The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 48

“Settling fate points… Fate value: 10 points.”

“Entering new world.”

“World incompatibility detected. Soul protection function activated. Memories from the previous world cleared.”

When Lin Wan woke up, her body felt warm and cozy, as if she were soaking in lukewarm water; extremely comfortable.

Yet her chest felt hollow, as though she had lost something important.

She tried hard to recall but could only remember that she seemed to have completed a mission in the small world. However, she wasn’t entirely sure about the outcome because the mission target had been somewhat peculiar.

But what exactly was peculiar about the mission target? Lin Wan couldn’t remember.

“Lin Wan, I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!”

The voice of the World Consciousness suddenly rang in her mind, interrupting her thoughts.

“You gained 10 fate points. The maximum this small world could grant! You’re truly amazing.”

The World Consciousness was clearly overjoyed, showering Lin Wan with endless praise.

“But I don’t remember anything.”

In contrast, Lin Wan remained much calmer.

She wasn’t swept away by the World Consciousness’s flattery and instead frowned slightly. “I want to review the experiences from the previous world to learn from them and draw lessons. I feel like there’s something important I’ve forgotten.”

“That’s normal. Memories from different small worlds aren’t compatible. Unless one’s soul is strong enough to defy all laws, the world will selectively erase your memories. ”

“After your revival, your soul is still very weak, so of course your memories were cleared,” the World Consciousness comforted her. “Besides, you don’t need to learn from any experiences. You must believe in yourself. With you taking charge, we’re already more than halfway to success. ”

Lin Wan was taken aback and narrowed her eyes. Why did the World Consciousness have such strong faith in her?

Was it because of her abilities that the World Consciousness was convinced, or was there something special about her?

However, the World Consciousness seemed to realize it had slipped up and didn’t continue the topic. After encouraging Lin Wan to keep up the good work, it sent her off to a new world.

“Young Miss, please have some grapes to calm your anger. Cousin Li doesn’t know what’s good for him, don’t take it to heart.”

When Lin Wan woke up, a girl in green clothes approached, offering a plate of grapes and asking softly, “The plum blossoms in the manor have bloomed. Madam asked if you’d like to go see them soon.”

The girl in green looked about fifteen or sixteen but spoke with the maturity of someone older.

Before she could receive the memories of this world, Lin Wan wasn’t clear about the current situation and naturally didn’t dare to agree casually. She compromised by replying quietly, “Let me think about it. I’m a bit tired and need to sleep for a while. Don’t let anyone wake me.”

The girl in green glanced at Lin Wan and, after a long pause, softly murmured an “Mm,” as if she couldn’t help adding, “Young Miss, I’ll be right outside. Call me if you need anything.”

Lin Wan nodded, watching as the girl in green left the room and closed the door behind her. Only then did she begin to receive the memories of this world.

This was a world where the female protagonist died young.

The female protagonist, Sheng Qian, was originally a princess of the kingdom. However, the emperor had been bewitched by a treacherous consort and had grown increasingly muddleheaded over the years. Not only did he raise taxes and engage in militaristic expansion, plunging the common people into misery, but he also indulged the consort, Huang Fu, in committing atrocities in the rear palace, leading to the deaths of many concubines.

Sheng Qian’s mother was originally just a minor palace maid sent as tribute from a southwestern tribe.

Because she possessed an exceptionally beautiful face, she caught the emperor’s favor when he was drunk, and later gave birth to Sheng Qian.

Sheng Qian’s mother was extremely cautious and never dared to make a single misstep.

Yet the treacherous consort did not let her off.

During a banquet, the female lead’s mother wore the same color dress as the treacherous consort Huang Fu, and her beauty outshone Huang Fu’s. From then on, Huang Fu held a grudge.

Not long after, Huang Fu framed the female lead’s mother for having an affair with a guard, spread rumors that the female lead was not the emperor’s child, had the mother killed, and the female lead was driven out of the palace.

The treacherous consort sent assassins after the female lead, Sheng Qian. In the original timeline, it was at this moment that the original host crossed paths with the female lead.

The original host did not know the female lead’s identity. After saving her, she kept her as a maid. The original host had a difficult temperament, and Sheng Qian suffered greatly under her.

Because the female lead was exceptionally beautiful, she caught the attention of the original host’s beloved cousin, Li.

When the original host found out, she drove the female lead away without asking for an explanation.

At that time, the empire was already in chaos.

How could the delicate and powerless female lead survive without protection? She later died in a refugee uprising.

After receiving the memories of the original timeline and the original host, Lin Wan breathed a sigh of relief.

This world was neither simple nor overly difficult.

In this world, Lin Wan was the only daughter of the wealthiest man in the empire.

The rich man doted on his daughter, and Lin Wan possessed endless wealth under her name. With money, things were easier to handle, and taking in the female lead, Sheng Qian, would not be a problem.

The difficulty, however, lay in protecting Sheng Qian.

In the late stages of the dynasty, wars were frequent, and everyone was in danger. In the original timeline, even the original host’s wealthy family was eventually invaded by rioters, ending in ruin.

If the female lead did not have the ability to protect herself, it would be difficult for her to meet a good end in such chaotic times.

But for now, the female lead was still young, and there was plenty of time to nurture her, to ensure she could survive in this turbulent world.

Thinking this, Lin Wan straightened up and called out to the outside, “Qingqing.”

The maid in green, Qingqing, immediately pushed the door open and entered, looking at Lin Wan with concern.

Just two hours earlier, the original host had tried to invite Cousin Li to enjoy the snowy scenery but was flatly rejected.

The original host, unable to swallow her anger, had been crying all afternoon.

“I’ve decided, we’ll set off for the estate in two hours.”

In the original timeline, it was on this day that the original host saved the female lead from assassins at the estate.

“Miss, should we go another day?”

Qingqing, however, looked hesitant: “It just started snowing, and it will surely get heavier soon. If we travel in the snow, you might catch a cold.”

Qingqing did not approve of the original host traveling in such harsh weather.

But the female lead would flee into Lin Wan’s estate that very night. Missing this opportunity, the delicate female lead might freeze to death in the bitterly cold night.

Thus, Lin Wan imitated the original host’s difficult tone and continued, “I want to go to the estate right now.”

“With Cousin here in this place, I truly don’t want to stay with him for another moment.”

“Very well, Miss.” With Lin Wan speaking like this, Qingqing naturally did not dare to dissuade her further and went to make the arrangements.

Not long after, Qingqing returned to escort Lin Wan out.

Lin Wan boarded the carriage.

Even though she had prepared the carriage and brought a hot water bottle, Lin Wan couldn’t help but shiver as soon as she stepped outside, the biting cold wind cutting straight to the bone.

Lin Wan felt cold everywhere.

She sat in the carriage, trembling uncontrollably, and by the time she arrived at the estate, her feet were frozen like ice.

It was hard to imagine how the female lead had managed to run from the city to the outskirts in such weather. The story only mentioned that the original host had saved the female lead, but it didn’t specify how.

Lin Wan had no choice but to wait passively.

After arriving, she lingered near the main gate of the estate.

However, the gate remained tightly shut, and even long after nightfall, no one came running in.

Had she misremembered?

Lin Wan looked outside the estate: the snow was falling heavier and heavier, the wind howled fiercely, and the world was blanketed in silver.

Lin Wan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry for the female lead she had never met.

She hadn’t seen such heavy snow in many years.

Would the female lead still come?

Under Qingqing’s repeated urging, Lin Wan finally decided to return to her room.

The original host had a peculiar temperament and had been raised in luxury since childhood, so she owned many rooms in the estate.

Lin Wan picked and chose, finally settling on a room near the outer wall.

When the original host was young, her family had been very strict. After accidentally discovering a small hole in the wall outside this room that led directly outside, the original host had often stayed in this room whenever she came to the estate.

It made it easier for her to slip out whenever she wanted.

But after falling for Cousin Li and hearing that he preferred well-mannered girls, the original host had forcibly given up her habits and tried hard to act gentle and demure.

Lin Wan often stayed in this room, and now, as she settled in again, no one in the estate found it unusual.

The night grew deeper.

Lin Wan waited until the lights in the surrounding rooms had gone out before bundling herself up tightly and quietly slipping out.

She still couldn’t shake her unease. Logically, the plot shouldn’t have such a major flaw.

In such heavy snow, if the female lead were left outside to freeze, she might not even survive the winter.

Especially since the female lead was only a ten-year-old girl now…

Before long, Lin Wan reached the wall.

Just as she was about to find a gap in the usual spot to slip through, her eyes widened in shock.

Someone was already hiding in the hole!

It was a little girl, her face pale from the cold, shivering uncontrollably.

Her pale complexion made her dark, bright eyes stand out even more.

Though she was still young, the girl’s incomparably beautiful face hinted at the stunning beauty she would become in the future.

Above the girl’s head was a panel only Lin Wan could see, displaying the number 40%.

So this little girl was indeed the female lead, Sheng Qian!

By sheer coincidence, Lin Wan had made Sheng Qian endure an extra half-day of freezing. The original host had been obsessed with visiting a nearby temple to pray for a good marriage. If it had been the original host, she might have tried to slip out as soon as she arrived at the estate, encountering the hiding Sheng Qian earlier and sparing her from freezing for so long.

The little girl seemed startled by Lin Wan’s sudden appearance. She stared at Lin Wan warily, her back stiff and tense, almost forming a straight line.

“I’m not a bad person. This is my home…” Lin Wan quickly explained.

Sheng Qian didn’t seem to hear.

As Lin Wan spoke, the girl’s face grew even paler.

When Lin Wan tentatively asked Sheng Qian if she wanted to rest at her place, Sheng Qian glanced at her, then swayed and collapsed.

Lin Wan caught the fainting Sheng Qian and only then realized the girl’s forehead was alarmingly hot.

Over the next three days, Sheng Qian ran a persistent high fever. Lin Wan called a doctor and personally tended to her with meticulous care, spending a long time before finally managing to bring down the fever.

On the morning of the fourth day, Sheng Qian finally woke up.

Lin Wan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to give her medicine when Sheng Qian blinked and looked over curiously.

“Who are you?”

“And who am I?”