Double Rebirth: The Scumbag Heroine is Terrified of the Yandere Prince! - Chapter 8

The news that the Crown Princess had encountered bandits on her way to Mount Tianzhao to pray for blessings quickly spread back to the capital.

After making “final arrangements” for Qingying’s death, Shen Ruoli finally resumed her journey.

An hour later, the group had at last settled at Tianzhao Temple.

Shen Ruoli had initially assumed that, regarding her encounter with the bandits, Xie Xuanyin would likely be relieved that he hadn’t accompanied her. He would be glad that he hadn’t been trapped by her schemes as he was in the previous life.

To her utter surprise, just as she finished her prayers and was preparing to descend the mountain, Xie Xuanyin appeared right before her eyes!

“Your… Your Highness?!”

Shen Ruoli stared in disbelief. She thought she was seeing things.

Before she could process her shock, the man strode forward with long, hurried steps. Before the onlookers could react, he reached out and pulled her firmly into his embrace!

The impact was so strong that Shen Ruoli stumbled, her face pressing against his chest. She could hear his heart thundering wildly—as if he had raced here at full speed.

“Ali…”

His voice was hoarse and carried a trace of trembling that he couldn’t hide. “I have arrived too late.”

Shen Ruoli froze in his arms. Ali? In this life, ever since their rebirth, he had only ever called her “Shen Ruoli” or referred to her coldly as “The Crown Princess.” This intimate, soul-stirring nickname was something he had only used in their most tender moments in the previous life.

Did the shock of her nearly dying at the hands of bandits break his mask of coldness? Or was this another layer of his suspicion, testing whether she would drop her guard?

“Your Highness, I… I am fine,” she whispered, her voice muffled against his robes. She tried to pull back slightly to look at his face, but his arms tightened around her like iron bands, as if he feared she would vanish if he let go for even a second.

“The bandits… are they all dead?” Xie Xuanyin asked, his head resting against hers. Though his voice sounded concerned, the light in his eyes was sharp and icy as he looked over her shoulder toward Feng Qing.

Feng Qing lowered his head, not daring to meet his master’s gaze.

Shen Ruoli didn’t see their exchange. She only felt the warmth of Xie Xuanyin’s body and the familiar scent of sandalwood that surrounded him. For a moment, she allowed herself to lean into him, closing her eyes.

“Yes, Your Highness. Feng Qing and the others protected me well,” she lied smoothly. She wouldn’t tell him yet that she knew he had sent Feng Qing to kill her. “And Qingying… she sacrificed herself to save me. She died a loyal servant’s death.”

She felt Xie Xuanyin’s body stiffen slightly at the mention of Qingying.

He slowly released her, his hands lingering on her shoulders as he scanned her for injuries. When his eyes landed on the blood-soaked bandage on her shoulder, his expression darkened instantly.

“You’re hurt.”

“It’s just a scratch,” she tried to downplay it, but the pain made her wince.

Xie Xuanyin didn’t say another word. He swept her up into a bridal carry, ignoring the gasps from the monks and servants around them.

“Return to the manor!” he commanded, his voice echoing with an undeniable authority. “Summon the Imperial Physician immediately. If there is even a single scar left on her, the entire Medical Bureau will answer for it!”

As he carried her down the mountain steps, Shen Ruoli looked up at his sharp, handsome jawline. She was confused. If he truly wanted her dead, why was he acting so desperate now?

Was he acting for the world to see, or was the man who once loved her more than life itself finally starting to come back?