The Female Side Character in a Childhood Friends Romance

[The next book, Beta, But Awakened to the Bloodline of the Merfolk, is expected to launch on November 18]

[Also known as The Princess's New Clothes: The princess has plenty of outfits, and when one gets dirty, she changes into another, so the male lead gets replaced]

In old-school childhood-sweetheart romances, there's always an annoying girl who suddenly appears and wedges herself between the destined male and female leads.

Because of her, the male lead breaks the heroine's heart.

Because of her, the heroine's youth is shrouded in darkness.

Because of her, the male lead has to grovel to win his wife back.

She's the homewrecker every reader despises, and the catalyst for the romance between the leads.

Xun You never imagined she would turn out to be that kind of girl who suddenly appeared.

But she didn't understand. Qi An had agreed to her confession. They were in a perfectly legitimate relationship. How had she become the other woman?

She hoped Qi An would come out and say something in her defense, even just one sentence.

But he didn't.

When Xun You was cornered in the restroom in a humiliating scene, Qi An didn't show up either. She spent the night alone in a cold, foul-smelling restroom.

Later, Xun You learned that it had been Jiang Yunke's birthday, and Qi An had been celebrating with her.

That night was cold. Suddenly, Xun You understood:

She wasn't the other woman. She was just a fool.

*

Everyone at A University knew that campus beauty Xun You liked Qi An, and that she loved him with all her heart.

They also knew Qi An didn't like Xun You.

Even though they were now boyfriend and girlfriend.

Because in Qi An's heart, the most important person would always be his childhood sweetheart, Jiang Yunke.

That's what everyone thought.

Until one day...

They saw the once aloof and indifferent Qi An watching Xun You approach hand in hand with her new boyfriend. His eyes suddenly turned frighteningly red.

He was crying.

*

Yan Shijin is a minor character in a book.

He's gloomy, withdrawn, and keeps everyone at a distance. He's a genius, and a madman, destined not to live past twenty.

His existence has no meaning.

After being reborn, Yan Shijin thought nothing would change in this life either. He calmly waited for death to come.

But one day, a girl barged into his bleak world.

She's spoiled, willful, and foolish, yet dazzlingly radiant. She's exactly the kind of person he despises most.

But later, he wanted to get a little closer to her, and then a little closer still...

Content warnings:

1. Dramatic, over-the-top Mary Sue story with a groveling arc, not a purely sweet romance.

2. Pairing is Yan Shijin (important!).

3. The male lead and male supporting characters are inexperienced.

4. There may be some angst and bittersweet moments early on. Enter with caution!

*

Next book: Beta, But Awakened to the Bloodline of the Merfolk

[Expected to launch first on November 18, as a change of pace]

The ABO world has a strict hierarchy.

Alphas represent strength and hope, Omegas represent beauty and vitality, and Betas are the most numerous, yet the most useless.

Yan Xing is a worthless Beta.

Her mental strength is F, her physique is F. She's average in every way. Her only noteworthy feature is a face that somewhat resembles Jiang Yueshen, the Empire's Moon Omega.

Thanks to that face, Yan Xing gets a job with no prospects but plenty of money.

She becomes a canary kept in a gilded cage by the Empire's Moon's top admirers, who share custody of her. Among them are the imperial crown prince, a general, the richest man in the empire, and a mecha master. Every one of them is a prodigy, and every one of them is generous.

Yan Xing signs a three-year contract with her bosses. Once she completes her assignment, the payment will put her among the empire's 100 richest people!

"He's the most brilliant moon in the empire. Don't imagine you can compare yourself to him."

"You're just his substitute. Remember your place."

"You're only a Beta. You'll never measure up to him."

She's just a substitute, a boring diversion, a useless toy.

Yan Xing obediently agrees, never crossing the line, and diligently completes every task her superiors assign.

Everything goes smoothly, and she's about to collect the final payment.

But a month before the contract expires, a small change occurs. Yan Xing realizes that something is starting to feel off about her body.

Her skin grows softer and paler, her eyes brighter, her lips redder. She looks less and less like their beloved, until one day she wakes up to find that her legs have turned into a golden fish tail.

Oh no!

Yan Xing carefully hides her tail, worrying every day that she might lose her job early, without noticing the increasingly dark, intense gazes watching her from the shadows.

Dark, damp, obsessed, possessive... They all want to own her, to mark her.

But Betas have no pheromones,

so they're completely free.

*

[In ancient times there were merfolk, half human and half fish. They could fly through the sky and dive into the sea, with the power to shake the heavens and move the earth, summon wind and rain. They stood proudly among the world's fantastic creatures.

But after tens of thousands of years, their power was swallowed by time, and only their breathtaking beauty has been passed down through the ages.

Their voices ensnare the heart, their beauty captivates the soul.

The most beautiful beings in all creation.]

#She is the most beautiful in the world, the ruler of all things, the empire's brightest sun#

-She is stronger than an Alpha and more beautiful than an Omega

-She is a Beta

Reader's guide

1. A ridiculous, melodramatic, wildly over-the-top Mary Sue story. The heroine is adored by everyone; her beauty stat is maxed out first, and her combat ability rises over time.

2. Almost everyone is attracted to the heroine. Men and women, Alphas, Betas, and Omegas are all crazy about her.

3. There will be plenty of author-created worldbuilding.

4. Pairing: substitute (heroine) vs. beloved (male lead). The male lead is a mutated Alpha pretending to be an Omega.

Theme: We should all live positively and face difficulties without fear