Without That Face, You're Nothing but Second-Rate

"Apart from your face, you're second-rate at best. Who are you putting on a show for?"

That was Zheng Xie’s first thing to Yu Qichuan.

As it happened, Yu Qichuan thought the same of him.

Among spoiled rich kids, Zheng Xie was usually the one people called the Crown Prince.

Not as a compliment, of course.

Zheng Xie was handsome, but his personality was so awful that people forgot how good-looking he was.

A rich second-generation heir whose parents both died when he was young, he'd been domineering and self-willed since childhood, never caring what anyone thought of him.

As a sugar daddy, he was generous, though he was fickle and cold-hearted. Still, he was practically perfect.

In the entertainment industry, Yu Qichuan was usually the one people called the Crown Prince.

Again, not as a compliment.

He made it through a talent show on the strength of his looks, then won widespread praise for his gentle, refined personality, becoming the dream lover of countless fans.

Handsome, highly educated, emotionally intelligent, and backed by a powerful agency, he was bound to reach the top. In other words, a star on the verge of breaking out.

The man with the good resources, the real Crown Prince, Zheng Xie: "Sleep with me, and I'll invest in you as the male lead in my next movie."

The real pretty face, the fake Crown Prince, Yu Qichuan: "I'm sorry, Chairman Zheng. I have to be responsible to my fans. I can't do something like that."

Zheng Xie: "...Cut the crap. Tell me what you want and save me some time."

Yu Qichuan (smiling): "..."

Yu Qichuan: "Unless Chairman Zheng is willing to let me sleep with you, I'm afraid I can't accept."

As expected, Zheng Xie slapped him.

A Crown Prince who sold his looks was no match for one with money. Zheng Xie soon made Yu Qichuan pay.

No lyrics for his album, promotional articles pulled, endorsements all gone. He almost vanished from the industry.

Fans: "Which rival is going after our guy?! Sob, sob..."

Zheng Xie, scrolling on his phone: "...Rival? What's that? Messing with your guy was just a little something on the side."

Zheng Xie had thought that Yu was nothing but a pretty face, and that in a few days he'd obediently kneel and apologize, crying and begging Zheng Xie to let him off.

He hadn't expected the other man to have any backbone. He actually fucking held out.

With no work, Yu Qichuan did charity work, ran marathons, volunteered in the mountains, worked on farms, and returned to the orphanage where he'd grown up to look after the children.

Most importantly, he rescued Chairman Zheng after he fell into the water.

All things considered, Chairman Zheng felt just a little bit guilty.

Just as Zheng Xie was about to stop messing with him and find another obedient, well-behaved pretty boy, Yu Qichuan, who had always been aloof and upright, like a noble white lotus, came to see him and said earnestly:

"Chairman Zheng, I've thought about it. I still can't accept being your kept man."

"But we could try starting with a relationship."

Zheng Xie laughed angrily. "Are you an idiot? There's no fucking way I'm dating you."

And then Chairman Zheng became the biggest idiot of all: dating an idiot, getting fucked into being unable to get out of bed, and falling in love with him.

·

"...Twenty years ago, a woman's body was found in the Yongding River in Lanshan City. The victim was identified as Qiao Wenhua, a financial accountant at Zheng Group. The official cause of death was accidental drowning."

"Not long after the incident, the investigation into Zheng Group was hastily closed due to a lack of financial evidence."

"When I was five, I saw the killer's face as he pushed my mother into the river."

[Extremely self-centered, domineering second-generation tycoon who thinks everyone is an idiot and uses his looks to get what he wants] x [An idol who pretends to be gentle but is ruthless underneath, warm on the surface and cold at heart]

Zheng Xie x Yu Qichuan

Simply put, one is seeking revenge and the other is keeping him. One wants to kill, the other wants true love. They each pursue their own agenda, and somehow both get what they want in the end.

The blurb and character profiles are only drafts and may change. I can't promise they'll stay exactly the same before the detailed outline is finished.

Reader's guide:

1. A revenge story with satisfying payback, 1v1, HE. They fall in love at first sight, torment each other at first, then become completely devoted. Not for readers with strong preference for a particular character's side.

2. Both characters are extreme in their own ways. The shou isn't a good person, and he seeks sex, not love. He's been a kept man before. The gong isn't a saint either: he's calculating and uses the shou to achieve his goals.

3. The people, places, and events in this story are fictional and have no connection to reality.

Theme: Keep living with all your heart.