The Paranoid Male Lead’s "White Moonlight" Has Reborn - Chapter 35

The more Jiang Chaoyun thought about it, the more he felt that this possibility was extremely high.

If it were true, then Dr. Ma must also be one of Han Jiangmu’s men. That would mean in his previous life, Han Jiangmu hadn’t simply stood by and watched him fall ill; he had invited Dr. Ma to treat him, but Dr. Ma had failed to cure him…

As soon as Jiang Chaoyun reached this realization, his heart surged with emotion, and a faint blush blossomed on his cheeks. He was utterly at a loss.

Han Jiangmu had truly, truly gone to great lengths for him. Yet, in this life, Jiang Chaoyun hadn’t exactly been kind or pleasant to him; why was the man still so devoted?

Jiang Chaoyun was both puzzled and confused, but his heart couldn’t help but be moved. Touching his face, he couldn’t resist sitting in front of the bronze mirror to inspect himself closely. In his own eyes, he indeed had a very delicate and exquisite face; unlike other youths whose features were becoming angular, his were rounded. One squeeze would reveal soft cheek meat. At a glance, he was beautiful in a way that almost blurred the lines between male and female.

If it is just attraction to my looks, then this Han Jiangmu is far too shallow, he thought. Despite this, a sense of indescribable joy bubbled up from the depths of his heart.

With so many thoughts converging, his mind grew increasingly cluttered. Jiang Chaoyun felt that the more he tried to untangle them, the messier they became, so he simply decided to think of nothing at all.

When he saw Han Jiangmu that evening, Jiang Chaoyun could no longer contain himself. His gaze flickered before finally settling on Han Jiangmu. He let out a light cough and said as if nonchalantly, “I have changed to a new doctor.”

Han Jiangmu replied, “I have heard. The Young Master is fortunate; the new doctor is a famous and divine physician in Nanhua. Surely the Young Master’s illness will be cured soon.”

Hearing this, a spark of hope finally flickered in Jiang Chaoyun’s eyes. He said softly, “I hope so.”

Han Jiangmu looked down at his expression, noticing that the boy’s gaze was different than before. When Ma Wenfeng first arrived, Jiang Chaoyun had seemingly shown no reaction, as if he held no hope for recovery; now, he clearly held hope that Xun Ziyang could cure him.

Jiang Chaoyun quickly remembered the information he wanted to fish for. He pursed his lips and said, pretending to be casual, “It’s quite strange. Master Xun is in his seventies now. I heard from Bixin that he has long since stopped coming out to treat people. Why was Dr. Ma able to invite him so easily?”

Han Jiangmu’s tone was flat. “Perhaps Dr. Ma and he share a deep bond as master and disciple.”

Jiang Chaoyun glared at him, but then recalled something, and his gaze softened again. “Why do I feel that it wasn’t Dr. Ma who invited him?”

Han Jiangmu’s expression remained unchanged. “If it wasn’t Dr. Ma, then who could it be?”

Ah… Jiang Chaoyun thought. He truly is ‘doing a good deed and then vanishing, hiding his name and deeds’!

Jiang Chaoyun felt a bit strange inside; at this point, he felt that being fierce to him was truly unreasonable. His attitude shifted repeatedly, finally settling into bashfulness. “Then… then it must be that Dr. Ma and Master Xun have a deep bond.”

Han Jiangmu said, “It must be so.”

Jiang Chaoyun shot him a glance and then quickly looked away, engaging in awkward small talk: “The weather seems to have warmed up a lot.”

Han Jiangmu said, “The weather in Nanhua is changeable—cold in winter and hot in summer. It is not as comfortable as in Huaizhou. The Young Master needs to add layers of clothing as the occasion demands.”

Hearing such earnest words of concern, Jiang Chaoyun’s heart warmed again, and he murmured an agreement. Han Jiangmu turned to look at him; seeing this submissive appearance, a trace of doubt surfaced in his eyes. Habitually thinking a step ahead, he vaguely guessed what Jiang Chaoyun was thinking.

Does he think Xun Ziyang was invited by me?

The corners of Han Jiangmu’s lips suddenly tilted up. He asked in a low voice, “What kind of person does the Young Master think I am?”

Jiang Chaoyun froze, seemingly caught off guard by the question. He hesitated for a moment before answering seriously: “You are a good guard.”

Han Jiangmu: “…”

He hadn’t expected the boy to say that. The curve of his lips widened slightly. “Only that?”

Because Jiang Chaoyun felt that Han Jiangmu had put in effort, he felt a desire to satisfy the man’s wishes. Seeing him ask, he guessed he wanted to hear some praise. He felt a bit awkward. “Naturally only that; otherwise, do you want to ascend to the heavens?”

Han Jiangmu’s expression turned solemn as he whispered, “I thought I was already the Young Master’s friend.”

He bit the word “friend” quite lightly, giving it a lingering, cloying quality that made the hairs on Jiang Chaoyun’s neck stand up and his heart panic for a moment. Sometimes, the words a person speaks carry one meaning, but when spoken in a different tone, they take on another meaning entirely.

Just like Han Jiangmu’s tone now—it didn’t sound like he was talking about a friend, but rather a relationship that was closer and more predatory. This tone alone flirted with Jiang Chaoyun until he was flustered and didn’t know what to do. He showed his weakness on the surface, stammering in response, “N-not exactly!”

Han Jiangmu said, “Is that so?”

Jiang Chaoyun was secretly annoyed by his own helplessness. In front of Han Jiangmu, he was completely like a child unable to hold his own, even though Han Jiangmu was only one year older than him!

Jiang Chaoyun couldn’t help but grow vexed—vexed by Han Jiangmu’s calm and composed manner. He said, “Do not overthink. You are not my friend; you are only a guard! There is a difference between master and servant; no one ‘bullies the master’ like you! If you are insolent again, you won’t even be a good guard anymore!”

Han Jiangmu asked humbly, “If not a good guard, then what?”

Jiang Chaoyun was choked for words. He actually thought about it seriously before saying, “Then you will be a plain, ordinary guard.”

Han Jiangmu let out a soft laugh. The gaze he turned on Jiang Chaoyun was no longer cold or stoic, but filled with a melting smile and a certain watery tenderness. These two emotions dissolved the darkness in his eyes, as if giving him the spirit a person of his age should have. He said softly, “That is truly terrifying. It seems I must abide by my duties and be a good guard. Young Master, do you think I am right?”

Jiang Chaoyun was stunned by this change. It was the first time he discovered that Han Jiangmu’s eyes could hold such spirit and light; it looked quite different from what he had seen in his dreams. In an instant, his anger vanished. “…Yes, you are right.”

Han Jiangmu looked at him and suddenly reached out his hand.

Jiang Chaoyun reflexively leaned to the side. Han Jiangmu said, “Young Master, there is something dirty on your face.”

Jiang Chaoyun immediately stopped. “What is it?”

Han Jiangmu’s finger successfully touched his face. The name Jiang Chaoyun was chosen very well—Chao is the tide, the water where the heavens and seas meet, a scene of infinite beauty. Though the tides rise and fall and the sun and moon set, they are eternal truths.

However, in Han Jiangmu’s eyes, the name had a different definition. Jiang Chaoyun’s eyes were like a pool of spring water, shimmering with light; every frown and smile was a moving sight. The skin of his whole body was as soft as a cloud. With just a touch, his heart felt a surge of tenderness.

He gazed deeply at Jiang Chaoyun, his fingers gently pinching the boy’s rounded, fleshy cheek.

Being pinched, Jiang Chaoyun was dazed for a moment before realizing Han Jiangmu was likely tricking him. He couldn’t help but swat the hand away. “You’re lying. I wash my face every day; how could there be something dirty on it?”

Han Jiangmu said, “The Young Master is right.”

Jiang Chaoyun: “…”

Was that a roundabout way of admitting he took the chance to pinch my face?

Yet, Jiang Chaoyun couldn’t find it in himself to be angry; there was nothing to be angry about. He shot Han Jiangmu a glance and then, emboldened, reached out his own hand to heavily pinch Han Jiangmu’s cheek in return.

It was then that he realized he and Han Jiangmu were vastly different. Though only a year older, Han Jiangmu’s cheeks were angular, and his jawline was clean and sharp. Even just looking at his profile, one could feel his strength and unruliness. The flesh on his cheeks could hardly be pinched; it was the hard, defined look common to brave men.

But with such a strong bone structure, his face was still as handsome as the kind favored by young ladies; he was truly crafted with precision. One could only say the soil of the common world could not produce such a handsome and majestic appearance; only the Imperial Family could.

Jiang Chaoyun’s retaliatory pinch actually made him lose himself in thought. Seeing the boy staring at him in a daze, Han Jiangmu’s lips tilted up. His brow lowered once more as he reached out to grab Jiang Chaoyun’s hand and placed it against his own face. He slightly closed his eyes and whispered:

“If the Young Master wants to touch, you may touch boldly.” He then added quite pointedly, “After all, I am only the Young Master’s guard. You may do whatever you wish to me.”

Despite saying this, he did not have the posture of someone at another’s mercy; instead, he remained full of aggression. Especially his palm—it gripped Jiang Chaoyun’s hand, the difference between the two being so obvious.

His fingers were slender and his palm was small, while Han Jiangmu’s fingers were much longer and his palm thick and broad, able to completely envelop his hand. Whether intentional or not, Han Jiangmu’s long fingers interlaced with Jiang Chaoyun’s just as they had that day, his fingertips lightly brushing against the shallow dimples on the back of the hand.

Jiang Chaoyun’s eyes flickered, and he couldn’t help but blush. Even though Han Jiangmu was saying such humble words, he still felt as though he were the one being bullied.