The family's driver picked her up from the street, and soon after, Lan Yuan arrived at the Li residence. This side character came from a very wealthy family, though her sudden death in the original timeline remained a mystery.
Sloping her bag lazily over one shoulder, Lan Yuan entered the house like a seasoned gangster, hands tucked in her pockets and a toothpick appearing out of nowhere between her lips.
A middle-aged woman rushed toward her the moment she stepped inside. This was her mother in this life, Li Yichen. The worry on her face was even more visible now that they were face-to-face.
Lan Yuan was immediately pulled into a frantic interrogation as Yichen's eyes scanned her daughter's condition.
"What happened? How did you fall?" Yichen asked, gently rotating Lan Yuan's body to check for any other injuries.
"How can you stay so calm, dear? Look at this bloodstain!"
'It's not my blood,' Lan Yuan remarked silently.
Faced with a barrage of questions, Lan Yuan only responded with short "Hmms" and "No's." Yichen let out a short sigh of relief, too distracted by the mess to notice the sudden change in her daughter's personality and traits.
Lan Yuan spoke slowly after the lady finished checking her. "I'm fine... I should go wash up now and prepare for tonight."
Yichen took a moment to realize something had changed. Lan Yuan's expression was somewhat stiff and emotionless. Her stare didn't break eye contact, and even her tone had shifted-no stuttering, no looking away, and no timid attitude. It left Yichen looking quite puzzled.
"...Oh, don't forget to come down, dear. Wear something nice for the Jiu family," Yichen said softly. She couldn't bring herself to pry further. Lan Yuan had never been one to speak about her feelings; she had kept things to herself since she was a little girl.
"...Okay," Lan Yuan replied before heading upstairs. Yichen watched her disappear around the corner.
On the way to her bedroom, Lan Yuan studied the family photos on the walls. She could see that this side character didn't just have warm parents; she had a good relationship with all her relatives.
'So, why did she die? Was it a health problem? No, the novel didn't mention how she died-only that it was a "tragic end." Nothing more.'
In the plot, Li Lan Yuan was a background character-quiet, shy, and weak. She was supposed to become the female lead's friend, essentially serving as a bridge to bring the main couple together. After the protagonist and female lead fell in love, Li Lan Yuan was written out of the story, sent abroad to study for five years before returning to run the family business. She was never mentioned again.
The more Lan Yuan learned, the more the "tragic death" felt like a lie. If the family empire was stable and there were no greedy relatives, what caused her death?
'This is nice, at least,' Lan Yuan thought. 'I never liked drama or heavy family matters.'
She entered her room. The room was perfectly neat, which suited her taste. She was a neat freak who hated mess—except for the mess that was her current life. She walked over to her desk and spotted a framed photo. A young man in a hoodie smiled back at her, his dimples making him look undeniably attractive.
Lan Yuan felt nothing.
"Is this the Male Lead?" She took the photo out of the frame and flipped it over.
'Jiu Jingyi' was written on the back.
Without a second thought, Lan Yuan's hand moved, dropping the photo directly into the trash can. It wasn't her heart that was broken, and she had no intention of waking up every morning to a face she didn't care about.
"Move on and rest in peace, Li Lan Yuan. You don't need to be heartbroken over this boy ever again," she muttered.
She turned to her wardrobe but clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. The closet was filled with outdated, simple outfits in bright pastels. It didn't match her style at all.
Li Lan Yuan clearly hadn't cared about her appearance, which explained why bullies found her such an easy target.
Finally, she found a deep purple dress. It looked beautiful and new, as if the original owner had been too shy to ever wear it.
Tossing her toothpick into the trash, Lan Yuan laid the dress out on the bed and headed into the bathroom to shower.
The atmosphere in the dining room was heavy. The only sounds were the soft clinking of silver cutlery against porcelain and the clear ring of crystal glasses.
The Jiu family sat across from the Li family. At the center of the tension sat Jiu Jingyi—the boy who had rejected Li Lan Yuan. He was undeniably handsome in his expensive shirt, with a hairstyle that perfectly framed his gentle face.
Lan Yuan didn't spare him a single glance after the dinner began. She was far too busy cutting her steak, screaming internally at how delicious it tasted.
'Ah, this is heavenly,' she praised silently.
Meanwhile, Yichen watched her daughter with growing puzzlement. She noticed Lan Yuan hadn't looked at the Jiu's son once. Yichen suspected it was related to the shattered love letter she had found in the trash a few days ago.
Reaching under the table, Yichen pinched her husband's thigh. Li Lanying almost spat out his tea at the sudden sting. He looked at his wife, who signaled him with her eyes to bring up the engagement. Lanying took the hint, shifted his posture, and cleared his throat.
"Jingshu," Lanying began in a casual tone, "how about we start discussing the engagement?"
Jingshu, the head of the Jiu family, put down his drink and chuckled. "You're right. We've been talking politics and almost forgot the main reason we're here tonight."
Slicing his meat with elegant precision, Jingshu glanced at his son and wife before turning back to his old friend.
"Lanying and I have been close since high school. This engagement was a family tradition, but since we no longer strictly follow those old ways, my father decided to change the rules. It can be called off if there are no feelings involved, or if one of you has someone else you like."
He looked at the two teenagers. "Are either of you against it? Do you have someone else in your hearts?"
By his side, Mrs. Jiu looked as though she was barely holding back her emotions as her husband explained the "new rules." Lan Yuan, who had been quietly observing the family interaction, didn't miss the tightening of the woman's jaw.
"I'm sure Lan Yuan wants this engagement to continue, right?" Mrs. Jiu interrupted, her voice forced into a bright, easy tone. "After all, they grew up together. They're practically inseparable."
No one else noticed the sharp edge hidden under her words, but Lan Yuan saw right through her. Mrs. Jiu was exactly like the people Lan Yuan had dealt with in her past life: proud, arrogant, two-faced, and controlling.
Lan Yuan put down her fork and wiped her mouth elegantly with a silk napkin. Finally, she lifted her gaze to Jingyi, who had remained silent. She saw the pride in his eyes. He didn't want the engagement, but he was too proud to be the one to break it first. He wanted her to be the "bad guy."
Fine. Lan Yuan was happy to oblige. Lan Yuan decided to crush that pride.
"I'm against it," Lan Yuan said, her voice calm and firm. "I want to break the engagement. I no longer have feelings for him."
She crossed her arms, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about the weather. She glanced at their shocked faces.
'Yeah, take that!' Lan Yuan sneered internally. 'Who would want to be engaged to you? Go find your female lead.'
Mrs. Jiu was stunned.
In the novel, she was a meddling busybody who made the main characters' lives miserable because she hated anyone Jingyi chose for himself. Lan Yuan had hated reading about her, she had only finished the book to see how the Villain ended up.
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Jiu asked quickly, her mask slipping. "Why call it off? What changed?"
Jingyi sat frozen, visibly shocked by her bluntness. Lan Yuan looked at him with zero emotion. "I don't like him anymore. I believe I made that clear."
Jingyi stared at her as if she were a stranger. He couldn't believe this was the same girl he had rejected just days ago. Lanying and Yichen were also stunned, sharing a silent conversation through their eyes.
'What's wrong with her?' Lanying's eyes screamed.
'Hubby, I don't know! She's been like this since she got home!' Yichen signaled back.
While the parents confused, Jingshu simply nodded, looking more thoughtful than angry.
"I see," he said gently. "I respect your decision. This will not break our families' friendship. If the feelings aren't there, there's no reason to force it."
Lan Yuan felt a wave of relief. At least Jingshu wasn't interested in the drama.
After dinner, Lan Yuan retreated to her bedroom. She wasted no time changing out of the purple silk dress and into more comfortable clothes.
She began a second sweep of the room, hunting for anything related to Jingyi. To her disbelief, there was more than just the one frame. All of it went straight into the trash bin.
Once the room was finally purged of his presence, Lan Yuan collapsed onto her bed in total exhaustion. She stared up at the ceiling, reflecting on her new life.
She thought about her parents. They hadn't pushed her at all once the engagement was called off. Instead, they had given her a warm hug, offered some gentle advice, and told her they respected her decision. For the first time, Lan Yuan felt a flicker of genuine warmth toward this new family.
Finally, Lan Yuan had her chance to sleep and prepare her mind for the next day.
The main story hadn't even truly started yet, as the female lead hadn't transferred to the school. Lan Yuan was far too lazy to try and save the plot. She would rather just be herself than pretend to be someone she wasn't.
Screw the plot, she thought as she drifted off.
≤//≥
Little Theatre
Lan Yuan (Ignoring everyone while cutting a fresh steak) Mmm... this steak is incredible.
Author: (Gently sliding more gourmet food onto her plate) Hehe, that's right. Eat up, Lan Yuan.
Lan Yuan: (Clueless and too busy eating to notice the Author's evil grin) Mhn.