Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 54

I Want to Be By Your Side

The two arrived at the Great Hall¹ together. Accompanying them, trembling slightly at their side, was the Di Daughter² of the Duke of Cheng, dressed in a goose-yellow, floor-length gown.

When she stepped out of the crowd and saw Jiang Yao, she couldn’t even manage a smile. Without a word, she hurriedly lowered her head, knowing only to follow behind the eunuch³.

Jiang Yao couldn’t be bothered with her. Although she knew there had to be a reason for her sudden appearance, she’d let someone else investigate it.

If she couldn’t root out Murong Qing in one fell swoop, she was too lazy to get involved. After all, she hadn’t yet entered the court as an official, and she’d rather not have the Emperor secretly unhappy with her.

In the middle of the Great Hall knelt several men in black, the ones Jiang Yao had captured today.

Jiang Yao glanced at them, then bowed in unison with the person beside her. “This subject daughter⁴ greets the Emperor.”

When the Emperor saw them arrive, his stern expression softened somewhat. With a great wave of his hand, he said, “Rise.”

Jiang Yao and Song Muyun stood up. The Duke of Cheng’s Di Daughter tried to rise, but whether her legs were weak or for some other reason, she stumbled and fell again.

The Emperor’s brow furrowed tightly. He didn’t reprimand her for losing decorum before the throne, but instead looked at Jiang Yao and Song Muyun and suddenly laughed. “You two really are like body and shadow, never separate⁵.”

He didn’t want to see Song Muyun, but helplessly, every time he saw Jiang Yao, Song Muyun was always by her side.

The two were like the saying: Jiao can’t leave Meng, and Meng can’t leave Jiao⁶.

Jiang Yao lowered her eyes slightly, her peripheral vision catching the female lead of the story beside her, dressed in a cyan-green gown. Her expression was once again cool and aloof, so stingy she wouldn’t even spare a smile. She has to follow me, of course.

“Replying to the Emperor, Muyun knows few people. This subject daughter doesn’t feel at ease leaving her alone.”

Knows few people?

In the past, she was famous throughout the Capital City for being proficient in poetry, chess, calligraphy, and painting—practically every noble lady in the city wanted to be her friend. How could she possibly know few people?

It was only because she had now been in the music academy and was always with a dandy⁷ like Jiang Yao that others, fearing their own reputations would be tarnished, didn’t dare to interact with her much.

The Emperor, seated above, nodded slightly and finally got to the main point. “Regarding the matter in the Hunting Forest today, only you and Little Eight⁸ know about it. Little Eight is now heavily injured and can’t say much, so you’ll be the one to speak.”

Jiang Yao bowed her head. “Yes. What would you like to know?”

The Emperor gestured to the eunuch beside him. That eunuch was the Emperor’s personal attendant and understood his intentions best. Seeing the gesture, he calmly stepped forward, bowed to Jiang Yao, and asked on the Emperor’s behalf, “When you encountered the Eighth Highness in the Hunting Forest today, was he alone?”

“Yes. When I met him, he was riding his horse alone.”

“And His Highness’s guards?”

Jiang Yao cast a light glance at Li Xiting, who was standing to the side with a pale face. “His Highness told me that the young lady of the Duke of Cheng’s household had mistakenly entered the Hunting Forest and was terrified, so he had his guards escort her back.”

The eunuch then turned to Li Xiting. Unlike the respectful and gentle tone he used with Jiang Yao, his voice was quite cold when addressing her.

“Miss Li, why did you go to the Hunting Forest today? Did you also participate in the hunt?”

The Eighth Prince’s injury today was, in the end, inextricably linked to Li Xiting wandering into the Hunting Forest and taking his guards away. Otherwise, there would have been someone to at least block the assassins or go for help sooner. The Eighth Prince might not have suffered such a severe injury.

When Li Xiting was called upon, her body was already shaking like a sieve, but she managed to calm herself down. With a tearful tone in her voice, she recited the lines she had prepared in a pitiful and lovely manner. “I… I didn’t participate in the hunt, nor did I go to the Hunting Forest. I was just a little curious today, so I wanted to go in and have a look. Who knew the arrows inside had no eyes and it was so frightening? I regretted it not long after I went in. Luckily, I ran into the Eighth Prince. He said the forest was very dangerous and told me to go back. I didn’t dare go back alone, so he ordered his guards to escort me. I… I didn’t know doing so would harm the Eighth Highness…”

After speaking, she finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and lowered her head to cry.

A beauty in tears should be extremely pitiable, but Jiang Yao would only pity Song Muyun. The rest of the people in the Great Hall had seen more than their fair share of beauties and naturally wouldn’t pity the wrong beauty on the wrong occasion.

The eunuch above remained expressionless, ignoring her sobs. He turned back to Jiang Yao with a kind expression. “Were there two groups of assassins who came to kill the Eighth Highness today?”

Jiang Yao said, “They probably weren’t one group, but I can’t be certain. First, someone hid in the shadows and tried to kill the Eighth Highness with an arrow. After three arrows failed, they ran off. Only later did many men in black appear. They didn’t look like they were together.”

“I heard you injured the archer?”

“Yes, I probably injured his arm. Has anyone gone to investigate? There were bloodstains on the ground.”

The eunuch didn’t hide anything. “The blood trail disappeared by the creek. The Longhu General didn’t find anyone with an arrow wound inside the Imperial Villa⁹.”

Jiang Yao frowned. There were two possibilities in this situation. One, the person with the arrow wound was of high status, the kind who wouldn’t be searched. Her gaze swept over the princes standing to one side. Two, the assassin didn’t return to the Imperial Villa after being injured. This was unlikely. The entire mountain was surrounded when the Emperor arrived. Where could he go if not the Imperial Villa? Was he going to wait in the Hunting Forest for her to catch him tomorrow? Did he not want his arm anymore?

Perhaps the first possibility was more likely.

“Understood. Does the eunuch have anything else to ask? Go ahead.”

“Yes. Did you and the Eighth Highness part ways later on?”

“I helped him block the assassins while he went the other way. When I couldn’t hold them off any longer, I came back to report.”

“Then why did Miss Jiang Ru appear in the Hunting Forest?”

Jiang Zhi, worried that Jiang Ru was frightened, hadn’t sent for her, but they were all clear on this matter.

He spoke in a heavy voice, “Ru’er went to the edge of the Hunting Forest to pick up a kite. Someone wanted to kill Ru’er and lured her into the forest.”

“In the General’s opinion, were the ones who lured the Second Miss into the Hunting Forest the same group that assassinated the Eighth Highness?”

“Hmph. Of course they were. Just let me find out who it was.”

Even with the Emperor present, Jiang Zhi couldn’t control himself, a hint of ruthlessness in his voice.

But everyone understood. After all, Jiang Ru was the Longhu General’s only daughter, a child he’d waited many years for. He naturally doted on her to death. A moment of carelessness had nearly cost her her life. Anyone in his shoes would have anger that can’t be stopped.

The eunuch asked Jiang Yao where she had found the Eighth Prince and Jiang Ru, and Jiang Yao answered each question. He turned back, saw the Emperor nod, and respectfully retreated.

The Emperor tapped his fingers, gesturing toward the assassins kneeling on the floor, their jaws dislocated to prevent them from biting their tongues to commit suicide.

Jiang Zhi stepped forward and searched through their clothes, finding a token¹⁰ on each of them. He ordered someone to present the tokens.

“This is what this subject found on them.”

The young eunuch presenting the tokens inadvertently saw the character on them and his eyes widened in shock. His once-steady arms began to tremble.

He simply couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The tokens were presented to the Emperor. His expression was initially calm, but the moment he glanced at them, he slammed the table and shot to his feet, his eyes wide. “It’s him? How dare he! Fratricide! Is he trying to anger me to death?!”

The head eunuch beside the Emperor felt his heart jump. He rushed over to support the Emperor, urging him to calm his anger, but his eyes also snuck a peek at the tokens. He was instantly terrified. On each token was carved the character for “Chun.” The one who had a conflict of interest with the Eighth Prince and was on bad terms with the Jiang family—wasn’t that an implicit reference to the First Prince, Murong Chun?

He never thought that even while the First Prince was in confinement, he could still do something so ruthless as to directly try and take the Eighth Highness’s life!

If he had succeeded, it would have been one thing, but the plot was exposed and now laid bare before the Emperor. The First Prince had better pray for his own fortune.

The eunuch silently lowered his head, pretending not to know, and urged the Emperor again and again to take care of his dragon body¹¹ and not get angry.

Song Muyun had accidentally seen the “Chun” character on the token. She also knew it represented Murong Chun, but she felt that things weren’t that simple. If Murong Chun had done such a thing, why would he leave tokens on the assassins?

Unless he never thought the assassins would be captured alive, and certainly never thought Murong Ci would survive.

Song Muyun’s heart pounded as she grabbed Jiang Yao’s hand hanging by her side. If Jiang Yao hadn’t been there today, Murong Ci would have died. He definitely would have died.

Everyone was very clear on this matter.

The Emperor’s face was ashen. He was so angry he wanted to go back and bestow death upon the First Prince right now. Neither Jiang Zhi nor Jiang Yao said a word.

Jiang Yao’s gaze swept roughly over Murong Qing, who was seated to the side of the hall with his head down, not speaking.

He’s really good at this trick of killing with a borrowed knife¹². He’s always been good at it.

If Murong Chun is working with him, he’ll probably have a layer of his skin peeled off.

Jiang Yao looked over all the princes and keenly noticed one was missing—the prince with the especially pale face she had seen in Murong Ci’s room today, who seemed to be Murong Ci’s younger imperial brother.

With the investigation at this point, the Emperor already had a good idea of what happened, but he still wanted a definitive answer from the assassins’ mouths. He ordered their jaws to be reset, determined to force them to say who had ordered them to assassinate a prince. Unexpectedly, the moment one assassin’s jaw was set, he bit his tongue and committed suicide¹³.

The Emperor: “…”

His face grew even uglier. They set another jaw. Crack! That one also bit his tongue and committed suicide, collapsing to the floor with blood pouring from his mouth.

The Emperor: “…”

“Take them all down for me! Torture them severely! When one of them finally wants to open his mouth, bring him before me again!”

The Emperor was furious. After roaring, he collapsed back onto the Dragon Throne¹⁴. The eunuch hurried over to massage his head. Headaches were an old problem for the Emperor, and he himself felt they were all caused by this bunch of princes.

Jiang Yao and the others were naturally sent out. Because they had the tokens, the Emperor was convinced the First Prince wanted to kill Murong Ci, and he didn’t want to investigate further. He didn’t even punish Li Xiting, just told them all to go back.

The Emperor’s crude investigation methods were no surprise, as the Song family’s case had already shown. Jiang Yao didn’t say much, leading Song Muyun out with a blank expression.

Outside the Great Hall, Li Xiting patted her chest as if she’d just gotten her life back. Her face showed the profound relief of someone with a life remaining after a catastrophe. The tears in her eyes were wiped clean, revealing a pair of beautiful, clear eyes, completely different from the remorseful, weeping figure in the hall.

Jiang Yao glanced at her and was about to leave when several princes came from behind. The one walking fastest was the Seventh Prince. She had no choice but to stand aside, lazily making way for the prince.

Murong Qing, perhaps intentionally, paused slightly as he passed them but didn’t look at them. Instead, he walked over to Li Xiting and gave her a gentle, feigned smile. Li Xiting couldn’t tear her eyes away, staring at him as if infatuated. Even after he left, she continued to stare blankly at his back.

The Duke of Cheng’s Di Daughter has a crush on Murong Qing? Jiang Yao thought. How can a hypocritical villain like him have so many people who like him?

She naturally thought of the Song Muyun from her dream who ended up falling for Murong Qing, and also her mother’s cousin.

Thinking of this, she suddenly flicked Song Muyun’s forehead. Song Muyun felt a slight sting of pain, the cool expression on her face vanishing completely. She turned her head to look at Jiang Yao in confusion, like a suddenly startled little rabbit. “What did you hit me for?”

She truly didn’t understand how she had suddenly provoked that flick.

Jiang Yao hummed softly and walked ahead, tossing back a single sentence, “Because you have bad taste.”

Song Muyun didn’t understand what that meant, but she had figured one thing out: Jiang Yao was deliberately finding an excuse to bully her again.

Her cyan-green skirt fluttered, her dark hair floating with it. The young woman chased after her from behind, stopping beside Jiang Yao to walk with her. She gave her a gentle push. “How do I have bad taste? You’d better explain yourself.”

“You guess.”

This is something from my dream. How can I tell her?

Song Muyun was unhappy, puffing her cheeks out in anger. “How can you be like this? Making me guess again.”

She touched the spot on her forehead that was still a little red. It didn’t really hurt, and she wasn’t really that angry.

As long as it was Jiang Yao, she could never truly be angry with her.

“So what if I make you guess?”

As Jiang Yao spoke, the hand behind her back casually dropped down and took Song Muyun’s. “Alright, alright, I don’t want to fight with you.”

Song Muyun’s eyes widened slightly. She glared at her from behind. She was clearly the one who started it, saying I have bad taste, and now she’s saying she doesn’t want to fight? How does she get to say everything?

Song Muyun wanted to retort, but she no longer had the chance. Jiang Yao pointed up at the sky. “Look at that star.”

“Hmph.”

“The moon is also very full tonight. Shall we go moon-viewing¹⁵ on the roof later?”

She had slept enough in the afternoon. If she were to sleep now, she probably wouldn’t be able to. She could only pass the time by moon-viewing.

The young woman’s beautiful eyes glared at her. “Who wants to go moon-viewing with you? Go find someone else. I’m not going with you.”

“Tsk, if you don’t go with me, who else can? How about I go find Murong Ci? But he’s lying in bed half-dead…”

Before she could finish, her arm was yanked hard. The young woman was practically pinching the soft flesh of her arm, threatening her with cold words, “You dare go find him and see what happens?!”

Song Muyun didn’t like Murong Ci. Or rather, she was afraid Jiang Yao liked Murong Ci.

So she didn’t want the two of them to have any contact at all.

Jiang Yao hadn’t really intended to find Murong Ci. If her little fairy didn’t want to drink and watch the moon with her, she could just find Ru’er. But she hadn’t expected that just mentioning Murong Ci’s name would provoke such a big reaction from Little Yun’er. Could this be… the possessiveness between friends?

Jiang Yao raised an eyebrow.

“Fine, I won’t go find him. Will you go moon-viewing with me?”

Song Muyun was still angry that she had thought of Murong Ci first, but no matter how angry she was, she couldn’t actually let her go find him. She still agreed. “Fine, I’ll go with you. But you have to take me hunting tomorrow!”

Although Jiang Yao had promised her, she still felt uneasy, afraid that she would use all sorts of excuses about danger to make her stay behind tomorrow. So she took the opportunity to mention it again.

This was naturally not a problem. The Eighth Prince was already laid up, and the matter with the assassins today had caused such a stir. There shouldn’t be any more trouble tomorrow.

“Alright, alright. If you want to go, I’ll take you,” Jiang Yao agreed readily.

“You’re not allowed to mention the Eighth Prince anymore.”

Song Muyun kept her head down, her long lashes hiding her expression as she continued to make demands.

Jiang Yao was surprised. “You don’t like the Eighth Prince?”

The two had already walked to a corner where no one else was around. Song Muyun was much more direct. “I don’t like him. I don’t like you two together.”

Jiang Yao smiled, gently stroking Song Muyun’s temple. “How did he offend you? Tell me about it.”

There has to be a reason for disliking someone, right?

Could Murong Ci have bullied Muyun?

At this thought, her smile faded slightly as she looked at Song Muyun seriously.

Song Muyun turned her head away and didn’t look at her, so she naturally didn’t notice the faint anger hidden beneath her smile. She just muttered softly, “Can’t I dislike him even if he didn’t offend me? I just don’t like him. As long as it’s a prince, I don’t like a single one of them.”

The worry in Jiang Yao’s heart immediately subsided. It was good she hadn’t been bullied.

Well, it’s normal not to like princes. After all, Murong Qing is so hypocritical and disgusting, and the First Prince isn’t any good either. They must have left a bad impression on her.

She reached out and ruffled the woman’s soft, dark hair. “Okay, I’ll be more careful in the future.”

She didn’t promise to never be with Murong Ci again, as that would be difficult to do. She could only try to be more careful and not make the little lady in her home angry.

The little lady doesn’t like her playing with Murong Ci. Although Murong Ci’s personality isn’t bad and he’s worth befriending, his place in her heart certainly can’t compare to her little lady. The little lady’s happiness is the most important thing.

Having received the assurance, the corners of Song Muyun’s mouth gradually turned up, and her eyes sparkled with a light that rivaled the bright moon.

The two returned to their courtyard. Jiang Yao went to the kitchen for a pot of warm wine and flew up to the roof with Song Muyun. It was slightly colder on the roof than below. The young woman curled up into a ball, but she still raised her sparkling eyes to look at the moon above her.

“Is it beautiful?”

Jiang Yao tilted her head back, took a sip of wine, and asked Song Muyun without turning around.

The young woman had rarely seen the moon like this. Her tense body soon relaxed, and her eyes curved into a slight smile, filled with mirth. “Yes, it’s beautiful.”

“Want a sip of wine to warm up?”

She had heated this in the kitchen, so it wouldn’t be cold and burn the stomach.

“What does wine taste like?”

A well-bred young lady who had been strictly disciplined since childhood had, of course, never tasted wine. Her eyes were full of curiosity.

“The taste of wine? Isn’t it just… that taste? You’ll know once you try it. Should I pour some for you?”

She showed her the wine pot.

“No, no need to pour. It’s too much trouble.”

As she spoke, she gently took the wine pot, tilted her head back like Jiang Yao, and drank from the spout.

Jiang Yao’s hand was also holding the pot. Their hands were one above the other, close enough to touch easily.

Using the same spout Jiang Yao had used, she took a mouthful of wine. A moment later, Song Muyun almost spat it out. It was so spicy that tears came to her eyes. She covered her mouth helplessly with her palm but still swallowed the liquid bit by bit. A fiery pain burned in her throat.

“How… how is it so spicy? It tastes awful.”

Once the wine was down, her voice became hoarse, though it still sounded pleasant.

“Awful? I think it tastes pretty good. Don’t you feel much warmer after drinking it?”

Song Muyun shook her head. All she felt was the spiciness and the discomfort in her throat.

“Maybe you didn’t drink enough? Want a few more sips?”

Jiang Yao offered the pot again.

Song Muyun’s face showed alarm, and she quickly backed away a little. “I’m not drinking anymore. If you want to drink, you drink it.”

Tears of spiciness welled up in her eyes, and her eye sockets were red. If anyone else were there, they would have thought Jiang Yao had bullied Song Muyun.

“Fine, if you don’t want to drink, then I’ll drink it myself.”

Jiang Yao tilted her head back to drink. Some of the wine trickled down the corner of her mouth onto her dress, releasing a strong aroma of wine.

The deeper the night, the colder it became. The cold wind blew past, feeling as if it could seep into one’s bones.

Song Muyun soon couldn’t stand it anymore.

She looked up at Jiang Yao, who was still there, drinking and moon-viewing.

She doesn’t know the first thing about how to cherish fragrance and treasure jade¹⁶. Hmph.

On another night with such a beautiful moon, she might have been in the mood to paint it. But now, all her attention was on Jiang Yao.

She could focus only on Jiang Yao, but the people and things Jiang Yao had to pay attention to were far too many.

Song Muyun’s expression cooled slightly, a cold light glinting in her eyes.

Jiang Yao didn’t notice the change in the person beside her. She was still looking up at the moon. Actually, the moon isn’t that great to look at. I just feel that one should watch the moon when drinking at night.

Just as she took a new mouthful of spicy wine, Song Muyun’s faint voice sounded beside her.

She said, “Jiang Yao, I’m cold.”

Jiang Yao turned her head, as if she hadn’t heard clearly. “Hm? What did you say?”

Song Muyun repeated in a small voice, “I’m a little cold.”

“Then I’ll take you down?”

That wasn’t the answer she wanted. She didn’t agree. “But I still want to watch the moon, and I won’t be able to sleep if I go down now anyway.”

They had slept too much in the afternoon. It would be hard to fall asleep now.

Jiang Yao frowned and said, “Then I’ll get you a cloak to put on?”

Song Muyun shook her head again. “That’s too much trouble. Don’t go down. If you go down, I’ll be scared up here by myself.”

With the whistling cold wind and the dark night, one needed someone by their side to feel at ease.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Such a scaredy-cat.”

Jiang Yao took the opportunity to pinch Song Muyun’s cheek. When she touched that soft, tender face, she found it was as cold as jade.

The place that was usually warm and soft was now icy cold.

The person she hadn’t paid much attention to a moment ago instantly frowned. “Why didn’t you say you were this cold earlier? I’ll take you down.”

As she spoke, she was about to grab Song Muyun’s hand to pull her up. Song Muyun didn’t move, instead using the force to sway her hand. “Didn’t we say we were going to watch the moon? Why go down so early?”

“But you’re cold.”

Jiang Yao’s thin lips pressed into a straight line, her brow furrowed so tightly a passing mosquito could be crushed between them.

Song Muyun’s cheeks unknowingly turned a faint red. She had a plan in mind but was too shy to say it out loud.

I’m a woman. Logically… a woman shouldn’t be the one to take the initiative. It should be the man. But, the one I’ve fallen for is also a woman, and she doesn’t even like me back, only seeing me as a close friend.

I’ll have to be the one to take the initiative.

Song Muyun’s long lashes trembled. She turned her head, blushing, and said in a small voice, “I’m cold. If you hold me, I won’t be cold.”

Jiang Yao: ???

She felt like she had just heard something beyond her comprehension.

“I… hold you?”

Her widened eyes were full of astonishment.

This was the first time anyone had made such a request of her: because it was too cold, they wanted her to hold them while they watched the moon.

Song Muyun nodded slightly, her voice still light and thin. “I’m very cold. Can you hold me? It won’t be cold if you hold me.”

The woman’s thick eyelashes fluttered, and a puff of white air escaped her lips when she spoke.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Yao found it impossible to refuse. She was also genuinely afraid she would freeze. Without much hesitation, she sat down again and pulled her into her arms.

If the conditions were right, the young woman wouldn’t wrong herself. Seeing that Jiang Yao had actually listened to her, a hint of pleasant surprise appeared in her eyes as she immediately adjusted her position, burrowing into her embrace to occupy the most comfortable spot.

Jiang Yao let her move around. Only when she had found a good position and settled down did she raise her arms to embrace her.

She pressed her own warm face against hers.

They were already so close, but Song Muyun felt it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. It needed to be even closer.

Their bodies were very close, but their hearts were far, far apart. Jiang Yao didn’t even know her feelings. So dense.

Leaning against Jiang Yao’s chest, Song Muyun suddenly remembered something. Her shy expression faded a little as she asked, “Will your mother arrange a marriage for you? Most women your age in the Capital City are already married.”

Women in the Capital City married as early as fourteen, and at the latest, before they turned nineteen. Jiang Yao… seemed to be turning nineteen soon.

Thinking of this, Song Muyun bit her lower lip tightly, a cool, watery light appearing in her eyes.

Only when reminded did Jiang Yao remember that women had to get married. She too felt troubled. “My mother will probably arrange it for me.”

No, she will definitely arrange it. But none of those men in the capital can last two moves against me. What’s the point of being with a man like that?

Suddenly, her hand was squeezed hard. Jiang Yao was a little dazed. She looked down and held the person in her arms even tighter. “What’s wrong? Are you still cold?”

Song Muyun had to try very hard to hide the darkness in her eyes. She parted her red lips, avoiding the question, and continued to ask, “What about you? Do you have someone you like? If you tell Auntie, she might arrange it for you.”

She silently tightened her grip on Jiang Yao’s hand, her heart rising high in her chest, terrified of hearing words she didn’t want to hear.

A watery sheen had already misted over her beautiful eyes.

She could barely see anything clearly, just waiting anxiously for an answer.

Jiang Yao settled the soft, seemingly boneless woman in her arms, holding her carefully with her shoulder pressed into her embrace, trying her best to shield her from the cold wind. Only then did she reply, still in that carefree manner as if nothing mattered, “Someone I like? I don’t have one. We’ll see when the time comes. My mom hasn’t mentioned it to me yet. She’ll probably bring it up after we go back.”

The grip on her hand was still tight. Song Muyun continued to ask, “If Auntie brings it up with you, will you agree?”

Jiang Yao looked up at the bright moon, exhaling a puff of white air. Her voice was leisurely but held almost no hesitation. “Of course not. I’m going to the battlefield. What time do I have for romance? All you little ladies have in your heads is lovey-dovey stuff.”

That small, round head got flicked again.

The tight grip on her hand finally loosened a little. The stinging in her nose faded, and her voice was a bit hoarse. “Who has only love in their head? When do you plan to go to the battlefield?”

Song Muyun leaned against Jiang Yao’s chest, her voice soft and raspy.

“Can’t say for sure. I’ll go whenever a war starts at the border. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next year. Why? Asking so clearly, you want to come with me?”

She held Song Muyun with only one arm. Her other long, beautiful hand still held the wine pot, taking shallow sips as if it were water.

The wind blew through her hair, which was tied in a high ponytail, making it flutter behind her.

Song Muyun looked up, her bright eyes fixed on Jiang Yao. She said, “Yes, I want to go with you. Will you take me with you?”

No matter what, she wanted to be by Jiang Yao’s side.

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The author has something to say:

Have you been waiting anxiously? I feel like they’re about to get together, and then it’s rebirth! I know you’re all anxiously waiting for the rebirth. A few days ago, I read a Baihe¹⁷ where the Gong¹⁸ was reborn into someone else’s body, and I kept waiting for the Shou¹⁹ to recognize her. I was waiting so anxiously. Luckily, it was a completed novel, so I just skipped straight to the chapter where they recognized each other hahahahahahaha!

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