Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 286: Song Xilan, I’ve Been Too Easy on You
Song Lianhe strode over and shoved aside the guards surrounding Mrs. E. "Get out of the way!"
Seeing who it was, the murderous aura around Mrs. E slowly dissipated.
Song Lianhe looked at the woman sitting opposite her with a cold smile. "Song Xilan, I’ve been far too lenient with you! You dare lay a hand on my people?!"
Mrs. E lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, then put away the whip in her hand.
The last person to shield her like this had been her husband.
"Song Lianhe!"
Song Xilan shot to her feet. "You’re deliberately trying to antagonize me, aren’t you—"
Before she could finish, Song Lianhe just smiled. "And what can you do about it?"
Without wasting any more words on her, she immediately ordered her people to throw them out.
"Right here." Xuan Mei drew the short sword from her waist and gave it a casual flourish. She glanced at the guards beside Mrs. E, her expression indifferent, as if looking down on a bunch of petty lowlifes.
To be precise, these men weren’t much to look at. They weren’t even enough for a warm-up.
These guards had all been assigned to Song Xilan by Zhou Junlin. They knew full well how formidable Xuan Mei was. Never mind them; even if Lord Gu Ha were present, he might not be able to stop her.
"Oh, right!" Song Lianhe added a reminder. "Don’t make a mess for the E Mansion. Just... toss them all in the lake."
"Mm."
Xuan Mei was a woman of her word. If she agreed to toss them all in the lake, she’d guarantee not a single one remained on the shore.
"Who dares to move!"
Song Xilan shrieked, but Xuan Mei acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing. She grabbed one of them with both hands and tossed him into the lake!
Soon, a series of splashes echoed one after another.
Song Xilan was furious. "What have you done?!"
Song Lianhe turned a deaf ear. Hearing the continuous "SPLASH, SPLASH," she turned back to Mrs. E with a grin. "Does that feel satisfying, Madam? If not, I can have... have Sister Mei strip them naked, then toss them onto the street for everyone to see!"
’She says that as if *I’m* not afraid of getting my hands dirty...’ Xuan Mei, busy tossing people, spared a moment to glance over.
The expression on Mrs. E’s face softened considerably. She gave Song Lianhe a small smile.
"Alright."
The guards flailing in the lake were stunned.
’What did she just say?’
’Alright?!’
Song Lianhe immediately waved her hand grandly. "Xuan Mei! Da Xi! Get to it!"
Xuan Mei: "..."
Da Xi: "..."
"Hahaha—" Mrs. E burst into hearty laughter.
It was the first time she had laughed so freely since her husband’s passing.
Seeing that she’d made her laugh, Song Lianhe joined in happily.
Staring at the two of them, Song Xilan’s eyes turned sinister. She had been publicly humiliated. If she didn’t strike back now, she would be constantly overshadowed in the future, unable to command respect!
She was both furious and frantic. Her chest felt tight, her breathing grew ragged, and soon she was gasping for air.
Gradually, her head began to swim, and the world started to spin...
"Princess Consort!"
Her maidservant caught her limp body just in time, preventing her from falling.
At the same time, that ancient and mysterious voice echoed in her ear once more:
"You are the female lead! You are the one who should be adored by all, the one who should be the ultimate winner! Whether it’s Zhou Junlin or Zhou Cangyan, they should both be your devoted servants! It was her! She’s the one who stole your protagonist’s halo! You must take it back! Take back everything that belongs to you! Take it back!!"
Song Xilan’s mind cleared with a jolt.
She stared with wide, incredulous eyes. Song Lianhe’s triumphant and spirited appearance was reflected in her shocked gaze.
’What is this voice saying... That Song Lianhe is supposed to be an insignificant Villainess, and that I’m the real female lead, destined to have the love of both Zhou Junlin and Zhou Cangyan?’
’It was Song Lianhe who stole the life that was originally mine, reducing me to this pathetic state!’
A whirlwind of images flashed through her mind, like memories of a past life. In them, she and Zhou Junlin lived in perfect harmony, deeply in love. Zhou Cangyan also treated her as someone special—so special that he willingly let her deceive him, only to meet a tragic death, pierced by a thousand arrows...
Song Xilan could never have imagined that someone could love her so fiercely. Her heart pounded—THUMP THUMP THUMP. The scene was both too brutal and too stunning to comprehend.
Zhou Cangyan, that dangerous man, as wild and solitary as a lone hawk, had actually admired her enough to die for her.
Such a fiery, trembling devotion was deeply moving.
’Why do I keep feeling like all of this actually happened?’
The thought that a man as proud and untamable as Zhou Cangyan could fall for her made Song Xilan’s cheeks burn.
And then, the mysterious voice appeared again. "You were born to be the female lead, adored by all! She stole everything from you! Originally, all of this was yours! It’s all because of Song Lianhe!"
’Yes, it’s all because of her.’
The moment she accepted this new reality, it was as if her entire being had awakened. A "DING!" sound suddenly rang in her mind.
She understood.
"Princess Consort, are you alright?"
Her anxious maidservant was by her side. Song Xilan slowly opened her eyes, lowered her gaze to compose her expression, and when she looked up again, she was as gentle as ever.
"Sister," she called out softly, then walked toward her.
Song Lianhe was taken aback by this "Sister." ’The female lead is truly the female lead!’ she thought. ’So adaptable, able to endure what no ordinary person could!’
’She can switch emotions in the blink of an eye and transform into an innocent little damsel. If she doesn’t succeed, who will!’
Song Xilan came to stand before her, watching her without blinking, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
Song Lianhe raised a skeptical eyebrow. Song Xilan took another step forward and lowered her voice. "Sister, could we speak in private?"
"No." Song Lianhe’s refusal was decisive. "If you have something to say, say it here. If you’re afraid of being overheard, then don’t say it. I’m not that interested in hearing it anyway."
The two of them were hardly sisters who could share secrets.
Song Xilan lowered her eyes, the corners of her lips curling slightly. "Here? Are you sure?"
Song Lianhe gave her a strange look. She felt that Song Xilan’s entire aura had suddenly changed.
How to describe it?
It was like...
She was absolutely determined to win.
She was completely confident of her victory.
The feeling inexplicably made Song Lianhe a little uncomfortable. She didn’t respond, merely watching her coolly.
"Alright, then." Song Xilan surprisingly nodded readily. Her smile never faltered as she leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Song Lianhe, you can’t win against me."
"Is that all?"
Song Lianhe paid no mind to her empty threats.
"Whether it’s the status as the legitimate daughter of the General Mansion or as the Crown Princess Consort, I want it all! And Zhou Cangyan... I will take him back as well."
Song Lianhe had remained expressionless while listening to her talk about being the legitimate daughter or the Crown Princess Consort. But when she mentioned Zhou Cangyan, Song Lianhe’s expression changed.
She was like a little wildcat protecting its food, her claws coming out with a "SWISH!"
’What do you mean, Zhou Cangyan?!’
’Isn’t having Zhou Junlin enough for her? Now she’s got ideas about Zhou Cangyan too?!’
’In her dreams!’
Wait—
At that moment, Song Lianhe’s expression froze.
Just now, Song Xilan had said "take back," not "snatch" or "fight for."
It was as if... she already knew something.
But that was impossible... Or was it?
’Then what does my existence here mean?’
’So, nothing in this world is absolute.’
The thought made Song Lianhe uneasy. It was the first time since she had transmigrated into the book that she had felt this kind of fear.
A fear of the unknown.
