After My Ex-Boyfriend and I Became the Nation's Favorite Couple

After her girl group disbanded, rising star Tao Xin stepped in at the last minute to join the dating show Heartbeat Warning Ahead.

To drum up buzz, the production team decided to introduce the male and female guests through a livestream.

Just before filming began, the moment she saw her "boyfriend," the heart monitor attached to her hand shot up to 120.

Her partner was Chi Cheng, her ex-boyfriend, whom she'd once slapped.

Even more unexpectedly, the show became an instant hit after its release. The couple's fanbase swelled, and they soared to become the nation's number one pairing.

Fan 1: Friend, buy into Xin-Cheng, it's a sure thing! I'll stay buried in this ship until the end of time!

Fan 2: They're a match made in heaven, from the tips of their hair to their toes! Lock them down already!!

Fan 3: Their feelings are mutual, no doubt about it! I can stay single, but my ship has to get married!

Tao Xin before filming: The script is all fake. We're definitely going to have a bad ending.

Tao Xin later: How about becoming Mrs. Chi?

Chi Cheng's longtime fans knew that their idol had once had a school romance that ended without ever coming to fruition.

When the topic of first love came up in an interview, his eyes glistened with tears, yet he smiled and offered his blessing.

So when rumors linked him romantically with a rising star, their attitude was always: Focus on our own idol. As long as he's happy, that's all that matters.

At a movie press conference, Chi Cheng, Tao Xin, and the other cast and crew gathered onstage and shared amusing stories from filming. At the end, the host brought Chi Cheng into a question-and-answer session:

"If you could see your first love again, would you want to be together?"

Chi Cheng's gaze burned as he answered without hesitation: "Yes." The crowd was in an uproar.

Afterward, a reporter spotted Chi Cheng at the airport and called out jokingly:

"Which is better, your first love or the leading lady?"

Chi Cheng stopped and looked in his direction, raising an eyebrow before answering seriously:

"I can't answer that. How can you compare the same person to themselves?"

Fans: Were we all blind!!?

The couple's fans applauded and cheered, spreading the news everywhere.

Don't ask. The ship didn't just stay afloat, it upgraded itself into a mansion.

Bonus scene:

On the night they got back together, Chi Cheng started bringing up old grievances:

"Now that we've cleared things up, when are you going to pay me back for that slap?"

"After treating me like that, doesn't your conscience hurt?"

Tao Xin covered her face and muttered, "...My hand hurt more."

Sharp-tongued but soft-hearted actress x scheming, vindictive movie emperor

In each of their own versions of events:

I was the one who got dumped.

[Reading Guide]

1. Both leads are each other's only partners. One-on-one romance. Happy ending.

2. The characters are not based on real people. Please don't draw comparisons!!!

3. The misunderstanding was caused by several factors. The male lead really isn't a jerk~

Coming soon: Unrequited Love Isn't a Long-Term Plan

He Shu's best friend was hurt when her boyfriend cheated on her. Learning that he came from a powerful family didn't deter He Shu: she was going to get revenge for her friend.

So at the jerk's engagement party, He Shu went in disguise, looking utterly aggrieved and playing the innocent, delicate act to perfection. She hit him with three pointed questions:

"You once said you'd love only me for the rest of your life."

"I'm carrying your child. What am I supposed to do?"

"I've tried to forget you, but I can't."

Naturally, the jerk denied it all.

He Shu smiled confidently and rattled off a string of phone numbers, addresses, birthdays, and more.

Jerk: "Those are fake. None of them are mine."

He Shu stayed calm, nearly bursting into tears. "Oh, so you even lied to me about all of those!"

The jerk hurriedly said, "They're all my uncle's. If you don't believe me, ask him. He's sitting right over there."

He Shu followed the direction of his finger and, sure enough, saw the face of the man she'd been secretly in love with.

He Shu: ...I got careless.

After the dust settled, there was still going to be an engagement, just with someone else.

Overjoyed, He Shu tried her hardest to make Shi Yuli like her.

Then she accidentally learned that he had a beloved woman hidden deep in his heart.

She tried to find clues about this woman, but he kept everything under wraps.

If that's how it was, she knew she couldn't force it. She decided to find a time to tell him that their engagement was off.

Shi Yuli had been feeling baffled lately. He thought he understood how the girl he liked felt, but he kept getting things wrong.

The woman he loved was hot and cold with him, impossible to read.

Where had he gone wrong?

One day, Shi Yuli, CEO of Shiying, attended the company's annual gala. Asked about his relationship with his fiancée, he couldn't hide his smile. "We're very happy together."

In a corner, He Shu downed several gulps of lemon sake. "Liar!"

"Of course I want her to become my wife soon. I've had a crush on her for a long time."

He Shu: "That jerk will say anything to save face."

It wasn't until the Weibo account she'd used for years was verified as belonging to Shi Yuli, CEO of the group, that He Shu discovered the truth:

The only post on his profile was a repost of something she'd written years ago: "Why doesn't he like me?"

His comment read: "I like you very much."

He Shu: Well, what a coincidence.

Turns out I was the jerk's beloved all along.

Screenwriter x CEO

Mutual pining, twice the surprises.

[Synopsis written 2020.10.30, screenshot saved for posterity]

Theme: Communication matters in relationships.