The Ice-Cold Beauty Is Pulled from His Pedestal

[The final version will be determined when the novel begins. The characterizations won't change, but the tropes and content may be adjusted.]

The novel had given Lin Ci a thoroughly miserable fate:

A lowborn gold digger, a cannon-fodder character meant to highlight the protagonist's goodness, kindness, and beauty. The only bright spot in his life was saving Song Zhuozhi, the heir to the Song family.

According to the plot, he would steal Song family documents out of greed and end up dying miserably in prison.

After awakening to his memories of the original novel, Lin Ci opened his eyes in the hospital. Song Zhuozhi, whom he had saved at the cost of his life not long ago, stood by his hospital bed. Cool and noble, with downcast brows like frost and snow, he asked softly when he saw Lin Ci wake up:

"Would you like to come back to the Xie family with me?"

Not wanting to get involved with the original novel's love interest, Lin Ci backed Song Zhuozhi against a wall and said in alarm,

"No, no, no! I saved you for the money!"

"Give me ten million, and we'll go our separate ways!"

"..."

After a deathly silence, Song Zhuozhi brought in a lawyer and added a few zeroes to the ten-million check.

The lawyer said, "The young master's meaning is that he'll give you a hundred million if you stay."

Lin Ci: ?

Lin Ci dropped to his knees. "Thank you, Dad. Wait, should we draft a gift agreement first?"

The lawyer: "!"

Song Zhuozhi: "?"

*

Song Zhuozhi was born into one of the most powerful families. Cool and aloof, everything in his life had gone smoothly.

Until one day, he met Lin Ci.

Then his world went completely off the rails.

[Bonus scene]

At eighteen, Lin Ci thought of Song Zhuozhi's famously rocky love life in the original novel and earnestly offered him advice. "When you meet someone you like, don't give them the cold shoulder, and don't be coy. Be gentle and considerate! If necessary, I'm all for adding some creative roleplay!"

Song Zhuozhi set down the comb he was using to fix Lin Ci's hair and said, "All right."

All right. I don't mind.

That hundred million back then was a gift, a binding gift.

It was also a contract selling himself.

From then on, time flew by and the plot went through countless twists, but in my heart, there would always be you.

Theme: Your fate is in your own hands.