Forbidden to Bully the Storybook’s Heroine – Chapter 8

Ears Like White Jade Slowly Reddened

Jiang Yao didn’t notice anything improper about her actions, still sitting by the window enjoying the breeze while reading a storybook¹.

This was a storybook she had brought from home; after all, she planned to spend the entire day at Yueshang House to prevent Murong Qing from taking advantage of any opportunity.

Song Muyun dazedly ate as she was told, her mind still replaying that gentle pat. It wasn’t until she was truly stuffed and couldn’t eat another bite that she put down her chopsticks. She walked carefully to Jiang Yao’s side, her voice as soft and gentle as water, “Miss Jiang, I’m really full.”

Jiang Yao pulled her attention from the storybook and reached out to feel her stomach again. Only when she felt a slight bulge did she seem satisfied. “If you’re full, then stop eating. Do you want to read this storybook with me?”

Song Muyun’s cheeks were crimson. She nodded lightly, and Jiang Yao lifted her chin to gesture, “Go get a stool.”

The rocking chair was actually quite large, big enough for two, but she was afraid of being presumptuous, seeing as they had only just met.

Song Muyun obediently moved a chair over and sat beside Jiang Yao.

The windows at Yueshang House were built low, so as they sat inside, they could see the scenery outside with a simple glance.

There were many small vendors outside, selling hairpins, wood carvings, and food—all sorts of things.

“Tsk, the view from this room is pretty good.”

Jiang Yao suddenly remarked.

Song Muyun looked up but didn’t see much of a view, only a bustling crowd. She suddenly remembered that the woman beside her was extremely fond of lively places; she had often seen her in the busiest markets before.

She echoed in agreement, “Yes, it’s nice.”

Jiang Yao turned back to look at Song Muyun’s coolly refined face, studying it carefully several times. Song Muyun froze for a moment and lowered her head, a bit embarrassed, only to hear the woman’s clear voice from above, “What do you think of this storybook?”

Before today, Song Muyun never read storybook. If she had free time, she would do some women’s red², play the zither, or practice calligraphy. To her, a storybook was a novelty; if Miss Jiang hadn’t brought it over, she might have gone her whole life without reading one.

Now Miss Jiang was asking her what she thought of it…

She hesitated for a moment. Since Miss Jiang had been reading it this whole time, she must like it, right?

A ripple seemed to pass through Song Muyun’s eyes. Her slender, snow-white fingers clutched her handkerchief as she said softly, “I think it’s very good. The storybook Miss Jiang chose is excellent.”

Jiang Yao was speechless.

She had only realized after she started reading that the plot of this storybook was somewhat similar to Song Muyun’s future experiences. The female lead was likewise forced into a brothel, where the male lead took an interest in her but also tormented her. He liked her yet despised her status, bullying and beating her several times, even causing her to lose a child. But in the end, the two of them got together…

In her eyes, the male lead was absolute scum! She could barely continue reading, but what did Song Muyun say?

She said it was very good…

Six.³

Jiang Yao was in disbelief, unable to hold back her shock as she asked, “You think this is good?”

Song Muyun was bewildered. If it wasn’t good, why would she keep reading it?

She felt a little uneasy but still nodded and said in a small voice, “It’s good.”

In truth, she hadn’t really understood what it was about. Jiang Yao read too quickly for her to keep up.

However, after she said that, Jiang Yao got angry.

“This is good? This is good?!”

She asked twice. Seeing her somewhat angry expression, Song Muyun was forced to consider another possibility. Could it be that Miss Jiang thought it was bad?

If she thought it was bad, why did she keep reading it?

Jiang Yao’s heart was like dead embers⁴. She never expected that Song Muyun would actually like this kind of storybook. In that case, it seemed there was a precedent for her eventually falling for Murong Qing; it was a very normal thing.

No, she wouldn’t accept it!

She had to correct the little fairy’s strange tastes!

How could anyone fall for someone who bullied them like that? Wasn’t that just sick?

Unwilling to believe it, Jiang Yao pointed to a scene in the storybook where the female lead was being whipped and showed it to Song Muyun. “Look clearly. The male lead hits the female lead every day, and you still think it’s good?”

She couldn’t understand it.

Song Muyun was now certain: Miss Jiang did not want to hear her say it was good. Although she didn’t know why she had been reading this storybook, she clearly thought it was terrible.

She looked seriously at the scene Jiang Yao was pointing to, then lifted her shimmering eyes to meet Jiang Yao’s, speaking softly again, “I didn’t look closely just now. Now that I have, I see the male lead is not a good person. He is not worthy of the female lead.”

“Hmph.”

Jiang Yao snorted lightly. “I don’t know what the person who wrote this storybook was thinking. How could a woman with any pride fall in love with a man who humiliates her daily? Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Song?”

She propped her chin on her hand, her face extremely close to Song Muyun’s. Startled, Song Muyun instinctively moved the hand that was on her lap back to grip the armrest of her chair.

Her body was still facing Jiang Yao, who was staring at her intently. Her expression was inevitably a little tense. After a moment, she nodded lightly in agreement. “Miss Jiang is right.”

Jiang Yao was dissatisfied with her brief, almost perfunctory, reply. Being used to being direct, she couldn’t be bothered to beat around the bush any longer and asked bluntly, “The Seventh Prince treats you the same way. Will you one day fall for the Seventh Prince?”

Song Muyun’s beautiful eyes widened, a flash of disgust streaking through them, which was caught by the ever-watchful Jiang Yao.

Instantly, her heart was at ease. It was good that she hated Murong Qing. It was best if she hated him forever. There were so many good men in the world; what spring onion does Murong Qing count as.⁵

Song Muyun lowered her head, not noticing the fleeting delight in Jiang Yao’s eyes. She only said, “The Seventh Prince is a dragon among men⁶. How could Muyun, a mere woman of the pleasure quarters, ever hope to associate with him?”

The answer was satisfactory, but she didn’t like the way she said it.

Jiang Yao tossed the terrible storybook aside and leaned back in the rocking chair, her voice full of disdain at the mention of Murong Qing’s name. “Murong Qing may have the status of the Seventh Prince, but in my eyes, he is less than you. He’s a two-faced hypocrite, a beast in human clothing, and his looks are just so-so. He is the one who is not worthy of you.”

Hearing this, Song Muyun’s heart suddenly quickened. She raised her head and stared blankly at Jiang Yao, never expecting her to say such things. Murong Qing was the Seventh Prince, renowned for his good reputation, while she was merely the daughter of a disgraced official who had fallen into a music house. Anyone would say she was unworthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the Seventh Prince. Only Jiang Yao said that the Seventh Prince was not worthy of her.

Why… was she so good… in her heart?

Song Muyun didn’t dare to think on it further. Her ears, like white jade, slowly reddened again.

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The author has something to say:

Yunyun loves to blush~

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