HBWMA -Chapter 22 Dramatic World

Where is this place?

In the pitch-black chaos where one couldn’t see one’s own hand, faint green lights drifted and flickered.

Jiang Huashan reached out to touch them, but the green lights immediately transformed into a streak of light, gathering together into a massive book wrapped in green vines.

The book glowed with a dim, eerie green light. It was so enormous it seemed boundless, standing before her like a towering gate that pierced the sky. Tiny vines stretched outward endlessly like seaweed swaying in the deep ocean.

【Dramatic World】

Jiang Huashan recoiled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping backward in alarm.

The “book spirit” had once said that as long as her consciousness remained connected to the 【Dramatic World】, her label would deepen. She had finally managed to return to the past—she could absolutely not become the puppet version of Jiang Huashan again.

“Disappear! Don’t even think about controlling me!” she snapped, stiffening her neck as she shouted at the book before her.

The moment her words fell, the colossal sky-piercing gate instantly scattered into countless specks of green light, dissolving into the night.

That obedient?

Jiang Huashan stared warily at the drifting lights in the dark.

“Book spirit? Is this your doing? Book spirit? Come out!”

What happened next was even stranger. As the word “out” fell, the floating lights in the night gathered once again, and the 【Dramatic World】 reappeared before her.

What the hell?

Can this thing respond to voice commands?

Just as she was confused, the 【Dramatic World】 once again shattered into stardust and vanished into the chaos.

“Shanshan… Shanshan…”

Who? Who was calling her?

Jiang Huashan slowly opened her eyes. The morning light made her slightly uncomfortable. As she squinted, Fang Mei’s face came into view.

She froze, then abruptly sat up.

Fang Mei was startled by her reaction and patted her chest. “Did I scare you?”

Jiang Huashan still felt lingering fear as she cautiously looked around, only then remembering she had returned to the past—she was only twelve years old this year.

Suppressing her dissatisfaction, Fang Mei forced a smile. “Shanshan, hurry up and get ready. Butler Shen came with a message—the old master wants everyone to go to the front courtyard.”

Jiang Huashan looked uninterested. “Got it.”

“If you got it, then move! I’m reminding you—the second and third branches have all returned. You need to mind your manners later.”

She yawned lazily.

Fang Mei hesitated for a moment, then said casually, “Shanshan, I heard the chairman came back last night. Did you see him in Qinyuan?”

Jiang Huashan nodded. “I saw him. He brought someone with him.”

“Someone? Who? From the Shen family?”

“I don’t know. Doesn’t look like a good person.”

Fang Mei frowned. “Shanshan, watch how you speak. Didn’t I just remind you?”

She wasn’t wrong. Shen Guiling was a black-hearted villain—yet he wore a face that could mislead the world. In her previous life, he had caused countless romantic entanglements and played everyone who adored him like fools.

Fang Mei studied her again. “Shanshan, do you dislike the second branch? Did someone say something to you?”

“No.”

“Then you—”

“Are we going or not?” Jiang Huashan cut her off impatiently.

Fang Mei finally remembered the urgency and turned away reluctantly. “Hurry up. I’ll go check on your sister.”

After Fang Mei left, Jiang Huashan’s impatience faded instantly.

In her previous life, after the old master died, Fang Mei took Jiang Wanyi and defected to Shen Guiling. At the time, she had suspected Fang Mei had already been in contact with the second branch—and now it seemed she had been right all along.

Last night, when she shifted blame onto Fu Sui’er, only the old master, Shen Qian, and the butler were present. Yet Fang Mei’s probing tone suggested she already knew about her accusation against Shen Qian.

So how did she find out?

Jiang Huashan tapped her head lightly. She had underestimated Fang Mei—she had already formed ties with the second branch as early as the third year of living here.

That meant Fang Mei’s betrayal wasn’t sudden at all—it had been planned for a long time.

But why choose the day of the old master’s funeral?

After leaving Jiang Huashan’s room, Fang Mei went to the small courtyard opposite. To avoid treating Jiang Wanyi unfairly, she had specially arranged for a first-floor room overlooking a sea of flowers for her. Although it couldn’t compare to the elegance of the embroidered loft, it was still a dreamlike residence.

“Mom.”

Jiang Wanyi changed into a pink puff-sleeved princess dress, her hair tied into a playful bun. She looked sweet and delicate, like a porcelain doll.

Fang Mei’s eyes lit up in satisfaction. “Not bad. You remembered what I told you last night?”

Jiang Wanyi nodded shyly. “I remember.”

They waited downstairs for a while but Jiang Huashan still hadn’t come out. Fang Mei grew impatient and raised her voice, shouting into the courtyard, “Shanshan! Hurry up! You’ll make the old master unhappy if you’re late!”

Several working maids in the courtyard froze at the sudden shout.

“Mom!” Jiang Wanyi tugged at Fang Mei’s sleeve awkwardly, sensing the gazes around them.

Only then did Fang Mei realize she had lost composure. Her expression darkened.

The Shen family had a centuries-old heritage, and even the maids spoke multiple languages fluently. Fang Mei, coming from a small town, had once embarrassed herself over their English. Although that could have been brushed off as simply different backgrounds, she was fiercely competitive.

Over the years, she had used the Shen family’s influence to mingle with wealthy women and began to see herself as one of them. She often tried to maintain an air of superiority—but that shout just now exposed her coarse background.

The atmosphere turned awkward. One of the maids quickly stepped forward. “Madam Jiang, should I go upstairs to call Miss Jiang?”

Fang Mei, embarrassed, nodded stiffly.

“Here she comes.”

Just as the maid was about to go upstairs, Jiang Huashan walked out.

“You!” Jiang Wanyi looked shocked. “Why are you dressed like that?”

Jiang Huashan glanced down at herself.

A white chiffon dress with little daisies, twin ponytails, black leather shoes, and a plush little wolf she was hugging.

What was wrong with this outfit?