Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 407: Little Lan, Are You Saying Goodbye to Me?

Chapter 407: Chapter 407: Little Lan, Are You Saying Goodbye to Me?

Before long, an attendant announced for Duan Shanmian to enter.

He gave Song Lianhe a faint smile and walked into the medical hall with Zhu Liao.

Sishui City had narrowly escaped being massacred. Now that the Nanchen Army had withdrawn, the city was under heavy guard. Forget enemy troops—even people from the two cities of Daisui and Fengbai behind them couldn’t dream of setting foot inside.

This move strongly suggested he was cutting ties.

"...Is City Lord Duan planning to betray Prince Yongdong?"

Zhou Cangyan asked bluntly as soon as he saw Duan Shanmian.

After taking a seat, Duan Shanmian leisurely fanned himself with his folding fan. "It’s not a matter of betrayal. I merely wish to fulfill my duties as City Lord."

Zhou Cangyan’s gaze then shifted to the person behind him.

Zhu Liao knew this was a moment of truth, and he couldn’t escape it.

So, with a wry smile, he bowed to Zhou Cangyan. "I am devoted only to Sishui City and have no other ambitions."

No matter whose man he was, or what his purpose was for staying by Duan Shanmian’s side, he was now just an advisor to the City Lord.

Duan Shanmian looked over at him. "Thank you, Advisor."

Zhu Liao quickly bowed again. "I am unworthy."

Zhou Cangyan toyed boredly with the Willow Leaf Dart in his hand. "I have no interest in the past. I only want to know what City Lord Duan plans to do next."

Duan Shanmian coughed twice and lifted a handkerchief to gently wipe the corner of his mouth.

He knew what Zhou Cangyan wanted to ask. He smiled faintly. "I can guarantee that what Your Highness worries about will absolutely not happen on my watch."

Zhou Cangyan raised his eyes and studied him for a moment.

"Show City Lord Duan out."

"Yes!"

A Shadow Guard stepped forward. "City Lord Duan, this way, please."

"Thank you."

Duan Shanmian led Zhu Liao out of the front hall.

Only after they had left the medical hall did Zhu Liao look at him worriedly. "City Lord, about Prince Yongdong..."

Duan Shanmian lowered his gaze and said slowly, "What I owed him, I have paid back with half my life. The debt is settled. The other half was saved by Princess Qing, and I’m keeping it to atone for my sins."

Zhu Liao fell silent upon hearing this.

’Prince Yongdong is vindictive; he’ll never let Duan Shanmian go in the future!’

Zhu Liao gritted his teeth, clasped his fists, and said solemnly, "I will risk my life to ensure your safety, City Lord!"

But Duan Shanmian just smiled and pushed his hands down. "It’s not yet time for us to risk our lives. Sishui City is now entirely in Prince Qing’s hands. How could he let someone else snatch it away? He summoned us here merely to confirm that we have no divided loyalties."

He chuckled, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked onto the street. "With King Qing handling everything, we can both set our minds at ease."

It dawned on Zhu Liao, and he suddenly laughed. "I was too caught up in the moment to see clearly! You’re right, City Lord. We have someone backing us now. What’s there to be afraid of!"

—

Song Lianhe lay sprawled out on a haystack. Everything that had happened recently felt like a dream.

Now that she had a moment to reflect, she had died and come back to life, all thanks to the pill the old Daoist had given her.

’Back then, I even thought it was a ball of dirt he’d rubbed off his own body...’

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Something tickled her hand.

Song Lianhe looked down. It was Little Lan!

"Little Lan, what’s wrong with you? You... you..."

Looking at the little snake whose body was growing fainter... no, it hardly looked like a snake anymore.

Little Lan’s body was almost transparent. Its scales shimmered with a faint, rainbow-like luster in the sun, and it had a pair of tiny horns on its head. As it crawled lazily toward her, it seemed to be expending a great deal of energy.

But it still made it to her side and lifted its head to look at her.

In that moment, Song Lianhe suddenly understood something.

It was strange, but she just knew.

"Are you... saying goodbye to me?"

Little Lan swayed its head, as if in response.

Its movements were already extremely sluggish.

Song Lianhe sat up and cupped it in her palms.

As if a beat behind, Little Lan swayed its head, propped itself up, and struggled to look at her, as if telling her it had done its best.

Song Lianhe felt a sting in her nose and leaned closer to look at it.

"Are you leaving me too?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Little Lan was exhausted. It lay limp in her palm, but its eyes were still turned in her direction.

It was only then that Song Lianhe saw clearly: Little Lan’s once exceptionally bright eyes had now grown cloudy, as if covered by a thin film.

It couldn’t see her anymore.

Song Lianhe pressed her lips together and gently brought her forehead close to it.

Little Lan seemed to sense it. Using the last of its strength, it raised its head and lightly touched her with its horns.

Tears immediately streamed from Song Lianhe’s eyes.

"No matter who you are, or whether you were ever real... thank you for accompanying me on this part of my journey."

When she looked up again, Little Lan was lying quietly in her palm, motionless.

"SKRAWWW—"

In the sky, Chun Hua circled, its cries plaintive and sorrowful.

Song Lianhe carried Little Lan’s body out of the city.

Not far behind her, a group of riders followed her quietly.

"My Lord, we can follow the Princess Consort. You haven’t slept properly in days. You should go back and rest," a Shadow Guard advised.

The man sitting upright on the tall horse said unhurriedly, "I can’t sleep when she’s not here."

The Shadow Guard fell silent.

’Okay, I’ll pretend I didn’t say anything.’

Song Lianhe buried Little Lan beside the graves of Jintang and Yin Huan. As Little Lan’s body was covered with earth, the surrounding soil began to loosen, as if something was trying to burrow its way out.

She froze, seeing several black insects crawl out.

Song Lianhe jumped in fright. Then, a few large centipedes appeared, followed by ants the size of peanuts...

Song Lianhe could tell at a glance that these were all poisonous insects.

Seeing the insects trying to feed on Little Lan’s body, she panicked and was about to pull out her Insect Repellent Powder when someone grabbed her wrist.

She turned her head and met Zhou Cangyan’s light-colored eyes.

"If the Poisonous Insect King was unwilling, not even in death could these poisonous insects approach it."

Song Lianhe was stunned.

"It is ’repaying’ its debt in this way." Zhou Cangyan glanced into the pit and said slowly, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. This is the natural cycle of the world."

Song Lianhe gradually understood.

But the RUSTLING sound from the pit still made her scalp tingle. She couldn’t bear to imagine what was happening to Little Lan at that moment.

Seeing her distress, Zhou Cangyan stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

"Bury it."

"Yes!"

The Shadow Guard stepped forward, glanced into the pit, and a flicker of fear showed in his eyes.

He quickly filled in the pit.

Just then, Song Lianhe took out a tombstone she had carved for Little Lan herself. The two words "Little Lan" were crookedly engraved.

Seeing the words on it, he then glanced at her hands and noticed several obvious cuts on her fingers.

Zhou Cangyan frowned, clearly displeased.

Song Lianhe reached out to stroke the tombstone, then looked at the graves of Jintang and Yin Huan beside it, her heart heavy.

Just as she was about to get up and leave, her vision blurred, and she pitched forward. Fortunately, Zhou Cangyan was there to catch her.

He immediately asked, his voice tense, "Are you all right?"

Song Lianhe shook her head. "I’m fine."

She steadied herself with one hand on E Jintang’s tombstone. It wasn’t until she pulled her hand back that she realized the pair of bracelets on her wrist had suddenly split open and slipped off.

Zhou Cangyan bent down to pick them up. A single glance was all it took for him to notice something unusual.

This pair of bracelets actually had a hidden mechanism.