughts whirled through his mind like a revolving lantern—Ran Shu, Brother Bufan, the two Bald Brothers, and that ten-square-meter room in the basement.

As they whirled, he suddenly heard someone speaking beside him.

”We’re here.”

It was Mu Xue’s voice.

Su Bai opened his eyes to find the car had already stopped at the villa’s entrance.

The three of them got out and went inside. The living room looked just as it had yesterday; the plates of leftovers on the table had been cleared away, and a faint scent of cleaning agent lingered in the air.

Mu Xue took off her coat, draped it over the back of a chair, and looked back at Su Bai.

”Have you eaten?”

Su Bai thought for a moment; it seemed he really hadn’t eaten much since last night.

”No.”

Lin Wan was already walking toward the kitchen. ”Just sit down.”

Su Bai sat on the sofa and watched as Lin Wan opened the refrigerator and Mu Xue went in to help. One washed the vegetables while the other chopped, their coordination seamless and wordless.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling onto the coffee table.

Su Bai leaned back on the sofa, watching the two figures in the kitchen, suddenly feeling a bit dazed.

Just a moment ago, he was in that dim basement room, telling a killer who wanted him dead, ”After all, we were friends back then.”

Now he was sitting here, waiting for two women to cook for him.

It was quite a jarring contrast.

But he didn’t dwell on it.

Drowsiness surged again, so he leaned back and closed his eyes.

The sound of the oil pan came from the kitchen, sizzling and popping, mixed with the rhythmic thudding of a knife. There was also the sound of running water and an occasional low exchange—he couldn’t hear what they were saying, but their voices were very soft, as if they didn’t want to disturb anyone.

Su Bai leaned on the sofa, listening to those sounds as his consciousness slowly drifted.

The last thing he heard was Mu Xue’s voice, seemingly asking him—

”Asleep?”

He didn’t answer.

Sunlight fell on his eyelids, feeling warm.

[System Administration Bureau]

The lighting in the office area was a spiritless, cold white. A few people sat sporadically at rows of workstations, most of the screens dark. Xiao You’s desk was in the corner, piled with snack bags and half-finished milk tea. The light from her computer screen reflected on her face, making her eyes look bright.

She stared at the screen for a long while, a potato chip suspended in mid-air, forgotten.

On the screen, Su Bai was leaning on the sofa resting with his eyes closed, sunlight falling on his face. The image was frozen there, motionless, like a still shot.

Xiao You chewed the chip crumbs in her mouth and turned to look at Liu Ruyan at the next workstation.

”Hey,” she spoke, her tone tinged with inner conflict, ”I want to ask you something.”

Liu Ruyan was flipping through some documents, head down. ”Go ahead.”

”Su Bai’s current state,” Xiao You pointed at the screen, ”is he not touching the Protagonist because he’s afraid that after the mission is completed, this world will be reclaimed by the Bureau?”

Liu Ruyan’s hand flipping the documents paused.

She looked up at Xiao You and was silent for a few seconds.

”What do you think?”

”I think so.” Xiao You put down the chip bag and leaned closer to Liu Ruyan. ”Look, after he transmigrated, he clearly had the ability to clean up Brother Bufan completely, but he hasn’t made a killing move. Those two baldies kidnapped Brother Bufan, and he just smiled, not taking it seriously. Ran Shu came to kill him, he locked her up but didn’t kill her.”

She paused and lowered her voice. ”Is he afraid that once the Protagonist is killed, the mission will be considered complete? Then the world gets reclaimed, and his life this time is over?”

Liu Ruyan didn’t speak.

Xiao You waited a few seconds and added, ”But if he doesn’t act against the Protagonist, this world will still have problems. The plot will correct itself, the Protagonist will slowly get stronger, and they’ll eventually clash. If he doesn’t act then and the world collapses, the Bureau will just send in a newcomer anyway.”

After finishing, she looked at Liu Ruyan, waiting for an answer.

Liu Ruyan put down the stack of documents, leaned back, and rubbed her temples.

”You’re right about everything.” she said, her voice a bit raspy. ”If he doesn’t touch the Protagonist, the world resets and the Bureau replaces him. If he does, the world might be reclaimed, and his life is over.”

Xiao You blinked. ”Then what should he do?”

Liu Ruyan looked at the ceiling, silent for a long time.

”I don’t know.” she finally said. ”Maybe he doesn’t know either.”

Xiao You turned her head, looking at the man with closed eyes on the screen.

Sunlight still fell on his face, unmoving.

She took a potato chip, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed slowly.

”But during his last transmigration, it was because he completed all the missions, and with a perfect rating.” Xiao You put the chip bag on her lap, counting on her fingers. ”What was the result? His girlfriend died. Do you think he’d dare do it again?”

Liu Ruyan didn’t speak.

Xiao You continued, ”Now he has Mu Xue and Lin Wan, living a life as comfortable as can be. If he kills Brother Bufan and the world is reclaimed, all these people will be gone. If it were you, would you do it?”

”And if he doesn’t act?” Liu Ruyan asked back.

Xiao You was stunned for a moment.

”If he doesn’t act, the plot will move forward on its own.” Liu Ruyan moved her swivel chair closer to Xiao You, her arms draped over the backrest. ”Brother Bufan is being handled by those two idiots now, but he’s the Protagonist; he has plot armor. After a while, when his injuries heal and his influence grows, he’ll still clash with Su Bai. Then it’s kill or be killed; where do you think Su Bai can hide?”

Xiao You opened her mouth but didn’t say anything.

Liu Ruyan looked at her, her tone calm. ”And don’t forget, this world is already being watched by the Bureau. The longer Su Bai stalls, the more unstable the world becomes. When it eventually collapses and the Bureau sends in a newcomer, he’ll still lose everything.”

”Then you mean...” Xiao You’s voice dropped, ”He’ll definitely act?”

Liu Ruyan leaned back, looking at the ceiling.

”I think so.”

”Why?”

”Because this is his second transmigration.” Liu Ruyan turned to look at Xiao You. ”He knows better than anyone that not acting is the fastest way to die. Stalling, waiting, hoping the Protagonist disappears on his own—that’s a pipe dream. Only by taking the initiative can he possibly find a third path.”

Xiao You was silent for a while.

She took a potato chip, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed slowly.

”A third path...” she muttered, ”Is there really one?”

Liu Ruyan didn’t answer.

On the screen, Su Bai was still leaning on the sofa, sunlight on his face, unmoving.

Faint sounds came from the kitchen, Mu Xue and Lin Wan’s voices low and mixed together, unclear.

The scene was so peaceful it didn’t look like a world about to face a storm.

Xiao You stared at the screen for a long time, then suddenly asked, ”What do you think he’s thinking right now?”

Liu Ruyan glanced at the screen.

”I don’t know.” she said. ”Maybe what to have for dinner.”

Xiao You burst out laughing.

But as she laughed, she couldn’t laugh anymore.

---

On the other side, Su Bai was called up from the sofa by the two women. Dazed, he washed his hands and sat at the dining table.

The meal was ready. Four dishes and a soup, steaming hot, looking surprisingly good—much more refined than the home-cooked meals he usually ate.

The braised pork was glossy, the stir-fried vegetables vibrant green, and there was a bowl of soft-stewed pork rib soup, the aroma wafting into his nose.

Su Bai was stunned for a moment, looking up at the two women opposite him.

Lin Wan was using her chopsticks to serve him food, her movements natural and expression calm.

Mu Xue was ladling soup nearby. After filling a bowl, she gently pushed it to his hand, then withdrew her hand and picked up her own chopsticks.

Neither spoke.

Su Bai lowered his head and took a bite; the taste was indeed better than usual.

As he chewed, he glanced at the other side. Lin Wan and Mu Xue each ate their own rice, occasionally taking a bite of a dish, their movements light, the sound of utensils clinking almost inaudible.

Sunlight shone through the window onto the table, making the food look glossy.

This meal was exceptionally quiet.

No barbed dialogue, no subtle testing, not even much eye contact.

Each ate their own, occasionally looking up; their gazes merely grazed his face before they returned to their food.

Su Bai suddenly felt a bit out of place.

Usually when these two were together, even if they didn’t argue, there was always an undercurrent. What was wrong today?

He thought about it; it was probably because his own mood wasn’t quite right.

Not sleeping all night, plus the things with Ran Shu—his complexion probably really didn’t look good.

These two usually competed, but at a time like this, they were surprisingly consistent—no more fighting, no more competing, just quietly cooking and quietly eating.

On the surface, Lin Wan was the legitimate fiancée. Su Bai hadn’t made it clear, but the marriage contract was there for all to see.

In reality, he and Mu Xue had long had a substantial relationship—physically and even more so emotionally.

For the first time, these two women were sitting together quietly.

Su Bai took a bite of food and chewed slowly.

He suddenly felt that this was also quite nice.

After eating, Mu Xue stood up to clear the dishes. Lin Wan didn’t move, just checked her phone and put it down.

Su Bai leaned back, watching Mu Xue carry the bowls into the kitchen, hearing the sound of the faucet.

After eating, Su Bai went upstairs to catch up on sleep.

The sound of slippers on the stairs receded step by step, followed finally by a soft sound of a door closing.

The living room fell silent.

Mu Xue was still washing dishes in the kitchen, the water rushing, occasionally mixed with the light clinking of porcelain.

Lin Wan sat for a while, then stood up and walked into the kitchen with her cup of cold tea.

Mu Xue was rinsing a bowl; hearing footsteps, she didn’t look back.

”Leave it, I’ll wash it in a bit.”

”No need.” Lin Wan put the cup by the sink and leaned against the doorframe, ”Just this one.”

Mu Xue didn’t speak again, picked up the cup, rinsed it, and put it on the drying rack.

Neither left.

One washing dishes, one leaning against the doorframe watching.

”He didn’t sleep well last night.” Lin Wan suddenly spoke.

”I can tell.” Mu Xue put the last bowl on the rack, turned off the faucet, and picked up a cloth to wipe her hands, ”There’s dark circles under his eyes.”

”Wonder what he ran into.”

Mu Xue’s hand paused while wiping, then she continued, not replying.

Lin Wan didn’t ask further.

Some things, if he didn’t say, they wouldn’t ask.

After wiping her hands, Mu Xue hung up the cloth and turned to look at Lin Wan.

”What are you doing this afternoon?”

”Company business,” Lin Wan said, ”I have to go in.”

”Then I’ll go back to school.”

The two looked at each other, then turned away simultaneously.

Mu Xue walked to the living room, Lin Wan following. At the stairs, Mu Xue suddenly stopped and looked up—Su Bai’s door was closed, no sound coming from it.

”Let him sleep.” Lin Wan said.

Mu Xue nodded and continued walking out.