Jellyfish Meteor

Rational, top-of-her-field professional x sensitive, fragile male star

Older woman/younger man | Older woman dotes on younger man | Angsty melodrama | Pregnancy | Female-led relationship | Breakup and reconciliation | Both leads grow

*This is not gender-bender. The heroine simply takes the lead in the relationship. Ahem, she may take the lead in intimate matters too, but there will be no gender-bender.

A thoroughly angsty, tear-jerking push and pull, bringing together every melodramatic element from winning back a lover to running away while pregnant and raising a child. If this isn't your thing, here's your warning.

This story is entirely fictional, with no real-life inspiration. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Please don't connect it to real life.

A stress-relief, write-when-I-can story, expected to be around 100,000 words. It won't be abandoned.

[Blurb]

"Let's break up."

Gu Chi had just gotten off a plane when he was dumped out of the blue, a ring still clutched in his hand.

Xu Chengqing had cut him loose cleanly and decisively: she blocked his number and deleted him on WeChat. She hadn't changed the locks, but she hadn't left a single thing behind, either.

He could only laugh. They'd been secretly dating for three years, never daring to make their relationship public. He'd always thought she was the one making compromises. He never expected that just as he was getting ready to propose, Xu Chengqing would dump him.

Ever since his debut, his breakout roles had almost always been those of the doomed second or third male lead. Who would have thought that today he'd fulfill the prophecy and become just like those characters in real life?

The funniest part was that Xu Chengqing had planned and arranged all those roles for him. She'd said, "This role suits you. You'll make it big if you play it."

And he had. With Xu Chengqing calling the shots, he'd gone from an obscure, eighteenth-tier actor on the verge of unemployment to a top-tier star. But just like the doomed characters he'd played, he'd been dumped by his girlfriend, too.

How ridiculous.

He'd liked that Xu Chengqing was rational, levelheaded, and not clingy. She wasn't some wealthy patron, but she could still offer advice and connect him with opportunities, lifting him up step by step. She was young, beautiful, and highly educated. He had nothing to lose.

He just hadn't expected her to be so calm and abrupt when she ended things.

It was as if she'd only ever loved him a tiny little bit, the way she loved the television and film projects she worked on.

Over the years, Xu Chengqing had never once misjudged a script, a role, or which actor could be marketed into a sensation. The industry's superstitious crowd had dubbed her a "lucky charm," and she'd worked her way up to content planning director.

Of course, she'd never misjudged when advising Gu Chi, either. She'd personally guided him from obscurity to the throne of top-tier stardom.

At first, he'd approached her at a dinner party only because he wanted a good role. She'd always known that. She'd always treated their romance as a mutually beneficial fling, nothing more.

She helped him pick scripts and roles, plan marketing angles, and map out every livestream and every promotional post. She made him a star, and in return, he offered a little of his looks and emotional support. Fair was fair.

They were grown adults, each getting what they wanted. Neither of them was a naive romantic who believed in love.

They couldn't be. They shouldn't be.

Now Gu Chi had status, awards, and iconic roles. If she stayed by his side any longer, she'd be overstaying her welcome. Better to end things sooner and part on good terms.

After all, she'd never wanted to use her industry connections to control anyone, and she had no interest in the industry's dirty dealings.

She just wanted to win whenever she sat down at the table. Choosing projects with a sharp eye was a win. Spotting Gu Chi's potential and making him famous was a win, too.

Now that she'd done everything she needed to do, it was time to make a graceful exit.

Besides... with a prenatal checkup report in one hand and a business trip application in the other, they each had their own road ahead. She'd reached the next crossroads in her life, too.

It was time to break up.

Gu Chi: I've made up my mind. There is no way I'm breaking up.

[Please Read Beforehand]

1. An angsty, push-and-pull romance with a mix of melodramatic elements, including winning back a lover, painful love, and running away while pregnant. If it's not for you, feel free to leave.

2. Everyone is an adult with a past and their own needs. No one is perfect or wholly good. The heroine has many reasons for breaking up, and both leads will grow in the end.

3. The leads will separate before reuniting. The baby will be born, and of course the male lead is the father. It's a collection of melodramatic tropes, but... not quite that melodramatic.

4. The author isn't a celebrity fan and has no interest in the real entertainment industry. Please don't connect this to real life. There are no real-life inspirations. The entertainment industry and workplace have been fictionalized and adjusted to suit the plot and setting, so they don't reflect reality. If something seems unrealistic, don't overthink it. Feel free to click the X in the upper-right corner.

5. Jellyfish and shooting stars are two kinds of beings that can never cross paths. They represent the two leads, but love is love, regardless of its origin or species.

Theme: Love means accepting one another.