Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 15

He’d Better Not Come Today!

The madam¹ was downstairs soliciting customers when Jiang Yao swaggered in through the entrance, carrying an oil-paper package² in her hand. She walked up to the madam and tossed her a piece of silver. “I’m booking Song Muyun for the day.”

When the madam saw her arrive, the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly. A moment later, she curved her red lips into a charming smile and tactfully refused, “Muyun is not receiving guests today. I’m afraid Young Miss Jiang will be disappointed.”

It wasn’t like she was a person who was bad to the bone³. Song Muyun had been tormented until the middle of the night yesterday and couldn’t even get out of bed now. How inhuman would she have to be to make Song Muyun continue receiving guests?

It was better to let her recuperate first. She couldn’t let these princes and young misses kill her; she was a person with a bitter fate⁴, too.

Jiang Yao heard with one ear that something was wrong⁵. Seeing the pity in the madam’s eyes made her feel it was even more abnormal. She frowned and asked, “What happened to Song Muyun?”

The madam gave a bitter smile. “Young Miss Jiang, to tell you the truth, Muyun was accidentally injured yesterday. She truly cannot receive guests today. Just spare her and let her rest for a day.”

Even if the Seventh Prince came, she would say the same thing. The only difference was that the Seventh Prince never listened to such words, and he had some dealings with the master behind him, so she couldn’t resist the Seventh Prince either.

Just as the madam was thinking that Young Miss Jiang was a woman, at least, and wouldn’t do something as tyrannical as the Seventh Prince, she heard the other party say in a forceful tone, “How was she injured? No, I must see her today!”

The madam felt her heart suffocating. What is with this Song Muyun? The one or two people she attracts are all so unconcerned with her well-being?

Although Jiang Yao had never resorted to beating and cursing Song Muyun at every turn, in her eyes, Jiang Yao was a young miss from a great family who wouldn’t wrong herself. Coming to the Yuefang was for seeking pleasure and making merry. While a woman’s injuries might be an obstacle, there were more heartless ones who would disregard her injuries.

Sigh.

She wanted to try persuading her again, but Jiang Yao had already drawn her whip and was holding it in her palm. “Where is Song Muyun’s room? Take me there.”

The madam choked. She could see that Jiang Yao was absolutely set on seeing Song Muyun today, so she could only pray in her heart that no one would end up dead.

“Fine. This servant will have someone lead young miss there now. It’s just that Muyun’s injuries are quite severe. I hope young miss will take pity on her.”

Jiang Yao didn’t know to what extent Song Muyun was injured that she couldn’t even receive guests. Was she unable to walk?

Her heart was a mess of panic and anxiety. She didn’t even pay the madam any mind. Seeing this, the madam’s heart sank, but if Jiang Yao really caused a scene, she wouldn’t be able to handle it either. She had no choice but to call a woman over to lead Jiang Yao there.

The woman who was called over was Yan Jin, who happened to be free at the moment.

Yan Jin saw Jiang Yao, who had changed into a white, close-fitting outfit⁶, a xuan-colored⁷ belt cinching her slender waist. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes at the sharp, neat appearance. “Young Miss Jiang?”

The madam got a headache just looking at Jiang Yao now. She could only hope that the Seventh Prince wouldn’t show up later.

No matter how much Jiang Yao’s fierce reputation was known outside⁸, she had never laid a hand on Song Muyun. If it was the Seventh Prince…

Song Muyun would probably have a hard time.

“Young Miss Jiang wants to see Muyun. Take her to Muyun’s room.”

It seems she really is seriously injured. Jiang Yao’s expression grew cold and stern. She didn’t believe for a second that Song Muyun was “accidentally injured.” It had to be that shriveled calf thing⁹, Murong Qing!

Secretly bullying her person while she wasn’t around—she was going to die of anger.

Jiang Yao felt it was a little hard to breathe. She wished she could rush into the imperial palace right now, grab Murong Qing, and beat him up.

So shameless. If someone doesn’t like you, they just don’t like you. How dare a shameless person like you keep pestering them!

Yan Jin led Jiang Yao toward the back courtyard. She was skilled at observing words and watching expressions¹⁰ and could naturally see that beneath Jiang Yao’s anger, there was even more worry. She seemed to genuinely like Muyun.

“Young Miss Jiang, Muyun was forced into Yueshang House. The person who brought her specifically mentioned that she is the daughter of a convicted official, so she wasn’t provided with a very good room. I hope you won’t take offense.”

This was a preemptive move to win some pity for Song Muyun’s miserable state.

Jiang Yao’s face was expressionless, but in her heart, she chalked up another mark against Murong Qing. You like someone, so you deliberately torture them? You’re really something else, Murong Qing.

Yan Jin brought Jiang Yao to a small wooden door. This was already the most remote corner of Yueshang House. The wooden door looked dusty and gray, with patches of red and black, clearly having been in use for a long time. When pushed open, it let out a piercing creak. Only upon entering did one discover that the ground inside wasn’t even paved with tiles, just hard-packed earth. The room was so small it could barely fit a wooden bed and a small, somewhat faded dressing table. It was hard to imagine that in a place like Yueshang House, which was steeped in being paper drunk and gold mesmerized¹¹, there could be such a shabby place.

On the wooden bed not far away lay a person, dressed in a snow-white inner garment¹², her face haggard and pale.

Jiang Yao’s heart clenched with a sudden pain. Her fingers tightened around her whip as she once again greeted him in her mind: Murong Qing, is he looking for death?!

The sound of the door opening seemed to startle the person dozing on the bed with her eyes closed. She slowly opened them, a trace of confusion still in their depths. Without even looking at the person who had entered, she just said, “Mama¹³ said I don’t have to receive guests today.”

Her injuries from yesterday had made even walking difficult. When mama saw her miserable state, she told her she could rest for a day.

Yan Jin paused at her words and subconsciously glanced at Jiang Yao behind her.

Seeing no trace of displeasure on her face, only a barely perceptible tenderness, she relaxed and said to Song Muyun with a charming smile, “Why don’t you turn your head and see who’s here? Are you sure you don’t want to see them?”

Song Muyun froze, then turned her head. A woman in a snow-white, close-fitting outfit, her long hair tied neatly into a ponytail, entered her vision. Her heart suddenly began to beat a little faster. “Young Miss Jiang, why have you come?”

As she spoke, she tried to sit up, but just as she was about to, she let out a muffled groan. Her face grew even paler, clearly having pulled at her wounds. Jiang Yao saw the pain on her face, and her pupils contracted abruptly. She strode forward in a few steps and pressed the person back down on the bed, not allowing her to get up. Her brows were locked tightly as she scolded her, “What are you doing? If you’re in pain, just lie down properly. I can talk to you while you’re lying down.”

A hand, not heavy but firm, pressed on her shoulder, carrying a bit of warmth. A blush crept onto Song Muyun’s cheeks, as if she were very embarrassed. Even though her body was in great pain, her heart was pounding, joyful at Jiang Yao’s arrival.

“Young Miss Jiang, why did you come?”

She asked again. Jiang Yao couldn’t see her wounds from the outside and felt a sense of urgency, wishing she could strip off her clothes on the spot to see how bad the injuries were. But in the end, she was afraid that a little maiden raised in the women’s quarters had never seen such a spectacle and would be frightened by her.

Jiang Yao frowned slightly. Yan Jin had, at some point, closed the door with a creak and left. She kept her hand on Song Muyun’s shoulder, carefully looking her over from head to toe before saying, “I came to see you. The madam said you were injured?”

Song Muyun pursed her lips and said softly, “It’s just a small injury. You didn’t have to come today. Mama promised me I wouldn’t have to receive guests today, so the Seventh Prince won’t come.”

She thought Jiang Yao felt she was too pitiful after being tormented by the Seventh Prince and was therefore showing her compassion; as long as the Seventh Prince didn’t come, she wouldn’t come either.

However, Jiang Yao’s beautiful, slender brows were knitted tightly together, her gaze fixed almost piercingly on her chest. Her tone was audibly tinged with gritted teeth. “Your blood is seeping through, and you still call it a small injury! Murong Qing had better not come today, or else we’ll see if I don’t beat him to death, that mixed-egg thing¹⁴!”

Song Muyun looked up at her, at the genuine heartache on her face that held not a trace of falsehood, and the equally sincere fury directed at the Seventh Prince.

Even the wounds that had split open seemed to hurt a little less…

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The author has something to say:

Author-jun¹⁵ sheds a tear: Little pitiful one¹⁶, hurry and let your Yaoyao-jie dote on you.

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