The Paranoid Male Lead’s "White Moonlight" Has Reborn - Chapter 5

Jiang Chaoyun could not imagine a prince of such noble status performing a bloody task like skinning an animal, but he currently found himself in a position where it was difficult to back down.

Jiang Chaoyun sniffled and whispered, “Then go and skin it. Just don’t do it in my courtyard. If you get blood everywhere…” He paused and added with a solemn face, “If you get blood everywhere, I will dock your monthly wages.”

Han Jiangmu gazed at him, the corners of his lips still curved in a faint arc. “Very well. I will be careful.”

Jiang Chaoyun shot him a quick glance. Seeing the shallow smile on the man’s face, he couldn’t help but daze for a moment—the guard’s temper was far too good.

Feeling a bit embarrassed but determined to keep up his act, Jiang Chaoyun maintained a listless expression and said, “Go on and deal with it then.”

After saying his piece, he turned and went into the house.

Bixin closed the door behind him and said to Han Jiangmu, “Guard Han, I’ll leave it in your hands then.”

Han Jiangmu’s gaze fell upon her. As Jiang Chaoyun’s head maid, she possessed a beautiful face as vibrant as a peach or plum, appearing to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.

A flicker of icy darkness seemed to pass through the depths of Han Jiangmu’s eyes. He lightly caressed the scabbard at his waist but did not move.

Because Han Jiangmu was so strikingly handsome, Bixin didn’t quite dare to look at his face for fear of being captivated by his looks; thus, she did not notice the cold stare he directed at her.

She arranged for several guards to carry the tiger to a vacant courtyard, clearing a large space for them to work. She didn’t stay to watch, instead returning to Jiang Chaoyun’s side.

Bixin said to Jiang Chaoyun, “Young Master, that tiger was truly massive. There’s more than enough to make a fur coat; do you really want to use it for things like a tiger-skin hat and boots?”

Jiang Chaoyun gave a distracted hum in response. He was still thinking about Han Jiangmu.

He hadn’t dared to look seriously at Han Jiangmu’s face, yet he had a deep impression of that slight smile at the corners of his mouth.

He had disposed of a tiger the man had risked his life to hunt so flippantly—was the man not disappointed at all?

Jiang Chaoyun couldn’t fathom Han Jiangmu’s thoughts. He felt his behavior just now was quite repulsive, yet the man didn’t seem to have any great aversion to it.

Unable to figure it out, Jiang Chaoyun gave up thinking. His energy from earlier had dissipated, replaced by a wave of exhaustion. He only wanted to curl up in bed and have a good sleep.

Bixin saw the weariness surfacing between his brows and quietly went to light the silver-thread charcoal. This type of charcoal was smokeless and could stay warm for a long time. It was also very expensive, costing fifty taels per bucket; ordinary wealthy families wouldn’t dare use it regularly. However, Jiang Chaoyun used it every day, a privilege that set his branch far above the others.

The room soon warmed up. Jiang Chaoyun crawled into his blankets and slowly fell asleep once his limbs were warm.

He hadn’t dreamed of Han Jiangmu the previous night, but now he saw him again.

The scene in the dream was clearly set within the Jiang Manor.

It was springtime. The courtyard outside Jiang Chaoyun’s room was filled with blooming flowers—noble peonies and herbaceous peonies, as well as nameless wildflowers. Perhaps the spring wind had carried the seeds of the wildflowers into this wealthy estate, where they stubbornly grew in clusters of delicate yellow blossoms among the prestigious floral breeds. The white butterflies and tiny bees clearly favored these outsiders. As the maidservants walked along the garden paths, their skirts brushing past, the insects would be startled out of the wildflower patches.

Jiang Chaoyun saw himself in this garden. Spring was likely his favorite season; it wasn’t too cold or too hot, and he didn’t have to worry so much about his cold affliction flaring up. He could come out for walks often.

In the dream, “Jiang Chaoyun” lowered his head slightly, looking at the swaying wildflowers at his feet. He asked the nearby Bixin, “What kind of flower is this?”

Bixin was stumped. After a long moment, she said, “They’re just wildflowers. They aren’t very pretty and grow just about everywhere.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” disagreed. “They are pretty.” He paused, pointing at the sunlight above. “Like the scorching sun. Intense.”

He stared at the clusters of little wildflowers and drifted off into a daze. After a while, he said to Bixin, “Go get a flowerpot.”

Bixin didn’t ask why and turned to find one.

“Jiang Chaoyun” stood there for a moment, bending down to gently sniff the small flowers. The scent wasn’t heavy, but it was a faint, elegant fragrance, quite different from the prestigious breeds. It was at this moment that a voice suddenly came from behind him—clear, yet possessing a natural calmness: “What are you doing?”

Jiang Chaoyun immediately saw the newcomer. It was Han Jiangmu. He stood a few paces away from “Jiang Chaoyun.” Under the warm sunlight, the depths of his eyes seemed entirely dark, unable to reflect a single ray of light.

“Jiang Chaoyun” saw Han Jiangmu and said, “Looking at flowers.”

This scene made the real Jiang Chaoyun remember. It seemed he actually had quite a bit of contact with Han Jiangmu in the past.

Han Jiangmu walked to his side, looked down, and said, “Wildflowers.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” looked up at him and asked, “Do you know what flower this is?”

Han Jiangmu replied, “I don’t.” He then added, “If the Young Master likes them, you can pick some and put them in your room.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” said, “If I pick them, they will die.”

Han Jiangmu glanced at him, the corners of his mouth tilting in a faint arc. “The Young Master is merciful.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” frowned and said, “Look, the more prestigious a flower is, the more delicate it is. If you aren’t careful, they die. But wildflowers like these can grow anywhere.”

Han Jiangmu said in a low voice, “The Young Master is born for wealth and honor; you will live a long life.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” said nothing. After a moment, he asked, “Did you climb over the wall to get in?”

Han Jiangmu was silent for a while before saying, “Yes, Young Master.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” said earnestly, “Don’t climb the wall next time. Come in through the main gate. If you fall and hurt yourself, I’ll have to pay for your medical bills.”

Han Jiangmu laughed, his voice turning even softer. “Very well, Young Master.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” asked again, “What are your monthly wages?”

Han Jiangmu answered, “One tael of silver a month.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” sighed. “That’s so little. Is the work hard?”

“Replying to the Young Master, it is not hard.”

“Jiang Chaoyun” said, “Being a guard is, after all, manual labor. If you have the chance, you should study. If you have that desire, you can come to me. I will certainly help you.”

Han Jiangmu looked down at him, a glimmer of light finally appearing in those dark eyes. “Very well, Young Master. If there is a chance…”

After waking up, Jiang Chaoyun fell into deep thought.

He had some memory of the events in this dream.

In his previous life, he and Han Jiangmu hadn’t been without interaction. However, it had all been very casual conversation. He would have spoken that way to any guard. Could Han Jiangmu have fallen for him because of that?

Jiang Chaoyun was a bit confused; he didn’t understand the turning point that made Han Jiangmu like him.

He let out a sigh and didn’t take the dream too seriously.

At dinner time, Jiang Chaoyun casually asked about the tiger. Bixin replied, “Guard Han has already finished skinning it and sent the pelt to the tanner for processing. Once it’s ready, we can make the tiger-skin hat and the rest.”

Jiang Chaoyun gave an “oh” in response. Seeing a bowl of soup on the table that had been served and allowed to cool slightly, he picked it up and drank it all in one go. After finishing, he smacked his lips, feeling the taste was a bit odd. He looked closely at the bowl and saw chunks of meat and ginseng slices. He asked, “Bixin, what soup is this?”

Bixin replied, “Replying to the Young Master, it is tiger penis and ginseng soup. But don’t worry, the doctor said you can drink it. So, I immediately had the kitchen make a bowl for you while it’s fresh. You should drink more of it.”

Jiang Chaoyun: “…”

Jiang Chaoyun said in disbelief, “Tiger penis soup?”

Bixin said with a completely frank expression, “Rest assured, Young Master. Guard Han said this tiger was still a virgin; the penis is very clean and highly restorative!”

Jiang Chaoyun: “…”

Jiang Chaoyun felt extremely nauseated. He retched a few times but couldn’t bring anything up. Bixin hurried over to pat his back. “Don’t spit it out! Guard Han said this kind of ‘unbroken’ tiger penis is especially good for supplementing your Yang energy. I had the kitchen slice it into hundreds of pieces to keep for slow-stewing your soup. It would be such a waste to spit it out.”

Jiang Chaoyun: “…”

After a long while, Jiang Chaoyun finally composed himself and tried desperately to shift his focus.

How on earth did Han Jiangmu know that tiger was a virgin?!