Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 352: What’s One More Grudge?

Song Lianhe still didn’t know what had happened. She was focused solely on finding Ah Jun.

In the end, it was the Shadow Guards who found him. Thankfully, he only had superficial injuries, but Ah Jun remained dispirited and silent the entire way back.

Not long after Song Lianhe and Ah Jun were brought back to the Prince Mansion, Zhou Cangyan returned as well.

"Where is the Princess Consort?"

He strode back into the mansion.

Manager Pang hurried to keep up. "The Princess Consort is still in her room..."

Before he could finish, the man, who radiated a biting chill, had already rounded the corner.

Da Xi was treating Song Lianhe’s wounds.

"Your Highness, you were so reckless! If Chun Hua hadn’t come back for help, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

"You’re right. I was indeed careless this time."

Song Lianhe reflected on the painful lesson. ’I can’t just keep my life-saving items so obviously in one place! They should be hidden everywhere on my person!’

BANG—

The door was violently thrown open.

Zhou Cangyan stood at the door, his face like ice. "Get out."

Da Xi froze, then quickly answered and shot Song Lianhe a "you’re-on-your-own" look before leaving.

Da Xi had just stepped out the door when it slammed shut behind her with another BANG, making her heart skip a beat in fright.

Song Lianhe shot to her feet. ’I didn’t mean to,’ she thought, ’it’s just an instinct to be wary of the powerful!’

"I..."

Zhou Cangyan strode forward. The sheer pressure from their height difference forced Song Lianhe to tilt her head all the way back to look at him.

"Heh."

He let out a cold laugh, and Song Lianhe instinctively swallowed.

"Do you have any idea that if I had been a step slower, you would have been decapitated, your body left in pieces!"

"B-but you arrived in time, didn’t you?"

"That man is a spy from the Nanchen Kingdom. If he hadn’t been consumed by lust, he would have killed you the moment he spotted you!"

Song Lianhe felt a little guilty. "I didn’t know he was a spy at first..."

Zhou Cangyan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then how did you know that woman was General Song Xingfeng’s wife?"

"..."

A flicker of panic crossed Song Lianhe’s eyes, but she quickly composed herself. "I heard someone call her ’General’s wife.’ I was curious, so I looked a little closer, and that’s when I noticed something was wrong."

Zhou Cangyan scoffed. "Is that really so?"

"You don’t believe me?"

Song Lianhe tilted her chin up, glaring at him. "Do you think I’m deliberately targeting Song Xilan, and that’s why I was watching Mrs. Liu?"

He looked at the defiant girl before him. Her watery eyes were exceptionally bright, and her entire being seemed to be enveloped in a dazzling light...

’Light?’

Zhou Cangyan stared, but there was no light. His eyes were just playing tricks on him.

"Why aren’t you talking? Have you got nothing to say, or do you just not want to say it?"

Song Lianhe’s expression grew cold. ’Is this what they call fate?’

’No matter how hard I try, it’s useless against his unrequited love for another...’

Suddenly, Zhou Cangyan lowered his head, his handsome, ethereal face drawing closer, bit by bit.

Song Lianhe froze, instinctively recoiling.

"Don’t move."

He raised a hand and cupped her small chin, leaning in even closer. There was a faint bruise there, barely visible unless one looked closely.

His brow furrowed. He lifted his long lashes and stared at her intently. "Did he do this?"

"What?" Song Lianhe asked, confused.

But he didn’t ask again, his expression suddenly turning frigid.

He abruptly turned and pushed the door open, striding out.

The people outside jumped in surprise, hurriedly turning to press themselves against the wall and pretend they hadn’t seen a thing.

Seeing Yin Huan pressed against the wall, E Jintang copied her, his large frame slapping against the surface. It was like seeing a mighty tiger pasted onto a wall...

Zhou Cangyan merely shot them a sideways glance, not deigning to give them a second thought.

The two only breathed a sigh of relief once Zhou Cangyan was far in the distance.

That guy’s aura was way too intense. He’s terrifying.

Yin Huan and E Jintang entered Song Lianhe’s room one after the other. "I heard you went for a stroll through Nanfeng Hall."

Yin Huan never missed a chance to tease her. "A Princess Consort visiting Nanfeng Hall... you must be the first in history."

E Jintang frowned, glancing cautiously at Song Lianhe. "But Granny, why would you go to a place like that? How could those male courtesans possibly compare to Prince Qing?"

Yin Huan covered her mouth, snickering.

Song Lianhe shot her a look. "You’re not exactly being quiet about it."

Yin Huan was still beaming. Making herself at home, she grabbed a piece of fruit from the table and took a bite. Deciding it was delicious, she stuffed a handful into E Jintang’s hands.

"This business with Mrs. Liu has already caused a city-wide scandal. By now, everyone knows she has a lover."

"That fast?"

Song Lianhe was stunned. Zhou Cangyan had only just captured the man, and it was already the talk of the town?

’Zhou Cangyan did say that Mrs. Liu’s lover was actually a spy from the Nanchen Kingdom. A scandal in the private household of a high official would be a good way to divert attention.’

Yin Huan looked at her and grinned again. "You were the one who exposed Mrs. Liu, so what do you suppose the esteemed Princess Consort Ling is thinking right now? Oh, right, I almost forgot. The two of you already have a history of ’misunderstandings.’ This time, she definitely won’t let you get away with it~ Ohohoho~"

Seeing how happy she was, E Jintang started laughing too. "Hehe..."

’I knew from the moment I started following Mrs. Liu that I would provoke Song Xilan again,’ Song Lianhe thought. ’But it’s not like she’s the type to leave me alone even if I don’t stir up trouble.’

"What’s one more feud between the two of us?"

Just as she said that, Ah Jun came trotting in. "Sister, someone from the Ling Prince Mansion is here."

Song Lianhe sneered. ’Right on time.’

—

Song Xilan rushed to the Prince Qing Mansion, bringing Nanny Tian and Kong Qing with her.

Song Xingfeng was not in Ling’an at the moment and was still unaware that Liu Wanqing had taken a lover. Therefore, Liu Wanqing had immediately dispatched Nanny Tian to the Ling Prince Mansion to report the situation.

When Song Xilan heard the news, she was both furious and frantic.

"Mother is so foolish!"

Nanny Tian pleaded, "Miss, the General’s wife was just so lonely and miserable that she wanted to find a little amusement. Who would have thought she’d be caught! And I have no idea where this Princess Qing came from, but now Prince Qing has been alerted, and the whole affair is public knowledge! I dare not imagine what will happen when the General returns... Is there any way for her to survive this!"

"She’s worried about her survival, but who has ever given *me* a chance to survive? Her birth was already humble, earning her scorn. Now that she’s done something so utterly disgraceful, how am I supposed to hold my head high before the Prince?"

Nanny Tian rushed forward to placate her. "Miss, you’re the only one who can help the General’s wife now! While there’s still a chance to salvage this, you must go and plead with Prince Qing. We all know how he feels about you. He will only listen to you!"

No matter how much Song Xilan resented the situation, she had to think of her own interests.

’Mother had an affair at her age. And if having an affair wasn’t bad enough, it was with a male courtesan from Nanfeng Hall! She even got pregnant by him!’

’A scandal like this will only bring me utter shame. I’ll never be able to hold my head high in the Royal Family again! And someone with ulterior motives could even use this to crush me!’

So, Song Xilan didn’t dare to delay and immediately hurried to the Prince Qing Mansion.

As a servant went to announce their arrival, Nanny Tian whispered a reminder, "Prince Qing has never forgotten you, Miss. He will surely help you! But it all depends on your approach."

Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the hall.

A tremor went through Song Xilan’s heart. She slowly turned her head...