Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 83

Coaxing

When Jiang Yao went out, it wasn’t to buy pastries; Yun’er had eaten some the day before. On the road, she came across an old man selling tanghulu.​¹ She tried one and found it very sweet, so she simply bought the entire straw target, leaving Sima Jushan to stare in a daze.

“Wait, you’re buying this many for your wife?”

            

“Mhm.”

“Your wife can eat that many???”

He recalled Song Muyun’s slender and delicate appearance and was suddenly struck by the truth in the saying, “one cannot judge a person by their appearance.”

            

Jiang Yao shot Sima Jushan a glance, feeling his question was utter nonsense. “If she can’t finish them, can’t I eat them? And if I don’t eat them, can’t the maidservants and manservants? Stop being so stupid.”

…

“Oh, well, I didn’t know. I was just asking.”

            

“But aren’t you going to buy anything else? Just this? Is your wife that easy to coax?”

Jiang Yao was already heading back, carrying the entire display of tanghulu. She gave a faint “mhm” in response.

Sima Jushan still felt uneasy and asked again, “Aren’t you going to buy some expensive jewelry to appease her?”

            

Jiang Yao’s steps paused. He thought she was going to buy jewelry, but instead, she walked over to a woodcarving stall and asked the owner, “How long would it take you to carve a person who looks like me?”

“At least half a shichen,” the man said cautiously after studying her.

That was rather slow.

            

Jiang Yao took out a silver ingot and set it down. “And now how long?” she asked.

The man’s eyes lit up. Guessing she was in a hurry, he pulled a small wooden figure from his basket that was already seventy or eighty percent similar to Jiang Yao’s silhouette; only the finer details of the face and body had yet to be carved.

“Will this one do? I only need a quarter of an hour for this piece.”

            

Jiang Yao nodded without hesitation, and the man immediately began carving, using her face as a model.

A quarter of an hour later, she successfully received the freshly finished wooden carving, which truly bore some resemblance to her.

Sima Jushan watched, dumbfounded.

            

If you don’t understand something, you have to ask. He leaned in to examine the wooden figure closely and asked Jiang Yao, “What are you doing this for? Aren’t you going to buy your wife some jewelry?”

He simply couldn’t comprehend it. When his mother got angry, his father had to buy her gold jewelry and headpieces every single time, or she would never get over it. And Jiang Yao was going back to coax someone with… things that cost less than a hundred taels in total?

Sima Jushan felt he was about to witness Jiang Yao get kicked out again.

            

He had too many questions, and Jiang Yao couldn’t be bothered with him. Her posture ramrod straight, she picked up the wooden figure and started toward the Jiang Residence. It wasn’t the first time Sima Jushan had been ignored, so he didn’t mind too much and immediately followed along to watch the show.

Jiang Yao was naturally aware of the little tail behind her, but she still couldn’t be bothered with him. Her mind was solely focused on returning to her own courtyard. She raised a hand to summon Cui Zhu,​² who was tending to the flowers and plants outside. “Has Muyun come out at all?”

Cui Zhu shook her head. “Miss Muyun opened the window twice but hasn’t come out.”

            

She opened it twice?

Jiang Yao pressed a hand to her forehead, a headache coming on. Doesn’t that mean I’m back too late?

Great. This is going to take a lot of coaxing.

            

A helpless smile touched her lips. She tucked the wooden figure into her robes and walked to the window. The flowers that had been thrown out were gone, likely swept away by a maidservant who was quick of eye and deft of hand.​³

Jiang Yao crouched down and quietly reached out to tap on the window frame, pulling her hand back immediately after.

Song Muyun was sitting on the soft couch, so angry she wanted to cry. Her pale hands rubbed her eyes again and again until they were both bright red. In her heart, she silently cursed Jiang Yao, that tortoise egg.​⁴ She actually left. She really, truly left!

            

That bastard. I’m never speaking to her again.

The young woman thought, aggrieved.​⁵ The next moment, a crisp tap sounded from outside the window. Her first thought was of that bastard Jiang Yao. She pursed her lips, her hands clenched tightly. After a moment, she finally got up to open the window.

And… there was no one outside.

            

In that instant, Song Muyun felt a new, deeper level of fury rise in her heart.

For the first time, rage colored her face, flushing her cheeks crimson. She was too angry to speak.

If you’re not coming back, then don’t! If you’re not going to care about me, then fine! It’s not like I need you!

            

Tears welled in the young woman’s eyes as she feigned indifference. Just as she was about to shut the window, the corner of a straw target rose shakily from below.

Song Muyun froze. Suddenly, her heart beat like a drum. She had a faint idea of what was happening, so she didn’t move.

The straw target continued to rise slowly, bringing with it a string of bright red spheres, followed by many more, all stuck into the target, looking exceptionally tempting.

            

She still didn’t move. The straw target kept rising, and then, little by little, the person below was revealed.

Jiang Yao figured that since her little Yun’er hadn’t said anything, she probably wasn’t that angry. But she was still a bit worried and didn’t dare to pop up all at once. She only revealed her eyes, round and furtive as she peeked at Song Muyun.

When she saw her red-rimmed eyes and the way she looked down at her, Jiang Yao’s heart couldn’t help but soften.

            

I made her cry again. I’m really the worst. She’s clearly not a crybaby in the storybooks,​⁶ so how is it that no matter which Muyun it is, she turns into a little crybaby the moment she’s with me?

Jiang Yao stood up nimbly from the ground, ready to begin her coaxing. She held out the straw target. “I just went out and bought these. Do you want to try one?”

Song Muyun’s expression was extremely faint, showing no trace of the miserable state she had been in just moments before, weeping silently in her room. “Didn’t you leave? Why are you back?”

            

Jiang Yao put on a cheeky and smiling face, trying to tease her. “I came back to coax you, of course. Don’t be angry anymore. Getting angry is bad for your health, and if you hurt your body, how heartbroken would I be? So please don’t be angry, okay?”

Song Muyun looked at her, then lowered her head and ignored her, feigning coldness. If not for her red-rimmed eyes and slightly pouting lips betraying her, Jiang Yao might have actually believed she was that angry.

As it was, it seemed she was more aggrieved than anything.

            

Jiang Yao sighed deeply. Standing at the window, she reached out to stroke the woman’s soft, tender cheek. She turned her head to dodge a little but didn’t avoid it completely, still allowing Jiang Yao to touch most of her face. This sight made one’s heart melt even more. “Can you let me in to coax you? I can do a much better job of it inside.”

She tempted her.

Song Muyun shifted, dodging her hand after that sentence. Her voice was low and laced with complaint. “Didn’t you already leave? What did you come back for?”

            

She had opened the window twice and hadn’t seen her.

She had ignored her, hadn’t tried to coax her, and had just left!

Song Muyun felt wronged. She pressed her lips together, her long lashes hiding the sadness in her eyes.

            

Standing outside the window, Jiang Yao explained, “I went to think of a way to coax you. I was afraid you’d be at home crying in secret, so I even bought you some tanghulu. I tried one; it’s very sweet. I wanted you to try it, too.”

Song Muyun’s attention fixed on the first part of the sentence. She looked at Jiang Yao, flustered and exasperated. “Who’s crying in secret? I would never cry in secret!”

She wouldn’t admit to crying. Perhaps it would have been more convincing if her eyes weren’t so red.

            

But Jiang Yao could only go along with her to avoid truly angering her. “Alright, alright, I misspoke. My Yun’er would never cry in secret. It’s my eyes that are bad. Yun’er is the type who never cries.”

She gently rubbed the reddened corner of Song Muyun’s eye.

This time, Muyun didn’t dodge. She just lowered her head and ignored Jiang Yao, muttering again, “Buying tanghulu doesn’t take that long. You just didn’t want to coax me, so you deliberately stayed out playing for a long time before coming back.”

            

Just then, Jiang Yao pulled a small wooden figure from her robes and held it out in front of her.

The still-pouting Song Muyun was drawn to the familiar-looking wooden figure. Her words of complaint were instantly swallowed, and she stared at it, stunned.

Jiang Yao was exasperated. “How could I have done it on purpose? It was making this wooden figure that took so much time. I thought that if you liked it, it wouldn’t have been a waste. If you don’t like it, I’ll just keep it myself and find something else to coax you with.”

            

As she spoke, the wooden figure was pulled back from under Song Muyun’s nose.

Song Muyun instinctively reached out. “Hey…”

But she couldn’t stop her; Jiang Yao had already taken it back.

            

The already somewhat angry young woman grew even angrier. She glared fiercely at Jiang Yao. “Who said I don’t like it, Jiang Yao!”

Her ferocity made her meaning perfectly clear: she wanted it.

I’ve almost got her, I’m so clever, Jiang Yao thought.

            

Her face wore a doting and compliant smile as she brought the wooden figure out again and handed it over, her voice soft. “Alright, alright. If you like it, it’s yours. I’ll listen to you in everything.”

That was more like it.

Song Muyun’s eyes shone as she looked at the wooden figure that resembled Jiang Yao.

            

Suddenly, she heard Jiang Yao say, “Does this count as me giving myself to you?”

And with that, she liked the little wooden figure even more.

The young woman’s slender, snow-white fingers closed around the figure. When she looked at Jiang Yao again, her eyes had softened. “Then you should let go,” she said sweetly.

            

Jiang Yao released her hand. The window was right next to the soft couch. The young woman was now sitting demurely to the side, hugging the wooden figure to her chest, a gentle, faint smile on her lips.

Jiang Yao was an expert at seizing the moment. Seeing her happy, she immediately decided to hit the snake and follow it up the stick.​⁷ “Can I come in now, my wife? It’s so cold outside. I want to come in and hug my wife.”

Her coquettish act gave Song Muyun goosebumps, but her face still turned impossibly red. She didn’t dare to look at her and only nodded slightly. Jiang Yao immediately scrambled inside through the window, leaving Song Muyun stunned. When she came to her senses, she immediately tried to shoo her away. “Why did you jump onto the couch? If you get it dirty, how am I supposed to take a nap?”

            

She had been planning on napping with Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao hopped down, dampened a handkerchief with a little water, and wiped the dusty spot clean.

Song Muyun shot her a reproachful look.

            

This time, she took off her shoes before getting on the couch. Perhaps aware that someone was watching outside, Jiang Yao retrieved her straw target of tanghulu and shut the window, concealing her monkey-eager haste to press the other woman down onto the bed and kiss her.

Outside in the tree, Sima Jushan, who hadn’t dared to follow them in, wracked his brain but couldn’t figure out why Jiang Yao had been let in.

Why was her wife so easy to coax?!

            

All that stuff cost less than a hundred taels, so why did Song Muyun look so happy?

Sima Jushan was bewildered.

Inside the room, Jiang Yao pulled Song Muyun in for a kiss, kissing her soft lips until they were swollen. Holding her, her voice was both gentle and helpless. “Your temper is really getting worse and worse. Now you even dare to kick me out.”

            

Song Muyun didn’t admit it. “You were the one talking nonsense. If you think my temper is bad, you’re free to find someone whose temper isn’t. You don’t have to put up with it.”

She said it in a fit of pique, but also because she knew Jiang Yao would never do such a thing.

The young woman was only fierce in the nest,​⁸ bullying the person in this world who liked her the most.

            

Afraid she would truly make herself sick with anger, Jiang Yao had no choice but to coax her. While hugging Song Muyun’s slender waist and kissing her soft, pale cheeks, her hands roamed restlessly. “I’m not complaining about you. How could I ever complain about you? I like women with big tempers. This isn’t putting up with anything.”

Song Muyun pretended to glare at her fiercely. A moment later, she threw herself into Jiang Yao’s arms, nuzzling against her soft chest. Her voice held a faint trace of grievance. “Anyone else can say my temperament is bad, but you’re not allowed to.”

In front of outsiders, her nature was cold, and she disliked engaging in deep conversation. Jiang Yao was the only exception. She was like a beam of light that had shone into her withered life. She couldn’t tolerate even the slightest bit of dislike from Jiang Yao—not even a little.

            

The young woman bit her lip lightly, on the verge of tears again.

This scared Jiang Yao badly. She kissed and hugged her, quickly making a promise. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. I don’t think your temperament is bad at all. I love this temperament of yours. Coaxing you every day makes me happy. If you don’t like it, I won’t say it anymore. Don’t cry, be good.”

The woman’s eyelashes were wet. Jiang Yao wiped away her tears. Her heart was incredibly soft. She felt that she was already completely wrapped around Muyun’s finger. She could never leave her now; she would have to dote on her and cherish her for a lifetime.

            

“Not only can’t you say it, you’re not even allowed to think it.”

She was incredibly domineering, tracing circles on Jiang Yao’s chest with her pale fingers.

She even wanted to control what she thought. As expected…

            

At this point, Jiang Yao stopped thinking. She couldn’t think about it. Muyun wouldn’t let her think bad things about her.

“Alright, alright, I won’t think it either. If you say not to think it, I won’t. From now on, I’ll only praise you in my heart. How is my Muyun so beautiful? She’s getting more and more beautiful. She smells so good, and her skin is so tender, and this part here is also—mmph!”

Jiang Yao’s hand was covering a certain high peak. Just as she was about to continue her praise, Song Muyun was quick of eye and deft of hand and covered her mouth.

            

Song Muyun looked extremely ashamed and indignant.​⁹ Although Jiang Yao hadn’t said it yet, she knew what she was about to say. “You—you have no shame!”

Jiang Yao was indeed shameless. Every time, she was about to die of embarrassment, but Jiang Yao would act as if nothing was wrong and keep saying those things.

Song Muyun had, at some point, snuggled into Jiang Yao’s arms and was now butting her head against her, her waist twisting like a water snake.

            

Jiang Yao wanted to laugh but held it in. She obediently wrapped her arms around that slender waist and listened to the young woman in her arms complain about how shameless she was. She was truly afraid—afraid her darling would turn her head and say, From now on, you’re not allowed to touch me whenever you want. That would be unacceptable. Wouldn’t she die of longing?

Jiang Yao was greedy for Muyun’s body, for her beauty, for her entire being. A single day without touching her left her feeling unbearably restless.

“Scold me more, and I’ll learn some shame,” Jiang Yao said with a smile, teasing her. Song Muyun was too flushed to lift her head.

            

After she was finally coaxed, Jiang Yao broke off two sticks of bright red candied hawthorn, and they sat on the soft couch, dangling their legs as they ate.

When they finished, she turned to look at Muyun, who was stroking the little wooden figure. “Do you like the gift I gave you?”

Caught off guard, Song Muyun nodded emphatically, her eyes full of delight. She truly loved it.

            

But in the next second, she heard Jiang Yao say, “Well, since I gave you a gift, shouldn’t you give me one in return?”

The young woman froze. Her joyous and content gaze shifted from the wooden figure to Jiang Yao. “A… a return gift?”

Jiang Yao nodded, watching her. After a moment, the young woman’s grip on the wooden figure tightened, her knuckles turning a faint white. Her face was filled with bewilderment. “What… what can I use as a return gift?”

            

Everything she owned belonged to Jiang Yao, so for a moment, she couldn’t think of anything she could give.

Then, Jiang Yao prompted further, “What about that scent pouch?”​¹⁰

She was referring to the one she had tossed at her chest earlier that day.

            

Song Muyun’s eyes lit up. She was about to take out the scent pouch when she paused halfway, her spirits suddenly deflating. “I already said I would never make anything for you again,” she said, a little sullenly.

Even though I promised not to think it, I still feel like my wife is getting harder and harder to coax. How does she still remember that? QAQ

She could only try her best to wheedle her. “You were the one who said it, so you can naturally change your mind. If you say you’ll give it to me, you can. Yun’er, I want the scent pouch you made. The last one you gave me is old. Let me use a new one, please, Yun’er?”

            

Jiang Yao hugged Song Muyun and kept nuzzling against her. The soft pressure against Song Muyun’s shoulder made her entire face flush red again.

She had thought her Yun’er was a little dazed and clumsy when it came to her, so this was a sure thing; Yun’er would give it to her. She never expected that while the girl’s face was red and her voice was shy, her mouth would ask, “Then are you still going to leave me in the capital to wait for you?”

Jiang Yao: …

            

You’re really not giving me any face here. I can’t say a single word.

Because of her silence, Song Muyun’s expression slowly shifted from anticipation to disappointment, and finally to anger. She shoved Jiang Yao away, got off the soft couch, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You won’t even take me with you, and you still want my things? Dream on! I’m not giving it to you, not now, not ever!”

With that, she ran out in a huff.

            

She didn’t forget to take the wooden figure Jiang Yao had given her with her.

Jiang Yao only reacted after she had run out the door and quickly got up to chase after her.

That Sima Jushan, for whatever reason, had stayed outside until now and came face to face with the fleeing Song Muyun.

            

“Jiang Yao’s wife? Didn’t you two make up? Why are you out here again?”

Sima Jushan called out to stop Song Muyun from his perch. Seeing her pause, he immediately jumped down from the tree. The next second, Jiang Yao came chasing after her.

Song Muyun was startled by Sima Jushan’s sudden appearance and subconsciously hid behind Jiang Yao. Jiang Yao smoothly took her wife’s slender, pale hand and held it in her own, her voice helpless yet gentle. “You just ran off like that. Weren’t you afraid I wouldn’t be able to find you?”

            

Song Muyun ignored the question and frowned at Sima Jushan. After a moment, she lowered her head and asked softly, “Why is he still here?”

She remembered Jiang Yao telling him to leave long ago. Why was he still waiting outside?

The young woman’s thoughts ran deeper. Her brows furrowed tightly. Coupled with his unfriendly words from the day before, her expression turned cold. It was not a pleasant look. She simply looked at Jiang Yao expectantly.

            

Jiang Yao protectively leaned down and said to her, “He’s probably here to see me make a fool of myself. You don’t need to pay him any mind.”

Song Muyun’s pretty brows furrowed even tighter. She tugged on Jiang Yao’s hand, a hint of displeasure in her voice. “What kind of fool is there for him to see?”

With that, she actually moved to shield half of Jiang Yao’s body, and the gaze she swept over Sima Jushan was tinged with coldness, as if she was very unhappy about him wanting to laugh at Jiang Yao.

            

Jiang Yao felt a warmth spread through her heart, but Sima Jushan’s eyes widened. Why was this woman, who was so soft and pliable in front of Jiang Yao, so cold to him?

So yesterday wasn’t a misconception. After seeing her delicate appearance today, he had thought that was her true nature and that he had been mistaken yesterday. Holy hell. So she was only delicate in front of Jiang Yao!

Let me say it again: what did Jiang Yao ever do to deserve this? QAQ.

            

Sima Jushan was envious once more. But after Song Muyun treated him with such exceptional coldness, he no longer found her as beautiful as a celestial fairy.

This was fake delicacy. It was fake!

“He thought you would kick me out after I went in, so he waited outside especially for it,” Jiang Yao said softly, looking down into Song Muyun’s eyes.

            

Sima Jushan: !!!

Jiang Yao was slandering him! Although that was what he had been thinking, he hadn’t said it out loud, had he???

He hadn’t!

            

Jiang Yao was actually talking nonsense and slandering him!

Sima Jushan was in disbelief. He tried to interject and prove his innocence, but neither of them paid him any attention. Song Muyun held Jiang Yao’s hand, her red lips pressed together, still not very happy. “Why would I kick you out? This is your home.”

Her intention was to say that she wouldn’t kick Jiang Yao out of her own home, but this only made Jiang Yao dissatisfied. “My home is your home. Don’t you dare draw such a clear line between ‘you’ and ‘me’ again. Besides, you just kicked me out today. Don’t think you can deny it.”

            

Song Muyun was exasperated. She had wanted to give Jiang Yao some face in front of her friend, but who knew Jiang Yao would be the one to throw her own face away. The young woman shot her a coquettish glare and lowered her head, saying no more.

This appearance of hers made Jiang Yao’s heart itch. She really wanted to press her against a tree right then and there and do this and that, but there was still a nuisance present, staring at them with wide eyes and an open mouth from start to finish, looking like he’d never seen anything like it.

Jiang Yao stepped forward and put an arm around her wife’s pouting shoulders, coaxing, “We have to go to the family banquet tonight. Don’t be angry with me anymore. Let’s go back first, okay? He’ll laugh at us out here.”

            

Song Muyun had wanted to throw a tantrum about Jiang Yao refusing to take her with her, but Sima Jushan was still here. She didn’t want to have a fit with Jiang Yao in front of someone else; Jiang Yao would be laughed at.

The person in her arms nodded obediently, and Jiang Yao led her back. The dumbfounded Sima Jushan outside was completely ignored. He called out twice, but neither Jiang Yao nor Song Muyun looked back.

In Hengwu Courtyard, the little ancestor​¹¹ who had just returned to the room flung Jiang Yao’s arm off her shoulder. Jiang Yao’s heart dropped. She knew it. Damn it, she’s not properly coaxed.

            

She probably wouldn’t be sleeping in a bed tonight.

Though she was crying on the inside, her expression remained gentle. “What’s wrong? Still angry?”

Song Muyun’s face was blank. “Do you have to leave me in the capital?”

            

Jiang Yao spoke gently, her tone full of the earnestness of a bitter mouth and a grandmother’s heart.​¹² “The capital is the safest place. I can only be at ease if you stay in the capital. If you come with me, I’m afraid I’ll be worrying about you even on the battlefield.”

“I can wait for you in a nearby city. As long as I’m a little closer to you, that’s fine. Not somewhere as far away as the capital. I won’t be able to see you every day. What do you expect me to do all alone…?”

The little ancestor had been fine at first, but as she spoke, her eyes reddened again. Her face was full of grievance, her slender figure standing gracefully, her rosy lips bitten lightly.

            

Jiang Yao didn’t know what to do either. She felt sorry for Muyun’s tears but was unwilling to let her suffer by her side.

“Let’s discuss this later. Don’t cry first, okay? At the family banquet in a little while, if Father and Mother see that you’ve been crying, they’ll think I’ve been bullying you. Don’t cry.”

She gently wiped the wet tears from Song Muyun’s face. After they were gone, she cupped her face and kissed her.

            

Song Muyun managed to hold back her tears. Her voice was a little hoarse, suddenly tinged with a plea. “I… I want to go with you. I’ll be very good after we get there, I definitely won’t cause you any trouble. Don’t leave me here alone.”

She was fragile and afraid, her eyes shimmering with moisture. She leaned against Jiang Yao’s shoulder and hugged her arm in a posture of complete dependence.

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The author has something to say:

            

Muyun: This is a hardship I must endure.

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