Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 40

Don’t Be Fierce to Her

It had already grown completely dark. Only when Jiang Yao could no longer see the drawings in the huaben¹ clearly did she finally stop, holding the book in her hands and staring blankly into the empty space ahead.

Meng Lichu had originally stayed to keep Jiang Yao company while she read, but doing nothing while watching someone else read was truly too boring.

She had pulled out a huaben for herself to read as well. By now, she was feeling quite stirred up and urgently needed to find a woman to have a good time with.

If not for the fact that Jiang Yao hadn’t left yet, she would have already called for her handmaids to return.

“Does Eldest Miss Jiang understand now how women and women can have a good time?”

If you understand, then hurry up and leave. Go, go, go quickly, don’t disturb my fun!

Jiang Yao nodded dazedly, a look of disbelief still on her face as she murmured, “Women… can actually do this.”

“Naturally they can. If men and men can have a good time, why can’t women and women? As long as you want to, there are plenty of ways.”

For some unknown reason, Song Muyun’s peerlessly elegant face flashed through Jiang Yao’s mind. Upon snapping back to reality, she hurriedly shook her head, nearly slapping herself. What are you thinking? Muyun is the female lead, and besides, she likes men. In the story, she even likes Murong Qing. Have you gone crazy to dare fantasize about her?

The throbbing in her heart from a moment ago was instantly suppressed a bit.

Seeing the huaben being tucked into someone’s chest with an expressionless, even somewhat serious face, Meng Lichu watched her silently until she spoke up. “Official Meng², could I borrow this huaben to take back and view?”

Official Meng looked at her chest, bulging with the stuffed huaben, then looked at her smiling face. With that remark, she really had no room to refuse, did she?

Fine, it’s just a huaben. I just didn’t expect Eldest Miss Jiang to be completely clueless about such matters. I’ll have fresh gossip to share with friends when I get back.

Meng Lichu laughed inwardly, though her words were entirely respectful and generous. “It is merely a huaben. If one is not enough, I have more here. You needn’t be polite.”

If one is greedy for too much, one cannot chew it fine³. Jiang Yao took the huaben and left, taking along her brain, which was somewhat agitated from discovering a new way to play.

After getting a good blast of cold wind outside, she finally calmed down.

She had hidden the huaben well, planning to take it back to study a thing or two on her own.

It wasn’t that she liked women; she was just curious about fresh things she hadn’t seen before.

Jiang Yao thought to herself.

On the other side, at Yueshang House, Song Muyun had also finished reading about half of a huaben. A Female Prince Consort⁴ disguised as a man, took the position of Zhuangyuan⁵, married the princess, and wantonly toyed with her using a female body. Not just the princess, but the maids in the manor, the young ladies visiting as guests, and even the Empress—she actually spared no one…

The impact of such a huaben on Song Muyun’s cognition was undeniably massive. From the beginning to the middle of her reading, the flush on her cheeks never faded, and her long eyelashes trembled incessantly.

Her heart thumped wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her chest.

H-how could there be such a treasonous huaben? The Empress is the mother of the nation…

Deceiving the sovereign is a capital crime.

T-that aside, every scene drawn in the huaben could be called lewd and chaotic. Women and women… can they actually do this too?

Yan Jin, her long black hair draped down and her makeup wiped clean, looked as fresh and clear as a lotus rising from water. She was accustomed to surviving in the music workshop; a casual glance from her was full of charm. Just like now, she glanced at Song Muyun, her moist lips curving up slightly. “What? Never seen this kind of thing before, so you’re stunned? Or is it that the Daxiaojie who grew up reading the Four Books and Five Classics⁶ can’t accept these things?”

As soon as she spoke, Song Muyun immediately snapped out of the world in the painting. She slammed the book face down onto the table with a loud thud. Her cheeks were red as if they had been burned by fire. She was extremely embarrassed and didn’t dare answer Yan Jin’s questions. Seeing that it had long since turned dark outside, and that Jiang Yao might already be waiting in her room, she hurriedly stood up and spoke softly, “I’ve troubled Yan Jin-jiejie⁷ today. I… I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll go back first.”

Blushing and keeping her head down, she was about to walk out when she was stopped by Yan Jin. “Hey, wait. Is Eldest Miss Jiang waiting for you in your room?”

Song Muyun’s ten slender, jade-like fingers tangled together in distress. After a moment, she nodded gently at the other woman.

Having just looked at that kind of huaben, and specifically one about women and women, she couldn’t bear to think about Jiang Yao. The moment she thought of Jiang Yao, that heart which was already thumping wildly beat even faster.

Yan Jin raised an eyebrow and asked her, “Then, having seen this today, are you going back to do something with Eldest Miss Jiang?”

Song Muyun’s entire body shook, and she looked at Yan Jin in disbelief.

In this moment, she actually understood the meaning behind Yan Jin’s words. B-but how could she think of her and Jiang Yao’s relationship like that!

She and Jiang Yao are pure and innocent. Jiang Yao is a good person who saved her from fire and water. She cannot repay kindness with ingratitude and stain Jiang Yao’s good name.

Moreover… who’s to say Jiang Yao doesn’t dislike women?

Ordinary women would still prefer men, right?

She is also from a noble and wealthy family. How could the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister be someone who likes women? Wouldn’t that be inviting criticism?

Song Muyun shook her head at Yan Jin, her expression absolutely firm. “Yan Jin-jiejie, please do not say such words again. There is no such relationship between Miss Jiang and me. Not now, and in the future… there won’t be either.”

Yan Jin was stunned upon hearing this, her brows furrowing slightly. This girl raised in the deep boudoir is simply naive. Now that she’s fallen into a music workshop, she is lucky to be looked after by the Prime Minister’s daughter. Naturally, she should grasp onto it quickly. If it were me, I would use every ounce of my skill to make Miss Jiang know the pleasure of being with a woman, making Miss Jiang unable to bear parting with me or abandoning me.

Song Muyun has pride and disdains doing such things, but does she know what kind of situation she will fall into once Jiang Yao gets tired of her?

The Seventh Prince has never shown any intention of letting her go. Has she forgotten the hellish life from before?

“You don’t like Eldest Miss Jiang?”

Yan Jin asked.

Song Muyun hesitated and shook her head, yet the words she spoke carried some conviction. “I like her. The like between ordinary friends.”

It was truly impossible to reason with her. “Fine, suit yourself. But I must remind you, Yueshang House is not a good place. Right now, you have Miss Jiang protecting you, so naturally, you live peacefully. But if one day she stops protecting you, the life we live… you will too. Women in the music workshop have never had the right to choose.”

Yan Jin sighed, hoping Song Muyun could understand on her own. Opportunities must be seized. I hear the Prime Minister holds power over the court and the wild; perhaps he could save her?

If she truly got into Jiang Yao’s bed, who’s to say those things wouldn’t happen?

However, Song Muyun pursed her lips. After listening, although there was clearly some fear on her face, she still shook her head firmly. “Thank you. I should go back.”

Yan Jin: …

This means not a single word went in.

Whatever, who cares about her. I only wanted to remind her a bit because I saw she wasn’t the same kind of person as them. Since she won’t listen, then let her be.

Yan Jin waved her hand. “Then go back quickly. I should sleep too; these past two days have really exhausted me to death.”

Song Muyun nodded and left, closing the door for Yan Jin. She walked slowly toward her own courtyard in the night.

Her mind was full of the styles from the huaben she had just seen. Women and women… actually had so many ways to play. It was the first time she knew.

As she thought about it, the Female Prince Consort in her mind, who was embracing someone’s slender waist and touching wildly, suddenly changed into Jiang Yao’s face. In just a split second, it gave Song Muyun a jump scare.

Thinking of Jiang Yao, and seeing the pitch-black sky, she realized more than one shichen⁸ had passed since she left. Jiang Yao wouldn’t have been waiting in her courtyard for a long time, right?

She had said she would come after sending Ru’er⁹ away, so she must have arrived by now.

Song Muyun frowned tightly, walking quickly toward her courtyard, not wanting to make her wait any longer.

At the end of the corridor was precisely the place where Yueshang House received guests. Inside, it was brightly lit, and faint sounds of laughter could be heard.

She didn’t pay much attention, only wanting to go back and find Jiang Yao. However, a woman’s rather surprised voice rang out from that side of the corridor. “Muyun?”

Song Muyun’s figure paused. She subconsciously looked up and saw a vague silhouette. She tentatively called out, “Jiang Yao?”

Jiang Yao walked over in a few steps. Even in the darkness, she accurately found Song Muyun’s soft, tender fingers and clasped them tightly in her palm. Her complaining voice rang out, “Is this Yueshang House so poor that they don’t know to put a few lanterns on the path? I almost couldn’t find you.”

Beside her ear was a familiar voice. Song Muyun’s erratic heart gradually calmed down with the sound of her voice. Smiling faintly, she swung the hand holding hers, her tone becoming increasingly gentle. “Didn’t you find me?”

She thought Jiang Yao had long been waiting in her room and was just wondering how to explain her absence. She didn’t expect her to be returning at the same time.

Song Muyun obediently followed behind Jiang Yao, led by the hand, trailing her step by step like a child.

“Where did you go just now?”

After walking for a short while, Jiang Yao still asked. Song Muyun’s body stiffened, and the hand being held stiffened as well, her fingertips curling slightly.

“I saw that you didn’t come from your own courtyard.”

Likely having sensed something, Jiang Yao explained.

Song Muyun lowered her head, nervously fabricating a reason for herself. “I heard Yan Jin-jiejie’s embroidery skills are excellent, so I went to ask for some advice just now.”

Jiang Yao: “You’re going to embroider things again?”

She already foresaw that she would be given the cold shoulder.

Song Muyun would sit there embroidering, and would just toss her a huaben, letting her play by herself.

Where can’t I read huaben? I’m here with Song Muyun, with warm fragrance and soft jade in my arms—why would I still want to read huaben?

Jiang Yao had dared to be angry but dared not speak out for a long time.

“Mn, I want to finish embroidering early.”

“Oh, then what are you going to embroider?”

As the two walked along the small path, Jiang Yao asked one question after another.

“I want to embroider a pouch.”

Jiang Yao continued to humph, expressing her dissatisfaction. While kicking open the door, she said, “Don’t I give you money to spend usually? Wouldn’t buying a pouch suffice?”

All of her pouches are bought!

Spending money to buy them is so great. A pouch only costs twenty or thirty wen¹⁰, and even the exquisite ones top out at one tael¹¹. But embroidering a pouch takes several days, is troublesome, and might not even be embroidered well.

Why make yourself suffer like this?

Jiang Yao was very perplexed.

Song Muyun let go of her hand, walked to the candle stand, and lit the candles one by one. Speaking with her back to her, her voice carried a softness she wasn’t even aware of. “The money you give me is a lot, enough to buy many pouches. It’s just that I want to make one myself. Go out and ask, what woman spends money to buy a pouch?”

Jiang Yao was self-righteous. “But there are people selling pouches outside. If no one bought them, wouldn’t their business collapse?”

Song Muyun was silent for a moment, realizing she couldn’t refute that. Jiang Yao had a point, but she still didn’t change her mind. Her voice was soft yet firm. “I don’t care about others; anyway, I want to make it myself.”

Jiang Yao’s stunning, sharp face immediately fell. “Then if you make a pouch, what am I supposed to do? I’ll be bored to death.”

She walked over and suddenly pressed against Song Muyun’s back. In an instant, Song Muyun remembered that erotic huaben of women intertwined. Her long, narrow phoenix eyes widened slightly, and she suddenly moved her body, breaking free from her to walk to the desk. “Y-you, don’t move your hands and feet. There are huaben here; if you’re idle, just read.”

She thought she temporarily couldn’t be calm about touching and hugging Jiang Yao. After seeing that kind of huaben and knowing that things could happen between women, she realized that her usual interactions with Jiang Yao had long surpassed the boundaries of friends.

Even a proper husband and wife like her parents weren’t as intimate as they were.

Jiang Yao just didn’t know that women could do all sorts of sexual things with women, so she was this close to her. But she knew. Since she knew, she had to be careful not to let people misunderstand Jiang Yao.

In the past, it wasn’t that Song Muyun hadn’t heard the term Mirror Grinding¹² and knew what it meant, but she had always thought… Mirror Grinding was just two women living together like best friends. She absolutely never expected it could be like that.

The more she thought, the more a layer of seductive crimson seeped onto her originally fair face.

Her fingers clenched helplessly.

Jiang Yao wasn’t as innocent as Song Muyun thought. She also knew about matters between women now—albeit just recently. As for why she remained so intimate with Song Muyun, it was because she considered herself open and aboveboard, with no ulterior motives. Moreover, in her heart, hugging and cuddling were things friends could do. She was single-mindedly focused on pulling Song Muyun out of the great quagmire that was Murong Qing and hadn’t thought of anything else. In the huaben, Song Muyun clearly liked men. She didn’t like anyone, and Song Muyun liked men, so why couldn’t they be close together?

Only when two women who preferred Mirror Grinding were together did they need to be careful.

“During the day you said you didn’t dislike me moving my hands and feet. This face changes way too fast.”

Jiang Yao pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. A huaben was hurriedly stuffed into her hand, and that person’s voice was dainty and delicate, very alluring. “Aiyaya, stop talking. Day is day and now is now. You aren’t allowed to touch me anymore. Read your huaben.”

Jiang Yao glared at her. She was getting bolder, even learning to use her own words to block her.

Going back on one’s word is truly not the behavior of a gentleman!

Hmph, if I don’t touch, I don’t touch. Who cares.

She took the huaben and, without another word, lay down on the soft couch, ignoring Song Muyun.

Song Muyun breathed a sigh of relief seeing she wasn’t being unreasonable anymore. She picked up a basket of needlework and sat next to Jiang Yao to continue making that pouch.

However, seeing her sit down, Jiang Yao actually got up and moved directly to lie down on the other end of the soft couch.

She made her unhappiness plainly clear.

Song Muyun’s hand holding the embroidery tightened. She subconsciously looked up, her thin lips pressed into a straight line. She thought, Is Jiang Yao angry again? Why is she so easily angered? I… I didn’t say anything, just didn’t let her touch, and she got angry?

But we… are just friends, not lovers. What friends hug and cuddle all day long? Even Yan Jin misunderstood.

Thinking of Yan Jin saying today that she didn’t believe they hadn’t done anything, she couldn’t help but wonder, did others share Yan Jin’s thoughts?

Then wouldn’t she be ruining Jiang Yao’s reputation? Jiang Yao wasn’t married yet; having a reputation for Mirror Grinding was absolutely not a good thing.

Song Muyun made up her mind. She couldn’t interact with Jiang Yao like before.

But now, she had just dodged once, and Jiang Yao was already angry, ignoring her, and refusing to even sit in the same place as her.

While distracted, her rosy fingertip was suddenly pricked by the needle. Her whole body shivered, and she let out a small cry of surprise.

Song Muyun had been spaced out just now and forgot to move her hand away when pushing the needle down.

A tiny bead of blood oozed from her fingertip. She looked up to find Jiang Yao, only to see Jiang Yao lying lazily on the couch, holding a book in one hand, eyes looking at her.

“What’s wrong?”

She asked. Likely because she was still sulking, her voice sounded a bit cold.

Song Muyun lightly bit her lower lip, her eyes suddenly filling with mist. She extended her red fingertip, her tone pitiful. “Jiang Yao, I accidentally pricked myself. It’s bleeding.”

Not only was her tone pitiful, but her face was also pitiful. Her eyes were hazy with moisture, looking as if tears would fall in the next second.

But… that was just a tiny injury. Was it enough to make someone cry from pain?

Jiang Yao wanted to ask, Is it that painful? But Song Muyun’s expression was truly too delicate and touching. She paused, then got up to look for medicine, grumbling as she rummaged, “I told you not to do it, not to do it, but you insisted. Now look, it’s bleeding. You asked for it!”

Unknown when it started, but Song Muyun had become increasingly adept at playing pitiful. Seeing the coldness on Jiang Yao’s face recede slightly, her heart settled. Thus, she became even more pathetic, her willow brows knitting slightly as she held her injured hand and complained, “I’ve hurt my hand, and you still want to scold me?”

Upon hearing this voice, Jiang Yao really shut up. Not for anything else, but she was afraid Song Muyun would cry for her to see. She loved to cry.

She honestly dug out the medicine and handed it to her. Song Muyun, fearing she was still angry, deliberately turned her head away not to look at her. Her voice was so light it seemed a gust of wind could scatter it, extremely quiet and gentle. “I’m afraid of pain, I dare not look. Can you help me apply the medicine?”

Jiang Yao looked at her and didn’t feel anything was amiss. While gently wiping away the small blood bead on Song Muyun’s fingertip with a handkerchief, she muttered her dissatisfaction. “So delicate.”

Song Muyun’s body stiffened slightly, then relaxed a moment later, thinking, Let it be delicate then. As long as she isn’t angry.

Inexplicably, she was very afraid of Jiang Yao getting angry.

Usually, as soon as Jiang Yao got angry, she would want to coax her eagerly. But she was clumsy with words, and every time it was because she had provoked Jiang Yao that she got angry, so she didn’t know how to coax her.

Fine powder was sprinkled on the fingertip, stinging slightly. Song Muyun pursed her lips and endured it. She was indeed very afraid of pain; there shouldn’t be anyone who wasn’t afraid of pain…

After the medicinal powder was applied, the wound was wrapped with a strip of fine cloth by Jiang Yao. “Tsk, done. You still want to embroider?”

She stood up after finishing and looked down at Song Muyun.

Song Muyun pursed her lips lightly and carefully tugged at Jiang Yao’s sleeve. “I’m almost finished. Keep me company while reading the huaben later, okay?”

“Che, that huaben is ugly as hell. Who wants you to keep me company reading it? Go embroider your flower.”

Jiang Yao glanced at the embroidery again. She really had no knowledge of these flowers and grasses and couldn’t tell what flower Song Muyun was embroidering. But since she insisted on embroidering, let her embroider then.

She dragged a small stool over and sat to the side, closer to Song Muyun, but not sitting tightly pressed against her like usual.

Clearly, this was what Song Muyun wanted. But when she really did it, really stopped getting close to her, her heart felt uncomfortable as if claws were scratching it—not scratching lightly, but scratching heavily.

It hurt, it was very uncomfortable.

Song Muyun hurriedly lowered her head to hide her slightly red eyes.

Sitting on the small stool, Jiang Yao rested her chin in both hands, bored enough to start recalling the contents of that book 《Chungui Ji》¹³.

It was a story about two courtesans.

If only they were loved by someone, they wouldn’t have become courtesans. That huaben told the story of two lonely and helpless souls snuggling together for warmth.

Two girls, equally unloved, fell in love with each other—the only one who cared—inside the hellish brothel. Through repeated lovemaking in different positions, they loved each other deeper and deeper, until they could no longer endure the involuntary servitude of the brothel. Then, the two began saving silver to escape the brothel together.

The story stopped there for her; she hadn’t read further. Now she was scratching her heart and lungs wanting to read, wanting to know if they managed to escape completely, and also wanting to know how many more tricks there were that she hadn’t seen.

The person who drew the huaben must have had excellent skills to portray every smile and frown of the two so perfectly. And those positions…

The positions were also very novel; she hadn’t seen them before.

The Daxiaojie of the Prime Minister’s residence looked unruly, but in reality, she wasn’t very enlightened regarding sexual matters. She had no thoughts of her own. Jiang Huai and Liang Qingyin were both scholars; their affairs were restrained and subtle, leaving her to figure things out herself, ignoring her.

More than half had been embroidered earlier. Soon, she reached the last stitch. Song Muyun finished, put away the thread, and looked at the Daxiaojie sitting on the stool with nothing to do.

“Jiang Yao, if you dislike that book, I have other huaben there. Shall I go get them for you to read?”

Jiang Yao moved her chin, glanced at Song Muyun, and refused sullenly, “No need. I’m sleepy, I want to sleep. I don’t want to read.”

“Then I’ll go get hot water for you.”

Earlier she told me not to move my hands and feet, seemingly distancing herself, and now she wants to fetch hot water for me.

So fickle.

Jiang Yao stood up. She was a bit taller than Song Muyun, so she looked down slightly at her. Song Muyun looked up at her, eyes adorned with stars, seemingly a bit nervous. Her eyelashes trembled lightly, and her hand quietly gripped her sleeve.

Jiang Yao was sharp and saw her nervousness at a glance.

“W-what’s wrong?” She even stammered when speaking.

Jiang Yao hummed twice. “No need. I gave silver and let the kitchen xiaosi¹⁴ bring some. With your little arms and legs, what hot water can you carry? I’m afraid the hot water is heavier than you.”

It wasn’t like she hadn’t held Song Muyun before; she was light as a feather.

“Oh.”

With nothing needing her to do, Song Muyun felt a bit lost instead. She lowered her head, revealing only a fuzzy black head. Jiang Yao wanted to reach out and touch it, but remembering Song Muyun always said she was hugging and cuddling and seemed reluctant, the hand she had halfway raised was put down again, dammit.

Song Muyun kept her head down, her line of sight falling perfectly on her hand, watching her actions carefully. Her heart tightened, and the feeling of loss spread through her whole body.

But she didn’t speak, letting Jiang Yao go call the xiaosi to carry the hot water.

Jiang Yao finished washing and rolled onto the bed, completely dry and refreshed. The xiaosi consciously came in to change the water for Song Muyun to wash.

Song Muyun looked up at Jiang Yao. Jiang Yao was still rolling back and forth on the bed—who knew what was so fun about that? Just like a child.

She went inside to wash her body. Jiang Yao could hear the sound of water; she didn’t pay it much mind and lay down under the quilt to warm the bed for the other person.

She had closed the door tight, just waiting for Song Muyun to come out and sleep.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the woman behind the screen stood up, and the sound of large amounts of water splashing down rang out.

Jiang Yao’s ears were somewhat keen, hearing it clearly.

Song Muyun put on her inner garments and walked out from behind the screen. Her ink-black long hair was slightly damp, draped casually behind her waist. She knelt on the bed, seemingly about to get on, but Jiang Yao hurriedly stopped her. “Hey, what’s the rush? You haven’t wiped your hair yet. Want a headache tomorrow?”

She cares about me?

This realization loosened Song Muyun’s constantly tight heart. She lowered her head, her expression gentle. “I’m fine, I won’t get a headache. Aren’t you sleepy?”

She thought since Jiang Yao was already sleepy, they should sleep earlier.

How could Jiang Yao agree to this disregard for one’s body?

She frowned. “Go get a clean cloth; I’ll wipe it for you. Being so young and not cherishing your body, just wait until you’re old and have headaches—you’ll suffer then.”

Song Muyun couldn’t win against her, so she had to smile. With light footsteps, she went to get the cloth, then sat on the edge of the bed, letting Jiang Yao wipe her damp hair stroke by stroke. Only when all the water was wiped away did she allow her to get into bed.

The bed had long been warmed up very toasty by the person with high body heat. As soon as Song Muyun got into bed, she felt surrounded by warmth. Subconsciously, she moved closer to the warmest spot.

Jiang Yao pulled out a huaben from under the pillow and sat on the bed reading. Song Muyun actively leaned over, some of her long hair falling onto Jiang Yao’s exposed fingers, tickling slightly. She said, “I’ll read with you.”

Jiang Yao gave a vague affirmative sound. Song Muyun sat even closer, but just as she was about to lean on her shoulder, Jiang Yao dodged.

Song Muyun’s movements paused. Unknowingly, a corner of the quilt was crumpled in her hand.

“Good thing I left the huaben I didn’t finish last time here.”

She insinuated again that the huaben Song Muyun bought were ugly, and she could only read the previous one.

Song Muyun’s soul had long been absent, staring blankly at a spot. Only when she heard this sentence did she speak. “Then next time you accompany me to buy them. If you come with me, we won’t pick ugly ones.”

“Mn, I’ll take you out for a stroll tomorrow.”

Thinking about it, Song Muyun hadn’t gone out for several days. Being cooped up in the courtyard every day would indeed drive one crazy.

“Okay.”

The two read a huaben titled 《The Young Lord’s Abundant Favor》¹⁵. The male lead was the Eldest Young Master of the Prime Minister’s residence, but only halfway through, Jiang Yao couldn’t help frowning tightly. “Why is it always described that this male lead isn’t tall and has a thin figure? Can someone short be a male lead?”

She was shocked. No matter what, a male lead should be taller, right?

How can someone short be a male lead? And how can he be worthy of the female lead?

Even Murong Qing isn’t short!

Song Muyun also felt it was incorrect, but she persuaded Jiang Yao, “Read a bit more; the writing is actually quite good.”

The author’s writing skill was indeed good. Jiang Yao patiently read on. Only when she reached the ending did she discover that this Young Lord was actually a woman disguised as a man, and the female lead was a genuine woman. They were actually… Mirror Grinders…

No wonder the “male lead” always talked about finding something bigger for the female lead…

It turned out, there was no such appendage…

Both were dumbfounded. A moment later, Jiang Yao threw the huaben away angrily. “Dammit, actually using this title to trick me!”

It wasn’t that there weren’t Mirror Grinding huaben on the market; they were just fewer and harder to sell than normal ones. But there was no need to hang a sheep’s head and sell dog meat, right?

Dammit.

She was fuming here on her own, not noticing at all that Song Muyun beside her had turned red from her snow-white neck to her fair cheeks, her ear tips also dyed a faint crimson. She thought to herself, H-how can it be so coincidental? The Prime Minister’s Eldest Young Master is a woman disguised as a man… then wouldn’t that be the Prime Minister’s Eldest Miss?

She couldn’t help but look at the real Daxiaojie of the Prime Minister’s residence beside her.

Her rosy lips pursed lightly. How could the Prime Minister’s Daxiaojie be a Mirror Grinder?

Jiang Yao has never said she likes women. She… she should like men, right?

For some reason, Song Muyun felt a bit of loss in her heart. The flush on her face faded, and her hand hidden under the quilt gently touched Jiang Yao. “Never mind, we’ll buy new ones tomorrow. Let’s rest; it’s very late. You still have to go back to the Jiang Manor tomorrow, don’t you?”

Jiang Yao came to sleep with me because she feared I would have nightmares. The Longhu General¹⁶ has returned, so she surely has to run back and forth every day. It won’t do if she doesn’t rest well at night.

Song Muyun thought to herself.

Jiang Yao was angry for a while, then let it go. She didn’t hate Mirror Grinding; she just disliked being bamboozled. “Tsk, forget it. Sleep.”

She lifted the quilt and lay down, but only slept on her own half. Just as Song Muyun leaned over, she turned around.

The little fairy rarely saw her back in bed. Her eyes were moist, unable to sleep at all.

She gently poked Jiang Yao’s back.

Jiang Yao wasn’t holding anyone in her arms, which she wasn’t used to, so she hadn’t fallen asleep yet. She replied in a muffled voice, “What?”

Song Muyun whispered very quietly, “Y-why are you sleeping with your back to me?”

Speaking of this made Jiang Yao angry, but her endurance was usually decent, so she only revealed a tiny bit of fierceness in her tone. “Didn’t you dislike hugging and cuddling? Then me turning my back to you fits your wishes exactly, doesn’t it?”

Dammit, is it because my hugging posture is wrong? But back at the border, those kids loved being hugged by me! Why doesn’t Song Muyun like it!!!

Hearing her say this, Song Muyun was obviously flustered and hurriedly tried to explain, “No, it’s not like that. It’s not that I don’t like it.”

“I’m not listening, not listening, I’m not listening. You’re habitually good at coaxing people with sweet words. Last time you said you didn’t hate it, this time you told me not to hug and cuddle.”

Jiang Yao covered her ears, refusing to listen to her speak. Song Muyun opened her mouth, wanting to state the reason for her actions, but after opening and closing her mouth for a long time, she still couldn’t say it.

Isn’t this exactly what I wanted?

Jiang Yao is still friends with me, still cares about me, sleeping in the same bed, yet we no longer have those overly intimate behaviors. After a long time passes, I can explain a bit more, and people won’t think she is a Mirror Grinder anymore. This is just right, isn’t it?

The person who wanted to explain a moment ago fell silent. Finally, she silently retreated a little. Jiang Yao’s back immediately felt empty; the cold wind could pour in, blowing on the shivering person behind her. She only heard her say quietly, “Sorry.”

It didn’t make sense, and what was there to apologize for? She just didn’t like it; she hadn’t done anything wrong. Jiang Yao was annoyed in her heart, burying her head into the pillow and ignoring her.

She didn’t know when she fell asleep. She only knew that before the sky brightened, a fuzzy lump carrying a crying tone threw itself into her arms, knocking against her chest with a dull ache. Vaguely, she heard her say she had a nightmare again, asking for a hug, and asking her not to be fierce to her.

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The author has something to say:

Yunyun: I get nightmares if Yaoyao doesn’t hold me. Yaoyao, hug me~

Yaoyao: (Cool face) (Somewhat shaken) (Okay, only allowed one hug) (Forget it, you’re so pitiful, I’ll hug you a few more times.)

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