Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 192: I Just Want You to Die

With a powerful protector like Zhong Shimin around, Song Lianhe could finally rest easy for a few days and properly recuperate.

And it had to be said, Tiger Beak’s topical medicine was truly effective. Her external wounds were healing quickly. Combined with the medicine she prescribed for herself, her recovery was going remarkably well. By the third day, she was able to stroll outside.

The sun was bright today, so Song Lianhe sat on the steps to bask in it.

She squinted, her expression languid. When she caught a glimpse of a robe’s corner out of the corner of her eye, she raised an eyebrow and said unhurriedly, "Come on out."

A moment later, Da Xi emerged awkwardly from her hiding spot.

Song Lianhe snorted. "Oh? Not afraid I’ll summon Nanny Gui again?"

Da Xi’s face flushed crimson. "I... I wasn’t here to see you!"

"Heh, right. As if you’d have the guts for that."

Song Lianhe’s barrage of sarcasm provoked Da Xi to the verge of tears. She lifted her head, her eyes wide. "I know I’m a coward! But you’re not me! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get by here?!"

Song Lianhe suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Whose life isn’t hard? Just as you aren’t me, you have no idea what I’ve been through! But no matter how hard things get for me, I would never abandon my basic principles!"

Humiliated and furious, Da Xi pointed at her with reddened eyes. "You... you’re a woman with a ruined reputation! What right do you have to lecture me!"

"That’s right, my reputation is poor, and plenty of people curse my name. But let them say I chase after men or mistreat servants—not a single one of them can say I’m a coward who’d be ungrateful to save her own skin! My maternal grandfather and my mother were heroes who defended our country. Their good name will not be sullied by anyone, and that includes me."

Song Lianhe’s teasing demeanor vanished. She stared at Da Xi without blinking. "Judging by how practiced those people are at bullying you, this must be a common occurrence, right?"

A nerve had been struck. Da Xi roared at her, "It’s none of your business!"

"I wasn’t planning on getting involved, but there’s something I have to say." Song Lianhe stood up and faced her. Though she was slightly shorter than Da Xi, her presence was no less imposing. "You’re the one who handed them the knife."

"You’re lying!"

Song Lianhe raised an eyebrow. "Heh, you know perfectly well whether I’m lying or not."

Song Lianhe had no desire to waste any more words on her and turned to leave. "Also, you can stop secretly bringing me soup. Your guilt is your problem. I have no intention of forgiving you."

Da Xi felt a sense of defeat and humiliation unlike anything she had ever experienced. She squatted down, hugged herself, and began to sob.

Just as Song Lianhe had said, every time she pictured herself cowering away, she was tormented to the point of being unable to sleep.

Guilt was like a great mountain pressing down on her chest. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Whereas before, when she was bullied, there were still sympathetic glances from others, now their eyes were cold and indifferent...

On the other side of the wall, Zhong Shimin leaned against it, cradling his sword. The slanting sunlight stretched his shadow long across the ground.

Just then, a man in black approached, cupped his fist, and said, "Chief, the Warlord summons you."

"Mm."

Zhong Shimin glanced up toward the building. "Watch her."

"Yes, sir."

「The Council Hall.」

"Warlord."

Zhong Shimin stepped forward.

Luo Fubang seemed to be dozing off and didn’t respond.

Zhong Shimin wasn’t in a hurry. He simply stood in place, waiting for him to wake and speak.

Song Lianhe looked at the lunch Sister Mi brought her. It was sorghum and vegetable congee again.

Although this coarse grain was very nutritious, having it for two days straight was getting tiresome, especially since she was a patient.

’At times like this, I really miss that girl Shuang Ye. If she knew I was injured, she’d probably be stewing ginseng and antler and making me drink it like water every day...’

Noticing her lack of appetite, Sister Mi said, "Young Madam, please don’t take offense. We’ve had little rain in Sui Bei this year, so the harvest was small. With the rebels from Yu State causing trouble, the situation is unstable, and most of the grain has been requisitioned for the army. On top of that, the Warlord has a kind heart and has taken in many refugees fleeing from Yu State. How could there possibly be enough refined food to go around? Even we in the Prince Si Mansion have had to cut back on expenses. Sigh, I don’t know how we’ll get through this winter..."

She said apologetically, "We can only ask the Young Madam to make do for now."

Song Lianhe suddenly remembered this part from the book. ’There was a great drought in Sui Bei, causing a sharp drop in food production, and there were fifty thousand soldiers to feed. This winter, the people of Sui Ning City would suffer immensely, and many would even starve to death.’

Realizing the full context, Song Lianhe quickly said, "Sister Mi, I wasn’t..."

Before she could finish, a mocking voice came from outside the door. "She’s a freeloader. She should be grateful she has anything to eat at all. What’s there for her to feel wronged about!"

Seeing it was Cheng Xidian, Sister Mi respectfully stepped aside.

"You’re dismissed."

"Yes."

Before leaving, Sister Mi shot a worried glance at Song Lianhe.

Song Lianhe sat upright in her chair, folded her arms, and her eyes turned cold.

Cheng Xidian walked in with her hands behind her back, a hint of cruel amusement on her face. "Song Lianhe, did you think you could rest easy just because you have Zhong Shimin as your backer?"

She slowly extended her hand, revealing a snake clutched within it. Its back was a pinkish-brown, marked with symmetrical, triangular brown patterns.

Song Lianhe’s expression changed slightly. Having gathered medicinal herbs in the mountains with her grandfather since she was a child, she was also familiar with various poisonous creatures used in medicine.

Like this one right here, a sharp-nosed pit viper.

It also had a more well-known name: the Five-step Snake.

’A Five-step Snake has a large venom yield. A bite can easily cause localized tissue necrosis. You can’t debride the wound yourself, as it would lead to uncontrollable bleeding. The only cure is a prompt injection of antivenom. Judging by the triangular patterns on its back, the one in Cheng Xidian’s hand was a prime specimen.’

Seeing Song Lianhe’s wide eyes fixed on the venomous snake, seemingly too scared to react, Cheng Xidian smiled smugly. "In our Sui Bei, this kind of poisonous creature is very common. Many people die from snakebites every year... If someone with skin as delicate as yours were to get bitten... Haha, the sight would surely be beautiful! I can hardly wait."

"Cheng Xidian," Song Lianhe suddenly spoke, "are you so determined to see me dead?"

The laughter stopped abruptly.

"That’s right! I want you dead!" Cheng Xidian glared at her, her eyes filled with hatred. "What right do you have to take him from me? I’ve loved him for ten whole years! I rejected everyone for him, wasting the best years of my youth on him, because I knew that sooner or later, he would turn around and see me... It was you. You ruined everything!"

Song Lianhe shook her head and sighed. "Why must you blame your own foolishness on others? Even without me, Zhou Cangyan would never have chosen you."

"You’re lying!!"

Consumed by hatred, Cheng Xidian flung the snake directly at her.

Song Lianhe watched, her eyes wide, as the venomous snake flew toward her. It was so close she could even see it open its mouth...

’Huh?’

She was amazed to discover that this venomous snake had four irregular fangs!

’It’s perfect for medicinal use...’

At that moment, the door slammed shut with a BANG.