A Captivating Scarlet

[Synopsis]

Showbiz / White Moonlight / Marriage by Contract

Xi Ruofei has a light-colored mole on the bridge of her nose.

It's so distinctive that people have nicknamed her Little Fairy.

She's stunning and talented, with real acting chops.

But her rival has made life difficult for her at every turn, stealing all her opportunities.

Her agency even forces her to entertain clients, and she almost gets taken advantage of by a sleazebag.

Unexpectedly, she runs into Yun Xiang, a top-tier star and powerful figure in the industry.

He carries her to the penthouse presidential suite.

The next time they meet is at a charity gala.

Her rival deliberately damages her dress in front of everyone. Afraid of exposing herself, Xi Ruofei doesn't dare move.

The top-tier star appears just in time, drapes his suit jacket over her, and gets her out of the awkward situation.

In an instant, the internet is flooded with photos of the top-tier star and Xi Ruofei together.

The man is dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, handsome, with a cool, sharp gaze. He looks aloof, but he's looking at the woman beside him!

And look at her: exquisite features, red lips and pearly teeth, and a pair of enchanting fox eyes that seem to draw you right in!

They have incredible couple chemistry!!

Fans scream in excitement: @Brother Yun Xiang! This sister is so pretty. I want her to be my sister-in-law! @Xi Ruofei

The rival, who is rumored to be dating the top-tier star, assumes Xi Ruofei bought a trending topic to ride on his coattails.

Furious, she threatens to blacklist Xi Ruofei and make her disappear from showbiz for good.

Right after that, the rival's rumored boyfriend shows up and tosses Xi Ruofei a check.

Xi Ruofei assumes he's there to support his rumored girlfriend.

She thinks: Oh, so you're going to try being polite before you get tough? Pay me to leave showbiz for good?

Top-tier star: "If you want to keep pursuing your dream, marry me."

Xi Ruofei: ???

How is this nothing like the script I imagined?!

*

Yun Xiang is a renowned powerhouse in showbiz.

Since his debut, he has never taken a job that involves intimate contact with female stars.

Love scenes? No way. Refused!

Holding hands in a variety show game? No way. Refused!

He's gone beyond simply avoiding women. He's a cold, ruthless, desireless demon king.

Until...

He announces his marriage.

His bride is none other than the little fairy Xi Ruofei, whom his fans personally picked for him in a matchmaking setup.

Then the fans discover

The cold, desireless demon king has changed!!

When filming with his wife, he asks for extra scenes, including kissing scenes!

When appearing on a variety show with his wife, he insists on holding hands even when they go out to pick lotus leaves!

Fans scream themselves hoarse and shake their heads like rattles!

No couple is more worth shipping than the Xiang-Imagining couple.

The real-life couple is always showering fans with sweetness.

*

Bonus scene:

After they marry, the demon king quietly takes the little fairy home.

They begin living together.

The next morning,

The little fairy's best friend calls.

Her friend asks: "Why does your voice sound like that?"

Xi Ruofei: "What's wrong with my voice?"

Her friend sighs: "Nothing. It's just a little hoarse, like you've screamed yourself hoarse. And it's strangely sweet and breathy, enough to make anyone's bones melt."

#You thought we were just married by contract, but you've secretly been in love with me all along!#

#If you're in love with me, why all the schemes?!#

#A man this abstinent is deadly when he starts flirting!#

[Reader advisory: 1. This is a showbiz story, with lots of fan comments, live bullet comments, and online discussions. The fans ship couples far more enthusiastically than real fans do, so please remember this is fiction. 2. Some readers may not enjoy the romance of the secondary couple, so consider reading one chapter at a time. 3. If you like the story, please follow the author's profile and upcoming works. Shi Zeli's story is the sweetest!!!]

[Coming soon]

Waiting for the Rose to Bow

When Gu Feixun was eighteen, she starred in a Republican-era drama by a renowned director.

She wore a red qipao, with voluminous curls like a waterfall swept over one shoulder.

A drop of water clung to the tip of her red lips, about to fall.

Her beauty was dazzling, like a gorgeous red rose.

From then on, she was known as "Sister Rose."

Everyone knows Gu Feixun was born into a wealthy family, with a home so huge it would take a whole day just to walk around it.

In eight years since her debut, she's only acted in three TV dramas, all of them high-quality productions.

She has countless fans, and even the industry is full of people who adore her.

One day, the internet starts a topic: #WhoCanPickThisRose#

People guess every eligible bachelor, from acclaimed actors and esports stars to up-and-coming business magnates.

Someone in the know can't stand it and leaves a cryptic comment:

[Gu Feixun chose her fiancé herself when she was seventeen. He's a powerhouse second only to the head of the Gu family. The rest of you upstarts can stop dreaming.]

-

Gu Feixun was frail and sickly from childhood. They say she wouldn't live past sixteen.

With only five days left before her sixteenth birthday, she meets the refined and gentle Huo Chi.

Huo Chi takes her hand and says, "I'm willing to give you a year of my life so you can make it to sixteen. After that, you'll always be healthy and safe, and live forever."

Later, Gu Feixun's health truly does improve.

That year, she remembers the refined and gentle boy.

On her seventeenth birthday, Gu Feixun makes a wish in full view of everyone:

"I want Huo Chi."

Beneath his refined exterior, Huo Chi stands ramrod straight, his expression proud. He doesn't seem pleased to be singled out by the eldest daughter of the Gu family. Instead, his brow furrows.

The eldest son of the Gu family, who would later become its head, orders him: "Come over. Xunxun says she wants you."

Huo Chi's father gives him a shove and orders him: "Hurry up and go. She's the eldest daughter of the Gu family. Make sure you keep her happy."

Huo Chi walks steadily toward Gu Feixun.

A pair of silver-rimmed glasses conceals all his pride and ferocity. With the curve of a smile on his lips, he looks like a refined, gentle gentleman.

Everyone says Huo Chi is willing to do anything for the family business, even become Gu Feixun's possession.

Huo Chi never explains himself.

Over time, even Gu Feixun believes it's true.

Later, Gu Feixun decides that an arranged marriage can bind him to her, but it can't win his heart.

She decisively breaks off the engagement.

But she never expects the usually calm and self-possessed Huo Chi

To turn red-eyed behind his silver-rimmed glasses,

His refined pride nearly driving him mad.

-

Huo Chi is a powerhouse among Lincheng's wealthy elite. He may seem refined, but he's no good man.

In just a few years, he builds the Huo family into a massive corporation second only to the Gu family.

When news of the broken engagement gets out,

People in their circle say: He's an arrogant man. He's probably had enough of that spoiled young lady and can't wait to end the engagement.

They are soon proven wrong.

At a gathering of powerful figures, Huo Chi arrives as promised.

The guests soon notice a vivid red rose tattooed on his neck.

Someone curious opens his white shirt to take a look.

They discover the rose winds upward from the place above his heart.

The curious guest laughs. "Did a rose bloom in your heart?"

Huo Chi's expression softens as he shakes his head.

"No. I've kept the rose in my heart all along."

At their first meeting, the rose became the desire of his heart. He lay in wait for so long, only to wait for the rose to bow, so he could kiss it.

[Beautiful, scheming heiress X Refined on the surface, no good underneath]

Theme: Independence and strength.