Double Rebirth: The Scumbag Heroine is Terrified of the Yandere Prince! - Chapter 10

The King of Zhenbei, Xie Yuanxun, was the younger brother of Emperor Xie Yuanhe and the imperial uncle to Xie Xuanyin and his siblings.

It was said that since childhood, he had been a devoted follower of Xie Yuanhe. When the Emperor ascended the throne, he had been a fierce supporter, earning great merit on the battlefield. Consequently, the Emperor trusted him implicitly, even granting him a fiefdom in Fuzhou—close enough to the capital to allow for frequent visits.

“Princess, the King of Zhenbei’s fief is in nearby Fuzhou,” Runyue replied.

“Fuzhou…” Shen Ruoli murmured to herself. “Fuzhou is at most a half-day’s journey from Mount Tianzhao.”

Runyue was curious. “Princess, why did you suddenly think of the King of Zhenbei?”

“It’s nothing,” Shen Ruoli replied with a forced smile, suppressing the growing suspicion in her heart. She hoped she was just being paranoid.

In her previous life, Xie Yuanxun had treated his nephew, Xie Xuanyin, with immense affection—almost as if he were his own son. In contrast, he and Xie Xuansong had seemed like distant strangers. During their return trip in the last life, the King of Zhenbei had even berated her, demanding to know why she had insisted on coming to Mount Tianzhao and causing the Crown Prince to be severely injured. His protective love for Xie Xuanyin hadn’t seemed like an act.

And yet, for some reason, the mere thought of the man caused a wave of unexplained panic to wash over her. Her eyelid began to twitch. She instinctively pressed down on it and asked softly, “Where is the Prince?”

Runyue lifted the carriage curtain to check. “Princess, His Highness and Feng Qing are far ahead, but there are many guards accompanying them. Since the Prince said he’s already sent men to wipe out the bandits, you can rest easy!”

Runyue assumed she was worried about another ambush. Little did she know, Shen Ruoli wasn’t worried about bandits—she was worried about the King of Zhenbei.

In her previous life, she never quite figured out if there was a connection between Xie Xuansong and Xie Yuanxun. However, she always felt that Xie Yuanxun wore a human-skin mask, hiding a hollow insincerity. Whether he was good or evil remained a mystery, but her strong “sixth sense” forced her to be on guard.

“Once we return to the capital, find out the true nature of the relationship between the King of Zhenbei and Xie Xuansong,” she whispered. Often, the surface reveals nothing. They were uncle and nephew, yet Xie Yuanxun treated Xie Xuansong like a cold stranger.

The more unnatural the distance, the more likely there was a hidden tie. Now that she could look back calmly, she began to see traces of Xie Yuanxun’s involvement in several major events from her past life.

As mistress and maid spoke, the carriage slowly ground to a halt. From outside, Xie Xuanyin’s cold voice drifted in. “Shen Ruoli, have you made up your mind?”

“About what?” Shen Ruoli lifted the curtain.

The moonlight was bright, and the torches cast a vivid orange glow, reflecting in Xie Xuanyin’s eyes. It should have been a warm color, but his icy temperament suppressed any hint of warmth. The chill radiating from his pupils was sharper than the night wind in the valley.

“Didn’t I tell you to pick a ‘propitious hour’ to tell me the good and bad news?”

So he’s still hung up on that! Shen Ruoli didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had only said that to tease him and stay close to him. She had thought he truly didn’t care, but it turned out he couldn’t help himself and stopped the entire procession mid-way to ask!

This man was far too good at acting. Just imagining him riding ahead with a stoic “everyone stay away” expression while secretly agonizing over what the news could be… it made her want to giggle.

“Then… is Your Highness going to kiss me?” Shen Ruoli leaned half her body out of the window, looking at him with a beaming smile. Her expression was bright enough to melt the permafrost in his heart.

“If you don’t speak, I’ll leave you here,” Xie Xuanyin countered, arching an eyebrow. “Mount Tianzhao is not just full of bandits; at night, the predators come out in packs and the temperature drops. Even if you survive until morning, you’ll likely die lost in the wilderness.”

” I’m not afraid! Wherever Your Highness goes, I follow!” She was determined to stick to him like glue.

Xie Xuanyin choked on his words. This “wicked woman” was getting bolder by the day—she wasn’t falling for his threats anymore. Looking at her fair cheeks, he leaned in slightly before quickly pulling back. “Fine. Suit yourself.”

He spurred his horse forward, leaving behind a silhouette that looked slightly flustered. Runyue looked at her mistress with a knowing, teasing grin, but Shen Ruoli simply lay back down to pretend she was sleeping. However, the rhythmic thud-thud of hooves and the rolling of wheels kept her mind from settling.

Up ahead, Xie Xuanyin’s expression was incredibly sour. Feng Qing, who was injured and pale, couldn’t help but comment, “Master, the Princess really does seem like a different person. Regarding the incident today… I don’t think she was acting.”

As a loyal subordinate, Feng Qing was observant. Xie Xuanyin glanced at him, and Feng Qing continued, “That maid, Qingying, was definitely Prince Chu’s plant. The Princess’s actions today are an open declaration of war against him. Even if she planned it carefully, Prince Chu isn’t a fool; he will surely suspect her.”

He paused. “Master, do you intend to help her?”

Seeing him speak up for her, Xie Xuanyin sneered. “Didn’t she just stab you? And you want to help her?”

“I do it for you, Master,” Feng Qing said solemnly. “And the Princess… did it for you too.”

Feng Qing had been both shocked and angry when she stabbed him, but he had analyzed it quickly. Shen Ruoli needed to kill Qingying without alerting Xie Xuansong. His “injury” was a necessary part of the stage. As long as it benefited his Master, Feng Qing was willing to endure it.

Xie Xuanyin patted his shoulder, making Feng Qing wince in pain. “Even so, do not relax your guard. Keep a close eye on her.”

“Yes, Master.”

Xie Xuanyin was about to say more when a dark shadow quietly appeared beside him. “Master, the King of Zhenbei is approaching with a troop of men.”

“Sixth Uncle? Why is he here?” Xie Xuanyin frowned. Even if Fuzhou wasn’t far, for him to arrive this quickly in the middle of the night was suspicious.

“Perhaps he was worried about Your Highness,” Feng Qing suggested.

Xie Xuanyin gave a non-committal hum. He looked back at the carriage. “Feng Qing, tell her to keep her mouth shut in a moment. Don’t say the wrong thing.”

Feng Qing hurried back and tapped on the carriage. Shen Ruoli opened her eyes instantly. “What is it?”

Runyue lifted the curtain to see Feng Qing’s indifferent gaze. “Princess, the King of Zhenbei has arrived. Master told me to warn you: watch your tongue.”

Shen Ruoli sat up with a start. “The King of Zhenbei?!”

Speak of the devil. A split second later, a dark premonition surged in her heart. Her intuition told her: The King of Zhenbei is not here with good intentions.

As it turned out, she was exactly right.