Chapter 439: Chapter 439: Its Ending, Her Ending

Seeing Xilan again felt completely different.

She stood under a pagoda tree, accompanied only by her handmaiden, Kong Qing.

Song Lianhe walked toward her, her gaze falling on the female protagonist’s halo above her head.

At some point, her halo had dimmed until it had nearly vanished. After that, Song Lianhe, in her second time transmigrating into the book, could no longer see it at all.

Now, she could see it again, clear as day. The halo was dazzlingly brilliant—a true female protagonist’s halo.

Honestly, Song Lianhe felt a little insecure.

The female lead was the female lead for a reason. No matter how many twists and turns the plot took in the book, she would always be the author’s favorite.

Being the favorite wasn’t the issue. The problem was that she was bound to marry the male lead.

In other words, now that Zhou Junlin had been pushed to the sidelines and Zhou Cangyan had ascended to the throne of the primary male lead, judging by the state of that halo, the official couple of Xilan and Zhou Cangyan would be locked in sooner or later.

It was true what they say—a chance encounter can’t beat destiny.

"Song Lianhe, it’s been a while."

When Xilan saw her, her demeanor was neither servile nor overbearing, unlike her previous pettiness.

Song Lianhe raised a hand to stop her pleasantries. "Enough. There’s no need for that between us."

Xilan smiled. "Very well."

Then, she turned her head and instructed Kong Qing, "You are dismissed."

Kong Qing acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Song Lianhe also nodded at Xuan Mei.

Xuan Mei looked at her. "Call me if you need anything."

"Alright."

Once they were both gone, Song Lianhe cut right to the chase. "Alright, there’s no one else here. We can both drop the act. If you have something to say, just say it."

Xilan chuckled. "You know, it’s a strange feeling. In this place, I’m actually forced to be ’confidantes’ with you."

Song Lianhe shrugged. "What can I say? We share a secret."

"If that’s the case, then you should also be aware that I am the true protagonist, and you are just a side character."

Song Lianhe asked, "So?"

"Song Lianhe, you know it perfectly well in your heart. Looking at the current situation, Zhou Junlin has long since shown his intention to withdraw, and everything that originally belonged to him now belongs to Zhou Cangyan! What does that tell you?"

"Heh, what does it tell me?"

Song Lianhe asked with a smile, but the sense of melancholy and loss in her heart was only growing stronger.

’Xilan must have noticed. She’s here to stake her claim.’

"Why pretend to be clueless when you understand perfectly well? You are not a good match for Zhou Cangyan."

A moment ago, Song Lianhe had been able to respond with a flippant tone, but now, she couldn’t force a smile.

’The reason is simple: it’s just so damn frustrating!’

She had struggled through the plot of almost an entire book, surviving against the odds, and had forcibly turned a major villain into a righteous and upstanding male lead. And what was the result? Just when it was time to reap the rewards, they had fallen into someone else’s hands.

How could she not feel frustrated?

"Alright, Xilan, you can stop right there. It’s useless coming to me about this. The decision is in Zhou Cangyan’s hands. If he wants to grow old with you, it won’t matter if I cry, scream, and lose my mind!"

"Heh, it’s for the best that you understand that."

Song Lianhe narrowed her eyes. Just looking at that smug, certain-of-victory expression made her blood boil!

"But I do find it strange. Weren’t you always fighting and scheming, stopping at nothing? Why the sudden visit to offer a courtesy call before declaring war?" Song Lianhe let out a laugh. "You’re being so polite, it’s actually a little unsettling. Or... is this just another scheme waiting for me?"

Xilan pursed her lips and chuckled softly, saying calmly, "Speaking of which, my state of mind has indeed changed a great deal recently. Especially after I recognized that there was no longer any possibility between me and Zhou Junlin, my head cleared up as well. Thinking back on all the foolish things I did, I truly feel ashamed."

Song Lianhe raised an eyebrow. ’Oh? Has the character awakened?’

Xilan continued, "I used to be too obsessed with the distinction between the legitimate and illegitimate lines, always trying to one-up you in every way. Before you came to this world, that other Song Lianhe was foolish and short-tempered. I never considered her a threat, and things were peaceful enough. But ever since you appeared, I felt an unprecedented sense of crisis, which made me use every trick and ounce of strength I had again and again!"

She lifted her gaze to look at Song Lianhe again. "Looking back now, what was the point? We each have our own plot to follow. I am the protagonist. I don’t need to compete with you, and I am destined to be the center of attention in this story."

Those few sentences alone made Song Lianhe want to give her a round of applause.

’Now *this* is a true female lead—wise and magnanimous!’

"Heh, seeing you like this now, it would be out of place if I didn’t say ’congratulations’." Song Lianhe gave a slight smile. "In any case, it’s a good thing that you’re no longer bound by the plot and have your own thoughts and principles."

Xilan’s lips curved into a soft smile. "Would you believe me if I told you that just a few days ago, I still hated you with all my heart and wanted you dead?"

"Oh?" Song Lianhe was intrigued. "Do tell."

"After learning that you and King Qing had returned from Sishui City, I had no other thought than to deal with you! But just yesterday, while returning to the Prince Mansion, I saved a Daoist, and he gave me a piece of Talisman Paper. It was that very Talisman Paper that made me suddenly wake up."

It sounded a little familiar to Song Lianhe, and she suddenly asked, "That old Daoist... was he...?"

When she described the Daoist who had given her the Life-saving Pill, Xilan nodded. "That’s right. He’s identical to the person I saw."

Song Lianhe’s heart skipped a beat.

’If he isn’t a support character deliberately placed by the author, then he must be a ’paper person’ who awakened even before Xilan did!’

’If that’s the case, then everything makes sense.’

"Heh, in any case, you’ve really surprised me."

Song Lianhe now looked at her in a completely new light. Even though they were love rivals, she couldn’t help but admire her.

Xilan’s gaze was just as open. "Once I was no longer confined to that tiny slice of heaven and earth, I suddenly realized how vast the world could be. So what if this is just a book? The world you come from—isn’t it just another world from someone else’s pen?"

Song Lianhe clucked her tongue in admiration and applauded her. "Not bad! Once you awakened, your level of enlightenment just skyrocketed!"

Xilan let out a laugh.

Looking at her again, she insisted, "In any case, when it comes to Zhou Cangyan, I am determined to win. It’s not just because he’s the male lead. More importantly, I’ve found that my heart has been moved by him. I think if the author hadn’t arranged my fated marriage with Zhou Junlin, I probably would have fallen in love with him anyway."

Song Lianhe’s smile vanished. "You’ve awakened, you haven’t lost your mind. Do you think it’s appropriate to run to me and pour your heart out about your feelings for *my* man?"

’And I just complimented her on her manners!’

Xilan didn’t get angry at the rebuke. She just smiled magnanimously and said, "The situation is unpredictable right now, but you and I both know in our hearts that the ending will still proceed as destined. It’s just that the throne has changed hands."

Song Lianhe didn’t deny it. In fact, this was the very thing she was worried and conflicted about.

She knew the ending of the book, but what about her own?

When this book reached its predetermined conclusion, where would she go?

Would she return to her original world? Or would she simply vanish on the spot?