Zhou Cangyan’s expression instantly turned icy. "Let go."
But at that mont, how could Song Lianhe possibly listen? She clung to him, crying nonstop.
Zhou Cangyan frowned, raising a hand to strike—
"Oh, Chun Hua, how wronged must she be to cry this hard?"
"CHIRP~"
"It makes you want to cry too, right?"
"CHIRP CHIRP~"
"Tell about it. She’s all alone, but ostracized by a group of strangers. She clearly saved their Princess Consort, but in the end, she gets frad for colluding with bandits and then kicked out! We’re in the middle of nowhere, and the next post station is at least a full day and night’s journey away. They’re practically sending her to her death!"
"SKRAWK!"
Zhou Cangyan turned his head. The Shadow Guard was holding Chun Hua, and the man and falcon looked ready to say more, but Zhou Cangyan’s cold gaze swept over them, and they both imdiately shut their mouths.
But Song Lianhe had heard it all, and she clung to him, crying even harder.
"They’re... they’re just too unreasonable..."
Zhou Cangyan’s frown deepened. ’Why is she so miserable every ti I see her?’
’It’s as if the more I dislike won crying, the louder she insists on wailing.’
’It’s utterly grating!’
But just as Zhou Cangyan was about to push her away, she suddenly shoved him first.
Zhou Cangyan: "..."
Song Lianhe turned her back to him. With her head down, she choked out between sobs, "Just go. You don’t have to worry about either."
Zhou Cangyan raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Are you saying you can walk out of this wilderness on your own?"
"Whether I can get out, or even if I can survive, that’s my business. It doesn’t require the concern of others."
’Others?’
The mocking expression on Zhou Cangyan’s lips deepened.
’That’s not what she was saying earlier.’
Song Lianhe squatted down again, hugging her pot of five-split yellow gentian. She looked as if she and the plant were prepared to depend on each other for survival.
She knew she was in a terrible mood and feeling utterly dejected, so she decided to just let everything fall apart.
In truth, people like Kong Qing and Master Chen hadn’t really hurt her. She was just angry with herself, angry with this book, angry with the author... angry with all the injustices she faced!
Even if the person she missed was standing right in front of her, she didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.
’I’m tired. I’m exhausted. Let the world burn.’
Seeing her curled up like a snail, looking even more wilted than the plant in her arms, Zhou Cangyan said nothing and turned to leave.
"Hey! Master! Are you really leaving?"
The Shadow Guard, holding Chun Hua, hurried to catch up. "Just leaving her here... isn’t that a bit... heartless?"
Chun Hua also seed to look on with contempt. "CHIRP!!"
Without even turning his head, Zhou Cangyan said, "Then you can both stay behind with her."
The Shadow Guard imdiately shook his head to show his loyalty. "This subordinate is not familiar with her."
He glanced down and saw Chun Hua’s disdainful gaze, but the Shadow Guard simply puffed out his chest and pretended not to notice.
Hearing the footsteps behind her fade into the distance, Song Lianhe fought back tears with all her might.
’Every ti he sees , I’m helpless and pathetic. He must be sick and tired of !’
’It’s true that I want to win him back, but I want to be beautiful when I’m with him—the kind who can outshine everyone the mont I appear!’
Things had co to this; there was no choice but to accept reality.
Song Lianhe wiped her tears, clenched her jaw, and began to think calmly.
A few questions lay before her:
Could she reach Ling’an alone?
If not, should she go back and find Zhou Junlin?
’But going back to him would be worse than going to find Zhou Cangyan...’
’No!’
’I refuse!’
’He left so decisively just now. I’m not going to go chasing after him!’
A stubborn streak flared up in Song Lianhe. ’I transmigrated into a book! I’m the chosen Villainess!’
’I haven’t even completed my mission yet. Who dares to fix a huge bug like ?’
As if injected with a shot of adrenaline, Song Lianhe felt she could do it again.
She imdiately stood up, patted the flowerpot in her arms, and declared with fervor, "Lian! You just watch! Watch conquer this entire land for you! When that ti cos, the mountains and plains will be covered with nothing but your kind, the five-split yellow gentian! It will make all this suffering we’ve endured worthwhile! As they say, ’Success or failure, life is lived with passion. If worst cos to worst, we can just start over again!’ All are past and gone! To find the truly great figures, you’ll still have to look to , Song—"
She was just getting into her speech, swinging her arm in a half-circle and turning around with the motion, when she abruptly fell silent. Her eyes widened in astonishnt, her mouth hanging open, unable to react for a long mont.
"Pfft!"
Yin Huan’s smile stretched so wide it nearly reached her temples, and it took her a long while to suppress it.
"Look to whom? You? But I heard you were just kicked out by Prince Ling’s people! Tsk tsk, you’re really in a pathetic state, aren’t you~"
As she spoke, she glanced at E Jintang. The tall E Jintang stood behind her, looking very much like a bodyguard.
He scratched his head and asked in confusion, "Why would they drive Doctor Song away?"
Yin Huan: "Maybe because... they don’t lack for doctors."
Xuan i, standing on the other side, looked at Song Lianhe and said bluntly, "The carriage is up ahead. The Master has ordered us to get in front of the Ling Prince Mansion’s entourage."
Seeing Song Lianhe still standing there in a daze, Yin Huan chuckled. "How long do you plan on standing there? Aren’t you going to get a move on?"
Song Lianhe finally snapped out of it. ’Who needs to be reserved and proper right now!’
She happily ran over, still hugging the flowerpot, and habitually sidled up to Xuan i. "Sister i, did you co especially to pick up?"
Xuan i froze, a strange expression on her face. She gave Song Lianhe an odd look before finally saying, "Prince Ling is about to head back. We need to hurry."
"Oh, right!"
The situation was urgent, so Song Lianhe pushed all her questions aside and quickened her pace to follow them.
E Jintang naturally took the pot from her arms. He glanced at it a few tis, finding it familiar, but couldn’t recall where he had seen it before.
Xuan i walked in front while Yin Huan intentionally slowed down to walk beside Song Lianhe. She said unhurriedly, "King Qing seems quite concerned about you."
If soone had said that to her before, Song Lianhe would have been over the moon.
But now, she wasn’t so confident. She only sighed faintly and said, "He probably just feels sorry for ."
Then she added, "In any case, I am the one who saved Song Xilan’s life. He and Zhou Junlin probably think the sa way—they just want to repay a debt."
Xuan i, walking ahead, glanced back slightly.
’In fact, from what Xuan Qi said just now, that doesn’t seem to be the case...’
——
"Where is she?"
Zhou Junlin’s face was grim as he looked at the group of people kneeling before him.
Kong Qing hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, we rely asked Doctor Song where she went when the bandits appeared. Who would have thought she would flee out of guilt and even injure Master Chen..."
A chorus of agreent imdiately rose from the crowd: "Doctor Song ran away on her own!"
Master Chen, enduring the pain, lifted his sweaty face and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, please see the truth! This servant rely wanted her to explain herself, and she... she severed this servant’s hand tendon! I implore Your Highness to seek justice for this servant!!"
Another wave of agreent followed, with calls for the Prince to uphold justice.
Zhou Junlin’s sharp, clear eyes swept over them one by one. Then, lowering his gaze, he suddenly commanded, "We depart in the ti it takes for one incense stick to burn."
He turned and left.
Gu Ha stepped forward and told everyone to rise and disperse. No one dared to discuss the matter further.
Soon after, Gu Ha caught up, his brow tightly furrowed. "Your Highness..."
He hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.
It was rare for Zhou Junlin to see him so hesitant.
"You have sothing to say?"
"...Yes!"
As if he had made a great resolution, Gu Ha asked decisively, "Your Highness, did you believe them?"
Zhou Junlin looked at him and spoke slowly, "What do you an by that?"
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