Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 337: She is your Princess Consort

He looked down at the hand the Empress offered him. It was like a jade carving—fair and delicate, like a shy lily of the valley.

Zhou Cangyan hesitated before slowly reaching out his hand...

"Ah! Princess Consort, what’s wrong?"

Hearing the cry of alarm from behind him, Zhou Cangyan decisively dropped his hand and immediately turned to see what was happening.

Song Lianhe froze.

She stared at him blankly, as if in that instant she didn’t recognize him at all.

Chun De frowned as well.

Song Xilan had fainted. Thankfully, Kong Qing was there to catch her. Zhou Junlin also rushed over anxiously to check on her. "Lan’er?"

Zhou Cangyan only turned to look. Though he didn’t step forward, the concern in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"Doctor Song! Get over here and check on the Princess Consort!"

Kong Qing roared at Song Lianhe.

Chun De’s face immediately hardened with displeasure.

The shout reminded Zhou Cangyan that there was a doctor right beside him. Before Chun De could utter a rebuke, he said immediately, "Go see how she is."

Even though Chun De wanted to teach that servant a lesson, Prince Qing had spoken, so she could only let it go.

Besides, she was rather curious to see how Song Lianhe would react.

"Doctor Song!" Zhou Junlin’s face also showed unconcealable anxiety. "Please, come take a look at Lan’er!"

Song Lianhe pressed her lips together, laughing at herself inwardly.

’Just look at that. The V.I.P. treatment for the female lead!’

She said nothing, but as she passed Zhou Cangyan, she deliberately stomped hard on his foot.

Zhou Cangyan’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

She pretended not to notice and walked straight past him.

Though a thousand frustrations churned in her heart, she wouldn’t forget that she was a doctor.

From the moment she had secretly decided to take up her grandfather’s mantle again, she had told herself she would never bring shame to the title of "healer."

"Move."

She walked over without a single glance at Zhou Junlin and directly ordered Kong Qing to step aside.

Chun De watched her every move and murmured, "She certainly knows how to keep her composure."

Fang Xiu also chuckled softly and stepped forward to whisper, "Her Majesty can rest assured now."

Chun De glanced at Song Xilan, then pressed a hand to her temple with a look of irritation. "I’m just afraid some people still can’t behave themselves."

Song Lianhe was concentrating on taking the pulse.

She had assumed the female lead was just being a drama queen again, but unexpectedly, she really was dizzy from emotional turmoil. She was already suffering from a deficiency of qi and blood, and the shock had caused a drastic mood swing, which led to her fainting.

’She probably couldn’t stand the thought of Zhou Cangyan marrying again.’

’Tch. She really wants to have her cake and eat it too—monopolizing the male lead on one hand while expecting the villain to be devoted to her on the other!’

Seeing that she remained silent, Kong Qing said anxiously, "How is the Princess Consort? What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and save her!"

Displeasure showed on Chun De’s face again. ’Like master, like servant!’

She was just about to issue a reprimand when someone else voiced their displeasure first.

"Insolent slave! You dare scold this prince’s own Princess Consort? Who gave you the gall?"

Kong Qing was startled, realizing she had overstepped her bounds. She had completely forgotten that Song Lianhe was the newly decreed Princess Qing!

Terrified, she dropped to her knees with a THUD. "Prince Qing, please forgive me! This servant was worried about the Princess Consort and spoke without thinking, offending the... the Princess Qing..."

"She is a servant of my Ling Prince Mansion. I will be the one to discipline her."

Song Lianhe paused, looking up in some surprise.

At some point, Zhou Cangyan had come to stand behind her. As she tilted her head up, his gaze met hers.

For the instant their eyes met, he seemed to freeze for a moment, but he quickly looked away.

Song Lianhe, however, pursed her lips, suppressing the smile that threatened to form.

It was as if that small, protective gesture of his had been enough to blow away all the unhappiness he’d caused her earlier.

’Sigh. Song Lianhe, oh, Song Lianhe, you have such a short memory for pain! Once the wound scabs over, you forget how much it hurt! You’re just too easy to appease!’

Chun De took in both of their reactions, exchanged a look with Fang Xiu, and covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile.

"Return to the Prince Mansion and receive your punishment."

"Yes."

Kong Qing kowtowed in acceptance.

Zhou Junlin then turned his head to Song Lianhe and said, "I hope Doctor Song won’t lower herself to the level of a servant."

"Of course," Song Lianhe said as she took her acupuncture kit from her shoulder bag, opened it, and pulled out a silver needle.

A short while after the silver needle was inserted, Song Xilan slowly regained consciousness.

"Lan’er!"

Zhou Junlin helped her up.

"She’s fine now."

Song Lianhe stood up and glanced at Zhou Cangyan. The latter’s expression had also visibly relaxed.

Song Lianhe frowned, a sudden pang of regret hitting her. ’I should have stuck her with a few more needles!’

Leaning on Zhou Junlin for support, Song Xilan came before Chun De. "This subject has lost her composure before Her Majesty. I pray for Her Majesty’s forgiveness."

Chun De waved her sleeve. "Enough. Since Princess Consort Ling is unwell, you should return and rest. This palace has no need of your company."

"Yes... This subject takes her leave."

Song Xilan knew she had incurred the Empress’s disgust.

But in front of Prince Ling and Prince Qing, it was not convenient for her to say more.

Still, a sliver of resentment toward Chun De grew in her heart.

The novel hadn’t elaborated much on this Empress, only stating that after Zhou Junlin took the throne, he honored her as Empress Dowager, and she continued to live a life of luxury in the Imperial Palace.

’After this incident, Song Xilan might not let that happen!’

"Prince Ling, you may go back as well."

Zhou Junlin agreed. As he left hand-in-hand with Song Xilan, he swept a cool glance over at Song Lianhe.

Catching a flash of delight in her eyes, he couldn’t help but snort coldly.

A wave of displeasure washed over him.

’She’s gotten her long-cherished wish, hasn’t she!’

’She really ought to thank me properly for it!’

Only after the pair had left did Chun De finally let out a sigh of relief.

Song Lianhe made an excuse about wanting to see the garden, so Fang Xiu took her out for a stroll.

Chun De followed them out and stood on the steps.

"I don’t know what’s wrong with you men’s eyes. Usually, you’re all brilliant enough to rule the world, but when it comes to judging women, it’s like your brains are filled with paste. Fortunately, you seem to have come to your senses this time."

As she spoke, she looked over at Song Lianhe with a beaming smile. "This child is not bad. This palace finds her quite likable."

Standing behind her, Zhou Cangyan also glanced at the woman in the garden, who was sniffing at one plant after another, clearly eager to get her hands on the flowers and herbs. He said slowly, "She... doesn’t seem like someone who should have appeared."

"Hehe... Perhaps this is what you call fate?"

Chun De smiled at him, then couldn’t resist chiding, "You... you seem like such a cold and detached person, but this palace knows that if you truly fall in love, it’s like thunder from the heavens and fire from the earth. You give your heart away completely, never to be taken back, until you’ve burned yourself to ashes!"

Then she sighed. "If you meet someone who understands you, that’s one thing. But if you meet someone with impure intentions..."

Zhou Cangyan lowered his gaze, naturally understanding the Empress’s meaning.

"Ah! Doctor Song! You can’t dig up that herb!"

"Oh, I can’t dig it up? Then I’ll just look... just look..."

In the garden, Fang Xiu was stomping her foot in frustration.

He lifted his eyes to look. The person in the garden wasn’t appreciating the flowers at all; she was clearly there to dig for treasure.

"Oh, heavens, Doctor Song! That’s Her Majesty’s favorite flower!"

Seeing Fang Xiu in the garden, who was about to start hopping in exasperation because of Song Lianhe, Chun De couldn’t help but laugh. She then called out in a clear voice, "No matter! If she likes them, just let her pick them all."

The person who had been hidden from view in the garden suddenly popped out from somewhere, raising an arm high. In her hand, she clutched a flower.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"

Chun De laughed heartily, then turned back and said deliberately to the man beside her, "Prince Qing will have to compensate for this palace’s loss. After all, she is your Princess Consort."

Zhou Cangyan’s lips curved into a smile, his posture relaxed and carefree. "Naturally."