The Cannon-Fodder Cousin Awakens, Only to Be Seized by the Mad Crown Prince

[Side-character cousin x Unhinged Crown Prince + The aloof beauty brought down from her pedestal + Taking by force + Childhood sweethearts + Mutual firsts]

Yu Qian has been infatuated with her cousin, Crown Prince Pei Hexing, for years. Spoiled by her aunt, the empress, she throws tantrums and acts out. Anyone who dares approach her cousin gets slapped!

When she learns that the empress dowager intends to make the Grand Tutor's daughter the crown princess, jealousy consumes her. She pushes the girl into the water in front of everyone, only to fall in herself.

As her life hangs by a thread, Yu Qian awakens to the plot.

It turns out she's just a cannon-fodder supporting character in a book: arrogant, domineering, and lawless.

Not only does her crown prince cousin despise her, but in the end even her aunt, the empress, sees through her true nature.

Worse, she's not even the marquis's real daughter!

After the truth comes out, she's sent to the countryside to grow sweet potatoes, where she works herself to death.

All these years of unrequited love, it turns out, were just a cannon-fodder character digging her own grave.

After awakening to the plot, Yu Qian is terrified.

She's been pampered since childhood. She's afraid of hardship, hard work, and poverty.

While her identity is still secret, she turns over a new leaf. She stops tormenting the noblewomen who try to get close to the crown prince and focuses on being a sweet, well-behaved cousin.

But her crown prince cousin doesn't seem happy about it...

*

After her identity is exposed, Yu Qian flees Shengjing in the middle of the night and finds herself a gentle, dependable fiance.

On their wedding night, the crown prince storms into her bridal chamber with a sword and slashes her red veil to shreds.

His refined, peerless face is twisted with madness. "Didn't you say you loved me most and would marry no one but me? How dare you marry someone else?"

"Did I give you permission?"