The Has-Been Boy Band Makes a Comeback

[The companion series, We Agreed to a Fake Marriage, So Why Are You Making It Real?!, is ongoing]

The boy band Victoria finally debuted after three years of grueling training. But the group flopped and disbanded after just one year.

Eight years later, a trending topic brought the group back into the public eye.

Seeing their popularity climb, the management company urgently called the members back and spent a fortune producing a variety show.

The moment the show was announced, netizens mocked it.

“A variety show with a bunch of washed-up old guys? Even dogs wouldn't watch!”

When the show aired, the five members reunited and left everyone stunned.

Netizen A: “Isn't that suited-up executive the CEO of Guangyao Media? What is he doing here?”

Fan: “That's Sang Luo, Victoria's leader. A true gentleman, rich and handsome. You won't regret investing in him!”

Netizen B: “Isn't that the musician with millions of followers?”

Fan: “That's our main vocalist, Xiao Han. A living Barbie, beautiful with a sweet voice, and talented at both singing and songwriting!”

Netizen C: “I know Cheng Yun'an! He's that super popular parenting blogger on XX!”

Fan: “How about the strongest rapper on the planet? Cool, handsome, and confident, V Group's AKA!”

Netizen D: “Holy crap! Why is Jiang Zhixia here?!”

Fan: “Is there anyone who still doesn't know that our Best Actor Jiang started out as an idol? One of V Group's visuals and its main top!”

Netizen E: “Jiang Zhixia is only one of the visuals?! Is your group trying to ascend to Heaven?”

Then the last member appeared.

Fan: “A grand introduction to our group's youngest member, the ultimate visual who's both the darling and the tyrant of the group: Xia Zhi! A versatile sweetheart, sweet and cool, with a look for every taste!”

Netizens looked him up and found out he was the youngest professor at XX University.

Netizens: A lineup like this and they still flopped? This is unreal!

After the first episode aired, the washed-up old guys were officially renamed the hidden gems.

Netizens lamented their years in obscurity, yet were also moved by the members' decade-long bond and effortless teamwork.

Then came a revelation: the group had disbanded because two members couldn't get along.

They were the group's most popular members, Jiang Zhixia and Xia Zhi.

After the show ended, the production team livestreamed its wrap party.

Best Actor Jiang, who had a terrible tolerance for alcohol, passed out after one drink.

The livestream viewers were lucky enough to witness the cold, domineering Best Actor Jiang turn into a soft, clingy little sweetheart.

He buried his face in Xia Zhi's shoulder and whined,

“Baby, I missed you so much. I was wrong. Forgive me. Can we start over?”

Netizens: ...We thought they couldn't stand each other?

Reading tips:

* Seme: The domineering group dad (back when they were in the band) / the poker-faced, secretly passionate star (now)

X

Uke: The bully who only throws his weight around at home (back when they were in the band) / the gentle professor (now)

* Rekindled romance, extra sweet, no knives and no angst!

* Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting. See the author's note in Chapter 2 for details.

* The characters are NOT based on real people! The blurb was written on April 13, 2022, and has been registered on Weibo.

* [Make baseless claims about the characters being based on real people, and your favorite will stay irrelevant forever :)]

Coming next: We Agreed to an Arranged Marriage, So Why Are You Making It Real?! Sang Luo's story (ongoing)

1. Sang Luo's parents died young, and he and his older brother struggled to get by in the Sang family, surrounded by scheming rivals.

After their grandfather died, the Sang family fell apart, and a battle over the family fortune was about to erupt.

To help his brother gain control of the Sang family, Sang Luo decided to accept the marriage arranged by his family.

The first time he met his intended:

A handsome man in a suit sat elegantly in a cafe. When he looked up with a smile, the delicate chain attached to the side of his metal-framed glasses swayed gently.

The man parted his thin lips and spoke in a low voice. “Hello.”

Sang Luo straightened his back abruptly, his smile stiff. “L-Little Uncle.”

Emergency! What do you do when your intended is your old family friend's little uncle?!

Before the wedding, Sang Luo and Shi Mudong made a three-point agreement:

1. The marriage is fake, and they won't fulfill their duties as a married couple after the wedding.

2. They'll divorce as soon as Sang Luo's brother succeeds.

3. In public, they'll act like a loving married couple, but at home, they'll always be uncle and nephew.

After the wedding, Sang Luo strictly followed their premarital agreement. He called Shi Mudong “hubby” in public and “Little Uncle” at home, keeping their relationship as pure as a real uncle and nephew's.

Until one day, Shi Mudong pinned his hands down on the bed. The cold silver chain on his metal-framed glasses slowly brushed against Sang Luo's skin.

Danger seemed to be drawing near.

Sang Luo tensed. “L-Little Uncle?”

Shi Mudong raised his head, smiling seductively. “Still calling me Little Uncle? You should change how you address me.”

2. At first, Shi Mudong agreed to marry Sang Luo purely to help his childhood friend take control of the Sang family.

He had even promised his friend with complete confidence: I'll always be your uncle, and you'll always be my big nephew!

Later...

Shi Mudong patted his childhood friend on the shoulder and said, “How about we each call each other whatever we want from now on? You can call me Little Uncle, and I'll call you big brother.”

Theme: You have to dream. Who knows, it might come true.