Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 78

What Else Are You Hiding

She had rehearsed it in her mind many times: to kill with one blow. Murong Qing only stared at her for a moment before his breath quickly faded, and he died with his eyes open¹. Song Muyun had relied on the support of her seething hatred to accomplish this, yet the moment he died, she suddenly lost her nerve.

This was the first time she had killed someone, killed the person she hated. She did not regret killing him, but… what if someone found out?

Song Muyun was suddenly terrified, the hand holding the dagger trembling.

Until Jiang Yao came looking for her and saw this scene.

When the Shadow Guard said that Muyun had gone toward the Cold Palace², Jiang Yao could hardly believe it. What was she going to the Cold Palace for? the Cold Palace was grim, cold, and remote; what was a delicate woman like her doing over there?

Driven by a worry deep in her heart, terrified that her wife had been tricked into going there—after all, she had insisted on not letting Jiang Yao accompany her earlier, which on careful thought was indeed a bit strange—Jiang Yao still got up to find her in the Cold Palace. She never, ever expected to see this scene the moment she walked in.

Song Muyun’s hands were trembling, her eyes filled with tears. The dagger in her hand was still embedded in the man’s body, stabbed so deep he was no longer breathing, yet she appeared inexplicably pitiful, as if she were the one who had been bullied.

Jiang Yao’s heart inexplicably seized. Frowning, she strode over and, amidst Song Muyun’s extreme panic, took hold of her hand—the hand that had nearly been stained with blood.

Song Muyun snapped her head up and saw Jiang Yao’s face. In an instant, all the strength drained from her body.

She had already been afraid, and now she was even more so. In a state of panic, she let go of the dagger. Murong Qing’s gradually cooling and stiffening body fell to the ground with a thud. With her eyes full of moisture, she looked timidly at Jiang Yao. A moment later, she threw herself into Jiang Yao’s arms, her body trembling slightly, clearly terrified.

She was so scared, yet she still did it. Jiang Yao closed her eyes tightly. When she spoke again, it was as if she were gnashing her teeth³. “Song Muyun! Have you gone mad? How dare you assassinate a prince in the palace!”

This was a crime punishable by beheading. Even though she had been planning to take both their lives, she had never thought of doing it inside the palace.

How could she dare?

Jiang Yao was completely shocked, yet she still held on tightly to the trembling woman who was burrowing into her embrace.

Song Muyun was obviously terrified. The dampness from her tears nearly soaked through Jiang Yao’s clothes. Her voice was thick with a muffled sob. “How did you know I was here? Did someone see me?”

Jiang Yao feared this as well. She was afraid someone had seen her. If this was exposed, what would she do?

“My Shadow Guard saw you coming this way. I did not ask anyone else.”

It was plain for all to see how much Jiang Yao cared for Song Muyun. When her Shadow Guard saw Song Muyun leave alone, he could not help but watch for a moment longer, which was how she had been able to find her.

“You really are something else.”

Jiang Yao held the person in her arms, finally forcing out this sentence after a long pause. Her expression was filled with helplessness. Song Muyun silently hugged her tighter, sniffled, and her panic gradually subsided because of Jiang Yao’s presence. She apologized in a small voice.

Just then, Murong Chun was delivered.

When she saw Murong Chun, unconscious and draped over a Shadow Guard, Jiang Yao was so shocked her jaw dropped.

Muyun… what is she trying to do?

Is she going to kill two princes in a row?

For a dazed moment, Jiang Yao was already calculating the odds of success if she just usurped the throne directly.

As she was thinking, Song Muyun steadied her emotions and pulled away from Jiang Yao’s embrace. She looked at Murong Qing on the ground, who had died with his eyes open. A flash of hatred crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by panic. She was terrified, but she had to endure it. Forcing down her fear, she had the Shadow Guard prop Murong Chun up and lay him over Murong Qing, making him grip the hilt of the dagger.

After doing all this, the young woman turned to look at Jiang Yao, looking like she was about to burst into tears. Even though she hated Murong Qing, she had never killed anyone before. Even though so many people had bullied her, she had never killed anyone herself.

Jiang Yao frowned as she watched her carry out her plan step by step. She understood the scheme now. She really wanted to curse her, but time was short. Right now, all she could do was help her clean up the mess.

She walked over and grabbed Murong Chun’s hand—the one currently gripping the dagger buried in Murong Qing’s chest. Then, she pulled it out, and with a forceful motion, slashed elsewhere. Gurgling fresh blood flowed out. After deliberately creating several non-fatal wounds, she once again gripped the dagger and plunged it deep into the most fatal spot in his heart. Cool blood splattered onto Murong Chun’s face.

Jiang Yao knew how to move to avoid the blood. Not a single drop touched either of them. They stood up, perfectly clean.

She asked for Song Muyun’s entire plan.

Song Muyun’s eyelashes trembled. Not daring to hide a single thing, she laid it all bare. “I… I imitated Murong Chun’s handwriting and sent a note to Murong Qing, asking him to meet here. I also included my own name… I wanted… I wanted to kill him and then frame Murong Chun.”

Jiang Yao: “…”

“You truly are daring.”

Her expression was complicated. She had always thought her little wife was a bit timid, but she never imagined that not only was she not timid, but her courage was this great.

That was a prince, and she killed him just like that.

She was truly audacious enough to blot out the sky⁴.

Jiang Yao stared at her for a long time without speaking. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh, walked directly to the dry well, picked up a stone, and pressed it into Murong Qing’s somewhat stiff hand. She then smashed it viciously against Murong Chun’s head. After that, she took out a black medicinal pill⁵ from her robes and fed it into Murong Chun’s mouth.

The medicinal pill was colorless and odorless, and it dissolved in water. After making sure the pill had dissolved, she stood up and said through gritted teeth, “Alright, let us resign to fate⁶. Come on, let us go wash our hands.”

Her hands were covered in dust, and she had just held Murong Chun’s hand, so she naturally needed to wash them.

At this moment, Song Muyun was exceptionally obedient, her expression betraying a guilty conscience as she followed behind Jiang Yao.

With a Shadow Guard clearing the path outside, they did not encounter a single palace servant on their way out.

Jiang Yao washed her hands in the lake water, then walked back hand-in-hand with Song Muyun.

Although their posture was extremely intimate, she did not say a single word to Song Muyun.

Song Muyun wanted to speak, but she opened and closed her mouth several times. Her eyes were watery and pitiful. After a while, she called out Jiang Yao’s name in a tiny voice.

Jiang Yao still did not turn her head or acknowledge her. Song Muyun knew she was angry and lowered her head, her expression a little dejected.

After washing their hands, the two found a few people who were chatting idly and walked over to join them.

Just as there were people who enjoyed appreciating flowers, there were also those who did not, and they had long since snuck out to amuse themselves.

Jiang Yao had run into them on the way and, without a word, brought Song Muyun over. They were heading in the direction of the banquet. She explained that Muyun had gone to go to the toilet but had accidentally gotten lost, and she had come to find her.

Most of the unmarried young ladies were innocent and kind. Seeing Jiang Yao’s gentle attitude, they immediately nodded in understanding and began sharing stories of the funny mistakes they had made from not knowing the way during their first visits to the imperial palace.

Jiang Yao smiled, trying her best to appear gentle. She usually spent her time with military men and rarely with young ladies.

Especially the young ladies of the capital.

They were timid and could easily be frightened by her.

Oh, right. The last time she was at a banquet, she had brandished her whip and made a noble lady cry. Since then, she had not dared to get close to the noble ladies of the capital. It was only Muyun who, in order to save the Jiang family, had no choice but to seek her out and try to show her goodwill.

“I heard that Miss Jiang used to live in the borderlands, is that true?” one of the young ladies asked curiously.

Jiang Yao grunted in affirmation. “Yes, I only returned to the capital in recent years.”

“Wow, are the borderlands fun? Are there lots of new and interesting things that are not in the capital?” a young woman in pink asked, her face full of fantasy.

Jiang Yao paused, a strange look in her eyes. After a moment, she said, “The borderlands… are very poor. The common people have no money, and every piece of clothing is patched. There are no new and interesting things. It is also very cold. Many commoners freeze to death in the winter.”

That group of noble ladies, who did not eat the food of the mortal world⁷, were stunned. They looked at each other, and for a moment, no one dared to speak. After a while, the leading lady in green spoke first, her expression puzzled. “How could they freeze to death? Do they not have charcoal fires?”

The young lady’s eyes were filled with pure confusion. It seemed she truly did not understand.

A helpless, bitter smile touched Jiang Yao’s lips as she explained, “The borderlands are close to the lands of the barbarian tribes⁸. Many merchants do not like to do business there because they are easily robbed, which causes the area to become poorer and poorer.”

Upon hearing this, one young lady puffed up her cheeks, indignant. “Heavens, how could this be? Does no one stop them and just let them rob the people of our Da Jin Kingdom!”

“They are not people of our country. They run away after robbing, so they cannot be controlled, unless Da Jin intends to go to war.”

At these words, the young ladies fell silent.

They were young ladies raised in the deep boudoir⁹. Their elders still believed in a woman’s three obediences and four virtues¹⁰ and did not allow them to hear too much about court affairs, so naturally, they did not understand much.

This was the first time they had heard that the borderlands were like this, and they all felt a pang of sadness.

It was easy for them to feel sympathy for the common people living difficult lives in the borderlands.

“Then… then can Da Jin not go to war?”

They only knew that the Da Jin Kingdom was powerful, the country with the most territory in the world. How could they be bullied like this?

But Jiang Yao shook her head. “If we go to war, it would tire the people and waste resources¹¹, making life even harder for the commoners.”

The noble ladies all fell silent again. Song Muyun stood to the side, held by Jiang Yao, and looked up at her. The woman seemed to be glowing, so bright that she could not open her eyes.

Someone asked her expectantly, “Then if we have no choice but to go to war, will we win?”

Jiang Yao, holding Song Muyun’s hand, caressed the back of it twice. A bold and unrestrained smile graced her lips. She did not hesitate. “But of course. If we go to war this time, I will go too.”

She would go too, so they would definitely win.

This was Jiang Yao’s confidence.

She had been on the battlefield since she was fourteen.

She was not completely familiar with their capabilities, but she understood seventy to eighty percent of it.

The young ladies immediately looked at her with a hint of adoration.

Being looked at like this by so many people for the first time, Jiang Yao, having just been confident, immediately felt embarrassed again. She felt like running away. Why… why are they all looking at me like that?

Was that last sentence too showy?

“You are so amazing! Can we call you Jiang Yao? Are you really going to the battlefield?”

Jiang Yao was quite nervous. She glanced back at Song Muyun and inexplicably calmed down again, nodding slightly. “You can call me whatever you like. If there is an opportunity, I will naturally go to the battlefield to protect my home and defend the country.”

She felt a little embarrassed saying this, as if she were deliberately showing off in front of the other young women.

Song Muyun quietly watched them praise Jiang Yao. She had always known that Jiang Yao was the best kind of person. The young ladies in the capital disliked her only because they did not understand her. If they did, no one would dislike her.

Thankfully, the ‘her’ from before got to know Jiang Yao before anyone else.

Even if Jiang Yao did not belong to her, she still felt fortunate for that version of herself.

A young lady’s eyes shone with innocent envy. “Then you will be a Great General in the future!”

Jiang Yao quickly demurred. This was all just speculation. If she were to accept it, she would seem far too arrogant.

Who knew that they would then turn to look at Song Muyun, their expressions even more excited. “Then would not Muyun be the General’s wife in the future?”

Jiang Yao paused. She suddenly felt that… that did not seem wrong.

The General’s wife. It sounded so impressive. She would have to work hard for it.

Hearing this, Song Muyun’s cheeks immediately flushed crimson. She wished she could bury her head in her chest, and her voice was laced with shyness.

“You… you should not talk nonsense.”

Song Muyun had chatted and played with this group of women before, so they had a casual relationship. She never expected them to be so direct. Wha-what General’s wife? It was so embarrassing.

“How is this nonsense? Everyone in the capital knows you two are a pair. If Jiang Yao becomes a general, would you not be the General’s wife?” the leading lady in green said again, her eyes filled with good-natured teasing.

What pair? Song Muyun had never known that noble young ladies who follow the rules meticulously¹² could say such things. She quietly hid behind Jiang Yao, clutching the back of her clothes, and lowered her head, her face like a peach blossom, not daring to meet anyone’s eyes.

Although Jiang Yao was angry with her, she still shielded her with her body, her expression one of helpless indulgence. “Muyun is shy. You can talk about me, just do not tease her.”

Being protected by her, Song Muyun grew even shyer. She peeked out from behind Jiang Yao, her cheeks a rosy pink against her fair skin. After a few glances, Jiang Yao pushed her head back down.

The noble ladies thought to themselves, It seems like every time we see them, Jiang Yao is always protecting Muyun. How wonderful.

Women really are more reliable than men.

This thought inexplicably arose in the minds of several noble ladies.

When Murong Ci came out for a stroll with Jiang Ru, she happened to see Jiang Yao chatting with the noble ladies. She raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. “Your older sister is chatting with people?”

She had known Jiang Yao for some time, and in her memory, Jiang Yao did not have many friends.

Jiang Ru looked over, a trace of pleasant surprise on her face. She smiled. “So Jie¹³ is here. I am going to find her. Are you coming too?”

In her eyes, wherever her older sister was, was the most attractive place! She had followed her older sister since she was little and was very used to it.

Murong Ci thought to herself, I still prefer Jiang Yao a little more. “I promised to accompany you for a walk, so naturally I cannot leave halfway. Let us go, I will go too.”

Jiang Ru had wanted to say it was fine, that she could go find her older sister by herself, but looking at the Eighth Prince’s beautiful face, which made it difficult to distinguish male from female¹⁴, she somehow could not bring herself to say it.

She just lowered her head and gave a soft sound of assent.

Walking closer with Murong Ci, she then called out in a gentle voice, “Jie, Saozi¹⁵, greetings to all of you older sisters.”

Jiang Ru curtsied slightly.

The other young ladies also curtsied to her.

Seeing Jiang Ru arrive, the young ladies all turned to ask her in unison, “You have come at the right time! We were just about to talk about you. Your father defends the borderlands, is it very hard work?”

“Are the people there really that poor? Do they not even have clothes to wear?”

“The barbarian tribes are so outrageous! Can the Longhu Great General beat them into submission?”

“Yes! They are always stealing our things.”

Jiang Ru was stunned by the very enthusiastic and not at all shy noble ladies. But they were looking at her so eagerly. A moment later, after she had recovered, she answered them one by one. “Yes, it is very hard. He is often injured. It is very poor. My mother and I often go to give out congee¹⁶. Whether we fight or not depends on the Imperial Court’s orders.”

Based on the principle of not wiping them out completely, lest they become desperate and it becomes a struggle where the fish dies and the net breaks¹⁷, we always stop fighting once they surrender. We demand some of their precious local goods and then let them go.

They are the type who always remembers the food but not the beatings¹⁸. After a few years of recuperation, they raise their armies to invade again, only to be beaten back. It is a repeating cycle.

The noble ladies listened to Jiang Ru talk about the borderlands. Although their expressions showed they only half-understood, they listened with great relish.

It was fine if they did not understand. They could go home and ask someone. This was something they had never been exposed to before.

Murong Ci could not get a word in. Standing behind Jiang Ru, she thought, Did this group of people forget to greet me?

Am I invisible?

Oh well. It is not like I am someone who cares so much about etiquette.

“Found her?”

Murong Ci glanced at Song Muyun, her eyes full of smiles, and turned to chat with Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao also glanced at Song Muyun, her expression as usual, and nodded. “Yes, she got lost in the palace. I just brought her back.”

After speaking, she even flicked the other woman’s forehead with her finger.

Song Muyun clutched her slightly reddened forehead and stood there obediently, neither complaining nor getting angry.

She had no right to be angry right now. After all, she had just made Jiang Yao angry. She would thank the heavens if Jiang Yao could forgive her.

“The imperial palace is indeed quite large. It would be better to have a palace maid accompany you next time.”

“Yes, I will next time.”

Song Muyun’s voice was muffled. She subtly shifted her feet, wanting to lean against Jiang Yao, but unexpectedly, Jiang Yao also moved, pointedly avoiding her.

The young woman’s slender body stiffened in an instant. Mist uncontrollably welled up in her eyes, as if she were about to cry at any second.

She is angry. The kind of angry where she does not want me to touch her.

I never thought she would be angry with me. After all, I did not want to tell her about this in the first place.

Yes, it is right that she is angry. I did not say a word about such a huge matter, hid it from her, and even let her find out on her own…

Song Muyun could not say a single word in her own defense. She could only lower her head, looking completely dejected.

After the Hundred Flowers Banquet¹⁹ ended and they were back in the carriage, Jiang Yao’s face turned completely cold. She let go of Song Muyun’s hand and sat a little farther away from her. Jiang Ru and Jiang Huai were in the same carriage, and seeing this scene, they were both so scared they did not dare to speak or even breathe loudly.

Jiang Huai shot Jiang Ru a questioning look. What is wrong? Why are those two angry with each other?

Jiang Ru also looked completely lost. Everything was fine at the banquet. Jie was even serving Saozi food. Why did she get angry as soon as we got back?

Song Muyun lowered her head to hide her reddened eyes, her eyelashes already clumped together by tears.

The ‘her’ from before never seemed to make Jiang Yao angry, she thought. But as soon as I arrived, I made Jiang Yao angry.

And so very angry at that.

She did not know if she could coax her, and her heart was filled with unease.

Jiang Ru hunched her shoulders and sat properly for a while, but she finally could not bear the silent atmosphere in the carriage and took the initiative to sit next to Jiang Yao. “Jie, are you in a bad mood?”

If it had been Jiang Huai asking, Jiang Yao would not have bothered to respond at all. But since it was Jiang Ru, she reluctantly managed a response, forcing out a “mm” from her nose.

Another stretch of silence followed. Jiang Huai had been the most mischievous and least favored child in the family since he was young, so he was even less inclined to speak.

He kept his head down the whole time, with his eyes fixed on his nose, his nose on his heart²⁰.

Jiang Ru felt the tension was unbearable. She lifted the window curtain to look outside. When she saw a pastry shop, her eyes lit up as if she knew what to say. Forgetting her decorum, her hairpins clinked together with a crisp sound. “Jie, Furong Pavilion²¹ is outside. I hear their hibiscus cakes²² are the most delicious. Do you want to buy some for Saozi?”

She knew her older sister often bought pastries for her sister-in-law, and sometimes she would buy some for her too.

When Jiang Yao heard her mention Song Muyun, she immediately snorted coldly. “I am not buying any. What is there to eat?”

The anger in her voice was so obvious that even Jiang Huai could hear it. He stared at the two of them, dumbfounded.

So they really are fighting.

But it has nothing to do with me anyway. I am not getting involved.

Jiang Huai was terrified of getting beaten, so he did not dare say a word.

Song Muyun clutched her handkerchief, her grip tightening until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes could barely hold back the tears. After a long moment, she finally spoke in a hoarse, strained voice, “There is no need. I… I do not want to eat.”

It is fine not to eat pastries. As long as Jiang Yao acknowledges me, I will listen to her in everything.

Seeing her with her head down, looking so pitiful, Jiang Yao knew without a doubt that she was crying again.

Tsk, cry, cry, cry, all you know how to do is cry. Can crying solve the problem?

Why are you not coming over to beg me not to be angry? What is the point of crying over there!

What good does crying do!

Crying will not make me any less angry!

Jiang Yao thought to herself, her expression growing colder and colder. Jiang Huai was so chilled he felt like bolting from the carriage.

Jiang Ru was still trying to mediate. “Jie, why are you in a bad mood? Can you tell Ru’er?”

“Heh.”

All Jiang Ru heard was a cold laugh.

…

Steeling herself, she tried again. “Jie, is there some misunderstanding with Saozi? It would be better to clear it up.”

“Heh.”

Another cold laugh. Jiang Ru could not help but look at Jiang Huai, signaling that she could not handle it anymore and wanted him to say something.

Jiang Huai quickly shrank into a corner, refusing to look at her, his actions a clear rejection.

Jiang Ru: “…”

At this moment, Song Muyun seemed to have finally composed herself. Suppressing the sob that threatened to escape at any moment, she looked up, her eyes still slightly red. “It is alright. I will explain to Jiang Yao when we get back. You do not need to worry about us.”

Perhaps this was not something to be said in front of others. Jiang Ru was very sensible and nodded in understanding. The next second, Jiang Yao snorted again and turned her head away, pointedly ignoring Song Muyun.

Song Muyun’s palm was covered in red marks from where she had been digging her nails in, and her red lips were bitten with clear teeth marks, a vivid crimson.

It was not until they got out of the carriage that Jiang Yao finally acknowledged her. With a blank expression, she reached out to help her down, then immediately tried to pull her hand back. Unexpectedly, she failed to pull it away, as it was held firmly in the other’s grasp.

Jiang Yao froze. She looked up and saw Song Muyun’s tightly pressed lips and stubborn gaze. The grip on her hand was not light; it was tight enough to hurt.

Jiang Yao was silent for a moment, then looked away, refusing to meet her eyes. But at least she did not try to pull her hand back again. After greeting her parents, she went back to her own courtyard, dragging the person who was desperately clinging to her along.

Once inside the room, Jiang Yao stopped moving. Song Muyun, who had been following in her footsteps²³, did not notice and walked right into her.

Jiang Yao let out a soft hiss. When did she become so clumsy? she thought.

Song Muyun clutched her forehead. Hearing Jiang Yao’s pained sound, she hurriedly reached out to touch her back, her tone urgent. “I… did I hurt you? I am sorry, I did not see you stop. Does it hurt? Do you need some medicine?”

Are you made of iron? You think I need medicine just because you bumped into me? The hand on her back was caught and pulled away expressionlessly.

Song Muyun shrank her shoulders. A strand of long hair fell helplessly beside her forehead. The woman bit her red lip, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She was inexplicably afraid and did not dare to speak first.

The two were silent for a long time. The maids had been instructed not to disturb them. Jiang Yao looked at Song Muyun, and after a while, she finally spoke coldly, “Such a huge matter. Why did you not tell me?”

She began to question her.

Song Muyun’s delicate hands clenched, her knuckles turning white. Her expression was both fragile and a little aggrieved. What do you have to be aggrieved about? Jiang Yao thought. I almost lost my wife. I am the one who should be aggrieved!

“Do not just stay silent. If you do not speak, I will go stay at Murong Ci’s for the night.”

She mentioned staying at Murong Ci’s place, one, because Murong Ci was a woman, and two, because Muyun would not be able to find her at the Eighth Prince’s residence. She was using it as a threat.

Sure enough, as soon as she said this, the young woman who had been biting her lip in silence finally reacted.

Song Muyun suddenly lifted a pair of red, watery eyes, her voice still carrying a slight nasal tone as she became imperious. “You are not allowed to go! You are not allowed to go find him!”

Jiang Yao sneered. “Then why do you not tell me? Why did you deliberately hide this from me?”

The handkerchief in the young woman’s hand was repeatedly crumpled, and her thin lips were bitten until they bled. Jiang Yao smelled a faint, metallic scent. Before she could speak, the crumpled handkerchief was thrown at her face. Jiang Yao was completely stunned. Wait, am I not the one who is angry right now?

Why am I the one getting things thrown at me?

In disbelief, Jiang Yao glared at Song Muyun.

A stream of tears suddenly fell from Song Muyun’s eyes. Her reddened eyes glared back at Jiang Yao. “You do not understand anything at all! I wanted to kill him! I had to kill him!”

She seemed to have inexplicably lost control of her emotions.

Jiang Yao was dumbfounded, both by her sudden tears and by her outburst.

Finally, she glanced outside, her brow furrowed tightly. “Keep your voice down. Do you want everyone to hear? I never said you could not kill him. What I am asking is, for such a huge matter, why did you not tell me? Why did you have to hide it from me and do it secretly?”

Song Muyun’s five fingers were still clenched tightly. She lowered her head slightly, sniffled, and when she thought of killing Murong Qing, her voice was tinged with a bit of hatred, a bit of sullenness, a bit of resentment and fear. “If I had told you, what if you did not let me go? What if you thought I have a cruel heart and have merciless hands²⁴?”

Jiang Yao frowned, feeling that the aggrieved, sobbing young woman before her had some misunderstanding of her. “How could I not let you go? Even if you did not go, and even if the Emperor spared their lives, I still was not planning to let them off. I had already planned to avenge you; I just did not tell you because I was worried you would be scared. Also, it is not like I have never killed anyone. Your family was ruined by those two like this, how could I think you were cruel of heart and merciless of hand because of this? What on earth goes through your head all day?”

Jiang Yao poked Song Muyun’s forehead, making her stumble back two steps. But she did not clutch her head and cry aggrievedly, nor did she cry out in pain. She looked up, her eyes full of emotion, and suddenly became joyful. “Really? You really would not think that of me? You really planned to help me?”

Jiang Yao gave a noncommittal grunt. “So you just distrusted me and suspected me like this?”

Perhaps Song Muyun was a little happy after hearing her words, but she was still not very happy. There was a ball of anger stuck in her chest that she could not release, and her face was cold.

The small smile that had just appeared on her lips immediately vanished. The young woman hunched her shoulders, not daring to look at her at all.

She was too fierce right now. She tried to change the subject, asking in a small voice, “I saw you give Murong Chun something to eat. What was it?”

Jiang Yao was impatient, even rolling her eyes, but she still answered, “A medicine that can make him temporarily foolish, to make people think Murong Qing smashed him into a stupor and that he killed Murong Qing by mistake during their struggle. Alright, stop changing the subject. What else have you hidden from me? Tell me everything at once.”

She was born with a fierce-looking face. It was fine when she smiled, for she was stunningly beautiful and unparalleled²⁵, but when she was serious, she was very intimidating. Song Muyun subconsciously wanted to escape, but when she looked up, the doors and windows were tightly shut. There was no escape. The only thing she was hiding from Jiang Yao now was that one thing, the fact that… she had occupied the body of the person Jiang Yao loved…

Song Muyun hesitated. She was afraid that if she told her, Jiang Yao would stop liking her. She had to leave sooner or later, but before that, she could not bear even the slightest look of disgust from Jiang Yao.

Her glistening, watery eyes looked at her pitifully. But she remained unmoved, cold and merciless.

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