The Filters Fell Off the Superstar I Photoshopped

Yao Xile, a cheerful wage slave in the photography world, lands a big job: retouching a major star's publicity photos.

Then, in a moment of carelessness, he makes a colossal blunder and exposes the star's unedited photos!

The star's rival's haters seize the opportunity, marketing accounts fan the flames, and the star's out-of-shape figure trends online.

Facing a career crisis, the star storms over to demand answers. "Who did this?"

Yao Xile: Sorry, that was me...

The star and his agent: Huh? He's kind of cute, and he's got a pretty nice figure?

The agent says, "Ahem, if you really don't want to take responsibility, you could always offer Yao Xile as compensation!"

Yao Xile's boss: "No problem. Take this troublemaker off my hands."

The cheerful wage slave in photography somehow becomes a major star's assistant.

The conscientious worker earns money and gossips along the way, loving whatever job he's doing. He accompanies the star at meals, on walks, into character, and back out of it.

The star goes from disliking him, to trusting him, to relying on him, until he can't stand to be apart from him and can't live without him.

Two utterly straight I's fall in Love and slowly bend into a U.

There's no explaining it. It's all metaphysics.

But a sudden spark of love is like fireworks: once they fall to the ground and turn to ash, the star is left confused. Where does he go from here?

So he pushes away the person he loves with his own hands.

Then he loses the partner he trusted.

Leaves the career he loved.

And gives up on the dream he pursued.

When the world is dark, the little sun who once rolled away in a pitiful heap comes back.

Bringing light, warmth, foolish fearlessness, and a steadfast heart.

You gave me a ticket to travel far away, but I never went far. I've been watching you all along.

Shen Gongxing x Yao Xile

A neurotic, self-destructive celebrity gong x a clueless little sunshine of a retoucher shou

Warning:

Everything in this story is fictional. There are no real-life inspirations, so please don't make wild guesses or assume anyone is based on a real person.

Please don't leave unrelated names of people or novels in the comments. Thank you for understanding.

We meet by chance along the road of growing up. I'm grateful for your company. If I enjoy writing it and you enjoy reading it, that's a happy ending. Thank you!

[Upcoming novel] The Frost of Summer

Yan Lin's words, "I don't like you,"

Shattered Xia Zhu.

Years later,

Yan Lin's words, "I can't live without you,"

Made Xia Zhu want to run away.

[Yan Lin x Xia Zhu]

[Arrogant gong who eats his words x resilient, down-on-his-luck shou]

A realistic story. The gong isn't a jerk, and the shou isn't pathetic.

A twist of fate, a broken relationship made whole again, bittersweet angst, HE.

Theme: Others love you from every angle, but I love your flaws.