The Paranoid Male Lead’s "White Moonlight" Has Reborn - Chapter 25

Han Jiangmu gave a simple “Oh.”

“Then Young Master will have his wish fulfilled.”

Jiang Chaoyun had never expected such an answer and was momentarily stunned.

Seeing his reaction, Han Jiangmu’s brow relaxed significantly, his tone tinged with a faint sense of amusement. “Then, please rest well, Young Master. I shall take my leave.”

After speaking, he actually stood up and walked away.

Jiang Chaoyun watched him depart, feeling deeply shaken—was Han Jiangmu really not going with him?

Didn’t they say he liked him? Even though Chaoyun had been so fierce toward him lately, the man had still sent all sorts of things and treated him well. Why, now that he was going to the Nanhua Lin family with Madam Jiang, was Han Jiangmu not following? He wanted to stay in the Jiang family!?

Jiang Chaoyun was bewildered, but soon another thought surfaced: if Han Jiangmu didn’t follow him, it meant he didn’t like him anymore! If he didn’t like him, then he had effectively achieved his initial goal. He should have no regrets in this life!

However, as soon as this thought occurred to him, he felt a strange sense of reluctance and loss.

Subconsciously sensing that this mental state was dangerous, Jiang Chaoyun immediately stopped thinking and pushed the matter to the back of his mind.

Because everyone was intentionally keeping the manor’s upheavals from him, Jiang Chaoyun was blissfully unaware of what had happened after he fainted; thus, his state of mind remained quite good.

When Madam Jiang  came to see him, her face bore a noticeably relaxed smile. Seeing this, Jiang Chaoyun felt once again from the bottom of his heart that his parents’ divorce was probably a good thing.

Madam Jiang didn’t tell him about the Gu curse either; for one, it was still unknown if the curse could be broken, and for another, she feared causing him panic.

Through this ordeal, Madam Jiang discovered that her son didn’t need as much protection as she had imagined, which gave her a sense of indescribable comfort.

Despite his innate deficiencies and sickly nature, he had grown to seventeen years old. He might not be a pillar of society yet, but he was at least half a man—no longer the child who needed her constant care.

Though her perception of him had changed, her maternal heart still didn’t want him to know too much—specifically, the fact that his “cold affliction” flare-ups were triggered by the Mother Gu host’s hatred for the Child Gu host.

This meant Jiang Zuoling detested Jiang Chaoyun. For a father to hate his own flesh and blood… hearing that would be far too heartbreaking.

Since even she, who thought she knew Jiang Zuoling, felt chilled by it, how much more would it hurt Chaoyun?

So, she kept it from him.

Jiang Chaoyun asked her, “Mother, when do we set out for my maternal grandparents’ home?”

Madam Jiang replied, “In a few days, once your body is better.”

“What about Uncle?”

“Your uncle has already headed back,” Madam Jiang said. “But your cousins are still here.”

Lin Rui held an official post, and the North was still in turmoil. As a military officer, he couldn’t be away for long. For his sister’s sake, he had forced himself to take ten days of leave. Given that the round trip took six days, he had almost no time to rest on the road.

While he was physically strong enough to endure it, Jiang Chaoyun’s cousins couldn’t handle it; they were currently still asleep in the guest rooms.

After chatting for a while, Madam Jiang suddenly said, “Yun-er, do you want to help Mother pack?”

Jiang Chaoyun asked curiously, “Pack what?”

Madam Jiang smiled slightly. “Mother is leaving this house. Naturally, I must pack my things to take with me.”

Jiang Chaoyun was in high spirits, and since it was the first time his mother had asked him to do something with her, he agreed enthusiastically.

As he held his hand warmer, Madam Jiang noticed the tiger-skin cover and asked, “Is this the tiger skin that guard hunted for you?”

Jiang Chaoyun gave a soft “Mm.” Madam Jiang said with some regret, “What a waste. Such a fine tiger skin could have been made into a jacket for you; you would have looked so majestic.”

Jiang Chaoyun smiled bashfully. “The hand warmer cover is also very majestic.”

Madam Jiang laughed.

They walked to the warehouse, where Jingrou brought the inventory books and opened the doors. A group of servants poured in and began moving items.

Such early morning activity couldn’t be hidden from others. The Old Madam sat in her chair, her face looking grim as she scolded Jiang Zuoling, “You’re just going to watch your wife haul away the items in our warehouse!? I truly raised you for nothing—you can’t even manage a wife!”

Jiang Zuoling kept his head down and remained silent. This divorce was a massive blow to the Jiang family’s vitality. 600,000 taels of silver was no small sum; it was three years of the Jiang family’s income. He understood the essence of being a merchant was to let money make more money, so he didn’t have much liquid cash. To gather the sum, he would have to sell off many shops and restaurants to others—the invisible losses would far exceed the 600,000 taels.

But he didn’t dare refuse, because that guard was still nearby, watching like a tiger stalking its prey.

Though Jiang Zuoling had heard the terrified screams of the servants yesterday, he hadn’t seen the act with his own eyes, so the mental impact hadn’t been as severe. However, once he stepped outside and saw the headless corpse on the ground, his entire being was seized by hindsight terror.

Even as a premier wealthy merchant of Huaizhou, he had never seen such human carnage. The blood had flowed everywhere, and the kneecaps sliced off by the guard were still vivid in his mind, sparking the deepest kind of fear.

He was just a guard—how did he dare to kill so brazenly?

Jiang Zuoling wanted to report it to the authorities, but he also valued his reputation. If a murder case became a public scandal, the Jiang family wouldn’t fare well either. Thus, he had humiliatingly helped the guard dispose of the woman’s body.

Upon investigating the woman, he found she hadn’t even been registered in the household records. She had no name with the government. Her only offspring, the one called Jiang Yaozong, seemed ready to give his life to Madam Jiang. Therefore, the woman’s death was easily covered up.

As he lay down to sleep that night, fragmented memories slowly returned to him.

He had been a dashing figure in his youth. To put Madam Jiang at ease, he had indeed made many solemn oaths and kept them for a time. But since ancient times, it was normal for men to have three wives and four concubines. What was wrong with a man like him playing around with a few more women?

However, out of consideration for Madam Jiang, he hadn’t dared to play openly, using business trips as a cover.

Once, another wealthy merchant had led him into a dark alley, only to find a hidden paradise within. There were blonde, blue-eyed women from the Western Regions and other exotic ladies. It was there he saw a woman who allowed scorpions and poisonous snakes to crawl over her body.

Among the women he played with, she wasn’t particularly outstanding, but her fair skin and eerie, bold demeanor were captivating. Not just him, but other merchants were willing to spend fortunes on her.

But the others weren’t as tall or handsome as he was, so he easily won her favor. She chose him, and he successfully bought her. He didn’t dare bring her home, so he kept her as a “golden bird in a hidden cage” in a remote restaurant under his name.

He treated women from such dens of vice as mere playthings and didn’t take them to heart. He had no memory of how long he played with her, only remembering that she became incredibly unreasonable, even demanding he marry her. At first, he could be bothered to coax her, but later he grew bored and sold her back to that same dark alley.

As for when she planted the Gu in him… he truly had no recollection, and even less of how she managed to plant it in Jiang Chaoyun.

Even now, it wasn’t his fault for not remembering her. She was only fascinating at first because of her bold, mysterious way of handling insects. Stripped of that layer, she was far too ordinary, with no memorable traits. It was normal not to remember her.

Jiang Zuoling felt nothing but absolute resentment toward this woman who had suddenly appeared and nearly destroyed his family and fortune. Consequently, he had her corpse thrown into the mass grave in the mountains to feed the wild wolves, refusing her a proper burial.

As for that “wild seed” (illegitimate son), Jiang Zuoling hadn’t intended to acknowledge him, but Madam Jiang stated that she was taking Jiang Chaoyun with her after the divorce. In that case, it wasn’t impossible for him to bite the bullet and let the illegitimate son join the family registry.

But Madam Jiang actually said that the boy’s fate was hers to decide, and it was not his place to interfere.

Jiang Zuoling’s thoughts were in a tangle until the Old Madam smashed a teacup onto the floor. With a loud bang, he snapped back to his senses, his face equally gloomy. “Mother, we’d best not involve ourselves in the remaining matters. Have you forgotten that a malevolent deity is still staying in our manor?”

Hearing this, the Old Madam wept out of grievance. “What a tragedy! Our Jiang family finally rose up, only to marry such an unlucky daughter-in-law who has damaged our family’s foundations.”

Jiang Zuoling felt more and more irritated. Loath to serve her any longer, he made up an excuse and left.

He couldn’t stop Madam Jiang from moving her dowry, so he decided that what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.

Meanwhile, things weren’t going smoothly for Madam Jiang either.

The wife of the second son, Madam Zhao, had arrived with several maidservants.

Yesterday, the servants in Jiang Zuoling’s courtyard were terrified that Guard Han would take note of them and slit their throats as well. They were all “family slaves” (born into the household); if the masters didn’t seek justice, their lives were worth nothing. Since even the masters were afraid of that Guard Han, wouldn’t they be asking to have their necks sliced if they acted out?

For this reason, the servants who witnessed everything in Jiang Zuoling’s courtyard were trembling and tight-lipped, not daring to spread the news.

This resulted in the other branches of the family having an unclear understanding of the situation. They only knew Madam Jiang was divorcing Jiang Zuoling and that her high-ranking brother, who had come to support her, had already left.

Madam Zhao of the second branch shared the same lineage of greed and street-smart vulgarity as the Old Madam. Her head was basically a block of wood; you couldn’t reason with her. Every time Madam Jiang faced her, she would be so angry her chest felt tight, yet she never knew how to handle her.

Like now, the moment Zhao saw her, she raised her voice. “Yo, yo, yo! Sister-in-law, what are you doing? Moving house?”

While asking what she already knew, she stepped closer, reaching out to touch a red coral treasure tree. Madam Jiang grabbed her hand, her face expressionless. “This is a treasure bestowed by the Emperor. Do not touch it.”

Zhao struggled but couldn’t break free. Seeing Jiang Chaoyun present, her eyes darted around as she smiled. “It’s just a broken tree—how is it a treasure from the Emperor? I could go for a walk and find a whole pile of these.”

Madam Jiang released her hand and ignored her, continuing to let the servants inventory her dowry.

Zhao wanted to say more, but seeing the servants pouring into the warehouse like a stream and coming out carrying boxes, she was momentarily distracted.

In all her years of being married into the Jiang manor, this was the first time she had glimpsed Madam Jiang’s dowry. For a moment, her eyes were dazzled, and she couldn’t help but feel envious.

How did Madam Jiang have such good luck! A good father and mother, a good brother, and a wedding with “ten miles of red makeup.” The Jiang family’s largest warehouse had to be dedicated solely to her dowry.

So many treasures, so many exquisite fabrics and jewelry in styles not found in Jiangnan… Madam Jiang had so much, yet over the years, she had been so stingy. It was simply outrageous.

Zhao leaned in front of Jiang Chaoyun, putting on a worried expression. “Eldest Nephew, your parents are divorced. How will you live in the future?”

Jiang Chaoyun said without thinking, “Naturally, I will live the same as before.”

Zhao’s eyes flickered. “That’s not right. Your mother is going back to her family home—how can you live the same way alone in the Jiang family? If you ask me, your mother needs to leave some things for you. That way, with a solid foundation, you won’t have to worry about not finding a wife later. Don’t you think so, Eldest Nephew?”

Madam Jiang let out a cold laugh. She didn’t even need to hear the second half of Zhao’s words; just hearing the opening sentence, she knew exactly what was in that head of hers.

However, she didn’t speak. Her gaze fell on Jiang Chaoyun, wanting to see his reaction.

Hearing Zhao’s words, Jiang Chaoyun frowned slightly, a hint of confusion appearing on his face. “My mother doesn’t need to leave anything for me. I’m not staying in the Jiang family.”

The words Zhao had prepared were suddenly stuck in her throat. After a long while, she said, “Wh-what did you say?”

Jiang Chaoyun said, “Second Aunt, I am going back to the Lin family with my mother. I’m not staying with the Jiangs, so there is no need for my mother to leave me anything.”

Zhao suddenly shrieked, “That won’t do!!”

Her voice was so loud that everyone looked her way. Sensing the weight of the gazes on her, Zhao coughed lightly and said with a smile, “Eldest Nephew, you must be joking? Get this straight—your parents are divorced, so your mother is no longer part of the Jiang family. She is an outsider with a different surname. You are a son of the Jiang family; what sense does it make to follow an outsider?”

Jiang Chaoyun felt those words were very grating. He couldn’t help but feel angry. “Second Aunt, what do you mean by ‘outsider’? My mother has been the matriarch of the Jiang family for over a decade. As long as she hasn’t stepped out of the Jiang gates, she is still the matriarch. Your words are too much.”

His personality was soft, and even when angry, his words lacked force. Zhao covered her mouth and laughed. “Oh, what? Second Aunt is just telling the plain truth and you’re getting angry. Ask anyone else—isn’t what I said the logical truth?”

Madam Jiang patted Jiang Chaoyun’s back soothingly, then turned to Zhao. “Zhao Wanling, I am still here. Some words are best kept in your heart; speaking them aloud will only make you look bad to everyone.”

Zhao replied, “Yo, yo, yo! You’re still putting on airs with me! If you ask me, you’re the stupid one. So what if Big Brother kept a mistress? Which man in this world doesn’t have three wives and four concubines? You’re just a jealous woman who kept a death grip on Big Brother. You truly have the ‘illness’ of a princess without the ‘destiny’ of one. It’s only because Big Brother spoiled you; otherwise, when would you have ever had your moment of glory? And here you are, wanting a divorce—ha! It’s truly a joke.”

She looked at Jiang Chaoyun again and said, “A jealous woman like you has caused Big Brother to have only one son, and he has such a sickly body. Who knows when he might ‘go West’ (die)—you’ll be the eternal sinner of the Jiang family…”

Before she could finish, a crisp slap rang out. Her face was jerked to the side.

Jiang Chaoyun’s eyes widened. Just now… did his mother slap Second Aunt???

She slapped Second Aunt??

Everyone was stunned. Zhao herself found it unbelievable. She turned back, her eyes like copper bells as she glared at Madam Jiang. “You… you actually hit me!?”

Madam Jiang’s slap had been very forceful, immediately causing Zhao’s cheek to swell and her hair bun to come loose.

Looking at the disheveled Zhao, a surge of intense satisfaction rose in Madam Jiang’s heart.

Yes, she was the matriarch of the Jiang family. She needed to lead by virtue and reason. Thus, she was always dignified, always rational. It was precisely because of this that the Jiang family had been managed in an orderly fashion; all the shopkeepers and servants respected, feared, and obeyed her.

But being like that, she couldn’t suppress the second branch’s Zhao and the Old Madam. They were not rational; in fact, their heads were full of twisted logic. they could always find ways to provoke her, and if she lashed out, they would stand on the moral high ground to condemn her.

When she felt aggrieved, she could only swallow her anger in the middle of the night and digest it silently.

She had endured this for over a decade—a whole decade of resentment. Thinking back to when she was a young girl, she had been so arrogant and willful. It was always her bullying others and making them angry; there was never a reason for her to be bullied in return.

It was all because she married Jiang Zuoling. she had tasted all the bitterness and resentment of a lifetime.

Now, they were divorced. She didn’t want to endure it anymore.

Thinking of this, Madam Jiang’s lips curled into a smile. She said slowly, “So what if I hit you? You deserved it!”

With that, she tucked away her smile, raised her hand, and heavily slapped Zhao again. A perfect pair of handprints, now symmetrical.

Zhao was completely dazed. It took her a long time to react, and then she screamed, “Lin Yuerong! You’ve gone too far!!”

With that, she lunged forward to strike Madam Jiang.

Jiang Chaoyun shouted, “Bixin!”

Bixin and several servants behind her immediately rushed forward and pinned Zhao down.

Zhao struggled violently, but how could she break free from the hands of Bixin, who had been used to heavy labor since childhood? Madam Jiang didn’t stop there; how could over a decade of grievances be wiped away with just two slaps?

She walked in front of Zhao and, striking with both hands, slapped her for several more rounds.

“Aaaahhhh, Lin Yuerong!!!” Zhao was so angry her neck turned beet red and her eyes were bloodshot.

She looked at the maidservants behind her. “Are you all dead! Hurry and hit this bitch!! Hurry!!!”

Her maids finally snapped out of it and scrambled to help her, but Madam Jiang had more people. The others came over to block the maids and servants, forming a circle around Madam Jiang and her group, effectively isolating Zhao’s maids on the outside.

Taking this opportunity, Madam Jiang slapped Zhao several more times, leaving her mouth full of the taste of blood.

“Zhao Wanling, I hit you—so what? Who do you think dares to speak up for you? I not only dare to hit you, I dare to kick you.” As she spoke, Madam Jiang actually raised her foot and kicked Zhao.

Zhao’s breathing was extremely labored, her chest heaving violently, as if she might faint the next second. Yet she didn’t. She glared at Madam Jiang; if her hands and feet weren’t restrained, she would have likely lunged at her to strike back.

Looking at Zhao, whose face was swollen like a pig’s head, Madam Jiang suddenly felt it was meaningless. “Zhao Wanling, you’d best not provoke me again. I have divorced Jiang Zuoling; I am indeed no longer part of your Jiang family. If you dare use your old attitude toward me again,” she sneered and raised her hand to slap her once more, “I will not be polite with you again, understand?”

Zhao gnashed her teeth. “Lin Yuerong!!!”

Madam Jiang signaled for her to be released. Zhao wanted to lunge again, but Madam Jiang kicked her, sending her sprawling onto the ground. “Get out of here!”

Zhao’s face throbbed with burning pain, and tears flowed uncontrollably. She had never had such an embarrassing day!

Zhao began to wail and sob, then turned and ran. Her maids looked at each other and hurriedly followed.

Madam Jiang clapped her hands and said to the others, “Continue. Don’t waste time.”

The maids and servants who had come to help dispersed, continuing to move and inventory her dowry.

Madam Jiang’s gaze fell on Jiang Chaoyun. She coughed lightly and said in a gentle tone, “Mother didn’t scare you, did she?”

Jiang Chaoyun nodded very honestly.

Madam Jiang: “…I scared you?”

Jiang Chaoyun said softly, “A little…”

Madam Jiang lowered her voice as well, explaining, “Mother isn’t usually like this. Today, I simply couldn’t take the anger anymore.”

Sensing Madam Jiang’s unease, Jiang Chaoyun hurriedly said, “Whatever Mother does is right! Second Aunt was indeed out of line! Mother should have taught her a lesson.”

Looking at Jiang Chaoyun and seeing that every word was sincere, Madam Jiang felt joyful. But alongside the joy, her nose felt sour, and she almost shed a tear.

This was her son. Though she didn’t have a good husband, her son had grown up watered by her love, so he returned her 100% sincerity.

Madam Jiang reached out and stroked his head, whispering, “Your Second Aunt is not a good person. She used to bully Mother all the time. Mother was the matriarch and couldn’t lower herself to her level—I truly endured her for many years.”

Jiang Chaoyun was stunned. “I never knew…”

Madam Jiang said, “Because I feared you would worry. Mother wanted you to be happy.”

Jiang Chaoyun said with some grievance, “I’m already this big; I’m not a child. If Mother isn’t happy, I won’t be happy either.”

He added indignantly, “I didn’t know otherwise, I wouldn’t have even spoken to Yulong (Zhao’s son).”

Madam Jiang said, “Yulong bullied you too, you little fool. You just didn’t realize it.”

Jiang Chaoyun said, “Ah? When did he bully me?”

Madam Jiang said, “Didn’t he always brag to you about what his eldest uncle (Zuoling) sent him…?”

“That doesn’t count as bullying, does it? I didn’t care. Mother gave me much more.”

The mother and son walked to the side, sharing quiet words. The atmosphere between them seemed to have become quite different from the past.