Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 381: His Mission and His Destination
Not long after Xuan Qi left, Ah Jun came in with the packed medical supplies. "Are there any other instructions?"
Song Lianhe rose from her desk and handed him a letter. "Take this to the Xuan Chang Marquis Mansion. You must find a way to place it directly into the Old Marquis’s hands."
Ah Jun was puzzled. "Do you have connections with the Marquis Mansion?"
Song Lianhe slowly shook her head, then quickly nodded. "I have a bit of history with the legendary General Li Hua."
"Rest assured, I will deliver this letter to Marquis Xuan Chang."
Ah Jun tucked the letter inside his robes. After a few steps, he turned back to her. "You have to wait for me to return!"
Song Lianhe couldn’t help but laugh. "Don’t worry. I’m not going to run off and leave you all alone."
Ah Jun smiled. "Okay!"
Song Lianhe turned and resumed her checks, standing in the room and carefully mulling over anything she might have forgotten.
’After all, this journey to Yu State will be incredibly difficult. It’s better to be safe than sorry.’
She didn’t notice the person standing just outside her door at all.
Zhou Cangyan stood at the bottom of the steps, his hands clasped behind his back. The door to her chambers was wide open, and he watched as she methodically instructed several people to deliver messages.
She was still wearing her wedding dress, standing in the center of the room with her hands on her hips. Every so often, she would turn her head to look at the little snake that had somehow crawled onto her shoulder.
"We’ll probably be gone for a long time. If you have any Spiritual Energy, you should go find somewhere else on your own."
Little Lan swayed its head, simply staring at her with its eyes the size of rice grains.
She wondered if it was her imagination, but even after only half a day, Song Lianhe felt its appearance had changed again. Its body seemed a bit more transparent, and it even had two small bumps on its head, like... two horns.
Then again, even if it really were mutating, Song Lianhe wouldn’t be surprised.
’After all, in the world of a novel, a place long since divorced from reality, what was truly impossible?’
After she finished speaking, Little Lan swayed its head from side to side before lying back down on her shoulder. Its long, slender body rose and fell in a steady rhythm, as if it were breathing.
Knowing it wouldn’t harm her, Song Lianhe paid it no more mind.
Her gaze fell upon the top of the wardrobe, and a thought suddenly struck her. She dragged a chair over and climbed on top of it.
After fumbling around on top for a moment, she retrieved a palm-sized brocade box. She wiped the dust from its surface with her sleeve, her movements showing how much she treasured it.
She turned to climb down, but her foot missed its mark. The chair tipped over, and she fell!
"Ah—"
In the nick of time, an arm wrapped around her waist, sweeping her up completely.
She turned her head and met a pair of deep, light brown eyes.
"Thank you..."
Zhou Cangyan lowered his gaze. Seeing how she’d clutched the brocade box so tightly even as she was about to fall, he felt a sudden flicker of curiosity.
’What could she possibly treasure so much?’
’Or perhaps... who gave it to her?’
’In the bamboo grove today, Song Xilan had said the person she truly loves is Zhou Junlin...’
Song Lianhe placed a hand on his chest, signaling for him to put her down.
"I’m fine. You can put me down..."
Before she could finish her sentence, he suddenly let her go.
Startled, Song Lianhe hastily grabbed his lapel to keep her balance.
She lifted her eyes to glare at him coldly. "You did that on purpose."
One corner of Zhou Cangyan’s mouth curled up. He leaned against the wardrobe, glancing at the brocade box clutched in her arms. "Having married into the Prince Qing Mansion, do you really need to hide a private stash of money?"
"It’s not a private stash!"
"Oh? Then what is it?"
Song Lianhe shot him a look. Deciding it wasn’t that important, she opened the brocade box.
Inside was a piece of Blood Jade.
His gaze tightened. He looked from the jade to her.
Song Lianhe picked up the jade and dangled it before his eyes. The name "Biwu" was faintly visible on it.
"Then again, I guess you could call it a private stash," she said, looking at Zhou Cangyan with deliberate provocation. "If you ever mistreat me, I’ll just pawn this jade. Judging by its quality, it should be worth quite a bit of silver."
He took the chance to grasp her wrist. "This jade... Did I really give it to you?"
"No." She closed her palm around the jade, her lovely eyes glancing his way. "It was a gift from some bastard who made me miserable."
"..."
Zhou Cangyan suddenly lost all desire to investigate how this piece of Blood Jade had ended up in her hands.
’As long as it’s with her, it’s for the best.’
"Then why hide it away here?" he asked, glancing at the brocade box.
"I was worried I’d get into trouble, so I wanted to put it somewhere safe. It’s also a keepsake."
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze deep. In a casual tone that nonetheless carried a cold, arrogant authority, he asked, "Who would dare to harm someone by my side?"
’She clicked her tongue. ’He’s about to be exiled himself, and he’s still making such grand pronouncements?’’
’That’s the classic line from a domineering prince in one of those novels. It’s just for dramatic effect. Best to just hear it and move on.’
"Ex...iled?" Zhou Cangyan repeated the word, then suddenly chuckled. "It seems I have wronged my Princess Consort by making you suffer alongside me."
"Think nothing of it." Song Lianhe put the Blood Jade necklace on. As she raised her hand, the golden bracelet on her wrist chimed.
He glanced at it. "That bracelet is broken."
"It is."
Song Lianhe casually turned the bracelet on her wrist. "It got damaged when I took a fall while helping Jintang with his Gu poison."
"I’ll fix it for you when I have a free moment."
She froze and looked up at him.
’Such a mundane, down-to-earth offer... it really didn’t sound like something the magnificent Prince Qing would say.’
Just then, someone walked in.
"Your Highness, the carriage is..."
Pang Jiliang stopped short.
From his angle, he could see the two of them standing so close they almost looked like one.
Manager Pang was overjoyed!
"Where’s His Highness? Uncle Liang, why aren’t you going in?"
A Shadow Guard behind him urged him on, about to step past him. With lightning-fast reflexes, Pang Jiliang grabbed the man. "Go check on the carriage!"
"The carriage is all packed! What else is there to see? I..."
"If I tell you to go, you go!"
After shoving the man out, Pang Jiliang thoughtfully closed the door. He then stood outside, announcing with a broad grin, "The Prince is attending to important business! Our departure can wait a moment or two."
Song Lianhe naturally knew Manager Pang had gotten the wrong idea. She turned back to Zhou Cangyan and suddenly asked, "Your leaving Ling’an City this time... is it..."
But as soon as the question was out, she shook her head and chuckled. "It’s your affair. Do as you see fit."
’This is the path he must walk, his mission, and his destiny.’
’The reassuring thought is that, by avoiding the original female and male leads, all the tragedies can be prevented... right?’
Zhou Cangyan watched her busy form and suddenly asked, "Since you know what I’m planning, aren’t you afraid?"
"Not at all."
She continued packing her clothes, speaking in an unhurried tone. "It’s safer to go with you than to stay here." She looked up at him, a radiant smile gracing her lips. "You’ll protect me, won’t you?"
Gazing at the cheerfully smiling woman before him, he lowered his eyes. A flicker of hesitation crossed his handsome, ethereal face.
"But... I regret it."
"What?"
Song Lianhe didn’t understand.
He met her gaze. "Perhaps I never should have involved you in the first place. That’s why I’m sending you somewhere safe."
