Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 44: Quite the Self-Taught Talent

Young Master Huai stepped out of the tent and, seeing the person standing in the garden, slowly approached.

"Second Miss Song."

The young woman, who had been lost in thought, turned around abruptly. In her eyes was the shimmer of tears she hadn’t had time to hide. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Young Master Huai was taken aback.

Song Lianhe reacted a moment later, quickly turning away and raising a hand to wipe the corner of her eye. "The sun is too bright. Staring at it for a while made my eyes hurt."

Young Master Huai understood.

He naturally wouldn’t pry, especially not with a young lady.

He sized her up. This Second Miss from the General Mansion was infamous—spoiled and domineering. Anyone who spoke of her bemoaned her lack of ambition, considering her a disgrace to her father, General Li Hua.

But the woman before him now was like a startled fawn in the woods—timid and helpless. Her lively eyes were veiled in a watery mist.

His direct gaze seemed to see straight into the depths of her lonely heart.

"And you are..."

Meanwhile, Song Lianhe was sizing up the elegant young man before her.

He had a fair complexion, a refined, scholarly air, and exceptionally delicate features. The corners of his thin lips curved up naturally, giving him a kind appearance.

"I am Huai Xu."

"So you’re Young Master Huai?"

Song Lianhe had heard the butler mention him. She deeply admired these army physicians with their wealth of practical experience. They were the best at bargaining with King Yama.

Huai Xu returned Song Lianhe’s enthusiasm with a faint smile. "Second Miss, I was also deeply impressed by your fearlessness in saving lives yesterday."

"You praise me too much, Young Master Huai. In that situation, it was a desperate gamble."

"Regarding the poison they were afflicted with, I have a few questions for you, Second Miss."

"Of course! Young Master Huai, please don’t be so formal with me! Ask me anything you want. Don’t worry about just one or two questions—ten or twenty would be fine too! As it happens, I have plenty of questions for you as well!"

’Some changes you just don’t have to worry about.’

’It was just as her grandfather had once joked: she was destined to practice medicine. No matter where she went or what she did, she would eventually shoulder her responsibilities, and do so happily.’

*

Zhou Cangyan raised an eyebrow at the man beside him. "She said three days?"

"Yes," Pang Jiliang replied. "Young Master Huai’s ointment for external injuries is already considered miraculous, yet it takes five to seven days for a full recovery. Which doctor in all of Ling’an City can even compare to Young Master Huai? At the time, I simply didn’t want to refuse Second Miss’s kind gesture. But who would have thought her medicine would be so incredible! That’s why I took the liberty of agreeing yesterday when she said she wanted to try saving Master Shen and the others."

Zhou Cangyan’s eyes narrowed. "Dismissed."

"Yes."

After Pang Jiliang withdrew, a Shadow Guard immediately stepped forward. "My Lord, I have investigated. During her time at the General Mansion, the Second Miss never had any contact with the medical arts. Not a single medical text has ever been found in her chambers."

Suddenly, Zhou Cangyan smiled. One corner of his lip quirked up, and on his jade-like cheeks, a ripple of charm appeared, as fleeting and captivating as a spring wave.

A thin mist seemed to veil his pale eyes, making his emotions impossible to read.

’Quite the self-taught prodigy.’

After a moment’s thought, he asked, "Where is she?"

"In the rear garden, my Lord."

*

In the rear garden, after Song Lianhe demolished a box of pastries from Wangyue Restaurant, Shuang Ye magically produced a skewer of candied haws. Song Lianhe’s eyes widened in amazed approval. "Shuang Ye, you know the way to my heart better and better!"

Shuang Ye handed another skewer to Ah Yu.

Song Lianhe bit into one of the hawthorn berries.

’You had to hand it to them, ancient food was so fresh and delicious. These hawthorns were unlike any she’d had before—they were much more sour, the kind of sour that could make a person’s face scrunch up. But that was exactly how Song Lianhe liked it, and she ate it without batting an eye.’

Ah Yu, on the other hand, took one bite and his little face scrunched up. "So... so sour..."

"Really?"

Song Lianhe bit into another one. "Aren’t all candied haws like this? They’re delicious!"

She offered some to Shuang Ye, but Shuang Ye just waved her hands frantically. "I can’t stand sour things!"

"Then you should try some, Young Master Huai!"

Song Lianhe held the skewer of candied haws right out to the man sitting opposite her, her eyes brimming with enthusiastic hospitality. "Come on, have a bite! It’s really good!"

Huai Xu froze. He stared at the bright red, syrupy berry suddenly thrust before his face, then looked at Song Lianhe’s delicate, palm-sized face. For a moment, he was utterly speechless.