Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 47

Jiang Huai: Being ostracized is my destiny.

On the second day, the two of them returned to Yueshang House together to pack their things.

Yueshang House was the most famous music house in the Capital City. Many high-ranking officials and eminent nobles frequented the place, so one could always get firsthand news from the imperial court.

Therefore, word that the Song family might have been wrongfully accused had already spread throughout Yueshang House.

This included the news that Song Muyun had been abducted by the First Prince, that the affair had caused a massive commotion, and that it had ultimately resulted in the First Prince being placed under house arrest.

At first, no one thought Song Muyun’s situation could have any effect on the First Prince. He was the First Prince, the Son of Heaven’s son. What was the big deal about grabbing a female musician¹ from one of his own businesses?

Forget just grabbing her; even if he killed her, what could be done?

But against all expectations, it was the First Prince who ended up confined for half a year, forbidden to leave, while the female musician’s family case was scheduled for a retrial. This completely overturned the common people’s perception that “the people do not fight with officials.”²

Their horse carriage stopped outside. Jiang Yao led Song Muyun by the hand back into Yueshang House. When the madam³ saw them enter, she was practically scared out of her wits. She didn’t even have time to entertain her guests; with a few twists of her body, she vanished from the front hall.

Seeing this, Song Muyun looked up with a hint of confusion and asked Jiang Yao in a small voice, “Why is the madam so afraid of you?”

“Hmph, I told her that if she had any part in your abduction, I wouldn’t let her off lightly. She’s probably scared now. To think she’d dare touch my person with such little guts.”

Jiang Yao sneered.

A sprinkle of pink stained Song Muyun’s fair, tender face. She pushed Jiang Yao away shyly. “What nonsense are you talking about? Who’s your person?”

She was prone to shyness, but Jiang Yao was shameless. She simply raised a hand and pulled the girl into her arms, wrapping it around her rounded shoulders and giving them a squeeze. Feigning dissatisfaction, her bright black eyes danced with laughter as she looked at Song Muyun. “What, you want to draw a clear boundary line with me⁴ again?”

Song Muyun lowered her head, too embarrassed to speak.

She gently bit her thin lips.

Jiang Yao’s hand restlessly slid down, landing on that slender waist. “Tsk, you even let me touch your waist, and you’re still not my person.”

She lowered her voice so only the two of them could hear.

Song Muyun’s cheeks grew even redder. She couldn’t help but wonder, is she hinting at something? But when she came back to her senses, she knew she was overthinking it. Jiang Yao wasn’t thinking anything; she didn’t know anything…

Song Muyun had lived in Yueshang House for a long time, but she didn’t own many things. She disliked the clothes the establishment had provided for her, so she didn’t want them. All that remained were a few pieces of jewelry and some items she had bought herself.

Jiang Yao was strong, so she sorted the heavy items to carry herself, giving Song Muyun only a few light things.

Song Muyun looked at the jewelry boxes in front of her. She’s always so good to me, she thought.

Her long hair swayed at her cheeks, slightly obscuring her beautiful, misty eyes.

They hadn’t been packing for long when Yan Jin, having heard the news, arrived. She wore a bewitching red dress and, twisting her waist, struck an alluring pose at the door. After watching them for a moment and seeing that no one had noticed her, she had no choice but to raise a hand and knock to make some noise. Jiang Yao was still focused on packing, putting away the game pieces one by one. Only Song Muyun glanced over and called out, “Yan Jin-jiejie, why are you here?”

Yan Jin’s red lips curved into a slight smile. With a graceful figure, she walked in, flicking a handkerchief embroidered with delicate peach blossoms. The room instantly filled with fragrance. “I heard you were back, so I came to see. Are you leaving?”

“Yes. Thank you for your care during my time at Yueshang House, Yan Jin-jiejie,” Song Muyun said with a slight curtsy.

Yan Jin waved her hand. “Aiya, how have I taken care of you at all? Eldest Miss Jiang is the one who truly takes care of you. I said it long ago—you can’t go wrong following Miss Jiang.”

Look at that, she got her out of Yueshang House so quickly. Besides Song Muyun, she had never seen any other woman who had fallen into Yueshang House walk out so openly and honorably. It truly made one envious.

As Yan Jin thought this, she raised her charming eyes to stare at Jiang Yao’s back, examining it carefully from all angles. Suddenly, she said, “Muyun, if you really want to thank me, then you should have Miss Jiang come visit me at Yueshang House more often. I hear Miss Jiang has yet to taste the flavor of a woman?”

Jiang Yao: ???

Song Muyun: ??!!!

You just said you didn’t take care of me!

She subconsciously looked at Jiang Yao, her gaze meeting Jiang Yao’s shocked expression.

Jiang Yao knew what Yueshang House was for, but this was the first time… someone had recommended her own pillow and mat⁵ to her face. She was completely stunned.

The next second, she heard Song Muyun refuse without a shred of hesitation. “No!”

Her tone was like chopping a nail and severing iron⁶, leaving no room for discussion, and her face had turned ice-cold.

An inexplicable sense of satisfaction settled in Jiang Yao’s heart, and she turned back to her packing.

Yan Jin playfully tapped Song Muyun with her fragrant handkerchief. “What are you doing? You and Miss Jiang are just friends, anyway. Why not give her to me? I’ll be sure to remember your kindness.”

She smiled coquettishly, but her smile faltered when met with Song Muyun’s cold expression.

It was the first time Song Muyun had ever been so cold to someone, and it made it hard for Yan Jin to keep smiling.

After a moment, she heard Song Muyun say, “Jiang Yao isn’t an object. It’s not for me to say she can be given away. Ask her yourself.”

She seemed unhappy and turned her head away, refusing to look at Yan Jin any longer.

How amusing, Yan Jin thought. Didn’t you say you were just friends? If you’re just friends, why are you getting so angry?

Twisting her waist, she approached Jiang Yao again. Jiang Yao didn’t even glance at her until she spoke in a delicate, crisp voice. “Miss Jiang, Muyun told me to ask you. What do you think?”

She blinked, her eyes full of seductive charm and what seemed like eager anticipation.

Jiang Yao looked up. Yan Jin was standing right in front of her, while Song Muyun’s watery eyes had, at some point, also turned to stare at her intently.

Jiang Yao: …

Why do I feel so pressured?

While continuing to pack Song Muyun’s game board, she spoke slowly. “But I won’t be coming to Yueshang House again.”

Yan Jin was taken aback but kept the smile on her lips. “Not coming again? You won’t come once Muyun leaves? Your kindness toward Muyun truly makes me envious.”

“If I may be so bold, do you come to Yueshang House so often because you like Muyun?”

Jiang Yao glanced at Song Muyun, who immediately turned her head away, feigning indifference.

Jiang Yao felt exceptionally wronged. She hadn’t done anything. Other people had been doing all the talking, and she hadn’t agreed to a single thing. How did she end up being the one Song Muyun was angry at?

When someone’s angry, you have to say nice things to coax them. Jiang Yao smiled. “Mm, hasn’t Muyun told you? Every time I come, I only look for her. Now that she’s no longer at Yueshang House, I naturally have no reason to return. Miss Yan Jin, you should save those thoughts for someone else.”

Yan Jin toyed with a lock of her long, black hair, a look of disappointment on her face. “Aiya, hearing Miss Jiang say that makes me even more envious of Muyun.”

Such devotion. Even between two women, it’s something to be desired.

“There’s no need to be envious. Muyun is only getting what she deserves.”

Song Yunqian was innocent. As the eldest miss of the Song family, she should never have been reduced to a life in a music house. This was all her due.

Jiang Yao was simply returning what was rightfully hers.

Yan Jin continued to look down, her red lips pouting in a display of disappointment. “But if it weren’t for you, Miss Jiang, she wouldn’t have gotten any of this.”

Jiang Yao held back her impatience. Seeing Song Muyun’s cheeks puff up slightly and the corners of her eyes turn red, she knew she was about to become difficult to coax. She turned to Yan Jin and asked, “Do you have some injustice you need me to appeal for you?”

“Ah? Why would you say that, Miss Jiang?” Weren’t we just talking about Muyun? How did we get to injustices?

“I only helped appeal the injustice for Muyun’s father,” Jiang Yao continued. “If you also have an injustice, feel free to find me. As for anything else, let’s just forget it.”

Jiang Yao couldn’t forget the image of seeing her pressed close to Meng Lichu on the corridor that day.

The refusal was clear enough. Besides, she hadn’t really looked at her from the very beginning.

Yan Jin had originally thought Eldest Miss Jiang was someone who greatly admired beauty.

She glanced at Song Muyun, who remained cold and unhappy even after hearing the rejection, and shook her head. “It seems I’ve made this trip for nothing today.”

“In that case, I wish Eldest Miss Jiang and Muyun a long and happy life together.”

Yan Jin came and left with equal speed. She had only come to try and dig at the corner of a wall⁷. After all, Jiang Yao treated Muyun so well it was something everyone in Yueshang House had eyes to see together⁸. Who wouldn’t be green with envy?

But she could also see it now. The reason Jiang Yao was good to Muyun was because she had taken a fancy to Muyun as a person. She only fancied her, only liked her, and was only good to her.

And Muyun still said they were just friends. Tsk, what kind of friends share a bed every night? Who would believe that?

After Yan Jin left, Jiang Yao walked over to Song Muyun. Seeing her approach in her peripheral vision, Song Muyun lightly bit her lip and turned her head away, not wanting to deal with someone who was always touching flowers and provoking grass.⁹

In the past, Song Muyun was always the one to pull on Jiang Yao’s sleeve and speak softly. But today, it was Jiang Yao who tugged on Song Muyun’s sleeve. When she was ignored, her voice took on a coquettish tone. “What’s wrong, Xiao Yun’er? Why are you unhappy? Did I do something to upset you?”

That “Xiao Yun’er” made Song Muyun’s eyelashes tremble. Her heart softened for a moment, but only a moment. She still tried to pull her hand back and averted her gaze. “Who allowed you to call me that? It’s flirtatious and improper.”

“You don’t like it when I’m like this?”

Jiang Yao was a bit taller than Song Muyun. She leaned in, lowering her head to meet her eyes, as if she could see right into her heart.

Song Muyun pressed her lips together and glared. “I don’t. I don’t like you being so frivolous. If you treat me like this today, you’ll surely treat others the same way tomorrow.”

A flush of crimson quickly spread to the corners of her eyes, as if from anger.

Jiang Yao remembered a time when Muyun had mistakenly thought she’d found a better friend. She had gotten so angry she cried for a long while, and no amount of coaxing worked. From that moment, she knew that the cold and aloof female lead from her dream was actually a petty and possessive person. Since Jiang Yao was good to her, she couldn’t be better to anyone else. Muyun wouldn’t say anything, but she would cry, feel wronged, and do all sorts of things to make one’s heart ache. Sigh.

Jiang Yao moved even closer. Song Muyun actually took half a step back, but Jiang Yao wrapped an arm around her waist, preventing her from leaving. “What are you hiding from? I just want to ask, how was I being frivolous? And how do you know I treat others this way? We’ve known each other for so long. Besides you, have you ever seen me treat anyone else like this?”

Trapped in an embrace she couldn’t escape, Song Muyun pursed her lips, her eyes red. She thought about it and realized she truly couldn’t think of anyone else Jiang Yao had treated this way.

So she said nothing, just stubbornly refusing to look at her.

Jiang Yao could guess she was upset because of Yan Jin. But Yan Jin was the one who insisted on saying those things, and she had even refused her. How could the blame fall on her?

She didn’t say a word while Yan Jin was here, but now she was throwing a tantrum at her.

Jiang Yao felt greatly wronged.

“Are you really angry? I have nothing to do with Miss Yan Jin. You’re my best friend, someone no one else can compare to. If you hadn’t told her to ask me, I wasn’t even planning on speaking to her.”

Song Muyun knew this was true, but an unspeakable, stifling emotion remained in her heart. She mumbled unreasonably, “Just because she came to ask, you had to speak with her?”

Neither of them realized how much that sounded like an aggrieved question between a married couple.

Jiang Yao was stunned. A moment later, she couldn’t help but let out a muffled laugh. She flicked the girl’s clean, snow-white forehead, leaving a faint red mark. “Aren’t you the one who’s most particular about etiquette and rules? Why are you now trying to make me do something so ill-mannered and improper?”

Held and bullied in her arms, Song Muyun couldn’t break free, which only made her angrier. She refused to speak. Although she didn’t really want to escape—she had only struggled symbolically a couple of times, and when Jiang Yao didn’t let go, she stopped—she was still angry!

She wasn’t talking again. This was going to take a lot of coaxing.

Jiang Yao rubbed her temples, an idea forming. She let her go without warning. “Forget it. Let’s pack first. We shouldn’t stay here long. I’ll coax you when we get back, alright?”

The tight grip on her body vanished. Song Muyun’s red lips pressed into a thin line. “Who wants you to coax them,” she said unhappily.

She didn’t need her to coax her at all.

Jiang Yao didn’t argue, instead gathering the packed items to take with them.

I’m so stupid, she thought. Why didn’t I bring the xiaosi¹⁰ in to help? Now I have to carry all the heavy stuff.

Song Muyun wanted to help, but of course Jiang Yao wouldn’t let her.

She had practiced martial arts since she was young and was very strong. The young lady, however, had been immersed in books since childhood, learning the zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting¹¹, and practicing etiquette. She had no strength in her hands; not once had she been able to break free from her embrace.

How could Jiang Yao bear to let her carry these heavy things?

She might sprain her back.

The Jiang Residence’s carriage was waiting outside. After loading everything, Jiang Yao stood on the carriage shaft and extended a hand to Song Muyun.

Likely to express her displeasure, Song Muyun deliberately brushed her hand away and boarded the carriage on her own.

Jiang Yao followed helplessly behind her, then quickly sidled up with a cheeky smile. “Is Xiao Yun’er still angry?” she asked.

Song Muyun shifted to the side. Jiang Yao sidled over again. She moved, and Jiang Yao followed. Her skin was thick, after all.

Only when there was no more room to retreat did the young lady stop moving, but the light in her once-sparkling eyes had dimmed.

Jiang Yao moved closer to touch her waist. It was so thin one could easily wrap a hand around it, so she did just that, pulling her into an embrace. Her chin rested on Song Muyun’s shoulder, her hot breath fanning across her neck. She sounded puzzled. “Do you really like getting angry this much? I’d better not provoke you in the future. You’re so hard to coax when you’re upset.”

Jiang Yao was only eighteen this year, still a young woman. Faced with a difficult problem, her pretty face wrinkled up. Song Muyun had been stewing over the earlier incident and had just managed to talk herself into being nicer and gentler with Jiang Yao, to not get angry so easily. But the next second, Jiang Yao lifted the curtain to glance outside, then let go of her and stood up.

Before she could react, Jiang Yao was already off the carriage.

Alone in the empty carriage, Song Muyun’s watery eyes widened as panic seized her heart.

Wh-why did she leave? Does she think I’m hard to coax, so she’s unhappy? Or does she not want to deal with me anymore?

Feeling utterly helpless, she subconsciously stood up, bumping her head on the carriage roof, but she didn’t even have time to rub it.

She hurried off the carriage and stood on the street, looking around blankly. She couldn’t see her. Amid the bustling crowd, she couldn’t find Jiang Yao anywhere.

Song Muyun’s face turned pale. She took a few steps forward, trying to find Jiang Yao, wanting to tell her not to be angry, that she was already coaxed, that she wasn’t that hard to coax at all.

With no one to protect her, she was bumped by the crowd and staggered. She hadn’t gone far when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist from behind. A firm pull sent her stumbling backward into a familiar, warm embrace.

Bit by bit, Song Muyun clutched the clothes at her side as if afraid she would leave again. She spun around and hugged her tightly, not caring that they were on a public street and attracting attention. She just had to hold on, her voice tinged with grievance. “Where did you go? Are you abandoning me too?”

Jiang Yao’s heart jolted. She knew there must have been a misunderstanding; no wonder she had looked so panicked just now.

She wrapped an arm tightly around Song Muyun’s lower back, holding her close. Finally feeling the tense body soften a little, she spoke. “What’s wrong? I didn’t go anywhere. Weren’t you angry? I went to buy tanghulu¹² to coax you. But the pastries next door were freshly baked, and I remembered you love sweets, so I went to buy some. It just took a little while. Did you get impatient?”

Jiang Yao held an oil-paper bag and the tanghulu in one hand, leaving only one arm free to hold the girl. With that hand, she stroked her waist, then moved up to the fluffy hair at the back of her head, soothingly stroking it over and over.

Song Muyun looked up and turned her head, finally seeing the string of bright red tanghulu and a small oil-paper bag.

So she had gone to buy things to coax her, not because she found her difficult and didn’t want to deal with her.

A bit of color returned to Song Muyun’s pale face, but her grip on Jiang Yao only tightened. She shook her head. “No, I wasn’t impatient. I thought you’d left me all alone.”

It really was a misunderstanding. Jiang Yao wanted to scoop her up and coax her properly, but thinking of her extremely shy nature, she decided against it.

It would only make her angrier.

She rubbed the supple waist under her palm and coaxed softly, “How could I? What kind of person do you take me for? I’d abandon myself before I’d ever abandon you.”

Song Muyun buried her head in her chest, her voice coming out muffled. “What’s the difference between abandoning yourself and abandoning me?”

Either way, you’re leaving me alone, aren’t you?

“Alright, I misspoke again. I’m not good with words, you know that. So don’t hold it against me, hmm?”

After that misunderstanding, Song Muyun didn’t dare get angry again. She obediently let Jiang Yao lead her back to the carriage.

Jiang Yao stuffed the freshly bought, tempting red tanghulu into Song Muyun’s hand. “Hurry and eat. Once your mouth is sweet, you can’t be angry with me anymore.”

Song Muyun tore open the wrapper and obediently took a bite. Her voice muffled, she refused to admit it. “I wasn’t that angry to begin with. You don’t need to specially coax me.”

Jiang Yao: …

If I actually believed that, I’d be a huge idiot. You say you’re not very angry and don’t need special coaxing, but you just keep ignoring me? Hmph, if I don’t find a way to cheer her up, by tonight this little iceberg¹³ won’t have melted one bit and will probably have cultivated into a big volcano.

Though she thought this, her words were completely different. “I just enjoy coaxing you. Hurry and eat. There are pastries, too. They taste better hot, so try a couple.”

She took two pink pastries from the oil-paper bag and placed them on a small plate. One was shaped like a plum blossom, the other like a little rabbit, though the rabbit’s head was a bit flattened from the bag.

It wasn’t as delicate as when it was fresh from the oven.

But Song Muyun didn’t mind. She held the little rabbit preciously in her palm and, as Jiang Yao suggested, took small bites, starting from the head.

She did everything methodically, even eating pastries, and her expression was surprisingly serious. Jiang Yao once again found her incredibly cute.

After one and a half pastries, Song Muyun’s snow-white cheeks were slightly puffed, the last half of a peach-blossom pastry left in her hand. Jiang Yao swallowed and suddenly leaned closer, a little embarrassed. “Um, I haven’t had pastries in a long time either. Can you give me a bite?”

She didn’t usually like pastries, but for the first time, watching Song Muyun eat made her feel a bit peckish. Anyway, she was shameless, so what was wrong with asking for half a piece?

She was the one who bought them, after all!

She wouldn’t eat much, just half to satisfy the craving.

But to her surprise, Song Muyun froze, staring at the half-eaten pastry in her hand as if she hadn’t understood. Jiang Yao repeated herself, “I want to eat your pastry. Can I? If you don’t give it to me, I’ll just go buy another portion.”

Song Muyun snapped back to reality. She glanced inexplicably at Jiang Yao’s moist red lips, then at the pastry in her hand with its clear teeth marks. Her jade-like ear tips turned crimson. At that moment, neither of them remembered the half-bag of whole pastries waiting inside the oil-paper bag; both were staring intently at that single half-piece.

A fine sweat broke out on Song Muyun’s palm. Stared at by those bright, clear eyes, she subconsciously wanted to look away.

She’s so kind, so pure. She just wants a bite of pastry. But me… what am I thinking?

The little fairy was in a rare panic. Forgetting the pastry in her hand, she hastily stuffed it into Jiang Yao’s and turned away.

Jiang Yao was baffled again, wondering what was wrong now. She had been fine just a moment ago.

She thought the girl was about to get angry again over half a pastry, but the next second, she spoke. Her voice held no anger or coldness, but rather a hint of shyness. “You… if you want to eat it, then eat it. I never said I wouldn’t.”

With that, she forced a calm expression and picked up the tanghulu, from which she’d only eaten one piece. She brought it to her cherry-colored lips and, with her nimble, scarlet tongue, began licking the sugar coating in small, quick licks.

Seeing she wasn’t angry, Jiang Yao popped the half-pastry into her mouth. It was warm, sweet, and soft—more delicious than anything she’d ever tasted.

“This shop’s pastries are good. I’ll buy them for you again next time,” Jiang Yao said.

It wasn’t her first time eating pastries from this shop, but for some reason, they tasted much better this time.

The sweet taste still lingered in Song Muyun’s mouth. She… she also felt they were much better this time.

The young lady pursed her lips and nodded lightly. She also really liked such delicious pastries.

The tempting red tanghulu was unknowingly eaten until only one piece remained. Song Muyun’s slender, snow-white fingers held the stick. After a moment’s hesitation, she held it out a little and looked up at Jiang Yao. “Do you… want to try this tanghulu, too? It’s very delicious. Very sweet.”

Song Muyun preferred sweets, while Jiang Yao usually disliked them. But for some reason today, even after the sweet pastry, she still wanted to eat the tanghulu.

Seeing her hesitate, the exquisitely beautiful little fairy grew nervous. Her wrist twitched as if to pull it back, but Jiang Yao suddenly leaned in, grasped her wrist, and bit down on the last piece of tanghulu. Her hand slid up to cover Song Muyun’s, holding the stick steady through her grasp as she slowly and carefully pulled the fruit into her mouth.

The sugar coating was still intact. Leaning against the carriage wall, she crunched down loudly. “How did I never realize tanghulu was this delicious?”

The warmth left her hand. Song Muyun stared blankly at the now-empty stick.

After a long moment, she set the lonely stick aside. She turned her head, revealing her long, fair neck, hiding both her face and the slight upward curve of her lips.

By the time they reached the Jiang Residence, the accompanying xiaosi noticed that the two young misses in the carriage had already made up.

Jiang Yao jumped down nimbly first, then reached out to help Song Muyun down.

…

“Tonight, everyone in my family is eating together. It’s a family banquet,” Jiang Yao said suddenly as they walked the path back to the courtyard.

Hearing this, Song Muyun nodded in understanding. “Mm, I know. You go ahead. I’ll wait for you at home.”

She called Hengwu Courtyard “home.”

In truth, she had long been without a home. Hers had been confiscated. Now, wherever her family was, that was home.

“Why would you wait for me at home? You should come eat with me! For the family banquet, the chefs always bring out their best skills. The food is incredible. Want me to take you to try it?”

Jiang Yao strongly recommended it, desperate for Song Muyun to join her.

They were the best of friends. What would it say about her if she went off to eat good food while leaving Muyun alone in the courtyard with coarse tea and plain rice?¹⁴

No, she couldn’t do something like that.

Faced with the sincere, expectant gaze of the woman beside her, Song Muyun was still hesitant. “But… it’s your Jiang family’s banquet. I am, after all, an outsider.”

I shouldn’t go. If I go, the Prime Minister will definitely think I have no sense of propriety. But… a family banquet. I’ve never had a family banquet with Jiang Yao before. Does she consider me family? If she didn’t, why would she invite me?

“Who says you’re an outsider? You’re my good sister! Besides, you’re living in the Jiang Residence now. If I go to eat without you, my dad will definitely scold me.”

Jiang Yao frowned and shook Song Muyun’s hand, trying to coax her into agreeing.

Song Muyun was already tempted and had only been hesitating out of fear of displeasing Jiang Heng. After a few rounds of persuasion, she finally nodded.

That evening, she specially bathed and changed into a lilac-colored long dress that made her look particularly gentle and well-behaved—the kind of appearance elders would like.

She always wanted to be liked by Jiang Yao’s elders.

On the way to the front hall, Song Muyun was still worrying about whether it was inappropriate for an outsider to attend a family banquet. But when she arrived, she discovered she wasn’t the only one. The Eighth Prince was sitting right there, smiling radiantly at them.

Jiang Yao was also surprised to see the Eighth Prince. She subconsciously pulled Song Muyun over to sit beside her. “Why are you here too? Came to scrounge a meal?”

Ever since she found out the Eighth Prince was a woman, Jiang Yao had become much more casual with her. Women always got along better with other women.

Jiang Heng glanced at Jiang Yao and said in a deep voice, “Don’t be so improper.”

Under all of heaven, there is no land that is not the king’s¹⁵. How could one say a prince was scrounging for a meal?

But Jiang Yao didn’t understand this principle and was unconvinced. “Didn’t you once say that for a family banquet, we don’t need to observe those complicated writings and elaborate formalities¹⁶, and that everyone could be more casual?”

…

I told you to be casual before because we were all family! Can’t you see there’s an outsider here now?!

Neither Jiang Heng nor Jiang Zhi liked the Eighth Prince. Their impression of her was simply one of the emperor’s many annoying sons.

The current emperor had many sons, several of whom were of marriageable age. He had told them to choose one to be Jiang Ru’s future husband, so they found none of them pleasing to the eye. To them, they were all wolf cubs.

The Eighth Prince visited their residence most often. Although the excuse was to practice martial arts, she often struck up conversations with Ru’er, which made them detest her the most!

The great separation between men and women¹⁷, does she not understand it at all as a prince?

In the short time it took to drink a cup of tea, Murong Ci had already lost count of how many times she’d been secretly glared at. She had to force a smile each time, feeling so awkward she could barely stay seated. Jiang Yao’s arrival was a slight relief. She didn’t mind Jiang Yao’s casualness at all; in fact, she quite admired it.

“Lord Jiang, since it’s a family banquet, there’s no need to be so formal. I think Jiang Yao’s personality is very good.”

These words made Jiang Heng shudder. What does she mean by that? Is she actually aiming for Yao’er?

Jiang Yao didn’t think there was anything wrong with the statement. She patted the Eighth Prince’s back like a good sister and agreed, “Exactly. It’s a family banquet. How can it be a family banquet if it’s too stuffy?”

Jiang Heng wanted to tell Jiang Yao to stop talking to the Eighth Prince, but on second thought, she wouldn’t listen anyway. Forget it. I’ll find a chance to talk to her after the meal.

Murong Ci nodded in agreement.

Seeing the two of them smile at each other, Song Muyun felt that familiar unhappiness bubble up in her heart again. But she was also aware that her temper had grown since being doted on, so she forcefully suppressed it.

Jiang Yao was on her left, and Jiang Ru was on her right. Jiang Ru loved to chat with her, and while she listened with her head tilted, her mind couldn’t help but drift over to Jiang Yao, wanting to know what she and the Eighth Prince were talking about.

She only heard Jiang Yao exclaim, “What? After all that’s happened, the Emperor still wants to go on the autumn hunt?¹⁸ At this point, it might as well be the winter hunt, couldn’t it?”

Indeed, the weather was getting colder; winter was approaching.

The Eighth Prince nodded. Our imperial father is just bored in the palace and wants to get out. Nothing can stop him, and now we all have to tag along in the cold.

Jiang Yao frowned. “Then I have to bring Muyun with me. Dad, I’ll bring Muyun then. Can you help clear the way for me?”

When Eldest Miss Jiang couldn’t solve a problem, she just called for Dad.

Jiang Heng couldn’t be bothered. She was coming to him for such a small matter. But thinking of their father-daughter bond, he casually agreed, “Mm.”

Hearing that Jiang Yao wanted to bring her along, Song Muyun’s eyes filled with surprise and apprehension. Her hand unconsciously reached for Jiang Yao’s under the table, a row of faint teeth marks on her red lips. “Can you take me? Will it be too much trouble for Uncle?”¹⁹

She never wanted to trouble others.

“It’s no trouble at all, just a matter of a few words. I wouldn’t feel at ease leaving you here alone. In a bit, you should try the chef’s Buddha Jumps Over the Wall²⁰. It’s delicious.”

She had thought of everything for her, unwilling to let her feel the slightest bit wronged. As Song Muyun sat, she found herself inching closer to Jiang Yao until their elbows were touching. Jiang Ru listened in on their conversation, occasionally adding a few words. The Eighth Prince, refusing to be left out, joined the topic with a red coral bracelet.

Jiang Huai sat resentfully beside Lady Jiang, watching the four of them chat away and feeling deeply, utterly ostracized. QAQ

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The author has something to say:

Is it because I like to write little bedtime stories that you all always think a rebirth is about to happen? hhhh²¹

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