Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 351: I’m Glad You Came

Holding the woman in his arms, Zhou Cangyan didn’t let go for a long, long time.

Within his faintly gleaming eyes was a deeply hidden terror.

She was clearly right here in his arms, but the image that flashed before his eyes was still of her falling from that high place just moments ago—

In that instant, he had suddenly panicked.

A panic like he had never known before...

Even now, he was terrified by the what-ifs. ’What if I had been a step too late?’

’What if I hadn’t caught her?’

’Or what if she had been hurt?’

The thought of these possibilities felt like a piece of his heart was being gouged out.

Song Lianhe was also still reeling from the shock.

She leaned against his chest, her heart pounding. DONG DONG DONG.

Her hands trembling, she raised them to wrap around his waist, burying her cheek in his chest.

"Thank you... I’m so glad you came."

She tried to control the tremor in her voice, which made Zhou Cangyan narrow his light-colored eyes and tighten his arms around her.

"Hah... Zhou Cangyan, I can’t breathe!"

As if waking from a dream, he immediately released her and took a step back.

But as soon as he let go, Song Lianhe lost her footing and nearly stumbled. He instinctively caught her again.

She lifted her gaze to look at him.

But he quickly lowered his eyes again.

"Ah!"

With a cry, the guard who had grabbed Song Lianhe was pecked by Chun Hua and fell from the upper floor.

Seeing the man who had crashed to the ground, Zhou Cangyan’s gaze immediately fell on the torn piece of fabric clutched in his hand.

His eyes narrowed sharply. He slowly turned his head and only then noticed Song Lianhe’s half-exposed, delicate shoulder.

A flash of anger crossed his eyes. He decisively took off his cloak, draped it over her, and pulled the tie tight as if in a fit of pique.

Song Lianhe looked up at him. He suddenly spun around and stomped on the hand that was still clutching the fabric.

"AHHH—"

A blood-curdling scream echoed all around.

One look was all it took for Song Lianhe to know his wrist bone was shattered.

She looked back at him. The man’s half-closed eyes radiated a glacial frost.

Zhou Cangyan bent down and pulled the fabric from the man’s hand. Channeling his Inner Strength, he ground it between his fingers a few times, and the cloth disintegrated into dust, scattering in the air.

’His Princess Consort. Not even a scrap of fabric from her clothes could be allowed to end up in another man’s hands!’

The thought was as sudden as it was perfectly logical, and it proceeded to take firm root in his mind.

"SCREE—"

Chun Hua circled in the air before swooping down to land on Zhou Cangyan’s shoulder. The man and his falcon, even just standing in this narrow alley, still exuded an unparalleled, aloof arrogance.

The sounds of fighting came from upstairs; the Shadow Guards had already rushed up to capture their targets.

"Oh, right!"

Song Lianhe quickly tugged on the corner of his sleeve and said urgently, "The man who captured me isn’t from Da Cheng. He’s having an affair with Mrs. Liu, the wife of the National Guardian General, Song Xingfeng. I also heard them say they were going to steal something from Song Xingfeng... Considering he has assassins of that caliber as guards, he can’t be an ordinary person. The Southern Official persona is just a cover for his real identity!"

Zhou Cangyan looked at her, raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked away.

"Xuan Mei."

"Yes!"

Xuan Mei suddenly appeared at her side.

Song Lianhe watched his retreating back, finally letting go of all her tension.

She asked Xuan Mei, "By the way, how did you find this place?"

Xuan Mei glanced at her. "It was Chun Hua."

—

Everyone in the entire Southern Official establishment was trembling with fear.

Inside the vast main hall, the doors and windows were shut tight, but the room was brightly lit.

The male courtesans on both sides were huddled together, their heads lowered, not daring to look up at the man in the center.

Zhou Cangyan stood on the steps with the majestic Chun Hua on his shoulder. He merely lifted a finger, and a Shadow Guard dragged a man forward.

THUMP—

Zhang Yu was forced to the ground.

His hair was disheveled, and he had a knife wound on his body that had soaked half his lapel with blood.

Zhang Yu lifted his head and couldn’t help but shout, "Is there no law anymore?! Can a Prince just arrest good people at will? I’m going to file a complaint with the Emperor!"

Zhou Cangyan lowered his cold gaze, his hands clasped in front of him.

Before he could even speak, the falcon on his shoulder suddenly took flight. It circled and spun above Zhang Yu’s head, its wings spread wide. Each pass over his scalp was filled with oppressive pressure. Its sharp talons looked as if they could pierce his flesh at any moment! 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Zhang Yu’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He froze, not daring to move an inch.

Just then, the man slowly descended the steps.

Zhang Yu’s breath hitched. The people of Ling’an City might not know, but he knew very well!

Heavenly Kill Slash was not just a name implying a natural-born killer.

This was an Asura Evil Spirit who had clawed his way out of the Evil Ghost Path. During the years he led troops, his methods were savage, brutal, and utterly devoid of humanity! He had even heard that Zhou Cangyan once carved out an opponent’s heart while they were still alive, serving the bloody organ on a platter to accompany his wine...

Now, face to face with him, Zhang Yu’s very soul trembled. He had to bite down hard just to keep from making a sound.

"Which hand touched her?"

Zhang Yu froze, not understanding what he was talking about.

The Shadow Guard holding him lifted his hand and smashed the hilt of his blade down.

Zhang Yu fell to the ground, and one side of his handsome face immediately swelled up.

The surroundings fell deathly silent. Seeing Zhang Yu’s miserable state, everyone else was afraid of drawing the fire onto themselves.

That blow, however, seemed to knock some sense into Zhang Yu.

Just now, he had heard someone call the woman "Princess Consort." Seeing Zhou Cangyan’s demeanor, he realized this must be the Medical Woman his spies had mentioned, the one recently married to the prince by Emperor Cheng Xiao’s decree!

’In other words, Zhou Cangyan doesn’t know my true identity yet...’

’Compared to him discovering the truth, an affair with a noble’s wife is nothing!’

Zhang Yu made his choice instantly, decisively begging for mercy. "Your Highness, please forgive me! This humble one didn’t know she was Princess Qing... I only thought she was a guest who came to the Southern Official for some amusement..."

Zhou Cangyan’s brows shot up, the corners of his mouth curving into a wanton smile. "You’re saying... amusement?"

"Exactly..." Zhang Yu immediately put on a stammering, pitiful act. "Your Highness knows what kind of business we run here and what kind of esteemed guests we serve. People who come here are, of course, looking for fun. And then there are those who come... to catch a cheating spouse."

"Hey! You—"

The Shadow Guard was so angry he was about to strike again.

Zhang Yu dropped to his knees at Zhou Cangyan’s feet. "Spare my life, Your Highness! This humble one has always followed the rules! It was the Princess Consort who sought me out! I didn’t know her identity! If I had known, I wouldn’t have dared to lay a finger on her even if you gave me a hundred times the courage! Besides, if word of this gets out, it will damage the reputations of both you and the Princess Consort!"

"Are you threatening this prince?" Zhou Cangyan glanced down at the man at his feet and let out an inscrutable, mocking laugh. "Then I’m afraid you don’t understand. This prince has never cared about something as trivial as reputation."

As soon as the words fell, a sharp glint flashed. Before Zhang Yu could react, he felt something wet on his wrist...

He looked down and let out a sudden, horrific scream—

In the next instant, the tendons in his other hand were severed as well.

All the male courtesans shrank back in terror, covering their mouths to stifle their screams.

Zhou Cangyan pinched the Willow Leaf Dart in his fingers, took the handkerchief offered by a Shadow Guard, and wiped it with slow, deliberate movements before tossing the cloth aside.

His indifferent eyes swept over the wailing man on the floor. "Since you wouldn’t say which hand touched her, you can do without either of them."