Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 3

A Sigh of Relief

Jiang Yao had originally been sitting with one leg propped on the table, lounging carelessly, but when she saw Song Muyun arrive, she subconsciously sat up straight.

People always pay extra attention to their image in front of a beauty, ahem.

Upon seeing Song Muyun, Murong Qing’s face turned slightly cold. From his expression alone, Jiang Yao would never have guessed that he had once been fond of Song Muyun.

Tsk, are all men this fickle?

Jiang Yao kept her legs properly under the table now, leaning back in her chair and beckoning to Song Muyun. “So you’re the girl the Seventh Prince comes to see every day? You truly are as beautiful as a celestial fairy, it’s just… you look a little familiar.”

She was pretending not to recognize her.

Song Muyun’s expression remained indifferent. She merely glanced at Jiang Yao, thinking to herself, The Eldest Miss of the Prime Minister’s Residence. I hear she’s very close with the Seventh Prince. Is she here for him?

Otherwise, she couldn’t think of any other reason.

When Murong Qing saw Song Muyun, a flash of stunned admiration crossed his eyes, but it was immediately followed by the memory of his humiliating rejection. His expression soured further, and he reached out to tap the table. “Come here. Pour the tea.”

Hearing his voice, Song Muyun’s body stiffened. The pain that had yet to fade surged back again. It hurts, it hurts so much.

The Seventh Prince is a beast!

It was the first time Song Muyun had ever hated someone so much, but she had no choice but to obey.

She braced herself to be in even more pain today than yesterday. Murong Qing… he hadn’t come alone.

I’ve heard that the Eldest Miss of the Prime Minister’s Residence has a willful and arrogant temperament and likes to use a whip. Many people in the capital who displeased her have been flogged by her.

So… will she whip me now, too?

Song Muyun stood frozen in place. For some reason, the moment Murong Qing saw her, he lost control of his emotions. Right in front of Jiang Yao, he threw a wine cup at her, striking her squarely on the forehead.

Then his voice came, low and cold. “I told you to come pour the tea. Are you deaf?”

The slender, beautiful woman in the white dress trembled from the impact, and a bruise quickly began to form on her forehead.

Jiang Yao was absolutely stunned. She was now utterly convinced that the dream she’d had was real!

At the very least, the Seventh Prince was definitely a two-faced person!

Look at how he usually was—gentle, refined, and dashing.

And look at him now!

Just because someone was a little slow to pour tea, he smashed a cup on them. Is that something a human would do?

How could he bear to strike such a delicate and moving, fairy-like beauty with a cup?

A chill went through Jiang Yao’s heart. She secretly decided that when she got back, she would definitely make her brainless idiot of a little brother stay far away from Murong Qing. Otherwise, he’d never even know when he’d been smilingly caught in one of his schemes.

Jiang Yao watched with a frown. Murong Qing seemed to only then remember he wasn’t alone in the room. He paused, then forced a smile that carried a trace of his usual gentleness. “The women of Yueshang House are of low birth, mostly from families that have committed crimes. One needn’t be too kind to them, or they’ll just see you as a pawn to rescue them from their prison.”

“This Prince knows you have always been kindhearted, but she is a daughter of the Song family. Her father was the former Commissioner of the Office of Transmission¹. His was the household that was seized a while back for the crime of deceiving the sovereign². Father Emperor³ was so angry he couldn’t sleep for days. I am merely distressed on Father Emperor’s behalf. Does Miss Jiang understand?”

Jiang Yao: …

Do you even know what you’re saying?

You’re distressed on your dad’s behalf, so you come here to bully a woman, an innocent woman?

Are you even human, Murong Qing!

No matter what, she would not let the Jiang family stand behind a man like this.

Jiang Yao looked at Song Muyun. She seemed to be used to it already; there was no unusual expression on her face, only a faint, deathly stillness.

The last time she’d seen her, Song Muyun had been a gentle, graceful, and exceptionally beautiful girl. How had Murong Qing tormented her into this state?

Seeing Jiang Yao’s silence, Murong Qing assumed she approved of his actions. He hooked his lips into a roguish smile, but his expression turned cold again the moment he faced Song Muyun.

Song Muyun woodenly walked over to pour tea for Murong Qing. The first cup, Murong Qing splashed directly in her face.

Her breath caught for a second. Jiang Yao’s eyes widened in shock once more.

She was starting to doubt her dream again. How could she possibly fall in love with Murong Qing? What is Song Muyun’s brain made of!

Did she not like my brother because he didn’t hurt her enough?

Jiang Yao’s expression was complicated as she heard Murong Qing snap, “Is this your idea of etiquette? Pour another cup!”

…

She, for one, couldn’t see what was wrong with the etiquette.

Song Muyun appeared as calm as ever, unbothered by Murong Qing’s deliberate provocations. She continued to pour him another cup of tea. Just as Murong Qing sneered and was about to splash it on her again, Jiang Yao suddenly grabbed Song Muyun’s wrist and pulled her over, yanking her out of the way of the tea.

Murong Qing frowned at her.

The Seventh Prince had always been gentle and courteous to others, and she had always thought so too. Today, my filter for him has really shattered to pieces.⁴

Jiang Yao reached out and gripped the beauty’s chin, as if she, too, was very interested in bullying people. Murong Qing’s expression relaxed slightly. The beauty’s heart leaped into her throat, but her face remained a mask of indifference.

“Tsk, This Young Miss⁵ has seen you a few times. You’re quite the looker. Your skin is so tender, so tender and fair.”

With the faint bruise on her forehead and the red marks on her cheeks from where Jiang Yao had pinched them, she let go and tipped her chin toward her own teacup. “Pour This Young Miss a cup of tea. You’ll be serving This Young Miss today.”

Murong Qing: ???

Didn’t I call for her?

“If Miss Jiang requires service, I can simply call another girl for you. I had my eye on her first.”

Jiang Yao put her hands on her hips, displeased. “Nope. Why don’t you call another one for yourself? I’ve taken a liking to this one, and I don’t feel like giving her up to you.”

Murong Qing had never met someone so unreasonable. A vein throbbed on his forehead. “Her father and your father were not on good terms. Are you trying to torment her?”

Is that so? But why did she remember her father sighing a couple of times about how pitiful the Song family’s elders and children were?

So in the dream, Song Muyun wanted to kill her whole family, possibly because her father and Song Muyun’s father were at odds?

Tsk, whatever. What does it have to do with her? As long as Murong Qing doesn’t become emperor, and Song Muyun doesn’t end up with whoever does become emperor, her family should be fine.

Besides, her dad wasn’t a vegetarian.⁶

Jiang Yao leaned back in her chair, sipping the tea Song Muyun had poured. “This Young Miss has always thought she was pretty. Is it a crime to want to look at her a little more now? The Seventh Prince comes to this pleasure house⁷ to see her every day. Won’t you let me have her just this once?”

The Seventh Prince had no desire to let her, but he also knew that if Jiang Yao wanted something, there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t beat her in a fight, and he hadn’t brought a single person with him today!

He was furious.

Most importantly, he couldn’t let his visits to the Yuefang become a big deal. If others found out he was coming to the Yuefang every day to see Song Muyun, it could stir up a lot of trouble.

Murong Qing had no choice but to concede. He shot Song Muyun a glacial look. “Since Miss Jiang wants you to serve her, you will serve her well. If your service is lacking, you’ll have a rough time of it.”

Song Muyun gave Murong Qing a detached glance and didn’t reply. The look nearly made Murong Qing jump to his feet and strike her. How dare she look at me like that?!

She’s just the daughter of a convicted official!

What right does she have!

She was arrogant before, and now she’s fallen to a Yuefang. What right does she have to keep being so proud?

Murong Qing’s face was ugly. Jiang Yao ignored him and pointed a finger at her empty cup. “Pour another. A little quicker on the uptake, would you?”

Song Muyun silently poured another cup, but inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Miss Jiang… doesn’t seem to be here to cause trouble for me.

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The author has something to say:

You have to be good to your wife

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