Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 313: And to Think I Liked You So Much

Chapter 313: Chapter 313: And to Think I Liked You So Much

Song Lianhe was terrified. In her miserable state, with no powerful backer to rely on, she was truly afraid.

’It’s like playing a video game blind. Who knows how many lives I have left?’

She was dragged into a rockery cave, where a powerful force slammed her against the stone wall.

Her back slammed hard against the cold, unyielding rock, and the pain almost brought Song Lianhe to tears.

A tall man stood before her. As he drew near, the faint, woody scent of incense drifted to her nose.

Song Lianhe suddenly froze. She looked up, but it was pitch-black, and she couldn’t make out the man’s face.

She suddenly reached out a hand, her fingertips brushing against the man’s cold skin. Just as she was about to move her hand lower, her wrist was seized in a tight grip.

"Why did you try to poison her?"

The man’s deep, magnetic voice was deceptively languid, but Song Lianhe could still hear the killing intent hidden within it...

’Zhou Cangyan wants to kill me.’

’For Song Xilan.’

Song Lianhe’s heart jumped. ’What did he hear?’

’He must not have heard everything. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be asking *why* I tried to poison her...’

The realization that he was here purely to get revenge for Song Xilan made Song Lianhe feel like she was about to explode.

’He actually wants to kill me—again and again—for another woman?!’

’That scumbag who uses and discards people!!’

From her position, Song Lianhe couldn’t see his face. But Zhou Cangyan, concealed in the shadows, could clearly see every subtle shift in her expression. She pouted like a wronged child, her large eyes first blazing with a fury that could spit fire, then welling up with tears the very next instant. The tip of her nose turned red, the corners of her mouth drooped, and she looked ready to cry again.

He frowned.

’Why is she crying again?’

"Yes! I was trying to poison her! I want her dead!"

Even though she was furious enough to self-destruct, she knew he couldn’t be exposed here. So she lowered her voice and roared at him, like a tiny kitten baring its teeth and claws.

Zhou Cangyan’s expression remained unchanged. Suddenly, his hand shot out and clamped around her neck, lifting her completely off her feet.

’Again?!’

As she choked, Song Lianhe’s feet thrashed in the air. A profound sense of grievance washed over her.

’The price I paid to return to his side was death itself. Does he have any idea how hopeless, how agonizing that was?’

’But to him, I’m nothing but an ant he can crush whenever he pleases!’

’It’s always threats or choking. Does he really... does he really not feel even a sliver of heartache for me?’

Heh...

’How stupid I am.’

’How could he possibly feel any heartache?’

’He doesn’t even know who I am...’

’So, let him do as he pleases. He just wants to stand up for Song Xilan, right? Fine! I’ll let him!’

Zhou Cangyan stared at the woman he held aloft. One moment, she was filled with indignant grief. The next, her eyes swam with self-mockery. Then, she fell into a suffocating stillness.

He suddenly let go.

Just like last time, his body reacted before his mind could catch up, giving him no time to process his actions.

Song Lianhe crumpled to the ground.

He glanced down, his eyes filled with irritation.

He hated this feeling of losing control. It was as if he were no longer himself.

He looked over at the woman, who was now kneeling in a corner with her back to him, facing the wall like a sulking child.

Zhou Cangyan’s brow furrowed. His voice was low but packed with menace. "Get up."

Far from obeying, Song Lianhe hugged her knees and shuffled even deeper into the corner.

His patience exhausted, Zhou Cangyan raised his hand. Several silver needles had appeared in his palm, their blackened tips now pressed against her fair, slender neck.

Song Lianhe glanced down. ’Those are my silver needles! The poisoned ones!’

’So...’

’He’s going to stab me with my own needles?’

’With *Poison* Needles?!’

All her pent-up grievances surged in her chest, and tears began to fall. DRIP. DRIP.

"You... You’re going to stab me with my own needles?"

The man behind her spoke, his voice cold. "An ordinary physician hiding Poison Needles. Your intentions are sinister!"

Song Lianhe threw her head back, her glistening eyes glaring at him in fury. ’So what if I’m playing the role of a Villainess!’

’Is there a problem with that?!’

Her attitude became defiant and arrogant. "That’s right! My intentions are sinister! Since you’ve already decided I’m guilty, then kill me! If you don’t kill me, I’ll kill Song Xilan. I’ll—"

She fell silent abruptly, staring in disbelief at the sword now pressed against her cheek. The cold steel made the fine hairs on her skin stand on end. With just a fraction more pressure, the sharp blade would scar her face...

Zhou Cangyan stared at her coldly. "Threaten her again, and I will ruin that face of yours."

Seeing that she was stunned into silence, sitting dumbly on the ground, he slowly sheathed his sword. He turned to leave but paused.

"...And if you dare try to seduce Zhou Junlin, I will not spare you!"

In the blink of an eye, the man was gone.

After leaving the cave, Zhou Cangyan walked directly into another section of the rockery, where a hidden door appeared.

He pushed the door open and entered a secret chamber. It had a concealed window that offered a perfect view of the area he had just left.

Zhou Cangyan looked up to see a man sitting and drinking tea. The man raised a pair of calm, cold eyes. "As she herself said, if you’re afraid she’ll harm Song Xilan, you could have just killed her. Why bother revealing yourself just to issue a warning?"

When Zhou Cangyan didn’t reply, the man continued unhurriedly, "And what was the meaning behind forbidding her from seducing Zhou Junlin? If she actually succeeded, wouldn’t that play right into your hands?"

Zhou Cangyan turned away, his gaze fixed on the view outside. "The Huaxu Square case is closed. Commander Cao, you may return and give your report."

Cao Jin shot him a cold look and scoffed. "You took the evidence. And now you’re telling me to go back and make my report? What am I supposed to say? How?"

Suddenly, a small pouch was tossed toward him.

Cao Jin caught it. Opening it, he found a small, black bamboo tube inside.

Just as he was about to uncork it, he heard the man, whose back was still to him, speak in an unhurried tone. "That tube contains a pair of insects, male and female, raised with vile sorcery. After they mate, their eggs are extracted with a needle. If you feed those eggs to the one you desire, they will fall deeply in love with you, remaining faithful until death."

Cao Jin’s hand froze. He slowly looked up. "Is this what was found in the secret room at Huaxu Square?"

"The interesting part," Zhou Cangyan said, "is that the man’s name and birth date written on it are those of our dear Prince Ling."

Cao Jin’s face changed. "You mean that poisonous miasma beneath Huaxu Square," he said in disbelief, "was related to raising these two Gu insects?"

"Zhen Niang discovered the ruins of an old ’venom pit’ beneath Huaxu Square. The miasma there was dense, making it a perfect place to cultivate Gu. That’s when she got the idea to raise a love Gu."

"And just to cover that up, she was willing to blow up Huaxu Square and release the poisonous miasma?" Cao Jin was stunned by the woman’s ruthlessness.

Zhou Cangyan offered no comment on anyone else, simply saying, "Take this and complete your mission."

After a moment’s thought, Cao Jin placed the bamboo tube back in the pouch and carefully stowed it away.

He glanced at the man before him and spoke slowly. "Since you now have the *Danling Ci*, why not assemble the Hidden Guards immediately?"

Zhou Cangyan let out a soft laugh. He turned his head to fix Cao Jin with a dark, inscrutable gaze. "Do you really take E Xianwang for a fool?"

"What do you mean?" Cao Jin was startled. "The collection is a fake?"

Zhou Cangyan didn’t answer. Hearing a noise from outside, his intense, dark gaze fixed on the window.

He saw Song Lianhe emerge, slowly wiping away her tears as she walked.

"Stabbing me with needles... threatening to cut my face... Zhou Cangyan, you bastard! You son of a bitch! You rotten turtle!"

Hearing someone curse Zhou Cangyan, Cao Jin stepped forward, a rare flicker of interest on his face.

Zhou Cangyan’s expression, however, turned chillingly grim, a menacing aura surging around him.

It was rare to see him so infuriated by a woman.

Outside, the woman wiped her eyes again, her voice choked with sobs. "And I liked you so much..." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Those words floated into Zhou Cangyan’s ears, and in that instant, all his menacing anger miraculously vanished.

Cao Jin froze. When had he ever seen Zhou Cangyan so completely at the mercy of someone else’s words?

Not even Princess Consort Ling had ever had such an effect on him.

Just as he was about to say something, he spotted a dark shadow silently tailing Song Lianhe.

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Cangyan’s eyes; he had clearly seen it too.

He turned around. "This woman’s identity is suspect. Before you go, leave two of your men to watch her."

Cao Jin frowned. "What about your Hidden Guards?"

Zhou Cangyan looked at him. "As you know, they are *Hidden* Guards. How can they reveal themselves by her side?"

Cao Jin slowly narrowed his eyes. "Zhou Biwu! Are you using my imperial guard as bodyguards for some woman of unknown origin?"

Zhou Cangyan replied, his expression unchanged, "It’s surveillance, not protection."

Cao Jin was so angry he laughed coldly. "And I’m supposed to believe that?!"