Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 223: Kill the Male Lead

Above the candy shop, in a loft.

A man stood draped in a black cloak, his face half-covered by a silver mask. His ink-black hair was bound by a jade coronet, and his hawk-like eyes were cold and inscrutable.

"...The Young Madam also said... said she would definitely hand the warhorses over to him and told him to rest assured. And then..." The Shadow Guard glanced at his master, swallowed hard, and added with difficulty, "The Young Madam arranged to meet him west of the city tonight."

The man remained silent. His tall, slender figure was like a solitary, prideful pine standing between heaven and earth—upright and unyielding, emanating a bone-chilling cold. He was detached from the mundane world, yet unaccepted by it.

The Shadow Guard grew anxious. "Warlord, this subordinate will take men to lie in wait tonight! We absolutely cannot let that Prince Ling get what he wants!"

A gentle breeze rustled past, carrying the chill that clung to the man. He narrowed his light brown eyes, a complex mix of emotions swirling within them.

After "coming to an agreement" with Zhou Junlin, Song Lianhe immediately returned to the Prince Si Mansion.

Da Xi followed behind her, her expression complicated as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.

Finally, upon seeing the mansion gate, she could not hold back any longer. "Young Madam! You and that Young Master Shen Wu..." Da Xi gritted her teeth. "Are you... are you really going to leave with him?"

Song Lianhe stopped, slowly turned, and tilted her head to look at her, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. "You heard everything?"

Da Xi looked away. "I’m not an idiot."

Song Lianhe suddenly burst out laughing. "Yes, yes, our Xixi is the smartest. So, since you’ve figured it out, what should we do? Will you go tattle on me to the old man?"

"I..."

Da Xi’s eyes widened in frustration, and she stomped her foot resentfully. "Young Madam, how can you be so foolish? What’s so good about this Shen Wu? He just looks like a pretty boy, full of nothing but wicked schemes. Compared to our Young Master, it’s like heaven and earth!"

Song Lianhe frowned and nodded slightly. "You’re right~ He’s not as handsome as Zhou Cangyan."

"The Young Master isn’t just handsome, he’s devoted his heart and soul to you! He defied an imperial decree and rushed back from Yu State just to see you! For your sake, he didn’t even give Nanny Gui any face! He even went out of his way to instruct the kitchen before he left, saying you’re a very picky eater and shouldn’t be mistreated or wronged when it comes to food! How could you... how could you do this to the Young Master?!"

The more Da Xi spoke, the angrier she became.

Song Lianhe’s heart skipped a beat. She had not known...

She suddenly smiled again. "Well, now that you know my little ’secret’, what do you plan to do? Tattle on me?"

"You, you... I, I..."

Da Xi was so angry the rims of her eyes turned red. She bit her lip, struggling with her decision, before finally looking at Song Lianhe with resolve. "Tonight, I’ll watch the gate for you."

Song Lianhe was taken aback. She had only meant to tease the girl, not expecting her to actually choose to help.

"Just go."

Da Xi’s face was full of determination. From the moment she decided to help Song Lianhe leave the Prince Mansion, she had prepared for the worst.

Song Lianhe watched the girl’s back, feeling a warm current flowing through her chest.

She lowered her eyes, smiled, and sighed softly. ’What an adorable, foolish girl.’

As soon as Song Lianhe returned, she immediately had Da Xi fetch Zhong Shimin.

Da Xi was confused. Leader Zhong was the Warlord’s Attendant and a Death Warrior; he would never help her!

Song Lianhe chuckled. "It’s fine. Just go get him."

Helpless, Da Xi could only go and find the man.

Zhong Shimin arrived at the vegetable garden. Seeing the person squatting there inspecting the vine shoots, he walked over slowly. "You were looking for me?"

Song Lianhe turned her head to look at him. The man was backlit by the sun, his figure tall and dark. She had to squint. "Oh, you’re here."

She started to get up, but perhaps from squatting for too long, a wave of dizziness hit her, and she swayed.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm, steadying her.

Seeing she was steady, he immediately let go, discreetly pulling his hand back behind him.

The warmth still lingering in his palm, he slowly clenched his fist and quietly took a step back.

Song Lianhe, completely unaware of his subtle movements, dusted the dirt off her hands. "Let’s talk over there."

She walked ahead, holding her skirt, with Zhong Shimin following behind, always maintaining a certain distance from her.

They sat at the stone table. She had merely pursed her lips, feeling thirsty, when she saw the teapot on the table being lifted. A cup of cold tea was poured and placed in front of her.

"Thank you."

She picked it up and drank it all in one go.

Song Lianhe wiped her mouth with her sleeve and looked up at the man across from her. She did not speak, just sizing him up.

Zhong Shimin raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked, "You have something for me to do?"

Song Lianhe smiled.

"Leave it to our Leader Zhong! We’re just so in sync! I haven’t even said anything, and you already know I have a ’good deed’ for you!"

He looked at her, a hint of a smile on his face. "Are you sure it’s a ’good thing’?"

"Of course!"

Song Lianhe took the teapot and eagerly poured him a cup, her tone casual. "I want you to help me kill someone."

Zhong Shimin’s gaze flickered, and he stared at her intently.

"Hehe, don’t look at me like that. Can’t I have an enemy I’m itching to kill?" She remained relaxed, looking at him with a grin.

He slowly lowered his gaze and asked in a low voice, "Who?"

Only then did Song Lianhe clear her throat. She leaned closer, and the unique medicinal scent that clung to her filled his nostrils.

Unconsciously, Zhong Shimin’s grip on his teacup tightened again.

Song Lianhe narrowed her beautiful eyes and said, one syllable at a time: "Zhou. Jun. Lin!"

Zhong Shimin’s head snapped up, his gaze instantly transformed.

It was only about an incense stick ago that Song Lianhe had made this decision.

’I’m going to take a risk!’

’I’m bound by this world’s constraints. I can’t reveal anything about the male lead’s plot, which means I’ll be constantly held back by it in the future!’

’I tried to curry favor with the male lead, but the whole thing was based on a transactional exchange. What happens when I have nothing left to trade? Once I lose my value, the only thing waiting for me is the ending from the original text.’

’Rather than leave my life in someone else’s hands, I’d rather control it myself!’

On the way back, Song Lianhe had made her decision—

She was going to kill the male lead.

Zhong Shimin stared at her in astonishment. The expression under his mask must have been quite something.

After a moment, he finally spoke. "He’s in Ling’an. How can you kill him?"

Song Lianhe slowly shook her head. "Zhou Junlin isn’t in Ling’an. He’s right here in Sui Ning City."

Zhong Shimin lowered his eyes.

She froze, then exclaimed in surprise, "You already knew, didn’t you?!"

"Yes."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. As expected of Tiger Beak! So tell me, when did you find out?"

"...Back when he first started deliberately approaching you."

Song Lianhe was truly astonished.

’Does that mean he found out even earlier than I did?’

’Wait, if Zhong Shimin knew, then... does that mean Zhou Cangyan also knows?!’

She felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. Although she knew she shouldn’t feel that way, the thought that her every move with Zhou Junlin was happening right under Zhou Cangyan’s nose made her panic.

Just then, Zhong Shimin suddenly asked her, "Have you been plotting this the entire time you’ve been in contact with him?"

’At this point, could I really say no?’

So, she nodded solemnly. "Yes!"