I Went Public With a Rich Heir and Movie Emperor, Then Became a Star

[Pre-release: Little Plum Cake's The White Moonlight of the Sickly Beauty Master. Synopsis below]

//Green-tea heartthrob gong vs. slow-witted, socially anxious cool-guy shou//

Xia Chiqing is a nobody from the fringes of the entertainment industry. With no connections, all he has is an aristocratic face. His debut was his peak, and when his company finally tossed him onto a popular talent show, it was only so he could be a also-ran to the legendary young master from a wealthy family who seemed to have descended from heaven.

Unexpectedly, when the first ranking episode aired, he went viral across the internet thanks to a dance interaction with the actor-mentor.

In the video, the two dance close together, one advancing step by step with a cool, captivating air, the other radiantly beautiful and keeping him at arm's length. Their eyes linger on each other. A strand of hair glides from someone's nose to their lips, and the tension between them is impossible to miss.

Best of all, after their duet ends, the actor-mentor walks to the edge of the stage, looks back, and asks, "How did you like working with me?"

Xia Chiqing looks up and answers earnestly, "Your perfume smells so sweet."

After the episode airs, the top trending topic is: #YouSmellLikeHisPerfume

The audience sits bolt upright in the middle of the night: How can anyone not ship this? I'm losing my mind over them!

As his fame rises, so do the scandals. Photos of Xia Chiqing coming and going from high-end clubs, being chauffeured in luxury cars, flood the internet. Marketing accounts confidently claim that a rich businessman is keeping him, and that he invited the actor-mentor to dance just to get screen time.

A scheming freeloader who clings to powerful people, his image has completely collapsed. He's practically guaranteed to be the year's biggest celebrity scandal.

As soon as the post goes up, countless people repost and comment:

International director: Get to know my little brother, @Xiao Xia

Superstar: Get to know my little brother, @Xiao Xia

CEO: Get to know my little brother, @Xiao Xia

Show sponsor: Get to know our young master, @Xiao Xia

The haters: ...Sorry to bother you.

Everyone thought this was the story of a nobody scheming his way to the top. They never imagined it would turn out to be the story of a wealthy young prince and his bewitching consort.

In a corner beyond the cameras' reach, Xia Chiqing is pulled into the night. The man's face is indistinct in the darkness. As he leans close to Xia Chiqing's ear, every word seems to carry a faint, elusive fragrance, making Xia Chiqing blush despite himself. "Which is sweeter, the perfume or me?"

Reader's notes:

1. A goofy, sweet treat, written as "A Talent Show, Acting, and Variety Show Hotpot," but read as "A Comprehensive Guide to Shipping Couples." Watch the green-tea actor-mentor flirt his way into winning his sweetheart, and just enjoy the ship.

2. The early competition format is inspired by Chuang, and the middle parts are made up. It's not a pure talent-show story and isn't based on real people.

-- Pre-release: The White Moonlight of the Sickly Beauty Master --

[Awkward, devoted puppy-like gong x gentle, carefree sickly beauty shou]

When Fang Jie was found in the heavy snow, he fell in love with someone.

That person was a heaven-blessed prodigy who protected all living beings single-handedly for thirty thousand years. Eventually, his black hair turned white as snow, and his ailing body fell apart. Everyone admired and cared for him, yet no one could ever get close.

But only Fang Jie knew that this very person had once risked his life to go to the ruined tomb of his white moonlight.

He squeezed his master's wrist until it reddened and pleaded with him to stop. "The dead are gone for good. It's not worth it."

Yu Zhiying gazed at his disciple. The puppy he had painstakingly raised had somehow grown into a dazzling young sword cultivator, his figure overlapping with one from his memories.

He suddenly asked, "Fang Jie, do you have someone you love?"

Fang Jie fell silent, then nodded.

He asked again, "What kind of person are they?"

"He says he's stuck in the past. He doesn't want me, doesn't understand me, and doesn't love me."

"Then... what will you do?"

"I'll still hold on to him, protect him, and wait for him. Even if the seas change and the years turn, even if I am no longer who I used to be."

Yu Zhiying watched the last glimmer of light fade from his eyes, then smiled again.

His white moonlight had indeed come back from the dead, and he was just as wonderful as before.

The only problem was that he had forgotten him.

Theme: As long as you work hard, your dreams can come true.