Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 340: I Refuse to Believe I Can’t Poison You to Death

Chapter 340: Chapter 340: I Refuse to Believe I Can’t Poison You to Death

The once-clear sky rumbled with a few claps of distant thunder, and oppressive black clouds swarmed across the heavens.

Song Lianhe hurriedly found a place to take shelter from the rain.

She had given all her silver taels to that Daoist, so she couldn’t hire a carriage. All she could do was wait for the rain to stop.

Gazing up at the drizzling rain, she slowly reached out her hand to catch the cold drops.

The sensation felt so real, just like this world.

’She could hardly tell what was real and what was an illusion anymore.’

’Was the real world just a dream, or was this world from the book the true reality?’

Water dripped from the eaves, landing in her fair, slender palm. One side of her body was nearly soaked through, but she didn’t seem to notice in the slightest.

In the distance, a jet-black carriage emerged from the misty rain. A White Jade Bell hanging from its side chimed with a crisp, clear sound.

Hearing the familiar chime of the bell, Song Lianhe turned to look.

Suddenly, a beggar rushed forward, slammed into the horse, and was thrown back, landing hard on the ground.

"Ah! The carriage hit someone!"

The horse whinnied and reared up as the coachman yanked the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt.

Through the blur of the rain, Song Lianhe saw the beggar lying on the ground. She immediately lifted her skirts and dashed into the downpour. Rushing to the beggar’s side, she began to examine him at once.

When she saw the young beggar’s face, she froze. It was Ah Jun!

Song Lianhe was both shocked and overjoyed!

’She hadn’t been sure if Ah Jun had followed the original novel’s plot and was already at Song Xilan’s side. But in the end, after all the twists and turns, she had found him!’

’It was true what they say: if people are fated to be together, heaven will always find an unexpected way to make them meet!’

The rain had soaked her through. She wiped the water from her face, completely unconcerned about the impropriety of standing before a crowd in her wet, clinging clothes.

She was about to undo Ah Jun’s clothes to check his wounds when, just as her hand made contact, another suddenly seized her wrist.

Startled, she snapped her head up.

An oil-paper umbrella appeared above her head. A moment later, a man’s outer robe was draped over her shoulders, and she was forcefully pulled to her feet.

"Move."

Song Lianhe stared dazedly at the man before her. "But..."

Zhou Cangyan gave her no room to argue, pulling her behind him as one of his Shadow Guards stepped forward to lift the boy.

Song Lianhe immediately called out, "Be careful! He might have broken bones!"

Zhou Cangyan said coldly, "They’ve carried more men on the battlefield than you’ll treat in your entire life."

Sure enough, the Shadow Guard was experienced in these matters. After a quick check, he determined the extent of the injuries. "His left arm is broken!"

He quickly stabilized the limb and lifted the boy.

Zhou Cangyan was about to order him taken to a clinic, but Song Lianhe anxiously followed them. "To the Prince Mansion!"

The Shadow Guard hesitated and glanced at his master. Only after Zhou Cangyan nodded did he lift the boy into the carriage.

Seeing how anxious Song Lianhe was over the beggar, Zhou Cangyan frowned slightly. His expression darkened, and his gaze grew even colder.

He turned his head toward a group of men across the street who were wielding clubs.

The men were chasing after them menacingly. "That damn brat is over there! Don’t let him get away!"

"Get him!"

Xuan Mei stepped forward. "Master, you go on ahead. I’ll handle this."

Zhou Cangyan glanced at the woman in the carriage, who was completely absorbed in caring for the boy. A sudden surge of aggression rose within him, demanding an outlet.

"You all go first."

Holding the oil-paper umbrella, he slowly walked toward them.

"Yes."

Xuan Mei never questioned his master’s commands. He turned, leaped onto the carriage, and shouted, "Hyah!"

Seeing that the carriage was about to depart, the men rushed forward to block it. A Shadow Guard moved to intercept them, but the sword at his waist was suddenly drawn from its sheath.

Zhou Cangyan, sword in hand, ambled over with a lazy gait.

In the pouring rain, a man dressed in black blocked their path, holding a sword in one hand and an umbrella in the other. With his icy gaze, he looked like a soul-reaping demon. Who wouldn’t be terrified?

Besides, these were just household servants, not trained guards. How could they not be afraid of a man like that?

Terrified, they all scrambled backward before turning tail and fleeing.

Zhou Cangyan scoffed and tossed the sword aside. A Shadow Guard immediately caught it and slid it back into its sheath.

"Those were men from the Zhuang Mansion."

"Zhuang Mingfang, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry?"

"Yes."

Zhou Cangyan let out a cold laugh and turned to leave.

—

Ah Jun’s new injuries weren’t severe; his left arm just needed to be set in a splint.

But the old wounds covering his body were a gruesome sight. There were countless whip marks and knife cuts, new injuries layered over old scars. Even Uncle Pang frowned at the sight.

Song Lianhe clenched her jaw, suppressing the rage in her heart as she treated his wounds.

Some of the wounds had begun to fester and needed to be debrided before being stitched closed.

Song Lianhe had applied a simple anesthetic, but with so many wounds to treat, the process was long. The drug’s effects should have worn off long ago, yet the boy just clenched his jaw, not making a sound.

Song Lianhe’s heart ached for him, and her hands moved even faster.

In her heart, she cursed the person who did this to him a thousand times over.

’She had raised her Ah Jun to be a clean-cut, handsome young man. She remembered Shuang Ye once saying that whenever he was in the Prince Mansion, the young maids would blush at the sight of him.’

’She never imagined that Ah Jun would be in an even worse state now than when they first met. Whoever did this, those bastards... they’d better pray I never find out who they are!’

Watching her thread the fine needle through skin and flesh without a change in expression, Xuan Mei couldn’t help but stare, only looking away after a long moment.

By the time she had treated all the wounds, Song Lianhe’s forehead was beaded with sweat.

"Done."

Uncle Pang had someone bring hot water to wash Ah Jun.

"I’ll do it!"

Song Lianhe started to roll up her sleeves, but Uncle Pang quickly stopped her. "You are the Princess Consort now. This is absolutely not appropriate."

Da Xi said, "Please, allow me."

Song Lianhe was tired as well, so she relented and let Da Xi take over.

After Da Xi changed Ah Jun into a fresh set of clothes, the boy struggled down from the daybed. He dropped to his knees with a THUD before Song Lianhe and was about to kowtow.

Song Lianhe quickly motioned for Uncle Pang and Da Xi to help him up.

Before the boy could speak, she asked, "Are you willing to stay with me?"

Ah Jun looked at her, his eyes wide with surprised joy. He nodded repeatedly, then covertly raised a hand to wipe away his tears.

Song Lianhe took a deep breath and said, enunciating each word, "Now, can you tell me where all these injuries came from?"

Only then did Ah Jun tell her how he got hurt.

Apparently, the plot had diverged. Six months ago, Zhuang Qiaoyue had framed Ah Jun for stealing her jewelry. When he refused to confess, she had him taken back to her family’s mansion and thrown in the dungeon, where he had been locked away for months.

It was only because a guard had forgotten to lock the cell door that Ah Jun had managed to stumble out today, running right into Zhou Cangyan’s carriage.

SLAM—

Song Lianhe slammed her hand on the table. Her gentle face was now an icy mask.

’Zhuang Qiaoyue!’

’She would make her pay for what she did to Ah Jun!’

’Of course, Song Lianhe had no intention of involving the Prince Qing Mansion. Ah Jun was her person, so this revenge was her responsibility alone!’

’Damn it all. Let’s see you survive my poisons!’

She instructed Da Xi to take good care of Ah Jun, then turned to leave.

But the moment she took a step, she saw the person standing just outside the door.

Zhou Cangyan had changed into fresh clothes. His long hair was unbound, and he stood outside with his hands clasped, his gaze as indifferent as ever.

"Where are you going?"

She subconsciously tightened her grip on the object in her hand and turned her face away without a word.

Zhou Cangyan raised an eyebrow and slowly walked forward. "Hand it over."

She moved her hand behind her back, clenching her fist even tighter.

He glanced up at her, took a step forward, and pulled her hand toward him.

When he saw what was in her hand, his gaze flickered, and a subtle ripple of emotion passed through him.

It was a Willow Leaf Dart.

His Willow Leaf Dart.