The Drama Queen Supporting Role Stole the Heroine's White Moonlight

Lian Nanshu is a modern woman who transmigrated into the body of a side character in a novel. The original host was a woman who forced her marriage to the male lead, Lan Xubai, through scandalous means during the Cultural Revolution era. After Lan Xubai joined the military and sought a divorce, the original Lian Nanshu attempted suicide by jumping into a lake during a flood. In the chaos, her entire family perished, and Lian Nanshu took over the body. She rebuilt her life, becoming a respected university lecturer and successful author, but remained legally married to Lan Xubai, who had withdrawn his divorce petition. For eight years, she lived a quiet, isolated life, harboring no romantic feelings for him and planning to divorce him once he returned.

On the first day of the new semester, Lian Nanshu is harassed by Wang Jinming, a man she rejected in college. Lan Xubai, who has returned from military duty, intervenes and protects her. He introduces himself as her husband to the harasser, shocking Lian Nanshu, who believed he wanted nothing to do with her. Lan Xubai insists on accompanying her to a birthday banquet for Grandpa Lin, a family friend who had previously helped clear her name when she was falsely accused of causing a rift in a marriage. At the banquet, Lan Xubai’s family, including his parents and sister Lan Luobai, meets Lian Nanshu for the first time. His mother, initially cold, reveals she wants Lian Nanshu to bear a child to secure the family line, given Lan Xubai’s dangerous career.

During the banquet, Lian Nanshu encounters Liao Meimei, the novel’s original female lead and Lan Xubai’s childhood sweetheart. Liao Meimei had been separated from Lan Xubai due to his existing marriage. Lian Nanshu, feeling guilty for disrupting the original plot, allows Lan Xubai to speak with Liao Meimei privately. Lan Xubai firmly rejects Liao Meimei, stating he will not divorce Lian Nanshu and that their past was merely his unrequited wish. This declaration shocks Lian Nanshu, who had expected him to divorce her immediately so he could marry Liao Meimei.

On the way home, Lan Xubai reveals he has been secretly caring for Lian Nanshu all along. He had sent gifts and money to her through neighbors after their marriage, concerned about her well-being, but she never knew. He explains that he stopped pursuing Liao Meimei after learning of the original Lian Nanshu’s death and decided to fulfill his marital duties. Lian Nanshu is stunned by his devotion and begins to reconsider her feelings. She visits her neighbor, Aunt Liao, who reveals that Lan Xubai had visited her years ago, leaving gifts and asking her to look after Lian Nanshu. Aunt Liao advises Lian Nanshu to take initiative in her marriage, suggesting she wear more attractive clothing and be proactive with her husband.

Lian Nanshu returns home and prepares for Lan Xubai’s presence, deciding to embrace her role as his wife. She buys supplies for Aunt Liao’s daughter and spends time with Lan Xubai, who is surprised by her warmth. Their interactions grow closer, with Lan Xubai showing affection and Lian Nanshu gradually letting down her emotional walls. The story shifts from a tale of reluctant cohabitation to a developing romance, as both characters navigate their past regrets and present feelings. Lian Nanshu begins to see Lan Xubai not as the cold male lead of a novel, but as a man who has loved her silently for years. The narrative sets the stage for their relationship to deepen, with Lian Nanshu deciding to fight for her happiness rather than passively accepting a divorce.