"I've read it," Lin Yi said, "but I died before it finished. Did you finish it?"
"Ah, sorry," He Jing apologized. "I didn't realize you passed away so early. By the time we died, 'The Great Qian Realm' had already been finished for several years."
"It's fine," Lin Yi waved her hand, unconcerned. "Everyone dies eventually. Dying early or late makes no difference. You finished the original novel? What was Gu Fang's outcome in the book?"
He Jing was silent for a moment. The brief silence made Lin Yi's heart tighten, afraid she might hear bad news. Then He Jing slowly spoke: "Your husband was quite impressive. After his legs were disabled, he abandoned military affairs for civil service and eventually became the prime minister. He had a specially granted seat at court, so he didn't have to stand for long periods like others. He lived until the story's end and became the most powerful official in Great Qian."
Lin Yi let out a long sigh of relief, her brows relaxing. "That's good. I was always worried that his injuries were too severe and he might not live long."
"The original novel mentioned why he could hold on for so long," He Jing continued. "He was born with an exceptionally strong constitution. That severe injury damaged his foundation but wasn't fatal. Still, his health was never the same afterward."
Lin Yi's heart tightened upon hearing this. "His health deteriorated a lot?"
He Jing paused, then said earnestly, "But he lived to the very end. That's already very good."
"That's true." Lin Yi furrowed her brows, still worried. "But having poor health must have made his life very difficult."
He Jing: "..." Alright, it's clear you love him deeply.
Huang Xining spoke up: "Actually, there's no need to worry. In the original novel, his poor health was probably due to lack of timely recuperation. Now he's already taking supplements every day, and after the surgery, he'll have the hope of standing again. That will greatly improve his spirits. He has a naturally good constitution; with proper care, he can recover."
Lin Yi finally relaxed upon hearing this, repeatedly saying, "That's good, that's good."
"Speaking of which," Huang Xining smoothly changed the subject, "so we didn't die at the same time?"
Lin Yi said, "That's right. I died in 2025. But that's normal—I met someone who died over six thousand years later. Though he's different from us; he has a system."
"Over six thousand years later? A system?" Huang Xining rarely showed surprise.
He Jing also leaned forward with interest. "What's this all about? Tell us!"
"It's the protagonist of this book. Yesterday I went with Gu Fang to see him, and he said some things that ancient people shouldn't know. I sang a line from the national anthem, and he joined in." Lin Yi spread her hands and continued, "But he said he's different from us. After he died, the Quick Wear Bureau's system approached him and sent him here. He said this was originally a novel world, but the protagonist died, and the world was going to collapse. His soul happened to be the best match for the protagonist, so the system recruited him, promising to revive him after he completed the mission."
He Jing's eyes widened. "So, over six thousand years from now, the underworld isn't crowded anymore?"
"I don't know. He doesn't live on Earth. By then, humans are already living among the stars." Lin Yi tilted her head, thinking. "I guess it's not crowded. He said Earth is now classified as a protected planet—only tourism is allowed, no residence. With no people there, the underworld should be pretty empty."
"Stellar space?" Huang Xining's eyes flickered. "I wonder what level of technology they have."
Lin Yi rubbed her nose sheepishly. "I didn't ask. Gu Fang was beside me at the time, so I couldn't speak openly. Later, Gu Fang realized I had something to say and gave us some time alone, but we didn't discuss it in depth—we didn't have enough time."
"I see." Huang Xining tapped his knee with his fingers, pondering. "So what happened with the protagonist's death?"
Upon hearing this, He Jing clutched her chest dramatically. "Yes! My Chuanchuan... how could he... sob sob..."
He's quick, Lin Yi admired Huang Xining's ability to pinpoint the key issue. She said directly, "His system told him that the protagonist was disliked by the emperor and Consort Zheng from childhood and originally wouldn't have lived past adulthood. He only survived because Empress Wang protected him. But Empress Wang was in poor health and died early for some unknown reason. Without her protection, the protagonist died as a child."
"That Empress Wang's death is quite strange," Huang Xining mused. "In theory, this is a novel with a fixed trajectory. No matter how poor Empress Wang's health was, she should have died after the protagonist grew up. Why did she die so early?"
"That's not all that's strange," Lin Yi continued. "Before I came, I made a deal with the Earth consciousness. In exchange for improving the survival rate of humans in this small world, I wanted the scumbag who killed me to die a miserable death. At the time, the Earth consciousness told me that I could make some changes, but the plot line was absolute and could not be altered. I asked what if an unforeseen butterfly effect occurred. It told me that if that happened, the world consciousness here would remind me in the form of headaches that I had overstepped. But," Lin Yi looked up directly at Huang Xining, speaking slowly, "from the moment I arrived until now, I haven't had a single headache."
He Jing was immediately drawn by the new topic and leaned in gossipily. "Scumbag? What happened with you? Is it okay to share? If not, no worries!"
Lin Yi's lips twitched, her tone flat as if talking about someone else. "It's fine. Just a lunatic who wanted to take revenge on society. He drove his car onto the sidewalk, and I was just an unlucky passerby."
"Ah, sorry," He Jing said, rubbing her nose awkwardly. "I thought there was some personal grudge..."
Lin Yi waved her hand to indicate it was fine. At that moment, Huang Xining stopped tapping his fingers, looked up at her with sharp eyes, and asked, "So you're saying that because you didn't know the real ending for Gu Fang and thought he would die, your attempts to keep him alive should have been judged as altering the plot. Yet you never received a single warning from start to finish?" He paused, slowing his speech, making it more intense. "But now you know Gu Fang won't die. Why did you specifically bring this up?"
"Because Ying Baichuan's situation has also gone wrong." Lin Yi's voice turned serious. "According to the original novel, the tyrant emperor still had several more years of trouble before his downfall. But Gu Fang and the current protagonist teamed up and used medicine to cripple him. Now the emperor is still breathing, but he's essentially a puppet; all power has been transferred. The protagonist, Ying Baichuan, has effectively taken control."
"What?!" He Jing nearly jumped up, her eyes shining. "That tyrant emperor was dethroned early?! That's... truly satisfying!"
Huang Xining's brows furrowed deeper, his fingers unconsciously tapping a regular rhythm on the table.
"This is really off." He said softly, as if organizing his thoughts. "Luckily, you know the inside story. He Jing's family wouldn't tell her this, and I've been away from home, cut off from news. If the protagonist has been replaced by someone from the Quick Wear Bureau, using medicine to overthrow the emperor, though radical, is still reasonable—after all, taskers don't strictly follow the original plot."
Huang Xining looked up, his gaze fixed on Lin Yi as he posed the crucial question: "But Gu Fang is a character from the original novel. How could a paper figure break free from the predetermined plot line and cooperate with the protagonist in such a subversive move? Unless..." He paused, speaking each word deliberately: "Has Gu Fang also been possessed by a time traveler?"
Lin Yi's heart suddenly tightened, as if gripped by an invisible hand. She steadied her breath before replying, "Gu Fang should... be a genuine ancient person. Many of his behaviors, thoughts, and manners seem completely integrated into this era to me. But now that you mention it, the only thing I find strange is that he's too clever and perceptive. Moreover, the plan to drug the emperor was originally conceived by Gu Fang. The protagonist, because he couldn't break character, couldn't act on his own. He only discovered Gu Fang's intention and secretly pushed it along to succeed."
Huang Xining leaned forward slightly. "What makes you feel he's unusually clever and perceptive? Can you give specific examples?"
Lin Yi recalled, her tone unconsciously softening. "At first, it was just in daily interactions. He was very considerate. If he couldn't detect my subtle needs, he wouldn't have been able to be that attentive. Then yesterday, when meeting the protagonist," she glanced at Huang Xining, "the protagonist said something about how surgery requires attention to hygiene and that exposure could lead to infection. I immediately realized something was off and tested him a bit to confirm his identity. Gu Fang noticed at that moment. He knew I had something to say to the protagonist alone, so he proactively made an excuse to step out, saying he wanted to see if there were any new changes at Prince Ning's mansion."
She paused and continued, "After I finished talking with the protagonist, I walked out and saw Gu Fang standing not far away under the corridor, quietly looking at a pot of orchids. I went over and casually asked him what changes he'd noticed. He pointed at the flowers and said naturally that the flowers were different. But the protagonist immediately said he hadn't changed the flowers at all."
He Jing let out a soft "Ah."
Lin Yi went on, "On the carriage ride back, I was very troubled, thinking about how to confess to him this matter that would seem incredible to an ancient person. Before I could figure out how to say it, Gu Fang saw through me. He didn't press me or force me at all. He just said calmly that I didn't need to tell him. Everyone has their own little secrets."
He Jing's eyes lit up as she listened, unable to help but exclaim, "Wow, it sounds like your husband is really great. In this era where boundaries between men and women are strict and secrets often spell trouble, he not only gave you space to talk privately with the protagonist but also allowed you to take Xining away. Knowing you have secrets, he can refrain from asking or prying. That kind of respect and understanding is truly rare."
Hearing this, Lin Yi's lips curled up involuntarily with a hint of pride. "That's right. Gu Fang is really, really wonderful."