HBWMA -Chapter 45 Saving the Poor Little Thing

Once the maid had stepped out of the room, Jiang Huashan’s obedient smile instantly shattered. She sprang up from the bed like a carp flipping out of water.

That green-tea, manipulative schemer Shen Guiling—good thing she kept a backup plan, or she would’ve fallen right into his trap.

In the plot of her previous life, there had been no shrimp fishing by the stream tonight.

After she returned from Xiangying, the entire direction of the Shen family began to change. Within just two months, Shen Guiling had completely won over the old master. And whenever Shen Zhuang mentioned him, it was always the same two words: well-behaved, and pitiful.

Jiang Huashan only later learned the reason from Jiang Wanyi.

That shameless green-tea Shen Guiling clearly knew he couldn’t eat seafood, but in order not to disappoint the old master’s kindness, he ate the shrimp the old master personally peeled for him at a family banquet. Later, when his allergy flared up, he endured the entire night alone in his room. If it hadn’t been for Steward Zhao from Zhuyuan discovering him and urgently calling Dr. Meng, he might have died.

Afterwards, the old master asked why he hadn’t called for help. His explanation was that he didn’t want to trouble everyone, and didn’t want the old master to worry.

Damn it! The old master had been so distressed he nearly slapped himself, waking up in self-reproach for several nights in a row.

That shameless green-tea—he was trying to use the same trick again to win the old master’s sympathy!

Good thing she was quick and sharp. When Shen Zhi mentioned that the old master was inviting everyone to a camping trip in the back mountains, she had already been on guard against Shen Guiling repeating his old trick. She even specifically asked the maid to get anti-allergy medicine from Dr. Meng, and quietly added it into the water Shen Guiling drank without him noticing.

Jiang Huashan dove into the blanket, grinning so widely her mouth almost reached her ears.

“As the saying goes, every cause has its effect—your retribution is me. As expected, the younger version of Shen Guiling is much easier to deal with.”

Second battle, victory achieved! Strategy successful!

She wrapped herself into a burrito of blankets and happily rolled around on the bed.

Zhuyuan

The moon hung high in the sky, and a silver veil covered the windowsill. The summer night breeze carried the faint chirping of insects through the half-open window on the second floor.

Shen Guiling’s eyelids trembled slightly as he slowly opened his eyes. A faint confusion lingered in his still-drowsy gaze.

As he regained consciousness, he finally realized something was wrong. Frowning, he sat up and pressed a hand to his forehead.

What was going on? No expected pain, no burning sensation in his stomach either?

His eyes gradually filled with confusion as he turned toward the empty bowl on the coffee table, then checked his skin—there wasn’t even a single rash.

Could it be… his allergy had suddenly been cured?!

But…

How?

Qinyuan

Jiang Huashan was sleeping soundly when suddenly a piercing green light flashed through her mind. The dreamscape flickered, chaos reassembled, and the “script gate” appeared before her again.

An old acquaintance. She wasn’t even surprised anymore. Yawning lazily, she said, “What now? Can’t even let people sleep at night?”

Vines wrapped around the script gate stretched toward her like countless tiny hands. A cold mechanical voice echoed in her ears:

【Congratulations. You have triggered the main storyline treasure arc: The Saving the Poor Little Thing.】

【Completion requirement: The ‘poor little thing’ learns to love.】

【Reward: The Script Pen.】

【Would you like to bind the current character—‘Poor Little Thing’?】

An action arc? What is that supposed to mean?

Jiang Huashan looked disgusted.

“Who exactly is the ‘poor little thing’?”

Green fluorescence slowly gathered, and a line of text appeared out of nowhere against the night sky.

【Treasure plot. Free exploration.】

Tch. Jiang Huashan sneered. “So what exactly is the ‘Script Pen’?”

【The Script Pen can generate new plotlines or rewrite fated storylines according to the user’s will.】

“What!” Jiang Huashan was instantly wide awake, her eyes sparkling. “So I can use the Script Pen to change my grandfather’s ending?”

【Yes. Friendly reminder: the laws of rules are powerful. The Script Pen grants only one chance to rewrite fate. Once used, it cannot be revoked or altered.】

This was truly “searching far and wide for something without finding it, only for it to come effortlessly when least expected”!

Jiang Huashan was about to agree when she suddenly thought of something. She eyed the so-called “door of the script” warily.

“Wait a second. Since when are there such good deals in this world? This so-called ‘little pitiful one’… its identity can’t be simple, right?”

【Treasure plot. Free exploration.】

“…”

Jiang Huashan pressed her lips together, then blinked innocently at the door. “Little book~ don’t be so cold and unkind. We’re friends now, right? Friends should be open and honest with each other~ Can you give me a hint?”

There’s definitely something wrong with such a good deal! She couldn’t even be sure who this “little pitiful one” was—what if she got herself dragged into a trap?

【Treasure plot. Free exploration.】

Jiang Huashan’s face darkened. Without another word, she grabbed the vines wrapping around the door.

“Are you going to give me a hint or not? If not, believe it or not, I’ll tear you apart again. Worst case, we all go down together.”

【Treasure plot…】

Before the words could even fully form, Jiang Huashan yanked hard on a handful of vines.

【STOP!!! Don’t pull me~~~~~~~~~~ Approach the little pitiful one, and the voice of the script will give hints~~~~~~】

Satisfied, Jiang Huashan blew on her fingertips and patted the door in a friendly manner.

“Little book, there’s something I feel I should remind you. I’m not very smart, so once a trick works, I’ll use it until it dies. Sorry~ In other words, if I’m unhappy, I really will drag you into mutual destruction until the end~”

“……”

At that, the vines wrapped around the book-like shell suddenly recoiled as if they were alive. Even the newly sprouting leaves shrank back into hiding.

In an instant, green light scattered, and the chaos dissolved.

Jiang Huashan slowly opened her eyes again as her vision refocused. The carved canopy bed above her head reflected moonlight from the window, and the soft silk bedding carried a faint orchid fragrance.

She smiled, rolled over, hugged the blanket, and went back to sleep.

“Little pitiful one…”

The next morning, the city of Shengyang was lively and bustling.

Shen Guiling entered Qin Garden carrying a pot of Wei Zi peony in his arms.

Normally at this hour, Qin Garden was quiet. The helpers had finished their work and were resting in the pavilion, chatting lazily. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t even notice someone had entered.

Shen Guiling hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should interrupt them, when he suddenly heard a loud, sighing voice from one of the chubby maids.

“Shh! Don’t go spreading what I just told you. If the old master finds out, all of Miss Jiang’s efforts will be wasted.”

The others nodded repeatedly.

“I didn’t expect Miss Jiang to be such a sensible and hardworking girl. It seems what people in Chrysanthemum Garden said wasn’t true after all.”

The chubby maid continued, “That’s why you can’t trust hearsay—you have to see things with your own eyes! I’m not making this up! Miss Jiang studies late into the night every day—so diligent! Nothing like what they said about her being useless and unruly.”

“And also! She clearly had an allergic reaction, but she secretly took medicine so the old master wouldn’t worry, and even told me not to mention it. Tell me, where are you going to find such a considerate and obedient girl?”

Shen Guiling’s eyes shifted slightly as he stopped in place and turned to look toward the pavilion.

Allergic reaction? Taking medicine?