Morning came with a vengeance.
And by vengeance, I mean the blinding sun, the obnoxiously cheerful chirping birds, and the fact that my face was being poked by a fancy feather makeup brush.
"Lady Xinya, you must sit still. The charity gala starts in two hours," said the stylist with deadly seriousness, as if we were preparing for war.
"A charity… gala?"
"Yes. Hosted by the Tang family. You're expected to attend. Everyone important will be there."
Everyone important.That phrase echoed like a gong in my ears.
In novel terms, that meant plot characters.Which meant— Li Suna.
I bolted upright in the chair, the brush flying out of the stylist's hand.
"Oh no," I whispered. "She's going to be there. She's going to be there!"
The stylist flinched. "L-Lady Xinya, are you okay?"
I smiled, possibly a bit manically. "Yes! Never better. Just… internal screaming."
Two hours later, I stepped out of a sleek black car, dressed in a shimmering pale blue gown that complimented my new body's porcelain complexion and crystal eyes. Honestly, I looked like I walked straight out of a luxury fashion magazine.
Too bad I was internally spiraling.
I scanned the entrance of the grand hotel ballroom.
Tall pillars. Red carpet. Men in tuxedos. Women in gowns. Journalists flashing cameras.
And then—There she was.
Li Suna.
Beautiful, confident, warm—exactly how the novel described her. She was dressed in a wine-red evening dress that hugged her figure just right, her long brown hair cascading over one shoulder, her eyes bright and calm.
Everyone around her faded into the background.
She didn't even need to speak. The air around her shifted as she smiled at someone, effortlessly stealing the attention of the room.
I stood frozen in place.
'There she is. The real deal. The heroine. The female lead of Reborn of the Vicious Heiress.'
And I… was a side character, with a name that didn't even get a full sentence in the novel.
"I should stay away," I mumbled to myself. "Far, far away. Do not touch the plot. Don't mess it up. Just stay quiet, sip champagne, and leave unnoticed."
I grabbed a glass of sparkling whatever and made my way to the farthest, dimmest corner of the room like a socially anxious ninja.
But fate? Fate is a sadist.
Because just as I turned to escape, someone bumped into me.
Spilled drink.
Smeared dress.
And a soft, concerned voice.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"
I blinked.
It was her.
Li Suna.
Touching my arm. Looking into my eyes.
The female lead. The character I admired. The girl I never wanted to cross paths with.
"Oh—uh—" I stammered, my brain crashing. "I'm fine. Just wet. I mean the dress is wet. Not me—I mean, I'm fine. Really."
Suna laughed. She actually laughed. Not the mean-girl cackle, but the soft, friendly laugh of someone genuinely amused.
"You must be Xiao Xinya, right? I've seen your photos in the society pages."
Crap. Crap. Crap.Abort mission. Evacuate. Do not engage.
"Y-Yeah," I nodded, trying not to melt. "That's me."
"I don't think we've officially met before. I'm Li Suna."
I know, I thought. I know your whole life story. Your enemies. Your trauma. Your romance. Your favorite type of tea.
But I smiled politely. "Nice to meet you."
Suna tilted her head. "You're… different from what I expected. I thought you were the cold, proud type. That's what people say."
"People say a lot of things," I muttered before I could stop myself.
To my horror, she smiled wider. "I think I like this version better."
Then she was called away by someone — plot, I assume — and left me standing there, heart pounding like a drum solo.
I leaned against a pillar, trying to collect myself. "Okay. I can't avoid the plot anymore. I touched it. It touched back."
And the worst part?
She liked me.
I'm not supposed to be liked!
As I made my way toward the exit, ready to vanish before the male lead showed up and tried to stake his unhinged claim on Suna, I overheard something strange near the garden entrance.
"…We still can't find it. The real heir might've gone missing."
Another voice whispered back, "Keep it quiet. If word gets out, the entire balance between the three families could shift."
I froze.
What heir? What three families?
That wasn't in the book.