Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 79

Confession

The young woman was on the verge of crying from distress. She didn’t think this was a good time to confess everything. Jiang Yao was so angry with her; if she found out she wasn’t her, she would surely throw her out.

Just the thought of being disliked and reviled by her—perhaps even being told to get lost, to give her beloved woman back—was enough to make her heart ache unbearably.

It hurts so much.

Strings of crystal-clear tears fell from the beloved girl’s eyes. She was crying, the tip of her nose red and her eyelids swollen.

Jiang Yao’s heart softened at the sight of her tears. She pursed her lips but knew she couldn’t forgive her so easily, or there would be a next time. She forced her expression to look fiercer and glared. “What kind of temper is this? You cry at me over the slightest disagreement, is that it?”

Song Muyun shook her head vehemently, wanting to say that wasn’t it, that she wasn’t like that. But the moment the words left her mouth, they became a muffled sob. In the end, she couldn’t say anything at all and could only stand there, holding her arms open toward Jiang Yao.

It was a posture asking for a hug.

The soft, delicate young woman wanted a hug.

Jiang Yao hadn’t even gotten any answers yet. Her lips were sealed tight, refusing to say a word, and yet she wanted a hug.

Tsk.

Forget it. Considering how miserable her past was, I should probably treat her better.

After just two minutes of being cold and stern, Jiang Yao looked up and saw Song Muyun’s pitiful expression. She let out a long sigh and gave in. She walked closer, opened her arms, and pulled Song Muyun into an embrace, letting the little girl who cried no matter what she went through nestle in her arms and weep.

She remained silent, maintaining a fierce facade.

It was still early spring, and gusts of wind knocked against the door. Who knew how long the person in her arms cried, but the soft whimpering finally stopped. But then, she looked up and saw Jiang Yao’s harsh, cold expression and was frightened back into tears, her slender shoulders hitching with each sob.

Jiang Yao was completely bewildered. All she knew was that the person in her arms had just stopped crying and, a moment later, started crying even louder.

After a moment’s thought, she finally started coaxing her in a fluster¹, “Don’t cry. Why are you crying again? Don’t cry, don’t cry… oh, I give up. Let me wipe them for you. There, there. What’s there to cry about? Do you not trust me that much?”

She asked the question, but in truth, seeing her choose to have a huge cry rather than speak a single word of truth hurt a little.

As she spoke, her voice trailed off. She just wiped the tears away with a cold expression. Song Muyun looked up in a panic and grabbed the hand Jiang Yao was using to wipe her tears. She pursed her lips and shook her head, her eyes misty. “No, that’s not it. It’s not like that. It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just… it’s just…”

She hesitated again. Jiang Yao took out a clean handkerchief to wipe the tear stains from her face. Song Muyun clutched Jiang Yao’s sleeve tightly and heard her say in a flat voice, “If you don’t want to talk, then don’t. Go have some tea and rest.”

Her tone was only slightly colder, not even as fierce as before, but Song Muyun couldn’t take it. A moment ago she was hesitating, afraid to speak, but now she grabbed Jiang Yao, refusing to let her leave, and tearfully insisted she would tell her everything.

The two of them sat on opposite ends of the soft couch. The young woman kept her head down, her expression still timid. Jiang Yao poured her a cup of tea. Seeing her like this, she had even less of an idea of what she was so afraid of.

“Just say it. You’re my wife; I can’t just ignore you. If I hadn’t gone today, do you have any idea what would have happened? Murong Chun² would have done everything in his power to defend himself, and the Dali Temple³ would have investigated. What if they traced it back to you? What do you expect me to do then? How am I supposed to save you?”

At that point, rebellion would be the only path left. But if I dared to rebel, my father would be the first one to curse me to death.

Song Muyun’s terrified heart was soothed by her increasingly gentle words. She looked up a moment later, her eyes shimmering with tears as she bit the inside of her lip. “Jiang Yao, if I tell you everything, will you still be as good to me as you are now?”

Why would she ask that?

A chill went down Jiang Yao’s spine. Did she do something even more outrageous than killing a prince?

In that split second, she had already thought of her last words. She watched as Song Muyun’s eyelashes trembled and her red lips parted. The first thing she said was, “I am not your wife.”

Jiang Yao still hadn’t processed it. She asked subconsciously, “Then who are you?”

Only after asking did it hit her that she was probably about to confess her origins.

My perspective was too small. So my little Yun’er trusts me this much, enough to tell me about something as bizarre as returning to the past. And look at all the things I was saying before!

Hearing her question, a glimmer of light flashed in Song Muyun’s eyes, but she still gritted her teeth and confessed. “I am not the person in your heart. I am a lonely soul from another world. In the place where I lived, I didn’t have you to protect me. I was insulted and deceived by Murong Qing⁴. He killed my entire family, and he killed me too. That’s why I wanted to kill him with my own hands.”

This was her biggest secret. If someone else had killed him, the knot in her heart would never have been untied. She had to do it herself, to personally send Murong Qing on his way.

After speaking, Song Muyun squeezed her eyes shut as if awaiting judgment. But after a moment, all she got was Jiang Yao urging her to have a sip of tea to wet her throat and continue.

The young woman’s eyes flew open in astonishment. She nervously wrung the hem of her skirt, wrinkling a corner of the long green garment.

“You… you’re not surprised?” Song Muyun asked, pure confusion in her eyes.

Jiang Yao glanced at her coolly and took a sip of tea. “What’s there to be surprised about? I’ve known for a long time.”

!!!

Song Muyun’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “You… you’ve known for a long time? How did you know…” Her voice faded, her face a mask of confusion.

Jiang Yao snorted twice, looking a little smug. “She’s my wife. How could I not know what she’s like? Do you think I’m stupid?”

Song Muyun was stunned. She didn’t think Jiang Yao was stupid, but she never expected her to be so perceptive. How had she guessed?

Am I… am I that different from the other her?

No wonder she never touched me. So that’s why…

Song Muyun lowered her head, a strange feeling of disappointment creeping in as a faint sadness spread through her.

Jiang Yao frowned at her. After a moment, she moved to sit beside Song Muyun and wrapped an arm around her, her voice holding a subtle, soothing quality. “What are you thinking about now? Keep talking.”

Nestled in her embrace, Song Muyun looked up at her, her eyes glistening and so fragile it seemed a single touch would shatter her. She asked, “If you knew I wasn’t her, why were you still so good to me?”

“You aren’t her, but you are also her.” Jiang Yao gently rubbed the back of the woman’s soft head. “Is your name Song Muyun?”

The girl nodded foolishly. She asked again, “Is your father Song Yunqian?”

The girl continued to nod.

Jiang Yao asked one last question. “Was your father also framed and wrongfully killed by Murong Qing?”

The girl nodded her head like a little chicken pecking rice⁵.

“Muyun was the same. You match on all counts, so aren’t you Muyun? You and her are the same person, it’s just that your experiences are different. At least, that’s how it is in my heart.”

Jiang Yao held her, and at some point, had pulled her onto her lap.

Even though she had just done something that made Jiang Yao furious, Jiang Yao was still coaxing her, doting on her.

Song Muyun clutched the front of Jiang Yao’s robes, refusing to let go, holding on for dear life.

Her vision blurred. She wanted to say something, but suddenly she couldn’t speak. All she could do was foolishly lean against Jiang Yao, in a way that forbid her from pulling away.

If she tried, Song Muyun would just look at her with those pitiful eyes.

Jiang Yao had no choice but to open her arms and let her burrow in, then hold her tight with a look of resignation. “What else is there? Since you’ve started, you might as well finish.”

Song Muyun sank into the warm embrace. The thought of that other matter made her heart leap into her throat, and her tone became cautious as she tested the waters. “If I tell you everything, will you be angry? If I did something terrible, something that hurt you, would you ignore me? Would you drive me away?”

She was terrified. She was terrified of laying it all bare, afraid that once she did, Jiang Yao would ignore her. She had been responsible for the death of Jiang Yao’s entire family. How could she possibly be forgiven?

Jiang Yao guessed what it was about. She mused for a moment, then said, “I will be angry, but I won’t ignore you, and I won’t drive you away.”

Yun’er is pitiful, too. But I want to know what she was thinking. How could such a kind and gentle person bear to let so many people in the Jiang family die?

With that promise, Song Muyun’s heart settled a little. She finally opened her mouth slowly. “I am a lonely soul from another world, and my name is also Song Muyun. The only difference between me and the her from here is that she met you. You gave her everything, but I had nothing.”

“Murong Qing plotted to kill the entire Song clan. My father, my mother, my second and third uncles and aunts, and my younger siblings all died. He even lied to me, telling me they had provoked some local ruffians and gangsters and were beaten to death…”

Song Muyun spoke word by painful word, her eyes red-rimmed and her nose sniffling. Jiang Yao quietly held her tighter. She then heard her continue, “The Song family are all scholars who value reason above all else. They would never make enemies of people. I know that.”

Jiang Yao was silent. She knew that, too.

“Murong Qing harmed me to this extent. I couldn’t let him go. I wanted to kill him with my own hands, but these hands would be tainted if they were stained with blood… I was afraid you would be disgusted with me.”

The young woman’s eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at Jiang Yao again. Jiang Yao quickly reassured her again and again that she wasn’t disgusted, that she would never be disgusted, and only then was she coaxed into settling down.

Song Muyun continued, finally getting to the point. “I… I have done many wrong things.”

“Such as?”

“Jiang Yao, I was responsible for the death of the Jiang family.”

She bit her lip and lowered her head, not daring to look at Jiang Yao’s face, afraid of seeing even the slightest trace of disgust. She wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“The reason?” came a voice from above her, flat and devoid of emotion.

She couldn’t tell if Jiang Yao was angry or not, but she was scared and had to continue. “Jiang Huai⁶ used to bully me all the time. He kept me in his courtyard to do chores and had everyone else bully me too. Sometimes, when he was scolded by the Prime Minister or by you and was in a bad mood, he would hit me. He and Murong Qing would humiliate me together. I… I didn’t like him. Murong Qing gave me a locked box and told me to put it in Jiang Huai’s room. If it was discovered, it would be a minor crime, and Jiang Huai would be sent to prison. I just wanted to punish Jiang Huai. I never thought it contained evidence of the Jiang family colluding with the enemy and committing treason. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to harm everyone in the Jiang family.”

She clung to Jiang Yao, her tone utterly sincere and tinged with a sob.

So that’s how it was, Jiang Yao thought. Other than being cold toward Jiang Huai, the girl has been exceptionally respectful to my parents. She must be telling the truth.

“So,” she asked, “what did Jiang Huai hit you with?”

Song Muyun finally calmed down in the wake of her consistently gentle voice. “He used a whip,” she said softly. “Sometimes, when he was really angry, he’d throw teacups. It hurt so much.”

She felt herself being held even tighter, almost to the point where she couldn’t breathe. But she wasn’t the least bit unhappy. She was thrilled, so very thrilled, to have finally said the words that had been weighing on her heart, and to not have her hand let go, to not be cast aside.

Although Jiang Yao was angry that she had believed Murong Qing, she also pitied her for being bullied by that damned brat Jiang Huai. She gnashed her teeth internally while her voice remained gentle and comforting. “It’s alright. He doesn’t dare to anymore. From now on, you can bully him too. You’re his Saozi⁷. You can bully him however you want. Even if you hit him a few times with a whip, he won’t dare say a thing, hmm?”

“What if he doesn’t listen to me?”

“If he doesn’t listen, then hit him. I doubt he’d dare to hit you back.”

Jiang Yao had terrorized Jiang Huai since they were children. He had only enjoyed a few good years while she was away, running amok and proclaiming himself king and hegemon⁸ with his fox friends and dog companions⁹. But as long as Jiang Yao was around for even one day, the family had to listen to her.

“Mm, okay.”

Song Muyun knew she would be leaving soon and wouldn’t get to bully Jiang Huai, but she was still happy about the promise.

A faint smile graced her lips.

She told Jiang Yao many, many things. She told her she had agreed to marry Murong Qing to save her family. She told her that after learning he had killed them, she had stayed by his side, waiting for a chance to make him pay with his life.

She told her she was discovered on her very first attempt, only managing to injure his shoulder. Murong Qing had thrown her in prison and punished her day and night. It was a place that never saw the sun. She had repeatedly feigned affection for him only to try to kill him, but she never once succeeded.

At this point, she frowned, a flash of panic in her eyes. She gripped Jiang Yao’s arm and suddenly looked up. “Is Murong Qing dead? What if he’s not dead?”

She was terrified that Murong Qing wasn’t dead, and that all her efforts had been in vain.

Thinking of the prince who had died in the palace, Jiang Yao sighed. She actually felt a little regretful. If she had known, she would have tossed Murong Qing into a well so he wouldn’t be discovered so soon.

“Don’t worry. I checked. He’s dead as a doornail.”

She never would have imagined that when Muyun asked her to teach her how to use a dagger, it was for the purpose of assassinating a prince. So audacious! It was enough to make one’s teeth itch with anger. And yet, her past life had been so miserable that no matter how angry Jiang Yao was, she couldn’t bring herself to vent it on her.

She was constantly being bullied by Murong Qing. It’s only right that she hated him.

I thought the dream of us living happily together was the ending. It turns out it wasn’t. The real ending was so tragic. She died at Murong Qing’s hands.

If I hadn’t had that dream, the two of us would probably have walked step by step into the abyss, just as she experienced.

Thankfully, things are different now. Murong Qing’s death is a turning point, isn’t it?

He’s dead and gone. I just hope we didn’t reveal the horse’s hoof¹⁰.

Jiang Yao sighed again and again in her heart.

Nestled in her embrace, Song Muyun felt exhausted after the emotional rollercoaster. She also felt a bit of relief, but her voice was weak. “As long as he’s dead.”

With that, she snuggled against Jiang Yao’s chest and fell silent.

She was getting sleepy.

Jiang Yao had gotten most of the answers she wanted. Although she had caused their family to die unjustly in another world, the ones most at fault were Murong Qing and Jiang Huai. Besides, the abbot at the temple had said she would depart once her resentment was gone. Forget it. I won’t be angry with her. I need to dote on her more.

“If you’re tired, then sleep. I’m here.”

Song Muyun hummed a soft reply, closed her eyes, and truly fell asleep.

With a person sleeping in her arms, Jiang Yao couldn’t easily move. Fortunately, she had a not-so-proper picture book¹¹ hidden under the soft couch, which was perfect for perusing right now.

The picture book was very well-drawn. She became completely engrossed, and time flew by. At some point, Song Muyun woke up. At first, her eyes were hazy with sleep, but as she gazed at Jiang Yao’s slightly pointed chin, she slowly became lucid. Her memories returned, and just as she was about to speak, her gaze fell upon the picture book.

A nude woman stood under a tree, pressed against it by a fully clothed woman whose hand seemed to be exploring a mysterious, hidden place.

When Song Muyun realized what she was looking at, her cheeks flushed crimson. Jiang Yao… how can Jiang Yao be looking at this sort of thing? And so casually, too! She must have looked at it before. Does… does she have no shame?

The young woman couldn’t stand it. She suddenly reached out and, taking her by surprise, smack, snatched the picture book away. She hid it in her robes, her cheeks pink, her gaze darting about shyly as she said coquettishly, “You… how can you look at this? No more looking.”

Jiang Yao, having something snatched from her hands for the first time, was still a bit dazed. When she registered that she was being told not to look, she instantly became indignant and started to argue, “Why can’t I look? This thing was drawn for people to look at, wasn’t it?”

“This… this is an obscene object¹²! In short, you’re not allowed to look!”

No matter which little ancestor¹³ it is, they never want me to look at my picture books. Oh, heavens! Oh, earth! What’s so wrong with looking at a picture book? Whether it’s a man’s pleasure and a woman’s love or a woman’s pleasure and a woman’s love, it’s all a natural and unalterable principle¹⁴. Why must it be avoided?

Jiang Yao’s lips trembled. She didn’t want to agree. This was her source of happiness!

Song Muyun, who had been so clingy and obedient before bed, suddenly became forceful. She hugged the picture book, refusing to let go no matter what was said. The blush on her face and neck never faded.

“You… you shouldn’t look at this kind of thing. It’s not good to look at too much.” Seeing her silence, the young woman began to reason with her softly. Jiang Yao was unconvinced and indignant. “What’s not good about it?!”

Song Muyun had never seen such a thing before and was naturally mortified. When Jiang Yao actually asked her what was wrong with it, she couldn’t articulate an answer and could only lower her head, hugging the book tightly.

It looked like there was no getting the book back today.

Jiang Yao stared longingly at the blue-covered book in Song Muyun’s arms, her heart aching, but she still put on a magnanimous front. “Fine, if you want it, you can have it. I won’t fight you for it. Is that not enough?”

I really want it, but I can’t say that.

Song Muyun grew even more embarrassed and playfully hit her chest twice. “Who… who wants this sort of thing? I don’t want it at all!”

I would never look at such a vulgar thing. Only Jiang Yao loves to. Why does Jiang Yao love to look at it? She seems so proper…

“If you don’t want it, then give it back,” Jiang Yao asked tentatively.

But she was rejected again.

Song Muyun held onto the picture book firmly. “No. You can’t have it either. I… I’m going to throw it away. You are not to look at these things. If you want to read, just read the Four Books and Five Classics¹⁵ or some famous scholars’ strategy essays¹⁶!”

Jiang Yao: …

You’re really one to talk, standing there with no back pain¹⁷. Do I look like the kind of person who would read that stuff?

“No, thanks. If you want to read them, read them yourself.” Her refusal was crisp and neat¹⁸.

Song Muyun became flustered and let out a delicate huff. “I really don’t know why you like looking at these obscene things. They’re not good at all!” The last part was heavily emphasized.

“It’s good enough that I like it. What business is it of yours?”

Jiang Yao was deliberately disobedient, which embarrassed Song Muyun so much that she practically burrowed into her embrace. Just the thought of the woman in the book not wearing an inch of thread¹⁹, of her smooth, round shoulders, of her high breasts, of that downward-reaching hand, was enough to make Song Muyun flush pink all over.

That was under the blue sky and white sun²⁰, outside! How could they be so bold? What if someone saw them?

Song Muyun didn’t dare to think about it in detail. For a fleeting moment, she even imagined herself in that position. It was too terrifying. How… how could I do something like that? I come from a scholarly-fragrant family²¹; I am a well-bred maiden from a prominent family. Room matters²² are room matters; naturally, they should only be done in a room.

Song Muyun wrapped her arms around Jiang Yao’s neck, her soft, cool cheek pressing against her shoulder as she whined coquettishly, “You… can you please not look at it? Let’s both not look, okay? What’s so good about it anyway?”

Jiang Yao still wanted to look, but she was afraid the girl would throw a tantrum. Even though she really wanted to, she didn’t say it out loud, merely compromising, “Alright, alright. I won’t look. If you say not to look, I won’t.”

She helplessly hugged her back, then remembered the Seventh Prince²³ who died tragically in the palace and the unconscious First Prince²⁴. She offered a reminder, “You left your name on that note. The Emperor will summon you for questioning. Don’t make any mistakes.”

“Mm, I know.”

Song Muyun agreed softly, thinking to herself, If I’m found out, I’ll just smash my head against a wall. I absolutely won’t implicate the Jiang Residence.

But… then the woman Jiang Yao truly loves would also die. No, I can’t die.

It was so hard to find someone who genuinely likes me. Jiang Yao really likes me. If I die, what will she do?

Only then did she realize that her crude plan had left so many worries looking back²⁵ for her.

Song Muyun felt a pang of regret. She shouldn’t have done it without discussing it with Jiang Yao. If this was exposed, the Jiang family would definitely be implicated. What would happen then? How could she face the Prime Minister and Madam Jiang²⁶? They had been so good to her, so concerned, and then there was this person…

“Why are your hands so cold?” Jiang Yao had taken her hand at some point and was kneading it with a frown.

Song Muyun’s body was trembling slightly. She clasped Jiang Yao’s hands in return. “What if I implicate the Jiang family? Will the Emperor make things difficult for you?”

“Don’t overthink it. Given the Jiang family’s current standing among the common people, the Emperor won’t do anything. If you’re found out, at most, only you will die.”

Seeing Song Muyun about to breathe a sigh of relief, Jiang Yao snorted coldly. “But as the person in your heart, I would never let you go to your death alone. If you die, I’ll go with you. There’s not much point in me living alone.”

She spoke with utter seriousness. Song Muyun’s head snapped up, her expression one of disbelief. When she understood, she immediately protested, “No! What does this have to do with you? I don’t want you to accompany me!”

She was truly terrified. It was one thing if she died, but if she dragged Jiang Yao down with her, someone so good… ten thousand deaths could not escape the blame²⁷.

Jiang Yao just snorted, clearly not taking her words seriously, and provoked her on purpose. “I’m going to accompany you. You can’t stop me.”

At that moment, Song Muyun was so angry her face turned red.

She didn’t dare to die. She didn’t dare to show the slightest hint that she was the one who had killed Murong Qing. If she was found out, she would surely die. And after she died, Jiang Yao might die along with her…

Song Muyun’s gaze was vacant and helpless. All she could do was plead with Jiang Yao not to die.

Jiang Yao, looking carefree and sloppy²⁸, clearly had no intention of listening. This infuriated Song Muyun so much that she climbed off her and sat down on a stool in a huff.

Jiang Yao rubbed her leg, her tone improper. “You sat there for so long, my leg’s gone numb.”

Song Muyun pursed her lips and turned her head away. “Who told you not to wake me up?”

“Well, I saw you were sleeping so soundly. You must have been exhausted from making all those arrangements last night, weren’t you?”

Muyun is with me every day. Thinking it over, the only time she could have laid out those plans was at night, after I fell asleep.

After she spoke, Jiang Yao looked down and continued to knead her numb leg.

Seeing that her discomfort didn’t seem feigned, that she really was in pain, Song Muyun hurriedly got up. Her wide sleeves swayed as she came over and knelt on the ground to rub her leg, her voice tinged with guilt. “I didn’t think it through. I’m sorry.”

Her own little ancestor had apologized. What could Jiang Yao do? She couldn’t very well throw her out and leave her to her fate.

Her expression grew more resigned. She ruffled Song Muyun’s hair, and her voice softened. “Alright, what’s done is done. Let’s not talk about it. You just need to stay calm in front of the Emperor and not let anyone see that something is wrong.”

“Mhm, I know.”

She was unusually obedient this time, her eyes still holding a hint of apology as she rested on Jiang Yao’s knee and looked up at her.

Jiang Yao caressed Song Muyun’s soft cheek.

That evening, people from the palace arrived. Many in the Jiang Residence were startled and rushed out to greet them. When they learned they were there for Song Muyun, the Prime Minister, Jiang Heng²⁹, frowned, directly blocking the visitors outside while he sent someone to summon Jiang Yao and Song Muyun for questioning.

At this point, all they could do was take a gamble. Both of them shook their heads, saying they didn’t know why the eunuchs had come.

Jiang Heng was a master at manipulating people in the imperial court and saw that something was amiss at a glance. But he didn’t expose them, merely nodding and letting them go.

Song Muyun was taken away by the people from the palace. As Jiang Yao watched the carriage disappear into the distance, she couldn’t hide the worry on her face. Her father walked over and spoke cool words³⁰, his tone indifferent. “If you won’t tell me now, don’t come asking me for help when things go wrong.”

With that, he tugged at his beard and left.

Jiang Yao stood there, grinding her teeth. After a moment’s hesitation, she ran after him.

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The author has something to say:

Jiang Yao: Father, having a troublemaker spirit³¹ like me is a blessing for you.

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