Fiery wild-rose top x cool, aloof iceberg bottom
The media say they're sworn enemies. They battle from Best Actress trophies to box-office champions, and even when they endorse the same lipstick, they have to compete over who sells out first.
backstage at an awards ceremony, in the three seconds after the flashbulbs go dark, someone sees Xia Yi pin Xu Congwei against a makeup mirror and kiss her.
A reporter asks, "Are you two close?"
With Xu Congwei's lipstick mark on her lips, she smiles at the camera. "Me and her? Not at all."
Then she leans close to Xu Congwei's ear and whispers, "That's how it should be. If we were close, where would that leave me?"
On New Year's Eve at the turn of the millennium, backstage at yet another awards ceremony, Xu Congwei walks out holding her trophy. Xia Yi stands in the smoking area, a long ash hanging from her cigarette.
"Congratulations." Xia Yi stubs it out.
"Where's my prize?"
"What do you want?"
Xu Congwei approaches, the hem of her dress brushing the toe of Xia Yi's high heel. "You."
--The real headlines were the things the media never captured.
[The blurb was screenshotted on August 19, 2026]
Note:
1. Set in a fictionalized entertainment industry of the 1990s. This is a deliberately alternate setting, so please don't nitpick historical details.
Theme: Work hard
