The Childhood Friend in the Sudden-Arrival Story Awakens

1. Jiang Li once believed she was the center of the world. Her father was a powerful socialite, her mother a legendary singer, and her older brother a genius at the National Academy of Sciences. Her family doted on her and cherished her above all else. The boy next door, whom she had grown up playing with, was the school's heartthrob, outstanding in both academics and looks. Perhaps because they were both always in the spotlight, or perhaps because they had grown up together, Jiang Li fell for him as naturally as the heroines in childhood-sweetheart stories, and grew used to treating him well. Their elders were overjoyed and hurried to arrange their engagement. Jiang Li thought that she and he would live happily ever after, just like the hero and heroine in a novel. 2. It was only when Jin Tao appeared that Jiang Li realized Shen Qingshi had never liked her. He was nowhere near as good to her as he was to Jin Tao. Jin Tao was charming and vivacious, so bright she was almost dazzling. One by one, she pried Jiang Li's friends away from her. Locked in a pitch-dark equipment room, Jiang Li curled up with her knees in her arms, certain that Shen Qingshi would come to save her. But when the door finally opened, she saw Jin Tao, weeping heartbreakingly, and Shen Qingshi at a loss as he tried to comfort her. Only then did Jiang Li realize that even Shen Qingshi, usually so fair and unsparing, had someone he favored. What a pity that person wasn't her. 3. Jiang Li fell seriously ill. When she woke, she learned that she really was inside a novel, and that her childhood friend Shen Qingshi really was the male lead. But she wasn't the center of this world. She was just the unlucky childhood friend in a story where the heroine came out of nowhere. Jiang Li accepted it. She didn't want to be constrained by some so-called character role. But why did they all regret it after she let go? Everyone at K University knew that although Shen Qingshi was engaged to Jiang Li, he didn't love her. Jiang Li might be a darling of heaven, but she was painfully submissive in love. At a banquet, Jiang Li dropped a bombshell in front of everyone and announced that the engagement was off. As the crowd reeled in shock, they privately thought Shen Qingshi had finally gotten his wish. But Shen Qingshi, usually so cool and self-possessed, panicked completely and gritted out that Jiang Li had to take it back. Jiang Li didn't take him seriously. After all, this was what Shen Qingshi had always wanted. ※ An unconventional groveling arc. No getting back together after the breakup. The scumbag can go to hell. A little angst early on, then cathartic and healing. There may be some melodrama (sorry, I really love this stuff). Theme: Finding your own destiny