The Stars Shine Bright Tonight

Xu Yihuan first met Shang Jingchi at an art exhibition packed with high society.

She was a minor actress her agent had dragged along to fill out the crowd, wearing a borrowed evening gown that didn't fit, like a porcelain doll carefully put on display.

He was the heir to the Shanhe Group, leaning lazily against the base of a bronze sculpture with a glass of whiskey in hand, radiating an innate air of privilege and aloofness.

She needed a permanent ticket into the world of fame and fortune.

There was never any shortage of beautiful faces trying to get close to him.

That glance was the beginning of her scheme, and the point where she started to fall.

-

He saw through her clumsy act of trying to get close to him, but didn't call her out.

"You've got some nerve," was all he said.

Then he got her variety-show appearances, endorsements, and countless opportunities people could only dream of, paving a starry road to success for her.

From ending her old contract to signing a new one, from the guest room to the master bedroom, he did everything with casual ease, keeping it all under his control.

She let herself fall while staying clear-eyed, both afraid of relying on him and addicted to the warmth and resources he gave her.

He said "I love you" as if it were nothing, then gave her a yacht, fireworks, and diamonds, sparing no expense in his romantic gestures.

She thought she was living in a fairy tale.

-

But the fairy tale he had woven with his own hands turned out to be a gilded cage.

She won an international newcomer award, and a top arthouse director offered her a role that would push her boundaries and include revealing scenes.

She was thrilled. It was the artistic challenge she'd been longing for.

But his face turned cold, and he rejected the offer without even asking her.

"You have me. You don't need to strip in front of a camera to get opportunities."

Instead, he got her a bit part in a Hollywood popcorn flick, believing that was more respectable.

Only then did Xu Yihuan see clearly: his tenderness was a way of keeping her penned up, and his love was possession.

He had never treated her as an equal partner, only as property to be arranged as he pleased.

Even when he said he loved her in bed, perhaps all he loved was her obedient body.

-

For the first time, she exploded and tore up the contract he had given her.

"Shang Jingchi, I'm not your pet!"

He was furious at her ingratitude. She merely sneered and turned away, determined to leave his control, even if it meant giving up everything.

He watched her laugh and talk alongside a senior actor who admired her, and jealousy drove him mad.

He swallowed his pride and awkwardly tried to win her back, only to be met with her cold avoidance.

The young master of the Shang family, once able to summon her whenever he pleased, finally learned what it was to suffer heartbreak.

-

Reading Guide:

1. A clear-headed, level-headed ingenue x an heir to a top-tier empire. Neither lead has pure intentions at first. Five-year age gap, both virgins.

2. Two strong-willed leads, emotional games, bittersweet push and pull. Their irresistible physical attraction is the greatest force driving them together and tearing them apart. Happy ending.

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My next book will be this one. Head over to my author page to add it to your collection:

"Keywords"

[A beautiful woman with a nasty personality deserves a devoted dog by her side!]

Wen Tang and Qi Zhou have a very simple relationship, if you ask me.

They've known each other since birth and live right across the hall from each other.

His parents divorced when he was young. Wen Tang's mother felt sorry for him, so whenever she made something delicious, she'd have Wen Tang bring him a bowl.

Wen Tang would bring it over. He'd open the door, take it without expression, and say thanks without expression.

Wen Tang wondered at the time if his parents' divorce had left him with a permanently blank face.

Later she realized he wasn't expressionless. He was just too lazy to show anyone much of a reaction.

With her?

He was just as expressionless.

But he was willing to do anything she didn't want to do for her: tie her shoes, carry her schoolbag, tutor her...

Every now and then, Wen Tang would have a pang of conscience and ask, "Am I kind of bullying you?"

Qi Zhou would look up at her. "I'm used to it."

Used to it.

That word perfectly defined Wen Tang and Qi Zhou's relationship.

Wen Tang was used to having him around, used to his kindness, used to him always being there, ready whenever she called.

In high school, someone asked, "Wen Tang, Qi Zhou does whatever you say. Does he like you?"

Wen Tang answered without a second thought. "How could he? We're practically brother and sister."

Wen Tang genuinely didn't think it was possible.

How could you fall for someone you'd known since birth?

She couldn't imagine their relationship becoming anything other than childhood friends.

Until one day, a girl appeared at Qi Zhou's side. She was pretty, did well in school, and seemed able to talk with him about anything under the sun.

A friend said, "If Qi Zhou starts dating, you two won't be able to carry on like this, right?"

Wen Tang froze. "Why not?"

"Come on, if he has a girlfriend, he can't spend all day following you around, can he?"

That night, Wen Tang couldn't sleep.

She still didn't think she liked him.

She just... didn't want to give him to anyone else.

Her friend watched the drama unfold and said, "It won't matter how much you don't want to. We're all grown up now, and he looks pretty good. If he doesn't date someone today, he'll date someone tomorrow. If it isn't this girl, it'll be the next one."

Wen Tang didn't know what else to do, so she decided to strike first and date him herself.

There wasn't much to seducing Qi Zhou, really.

He was highly intelligent, but when it came to this sort of thing, he was no match for her.

Sure enough, before long, they were officially together.

After they started dating, it took Wen Tang a long time to get used to being physically intimate.

They'd been childhood friends for nearly twenty years, practically family, and seducing him had already felt like a sin.

But once she steeled herself and took the first step, she realized she didn't mind it.

To her surprise, Wen Tang really liked his body.

Wen Tang wasn't one to hold back, and with Qi Zhou she didn't even know how to be polite.

Qi Zhou went along with everything. In bed and out of it, he did whatever she asked, and from his reactions, he seemed to enjoy it too.

But he never touched Wen Tang first.

Before Wen Tang's hand reached for him, his never reached for her.

She liked being the one in control, but after a while, Wen Tang also grew tired of always being the only one to make a move.

After some time, she couldn't help asking, "Do you like me? Or did I force you into this relationship, and you're just bad at saying no?"

-

Qi Zhou's life hadn't had much in it to begin with.

The year his parents divorced, he was too young to understand. He just noticed one person had disappeared from the house, and later the other one rarely came home either.

The house was big, and there were few people in it. It was so quiet, it felt as if time had stopped.

One winter, he came down with a fever and thought he could just tough it out.

Wen Tang saw through the window that something was wrong, ran over and knocked on his door, then got her parents to take him to the hospital.

While he was on an IV, she fell asleep beside him, still holding the IV tube in her hand, foolishly thinking she could warm it for him.

From then on, Wen Tang became the only anchor in his life.

He was willing to do anything she didn't want to do for her: tie her shoes, carry her schoolbag, tutor her...

Every now and then, she would have a pang of conscience. "Am I kind of bullying you?"

He'd say, "I'm used to it."

Used to it.

To Wen Tang, that meant he would always be there.

To Qi Zhou, it meant he only wanted to be there for her.

She didn't know that he had given up his recommended university placement in high school because she'd casually said it was a shame they couldn't graduate together.

She didn't know that, when she thought she was seducing him, he was doing everything he could to play along because he wanted so badly for her to succeed.

He had loved her far longer than he himself had realized.

He had imagined being with her far more than he dared to admit.

One day, when he finally understood, he realized that every keyword in his life pointed to the same person.

Family was her. Friendship was her. Love was her too.

No one beside her.

No one to take her place.

No second page.

She wasn't one option in his life.

She was the whole answer, his only keyword.

-

[Reading Guide]

1. A sexy, awkward bookworm x a beautiful, lively little troublemaker.

2. Childhood sweethearts, each other's first love, both virgins, happy ending.

Theme: Love turns a cliff into level ground.