Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 17: Even the Villain Couldn’t Escape the Fate of Falling for the Heroine

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Even the Villain Couldn’t Escape the Fate of Falling for the Heroine

In Cui Die Xuan, Song Xilan glanced at the sky outside and couldn’t help but say with some worry, "Mother, we’ve locked her outside. You don’t think something bad will happen, do you?"

"What could possibly happen?" Mrs. Liu’s voice was laced with hatred whenever Song Lianhe’s name came up. "I used to just think she was an idiot, so I never sweated the small stuff with her! Who knew she was so calculating! Let her suffer a little out there tonight. It’ll teach her who the true mistress of this house is! Does she really think it’s still her damn dead mother?!"

"Mother, watch your words." Song Xilan walked over and sat down properly in front of her mother. "Because of this morning’s incident, Father is already unhappy with me."

"Your father is being so dense! It’s obvious Prince Ling is interested in you. No matter which daughter he marries, your father will securely become a Prince’s father-in-law. Who knows, in the future, he might even be the nation’s..."

"Mother!"

Song Xilan quickly clamped a hand over Mrs. Liu’s mouth. "Mother, you can’t say such things, especially not now. Be careful, the walls have ears."

"Alright, alright, I understand."

Song Xilan added, "I saw King Qing at the city gates today. It looked like he knew my younger sister..."

In short, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she felt that the way Zhou Zha looked at Song Lianhe wasn’t the gaze of a stranger...

"King Qing? That harbinger of death? How could he possibly know Lianhe?"

Song Xilan just shook her head. "I was probably mistaken."

Mrs. Liu chimed in, "Think about who King Qing is. He’s not someone you can meet just by wanting to! Besides, everyone in Ling’an City knows he detests women. He doesn’t even spare a glance for women far more beautiful than Song Lianhe!"

"You’re right. I must have been overthinking it."

"That’s right. The Empress’s Hairpin Banquet is in a few days. You absolutely must make a good impression! Are any of the daughters from the other noble houses a match for my Xilan?"

At her mother’s words, Song Xilan smiled confidently. "I will not let you down, Mother!"

——

In the blink of an eye, the most comfortable, spacious, and steady carriage in the Prince Mansion was waiting at the gate.

Before boarding the carriage, Zhou Cangyan cast a cool glance toward his Shadow Guard. The guard, clad in a conical bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, sat perfectly upright at the front.

’A wise man thinks ahead. The guard was simply fulfilling his duty as a close protector.’

The rain poured in torrents. The carriage wheels rolled through puddles on the ground, sending water splashing in all directions.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt just as it was approaching the General Mansion.

"My Lord, it’s Second Miss Song..."

The curtain was lifted. Through the gray, hazy rain, he saw a figure in the distance. In the middle of the road, a woman, clothes utterly soaked, knelt in a pathetic state, pressing down on the chest of a young man.

About fifteen minutes ago, Song Lianhe had been taking shelter from the rain perfectly well, until she saw a drunken young man staggering toward her in the downpour.

He spotted the General Mansion, threw down his wine jug with a CLANG, and began pounding on the gate. "Miss Xilan! Would you please come out and see me, Miss Xilan?"

Song Lianhe’s expression was that of someone settling in to watch a good show. ’Is this... one of Song Xilan’s admirers?’

"Miss Xilan, I am Yan Wen of Qingzhou. I’ve admired you for so long. Please, take pity on me and come out to see me..."

’Yan Wen...’

Song Lianhe wracked her brain, trying to recall the book’s plot, when it suddenly hit her— 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

’Yan Wen, the newly-minted Top Scholar!’

’The book didn’t say much about him. His family was poor when he was young, and they were old neighbors of Song Xilan’s maternal family. One year, while visiting relatives with her mother, Song Xilan happened upon Yan Wen after he’d been kicked out of his academy, destitute. She casually sponsored him with some silver, which allowed him to continue his education.’

’He was a man hopelessly in love. After that day, he decided Song Xilan was the only one for him, and he remained unmarried for his entire life.’

’If you ignored his simping, he was actually a brilliant statesman. Song Xilan was aware of his affection, so when the male lead was in need of talented people, she went to his door personally to recruit him. As for whether she was just using him, well, he was a willing party.’

’The one who ended up trapping Zhou Cangyan in that deserted city was none other than Yan Wen.’

’As expected of the great female lead. The fates of several men in the book were all tied to Song Xilan, including the villain, Zhou Cangyan. In the end, even he couldn’t escape the trope of eventually falling for the heroine.’

’But wait, Yan Wen isn’t supposed to appear here!’

’The first time he was properly described in the book was when he won the title of Top Scholar. He was parading through the streets in ornate robes on a tall horse, an incredibly impressive sight.’

’There was one more thing worth noting: this Yan Wen absolutely despised Song Lianhe. He was basically the female lead’s number one diehard fan.’

’Every time Song Lianhe tried to harm the heroine, he would find some way to help the heroine get justice and utterly humiliate Song Lianhe in the process.’

’Tsk, tsk. Best to steer clear of a minor male character who’s basically just a plot device.’