We Went Viral After Faking a Bromance With My Archrival

[The aloof beauty makes a bold pursuit of love | Rekindled romance | Face-slapping comeback]

As the sole heir to a trillion-yuan conglomerate, Yu Yao had to choose between taking over the family business and lying flat while spending his fortune. He chose to chase his dream of becoming an entertainer, determined to rely neither on his parents nor on connections, but only on himself.

The result? Six years after debut, he was drowning in scandals. Other stars were famous for being controversial; he was controversial and hopelessly obscure, always hovering on the verge of quitting.

Singing across the universe was his dream, but he never expected his career breakthrough to come from faking a CP with his mortal enemy and former bandmate, Jiang Huan.

Yu Yao despaired. “How much suffering do I have to endure to become a top star?”

During a livestream watched by the whole internet, Jiang Huan was gentle and attentive, pulling off a smooth series of moves on Yu Yao.

The CP fans: “He’s so in love!”

Yu Yao sneered. “...What a phony.”

While filming an ad together, Jiang Huan hugged and cuddled up to him, then leaned close to Yu Yao’s ear and whispered, “It’s all for the show.”

The CP fans: “So sweet! So sweet! So sweet!”

Yu Yao blushed. “Go ahead and act. Keep acting.”

After Yu Yao’s identity as a top-tier rich kid was revealed, Jiang Huan angrily confronted a sasaeng and sped away to evade paparazzi.

The CP fans: “When you’ve got such a wonderful husband, you should just give in.”

Yu Yao was furious. “Why does Jiang Huan get to be the husband?”

Yu Yao’s feelings toward Jiang Huan were always four parts resentment, three parts suspicion, two parts curiosity, and one part lingering heartache.

Six years ago, Jiang Huan abruptly quit the band, shattering Yu Yao’s dream of making music. Countless nights, just thinking of him made Yu Yao grit his teeth with rage, but he couldn’t help secretly crying, too.

Now they were working together to fake a CP, and it had become a huge hit, lifting Yu Yao from a barely known minor celebrity to a prospective top-tier star.

As Yu Yao watched Jiang Huan stay up late arranging a new song for the band, he suddenly remembered the fanfiction he’d seen on their CP supertopic.

“The Ruthless, Domineering Young Master Falls for the Farmer Me” (A rotten man’s sincere love is unexpectedly sweet)

“How Can I Save You, My Destitute White Moonlight?” (A tragic romance of bitter love, heartbreak piled on heartbreak)

“The Missing Husband” (Suspense, forbidden love, and a complete breakdown)

A chill ran down Yu Yao’s spine. He felt like the CP fans were brainwashing him.

Jiang Huan seemed, maybe, possibly, to have been secretly in love with him all along.

Jiang Huan first met Yu Yao when Yu Yao was thirteen.

That year, Jiang Huan had just lost his parents. Because of his excellent grades, he was chosen to represent the students at a city sponsorship ceremony.

The person who presented his award was a boy about his age. He had a cold, defiant face, but his eyes were red throughout the ceremony.

The next time Jiang Huan saw Yu Yao was at a joint New Year’s Eve performance featuring eight schools. The moment Yu Yao appeared, the crowd’s shrieks nearly lifted the roof.

Jiang Huan stared motionlessly at the person onstage, brighter than the stars, and had just one thought.

He wanted him.

He had to have him.

[Bonus Scene]

Yu Yao was caught red-handed by Jiang Huan reading fanfiction about the two of them, and froze like a statue. He immediately pretended to be drunk, then spent the next day traveling halfway across China under the pretense of work.

A month later, at his manager’s insistence, Yu Yao went on behalf of the band to meet the most famous and mysterious composer in the country.

The moment he opened the door, the face he would recognize even reduced to ashes appeared before him.

The man propped his chin on his hand, watching Yu Yao’s expression fall apart. His voice was as soft as a feather.

“Caught you.”

[Reading Guide]

1. Both are each other’s first and only love, both are mutually pining, and there’s a happy ending.

2. No real-life inspiration. Please don’t read it as referring to real people.

Theme: Face setbacks head-on and move forward bravely.