The Paranoid Male Lead’s "White Moonlight" Has Reborn - Chapter 14

Jiang Chaoyun hadn’t written in a long time, and he felt a bit rusty as soon as he picked up the brush.

Calligraphy requires significant wrist strength. Some diligent students tie heavy sandbags to their wrists to achieve a training effect; only after long periods can they produce powerful, vigorous characters. Jiang Chaoyun could keep up with this pace when he was small, but as he grew older, his spirit and physical strength lagged behind. Gradually, he neglected it.

Now, picking up the brush again, his handwriting wasn’t as elegant or lively as before; it was crooked and not very pleasing to the eye. Jiang Chaoyun watched it for a while, then crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it away.

The paper ball rolled to Han Jiangmu’s feet and stopped. He bent down and picked it up.

Jiang Chaoyun was surprised to see him. “How can you trespass into your master’s study? What kind of guard has your audacity!”

Beyond surprise, he was confused and panicked. He felt Han Jiangmu was becoming increasingly bold. Previously, he had at least followed etiquette and hadn’t trespassed into his rooms; now, he was barging into the study and constantly threatening him with his gaze.

Insubordination! He clearly hadn’t given the man a single friendly look, so why did he keep thrusting himself into his presence?

Han Jiangmu opened the paper ball, looked down at it, and whispered, “Is this the extent of the Young Master’s calligraphy?”

Jiang Chaoyun felt a wave of shame and annoyance. “You boor, do you even understand what you’re looking at?”

Han Jiangmu lifted his eyelids to look at him, the corners of his lips curling slightly. “Of course I understand.”

Jiang Chaoyun strode over, reaching out to snatch the crumpled paper from Han Jiangmu’s hand. However, Han Jiangmu raised his hand high.

Jiang Chaoyun felt Han Jiangmu’s height once again. Though they were of similar age, the man was more than half a head taller, and his arms were long. Even standing on tiptoe, Jiang Chaoyun couldn’t reach his wrist.

Jiang Chaoyun knew it, and he saw the faint smile in Han Jiangmu’s eyes. He bit his lip and still stood on tiptoe to grab the paper. Losing his balance, his other hand instinctively grasped the lapel of Han Jiangmu’s robes. “Give it back to me!”

Han Jiangmu looked down at him. He could see the fine, white teeth peeking through as he spoke, and those flushed cheeks—delicious and moving, like a ripe peach. Han Jiangmu’s Adam’s apple bobbed several times, his gaze deep, and he slowly lowered his head.

Jiang Chaoyun didn’t notice the change in his gaze. His toes were tense, and his eyes were entirely fixed on the paper. After failing to grab it once or twice, he was about to lose his temper when he saw Han Jiangmu’s arm bend slightly. The paper was now within reach. His eyes lit up, and he stood on tiptoe again to snatch it.

However, at that very moment, something soft and hot lightly brushed against his forehead.

Jiang Chaoyun’s hand successfully pinched the paper. He let go of Han Jiangmu’s crumpled lapel and retreated a few steps, touching his forehead with a look of suspicion. The spot that had been touched was tingling and hot. Jiang Chaoyun looked at Han Jiangmu, his face paling as he asked, “Where did you just touch me?”

Han Jiangmu’s tone was calm. “Young Master, how would I dare touch you?”

Jiang Chaoyun raised his voice. “You just touched me!”

Han Jiangmu pointed to his thin lips and whispered, “It was the Young Master who touched me. The Young Master touched here with his forehead.”

Boom. Jiang Chaoyun’s face turned bright red, and he started to stammer. “I… I touched you? Nonsense, you clearly did it on purpose!”

He was truly annoyed now. This Han Jiangmu was too bold. “You boor, I don’t want to see you again! Get out!”

Han Jiangmu didn’t listen. He walked to the desk and said nonchalantly, “Is the Young Master copying Buddhist scriptures for the Old Madam?”

“None of your business! Get out!”

Han Jiangmu saw his chest heaving and knew he was genuinely angry. His tone softened slightly as he said solemnly, “Young Master, if you feel you’ve been slighted, I can let you touch me back.”

Jiang Chaoyun: “…”

The man was so nonchalant that Jiang Chaoyun started to wonder if he was making a mountain out of a molehill. But the fact remained that he had been kissed by Han Jiangmu. This man named Han had gotten the benefit and was still acting innocent!

Jiang Chaoyun pressed his hand to his chest, trying to steady his heart before saying, “Guard Han, you are far too presumptuous. I am your employer; what is the logic in you constantly disobeying me?”

Han Jiangmu didn’t speak. He picked up the brush Jiang Chaoyun had set down and began to write on the paper. Seeing the man ignore him, Jiang Chaoyun hesitated for a moment before walking to his side. His eyes widened in surprise as they fell on the white paper.

The ink characters on the paper were so powerful they seemed to pierce through the back. The sharp edges were like a blade pressed against the eyes—vicious and domineering. It left Jiang Chaoyun speechless.

It is said that handwriting reflects a person’s character. Jiang Chaoyun’s writing was refined and rounded, filled with peace and beauty. Jiang Yulong’s was vigorous, carrying the ambition of a youth. But Han Jiangmu’s writing was filled with dominance and aggression.

Anyone with a bit of insight would know, upon seeing this writing, that he was no ordinary guard. Jiang Chaoyun already knew he was a prince, but he still hadn’t expected his handwriting to be so… so filled with such a breathtaking presence.

Han Jiangmu’s deep voice rang in his ear. “What does Young Master think of my writing?”

Jiang Chaoyun’s voice grew small; he was embarrassed and a bit fearful. He bit the bullet and said against his conscience, “…It’s just ‘like that.’ You still need to practice more.”

“Is that so?” Han Jiangmu asked.

Jiang Chaoyun didn’t dare speak. Privately, he thought Han Jiangmu’s masterpiece could be pasted on the front door to ward off evil spirits, but he couldn’t praise him openly. He couldn’t allow any possibility of further intimacy.

Seeing him silent, Han Jiangmu didn’t care. He sat down, turned over a new sheet of paper, opened the scripture on the desk, and began copying it for Jiang Chaoyun.

Jiang Chaoyun was shocked. “What are you doing?”

Han Jiangmu didn’t look at him, writing word by word. “The Young Master cannot overexert himself. I will copy it for you.”

“How can I let someone else do such a thing? I’ll do it myself!”

Han Jiangmu said coldly, “Must the Young Master insist on being troublesome?”

“Who is being troublesome? You are the one being troublesome!”

Han Jiangmu lifted his face, his dark gaze fixed on Jiang Chaoyun as he whispered, “Young Master is a precious gem; you don’t need to suffer this fatigue.”

“…” Intimidated by those dark, heavy eyes, Jiang Chaoyun stopped talking. He sat to the side, feeling somewhat wronged. Watching Han Jiangmu write one character after another on the pure white paper, he closed his eyes with a slight heart tremor.

Using this kind of handwriting to write Buddhist scriptures—isn’t that going to terrify the Old Madam? And I couldn’t possibly produce such writing!

Regardless of his reluctance, Han Jiangmu finished the volume for him, and the Old Madam’s birthday arrived.

On this day, many people came to the Jiang mansion; even the Prefect of Yuzhou came to congratulate her. For a time, the gates were bustling with people.

Jiang Chaoyun wore a light-colored silk robe, and even his cloak was replaced with a festive red one. To keep his face from looking too sickly, he even secretly had Bixin bring a box of rouge, dabbing a bit on his cheeks. His naturally pale face instantly gained some color. He looked into the polished bronze mirror and felt very satisfied.

But soon, he began to fret again. He felt the volume Han Jiangmu had copied for him was too sharp and aggressive to be a birthday gift for the Old Madam. Furthermore, he hadn’t copied it himself, so the sentiment was diminished. Sending such a gift might upset the Old Madam.

However, he had no time to prepare another gift, and he felt a bit of luck—perhaps the Old Madam wasn’t a scholar and wouldn’t see the underlying tone. Moreover, he had accepted Han Jiangmu’s help and felt it was wrong to discard it… In short, with a heart of hope, Jiang Chaoyun brought the scripture along.

In the main hall, Jiang Lin-shi pulled him aside, looked him over carefully, and smiled. “You look healthy today.” Looking at her exquisite and beautiful son, a touch of tenderness appeared in her eyes. Jiang Chaoyun was indeed a graceful youth; among the many sons in the family, none were more handsome than hers.

She led Jiang Chaoyun to a table occupied by the legitimate daughters of the various Jiang branches. Jiang Chaoyun had sat with the children in previous years; now relegated to sitting with the sisters, he felt a bit shy. But Jiang Lin-shi didn’t care; she felt Jiang Chaoyun was fragile and would feel bad seeing youths his own age, so she took the liberty of arranging for him to sit with the girls.

The Jiang family members were all good-looking, and the girls before Jiang Chaoyun were all beautiful. Because they were young, they had a touch of innocence. Seeing Jiang Chaoyun, they smiled and greeted him warmly: “Hello, Cousin.”

Jiang Chaoyun greeted them back with a smile. Jiang Xiuxiu from the third branch asked with a smile, “What is Cousin giving the Old Madam this year?”

Birthday gifts were given by the Jiang sons; girls weren’t required to show such filial piety—mostly because it wasn’t the custom. Jiang Chaoyun felt a bit guilty but answered. Jiang Xiuxiu was surprised. “This gift is very significant; the Old Madam will surely be happy.”

Jiang Chaoyun had a guilty conscience and didn’t say much. It was at this moment that Jiang Yulong walked over. He had the sisters make room for him and said to Jiang Chaoyun, “Brother Chaoyun, why aren’t you sitting with Yue’er and the others this year?”

Yue’er was a small child from the second branch, only five or six years old, needing a wet nurse to sit with her.

“My mother arranged it,” Jiang Chaoyun said. He couldn’t help but stare at Jiang Yulong’s mouth. “Yulong, is your tooth better?”

Jiang Yulong’s expression darkened at the question, yet he still pursed his lips and gave a slight smile. “Eldest Uncle found a very good doctor for me. He has already put a tooth back in; it looks just like the real thing, it’s no big deal.”

“My father found the doctor…?” Jiang Chaoyun felt a bit uncomfortable. “Who did he find?”

“The doctor from Prefect Han’s residence,” Jiang Yulong replied. “He used to be an Imperial Physician and is exceptionally skilled. Thanks to him, although it’s a silver tooth, it looks no different from a real one.”

Even as he said this, his upper lip remained tightly covering the tooth, not letting Jiang Chaoyun see any flaws.

Jiang Chaoyun was a bit puzzled. He picked up a pair of chopsticks. “Is that so?” As he raised his hand, his sleeve fell back, revealing the bracelet on his wrist. A crystal-clear koi jade was exceptionally eye-catching.

Jiang Yulong’s eyelid jumped. He asked with shock, “Brother Chaoyun, that jade…?”

“Ah,” Jiang Chaoyun said, his lips curling into a smile with two small dimples. “This is warm jade, just like yours.” He pulled another palm-sized koi warm jade from his collar and smiled at Jiang Yulong. “I have another piece. You were right; this jade is truly miraculous. I don’t feel cold at all while wearing it.”

He cupped the koi in his palm, still revealing a small fish tail, and whispered as if he had discovered a new world, “Look, isn’t my piece bigger than yours?”

He thought for a moment and added: “It seems a lot bigger than yours.”

Jiang Yulong: “…”