Is It Forbidden to Bully the Heroine of the Novel? - Chapter 53
Chapter 53
After the water in the tub turned slightly cold, Jiang Yao and Song Muyun finally got out. Song Muyun’s legs were a bit weak from soaking too long, and she leaned slightly on Jiang Yao for support, her eyes looking at her like shimmering pools.
Jiang Yao felt a bit rigid as this was the first time someone leaned against her soft chest. Song Muyun, seemingly unaware of the effect she had, requested, “Can you help me a bit? I feel a bit unsteady.”
Jiang Yao thought to herself in confusion and annoyance, “Why would she be unsteady? It was just a bath, nothing else!” Despite her thoughts, she still reached out to support Song Muyun, gently guiding her to the bed.
As Jiang Yao rummaged for undergarments, she playfully complained, “I feel like I’m acting as your maid.”
Song Muyun, wearing only a damp bellyband, shivered a bit in the cool air. Her legs involuntarily crossed as she sat on the bed, her pretty phoenix eyes watching Jiang Yao obediently.
Turning back, Jiang Yao saw Song Muyun’s docile look and thought, “Being a maid for such a cute mistress isn’t so bad, right? Yeah, that’s fine.”
She handed over some undergarments, teasingly asking Song Muyun, “Do you want me to help you put these on?”
It was obviously a joke, but Song Muyun, catching Jiang Yao off-guard, hesitated and then blushed, accepting the offer. She carefully adjusted her legs, as if to make it easier for Jiang Yao to help her, but then closed them back shyly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Jiang Yao was taken aback, “I wasn’t serious about helping you get dressed!”
Song Muyun’s blush faded, and she took the clothes with a light huff, “It was you who offered to help me, and now you’re scolding me.”
Jiang Yao, flustered, looked away deliberately, thinking to herself how perplexing the female lead was. How could she let her help her dress? Wasn’t the female lead’s body supposed to be seen only by the male lead?
No, she corrected herself, not even the male lead should see. She cursed Murong Qing in her mind.
After Song Muyun was dressed, Jiang Yao hesitated but eventually applied medicinal ointment to her scars. Song Muyun’s delicate skin responded with a slight shiver to the cool ointment, making her wriggle a bit, which Jiang Yao promptly stopped by holding her still.
After the medicine was applied, Jiang Yao suggested they get some rest. Song Muyun cuddled into her, and Jiang Yao naturally held her close, tucking them both under the covers.
Jiang Yao’s face was hidden in her hair, concealing the blush on her ears.
With a few pats on Song Muyun’s back, Jiang Yao urged her to sleep. Song Muyun, obediently, closed her eyes and snuggled closer.
Jiang Yao also closed her eyes, feeling tired from the day’s events. She fell asleep quickly, unaware that Song Muyun, not quite as sleepy, opened her eyes after a while, moved closer, and gently kissed Jiang Yao’s lips. Feeling comfortable with Jiang Yao, she too soon fell asleep.
When Jiang Yao woke up, the room was bathed in the golden hues of late afternoon. She was still holding Song Muyun, who had found her way back into the bed after being accidentally rolled out by Jiang Yao during her sleep.
Jiang Yao gently nudged Song Muyun, suggesting they go out for a meal. Song Muyun, waking up easily, agreed and they both got dressed.
Jiang Yao chose a green outfit, while Song Muyun opted for a light green dress, adding to her already cool demeanor.
Undeterred, Jiang Yao playfully invited her “mistress” out for a meal, brushing off Song Muyun’s concern about calling her that way. “What’s wrong with calling you my mistress? I just love saying it. Why should they care?”
Song Muyun, still a bit shy, followed Jiang Yao, curious about where they were going to eat.
As they walked, some noble ladies who saw them sneered, thinking lowly of Song Muyun for serving Jiang Yao, who was known for her martial prowess and rough demeanor. Others, however, looked on with kindness, aware of the injustice the Song family had faced and Jiang Yao’s role in defending them.
Jiang Yao led Song Muyun to a lively area where a bonfire was being prepared for a barbecue. The Emperor and many officials hadn’t arrived yet, but some princes and eager young nobles were already there, including the second prince, who was grilling his own meat.
Jiang Yao greeted him politely, a rarity for her, and the second prince acknowledged her with a nod. Jiang Yao found a place to sit near the fire but made sure to get a stool for Song Muyun.
Her natural and unpretentious behavior surprised the second prince.
The evening continued with the two of them enjoying the barbecue. Jiang Yao was relaxed and unguarded around Song Muyun, showing a different side of herself that wasn’t often seen. Despite the glances and whispers from others, they remained in their own world, enjoying each other’s company and the simple pleasure of sharing a meal together.
She smiled cheerfully, not feeling anything wrong with the situation. Song Muyun, on the other hand, was quite embarrassed, blushing and squatting beside Jiang Yao, whispering, “I don’t need a small stool either.”
Jiang Yao smiled at the second prince and then turned to her with a serious expression, “It’s so cold today, you’re frail, how can you sit directly on the ground? Be careful not to freeze.”
The second prince asked her with a smile, “Did you know Miss Song from before?”
“How far back are we talking about?”
“Back when Lord Song was still around.”
“Oh, then no, I didn’t know her. We met later.”
“So you haven’t known each other for long? You seem like old friends.”
Jiang Yao expressionless: “Haven’t I mentioned? I’m a mirror polisher.”
She thought the second prince was hinting at her profession again.
The second prince, named Murong Han, hearing her unreserved mention of mirror polishing, thought of Jiang Yao as a straightforward woman. He was about to speak when a gentle female voice came from behind him, “I thought you went somewhere else. It turns out you’re hiding from me and secretly roasting meat here?”
Murong Han was originally smiling, but at that moment, Jiang Yao suddenly felt his smile became more sincere. He turned to look at the approaching beautiful woman and took her hand, “You’re here. I was actually roasting meat for you, and you accuse me?”
The woman sat down gracefully. Just then, a servant brought a small stool, looking somewhat confused upon seeing the prince’s consort. Jiang Yao took the stool and thanked the servant, placing it behind Song Muyun.
She also noticed the prince’s consort and apologized, “Muyun is frail and can’t withstand the cold.”
The prince’s consort, gentle in nature, didn’t make a fuss over such a small matter and nodded in understanding. She then whispered something to the second prince.
Song Muyun was well taken care of, but she still didn’t understand why Jiang Yao suddenly started talking to the second prince.
They weren’t familiar with the second prince.
But soon, she understood. Jiang Yao and the second prince chatted about various topics, eventually landing on the day’s autumn hunt. Jiang Yao first talked about the various dangers in the hunting forest, like someone secretly shooting arrows at them, nearly hitting them, which scared the prince’s consort. Then, Jiang Yao changed the topic and mentioned, “So… because of various accidents in the forest, my prey seems to have run away, Your Highness…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but her eager gaze at the game in Murong Han’s basket made it clear what she wanted to say.
The second prince and his consort exchanged a glance. The consort hurriedly said, “Miss Jiang, please choose whatever you’d like to eat. Don’t be shy. There’s so much, and the prince and I can’t finish it all. Consider it a thank you for saving the eighth prince.”
Jiang Yao, with a cheerful smile, said, “The prince’s consort is truly beautiful and kind-hearted. Then, I won’t be polite. Muyun, how about rabbit meat?”
She turned to ask Song Muyun.
Song Muyun finally understood what kind of meal they were scrounging for and why she was joking with the second prince.
“Eat whatever you want, don’t ask me.”
She turned her head away embarrassedly, a young girl who had never asked for food from others, her cheeks red and her voice tinged with coyness.
Jiang Yao remembered she previously mentioned wanting to eat hare and pheasant, but there was no pheasant here, so she casually picked up a hare by the back of its neck and took it away.
The ingredients had been pre-processed by the palace staff. Jiang Yao borrowed a water bottle to rinse them, then used a sword to skewer the meat, scrounging a spot at the second prince’s fire to roast it.
The second prince had painstakingly roasted the game in his hands, not for himself, but to give to his attendants, “Go, give it to the eighth prince.”
The eighth prince was bedridden with a serious injury and wasn’t here. The consort, somewhat dissatisfied,
clung to the second prince, “Didn’t you say you were roasting meat for me? After all this time, it turns out you were actually roasting it for the eighth brother?”
“I’ll roast for you right away. I’m here and not going anywhere, so what’s the hurry? Let’s first let the eighth brother have his share. How about I roast a quail for you?”
“You can still hunt quails this year?”
The consort seemed pleasantly surprised, watching the prince skewer and roast the small quail, unconcerned about Jiang Yao and others being present, leaning against his chest to watch the tiny quail meat, “Why is it so small? You didn’t kill a baby bird, did you?”
“Quails are naturally small, silly.”
“I’m not silly.”
The couple bantered back and forth, clearly a loving pair.
Jiang Yao watched and felt something was off. She looked at Song Muyun beside her, suddenly feeling strange. The way Muyun interacted with her was similar to this couple’s dynamic.
They were always bickering.
Song Muyun stretched her neck to look at the rabbit meat in Jiang Yao’s hand, its skin slightly charred and aromatic. The more she looked, the brighter her eyes shone. Jiang Yao reached out to stop her, “Be careful, don’t let the fire singe your hair.”
“Oh.”
Song Muyun obediently sat back down, clinging to Jiang Yao’s arm, and said, “This is the first time you’ve personally cooked for me.”
“Hmm? Who ate the fish last time?”
Jiang Yao glanced at Song Muyun, who stiffened, suddenly remembering the fish that even caused them to argue.
Her face momentarily flashed with guilt, whispering, “I forgot about that, the fish was also delicious. Will you take me to eat it again?”
Jiang Yao flipped the rabbit meat and replied, “We’ll see if I have time later. I don’t feel like going recently.”
That day had left a bad impression. They went in high spirits, only to end up making someone cry.
Song Muyun sensed Jiang Yao’s moodiness, bit her lip, her eyes swirling with uncertainty, not knowing how to react.
“Besides rabbit, do you want to eat pheasant? I can get it for you.”
There were no pheasants with the second prince, but someone surely had some. She could scrounge one.
With enough cheek, anything could be scrounged.
Song Muyun, thinking she had upset Jiang Yao, obediently nodded, “No need, I can’t even finish the rabbit. Will you eat with me?”
She invited carefully, partly to test if Jiang Yao was angry and partly because she really had a small appetite. A whole rabbit was too much for her; she couldn’t finish it.
Jiang Yao laughed, “So you’re letting me eat your leftovers? Song Xiaoyun, don’t be too much.”
She deliberately misinterpreted Song Muyun’s words. Seeing her not upset, the young girl relaxed a lot, her eyes widening, puffing up at Jiang Yao, “How am I letting you eat leftovers? You take half, I take half, how can that be leftovers?”
Giving leftovers to others was a highly insulting act. Raised by her father to be polite, she would never do such a thing!
“Can you finish half?”
Jiang Yao raised an eyebrow, doubting her.
Song Muyun clenched her fists, responding defiantly, though inwardly feeling very unsure. Her face, however, appeared confident, as if she could indeed finish it.
Jiang Yao smiled lightly, “Alright, then I’ll wait for you to finish.”
It took a while to roast the rabbit completely. Jiang Yao sprinkled some seasoned salt, cornelian cherries, and pepper, roasting it a little longer for flavor. Then, she took out a dagger from her bosom, washed it, and cut a piece of rabbit meat, offering it to Song Muyun, “Try this.”
Before it was fully roasted, the fragrant oil from the meat had already tantalized their senses. Song Muyun had been craving it.
She gently blew on the meat, then carefully bit into it with her pearly white teeth.
Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, delicious.
Song Muyun’s eyes brightened, “It’s so good.”
Then, covering
her mouth, she chewed slowly, “It’s a bit spicy, though.”
“Hmm, then eat more, this half is all yours,” Jiang Yao said, knowing how small Song Muyun’s appetite was and deliberately making this remark.
Song Muyun stiffened slightly, then looked up at Jiang Yao with a mix of reproach and coyness, almost melting her with that gaze.
No longer teasing her, Jiang Yao coughed lightly and began to seriously debone the rabbit meat.
She took a plate and cleanly stripped off half of the meat.
The emperor was still nowhere to be seen, and the aroma of the meat filled the entire grassland.
The second prince’s consort couldn’t sit still any longer, poking the second prince and then looking towards Jiang Yao. The second prince followed her gaze to Jiang Yao and then back to his consort, still not understanding the issue.
The consort, slightly annoyed, elegantly spoke to Jiang Yao, “Miss Jiang, your roasting skills seem excellent. Did you learn it somewhere special?”
Jiang Yao, without looking up, replied, “I was raised on the frontier, often going to nearby mountains with soldiers to hunt for game, just for a taste of something fresh.”
The consort laughed, “No wonder it smells so delicious. It even makes me crave it.”
Jiang Yao paused in her movements, her lips twitching slightly, thinking how straightforward the second prince’s consort was, making her intentions more than obvious.
She asked a servant for another clean plate and cut off most of the remaining rabbit meat, generously saying, “Then the consort should try some too. My cooking is indeed not bad.”
The consort’s eyes lit up with delight, “Ah, thank you so much, Miss Jiang. Can I call you Jiang Yao? You’re really kind.”
“Am I kind just because I’m sharing some meat?”
Jiang Yao continued cutting the meat, her expression cool and detached when not smiling.
But the second prince’s consort didn’t mind at all, nodding, “I’ve heard people say you’re quite fierce, that anyone who provokes you gets beaten up. In the whole capital, you’re only nice to Miss Song by your side. I thought you wouldn’t give me any, but you’re actually so kind.”
The second prince chuckled, speaking for his wife, “She rarely goes out, so much of what she knows is from hearsay. Don’t take it to heart.”
Jiang Yao wasn’t petty. She nodded and said to the consort, “I’m also quite nice to Ruru.”
“Ruru?”
The consort, not often going out, didn’t know who Ruru was. The second prince whispered in her ear, “That’s Jiang Yao’s cousin, the daughter of the Dragon-Tiger General, Jiang Ru.”
“Oh, I see.”
“They must have something special about them to make you fond of them, right?”
The second prince’s consort ate a piece of meat, her eyes shining like stars in the night, “Indeed, it’s delicious. It smells good and tastes even better.”
Jiang Yao didn’t respond. Some people she disliked at first sight, but others she took a liking to immediately. How could she explain that?
Song Muyun, who had been eavesdropping, was curious to know what made her special to Jiang Yao. However, Jiang Yao didn’t continue on this topic.
Song Muyun felt a bit disappointed but didn’t say anything. She obediently ate the meat Jiang Yao prepared for her, her lips slightly swollen from the spiciness.
Jiang Yao, less delicate than the young ladies in the capital, tore a piece of meat directly from the remainder and ate it.
Song Muyun should have found this behavior rude and vulgar, but she didn’t. Instead, she found Jiang Yao’s casual and free-spirited manner… rather endearing.
At least to her.
The young girl thought, and before she knew it, she felt full.
She gently tugged at Jiang Yao’s sleeve, looking at her with watery eyes and biting her lip.
Jiang Yao had just eaten meat, her lips glossy and slightly greasy. Song Muyun took out a handkerchief to help her wipe the grease off.
While doing so, she asked, “Jiang Yao, are you full?”
Her words were clear, but her eyes wandered everywhere, too embarrassed to meet Jiang Yao’s gaze.
Jiang Yao hummed softly, immediately understanding the hidden intent behind her gentle demeanor, “You want me to help you finish eating? No way.”
Song Muyun blushed, feeling too shy to ask again after being refused once.
She didn’t speak, her eyes brimming with light.
After a moment, she got annoyed, suddenly pulling back her handkerchief and denying, “I didn’t want you to help me eat. If I don’t want to eat, I won’t. I’ll eat it myself.”
She was visibly upset, her face flushing with annoyance rather than embarrassment.
Even though she was already full, she didn’t want to waste food and continued to eat, the unhappiness almost spilling from her eyes.
Jiang Yao thought to herself that teasing someone was all in good fun, but if they got really upset, it would be hard to appease them.
Suddenly, a slender hand appeared, snatching the unstable plate from her. Song Muyun looked up angrily at the person who took her plate.
Jiang Yao, eating meat with a dagger, said, “I was just joking with you. Can’t you tell? You’re so silly.”
She was clearly trying to appease her, her voice softening, but Song Muyun wasn’t in the mood to back down. She turned her head away and spoke with suppressed displeasure, “If you think I’m silly, then go find someone smart. Don’t bother about me anymore.”
Jiang Yao: “…”
“Are you really getting angry over this?”
That comment only stirred the hornet’s nest. Song Muyun even turned her head, her eyes red with anger, “If you think I get angry easily, then go find someone who doesn’t. Don’t bother about me!”
The second prince’s consort, surprised, watched them, whispering to the second prince, “Look, they’re arguing.”
The second prince, wrapping his arm around his consort’s waist, placed the freshly roasted quail on her plate, “Don’t worry about them, try this.”
“But yours isn’t as delicious as Jiang Yao’s.”
She was tired of eating what the second prince made every time.
The second prince, forcing a smile, led his consort towards a nearby palace, intending to have a serious talk.
After the two left, Jiang Yao didn’t notice. Sitting by the campfire, she felt a headache coming on. Actually, her heart ached a bit too, but only a little. She couldn’t stand seeing Song Muyun upset.
She reached out to grab Song Muyun’s hand, but the young girl refused to let her touch it, even trying to snatch the meat from her plate, “You said you wouldn’t help me eat. Give it back,
it’s mine!”
Her slender eyes tinged with angry pink, her brows slightly furrowed, her pretty face showing a hint of indignation, yet she looked irresistibly charming.
Jiang Yao held the plate of meat away, leaning back as Song Muyun leaned over her to grab the roasted meat, even finding the time to argue, “What do you mean it’s yours? I roasted it and I carved it, so it’s not yours.”
Song Muyun’s eyes widened in disbelief at what she heard. Her arm, which was reaching for the rabbit meat, froze. After a moment of silence, she withdrew her arm, stood up coldly, and walked away from Jiang Yao.
Jiang Yao was momentarily stunned, not realizing at first what had happened. When she did realize she had said something wrong again, she hurriedly followed after Song Muyun.
Even in her anger, the young girl only walked briskly, not running, allowing Jiang Yao to catch up easily.
She was still very upset, but they were in a public place, so Jiang Yao refrained from any dramatic gestures, like hugging Song Muyun, to avoid embarrassing both of them.
She held the plate of roasted meat in one hand and reached for Song Muyun’s hand with the other.
Pulling the young girl into a dimly lit corner where they couldn’t be seen, Jiang Yao said helplessly, “Why do you get angry and ignore people so easily, and then run away? My meat has gone cold. Do you want another piece?”
She acted as if nothing had happened, which only made Song Muyun angrier, “Who wants to eat your meat? It’s yours. I have no right to it. It’s my choice to run, and if you’re unhappy, why bother chasing after me?”
The darkness hid Song Muyun’s reddened eyes, but Jiang Yao, with keen vision, still caught a glimpse.
She softly slapped her own mouth twice, “It’s my fault for speaking thoughtlessly and hurting you. Can you please not be angry? My things are also yours; there’s no need to be so clear-cut about it.”
Song Muyun, almost reaching out to stop Jiang Yao from slapping herself, now spoke coldly again, “What does your stuff have to do with me? It’s not mine.”
She tried to appear indifferent, but her voice betrayed a hint of hurt.
“How can they not be related? My things are for you to use. I spoke wrongly just now. Don’t be angry, okay? I’ll give you a shoulder massage later as an apology?”
Jiang Yao continued, already sounding very humble. She ate the rabbit meat piece by piece, eventually slipping the last piece into Song Muyun’s mouth.
“This piece is the tastiest. I saved it for you.”
Song Muyun, about to speak, was silenced by the piece of meat. She glared at Jiang Yao, wanting to spit the meat out, but her upbringing prevented her from doing something so crude and wasteful. Reluctantly, she chewed the meat and finally swallowed it, but Jiang Yao then took her hand, “Now that you’ve eaten my food, you can’t be angry with me anymore.”
Song Muyun: “???”
What kind of logic was that?
And who wanted to eat it in the first place!
It was clearly forced upon her. The young girl was so angry she couldn’t speak, while Jiang Yao, knowing she was upset, still teased her, gently touching the nape of Song Muyun’s neck and then pulling her into an embrace, “Don’t be angry, my dear. How about I roast a pheasant for you tomorrow?”
Although Song Muyun was pulled close, her body was stiff and silent. Jiang Yao increased her offer, “How about I take you hunting with me tomorrow? It’ll be a good change of scenery, instead of staying cooped up all day.”
“Who wants to go hunting with you?”
The young girl pushed her slightly, showing some coyness, but her body gradually relaxed.
Hunting meant riding on the same horse. She sighed internally, knowing Jiang Yao often spoke without thinking, but that was nothing new to her.
Seeing her reaction, Jiang Yao knew
she had managed to soothe her anger.
Although the young girl was quick to anger, she was also easy to appease. A little effort was all it took for her forgiveness. Jiang Yao felt fortunate that she was the one caring for Song Muyun. In someone else’s care, she might easily be taken advantage of.
Jiang Yao gently touched her face, feeling again that no man she had met was worthy of the delicate and charming young girl in her arms.
As they were embracing quietly in the shadows, a eunuch-like figure appeared in the light, calling out in a high-pitched voice, “Daughter of the Prime Minister Jiang Heng, Jiang Yao, where are you? Daughter of the Duke Chengguo, Li Xiting, where are you?”
Jiang Yao stiffened, and Song Muyun also forgot her residual anger, instinctively gripping her hand, “What could they want with you?”
“If they’re looking for the daughter of the Duke’s household as well, it’s probably about today’s assassination attempt. I should go and see what’s happening. You…”
“I’m coming with you.”
Song Muyun didn’t hesitate to decide. She always wanted to be by Jiang Yao’s side.
Their quiet moment interrupted, Jiang Yao and Song Muyun prepared to face whatever awaited them, united in their resolve and companionship.