Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 122
by Little PandaExtra 3: Main Story Extra (The End)
Jiang Yao and Song Muyun had been married for many years. They were the first wife-and-wife couple in the capital to hold a grand, highly publicized wedding.
At first, the majority of people felt they wouldn’t last long. After all, some felt that two women falling in love went against the harmony of Heaven, and they couldn’t have children. Wasn’t the union of two families solely for the purpose of bearing heirs?
Yet, against all expectations, the two of them stayed together for an extremely long time.
Several years passed. The borderlands remained free of war, allowing Jiang Yao to comfortably stay in the capital. Every day, she attended morning court, and after court concluded, she accompanied her wife. Their days were incredibly peaceful and steady.
Some colleagues had tried inviting her out for entertainment, but she absolutely refused to go.
Her only thought was to head home and find her xifu’er.
If anyone bumped into Jiang Yao outside of working hours, her wife was guaranteed to be right there as well. The two were inseparable, going everywhere together—this had become the basic understanding all her colleagues shared about them.
Today was no different. Jiang Yao brought Song Muyun to Zui Changchun for a meal. Along the way, she ran into a colleague; they nodded in mutual greeting before heading into their respective private rooms.
As they ate, they casually chatted about Jiang Huai’s impending marriage.
Jiang Yao had been married for three years now, and Jiang Ru had long since married the Eighth Prince. Now, only Jiang Huai was left.
The family intended to arrange a marriage for Jiang Huai. Background and status didn’t matter; as long as Jiang Huai liked her, it would be fine.
Regarding this, Jiang Huai had only one requirement: he wanted to find someone who knew martial arts.
This demand infuriated Jiang Heng. He had originally wanted to find a scholar for Jiang Huai, hoping to refine and temper his son’s foppish playboy temperament. He never expected Jiang Huai to stubbornly insist on liking a martial artist!
Having one martial general in the family was already annoying enough; now there was going to be another.
Although Jiang Heng was displeased, he didn’t force Jiang Huai to change his request. After all, it was Jiang Huai getting married and taking a wife; it didn’t strictly concern him.
“Is your brother truly going to marry General Fan?”
Jiang Yao hooked the corners of her lips into a smile. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed somewhat mocking. “Yeah. He said he won’t change his mind, the idiot.”
Song Muyun shook Jiang Yao’s hand, silently forbidding her from cursing, before asking softly, “Is General Fan truly willing to marry him?”
Jiang Yao gave a light hum of affirmation. “Mhm. Fan Jingtan comes from a humble background. Right now, she lacks any substantial backing, making it difficult for her to navigate the royal court.”
“In the future, will General Fan and I be zhouli1?”
She narrowed her eyes with a smile, looking incredibly adorable.
Jiang Yao tapped the tip of the woman’s delicate, perky nose, laughing. “Yes, yes, in the future, the two of you will be zhouli. You’ll have to get along well with her.”
“Mhm, I definitely will!”
After Jiang Ru married the Eighth Prince, she had moved out of the Jiang Residence. In that massive estate, Song Muyun could only really talk to Jiang Yao. She figured having one more person around would be a good thing.
The dishes were quickly served. Jiang Yao lifted her eyes and looked out the window. Down below, Fan Jingtan was leading Jiang Huai on a stroll. It was basically Jiang Huai chattering away nonstop while Fan Jingtan listened in silence. Only the hand gripping her sword looked to be exerting a bit of force, the veins bulging out.
Jiang Yao sneered inwardly. You still want to find a martial general to deal with me? Just look at whether she even wants to pay attention to you.
Fan Jingtan was an upright, hardworking person. She likely wouldn’t be able to tolerate Jiang Huai’s foppish playboy hobbies.
Jiang Huai and General Fan’s marriage was quickly finalized for an auspicious date in early autumn. At the same time, the two wedding dresses Song Muyun had been tirelessly working on were finally completely embroidered.
She had made the wedding garments entirely by herself this time. From selecting the silk threads to weaving the fabric, she hadn’t allowed anyone else to intervene. The floral patterns and motifs embroidered on them had been picked out one by one by her and Jiang Yao. They were exquisitely beautiful.
Alongside them were two bright crimson bridal veils, embroidered with lilies2—also crafted by her own two hands.
After Jiang Huai got married, the Jiang family had no more major events to keep them busy. Jiang Yao secretly bought a residence outside and brought Song Muyun over.
She had once promised Muyun that they would get married a second time—just the two of them, with no one else around.
As a result, the massive estate looked completely normal from the outside, but the inside was lavishly decorated with lanterns and festoons. Anyone who looked would immediately know a wedding was about to take place.
The large red lanterns had been hung up by Jiang Yao one by one, while the beautiful Double Happiness characters3 had been written, meticulously cut out, and pasted onto the windows by Muyun.
There was no one else in this estate, only them. They could do whatever outrageous things they wanted without any issue; ultimately, no one would know, and no one would stop them.
The two women changed into their fiery-red, exquisite wedding dresses and strolled through the flower bushes.
It was only early autumn, so the weather was still a bit warm. Many blooming flowers had been moved into the garden.
There were peonies and herbaceous peonies, but mostly, there were vibrantly colored lilies.
The blossoms formed rich clusters, a dazzling array of brilliant purples and vibrant reds.
One figure in a brightly colored wedding dress lay in the flowers. The other leaned over her, pressing against those two soft, supple lips, licking and kissing them meticulously.
Song Muyun’s eyes stared blankly at the sky above, dotted with sparse stars. A bright moon hung there…
Gradually, even the bright moon began to distort in her vision. Amidst the mist of welling tears, she could no longer see anything clearly.
Perhaps it’s because we’re outside, but my body feels even hotter. What do I do, Jiang Yao…
Calling out to Jiang Yao in her heart, Song Muyun gradually fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
Even though they had known each other for many years, she still frequently couldn’t withstand Jiang Yao’s reckless vigor.
Jiang Yao was a martial general who trained diligently every day. Her entire body was packed with strength; how could Song Muyun endure her coming at it time and time again?
Still, it was much better than when they had first started. Back then, she could only manage one round. Now, she could endure at least three.
Both of their wedding dresses were stained with a bit of dirt and the fragrance of flowers.
The sleeping woman was scooped up by Jiang Yao and carried back into the inner chambers. The wedding dress was carefully taken off and hung up. They would wash them themselves tomorrow.
Muyun had embroidered this stitch by stitch. She couldn’t bear to just throw it away like this; she wanted to keep it forever.
Song Muyun was incredibly exhausted. She didn’t wake up when she was picked up, nor did she wake up when she was set down and changed into fresh clothes. She slept straight through until broad daylight.
Jiang Yao had taken the day off. Although she didn’t have to attend morning court, she still woke up early, leaning against the headboard to read a military treatise.
Song Muyun woke up in a daze. A pampered, pale, and tender hand reached out from beneath the covers and hooked around the wrist of the hand Jiang Yao was using to hold the book. Then, exerting a bit of effort, she sat up and draped her entire body over Jiang Yao, her voice just as clingy and soft as she was.
“Jiang Yao~”
“Mhm, I’m here, I’m here.”
Jiang Yao supported Song Muyun’s back with one hand, helping her adjust her position. Then, she switched hands to hold the military book, using her newly freed hand to grasp Song Muyun’s slender, soft waist.
The person in her arms poked at Jiang Yao’s equally soft chest, her voice laced with dissatisfaction. “You’re too bad. All you know how to do is bully people.”
She was referring to the events of last night.
The young lady hadn’t been able to take it and had struggled to escape, only for Jiang Yao to grab her by her slender, pale ankles and hold her back.
Her entire body was covered in marks left by the other woman’s kisses.
Her collarbones, her chest, her waist and abdomen, the roots of her thighs… and, and even that place. An entire night had passed, yet she still felt it was protruding, unable to retract. The moment it was touched, a sore, swollen sensation flared up—an indescribable feeling.
Song Muyun blinked her long eyelashes. Her cheeks had long since flushed completely red. Not daring to move anymore, she leaned obediently against Jiang Yao.
Jiang Yao laughed. She was hardly a good person to begin with, so she smugly told Song Muyun, “Who told you to seduce me? If there’s a next time, I’ll bully you again.”
Jiang Yao was always like this. She was clearly the one who couldn’t hold herself back, yet she always claimed it was Song Muyun seducing her.
If there was a next time, she still wouldn’t be able to hold back, and then she would say Song Muyun seduced her again. But how had she seduced her?
Bad person.
“You just like bullying me.”
Muyun pouted her rosy lips.
Jiang Yao tossed the military book casually to the side and turned to kiss those soft, tender lips. She took the entirety of Muyun’s pouting lips into her mouth, sucking and pulling until they were swollen and burning hot before finally letting go.
The woman’s watery eyes gazed at her with a mix of resentment and grievance. In the end, she didn’t dare say anything more, afraid she would be kissed until she couldn’t breathe.
It was noon by the time the two finally got out of bed. They went to Zui Changchun for a meal, buying tanghulu and some pastries on the way back.
Today was the third day since Jiang Huai’s wedding. The red lanterns hanging in the residence had yet to be taken down, making the estate still look incredibly festive at a glance.
Jiang Yao held Song Muyun’s hand as they walked in from the outside. However, the moment they stepped into the backyard, they heard a man’s miserable, bloodcurdling scream. “Ah—!”
It gave Jiang Yao a fright. She reflexively pulled Song Muyun tight against her, asking nervously, “Fan Jingtan hasn’t beaten Jiang Huai to death, has she?”
That absolutely won’t do. He’s my blood brother, after all.
Song Muyun had heard the tragic scream as well. She hesitated before saying, “Why don’t we go over and take a look?”
“Alright.”
The two of them walked hand in hand toward Jiang Huai’s courtyard.
Then, they saw it… Fan Jingtan was stepping on Jiang Huai’s back, pinning him beneath her. She had both his arms wrenched behind him in a hold, strictly controlling him so he couldn’t move.
Jiang Huai was screaming and struggling at the same time.
Jiang Yao: “…”
Well done.
On the ground, Jiang Huai had struggled so hard his veins were bulging, his face completely red, and his neck thick with exertion. But Fan Jingtan’s expression remained cold and indifferent as she easily suppressed his resistance.
This wasn’t a huge matter. Both Jiang Yao and Song Muyun breathed a sigh of relief.
Song Muyun glanced at him and secretly laughed, though she didn’t dare show it openly. After all, he was her brother-in-law.
Jiang Yao gave a light cough, masking her amusement, and greeted Fan Jingtan. “General Fan, what are you doing…?”
Hearing Jiang Yao’s voice, Jiang Huai twisted his head around with great difficulty, only to see Jiang Yao standing aside with her xifu’er to watch him make a fool of himself!
Outraged, he snapped his head back down, his heart finally turning to ash as he pressed his face against the stone slabs and stopped struggling.
Fan Jingtan didn’t get up. She continued pinning him down, merely giving a slight nod. “General Jiang. Your brother wanted to go to the gambling house.”
Jiang Yao: “???”
She already had no objections to someone teaching her younger brother a lesson. Now that she heard he had wanted to visit a gambling house, she had even fewer objections.
Beat him, beat him. This rotten brother deserves a beating.
“Thank you for the hard work of disciplining him, General Fan. You are Jiang Huai’s wife now, so it’s only right that you guide his behavior. We’ll be taking our leave then.”
Jiang Yao tugged at Song Muyun’s hand. The latter obediently followed behind her, leaving together.
Only when they had walked a bit further away did Song Muyun dare to lean in and whisper, “General Fan’s strength is so great. Jiang Huai couldn’t move an inch.”
Without changing her expression, Jiang Yao pinched the soft waist in her arms. The pinch made Song Muyun shudder all over; her legs went weak, and she involuntarily fell into Jiang Yao’s embrace. As Song Muyun looked up at her in bewilderment, Jiang Yao complained in dissatisfaction, “You’re not allowed to praise anyone else. My strength is great, too.”
Martial artists all have significant strength. Normally, Yun’er can’t break free from my grasp either, so why is she only praising someone else now?
Song Muyun had been teased until her entire body was flushed pink. They were still outside, and she was afraid Jiang Yao might do something even more shameful. Left with no choice, she leaned against Jiang Yao and obediently praised her, “Mhm, mhm, your strength is great too.”
Seeing her behave so obediently, Jiang Yao smiled in satisfaction. She told her, “Usually, no one controls Jiang Huai, so he often acts too outrageously. It’s a good thing General Fan is keeping him in check now.”
Furthermore, General Fan was slightly older than Jiang Huai and had a steady personality. To sum it up: extremely reliable.
Jiang Yao trusted her completely. She was certain Fan Jingtan could beat her idiot brother into submission.
Sure enough, a man’s high-pitched, miserable screams soon rang out from the courtyard.
Jiang Huai was drilled until he was howling in pain. Then, he was forced to sit in the courtyard and read a book right under Fan Jingtan’s watchful eyes. His heart was filled with extreme regret. Why did I have to look for a wife who knew martial arts?!
Why!!!
Who knew a martial artist wife wouldn’t help him deal with his sister at all, and would instead just bully him!
Books, books, books! What’s so good about reading books!
He angrily went to throw the book away. But Fan Jingtan, sensing it mid-sword practice, shot him a light, fleeting glance. He instantly behaved himself.
Aside from the times he was suppressed by Jiang Yao, he had never felt so full of daring anger yet too afraid to speak. But even Jiang Yao didn’t care whether he studied or not, which meant… this was quite simply the most agonizing period of his entire life.
While Jiang Huai wept bitterly in his own courtyard, Jiang Yao and Song Muyun had long since returned to theirs.
Song Muyun habitually sat in her arms and pulled out a stick of tanghulu. Jiang Yao pulled out a storybook, flipping through it out of sheer boredom.
A moment later, a piece of tanghulu appeared in front of her face.
Jiang Yao didn’t know whether she should be happy or not. On one hand, her xifu’er had remembered to share the very last piece of tanghulu with her; but on the other hand, she hadn’t called out to her while she was eating the rest!
Seeing her not moving, Song Muyun nudged the tanghulu against the corner of her lips again, urging, “Hurry up and eat it, it’s very sweet!”
Jiang Yao’s eyes and brows were filled with indulgence. She lowered her head and caught the piece of tanghulu in her mouth, crunching down on it. Song Muyun tossed the bamboo skewer away, threw her arms around Jiang Yao, and buried her face in her embrace.
The young lady had this habit. Whenever she had nothing to do, she liked to hug her. Her little demeanor looked so well-behaved and endearing.
At the very least, it thoroughly endeared her to Jiang Yao.
Jiang Yao rubbed the back of her neck, leaning in to drop a kiss there before laughing. “This tanghulu isn’t nearly as sweet as you.”
A crimson flush habitually crawled up Song Muyun’s cheeks. Sitting on her lap, she squirmed slightly before burrowing even deeper into Jiang Yao’s embrace.
Even after three years of marriage, she still loved to be shy, just as she had been at the very beginning.
No matter how the world changed, the two of them would always remain the same.
Today was another of the Jiang family’s banquets.
The two of them changed clothes early and headed over. Only when they arrived did they discover that Jiang Ru and Murong Ci were there as well.
Jiang Yao smiled in greeting. “Eighth Prince. Ru’er.”
Jiang Ru’s eyes lit up when she saw Jiang Yao. She was clearly delighted as well. Given her royal status, she could have simply remained seated, but in her heart, her older sister would always be her older sister, and the Jiang family would always be her home.
She stood up and called out affectionately, “Jiejie, Saozi. I’ve missed you both.”
Jiang Ru was already a well-mannered and polite child by nature. After marrying into the imperial family, her entire bearing had become increasingly poised and composed.
The Eighth Prince, on the other hand, didn’t rise. Instead, her smile looked somewhat strained.
Jiang Yao noticed this and furrowed her brow, but she didn’t say anything. She took Song Muyun and sat down first. Jiang Ru sat next to her as usual, while Fan Jingtan sat next to Muyun.
From the moment Jiang Yao walked in, Jiang Huai had looked half-dead. Only when Fan Jingtan glanced his way would he force himself to look energetic. It was an incredibly entertaining sight.
Jiang Yao couldn’t stop snickering inwardly.
Liang Qingyin was also extremely satisfied with Fan Jingtan as a daughter-in-law. Although she was a bit older, she was highly capable. For someone of humble origins to reach her current position, it was already an achievement worthy of a million praises. As far as the elders were concerned, by marrying her, Jiang Huai was the one marrying out of his league.
“Eat some more, Jingtan. Has Huai’er been obedient lately?”
The day the marriage agreement was finalized, Liang Qingyin had told her that once they were married, she could discipline Jiang Huai however she pleased; the elders would not interfere.
Fan Jingtan had only agreed to come because she felt the Jiang family had fewer stifling rules, offered a freer life, and had Jiang Yao. Hearing the question, she didn’t cover for Jiang Huai. Instead, she spoke with honest bluntness: “My husband said this afternoon that he wanted to visit a gambling house, so I taught him a lesson. Aside from that, he has been fairly obedient.”
Jiang Huai was utterly shocked. He never expected that Fan Jingtan, having already beaten him, would still tattle on him!
His eyes were filled with both heartbreak and disbelief. Beneath the table, Jiang Yao was holding onto Song Muyun. Seeing Jiang Huai’s expression, she immediately buried her face into Muyun’s neck, practically dying of laughter.
Look at that, look at that! Who said I’m the person who loves bullying others the most in this world?
The moment Jiang Heng heard Jiang Huai wanted to go to a gambling house, his face instantly darkened. He glared at Jiang Huai. “Is everything your wife said true?”
Jiang Huai was furious. He slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “Fan Jingtan! There’s no way we can keep living like this! I already told you I wasn’t going, I wasn’t going! Yet you still had to blurt it out! You deliberately want to see me get punished, don’t you?! You, you, you… you’re taking things too far!”
Jiang Huai was so angry he stammered, his face completely flushed.
Jiang Yao rested her chin on Song Muyun’s shoulder to watch the show. Jiang Ru, in turn, rested her chin on Jiang Yao’s shoulder. Only the Eighth Prince sat upright, maintaining a proper smile on her face, occasionally lowering her head to take a deep breath before looking back up, still smiling.
Jiang Heng’s anger had already reached its peak the moment he heard Jiang Huai wanted to visit a gambling house. He suddenly slammed his hand heavily onto the table, cutting off Jiang Huai’s righteous indignation.
Jiang Huai instantly cowered. He only heard his old man ask in a dark, gloomy voice, “You want to dabble in gambling?”
If he dared to admit it, he was dead meat. He hurriedly shook his head. “No, no, no! I just heard them say the gambling house was interesting, so I wanted to go.”
After saying that, he felt somewhat wronged. “They’ve all been to the gambling house. I’m the only one who hasn’t. Every time they chat about it, I can never get a word in edge-wise.”
Everyone else: “…”
Jiang Heng let out a cold laugh. “Why don’t you tell me, who exactly are ‘they’?”
It was obvious at a glance that Jiang Heng was going to go after those people. Gambling was the absolute most unacceptable thing to the Jiang family. If a person picked up the habit, even the largest family fortune would be squandered away. He absolutely would not allow himself to live a miserable life in his old age!
Jiang Huai knew his father was probably going to seek out the parents of those friends, but he had no other choice! His family’s corporal punishment truly hurt!
They weren’t particularly good friends anyway. Not daring to defy his father, Jiang Huai blurted out all their names in one breath.
Watching Jiang Heng sit back down with a dark expression, Jiang Huai knew that those people were likely doomed as well.
But it couldn’t be helped. Better a dead fellow Daoist than a dead poor Daoist.4
He thought this matter would simply blow over lightly like this—after all, Fan Jingtan had already taught him a lesson. But just as he was about to sit down, Jiang Heng added, “Come to my study in a while.”
Jiang Huai: “…”
He glared absolutely viciously at Fan Jingtan.
To him, that glare was the height of ferocity. But to Fan Jingtan, it didn’t even leave a scratch.
She gave Jiang Huai a faint look. The suffocating feeling of being completely overpowered that afternoon came rushing back to him, and he hurriedly behaved himself again.
“Pfft.”
Jiang Yao couldn’t hold back a laugh. Song Muyun quickly turned and covered her mouth, both of them feeling incredibly guilty.
How could we watch our own brother make a fool of himself at the dinner table? It’s truly inappropriate.
The two lowered their heads. Fortunately, no one noticed them, except for Jiang Huai. Unable to swallow his anger, he shot them a vicious glare too, which was equally as painless.
The Jiang family’s Second Uncle and Second Aunt had already returned to the borderlands. Thus, Jiang Heng and Liang Qingyin took on the responsibilities of the elders, asking about Jiang Ru’s recent circumstances.
Jiang Ru answered them one by one. It was just that Murong Ci spoke very little, having said barely a word throughout the entire meal. Jiang Yao found it strange; Murong Ci was never this quiet in the past.
While eating, she frequently glanced at Murong Ci, only to discover that the more she looked, the redder Murong Ci’s face became. The prince kept her waist and back hunched, a stark contrast to her usual bolt-upright posture.
Jiang Yao’s brow furrowed tighter, but she couldn’t well ask about it during the banquet. Instead, she abruptly used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of abalone5 into Murong Ci’s bowl. “Today’s abalone is very fresh. Your Highness the Eighth Prince, please eat more.”
Murong Ci’s body stiffened. Before she could speak, Jiang Ru turned her head and answered Jiang Yao on her behalf. “Thank you, Jiejie.”
This time, even Jiang Ru’s expression looked somewhat unnatural.
Jiang Yao felt utterly baffled by the exchange and kept unconsciously looking over. That is, until a soft hmph sounded by her ear, and the fingers she had been holding onto all this time slipped away.
Jiang Yao reflexively turned her head, only to see her sweetheart pursing her lips, eating the food in her bowl with a frosty expression. She looked as if she were angry. Now what was this about?
I don’t think I’ve provoked Yun’er.
Confused, Jiang Yao reached out to grab Song Muyun’s hand again. The moment she caught it, it was tossed aside once more. Looking as if she couldn’t bear the harassment, Song Muyun placed her hand directly onto the table.
Jiang Yao: “???”
One thing was certain: her xifu’er was angry.
But she had no idea why she was angry. She was completely at a loss.
She tried picking up some food and placing it in Song Muyun’s bowl. The other woman shot the food a cold look, pushed it to the side, and refused to eat it.
Jiang Yao: “…”
There were too many people at the banquet, so she couldn’t say anything. She figured she would ask her what was wrong after it ended.
Forget it. No matter what happened, I’ll just coax her first. Apologizing is never the wrong move.
Jiang Yao thought to herself. But when the banquet ended, Jiang Huai was called to the study. Seeing Murong Ci and Jiang Ru immediately avert their gazes the moment their eyes met—as if they didn’t even dare to look at each other—a fierce curiosity scratched at her heart. She was desperate to know what had happened.
Fan Jingtan went to wait for Jiang Huai outside the courtyard. Liang Qingyin said she was tired and returned to rest first. Yet Ru’er and the Eighth Prince still weren’t leaving; they were likely waiting for Jiang Yao and Song Muyun to leave first.
Unable to suppress her impatience, Jiang Yao turned to Song Muyun and said, “Yun’er, I have a few words I need to say to Ru’er. Wait for me here, alright?”
Song Muyun shot her a cold glance, stood up, and walked away. From behind, her retreating figure actually looked somewhat pitiful.
“Hey…”
Jiang Yao reached out to stop her but failed. However, when Song Muyun reached the outside, she stopped on her own. Turning around, she glared at Jiang Yao in a huff, standing right there in the courtyard with her arms crossed over her chest.
She was clearly waiting for her.
Jiang Yao breathed a sigh of relief, her heart softening in tandem. Her Yun’er. Even when she’s angry, she’ll still wait so we can leave together. She truly is too endearing.
Because Jiang Yao was delaying her departure, the expressions of the two still sitting there grew increasingly unnatural. Finally, Jiang Yao stood up and called Jiang Ru to the side courtyard.
Murong Ci let out a heavy breath, lowering her head and bracing herself against her arm with difficulty. Fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead. She appeared to be suffering, yet her face didn’t hold a trace of pallor; instead, it was flushed a deep, damp red.
Jiang Yao pulled Jiang Ru to the side, asking with a frown, “Did you and Murong Ci have a fight?”
Jiang Ru had originally been worried that her older sister had noticed something. Hearing this, she was stunned. “No, Jiejie, you’re overthinking it. Why would I fight with her?”
“Then why were you two ignoring each other during the banquet? From what I saw, you barely exchanged two sentences.”
At this question, a faint blush uncontrollably spread across Jiang Ru’s face, and she grew inexplicably bashful.
Jiang Yao’s eyes went wide.
Only after a moment did she receive a reply as soft as a mosquito’s hum. “Jiejie, it’s not what you think. His Highness the Eighth Prince and I… we are doing very well. You’ve misunderstood. His Highness is just feeling unwell today and doesn’t want to speak. We haven’t fought.”
Her complexion looked fine, not at all like she had just been in an argument. Jiang Yao felt a bit more at ease. Seeing that Jiang Ru didn’t want to explain further, she didn’t press the issue. They’re a little wife-and-wife couple; it’s perfectly normal for them to have a few unspeakable secrets of their own.
Since they hadn’t fought and she wasn’t being bullied by Murong Ci, Jiang Yao waved her hand. “That’s good, then. I’ll go coax your Saozi now. If Murong Ci ever bullies you, just come straight home and find me. I’ll seek justice for you.”
Jiang Ru smiled happily, her eyes curving into crescents. “Mhm!”
Having said her piece, Jiang Yao left. Left behind, Jiang Ru’s expression instantly shifted the moment she returned. Just a second ago, she had been smiling softly, but facing Murong Ci, she gave her no good looks. Murong Ci even reached out to touch her hand ingratiatingly.
Jiang Ru lowered her voice fiercely. “I told you not to put that in, but you just wouldn’t listen! Look at us now—my sister almost found out!”
Since there was no one else around, the Eighth Prince boldly leaned in and kissed Jiang Ru. Her voice was muffled, but held a touch of urgency. “It was my fault. I just wanted to make you happy. Good Ru’er, hurry and take me to your courtyard.”
Jiang Ru was on the verge of a breakdown. Where did Murong Ci even learn that doing this would make her happy!!!
She comes up with new tricks every single day!
“Alright, let’s hurry up and leave. Don’t say another word. Both my sister and my sister-in-law have excellent hearing. If someone overhears us, we’ll see how you show your face in public again.”
Jiang Ru half-supported Murong Ci, whose legs had gone somewhat weak.
If Jiang Yao had been there, she likely would have noticed that the fabric over Murong Ci’s backside was a shade darker.
On the other side, Song Muyun had been waiting for Jiang Yao in a huff.
Jiang Yao hurriedly went over and threw an arm over her shoulders, asking her why she had gotten so angry during the banquet that she had started ignoring people.
Song Muyun shot her a glare. In the past, if she was angry, she would simply bottle it up. But times were different now; they had been wives for years! If she had something on her mind, she would say it.
The young lady turned her head away, still feeling displeased as she recalled the event. “Why were you only looking at the Eighth Prince at the banquet and not me?”
Jiang Yao froze. The two of them had been together for so, so long that she had actually forgotten Muyun was naturally prone to jealousy.
She let out a low laugh. “Yun’er looks so delicate and sweet even when she’s jealous.”
Song Muyun’s phoenix eyes widened slightly. Flustered and exasperated, she stomped her foot, turning her flushed face away as she denied it. “I am absolutely not jealous.”
“Alright, alright, alright. If you say you aren’t, then you aren’t. It was my fault. I noticed the Eighth Prince hadn’t stood up once and wasn’t really talking to anyone. I thought she and Ru’er had gotten into a fight, so I took a few extra looks. It wasn’t intentional. Don’t be angry anymore, hmm?”
Song Muyun was not an unreasonable person. She knew Jiang Yao wouldn’t fall for anyone else. She just always wanted to kick up a little fuss to keep Jiang Yao’s attention fixed entirely on her, making the woman coax and pamper her. Now that her goal was achieved, her anger naturally dissipated. She proactively took the hand she had thrown away twice before, an awkward little gesture to show her stance. Only a hint of displeasure remained in her eyes and brows—something that could be cured with just a few kisses.
When the two reached the edge of the peach grove, Jiang Yao pressed her against a peach tree and kissed her thoroughly. Petals fell, covering them both. Looking into the woman’s misty, hazy eyes, she whispered, “I like Yun’er so much.”
Song Muyun wrapped her arms around Jiang Yao’s soft, slender waist. Tilting her head up to kiss her back, she replied, “I like Jiang Yao. I like Jiang Yao so much too.”
…
The author has something to say:
It’s completely finished, sisters! This is the first baihe (Girls’ Love) novel I’ve written, and I never expected it to achieve such results. Could the sisters who purchased the full novel please leave a rating? I see that there are quite a lot of readers rating baihe stories QAQ
This extra chapter seems to still be lacking a little something; I’ll work even harder in the next book! Also, my next book will be about a delicate and weak concubine-born older sister. I’ll probably start publishing it in October. I’ve been writing continuously from late February until today, and I only took about three days of rest in between. I’m too exhausted and want to take a month off; even a donkey grinding at a mill wouldn’t be worked this hard QAQ……
Footnotes
- Zhóulǐ (zhóulǐ) is a traditional kinship term referring specifically to the wives of brothers (sisters-in-law). Because Song Muyun is married to Jiang Yao (who functions as the 'groom' or head of their household) and Fan Jingtan is marrying Jiang Yao's brother Jiang Huai, Song Muyun cheekily applies this term to their relationship.
- The Chinese word for lily is 'bǎihé', which is also the slang term for the 'yuri' or 'Girls' Love' genre. The author is making a playful nod to the nature of their relationship.
- The 'xǐ' (囍) character is a traditional Chinese ornament design formed by two 'xǐ' (喜 - joy/happiness) characters side by side. It is prominently used in Chinese weddings as a symbol of love, happiness, and luck for the newlywed couple.
- A humorous modern Chinese internet slang phrase (sǐ píndào bù sǐ dàoyǒu) commonly found in webnovels. It effectively means 'every man for himself' or 'better you die than me.'
- Abalone (bàoyú) is considered a delicacy in Chinese banquets. In modern Chinese internet slang, it is also a euphemism for female genitalia. Given the suggestive context of Murong Ci's discomfort, the author includes this as a deliberate double-entendre.
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