“Wah wah wah, it’s so tragic! Sister A-Yin died just like that. My heroine’s heart must be broken too!”
“Songyin’s role in the later parts of the novel was already getting less and less. Who would have thought that when she finally appeared, the male lead made her take the blow? Even though it was truly a life-or-death moment, Songyin was the heroine’s most reliable confidante. For her to just die like that, no wonder the heroine was furious!”
“Am I the only one who thinks Songyin had it rough? The heroine treated her well, but she was also deceiving her all along!”
“Songyin is practically the definition of a tool character!”
“Didn’t the heroine tell Songyin the truth before she died? At least she resolved her final regrets and could rest in peace.”
“Rest in peace?! Using Songyin, causing the death of Songyin’s blood relatives she had been searching for, and then claiming it was for Songyin’s own good—if I were Songyin, I’d want to stab the heroine to death! I always wanted to see Songyin turn against that villainous heroine, but I never expected Songyin to die so tragically. I’m not worthy of reading this book anymore. Farewell!”
“Songyin died, but the heroine didn’t have it easy either. She was so heartbroken she fasted for three days…”
“…”
Songyin read these book reviews, seething with rage.
She was forced to take the blow, and as she lay dying, she was literally angered to death.
Only after her death did she learn that she was merely a righteous supporting female character in the book The Prince’s Unending Flirtation: The Consort Is Fiery and Soft!.
This book told the story of the heroine, Jiang Tan’er, who traveled through time, started from scratch, was doted on by her family, and brought prosperity to her entire household. From a small village, she gradually made her way to the capital, writing poetry collections, opening shops, making Glass, and ultimately becoming a consort, then an empress—a true winner in life.
And she, Songyin, was a genius poison doctor.
But she had a tumultuous childhood, painful experiences, and was utterly alone.
Until she met the heroine and received a spiritual “salvation.”
From then on, she became the heroine’s personal physician and all-around assistant. She treated the heroine’s family, lovers, and even helpers, paved the way for her future, devoted her money, labor, and companionship, and in the end, even had to die for the heroine!
What a joke!
Over the past two years, she and Jiang Tan’er had already grown distant in spirit though close in appearance. She had tried to leave multiple times, only to be stopped by Jiang Tan’er. Yet in this plot, it was portrayed as if she willingly sacrificed herself for Jiang Tan’er?
“Alert! Alert! The character’s actions contradict their true intentions. The character has developed intense self-awareness. The Pseudo World’s vitality has met the requirements. Attempting to break away from the plot and evolve a new world. Current breakaway progress: 0 points. When breakaway points reach 1000, evolution will commence.”
“Evolution challenger: Songyin.”
“Character signing confidentiality agreement…”
“New World Support Plan activated. Challenger gains evolution ability: Detect Anomalies.”
“Heavenly Dao subsystem providing support. Binding character Songyin.”
“Initiating time lock…”
—The sun and moon reversed, time rewound. The universe shifted, and all things returned to their places.—
A fresh breath of air rushed into her lungs, and Songyin abruptly opened her eyes!
Her heart was pounding rapidly, and a sharp pain shot through her arm.
Before her, a young boy in blue glared at her furiously, his eyes blazing with rage. The veins on his forehead bulged, as if he might lose control of his emotions at any moment and attack her again.
The sword in his hand gleamed like a gemstone—a piece that should have been a magnificent yet impractical ornament—but now, fresh blood dripped from its blade.
“It was you who harmed my sister! If there’s a next time, I absolutely, absolutely won’t let you off!” Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the boy’s voice was filled with anger and a hint of fear.
At only twelve years old, this was the first time he had ever injured someone.
Looking at this familiar scene, Songyin was utterly shocked. Had she returned to the past?!
She remembered dying with great resentment, and at the moment of her death, she seemed to have heard many astonishing things—World Evolution? Plot deviation?
In her daze, it all felt distant, unlike the pain in her arm, which felt real, almost like an illusion.
Songyin had no time to think further and quickly turned her attention to the boy before her.
“Xie Jiyan?”
The boy didn’t answer, but the pain in her arm reminded her that everything happening now was real.
Songyin also found it somewhat laughable—she was actually a character in a book.
And according to the book’s plot, Xie Jiyan had wounded her, delaying her treatment of the Old Imperial Uncle’s chronic illness. Terrified, he had fled and hid for many days before returning home.
However, the Old Imperial Uncle insisted that the Xie family was sheltering Xie Jiyan and hiding him, demanding accountability. The Xie family had to pay a heavy price to settle the matter.
In the past, influenced by Jiang Tan’er’s words, she had harbored immense disdain for the Xie family and naturally cared little about their fate.
But it wasn’t until the moment of her death that she realized—she, too, bore the surname Xie.
Songyin looked at the boy and deliberately said, “These hands of mine are needed to treat the Old Imperial Uncle’s head ailment. Now that you’ve injured me, this matter will inevitably be delayed. Xie Jiyan, have you thought about how to handle the aftermath? Or do you plan to simply run away?”
“The Old Imperial Uncle holds immense power. If you, the culprit, flee, what do you think will happen to the Xie family?” She watched as the boy’s expression instantly darkened and continued.
“Who said I’m going to hide!” Xie Jiyan, his thoughts exposed, felt both ashamed and angry. “If you dare harm my sister, I dare to confront you! If you have the guts, come at me! I’m not afraid!”
Fearing that others might detect the panic in his heart, Xie Jiyan raised his chin defiantly, glared at her with contempt, and stormed off.
Only after this “sword-wielding assailant” left did the others dare to approach.
They helped support her and escorted her to a medical clinic for bandaging.
Songyin didn’t resist, because the voice she had heard at the moment of her death echoed in her mind once again.
“Support system activating. Time reversal has reached its limit, fixed at the fifteenth year of Jianping, the beginning of summer.”
“World Evolution in progress. Time remaining: five years and three months. Reminder: If World Evolution fails, characters will return to their predetermined paths, reliving their fates until the female lead’s original world shows no traces of this book.”
“If the host has any questions, you may communicate with the system through mental speech.”
Songyin understood the meaning behind these words—World Evolution was the reason she had returned to the past.
“Are you the system? What kind of help can you offer me? What must I do for the evolution to succeed? And what does ‘detecting anomalies’ represent?” Songyin asked inwardly.
“Time reversal is already the greatest assistance the system can provide to the evolver. Currently, the system only offers reminders on plot deviation progress. For the world to evolve, the more it deviates from the original plot, the better.”
Recalling the words she had heard at the moment of her death, Songyin realized she still had over five years left—a timeframe likely based on her lifespan in her previous life.
“The female lead, Jiang Tan’er, is a transmigrator. For the new world about to evolve, she represents an anomaly. You can earn points to exchange for opportunities to glimpse memories from her original world.” The system’s voice remained completely flat.
“Can’t I just kill Jiang Tan’er directly? Without the female lead, the plot would naturally break free,” Songyin immediately asked.
“Of course you can. However, the system does not recommend the host taking this approach. The Pseudo World is already fragile, and the female lead, having crossed over, resides at the center of the Pseudo World’s fortune. If she were to die suddenly, Jiang Tan’er would return to her original world carrying a portion of the world’s fortune, causing the Pseudo World’s fortune to scatter. Even if it evolves into a new world, the new world would lack the strength to protect itself and might even attract other anomalous energies, ultimately being plundered completely.”
“In the book centered on Jiang Tan’er, her family bonds, romantic relationships, and career are depicted, gathering various characters and events from both the righteous and antagonistic sides, each serving different purposes. It is recommended that the host proceed step by step.”
“Helping the Pseudo World break free from the plot can strengthen its consciousness, allowing the world to evolve healthily.”
With this explanation, Songyin understood.
World Evolution relies on itself, but breaking free from the plot depends on her.
It’s somewhat similar to curing an illness.
After providing this information, the system’s voice faded away.
Only she could hear those words just now. Moreover, before her rebirth, she seemed to have heard the phrase “keep it confidential,” meaning she must not show any signs of abnormality regarding this matter.
The past seventeen years of her life were still vivid in her memory. She had fought desperately to survive, not to become someone’s appendage or tool. No matter what, she had to break free from this predetermined fate.