Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 339: A Joke Made with One’s Own Life?

Chapter 339: Chapter 339: A Joke Made with One’s Own Life?

Seeing his momentary surprise, Song Lianhe simply smiled. "I understand now."

Zhou Cangyan looked at her with renewed suspicion. ’What does she understand?’

Song Lianhe’s mood suddenly lightened. She raised a hand to touch the wound on her neck. "Worth getting injured for, after all!" With that, she actually laughed out loud.

Zhou Cangyan narrowed his eyes, watching her quietly.

While it was true he couldn’t quite figure her out anymore, he had discerned one thing: she wasn’t trying to kill herself.

It was less a suicide attempt and more... a test.

This realization made his face darken instantly. Heh. Who did she take him, Zhou Cangyan, for?

Just then, the carriage came to a stop.

Without another word, Zhou Cangyan stepped out of the carriage. Song Lianhe had just been about to ask for a hand when she saw him flick his sleeves and leave.

’Tsk, why is he angry now!’

She cheerfully dragged her things out of the carriage. A Shadow Guard saw this and immediately stepped forward. "Doctor Song, allow me!"

"Oh, thank you..."

"Do you have nothing better to do?"

The cold voice that suddenly came from ahead made the Shadow Guard flinch and retract his hand, obediently falling in line.

Song Lianhe was stunned for a moment, then she almost laughed in exasperation.

"Are all you princes this petty? Can’t you take a little joke to lighten the mood? Don’t you know how incredibly awkward it is for two people to just sit and stare at each other in a confined space like a carriage?"

Zhou Cangyan turned to the side, his cold eyes fixed on her. "A joke? A joke you make with your own life?"

"Er..."

Song Lianhe cautiously avoided his gaze.

’There’s no arguing that. It was indeed a reckless and foolish thing to do.’

Seeing she had nothing to say, he turned and walked away.

Song Lianhe pouted. Just as she was about to bend down and lift the basket, someone else picked it up.

She looked up, incredibly moved, and gazed at the person. "Sister Mei! I knew you were the best to me!"

Xuan Mei’s movements paused for a second. She looked at Song Lianhe but said nothing.

The Holy Emperor had decreed a marriage. This was a matter of great importance.

Zhou Cangyan sat upright in the main hall. The steward, Uncle Pang, stood beside him with his hands folded in front of him, his face grave.

"Prince Ling requested the decree, and the Holy Emperor issued it. What a fine play this is!"

Laughter occasionally drifted in from the garden. "Jintang, my good nephew! You’ve really been a great help!"

Uncle Pang glanced outside, then looked back at the imperial edict on the table and let out a heavy sigh.

’It seems the rear garden can’t be saved!’

Uncle Pang looked at the man seated before him and continued, "This woman... her origins are unknown. All they say is that the Old Master chose her as your wife. The Holy Emperor, with a simple ’fulfillment of another’s wish,’ has granted her the title of Princess Qing! In this old servant’s opinion, the Holy Emperor couldn’t wait for you to cut ties with powerful, aristocratic families, which is why he picked someone like her for you!"

A Shadow Guard spoke up. "But what can we do even if we know? Ever since we returned to the city, Emperor Cheng Xiao has been guarding against us. He’s afraid of our master establishing a firm foothold here in Ling’an! Forget marrying a Princess Consort of unknown origin—it wouldn’t be impossible for him to find some excuse to confiscate this Prince Mansion and leave us to sleep on the streets."

Uncle Pang scolded him angrily, "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey! What nonsense are you spouting!"

The Shadow Guard laughed and slapped his own mouth lightly. "I was just saying, old sir, don’t take it seriously! How could we possibly end up sleeping on the streets..."

"You’re still talking!"

"I’ll stop, I’ll stop..."

Uncle Pang shot him a glare, then added, "Your Highness, since this is a marriage decreed by the Holy Emperor, you must still choose an auspicious date to welcome the Princess Consort into the mansion. It will serve as an accounting to the Holy Emperor."

Zhou Cangyan rested his head on one hand, while the other casually brushed over the cut on his lip.

It stung a little. An irritating sort of pain.

Because she had already been granted a marriage in her previous transmigration, Song Lianhe had gone through the entire process before. This time, she was quite composed and didn’t let it affect her plans.

After entrusting the task of tilling the soil to E Jintang and Yin Huan, she prepared to go into town to look at shopfronts.

When someone reported this to Zhou Cangyan, he glanced up at Xuan Mei, casually pointed a finger toward the door, and Xuan Mei nodded, turned, and left the mansion to follow her.

Returning to Ling’an City, Song Lianhe was still struck by the prosperity of the Capital City.

Just then, a voice from the roadside chanted, "The reward for good and evil follows like a shadow. The karma of three lifetimes, a cycle that never fails."

She started, turning her head to see an old man sitting by the road. He wore a worn, short robe of coarse, dark blue cloth. He smiled warmly at Song Lianhe. "Young friend, would you care for a divination?"

Song Lianhe felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing his Daoist robes. Her third grand-uncle was cultivating at Dao Yuan Temple under Venerable Ling Xi, so she naturally recognized the attire.

Observing the Daoist, she saw he had a youthful complexion despite his white hair, and his eyes were sharp and full of spirit. He carried an air of leisurely contentment.

Song Lianhe assumed he was a wandering cultivator begging for alms. She walked over and sat on the small bamboo stool. "Then I’ll trouble you for a divination, Daoist."

The old Daoist smiled at her. "You’re not from around here, are you, young friend?"

Song Lianhe answered forthrightly, "I’m indeed not from Ling’an."

The Daoist shook his head and chuckled softly. "Not just Ling’an." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Song Lianhe thought about it. ’I guess I don’t look as refined or well-dressed as the locals. It wouldn’t be hard to tell.’

He changed the subject. "Young friend, have you found yourself in a difficult situation?"

Having experienced transmigration, Song Lianhe could accept even the most bizarre things. Accurate fortune-tellers were everywhere. She immediately asked, "If it is a difficult situation, is there a solution?"

The old Daoist chuckled, reaching into his robes. He fumbled around for a long time before his eyes lit up. "Found it!"

He offered her a black pill.

Seeing the black pill perched on the Daoist’s long fingernail, Song Lianhe hissed, "Daoist... this isn’t... some grime you rolled up, is it?"

The Daoist had such an otherworldly, unconstrained, and carefree bearing, it was hard not to be reminded of the "mad monk" Jigong, Li Xiuyuan. ’The origin of this miraculous pill is probably the same, too!’

The old Daoist let out a hearty laugh. "This pill is a rare treasure in this world. You and I, a humble Daoist, are fated to meet, so I shall gift it to you!"

Hearing this, Song Lianhe immediately and obediently extended both hands to receive it. "Many thanks, Daoist." She then quickly asked, "This medicine is for..."

"The way of the immortals values life, offering salvation to all. Naturally, it is to be used only when you need it."

"..."

Though Song Lianhe didn’t understand his meaning, she still accepted it respectfully. She would never take something from someone for free, so after accepting the pill, she took out her coin purse and gave all the silver taels inside to him.

"Since we are fated to meet, let me give you something as well, Daoist." Song Lianhe then gave him all the medicinal pills she had made herself, even explaining the usage and dosage. "Take these back to your temple, for any emergencies."

The old Daoist didn’t stand on ceremony. He held open his Eight Diagrams Bag. "Put them in here, yes... all of them inside."

Song Lianhe patted her now-empty satchel. The old Daoist looked up at her and said with a warm smile, "Young friend, the virtuous are blessed by heaven."

Thinking the Daoist was just being polite, Song Lianhe said, "My third grand-uncle cultivates at Dao Yuan Temple. I suppose we truly are fated to meet, Daoist."

A voice came from behind her. "Oh, Wuwei. His Daoist heart is true and his character is upright, but his aptitude for enlightenment is just a little lacking."

"My third grand-uncle is already old, of course..."

Song Lianhe’s body instantly froze.

’I only mentioned my third grand-uncle, I never said he was the Wuwei Wanderer!’

’Even if I had mentioned him, in this lifetime, in this book, my third grand-uncle himself would probably ask who I was if he were standing right in front of me!’

She spun around. "Daoist..."

There was no one behind her.

At that moment, a young Daoist, dripping with sweat, finally pushed through the crowd and caught up to an old Daoist ahead. "Master! Master, why did you run off again? Didn’t you say you wanted to eat Dragon Beard Candy? I finally managed to buy some, and you disappeared! How could you trick your grand-disciple?"

The old Daoist up ahead was walking as if on wings, laughing heartily. "I’m not running, not this time!"

"Really?"

The young Daoist was skeptical. He pouted and said, "Every time you come down the mountain, Master, you say you’re looking for a ’fated person’ and won’t go back until you find them. Did you find one this time?"

"That is a celestial secret!"

The young Daoist pursed his lips. "Master, you always say it’s a celestial secret... The way I see it, it’s just an excuse to sneak down the mountain... Ah! Master, wait for me!"