Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 267: A Single Book Cannot Contain 2 Villainesses
E Jintang’s strength was truly immense. The way he held Song Lianhe’s arm, it was as if he were holding a chick’s tiny wing—like he could rip it off and fling it into the sky at any moment.
"It’s breaking... It’s breaking... My arm’s going to break..."
"Huh? Oh, right, right."
E Jintang hastily let go. Song Lianhe rubbed her shoulder, and after checking that no one was around, she gave his rock-hard chest a light pat. "You’re a quick one~"
E Jintang scratched his head in embarrassment.
’No one’s ever called me quick-witted before.’
"Someone’s coming."
At Xuan Mei’s warning, Song Lianhe turned her head, an eyebrow arching in response.
’Heh. Foes are bound to meet, aren’t they?’
Song Xilan, leading Man Yue and her entourage, was striding toward them.
They approached with an air of coming to seize someone.
’Doing the math,’ Song Lianhe figured, ’my disguise as an attendant to get into the mansion yesterday must have been exposed.’
But to her surprise, Song Xilan—a woman always known for her grace and reason, hailed as the very paragon of all the unwed noblewomen in Ling’an—raised her hand without a word and slapped her squarely across the face—
The slap left not only Song Lianhe stunned, but Song Xilan herself completely dumbfounded.
She stared in disbelief at her own slightly red, trembling hand. ’What is wrong with me?!’
’Back at the General Mansion, no matter how outrageous Song Lianhe was, no matter how she bullied and provoked me, I could always handle it with composure. I would never have let myself be put on the back foot.’
’But today, the instant I saw her, a wave of inexplicable hostility surged in my chest. Before I could even process it, my hand had already struck.’
The slap shocked everyone.
No one could have possibly imagined Song Xilan would strike someone right off the bat. After a moment of shock, Man Yue was overcome with surprise and excitement. ’Her Ladyship has finally come to her senses! You shouldn’t indulge a bitch like that!’
’Let’s see if she dares to act so high and mighty anymore!’
Gu Ha, who was behind Song Xilan, was also taken aback.
He had been ordered by the Prince to stay at the E Mansion. Hearing that Song Lianhe had infiltrated the estate in disguise, he had tagged along, afraid the Princess Consort might be put at a disadvantage.
He never imagined it would be the Princess Consort who made the first move...
At the same time, Xuan Mei became enraged.
She cast aside all pretense of hiding. In an instant, the old woman’s robes she wore were torn to shreds, revealing her true black combat attire beneath. Her long hair was bound high, a red satin ribbon whipping in the wind, and a shortsword with a cold, sharp glint was already in her hand.
Then, with a reverse-handed grip, she aimed the blade at Song Xilan’s neck and lunged—
Xuan Mei meant to kill.
Gu Ha’s eyes narrowed. He shot forward and forcefully parried her blade with his own sword!
Both wielded shortswords, both were masters of close-quarters combat. Now, as they faced off, their movements were as fierce and unstoppable as a hurricane.
But they had both forgotten one person: E Jintang.
Just a moment ago, E Jintang had been happily basking in Song Lianhe’s praise. The next, he watched her get slapped. His pupils dilated in shock—it felt as if the blow had landed on his own face!
He then let out a furious roar that seemed to shake the heavens!
Before anyone could react, he charged ferociously at Song Xilan—
"Ahhh—"
Song Xilan was frightened out of her wits. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground as a massive shadow blotted out the sun, inch by inch, until his colossal figure completely enveloped her...
Gu Ha’s expression changed. He ignored Xuan Mei, spun around, and shot back to snatch the woman off the ground with one arm. Then, using Qinggong, he leaped back thirty feet. "Protect the Princess Consort!"
At his command, dozens of guards surged forward to form a protective circle around Song Xilan.
"Ah, you... How dare you..."
Terrified, Man Yue scrambled over to Song Xilan’s side. "This is Princess Consort Ling! If a single hair on her head is harmed, the Prince will have your heads!"
The words had barely left her mouth when Xuan Mei’s figure descended from above. She raised a hand and delivered two sharp slaps—SLAP! SLAP!
Before Man Yue could even recover, E Jintang barreled in and sent her flying with a vicious slam!
The two of them single-handedly threw the formation of dozens of guards into chaos. Gu Ha gritted his teeth, keeping Song Xilan safely behind him. "Princess Consort Ling is here! How dare you be so impudent!"
Xuan Mei’s face was a mask of frost, her lips curled in a sneer of contempt.
E Jintang’s nostrils flared as he breathed heavily, dragging a pair of thousand-pound hammers. ’What damned Princess Consort Ling?’ The title didn’t even register. All he knew was that they had provoked his "Granny," and that was unforgivable. He was going to tear them apart with his bare hands!
One of them used Qinggong to soar into the air while the other’s charge shook the very ground. Their high-low assault was perfectly coordinated, creating an overwhelming, murderous pressure.
Horror seized Gu Ha’s heart!
’I can barely handle Xuan Mei alone,’ he thought. ’Against E Jintang as well, I have absolutely no chance of winning!’
Behind him, Song Xilan had long been scared witless. Her face was ashen, her heart hammered in panic, and her throat felt as though it were being squeezed shut, stifling any sound. Drenched in a cold sweat, she was on the verge of collapse.
Gu Ha steeled his resolve and tightened his grip on his shortsword. He would protect the Princess Consort, even if it cost him his life!
In the blink of an eye, Xuan Mei and E Jintang closed in. One swung her sword, the other raised his hammers, and they leaped into the air simultaneously—
"Come back."
From behind them, Song Lianhe spoke, still rubbing her face.
Her voice wasn’t loud, especially amidst the chaos, where it was barely more than a whisper.
And yet, both Xuan Mei and E Jintang heard her.
The two of them abruptly halted their assault.
With a light tap of her toes, Xuan Mei leaped through the air and landed behind Song Lianhe.
E Jintang shot Song Xilan a venomous glare before effortlessly shouldering his pair of thousand-pound hammers and walking back.
Only when the danger had passed did Song Xilan finally manage to exhale a shaky breath.
It was only when a breeze blew past that she realized with a start that her undergarments were soaked through...
Gu Ha also let out a quiet sigh of relief, but he kept his grip tight on his sword, still standing protectively in front of her.
Song Lianhe lowered the hand from her cheek. A red handprint stood out starkly against her fair, flawless skin, showing just how much force had been behind the slap.
She lifted her gaze to meet the other woman’s, a faint, derisive smile playing on her lips. "Song Xilan. Done with the act, are we?"
Song Xilan shuddered.
’Perhaps no one understands the meaning of those words better than I do.’
Before the Song Family, before Zhou Junlin, before the servants, before the entire world... Song Xilan had grown so used to wearing a mask that she’d begun to believe it was her true face.
It wasn’t until Song Lianhe repeatedly slipped from her control, challenging her limits again and again, that she slowly began to explore that dark corner deep within her own heart.
It turned out she, too, was capable of jealousy and hate.
This version of herself was a stranger to her—one she even found repulsive!
And yet, she did not reject it.
Now, Song Lianhe’s casual "Done with the act" was like a mirror thrust in her face, forcing her to see the complete sham for what it was.
Song Xilan lowered her gaze, her expression growing progressively darker as the corners of her lips curled into a slight smile.
Her earlier panic was gone, replaced by an extremely low voice. "Aren’t you the same..." She slowly lifted her head, her eyes veiled in a dark, cold glint. "Should I call you Miss Sun Shangxiang, or... Song Lianhe? My *dear* sister?"
Song Lianhe froze.
She saw it... The heroine’s halo above Song Xilan’s head was slowly morphing into a chaotic mass of dark, dense fog, threatening to swallow her whole!
’I have to say, I really have to say it... no matter how you look at it, this scene looks exactly like the female lead is turning into a villain!’
’One book can’t contain two villains!’
’If the female lead is going to walk my path as the Villainess, then where does that leave me?’
