Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 308: That’s Prince Ling’s Secret Mistress

Chapter 308: Chapter 308: That’s Prince Ling’s Secret Mistress

Song Lianhe hadn’t slept all night.

Zhou Junlin had also kept vigil all night.

It wasn’t until the third crow of the rooster outside, sometime in the early hours, that Song Lianhe wearily rose to her feet. "It’s done."

Hearing her, Zhou Junlin immediately stepped forward. "Is the poison neutralized?"

"It is."

"Then why isn’t she awake yet?"

Song Lianhe looked up at him, exhausted. "The poison is neutralized, but its effects are not so easily reversed. She will likely remain unconscious for a few more days."

"A few days?"

Faced with Zhou Junlin’s relentless questioning, Song Lianhe said, slightly annoyed, "Three days! If she isn’t awake in three days, you can have my head!"

Zhou Junlin: "..."

’No one had ever dared to speak to him like that.’ He found it somewhat hard to accept.

’If it weren’t for all her hard work treating the patient, he would have certainly had her punished.’

All Song Lianhe wanted right now was a good sleep. It was the first day of her period, and it had hit her with the force of a tidal wave. Having forced herself to stay up all night, one could only imagine how weak she felt at this moment.

That was why, after only a few steps, her body began to sway. Her vision suddenly went black, and she pitched forward.

Without a second thought, Zhou Junlin reached out and caught her.

"Th-thank you." Song Lianhe’s face was deathly pale, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

He could see she was unwell. After a moment’s thought, he said, "I will have someone escort you back to your room."

She wanted to wave her hand and say it wasn’t necessary. ’A bowl of brown sugar ginger tea would fix everything.’

But when she saw that the person he summoned was Gu Ha, she feigned utter frailty and lifted a hand. "Then I’ll have to trouble this brave warrior to carry me back."

"Weren’t you just fine a moment ago!" Gu Ha grumbled, glancing furtively at Zhou Junlin. Not daring to disobey, he muttered, "Let me tell you, I’m only doing this for the Prince’s sake..."

"Just get down here. What’s with all the chatter!"

She yanked him over and nimbly hopped onto his back. "Let’s go."

He could see she had no obsession with the strict separation of men and women, unlike the cloistered young ladies he knew, Song Xilan included.

’In that respect, she was quite similar to the free-spirited women from outside the border.’

Seeing Gu Ha fuming but not daring to complain, Song Lianhe felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her.

She admitted it. ’She just couldn’t stand the sight of Gu Ha.’

’Who told him to look at her with such disgust?’

’Fine, if he’d hated the original owner of this body, she could accept that. She had no choice but to take the blame for the original owner’s misdeeds.’

’But this time? He didn’t even know who she was, yet he still wore that foul expression. If she wasn’t going to torment him, who else would she torment!’

After delivering her to her room, Gu Ha turned and left immediately.

Song Lianhe lay on the bed. The more exhausted she was, the clearer her mind became, and she began to analyze her current situation.

’She had latched onto Zhou Junlin under the guise of being Princess Qing. For now, he was ignoring the issue only because she could save Song Xilan.’

’What about after?’

’Zhou Junlin would inevitably make her meet Zhou Cangyan. Then, upon discovering he’d been fooled, he would surely fly into a rage out of shame and anger.’

’She had no backer and no silver. How was she supposed to survive here?’

’Could it be? Would she have to walk the same path all over again, starting by opening a Medical Clinic?’

Just as her mind was racing, a sound came from outside the window. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

It was rhythmic, neither hurried nor slow.

Song Lianhe sat up abruptly, slipped on her shoes, and went to the window, pushing it open.

"Chun Hua!"

It really was the bird!

Seeing it again felt like a lifetime had passed.

If it hadn’t woken her, everything about this place would have likely remained buried in her memories.

Chun Hua habitually tilted its head, scanning the surroundings to make sure it could get the freshest, hottest gossip right away!

Seeing its antics, Song Lianhe couldn’t help but laugh. "It’s just me."

As if it truly understood, Chun Hua straightened up and hopped inside without any hesitation.

Seeing it was like seeing a ray of hope for Song Lianhe!

It was true that Chun Hua loved to eavesdrop, but it also knew its boundaries and wouldn’t easily approach strangers.

’So she could be certain—Chun Hua remembered her!’

And indeed, this proved to be true. After hopping inside, Chun Hua habitually flew to her shoulder, occasionally tapping her head gently with its beak.

Song Lianhe giggled, amused by its actions. This feeling was truly wonderful.

In an environment where everyone was a stranger, discovering that someone still remembered her—even if it was just a peregrine falcon—brought her a bit of warmth and courage.

On the roof ridge of a distant pavilion, a man in black stood against the wind.

His raven-black hair and cloak billowed in the wind. In the morning light, his pale eyes held a strange, cold glint, like those of a cheetah.

He watched coldly as the mottled falcon he had raised fawned all over the woman.

Clearly, the woman was also very familiar with it.

Zhou Cangyan remained like a detached spectator, his face betraying no emotion.

But only he knew just how bizarre this scene was.

He couldn’t help but turn his sharp gaze back to the woman. ’She calls herself "Lianhe"...’

Zhou Cangyan narrowed his eyes and leaped down from his high perch.

"My lord, we’ve investigated. The woman entered the pass with Prince Ling. We can’t find any trace of her past. At the time, she was riding back on the same horse as Prince Ling, and they looked quite intimate!"

The Shadow Guard analyzed with a serious face, "From the looks of it, it seems he brought back a mistress he was keeping outside the capital..."

Before he could finish, Zhou Cangyan cut him off impatiently. "When did you become a busybody like Chun Hua?"

"I... I’m not just making things up! Many people saw it. She was sitting in Prince Ling’s arms! Who is Prince Ling? Would he let just any woman ride his horse? The two of them have probably been having a secret affair for a long time. His secret trip outside the border might have even been for her..."

The more Zhou Cangyan listened, the more irritated he became. With a casual wave of his hand, he sent out a powerful blast of palm energy, knocking the Shadow Guard away.

The man played along, crying out, "Ouch, ouch!"

At the same time, another person approached.

Without turning his head, Zhou Cangyan asked, "Is she awake?"

Xuan Mei shook his head. "According to the woman, it will be within three days."

He lowered his gaze and said nothing.

The Shadow Guard quickly ran back, whispering to Xuan Mei at his side, "Hey, you saw that just now, right? You know how strange Chun Hua’s temperament is. It actually flew to that woman on its own initiative!"

Xuan Mei didn’t reply.

But his expression also revealed his confusion.

The man in front suddenly spoke, "What’s the situation with Yin Huan?"

Xuan Mei paused. "Her parents, fearing they would implicate her, both hanged themselves... I was a step too late."

The self-reproach in Xuan Mei’s voice was evident.

Even the Shadow Guard fell silent. Although they were her adoptive parents, they were the ones who doted on Yin Huan the most.

’Even Zhen Niang herself probably didn’t expect this outcome. Because of this, a deep-seated grudge would now be forged with Yin Huan!’

Meanwhile, after chatting with Song Lianhe for a while, Chun Hua flapped its wings and flew away.

Song Lianhe stood at the window, watching it disappear into the clouds in the blink of an eye. A gratified smile touched her lips.

’From now on, I have to treat Chun Hua better,’ she thought. ’We’ll share all the gossip and watch all the drama together!’

Just then, a small flicker of fire in the garden below caught her attention. It was barely noticeable in the daylight.

It wasn’t until she stood on her toes and saw the small figure that she remembered who it was.