Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 158: Of Course My Heart Aches for Him
When Song Lianhe heard that her maternal grandmother had raised hell at the General Mansion—not only summoning Old Master Song to write a severance letter, but also burning down her old courtyard and throwing a stack of silver notes in Mrs. Liu’s face—she was so stunned her jaw dropped!
"Grandmother, you’re amazing!"
Full of admiration, Song Lianhe went from massaging her grandmother’s shoulders to kneading her legs. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Marchioness Xuan Chang smiled affectionately. "Your grandfather and I have been holding our tongues for a long time. We’ve been wanting to let it all out like this for ages, but before... you..."
Song Lianhe understood.
In the past, she had been single-mindedly focused on marrying Zhou Junlin. Since he frequently visited her father, she had hoped to use that connection to grow closer to him.
Why would she have ever wanted to sever ties with the General Mansion? In fact, because Song Xingfeng disliked any mention of the Xuan Chang Prefecture, she had even secretly distanced herself from her own grandparents.
Song Lianhe said quickly, "Grandmother, let’s let the past be the past! The Song Wenxin of today is a completely new person! From now on, I have absolutely nothing to do with the General Mansion!"
"Good! That’s the spirit!"
Neither Marquis Xuan Chang nor the Marchioness were the pedantic type, obsessed with rigid moral codes. If Song Xingfeng couldn’t fulfill his responsibilities as a father, then it was just as well to be rid of him!
By the time she finished chatting with her grandmother, it was late at night.
Once Marchioness Xuan Chang had retired for the night, Song Lianhe immediately summoned Shuang Ye and whispered, "First, have someone take a message to Uncle Liang, then head to the Medical Clinic."
「Medical Clinic.」
Song Lianhe slipped in through the back door. All the while at the Marquis Mansion, her mind had been flooded with images of Zhou Cangyan’s punishment. ’It would be fine if it were just an ordinary flogging, but those whips had barbs. Who knows if they were coated with poison? And considering Emperor Xiaocheng’s attitude, he would never agree to send an Imperial Physician to treat him.’
The thought made her so anxious she couldn’t sit still. She had grabbed Shuang Ye and rushed back to the Medical Clinic.
"Second Miss!"
Yan Wen hurried into the back courtyard. Seeing her, he asked anxiously, "Wanzhang told me you ran into trouble at the palace! How are you now? Did they give you a hard time?"
"I’m perfectly fine!" Song Lianhe smiled at him while directing Shuang Ye to get the herbs. "It’s hard to explain everything that’s happened... The short version is, I’m done with the General Mansion. I’ll be staying at the Marquis Mansion for the time being."
"Heh. Marquis Lin storms Chongzheng Hall by night, and the Marchioness raises hell at the General Mansion. The old couple has barely returned to Ling’an City and they’re already causing such a commotion. Now that you have powerful backers, you must finally feel vindicated, Second Miss Song."
As the teasing voice rang out, Su Huaqing, clad in white, rushed in from the front hall.
Song Lianhe was in a good mood tonight, so she was able to respond to him civilly. "It’s true I have support, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I feel vindicated. If trouble really starts, I can fight my own battles, after all."
"I heard that even the Wuwei Wanderer of Dao Yuan Temple was summoned. With a severance letter written by his own hand, no one would dare to stop you, not even at the Ministry of Revenue!"
Song Lianhe gave him a wide smile. "Mr. Su, your sources are remarkably fast. My grandmother just made a scene, and you’ve already heard about it. Someone who knows you might say you’re just well-informed. Someone who doesn’t might think you’ve planted a mole near me."
Su Huaqing gave a wry smile. "How could I dare? Second Miss Song is under Prince Qing’s protection now. I wouldn’t dare even if I had a hundred times the courage!"
Yan Wen looked up at her. "You and Prince Qing..."
"What?"
Song Lianhe was still watching Shuang Ye prepare the herbs and didn’t quite hear his question.
"...Nothing."
Yan Wen’s expression turned glum. He turned away. "As long as you’re all right. I’m going upstairs to review my books."
"Go on, go on!"
Remembering something, Song Lianhe added, "Make lots of soup for a while. We need to help our Manager Yan build up his strength."
Su Huaqing leaned in. "What about me? Manager Su has been working himself to the bone these past few days!"
Song Lianhe pursed her lips. ’No matter how she looked at him, she just couldn’t reconcile the man before her with the dark, manipulative "smiling tiger" from the novel.’
"Fine, fine. I’ll have Shuang Ye make you some soft-shelled turtle soup later," she said with a grin. "It’s good for the kidneys."
Shuang Ye covered her mouth, trying to hide a giggle.
Su Huaqing, however, didn’t seem to mind. "That’s where you’re mistaken, Second Miss. This body of mine is quite vigorous. I could play the groom every single night." He finished with a small, earnest nod in her direction.
Song Lianhe: "..."
Hearing this, Shuang Ye was so embarrassed she covered her face and ran inside.
Song Lianhe shot him a look. "You scared my maid off. I guess that leaves you to finish getting the herbs."
A resigned Su Huaqing was roped into service. As he gathered the herbs she listed, he asked casually, "These are all for treating external wounds. Are they for His Highness, Prince Qing?"
"Mhm." Song Lianhe didn’t hide it, thinking, ’He’s one of Zhou Junlin’s people. This is the perfect opportunity to use him to make Zhou Junlin give up for good.’
And so, while munching on a winter jujube, she put on a grand performance. "His Highness, Prince Qing, offended the Holy Emperor just to save me. Naturally, my heart aches for him. *Sigh*. He’s so grievously injured, and who knows if there’s anyone to even bandage his wounds... Right now, I wish I could just sprout wings and fly to his side to take care of him..."
"Really?"
The sudden voice from behind startled her so much that the winter jujube fell from her mouth and rolled onto the ground.
"Y-Your Highness, Prince Qing?!"
She whipped her head around and saw the tall man standing there. Forgetting everything else, she ran across the courtyard. "Y-you’re all right? Did the Holy Emperor let you out? Or... did my grandfather break you out of the Heavenly Prison?!"
Seeing her jaw hanging open, Zhou Cangyan simply reached out and pushed it closed. "Marquis Lin isn’t that reckless, and I’m not that foolish."
"Oh! Right!"
Knowing he was injured, she carefully helped support him.
Behind him were a Shadow Guard and Xuan Mei.
The two silently withdrew, closing the back door behind them to stand guard outside.
Standing under the eaves of the veranda, Su Huaqing offered Zhou Cangyan a faint smile. "This servant greets Your Highness, Prince Qing."
Zhou Cangyan merely grunted in acknowledgment.
"Um... Mr. Su, would you mind brewing the medicine for me?"
"It would be my pleasure."
After Su Huaqing had gone, Song Lianhe whispered in Zhou Cangyan’s ear, "Your Highness, be careful of him. He’s one of Prince Ling’s men!"
Zhou Cangyan froze, giving her a peculiar look.
"What’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing."
After helping him sit down, Song Lianhe immediately placed her fingers on his wrist to check his pulse. "Good," she murmured, "at least there are no internal injuries."
Before she could pull back, he caught her hand in his.
Startled, she looked up at him.
The cold indifference in his eyes was gone, all pretense stripped away from the moment she had rushed into the Imperial Palace to stand before him.
The man’s refined, handsome profile held a certain allure. The effect was even more pronounced now that he was injured, his face pale. It was a look that could stir one’s desire to protect him... and also to ruin him.
Song Lianhe stared, transfixed. ’I’m really losing all my resistance to him!’
The man said nothing more. He simply turned her hand over, his calloused thumb tracing the crisscrossing scars on her palm. She couldn’t help but flinch.
He raised an eyebrow. "Hurts?"
She immediately shook her head.
’The wounds on my hand don’t actually hurt that much; it’s bearable. But the way he’s touching me feels like he’s flirting, and who could possibly endure that?!’
