After Becoming the Elder Sister of a Supporting Male Character in an Exam Novel

After transmigrating, Su Yi becomes the elder sister of a supporting male character in an imperial-examination novel. Because she has a dim-witted younger brother who constantly targets the male lead, the whole family is doomed to meet a hasty end.

As summer turns to autumn and the school year begins, the money her parents scraped together by selling everything they owned can only pay for one of them to study in the city. The other will have to stay behind and attend the village school.

In the original story, after her younger brother Su Zhen enrolls, several classmates manipulate him into repeatedly targeting the male lead, Sheng Qi'an, planting the seeds of the family's eventual downfall.

The original Su Yi, meanwhile, wins the affections of the teacher's son as soon as she enters the village school. Later, the teacher's wife turns against her and her classmates ostracize her, forcing her to drop out early. In the end, she does not even manage to learn the Thousand Character Classic.

Having read the original, Su Yi knows that before long, the Crown Princess Xiao Yi will step out from behind the scenes and smoothly ascend the throne. Women's status will rise with hers, and women will be able to participate in court and government affairs.

Just as Su's parents are agonizing over the choice, Su Yi steps in and stops them.

"He doesn't have a talent for this. I do. Let me go instead."

*

In Sheng Qi'an's eyes, he and Su Yi have always belonged to different worlds.

She lets a peasant girl beat up an imperial relative, takes a foreign hostage to the Imperial Clan Court to kick up a fuss, flirts with the Crown Princess, and sets traps for suspects at the Court of Judicial Review... She is completely at odds with the entire court.

Su Yi is reasonably courteous to him, but despite their years as fellow students, she keeps him at arm's length except when discussing official business.

At first, Sheng Qi'an also believes that they will have no further dealings beyond their official duties. He never expects that years later, he will be half-propped up beneath the lotus-patterned bed curtains, begging her with the lowest posture of his life:

"Su Yi, don't marry him."

Theme: Stay true to your original aspirations and keep striving forward.