*This is a story I'm planning to write. I'll put out a short story first so everyone can enjoy a taste and get a better understanding of how it all came about.
The first story is a modern romance set against the backdrop of traditional comedic performance. It's about a sweet, innocent junior fellow disciple who's had a crush on the male lead for years, and her senior fellow disciple, who seems like a cool, proper gentleman but is actually a goofy young man. After reading the short story, remember to follow the full novel, "The Milky Way Sends Me to You"!
Blurb: Wan Mengxing's father, Wan Jianghai, was a celebrated master of comedic performance across the Three Rivers region. He had her late in life, and she was his only daughter. Though he taught her a little of the craft, he respected her wishes and sent her to America to study painting.
But just before she graduated, her father suddenly suffered a heart attack and died. His entire estate, along with more than a hundred employees and disciples, became her responsibility.
To make matters worse, her martial uncles and senior fellow disciples either clamored to split up the family business or changed the name on their signs. Just as the famous name of Chengxing Garden seemed about to be ruined in her hands, her third senior brother, Xiao Lanting, who had always been the least competitive, suddenly stepped forward and waded into the mess, taking everything on alongside her.
Xiao Lanting: Trust your third brother. From now on, follow me. I'll risk my life before I let anyone say the Wan family is finished! I'll never let anyone think that our young miss is easy to bully just because she's lost the support of her family!
Straight Man: Where in the capital can you find the best comedy act?
Funny Man: It has to be our Chengxing Garden! Have you heard of my master, Wan Jianghai? He's a master of comedic performance!
Straight Man: Oh! Chengxing Garden! Isn't that the place where the disciples started fighting over the business as soon as their master died? Without Mr. Wan, and with the most popular star and best-known performer gone, what's even left there now?
Funny Man: I'm still here, Xiao Lanting! Remember that name, sir! With me around, Chengxing Garden won't fall!
*Cool, proper gentleman third senior brother x unruly, coquettish beauty of a junior sister, six-year age gap.
A beautiful but tragic male lead, a mutual secret crush, and a sweet, innocent female lead who's absolutely no pushover.
Childhood friends reunite as adults. Yesterday's secret crush becomes today's companionship.
Funny Man: The person I love is a star in the sky, the brightest star of all, oh~
Straight Man: Oh, come on! What did you do in your past life to be so lucky? A star? My wife is a fairy!
Funny Man: Well, in my past life, I really did have a few fateful encounters. That's how I managed to ask her to stay for a while in this utterly ordinary world of mine.
No characters or events are based on real people. Nothing is intended as an allegory. I simply like traditional comedic performance. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!
Theme: Preserve the culture of traditional performance and learn to conduct yourself properly.
I saw the introduction, but couldn't find the pre-receipt, so I collected this