Crossing the Line, Burning Bright

Romantic rivalry | Male lead has a secret crush | Long-laid plans | Humble pursuit of love | Second male lead tries to win her back | Older woman-younger man romance A legendary singing-and-dancing queen, beautiful and dazzling, X a top-tier star in a leading boy band, charming and wild 1. The first time Ren Ranluo saw Duan Chi was in the practice room on the company's second basement level. He was dressed in black, his dance moves crisp and fluid. His black short-sleeved shirt was too short. Every time he raised his arms, it exposed a strip of his lean waist. Even in the yellow, hazy light, the defined lines of his muscles and his glowing pale skin were clearly visible. Ren Ranluo's eyelid twitched. Looking at his somewhat familiar face, she despised the lewd thoughts that suddenly crossed her mind. The second time they met, he stood obediently in front of her, as docile as a puppy not yet a month old, hiding every last trace of his fangs. With a bright smile, she casually asked out of concern for a junior at the company, "You're quite young, aren't you? Have you debuted yet?" She didn't understand the sudden urgency in his eyes. All she felt was the warmth of his hand around her ankle as he gently massaged it. "I'm not that young. I've been in the industry for three years." His index finger moved up two inches, brushing suggestively against her slender calf. Ren Ranluo raised an eyebrow, thinking that kids these days would do anything to get famous. Well, why not take advantage of it? 2. Ren Ranluo had a crush on Lin Yi for three whole years in school. Back then, she wasn't a superstar adored by millions. She was just a nobody on the fringes, with a bob haircut and glasses. Lin Yi was the school's golden boy, admired by everyone. She liked someone like him so much that she felt unworthy even saying it out loud. So she studied hard, lost weight... and did everything she could, all so she could become someone worthy of him. But all she got was, "Ugly people sure do make a fuss." 3. When Ren Ranluo and Duan Chi first began their ambiguous relationship, her manager once asked her tactfully, "Is it because he looks like Lin Yi?" She smiled without answering, earning a reproach from her manager. "Playing with a stand-in is so immoral. He must be heartbroken." Later, with Duan Chi holding her in his arms, after they'd had their fill, she casually brought it up. The man lifted her around the waist and carried her toward the bathroom. All he said was, "At the beginning, I was only afraid I wouldn't even qualify to be your stand-in." Theme: Wanting to become better and more accomplished because of someone.