I Don’t Want to Be the Heroine Anymore - Chapter 20

The sky was a cloudless, brilliant blue.

Though it was autumn, walking down the street still left one feeling warm under the sun’s rays, as if it were a balmy summer day.

Mang Ke tightened her collar slightly, her gaze shifting slowly from the black-clad figure in front of her to their intertwined hands.

Xun Fangyun’s touch was warm—so warm that when she held Mang Ke’s hand, it felt as if she were melting into her, the warmth seeping all the way into her heart.

Hand in hand, the two of them strolled leisurely, in no hurry to return home, nor eager to fill the silence with words.

They simply wandered down the broad avenue lined with golden ginkgo leaves, the gentle autumn breeze brushing against their faces.

The passersby around them wore mostly expressionless faces, though when they walked past the pair, they would instinctively turn their heads to glance at them.

“How much longer…” Mang Ke asked, her cheeks flushed, “are we going to walk?”

Xun Fangyun looked back at her and chuckled softly. “How long do you want to walk?”

Mang Ke pressed her lips together. “I don’t know, but… it feels nice just walking like this.”

Xun Fangyun lifted her head, gazing at the azure sky and the golden ginkgo leaves drifting down, then turned to Mang Ke. “You know, there aren’t really distinct seasons here. Most of the time, it’s just the mild transitions of spring and autumn.”

“Oh? That sounds nice,” Mang Ke said with a light laugh. “I quite like this kind of weather.”

Neither too hot nor too cold, with clear skies and bright moonlight.

If such a place with eternal spring existed in the real world, it would surely be an enviable place to live.

Seeing the wistful look in Mang Ke’s eyes, Xun Fangyun swallowed back the sorrow buried deep in her heart.

What would Mang Ke think if she knew this was just a book?

Would she forget it all in an instant, like those passersby? Or would she, like Xun Fangyun, slowly awaken to an independent consciousness?

Neither outcome was something Xun Fangyun wanted Mang Ke to experience.

She knew the despair of that pain all too well.

And so, she didn’t want Mang Ke to go through it either.

Xun Fangyun stopped walking, and just as Mang Ke was about to ask why, she took her other hand as well.

Now, the two of them stood face to face, holding hands like children just dismissed from kindergarten, simply looking at each other.

“Let’s get married.”

Xun Fangyun’s calm voice reached Mang Ke’s ears. “There might still be misunderstandings ahead, but at least if we’re married, I’ll have a reason to keep you by my side forever.”

Mang Ke stared up at her in a daze, her mind blank.

Wh-wh-what?!

A proposal?!

Mang Ke panicked, her palms growing sweaty as she stammered, “Y-you… what did you say?”

Xun Fangyun tilted her head slightly. “You heard me, didn’t you? I’m proposing to you.”

Mang Ke: “……Wh-wh-wh—”

Watching the girl fluster helplessly before her, Xun Fangyun grew a little nervous herself. “Why that reaction? Is there something wrong with me?”

“N-no! It’s just… this is my first time being proposed to, so I’m a little overwhelmed,” Mang Ke said, gripping Xun Fangyun’s hands. “It just feels strange. You don’t even like me, so why propose?”

Was she trying to turn a substitute romance into a marriage plot?!

Xun Fangyun blinked playfully and chuckled. “Who said I don’t like you?”

“I…”

“If I didn’t like you, would I keep pestering you like this?”

Xun Fangyun said in a slightly coquettish tone, “You’re so silly.”

Mang Ke’s face flushed red. Although she knew Xun Fangyun wasn’t a real person, being proposed to like this still made her extremely nervous.

Coupled with Xun Fangyun’s tsundere expressions and actions that contradicted her words, it was a fatal blow to Mang Ke—a shallow human who couldn’t resist beautiful women.

“Anyway, we’re already engaged and living together. Marriage is just a matter of time.” Xun Fangyun pulled her closer, pressing her forehead against Mang Ke’s, and said, “So, say yes early, and we can pick a good date for the wedding.”

Mang Ke, red-faced, didn’t dare to speak, her hands slick with nervous sweat.

“I need to think about it…”

Mang Ke said cautiously, “This is my first time being proposed to. I don’t even know what to say.”

Xun Fangyun fell silent for a moment before suddenly laughing. “It’s my first time proposing to someone too.”

“So it’s fair,” Xun Fangyun said. “I’ll give you three seconds to think about it. Saying yes now is still fine.”

“Hmph.” Mang Ke puffed up angrily. “You’re rude and self-absorbed, proposing without any real feelings. At least it’s my first time—can’t you be a little more serious?”

Xun Fangyun blinked. “I am serious. I like you. I want you to stay by my side. Through sickness and health, we’ll support each other until the end of this world.”

Mang Ke smiled. “That’s more like it.”

The autumn breeze swept by, rustling the fallen leaves on the ground.

Xun Fangyun curled her lips into a smile, her long black hair fluttering in the wind. A few strands brushed against Mang Ke’s cheeks, tickling her.

Mang Ke only felt the woman silhouetted against the light slowly lean down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Soft lips.

Tender breath.

And the heartbeat both of them could feel.

On that quiet afternoon, beneath the ginkgo-lined avenue, that light kiss felt overwhelmingly heavy.

Mang Ke’s heart raced. Though they’d kissed before, this time was different.

Xun Fangyun’s careful kiss made Mang Ke feel as fragile as glass, needing her lover’s gentle care…

Lover… was she?

Mang Ke opened her eyes, gazing at the woman before her, and said softly, “I accept.”

“You accept?” Xun Fangyun laughed joyfully, as if she hadn’t laughed like this in years.

But in an instant, the smile froze on her face.

Swish, swish, swish—

Xun Fangyun heard the sound of an eraser scraping across paper.

Scratch, scratch, scratch—

And the sound of a pencil dragging across the page in sharp, straight lines.

When she looked down at Mang Ke, her heart sank.

Mang Ke was still staring at her with those clear eyes, but like a frozen image, she didn’t move at all.

“…Mang Ke?”

Xun Fangyun’s voice trembled as she whispered, “Xiao Ke, look… look at me.”

The only response was Mang Ke’s paper-like texture and a world that would never move forward again.

“Xiao Ke, Xiao Ke.”

“Wake up.”

“You promised to stay with me forever.”

Xun Fangyun’s voice shook more and more. She couldn’t hear the wind anymore. She couldn’t feel the warmth.

As the sound of paper rustling grew louder, Xun Fangyun felt panic for the very first time.

This world had already reached its end.

Yet she was still here…

————

‘Beep beep beep—’

Mang Ke opened her eyes, awakened by the shrill sound of an alarm clock.

Clutching her head, she sat up in bed and glanced around, recognizing the familiar surroundings of her rented apartment.

“Huh?”

Mang Ke murmured in confusion, “Wasn’t I just with Xun Fangyun? Why am I…?!!!!!”

Her heart lurched as a sudden realization struck her.

Had Mang Ke… escaped from the world inside the book?!