Cen Sui only learned after her death that she had been the female supporting character in a novel.
Because of her set character traits and her role as a tool person, she had been a high-purity, love-struck fool who would keep crashing into a wall even after her head bled rather than turn back. In her life, she had nothing but love. She endlessly gave and catered to the male lead Chen Yu, completely lacking even a shred of dignity.
After Chen Yu met the female lead Lin Yuxi and truly fell for her, Cen Sui’s mindset became twisted and unbalanced. Unwilling to accept it, she kept creating trouble between Chen Yu and Lin Yuxi. As a result, she was repeatedly slapped in the face, and in the end successfully ruined herself.
Her constant troublemaking even conveniently strengthened the bond between the male and female leads until their love became as firm as gold.
Her soul drifted within the book and refused to disperse. Watching the entirety of her own life, the intelligence and awareness that belonged to a normal person slowly began to awaken within Cen Sui’s mind. She then discovered that the pure, unwavering love she had always believed in was, from an outsider’s perspective, unbelievably ridiculous.
For a moment, she did not know whether she should drag her former self over and beat her up, or beat up the one who had forcibly lowered her intelligence and used her as a tool.
Just as she was pounding her chest in regret, a voice suddenly echoed from above.
The voice was vast and distant, as if coming from another world, transcending all space.
“Cen Sui, you have successfully completed your plot mission. Now you are rewarded with a chance to return to the beginning of the story and live a new life. You will no longer be a tool character, no longer serve the novel’s plot, and will live only according to your own will.”
Cen Sui froze after hearing this, stunned for a moment, and blurted out instinctively, “What?”
The distant voice carried little emotion. “Be yourself. Live the life you want. Go.”
Cen Sui’s heart thumped wildly. In her previous life she had lived far too aggrieved and pathetic, so of course she wanted to rewrite her fate.
Why should her life, Cen Sui’s life, be wasted on people who had nothing to do with her?
Her thoughts were a complete mess. She had no time to sort them out before instinctively asking in a crisp voice, “Is there any other reward? A golden finger… or something like that?”
The distant voice gave a soft laugh and slowly dropped a single sentence. “Rosewood, crisscrossed.”
Hearing these seven vague words, Cen Sui’s entire mind filled with question marks, even though she did not seem to have a body right now.
She was about to ask what exactly that was supposed to mean, but before she could speak, her soul was suddenly dragged into endless darkness. Countless sheets of white paper covered in black text swirled around her. After experiencing a bout of high-speed turbulence, everything abruptly steadied.
Cen Sui snapped her eyes open and found herself sitting in the ticket lobby of a movie theater.
In her left hand she held two movie tickets. In her right hand was her phone. From the connected call screen came the mechanical female voice: “The number you have dialed is powered off, please try again later… Sorry, the subscriber you dialed is power off, please try it later…”
Cen Sui took the shortest amount of time to regain her composure. Once the phone returned to the call history page, she quickly exited to the home screen and glanced at the time.
After checking the time, she lowered her head to look at the movie tickets in her hand.
Judging by the time shown on the phone, she had returned to when she was twenty-one.
It was indeed the starting point of the novel’s plot. The female lead Lin Yuxi was about to meet the male lead Chen Yu.
And right now, she was still Chen Yu’s girlfriend.
Her gaze swept over the movie tickets and landed on the dress she was wearing.
She was dressed in a white long dress with a pure and ladylike style. Over it she wore a short white faux fur vest. Her long hair reached her waist, dark, soft, and glossy, hanging straight over her shoulders.
This was the style of girl Chen Yu liked, gentle and ladylike, simple and pure.
In the novel, the female lead Lin Yuxi was exactly this type of gentle little white flower.
Cen Sui took a deep breath and clicked her tongue twice in dissatisfaction at her long dress and straight black hair.
It was not that she thought the clothes were ugly, but her own personality was not gentle or demure, and her appearance was not that type either. Because of that, wearing these outfits gave her an inexplicable sense of discord.
All of her clothing and styling were chosen according to Chen Yu’s preferences. To match his taste and the gentle style of the clothes, she would deliberately pretend to be soft and sweet. The moment she forced it, it became fake, so she often appeared overly affected.
Someone who completely lost herself for the sake of love, even choosing her clothing based on another person’s preferences, that was who she had been.
Clearing her mind, Cen Sui looked carefully at the movie tickets in her hand again and slowly reconstructed the memory of this scene in her mind.
If she remembered correctly, two days ago Chen Yu casually mentioned wanting to watch a newly released sci-fi blockbuster. She had been so eager to please that she immediately set a date with him and bought two movie tickets.
After buying the tickets, she sent him the time and seats and waited with great anticipation for today’s date.
In the end, she waited in the movie theater with the tickets in hand until the film was about to start, yet Chen Yu still did not show up.
She called him several times, but he did not answer. When he finally picked up, the background was filled with loud jeering and noisy chatter. It was obvious he was hanging out with a group of people. He sounded completely unaffected as he asked her, “What is it?”
When she had been a love-struck tool character, Cen Sui had been unbearably humble in front of Chen Yu.
She clearly had money and beauty, lacking nothing, yet she could never straighten her spine in front of him. She did not dare be angry or throw a tantrum, because Chen Yu simply did not care about her.
But she treated Chen Yu as her entire world and believed she could not live without him.
At this point in the story, she was still a foolish, sweet love-brain who cared about nothing except romance.
Later, the reason she became twisted and blackened in the novel was because Chen Yu fell for Lin Yuxi, and it was obvious that he meant it, completely different from how he treated any other girl. She felt utterly humiliated and could not handle the blow, so she went to extremes.
Cen Sui could still recall the fawning expression she had worn back then.
She had pinched her voice soft, speaking gently and timidly as she asked him, “We agreed to watch a movie together. Did you forget?”
Chen Yu always treated it like nothing. He replied indifferently, “I really did forget because I was busy. Next time. I am tied up right now and cannot get away. Why do you not watch it yourself? I will go when I have time.”
After saying that, Chen Yu did not give her any chance to speak and hung up.
Holding back her grievance, she called again. After two tries, he simply turned off his phone.
The automated message she had just heard on her phone had been exactly about this.
After going through the memory, Cen Sui only felt that her past self had been both pitiful and infuriating.
Although she had gotten upset and thrown small fits over similar things before, each time she would coax herself first, then go apologize to Chen Yu and try to please him, and then they would reconcile.
From beginning to end, it had been a one-woman show.
Although all of it happened when she was bound to the female supporting character setting, with incomplete intelligence and awareness, it had still truly taken place.
That kind of humiliation and suffocating grievance still made her want to slap her past self awake whenever she remembered it.
Fortunately, she was completely awake now.
With the intelligence and awareness of a normal person, her personality whole and her mind healthy, she would never again blindly degrade herself.
Letting out a slow breath, Cen Sui could not be bothered to think about those rotten things anymore.
She picked up her bag and stood, bought a cup of freshly squeezed juice and a small tub of popcorn, then carried her movie ticket into the screening hall.
She put on the 3D glasses and watched the movie while drinking juice and eating popcorn.
She had not watched this movie the first time. All her thoughts had been on Chen Yu. She had never actually wanted to watch a film. She had only wanted to go on a date with him.
Even though they were boyfriend and girlfriend, Chen Yu rarely spent time with her. All of this existed to highlight how different he would later be toward Lin Yuxi.
Now, Cen Sui could not be bothered to spare that dog man a single look. Let him go to the female lead and perform his unwavering love.
She had to cherish this second chance, live freely and happily, and never again waste even a second on that dog man and the little white flower female lead.
The movie was very enjoyable, and the special effects were thrilling.
Cen Sui watched until her whole body felt relaxed. When the house lights came on, she even stretched in satisfaction.
The popcorn and juice were both gone, and her stomach felt full.
She walked out of the theater and stood by the glass guardrail, looking left and right over the mall as she took a deep, deliberate breath of the air belonging to her new life.
The air was sweet and fragrant, like a freshly baked cheesecake. Every breath brought a sense of satisfaction.
Two hours were enough for her to fully adapt to everything in the present.
Cen Sui remembered that in the past, after Chen Yu stood her up and she lost all mood for the movie, she had gone home in a sulk. Father Cen and Mother Cen were never home during the day, so this time she did not hurry back.
She stayed in the mall and wandered around, visiting several luxury brand stores.
During her shopping, she replaced her entire outfit from head to toe. Even the small earrings at her earlobes, all the way up to her clothes and handbag, were changed into styles that truly suited her.
Once she changed her clothing style, she immediately went to a hair salon.
Under the guidance of Master Tony, she had her straight black hair permed into soft, voluminous curls and dyed a warm honey tea color.
Thus, a deliberately innocent little white flower next door transformed into a magnificent, regal young lady overflowing with presence.
While getting her hair dyed, Cen Sui scrolled through her phone.
Since Father Cen and Mother Cen had things to do today and would not be coming home for dinner, she opened the “Plastic Sisters” WeChat group and sent a message, calling out to them: 【Come out and hang out.】
Plastic Sister No. 1, Tao Miner: 【Aren’t you on a date?】
Plastic Sister No. 2, Chen Danuan: 【You actually remembered your sisters?】
Plastic Sister No. 3, Zhou Erbao: 【Got stood up?】
Cen Sui looked at her phone and replied with a smile: 【I am treating you all to dinner and you are not happy? If you are not happy, I will just eat alone.】
Tao Miner: 【No, no. I am coming right now. Which restaurant?】
Chen Danuan: 【Let me wash my hair first.】
Zhou Erbao: 【I am putting on makeup.】
Seeing the three girls chatting one line after another, the smile at the corner of Cen Sui’s lips grew warmer.
She booked a Western restaurant and sent the restaurant’s name to the group.
She, Tao Miner, and the other two had grown up together and had always been close friends.
In truth, they were just girls in their early twenties who liked dressing up, liked eating good food, and liked showing off a little, without any truly malicious intent. Yet in the novel’s plot, all of them had been shaped into vicious bad girls.
Since she had the chance to start over, Cen Sui naturally would not allow herself or them to walk down the same doomed path as before.
She wanted to have a different life for herself, and the friends and parents who had been dragged down by her in the novel would also have new lives that were happy and complete.
After finishing her hair treatment, Cen Sui arrived at the restaurant. The three girls had not yet arrived.
Following their preferences, she ordered dishes for all of them first and then sat calmly at the table to wait.
She had only waited five or six minutes when the three girls arrived one after another.
But even after they arrived, they stood there looking around for Cen Sui for a while. Their gazes swept over her three or four times, yet none of them recognized her.
Only when she raised her hand did the three finally focus on her face and, in shock, realize it was her.
They walked over to Cen Sui’s table with their handbags in hand, still wearing expressions of disbelief.
After all, Cen Sui had been acting like a little white flower for many years. Her style had always been extremely plain and unified. A sudden shift like this, from inside out, was enough to make even close friends fail to recognize her.
Chen Danuan sat down heavily at the table, stared at her, and mouthed two words: “My god…”
Tao Miner was also dazed. She looked at Cen Sui and asked, “What… what is going on?”
Zhou Erbao blinked repeatedly, staring at her.
Cen Sui gave a delighted smile and lifted her arm slightly. “How is it? Do I look good?”
Tao Miner blurted out, “This is more than good. This is absolutely stunning. You should have dressed like this ages ago. You are not some little white flower type. Your face and aura are clearly that of a cool, domineering young lady. Do you understand?!”
Chen Danuan and Zhou Erbao were still staring at Cen Sui. Her hair had been styled into lazy, voluminous curls, the thickness enviable. With the newly dyed color, her delicate, snow-white face looked like it had been sculpted out of pale porcelain clay.
She wore a short camisole top inside, revealing a bit of her waist, with a blazer layered over it. Paired with CHANEL earrings and a rose-gold diamond bracelet from Tiffany, any random angle looked like a fashion magazine spread.
Chen Danuan and Zhou Erbao both gave her a thumbs up, nodding in admiration.
Cen Sui was satisfied, feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Yet Zhou Erbao, being honest as always, asked, “Why did you suddenly change your hairstyle? Sui Sui, did you not say that Chen Yu does not like this? He likes… the girl-next-door type, obedient and well-behaved…”
Hearing the name Chen Yu, Cen Sui could not help letting out a cold laugh. “What he likes has nothing to do with me.”
Tao Miner and Chen Danuan widened their eyes in perfect sync and asked with anticipation, “Did you break up?”
They had never liked seeing Cen Sui with Chen Yu. It made her lose herself, lose her dignity, and turn pitifully spineless.
If Cen Sui could hold Chen Yu firmly, it might still be acceptable, but she had become more and more humble, almost sinking into the dust.
Cen Sui gave a small smile. “No.”
Just as the three girls’ expressions shifted, she added with another smile, “But it will be soon.”
The three exchanged glances, saying nothing more.
They feared that Cen Sui would once again make a lot of noise without any real action, shouting about breaking up, only to feel miserable a few days later and go crying to Chen Yu to apologize, saying she could not live without him and wanted to get back together.
Cen Sui did not want to talk about Chen Yu either. She changed her tone and said, “Let us not talk about this. Let us eat first.”
The restaurant she had booked had a rather high per-person cost, and the dishes were beautifully presented. Before eating, the four sisters all took photos, then leaned together to take several group selfies. Once all the dishes were served, they posted beautifully curated Moments[1]Moments refers to a feature in the WeChat app that allows users to post photos, text, and updates to share with friends. It functions similarly to a social media feed where contacts can like and … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1363383_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1363383_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); updates.
Zhou Erbao studied design and was very good at photo editing. She edited the pictures and sent each person a copy.
Cen Sui received the photos, arranged them in order, and posted them on Moments with the caption: 【Very Happy】
***
That afternoon, Chen Yu had gone out with his friends and spent the whole afternoon playing around. In the evening, they went to a bar.
He thought that after he turned off his phone, Cen Sui would definitely have sent him a lot of messages asking where he was, whether he had finished whatever he was doing, and trying to please him cautiously. But unexpectedly, after turning his phone off and then on again, he did not receive a single message from her all afternoon.
After sitting down in the booth, he picked up his phone and scrolled through it.
He opened Moments, swiped down a few posts, and saw the one Cen Sui had shared.
The four girls were dressed exquisitely. Paired with photos of steak, foie gras, and desserts, the entire collage formed the phrase “beautiful enough to whet the appetite.”
Chen Yu froze the moment he saw the photo, because the Cen Sui in the picture did not look like the Cen Sui he knew.
It was the same face, but the spirit in her eyes and the way she dressed were far too striking.
Perhaps he had grown used to seeing her look plain for so long that the sudden contrast stunned him.
What also surprised him was that whenever he neglected her in the past, Cen Sui would either throw a tiny tantrum or silently feel wronged and miserable.
Acting as if nothing had happened today, changing her entire style, inviting her friends out for a gathering, and even posting it online, this was the first time.
It felt as if she did not care at all that he had ignored her.
She must… be pretending, right?
Chen Yu tossed aside his phone. Once the initial surprise passed, he lifted his glass to drink and chat with his friends.
However, while chatting, he could not stop himself from thinking about the photos.
After downing a glass of alcohol, he once again uncontrollably picked up his phone, unlocked it, opened Cen Sui’s selfie, and stared at it for quite a while.
After looking, he returned to the chat interface and noticed that Cen Sui still had not sent him any messages. A faint irritation unexpectedly rose in his heart.
He wanted to send her a message, but after typing for a moment, he tossed his phone aside again.
Why was he getting tense? That woman had all her thoughts centered on him. She could not live without him. How could she possibly run away?
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