Among the Shining Stars

A shou who's notorious and unpredictable, with love and hate buried deep inside

A gong who's celibate and serious on the surface, but acts like two different people before and after becoming the shou's lover

Lin Zhengdu saw Ren Xing again after five years at a banquet where all sorts of celebrities had been invited as entertainment and window dressing. He didn't recognize him at first.

Because Ren Xing had gotten plastic surgery and changed his name.

Ren Xing was now a highly controversial celebrity, a textbook example of how to get famous by being both loved and hated.

Some said that although he'd debuted through a talent show, he was a gifted actor who worked so hard that he donated all 365 days of the year to concert tours and filming. Others said he was calculating and would stop at nothing to climb over others on his way to the top.

Praise poured in, and so did the insults. Even in the industry, people said he would risk anything for traffic and attention, while sordid rumors about his sex life circulated everywhere.

At the end-of-year business event, Lin Zhengdu watched Ren Xing get into the car of a wealthy investor. His friends laughed. "Celebrity Ren must be worth twice as much this year. He's winning awards left and right."

*

It had been five years since Lin Zhengdu and Ren Xing broke up. His title of "sunny senior" had turned into "ruthless business shark," and people around him had come to believe he was incapable of feelings.

When they broke up, Ren Xing was still called Chu Chixi. He was a little foolish and loved to smile, believing that one hug could sweep away every sorrow. He was always following behind Lin Zhengdu, calling him "Senior, senior."

Five years without a word, and now they had met again. Their positions in life were worlds apart.

Seeing his current situation, with smear campaigns everywhere, rumors flying, and the industry in disarray, Lin Zhengdu couldn't bear it. He demanded, "How did you end up like this?"

Ren Xing had just finished performing. His hair was damp from dancing, and after the makeup and exertion, his skin had an alluring, almost poisonous sheen. He removed his microphone with complete nonchalance and suddenly smiled at Lin Zhengdu.

"Because the stars shine brightest against the darkest night."

"Lin Zhengdu, after all these years, even though we've broken up, you still have to be a proper dead ex."

*

Coming soon: The Contract Actor Is a Big Shot. Please add it to your collection~

Blurb:

He Ye had always lived on a knife's edge, risking his life for others and walking a tightrope over an abyss. He knew that one day, he'd fall onto a blade and have his throat slit.

Then he met Qin Sangmo.

The boss, hailed as "the most unscrupulous and difficult investor in the industry," drove hundreds of miles to rescue him, only to ask him to play a body double in one of his productions.

From then on, He Ye, penniless and always one step away from prison, signed a contract and entered the entertainment industry. Before long, people were calling him someone else's kept lover.

But he knew Qin Sangmo was only using him. In the villa where he was staying, there was a room he was never allowed to enter. It held the person Qin always longed for.

He Ye: Am I supposed to be a body double in the show, or in real life? I didn't study much, so I can't make sense of what you're doing, Mr. Qin.

Qin Sangmo looked at He Ye's smiling face. His canine teeth were like fangs, and no matter what, Qin could never pull them out. Nor could he ever want to. All he could do was sigh. "Put your clothes on for me."

He Ye refused, mimicking Qin's usual swagger in business circles. "Can't you explain without putting your clothes on?"

Qin Sangmo: ...

A dark, scheming boss who pampers his lover x a tough fighter with a rough fate

*

Theme: Every hardship that can't defeat you is a stepping stone to the summit.