#498 - The protagonist of the world
Inside a hall in the county yamen, it was utterly silent. Sunlight streamed in like countless golden arrows from a small window, illuminating the room's furnishings.
"That note, you gave it to You Wenzong, didn't you?"
Without looking at Xu Sui Sui, Wei Changtian asked, his back to her.
And the long silence confirmed his suspicion.
“. . . ”
"What, don't you have anything to say?"
Turning around, Wei Changtian's expression was calm, but his tone seemed somewhat disgusted.
Unlike the anger and threats he had shown before, this was the first time he had spoken to Xu Sui Sui in this way.
The latter finally opened her mouth, her voice small and strained.
"Wei Changtian . . ."
"I was helping you!"
I was helping you.
Again, that answer.
Looking at Xu Sui Sui, Wei Changtian slowly took half a step back and shook his head.
"Wei Changtian, you'll understand in the future!"
"Yes, I admit I do have my own selfish motives."
"But I won't harm you!"
"Believe me, I can explain to you—"
"No need."
Waving his hand, Wei Changtian suddenly interrupted her.
"You don't need to explain to me, and I don't want to know."
"I only see that you are preventing the imperial army from entering Niutou Mountain, and that's enough."
“. . . ”
Her body suddenly stiffened, and the light gradually faded from Xu Sui Sui's eyes.
She bit her lip tightly, trembling as she asked:
"Then . . . what are you going to do to me? Are you going to kill me?"
"No."
Sighing softly, Wei Changtian turned his head to look at the cloudless blue sky outside the window.
"Regardless of your purpose, the Zhenshan Camp incident before was a help to me."
"The two cancel each other out, so now neither of us owes the other anything."
"You can go, what you do in the future has nothing to do with me."
"But if you ever take actions against me again, and fall into my hands—"
His voice paused, and Wei Changtian lowered his head slightly.
"Then I won't be as generous as I am today."
“. . . ”
From acquaintance to break-up, Wei Changtian and Xu Sui Sui had only experienced less than a month.
The red peppers jumping all over the ground seemed to be still vivid in his mind, and the "Comrade Wei" seemed to be still echoing in his ears.
Wei Changtian had not yet fulfilled his promise to help Xu Sui Sui find a satisfactory husband.
And Xu Sui Sui had not fulfilled her promise to help Wei Changtian invent stockings and mini-skirts . . .
When the "revolutionary friendship" that should have been unbreakable was shattered in an instant, Wei Changtian and Xu Sui Sui were silent for a long, long time.
As fellow villagers, no, "fellow villagers" is no longer an appropriate term.
It should be said that there was indeed an unusual emotional attachment between the two "transmigrators."
This was also why Wei Changtian had always treated Xu Sui Sui with an attitude of almost "unlimited tolerance."
Even after learning the truth about the latter's system, he still felt that the two should have common goals and could become trustworthy partners.
But the note written by Xu Sui Sui made Wei Changtian realize the reality.
It turned out that they could never establish true trust between them.
Since this was the case, then each going their own way was already his greatest concession.
“. . . ”
"I understand . . ."
The slightly trembling voice was very soft, full of unspeakable loneliness.
Xu Sui Sui retreated little by little, then stopped at the door and slowly turned her head.
"Can I ask you one last question?"
“. . . ”
Turning to look at her, Wei Changtian stood in the sunlight, his figure tall and straight: "Ask."
"Okay . . ."
Xu Sui Sui hesitated for a moment, and asked softly: "If there is a chance, would you go back?"
“. . . ”
Wei Changtian had asked Xu Sui Sui this question before, and the latter had given a definite answer without thinking.
But when Xu Sui Sui asked back, Wei Changtian at the time did not answer.
And at this moment, when his own situation had become "completely different," Wei Changtian also roughly understood why Xu Sui Sui would ask this question again.
Here, he was the "Young Master Wei" above ten thousand people, with immense power and countless wives and concubines, the unique "protagonist" designated in the novel.
Going back, he was an ordinary person who worked 996 every day, and might not be able to afford a small house in a big city even after a lifetime of hard work, just one of the thousands of "supporting characters" in the world.
Since Xu Sui Sui knew her "predetermined ending" in the novel, asking such a question at this time was undoubtedly to confirm whether her arrival had affected his "values."
Wei Changtian didn't know how the "original" himself would have chosen, and he didn't ask.
Faced with such a seemingly not difficult multiple-choice question, he completely followed his heart and quickly gave the answer.
An answer that completely exceeded Xu Sui Sui's expectations.
"Yes."
"I will definitely go back."
“. . . ”
Her eyes widened slightly, and Xu Sui Sui's expression was somewhat dazed for a moment.
"Why?"
"Here, you are the protagonist!"
“. . . ”
Looking at Xu Sui Sui's reaction, Wei Changtian guessed how he would have chosen in the novel.
Didn't go back? It didn't matter.
At least at this moment, what he said was indeed the truth.
"Protagonist . . ."
Looking at Xu Sui Sui's complicated expression, Wei Changtian actually smiled suddenly.
"I think we have all misunderstood one thing."
"In the book I read, Xiao Feng is indeed the protagonist."
"In the book you read, I am indeed the protagonist."
"But to this world, there has never been, and there will never be, a so-called protagonist."
“Or perhaps, everyone in this world, regardless of status, is actually the protagonist of this world.”
“.”
In the Wei Residence, Wei Qiaoling, with two pigtails tied on her head, had just finished her morning practice. At this moment, she was complaining to the little black dog beside her with a bitter face.
“Da Gui, cultivation is so boring.”
“You need to grow up quickly, I still want to ride you.”
“Father and Mother, I don’t know what good things they’ve encountered these days, they’re always smiling.”
“Oh, and my older brother and sister-in-law, I haven’t seen them in so long.”
“Ah! Xiao Qing! Spit out Xiao Hui! Don’t eat Xiao Hui!”
At the Floating Cloud Inn, the sunlight shone on the large brocade quilt, vaguely outlining Xu Qingwan's exquisite figure.
She had been sleeping in this relapse for quite a long time, and it was already late in the morning, but she still hadn't gotten up.
In a daze, the corners of Comrade Xu's mouth curled up slightly, as if she was having a good dream.
In the dream, there was Wei Changtian, her parents, and countless piles of white silver...
“Mmm.”
Halfway through the sweet dream, Xu Qingwan turned over in a daze, and unexpectedly rolled over half the width of the bed.
However, even with such a large movement, she still held a small bundle tightly in her arms, never letting go.
After all, this small bundle containing silver notes and loose silver was her treasure.
In the Shu army's camp, a soldier named Li Erzhu was practicing swordsmanship, sweat streaking down his slightly immature cheeks, dripping into the soil.
Having experienced several major battles, Li Erzhu had successfully transformed from a raw recruit who couldn't even hold his weapon steadily into a veteran with some battlefield experience.
And perhaps because of good luck, not only did he survive as Wei Changtian had predicted, but he even made military contributions. If there were no unexpected events, he would soon be promoted to squad leader.
Although squad leader was the smallest official position in the army, with only four or five people under his command.
But Li Erzhu was only fourteen years old after all, and he felt that his future was bright.
After the war, he could go home to visit his parents, buy a few more acres of land for his family, and buy a few beautiful clothes for his younger sister.
Under the scorching sun, Li Erzhu kept fantasizing about the scene of his future “returning home in glory”, and he felt as if the hand wielding the sword was even stronger.
Then, at a certain moment, he suddenly thought of Wei Changtian, whom he had only met once.
He wondered if he could ever be as powerful as Young Master Wei one day...
Just as Wei Changtian said.
There has never been a so-called protagonist in this world, and the world will never revolve around any one person.
To Wei Qiaoling, he was her older brother whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
But in her world, there were also Wei Xianzhu, Qin Caizhen, Da Gui, and that group of strange animals.
To Comrade Xu, he was her husband to whom she had entrusted her life.
But in her world, there was also Ying Fengsheng, and countless silver taels waiting for her to earn.
To Li Erzhu, he was an “idol” who had given him encouragement.
But in his world, there were also relatives, and the youthful ambition of “returning home in glory”.
Not only them.
Including Chu Xianping, Liang Qin, Yang Liushi, Wei Xianzhu, and everyone else, he might have a very important position in their hearts, but definitely not everything.
And this is actually the relationship between himself and this world.
What protagonist, what fate... These are just the limitations of thinking caused by “transmigration”.
To this world, everyone is nothing special, and everyone is indispensable.
When Wei Changtian learned that the old woman was not actually waiting for him, when he personally saw the tens of thousands of people who died at Niutou Mountain, he finally understood this principle.
So...
“Is that why you didn’t ask anything?”
After a long silence, Xu Suisui asked silently.
“Yes.”
Wei Changtian's smile remained unchanged, and his tone was somewhat unrestrained.
“What if I know the original plot?”
“Finish the play according to the script?”
“Or must I deliberately change everything?”
“Both of these are too stupid.”
“So I would rather not know the so-called fate, and just do what I think I should do now.”
“…”
“I understand.”
“Thank you.”
Looking at Wei Changtian standing in the sunlight, Xu Suisui was stunned for a long time before suddenly saying something inexplicable in a low voice.
However, Wei Changtian did not answer, but turned his head to look out the window again.
Shu soldiers in green armor walked past in a hurry in the courtyard, their faces filled with long-lost ease and contentment, discussing in low voices when they could be promoted and rewarded, and when they could go home to visit their relatives.
Further away, in front of a newly opened restaurant outside the county government office, several waiters were loudly soliciting customers, several acrobats were dancing with knives and spears on the street, and the copper gong was ringing like thunder, attracting a crowd of onlookers who shouted loudly.
Copper coins “clanged” into the mud bowl, one of them fell outside, and was quickly picked up by a beggar.
He used this copper coin to exchange for a steaming bun from a small stall not far away, and then broke off a small piece and gave it to an old yellow dog with a lame leg...
All of this would never intersect with Wei Changtian in the novels Xu Suisui had read.
But they exist incomparably realistically, and together constitute this real world.
Including the youth who was transmigrated due to electric shock in his previous life, and countless people like him...
They are actually the protagonists of the world.
The cloudless sky was clear and blue.
A few small birds frolicked among the branches, and then, under Wei Changtian's gaze, flew away to higher places.
(End of Volume 5)
