Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 13

Big Wolfdog

The two had lunch here. Jiang Yao didn’t plan on sending Song Muyun back so early, instead taking her to Zhenbao Pavilion¹.

Song Muyun just thought she wanted to buy jewelry, so naturally, she didn’t refuse, obediently following behind her.

Inside Zhenbao Pavilion, madams and young ladies were selecting jewelry. Some who knew each other showed surprise on their faces when they saw Jiang Yao and Song Muyun enter. Song Muyun was once considered a noble lady and had attended many banquets hosted by various families. Her temperament was gentle and her belly was full of poetry and books², so the hosting madams and young ladies all loved to speak with her. But now she had fallen into dust and mud³; her father was thrown into the Zhaoyu⁴ grand prison, her family was exiled, and she herself had entered the Yuefang⁵. She was no longer on the same path as them.

She actually came to Zhenbao Pavilion?

This wasn’t the most surprising thing. The most surprising thing was… the one leading in front of her was actually the Prime Minister’s daughter, Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao practiced martial arts and was not very familiar with most of the well-read, virtuous, gentle, and graceful women in the capital. She had never been on good terms with any young lady, yet now she appeared here with Song Muyun?

Zhenbao Pavilion was frequented by many nobles. Wasn’t she afraid of being seen and reported to the Emperor?

Some madams thought worriedly.

They all knew the Song family was incorruptible. It was just that under the Emperor’s great fury, not a single official dared to step forward and speak for them. They were women, so it was even more difficult for them to say anything. They only felt some regret in their hearts, lamenting that Song Muyun, in the prime of her jasper years⁶, had fallen into the Yuefang, her life ruined.

At this moment, no one spoke ill words. One by one, they all fell completely silent, leaving only Jiang Yao’s rather cheerful voice, “Come over here, I think this buyao⁷ suits you very well.”

This was the first time Song Muyun had appeared before these madams and young ladies she once knew since the Song family’s misfortune. They looked at her with pity, regret, or curiosity. She took a shallow breath, trying hard not to mind, nor did she greet them, simply walking quickly to Jiang Yao’s side.

She said in a low voice, “Miss Jiang, I have enough jewelry. You don’t need to buy any for me.”

Jiang Yao had already been good enough to her, shielding her from Murong Qing’s torment for several days, giving her silver, taking her out to have fun, and treating her to a meal. Now she wanted to give her something again. How could she have the face to accept?

“How can one ever have too much of something like jewelry? Come and try it on.”

For some reason, she liked seeing Song Muyun dressed nobly and beautifully, not simply and plainly like in the dream, because… Murong Qing would pull her hair, and wearing a hairpin might cause her to injure herself.

The red butterfly dangling pearl buyao was inserted into Song Muyun’s hair by Jiang Yao, who would take no refusal. It swayed with her every movement as she lowered her head, the shadow of the pearl and jade falling on her snow-white, slender neck, looking exceptionally beautiful.

Jiang Yao was stunned by the sight. Beautiful, truly beautiful. No wonder Murong Qing and her stupid younger brother both liked Song Muyun. Such beauty was indeed rare in the world.

Even she, also a woman, couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

Jiang Yao inexplicably swallowed, the gudong⁸ sound not quiet. Song Muyun glanced at her throat with an unreadable expression, then lowered her head, a faint red dyeing the side of her face.

Jiang Yao was also very embarrassed. Her eyes didn’t dare to look at Song Muyun, darting around everywhere before finally landing on the shopkeeper. She hurriedly called out, “How much is this hairpin? This young lady wants it.”

The shopkeeper didn’t recognize her, but seeing her finely dressed, she must be the young lady of a prominent family. He quickly said, “This red butterfly buyao costs five liang⁹ of silver.”

Five liang of silver was already the monthly allowance for a young lady from a typical high-ranking family. But Jiang Yao had the shops her mother gave her, so her pockets were a bit deeper than other young ladies’. Ignoring Song Muyun lightly tugging her sleeve and whispering in her ear not to buy it, she paid the money anyway.

After buying the red butterfly dangling pearl buyao, Song Muyun was deeply afraid Jiang Yao would buy more for her. After much persuasion, she managed to lead the person out. The two stood on the street. She hesitated for a moment, then took out a familiar hebao¹⁰ from her bosom and stuffed it into Jiang Yao’s hand.

Jiang Yao: ?

Her expression was blank as she heard Song Muyun say, “Don’t spend any more silver on me. The buyao is beautiful, I like it very much. Just consider it as me buying it from Miss Jiang.”

Although this silver was also given to her by Jiang Yao…

Jiang Yao looked down, her gaze falling on the money pouch she had given away. The corner of her mouth twitched. Using the money I gave you to pay me back, you really thought of that.

She reversed her hand and stuffed the money back into Song Muyun’s bosom. The soft touch was fleeting. Seeing her lower her head with a red face, looking very shy, she roughly understood that scholars more or less have some lofty and proud bones¹¹, and perhaps her repeated actions had hurt her somewhat.

“This young lady is used to coming and going alone. It’s rare to have someone accompany this young lady to eat, shop, and look at jewelry. I am very happy. This is your reward; it’s what you deserve.”

She pointed at the butterfly on Song Muyun’s head that was flapping its wings as if about to fly¹².

Song Muyun became even more embarrassed, saying in a small voice, “But you’ve already helped me so much. This, I can’t take it.”

“How is this helping you? It’s clearly me indulging in my own pleasure, wanting to find a graceful and beautiful woman to serve me. Since you did the work and served me, I should naturally give you money. This young lady is not the type of person who goes to the Yuefang, orders a lady for her service, and then refuses to pay!”

Jiang Yao lifted her chin, appearing very arrogant, and without form, elevated herself by stepping on¹³ the non-paying Seventh Prince.

Song Muyun lightly clenched her palm, her gaze shimmering as she looked at Jiang Yao. “Miss Jiang… why are you so good to Muyun?”

She seemed very perplexed, unable to recall any friendship she had ever had with Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao was also taken aback. This sentence made her recall that, at the beginning, she was naturally thinking of the Jiang family, afraid that the Jiang family would meet the same end as in her dream. But later, she began to feel that Song Muyun was someone who tugged at one’s heartstrings. She was so beautiful, so obedient, yet Murong Qing could bear to hurt her.

Murong Qing was a beast. Seeing such a rare beauty being bullied, a feeling of compassion stirred in her heart. She wanted to bring her behind her, to protect her.

She didn’t want her to suffer the kind of pain she did in the dream.

“If I’m good to you, just accept it. Why must you ask?”

Jiang Yao turned her head to the side, a faint, unnoticeable red also climbing up her ears. After a moment, she seemed to see something good. Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed Song Muyun’s hand, saying, “Wait for me here for a moment, I’m going to buy something.”

A martial artist’s movements are light and nimble. In just a few moments, Jiang Yao’s figure was gone. Song Muyun could only turn her head hastily to look for her, until she saw that woman in fiery red clothes, standing on the street buying something.

She didn’t move, obediently standing in the original spot to wait for her as Jiang Yao had said.

Until in the blink of an eye, Jiang Yao appeared before her again, holding two tanghua¹⁴ in her hand. She passed the rabbit-shaped one over. “Here, this is a little rabbit made for you. Isn’t it cute?”

Song Muyun took the tanghua, agreeing that it was cute, but her gaze fell on Jiang Yao’s other hand. She asked her, “Then what is that one of yours?”

Jiang Yao lowered her head and took a bite of her tanghua, her voice muffled. “A big wolfdog, isn’t it impressive?”

The little fairy raised a hand to lightly cover the corner of her lips. She felt that Jiang Yao had the heart of a child, liking impressive and majestic things, and she couldn’t hold back her amusement. Her eyes were full of mirth as she nodded in agreement, “Yes, very impressive. You have excellent taste.”

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The author has something to say:

The big wolfdog is going to carry the little rabbit home in its mouth~

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