Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 39: The Prince Already Has a Match Made in Heaven

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Prince Already Has a Match Made in Heaven

"Do you admit your mistake?"

Song Lianhe hadn’t even finished her internal sigh when the man on the high seat suddenly spoke. His voice was ice-cold, the ends of his words rising in a lazy drawl, radiating an authority that required no anger—as if she had drawn a sovereign’s wrath.

It was almost a conditioned reflex. Song Lianhe dropped to her knees with a thud. "I-I admit my mistake!"

The Shadow Guard: "..."

He quickly gestured to Shuang Ye with his eyes.

Shuang Ye, slow on the uptake, awkwardly went over to help her up. "Second Miss," she whispered, "he wasn’t talking to you..."

Only then did Song Lianhe snap out of it and see the steward kneeling on one knee behind her, awaiting punishment.

Pang Jiliang spoke first. "This was my failure. I ask for punishment, my Lord."

Zhou Cangyan didn’t even lift an eyelid. "Go receive your punishment."

"Thank you, my Lord."

Pang Jiliang turned and left. A moment later, the sound of a whip cracking echoed from the courtyard.

The sound made Song Lianhe tremble. ’Why are they so quick to whip people?’

She timidly raised her hand. "Um, excuse me... The steward didn’t actually do anything wrong. Is it really necessary to whip him?"

Only then did Zhou Cangyan seem to slowly turn his gaze toward her. "Are you telling me what to do?"

"I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. I just..."

Zhou Cangyan didn’t even look at her. "Ten more lashes."

Song Lianhe stared at him in disbelief.

"Yes!"

The man outside complied. The whip cracked loudly, and she could faintly hear the steward’s muffled groans as he gritted his teeth against the pain.

Zhou Cangyan glanced in her direction. Song Lianhe instinctively flinched. ’This really isn’t my fault, you know!’

*

"Xilan."

Zhou Junlin caught hold of her as she hurried away.

Mrs. Liu was a perceptive woman. She quickly made an excuse and led her attendants away.

Zhou Junlin stepped forward, pulling her into a partial embrace. "Don’t take what happened earlier to heart. I..."

"Please let go, Your Highness. You are an engaged man, after all. If we are seen being so familiar in public, it will damage the Prince’s reputation."

Song Xilan’s expression was impassive. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held it fast. When she looked up at the man towering over her, her eyes were filled with such profound hurt that Zhou Junlin’s heart instantly ached for her.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said softly, "Xilan, don’t be like this. You know how I feel about you. I just returned to the city. When I heard you were here, I came straight to find you without even stopping by my own residence."

She lifted her head, looking at him with a hurt expression. "Your Highness already has a heaven-blessed match. Why do you keep doing things that might cause me to misunderstand?"

Song Xilan rarely acted petulant in front of Zhou Junlin. She knew he disliked it, so she always strove to appear gentle and magnanimous.

But his behavior earlier had truly infuriated her. There was a perfect opportunity to force Song Lianhe to break the engagement herself, and he had simply let it slip by!

’It made one wonder if he even wanted to break off the engagement at all!’ 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Zhou Junlin knew he was in the wrong, and so he indulged her small fit of pique.

’He wasn’t sure what had come over him earlier. When he saw how easily—how eagerly—Song Lianhe had tried to escape the engagement, he just hadn’t wanted to let her get her way!’

And so, he took her hand and began to walk forward slowly. "Are you aware that my Imperial Uncle has yet to surrender his military authority?"

Song Xilan nodded gently. Her father had mentioned it.

’That’s precisely why the Holy Emperor is so wary of him. In that sense, the beating her father took wasn’t for nothing.’

’Everyone involved, Zhou Cangyan included, was well aware of this.’

"My Imperial Uncle went to the border to lead troops at the age of fourteen. His power base there is deep and cannot be easily shaken. Every day he holds onto his military authority is another day he remains a latent threat. What’s more, he is fearless of rumor and gossip; taking Song Lianhe into his manor is suspicious enough on its own. Until I have probed his true intentions, I absolutely will not hand him any leverage!"

Song Xilan was exceptionally clever. With just this small prompt, she understood his underlying meaning.

She was instantly filled with remorse and self-blame.

"Your Highness... I was being foolish. I’ve wronged you."

Gazing at her delicate and lovely form, Zhou Junlin smiled indulgently. "And you’re still calling me ’Your Highness’?"

Song Xilan blushed. She rose onto her tiptoes, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Junlin..."

Zhou Junlin’s heart stirred. The hand on her shoulder slid down her back to her waist. With a gentle tug, he pulled her into his embrace, drawing a shy gasp from her.

The surrounding guards were well-trained. They instantly turned their backs, forming a human wall to shield the intimate moment unfolding behind them.