Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 299: That’s It?

"This belongs to the Princess Consort!"

A Shadow Guard picked up a jade hairpin. Xuan Mei snatched it up for a look—it was, indeed, the Princess Consort’s.

She had worn a set of night clothes tonight, with only this single jade hairpin in her hair.

Their spirits lifted, and they immediately began searching for clues in that direction.

E Jintang kept twitching his nose, trying to distinguish other smells from the miasma.

Mrs. E knew that deeply inhaling the miasma was harmful, but she couldn’t be bothered with that now.

She knew her son had an excellent sense of smell.

She used to dislike him raising those animals, feeling he wasn’t mature enough. She had thought the more he associated with beasts, the more simple-minded he would become.

Even his preternaturally sharp sense of smell had felt like a symbol of shame.

But not anymore. She was grateful her son had this gift; it could be useful at a critical moment.

They were here to save their benefactor. It was only right that both she and her son be willing to lay down their lives.

Her Huigu clan were no cowards who would forget a debt of gratitude!

Once Jiu’er confirmed this was the likely spot where they would have come down, the group decided to split up and search.

Jiu’er instinctively moved toward E Jintang, but Xuan Mei grabbed her by the collar.

"Hey, look at this place! Where could I possibly run?"

Xuan Mei didn’t let go.

"Even if I wanted to stab you in the back, I’d have to be able to get out of here first, wouldn’t I?"

Just then, Cao Jin suddenly said, "She’s right, she can’t escape."

Only then did Xuan Mei release her.

Jiu’er scurried to E Jintang’s side like a small kitten seeking refuge.

E Jintang didn’t ask any questions. He just habitually pulled a small packet of snacks from his robes and gave it to her, telling her to sit quietly and not run off.

"Okay!"

Jiu’er agreed with a smile, found a clean spot to sit, and began eating with focus.

The air here was thick and turbid, laced with the putrid, acrid stench of the miasma.

Even so, she could still eat peacefully.

Mrs. E watched her, then glanced at her guileless son, her expression unreadable.

The Shadow Guard lowered his head and stared at the ground for a long time before crouching to observe more closely. It was a pillar base. Further down, he spotted large chunks of rubble, starkly out of place amidst the surrounding charred remains of wood.

He suddenly tried to lift one of the stones.

But the stone was too heavy. He put his back into it but couldn’t budge it an inch.

"Let me!"

E Jintang stepped forward, bent down, and hoisted the stone. With a LOUD THUD, he casually tossed it more than ten feet away.

The Shadow Guard stared in amazement, then pointed. "There’s more over here."

"Oh."

E Jintang grabbed another with one hand, clearing them all away in a few quick moves.

’Such incredible strength is a rare find. No wonder the Princess Consort wanted him on her side!’

"Let me see."

It was Jiu’er who spoke.

"They’re probably looking for a secret chamber. It’s behind the instrument repository; there’s a stone staircase that leads down to it." She stood up and walked over, observing the area carefully before gesturing to the others. "This should be it. Dig."

The area had been hit by two gunpowder blasts, making the ruins extremely unstable. The slightest misstep could trigger a collapse.

But the greatest danger was the poisonous miasma. Even after taking the Miasma Pills that Song Lianhe had prepared, their lives would be at risk if they didn’t get out soon.

But having found a glimmer of hope, no one was willing to give up.

So, the group decided to risk it all. Using their own weapons as shovels, they began digging, desperately searching for the entrance to the hidden chamber.

Jiu’er was the first to show symptoms. Her constitution was the weakest, and she had inhaled the most poisonous miasma.

A wave of dizziness forced her to sit and rest. Before long, she began to vomit, and then her nose started bleeding.

’I must be succumbing to the miasma’s poison,’ she thought clearly.

Soon, Mrs. E showed a similar reaction, followed by the Shadow Guard, and then Xuan Mei.

Xuan Mei merely wiped the blood from her nose, thought nothing of it, and prepared to continue digging with her sword.

Suddenly, a hand gripped her wrist.

She looked up to meet Cao Jin’s unyielding gaze.

"You’re here to save people, not to throw your life away."

Xuan Mei expressionlessly shook his hand off. "This is my business."

Cao Jin’s lips tightened, anger simmering in his eyes. "And what about them? Are they just here to die with you?" He pointed toward Mrs. E, her son, and Jiu’er.

Xuan Mei frowned and looked over at them.

Jiu’er wore a helpless expression. ’It’s not like I have a choice between life and death at this point!’

Mrs. E, on the other hand, was quite serene. She had long made peace with the idea of death, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her son dying here with her.

As for E Jintang, he seemed completely oblivious to the situation. He would do whatever someone he trusted told him to, never giving a thought to his own life or death.

Xuan Mei lowered her gaze. She knew exactly what the suffocating tightness in her chest meant.

’These pills won’t last much longer.’

"You take them out of here."

Cao Jin replied, "I’m staying to keep searching."

Xuan Mei shot him a look, a refusal already on the tip of her tongue.

"Xuan Mei, take them out first."

The Shadow Guard’s tone was calm. "Commander Cao and I will stay behind. You can go find more of those pills for us."

Xuan Mei pressed her lips together, silent.

"Go," the Shadow Guard said with a smile, patting her on the shoulder.

Xuan Mei turned, hauled Jiu’er to her feet, and started back the way they came.

"Hey, can’t you be a little gentler? It’s really uncomfortable being dragged along like this~"

"One more word and I’ll toss you off the path!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"...Okay."

Xuan Mei looked back at Mrs. E and E Jintang.

Mrs. E sighed. "Let’s go."

E Jintang followed his mother but kept looking back, whispering, "Aren’t we looking for Granny anymore?"

Mrs. E told him to be quiet, and he obediently shut his mouth.

Only then did the Shadow Guard turn to Cao Jin, a half-smile playing on his lips. "I’m here out of loyalty to my master. What about you, Commander Cao?"

Cao Jin shot him a look.

The Shadow Guard chuckled in amusement. He picked up his sword to resume the search, wiping blood from his nose and mouth as he tutted, "It’s not easy to melt a block of ice like our Sister Mei, you know~"

There was no reply from behind him.

"Hey, Commander Cao, I was just teasing. Don’t be so stingy with your words, huh?"

The Shadow Guard turned around and saw Cao Jin, head down, digging furiously at something with his bare hands.

Then, he saw it clearly.

From a corner buried under rubble and charred wood, a stone step was gradually emerging...

—

"What the hell! It just ends here?! Is the female lead dead or not? And what about Zhou Cangyan, is he okay? Did the Shadow Guard end up finding them? Did they find that Poetry Collection? And who the hell is Jiu’er, really? It’s over without explaining any of it??"

Song Lianhe, lying in bed, tossed her phone aside in a huff.

The phone’s screen displayed the novel’s cover: "Rebirth: After Transmigrating into the Villainess."

She was in insurance, so she was used to demanding rigor and clarity.

After winning the top sales award, she had specifically taken annual leave. On the rare occasion she had the leisure to binge-read a novel, it had to be an unfinished one!

A serialized novel would be one thing, but who knew what the author was busy with. The updates were erratic, and it seemed like they only posted a new Chapter when the mood struck.

And now the plot was stuck on this agonizing cliffhanger, leaving her completely hanging.

Just then, a voice message came through from a friend. "Lianhe, have you left yet? I’m stuck in traffic over here, so I might be a little late."

Only then did she remember she’d made lunch plans with her friend. She scrambled out of bed, threw on her clothes, and replied guiltily into her phone, "Already on my way, sweetie~"