Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 166: The Grand Wedding

The wedding ceremony was incredibly tedious. Song Lianhe was woken before dawn to be washed and have her hair and makeup done in a daze.

Cao Ying and her mother had come to the mansion early to help.

Lady Cao knew that Song Xingfeng and Mrs. Liu would certainly not attend Song Lianhe’s wedding today. Even if they weren’t busy with preparations for their own eldest daughter, the Marquis Mansion would never allow such parents to take the seats of honor. Therefore, Lady Cao had taken it upon herself to act as the elder, proactively helping and offering guidance on every matter.

Though the wedding was arranged in a hurry, it was by no means perfunctory. It completely followed the standards of the Royal Family—exceeding them, if anything. Uncle Liang had already prepared everything for the Marquis Mansion the day before, so Marquis Lin and his wife hadn’t needed to worry about a single thing. Even the Phoenix Crown and Wedding Robe had been sent over on Zhou Cangyan’s orders.

When Song Lianhe finished changing into her wedding gown, Shuang Ye and Cao Ying exclaimed in amazement, "Miss! You look so beautiful!"

Lady Cao nodded as well. "Prince Qing is truly thoughtful. This wedding gown is no ordinary garment. The embroidery alone is the finest I’ve ever seen!"

"Lianhe, you’re absolutely beautiful!" Cao Ying circled her, praising her without reservation. "This gown is gorgeous, but it’s you wearing it that makes it look even more so!"

Song Lianhe stood before the bronze mirror, stunned as well.

’What a beautiful wedding gown.’

The crimson wedding gown was exquisitely embroidered, a work of art adorned with gold and silver that spoke of magnificence and luxury. She had a fine figure, and wearing this gown gave her an indescribable, alluring charm that made it impossible to look away.

’It was hard to imagine how it could have been made in such a short amount of time.’

’Or could it be that this gown was prepared long ago... but not for her?’

If before she had only seen this marriage as a means of survival, the sight of herself in the wedding gown now sent uncontrollable ripples through her heart. She couldn’t stop a sliver of anticipation from blooming.

Song Lianhe suddenly slapped her cheeks hard twice. ’What am I even anticipating?’

’Besides, the villain is supposed to fall in love with the heroine in the end. The increasingly clear protagonist halo above his head is proof enough.’

At first, Song Lianhe hadn’t paid it any mind. She only thought that the halo over Zhou Cangyan’s head was no longer pitch-black, its color gradually lightening. It wasn’t until last night, when she once again saw the faint glow swirling slowly above his head, that she had an epiphany...

’The color was already nearly identical to the male protagonist’s halo. Was this a sign that the original novel was now trending toward having two male leads? Especially since the heroine’s halo was still there... didn’t that mean Zhou Cangyan might actually win the girl in the end? Was he changing the villain’s fate?’

The sudden thought left Song Lianhe at a loss for a moment.

But then she had another thought. ’If I could transmigrate into a book, is there anything that can’t happen?’

’In that case, maybe I’m the "catalyst" that changes the villain! It’s because of my appearance that the villain will "turn over a new leaf" and head down the path to... uh, no, not taking out... head down the golden road to becoming the male protagonist!’

’In that case, wouldn’t he and the heroine be a match made in heaven?!’

"Miss? Miss?"

Shuang Ye had called her name several times from the side.

"Huh?"

Belatedly, Song Lianhe came to her senses and looked up at her with a dazed expression.

"Miss, you should eat something to tide you over. You’ll be busy in a bit; you can’t get into the bridal sedan on an empty stomach."

Shuang Ye had prepared food for her long ago, worried she would be hungry.

Song Lianhe shook her head. "I don’t have an appetite."

’Sigh, how could I possibly have an appetite! The villain has already become the male protagonist. I, the Villainess, backed the wrong horse from the very beginning. Who’s to say Zhou Cangyan won’t take the baton for tormenting the villainess from Zhou Junlin and continue the indiscriminate torture?’

Cao Ying teased from the side, "Why would your Miss have an appetite right now? All she can think about is her dear Prince Qing!"

Lady Cao chided her with a laugh, "The County Princess is shy, don’t tease her."

"Her? Shy? When she was chasing Prince Ling all over Ling’an City, I don’t recall her being shy at all..."

"It’s a day of great joy, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Lady Cao shot her daughter a harsh glare. Cao Ying, realizing her slip of the tongue, quickly added, "Oh, that’s not what I meant... Didn’t I... didn’t I have bad taste back then, too? Uh... Lianhe, we’re both in the same boat... I’m not laughing at you!"

Lady Cao also said, "County Princess, please don’t take her seriously..."

Song Lianhe wasn’t offended. "Sister Cao is straightforward; she says what she thinks. She’s the last person who would have any ill intentions. Really, I know she’s happy for me."

Cao Ying went forward and hugged her, saying happily, "Mother! Did you hear that? She gets me!"

A smile spread across Lady Cao’s face. She nodded in relief, her eyes reddening at the rims.

For all these years, her daughter had never made any close female friends; everyone just laughed at her behind her back.

But now, things were better. Not only had her daughter given up on Zhou Junlin, but she had also developed an interest in business, and she was running her medical hall with great success! Although the Cao Family came from a long line of scholars, their thinking wasn’t rigid. As long as it wasn’t illegal or disruptive to the state, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

Seeing her daughter’s fortune improve, it seemed her very appearance had changed. Her aunt on her mother’s side had seen her recently and couldn’t stop praising how much prettier she had become.

Lady Cao knew in her heart that this was all because of the County Princess. The County Princess was her family’s great benefactor!

Just then, Nanny Diao walked in with a smile. "Miss, the wedding procession has arrived. The lady of the house asks you to please make your final preparations."

Upon hearing that the wedding procession had arrived, Lady Cao began busily directing everyone to help the bride outside.

She had been afraid there wouldn’t be enough hands, so she had even brought people from her own estate to help, handling everything in a calm and orderly manner.

Song Lianhe allowed Shuang Ye and Cao Ying to support her. She held a round fan to hide her face as she walked slowly to the main hall.

All the friends and relatives of the Marquis Mansion were present to offer their congratulations. Some were old subordinates of Marquis Xuan Chang, while others had served under Lin Shuniang back in the day.

Watching the General’s only daughter get married, many of them smiled until their eyes grew red. ’If only the General were still here,’ they thought, ’how wonderful that would be!’

No matter how much Song Lianhe had tried to mentally prepare herself, she was still incredibly nervous facing such a scene.

The man standing in the hall wore a black wedding robe. The collar, cuffs, and hem were largely embroidered with golden thread in auspicious cloud patterns. Zhou Cangyan’s robe, however, was embroidered with a golden flood dragon that coiled down from the neckline. Its aura was formidable, its posture wild, as if it could transform into a true dragon upon touching water and soar into the sky.

Song Lianhe hesitated, then tilted her head slightly. She first saw a pair of slate-blue, high-topped boots. Her gaze traveled upward... and sure enough, she saw the halo above his head. It was now at its largest—a soft white ring, nearly identical to the one she had first seen on Zhou Junlin!

Song Lianhe’s mood instantly plummeted. ’This means the plot hasn’t actually changed,’ she thought despairingly, ’the villain just stole the protagonist’s halo.’

"Ah, Miss, be careful—"

Song Lianhe was so lost in thought that she didn’t watch her step. Shuang Ye’s words had barely left her lips when Lianhe tripped on the threshold and pitched forward—

Song Lianhe squeezed her eyes shut in fright. ’I used to laugh at the heroines in TV dramas,’ she thought. ’They always seemed to forget how to walk, constantly falling in front of the male lead. Now I deeply understand. It’s not that you can’t walk; it’s that your brain and your limbs refuse to coordinate.’

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms caught her securely.

Song Lianhe tumbled into his arms, her hands instinctively clutching his waist.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a ripple of laughter from the guests.

Marquis Xuan Chang and his wife exchanged a look, both breaking into helpless smiles.

’Already a wife, and still so clumsy.’

"So impatient to see me?" a man’s amused voice sounded from above. Song Lianhe scrambled to push him away, not daring to look up, and immediately hid her flushed cheeks behind her fan.

Just then, he took her hand in his.

Song Lianhe froze. Just like that, the man led her by the hand before the two elders to bid farewell to the family’s senior members.