Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine

Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 101

by Little Panda

Extra 1: The Original Female Lead is Reborn (5)

For some reason, Jiang Yao didn’t dare to look Song Muyun in the eye. Seeing that the maidservants had finished adding water to the tub, she stood up, her eyes fixed on the folding screen. “Stop fooling around. The hot water is ready. Weren’t you going to bathe? Go on.”

She actually felt a pang of guilt.

Song Muyun pouted and stood up. She knew that the current Jiang Yao didn’t like her, and if she pushed too hard, she might actually get angry. Her anger was terrifying.

“Alright, I’ll go wash then. Do you want to wash with me? It’ll be faster, and we can rest sooner.”

The woman stared at Jiang Yao with her clear, limpid eyes.

Jiang Yao was speechless.

She managed a difficult refusal. “No, there’s no need. I like to rest later.”

“Oh, okay then.”

After her reply, she obediently went to take her bath. Jiang Yao sat on the soft couch, completely baffled. How could this be? Why did it feel like Miss Song, this well-bred maiden from a prominent family, was even more wild than she was?

She would never casually ask someone she had just met a day ago to bathe with her!

As a woman, couldn’t you be a little more reserved?

For the first time, Jiang Yao rediscovered her womanly reserve, her face a complex mask as she internally criticized the other woman.

Her peace didn’t last long. From inside, the woman’s voice, softened by the hot water, called out to her. “Jiang Yao, do I not have any undergarments?”¹

Jiang Yao suddenly remembered and quickly replied, “You do! Wait, I’ll go get them for you.”

Song Muyun had just arrived and didn’t have any clothes of her own; she was wearing Jiang Yao’s. Fortunately, Jiang Yao had plenty of clothes, many of which she had never worn.

Jiang Yao went to fetch a new set of undergarments and passed them over the screen. But unexpectedly, the person inside didn’t take them. Instead, a light laugh rang out, and Song Muyun’s voice, tinged with a coquettish tone, said, “Come in. My arms aren’t as long as yours. I can’t reach.”

Jiang Yao paused. She recalled that the bath bucket was indeed some distance from the screen. She had no choice but to say with resignation, “Then hide yourself well. I’m coming in.”

She heard the water shift inside and assumed the person was already hidden. She hurried in to deliver the clothes, but to her surprise, the moment she entered, she was met with the sight of two bright red cherries. She froze, unable to react, even forgetting something as crucial as averting her eyes.

Song Muyun loved seeing Jiang Yao’s dazed look; it was exceptionally cute. She smiled sweetly. The two flushes of red on her cheeks, originally from shyness, slowly faded when she saw Jiang Yao’s face turn red as well. Her own shyness receded, and for the first time, she was so unrestrained, so bold, as she blinked at Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao still couldn’t process it. She could only watch as Song Muyun extended her snow-white, sleek, lotus-root-like arms. Although there were some scars on them, in Jiang Yao’s eyes, they were still exceedingly beautiful.

Her slender, jade-like fingers beckoned to Jiang Yao. Her phoenix eyes blinked gently, and her voice was soft and cottony, carrying a hint of intimacy as she wheedled, “Weren’t you here to bring me my clothes? You should give them to me.”

Jiang Yao was stupefied. She subconsciously handed over the clothes. Song Muyun took them and was about to lift her leg to step out of the tub, which was absolutely terrifying.

Jiang Yao had never been so flustered. Without a word, she scrambled out of the bathroom and stood outside, her heart still pounding wildly, as if she had seen something she absolutely shouldn’t have.

The blush on her cheeks never faded.

It wasn’t until the splashing sounds inside quieted that Song Muyun walked out. The slender figure stood before her, tilting her head with a smile. “Jiang Yao, I’m done washing.”

Water dripped from the woman’s wet hair, a few strands of black silk clinging to the side of her face. She was shorter than Jiang Yao and terribly thin, so the undergarments hung loosely on her, revealing only the tips of her pink fingers. She hesitated, wondering whether to take Jiang Yao’s hand, and just looked at Jiang Yao obediently.

Jiang Yao paused for a long moment before regaining some of her senses. “Oh, you’re done. Then dry your hair, or you’ll have a headache tomorrow.”

With that, she tried to leave, but this time, a hand caught hers and stopped her.

Song Muyun swayed their joined hands, muttering unhappily, “But it’s hard for me to dry it.”

“Can you help me?”

…

“Fine. Go sit over there.”

Jiang Yao found it somewhat impossible to refuse the woman’s glistening eyes, which looked as if they had been washed with clear water, utterly pitiable.

A maidservant came in to change the water in the tub. Jiang Yao grabbed a clean cotton cloth and followed to help Song Muyun dry her hair.

Her hair was soaking wet, and the dry clothes she had just put on were quickly dampened, faintly revealing the delicate, pale softness underneath.

Jiang Yao tried her best to be proper and not let her eyes wander. Even though the young woman before her wasn’t the least bit reserved, she couldn’t be the one to take the initiative to offend her.

She gathered the soft, wet hair in her palm and pressed the dry cotton cloth against it, soaking up the excess water bit by bit. “Next time, wring it out more before you come out. It’s not good to get your clothes wet.”

Song Muyun, with her back to her, had a voice still brimming with countless smiles. She hummed coquettishly, “What, are you complaining that I got your clothes wet?”

She was so good at twisting words.

Jiang Yao sighed and shrugged out of habit. “No, I’m just worried you’ll catch a cold like this. I’ll find you another set of clothes later for you to change into.”

Her constitution was very poor; she couldn’t even warm up her own bed. Jiang Yao couldn’t help but worry.

“Mm, I know. I’ll listen to you.”

Perhaps because she had just been reborn, her spirits were too high, and she had seemed energetic during the day. But now, after soaking in the bath and having Jiang Yao wring her hair dry, a wave of exhaustion instantly washed over her, making her drowsy. Her back ached, too.

The woman’s voice was soft, already laced with sleepiness, as she spoke to Jiang Yao behind her. “When are we going to sleep? I’m sleepy.”

Jiang Yao was patient and gentle. “Once I’ve helped you dry your hair, you can sleep.”

“But I’m sleepy now.”

She was acting spoiled, and a little unreasonable.

“No. If your hair isn’t dry, you’ll have a headache tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll sleep leaning against your chest while you dry it for me.”

Before Jiang Yao could say anything, she had already leaned back on her own accord. Her slender back rested against Jiang Yao’s chest, and she urged, “Hurry up and dry it for me. I want to sleep for a bit.”

…

Why does this feel like Jiang Huai bullied her, but I’m the one who has to serve her like a slave to atone for his sins?

Damn it, Jiang Huai, this matter definitely isn’t over!

You just wait for this mother!

While holding Song Muyun’s shoulders to steady her so she could sleep more comfortably, Jiang Yao fumed indignantly.

After a good while, her hair was finally dry. In the flickering candlelight, she softly called out “Miss Song” a couple of times, but the person in her arms didn’t respond. She must have truly fallen asleep.

Resigned, Jiang Yao lifted her horizontally into her arms and carried her to the bed. Then she called for someone to change the water and went to wash up herself.

She had sweated a lot today just from being angry.

In the steamy bathroom, the woman leaned against the edge of the tub, finally able to clear her mind and sort through the day’s events.

From the moment she was abruptly woken from her nap, everything that followed was like a runaway horse—unpredictable.

Jiang Huai was actually capable of doing something like that?

And the woman he bullied was now clinging to her and refusing to leave?

She had even refused the Jiang Residence’s compensation, wanting only her.

Sitting in the tub, Jiang Yao rubbed her temples, feeling a sharp headache.

But before she could make any sense of it and decide how to deal with this young woman in the future, a tragic scream suddenly erupted from outside the room.

“Ah—Jiang Yao!”

Jiang Yao’s mind snapped to attention. Fearing something had happened to her, she hastily shook off the water, threw on some clothes, and rushed out, anxiously calling, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare? Weren’t you fine just now?”

The next moment, a fragrant breeze swept past, and the woman threw herself into her arms like a young swallow throwing itself into one’s arms.²

Jiang Yao was shocked. With her years of martial arts training, she hadn’t even seen how she’d gotten there!

It felt like in a flash, the person had just appeared in her arms.

She was a heavy weight in her embrace, clinging to her shoulders, trying to hang onto her body. Her voice was frantic, even carrying the sound of tears. “Jiang Yao, Jiang Yao, where did you go? I dreamed you left. I dreamed you didn’t want me anymore. Jiang Yao, you said you would take care of me, you can’t abandon me, you can’t be a liar, wuwuwu…”

The young woman suddenly burst into tears, her fingers gripping Jiang Yao’s shoulders so tightly it hurt, a testament to her strength.

Jiang Yao was startled. Seeing her clinging to her shoulders and not letting go, her legs also wrapped around hers in an extremely indecent manner. But she seemed to lack strength, her body kept sliding down. Jiang Yao quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and supported her soft bottom, allowing her to hang on more easily without having to scramble with both hands and feet.

Seeing that the woman could finally whimper steadily, Jiang Yao breathed a sigh of relief. She held her firmly and, thinking of the tearful words she had just spoken, felt exceptionally helpless. “Dreams are the opposite of reality. I was just bathing. I didn’t leave, and I don’t not want you. I said I’d take care of you. As long as you don’t leave on your own, I will definitely take care of you. I won’t lie to you.”

She soothed her in a low voice.

Song Muyun gripped Jiang Yao’s shoulders tightly, her translucent eyes filled with a watery mist, her thin lips pressed together as if she hadn’t heard. Suddenly, she hugged Jiang Yao even tighter, rubbing her head against her neck. Her little bottom also trembled, rubbing against Jiang Yao’s palm as her muffled voice said, “Jiang Yao, you can’t abandon me.”

Her emotions were unstable right now, so Jiang Yao could only go along with her. “Alright, I won’t abandon you.”

Then she heard the endless grievance in Song Muyun’s trembling voice. “Anyone can abandon me, but you can’t. You’re not allowed to abandon me.”

She had nothing left. She only wanted Jiang Yao. Just her would be enough.

The meaning was expressed with perfect clarity. Anyone with even a slight understanding of ‘mirror polishing’ would have become suspicious. But Jiang Yao was only shocked. She felt something was very wrong. For Song Muyun to speak like this was very wrong, but if you asked her what was wrong, she couldn’t say.

She just felt that these were words a woman should only say to a man. Song Muyun…

Why did she keep saying them to her?

The twenty-year-old young miss, who had only ever read heterosexual storybooks, was simple and ignorant. She had not yet learned anything about ‘mirror polishing’ and naturally didn’t think in that direction. The moment she felt something was off, she quickly accepted it because of the pitiful woman in her arms, who was tightly clutching her sleeve and silently pressing for an answer.

Who cares what’s strange about her? Song Muyun is crying, crying so hard she’s hiccupping. It’s heart-wrenching.

“Alright, I won’t abandon you.”

After agreeing, Jiang Yao, still in the same position, held the woman’s soft bottom and carried her to the bed. She watched as she refused to touch the bed, instead curling up in her arms like a little kitten, even tucking her pale, jade-like feet into her embrace.

Jiang Yao frowned, only just noticing. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”

She reached out to touch Song Muyun’s snow-white instep. There were no injuries, the veins were clear, the skin soft and tender, and it was cold to the touch.

“Don’t you know that chills enter the body from the soles of the feet? Next time, no matter how urgent it is, you must put on shoes before getting out of bed.”

She couldn’t bear to see Song Muyun being so careless with her own body.

The room was kept very clean. Even though Song Muyun had run around barefoot for a while, her feet hadn’t picked up any dirt. In Jiang Yao’s hands, they looked pale and tender.

But having been scolded, the person hung her head, listless and too guilty to speak.

Jiang Yao held that foot and frowned, ordering someone to bring a basin of water. She then wet a cloth, wrung it out, and personally wiped away the invisible dust from her feet.

The pair of pale, jade-like feet were wiped until they were moist and perfectly clean, but the water made their tips even colder. Jiang Yao gave them a rub, then manually stuffed her into the thick quilt, ignoring her resistant pushes.

Song Muyun had no choice but to drag the quilt and shuffle her bottom closer to Jiang Yao, stubbornly leaning against her shoulder once more.

Seeing the lingering fear on her face from the nightmare, Jiang Yao didn’t refuse her again. She wrapped an arm around her, quilt and all, and patted her back comfortingly. “What are you afraid of? Didn’t you see me here when you woke up? I didn’t leave, and I certainly didn’t abandon you. There, there, no more crying, hmm?”

Jiang Yao stroked Song Muyun’s soft cheek, wiping away the tear tracks.

Song Muyun sniffled. Her slender fingers clenched into a fist and she punched Jiang Yao once. There was no force behind it; it was incredibly soft. Jiang Yao suspected it was because she had hurt herself washing clothes in the rain today, which was why she was so weak. She was already mentally planning how to nurse her back to health, not at all considering that perhaps the other person just couldn’t bear to hit her hard.

Jiang Yao enveloped that fist in her hand. She heard the other person complain, “Whose fault is it that you weren’t here? I woke up and couldn’t see you. Do you know how scared I was?”

Her courage was terribly small now. She was terrified of returning to her first life, after the Jiang family had been beheaded.

What was the point of going back to that time?

Jiang Yao was gone. She would have to immerse herself in pain day after day, living only to kill Murong Qing. But he had become the Emperor and was incredibly difficult to kill. She failed time and time again. Life was truly meaningless.

Song Muyun didn’t want to live that kind of life again.

She leaned against Jiang Yao’s chest, listening to her strong, steady heartbeat. Her own drifting, restless heart finally settled down.

Jiang Yao didn’t understand what she had to be so afraid of, but she patiently explained, “I was just bathing in there. I might have taken a little longer this time. I’m sorry, I’ll come out sooner next time.”

She didn’t know why she was apologizing. In short, seeing Song Muyun cry, seeing her sad, made her feel like it was her fault.

She had to coax her quickly. Miss Song’s body was weak right now; she couldn’t keep crying like this.

Yet even after she apologized, Song Muyun remained relentless. First, she wriggled in Jiang Yao’s arms under the quilt, letting out a long, coquettish sigh, then made her demand. “That won’t do. Next time, I want to sit outside and keep you company while you wash. What if you disappear while you’re washing?”

She looked up, her beautiful eyes clear as day, yet tinged with a hint of worry, as if she truly believed it.

If Jiang Huai had said this, Jiang Yao would have told him to stop being crazy. But it was Song Muyun who said it.

Facing such a refined young woman, there were many things she couldn’t bring herself to say. She paused, her expression growing even more helpless. “Me bathing with you listening outside? What would people say? Are all the talented ladies in the capital as ill-mannered as you?”

Her words held no reprimand, but rather a hint of indulgence. Song Muyun’s eyes brightened. She reached out from the quilt to wrap her arms around Jiang Yao’s neck, her expression growing more pitiful. “The other jiejies are surely very well-mannered, but I’m just the daughter of a convicted official now. I’m no longer some famous talented lady of the capital. I’ve been in a Music House, and I’ve served your residence’s Second Young Master. My life has been more bitter than a lotus seed heart.³ It’s rare for someone to say they’ll protect me. I’m afraid you’ll disappear, you know? What if this is all a dream? If I wake up and you’re not here, I’ll be scared to tears.”

Towards the end, her words were tinged with genuine emotion. Her eyes instantly misted over again. Hearing the first part, Jiang Yao only felt pity, but when she made to cry, Jiang Yao immediately sat up straight and conceded. “Alright, alright! If you’re that worried, you can listen from outside. It’s not a big deal, not worth your tears.”

A woman’s tears were so precious. How could she cry so freely all the time?

Hearing her agree, the sadness in Song Muyun’s heart instantly vanished. The corners of her lips subconsciously turned up in a faint, sweet, and gentle smile.

Now she was smiling again. It made her on-the-verge-of-tears look from just now seem like an act.

Jiang Yao thought so, but didn’t say it out loud. She just ruffled the woman’s soft hair a couple of times and said in a gentle voice, “I’m a living person, not just someone in your dreams. Even when you wake up tomorrow, I’ll still be here.”

She didn’t know why this young woman who had been through so much had singled her out, why she relied on her alone, why she sought only her protection. But the feeling wasn’t bad. Jiang Yao had never been relied on, hugged, or pleaded with by such a soft and “obedient” young woman. As long as she didn’t make any major mistakes, given what Jiang Huai owed her, protecting her for a lifetime wasn’t a big problem.

“Mm, then it’s a promise. When I wake up tomorrow, you have to be here too. You’re not allowed to leave me.”

“Alright.”

Unwittingly, Jiang Yao lost her right to move about freely in the morning, yet she remained blissfully unaware, smiling at Song Muyun all the more cheerfully.

They had already agreed to sleep together, so after coaxing her, they naturally got into bed.

Song Muyun was blushing, about to offer half of her quilt to Jiang Yao, when she heard Jiang Yao call out loudly for Cui Zhu. The maidservant with the jade-green hairpin entered with small steps, bowing her head to await orders.

“Go get another quilt.”

She watched, wide-eyed, as Jiang Yao added another quilt right in front of her. They would share a bed, but sleep with separate quilts.⁴

The young woman was furious. Just moments ago, she had planned to obediently curl up in her arms and have her hold her to sleep. Who would have thought she’d be so clueless? With a beauty right in front of her, she actually went and got a new quilt!

Is she really into ‘mirror polishing’ or not?!

I’m so mad! She doesn’t want to sleep with me, and I don’t want to sleep with her either!

Song Muyun turned away in a huff, leaving Jiang Yao with only the sight of her slender back.

Jiang Yao had missed her afternoon nap. The moment her head hit the pillow, drowsiness washed over her, and she fell into a deep sleep, completely oblivious to the fact that someone was angry.

By the time Song Muyun’s anger subsided and she had finally reconciled with herself, she turned her head, expecting to see Jiang Yao pondering how to coax her. But instead! She saw Jiang Yao facing her, breathing steadily, already fast asleep!

…

Angry, shaking, cold.⁵ She didn’t know how much effort it took to stop herself from waking Jiang Yao up.

What could possibly be more infuriating than her being unhappy over here while Jiang Yao was sound asleep over there?

Song Muyun was so angry her eyes turned red. It took a long, long time for her to calm her emotions and stop herself from crying out loud.

Jiang Yao doesn’t like me right now. We only met a few times long ago. I can’t be unhappy, I can’t be unreasonable. It’ll make Jiang Yao hate me.

The young woman clenched her fists again and again in the cool bedding. The night was dark, and moonlight filtered through the gauze window, scattering into the room. The canopy bed swayed slightly in the moonlight. The small lump on the bed shifted up and down, causing the other small lump to move with it. Slowly, one of the small lumps flattened out. The person hidden inside had vanished, having secretly crawled into the other lump.

Jiang Yao seemed to sense something. Her eyes opened a crack, and as if remembering something, she mumbled, “Miss Song…”

Song Muyun hid in her arms and answered in a small, guilty voice, “Mm, it’s me.”

And so Jiang Yao’s mind was put at ease. She securely held the person in her arms, turned over, and fell back into a deep sleep.

Forced to turn with her, Song Muyun’s heart beat rapidly. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and it took a great effort to calm herself. Behind her was the woman’s warm chest. Being held by her, the chill was gradually driven away. She was finally no longer cold.

Just a moment ago, she had been too angry to sleep. Now, in Jiang Yao’s arms, drowsiness quickly returned. She closed her eyes and, in a flash, entered a sweet dream.

This time, she didn’t dream that Jiang Yao abandoned her. She dreamed of a large bed, and of Jiang Yao lying on it, beckoning to her.

To hold onto this warmth, she was willing to give something in return. So, without hesitation, Song Muyun walked closer and leaned down to kiss her.

It was a beautiful dream. In her entire life, she had never been so indulgent, so happy…

The next day, Jiang Yao opened her eyes early, for no other reason than to drag Jiang Huai over for a beating.

However, as she tried to get up, she finally noticed the extra something in her arms. She looked down and saw the woman sleeping comfortably in her embrace, her face rosy. To be honest, Jiang Yao wasn’t very surprised.

Ever since she had saved Song Muyun yesterday, she had become very clingy, even worrying she would disappear while taking a bath. With such a clingy personality, it seemed highly plausible that she would secretly crawl into her bed in the middle of the night.

As for why she was so sure that Song Muyun had crawled in on her own, rather than her having a bad sleeping posture and pulling her over, one only had to ask the other quilt, which was lying perfectly neat and tidy.

It clearly hadn’t been slept in much.

Jiang Yao pressed the corners of her eyes. What else could she do? Her brother owed her. She could only accept it.

Besides, the woman’s bones were soft, and she felt good to hold.

Jiang Yao carefully placed her back on the bed. She saw her nose twitch as she hugged the quilt and turned over, not woken by the movement.

Reassured, she went out and ordered someone to summon Jiang Huai.

The sky had not yet fully brightened. When Jiang Huai arrived, he was still groggy, his whole person in a daze. The dark circles under his eyes showed he hadn’t slept well all night.

But Jiang Yao didn’t care about that. She grabbed the back of his collar and asked if he had thought about how he was going to explain himself to the old man.

The “old man” was their father, Jiang Heng.

Hearing this, Jiang Huai was instantly wide awake. He begged Jiang Yao not to tell their father about this, or at least to embellish it a little!

With his father’s temperament, if he knew he had done such a thing, a round of family discipline⁶ was unavoidable.

Jiang Huai’s face was ashen. His bottom was already starting to hurt before the beating even began.

But one look at his sister told him her heart and lungs were made of ice. She definitely wouldn’t pass up such a good opportunity to watch him get beaten.

Just as Jiang Yao was about to mock him, the sound of frantic footsteps came from the room. A person stumbled out, their eyes full of despair, only lighting up upon seeing Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao turned around, bewildered, and was once again tackled with a full-body hug.

The author has something to say:

Today I read a very angsty novel called 《The Glacier Gradually Warms》. It’s only twenty-something chapters in and it’s already made me miserable. I’ve discovered that Baihe novels are the only genre where I can’t tell if it’s sweet or angsty just from the summary, because at a glance, every single one feels super angsty QAQ. Baihe, are there no sweet stories?!

Footnotes

Original term: 亵衣亵裤 (xièyī xièkù). This refers to traditional inner garments, consisting of a top (the xieyi) and trousers (the xieku).
An idiom, ‘like a young swallow throwing itself into one’s arms’ (乳燕投怀, rǔ yàn tóu huái), used to describe someone, usually a woman, throwing themselves into another’s embrace with graceful abandon.
The ‘liánzǐ xīn’ is the green germ or plumule inside a lotus seed, which is known in traditional Chinese medicine for being extremely bitter. It is often used metaphorically to describe a bitter life or suffering.
Original term: 分衾而眠 (fēn qīn ér mián). This refers to the practice of sharing a bed but sleeping under separate blankets, which often implies a platonic arrangement or emotional distance.
Original term: 气抖冷 (qì dǒu lěng). This is an anachronistic piece of modern Chinese internet slang, short for ‘I’m so angry my hands are shaking and my body is cold’. It is often used sarcastically to complain about perceived injustices.
Original term: 家法 (jiāfǎ). This refers to formal punishment carried out within a clan or family, often involving corporal punishment like caning.

Footnotes

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