All My Fans Think I’m Just Playing Along

[My upcoming novels, When a Socially Anxious Guy Plays the Devoted Lover with a CEO on a Dating Show and My CEO Husband Broke After We Secretly Married, are listed in my author profile. Their blurbs are below. Feel free to bookmark them; I promise they'll be worth the wait.]

"A story about using a fake relationship to confess your feelings."

After starring alongside Xiang Jingchen in a steamy gay movie, Lu Yunzhou decided, all by himself, that they could no longer be friends.

No wonder fans called Xiang Jingchen "the white-haired Maine Coon." He looked domineering, but was actually sweet and irresistibly flirtatious. Lu Yunzhou couldn't help getting flustered around him.

But Xiang Jingchen was as straight as a telephone pole. There was absolutely no chance he'd fall for him.

To keep his crush from showing, Lu Yunzhou made a swift escape.

He turned down invitations and ignored messages. Don't ask; he was busy.

Then, as the film's promotional period began, Lu Yunzhou's company told him to seize the opportunity and promote a real-life ship with Xiang Jingchen.

Wouldn't that give him away? Lu Yunzhou firmly objected.

His agent asked, "Do you want to be difficult, or do you want money?"

Lu Yunzhou said, "...Money."

The two of them appeared on a variety show together, and Lu Yunzhou tried to keep up the pretense that they were just friends.

But he soon realized he'd underestimated how difficult that would be.

All he did was casually look after another male guest, and the usually well-mannered award-winning actor took turns getting jealous and sulking.

Lu Yunzhou's warning bells went off. He went along with the act for work while resisting with cold indifference, but Xiang Jingchen only grew more clingy.

Lu Yunzhou's defenses had always been formidable, but Xiang Jingchen kept flirting without realizing it, and they were breached again and again.

One day, he happened to hear a staff member say that the way they promoted their ship was so wild, they had to be like brothers.

That was when Lu Yunzhou finally got it. Fine, let's go wild. I might as well enjoy myself while I can.

During a live event, they played a game passing a Pocky stick from mouth to mouth. After the stick snapped several times between Lu Yunzhou's lips, he grabbed Xiang Jingchen by the hair and kissed him.

Now Xiang Jingchen should finally take the hint and back off.

Thinking that, Lu Yunzhou felt a flicker of disappointment.

But to his utter surprise, Xiang Jingchen didn't resist at all. He even smiled and leaned in to kiss Lu Yunzhou on the cheek.

Lu Yunzhou: ...Why isn't this going the way I planned?!

When their promotional campaign ended, the fans thought their ship was about to sink and tearfully said their goodbyes.

Xiang Jingchen: "Have you ever considered that the people involved might not want this ship to sink?"

Lu Yunzhou: (reposts and likes)

Fans: Oh my gosh, did I actually ship a real couple?

"A rational, disciplined bottom who longs for freedom and abandon, and a cheerful, easygoing top with a romantic soul."

[Reader's Guide]

1. Both leads are strong characters. They are not based on real people, so please don't associate them with anyone in real life.

2. The plot is straightforward and focuses on their interactions. Perfect bedtime reading.

3. The top will interact with a female supporting character for work, but there are no romantic feelings involved. Please don't read if that bothers you.

4. This is a fictional entertainment industry. Its trends and preferences may differ from those in the real world; the plot serves the characters.

Blurb for Today, I’m Winning Over the CEO on a Dating Show:

Newly popular actor Luo Cheng is gentle, humble, and exceptionally talented, but limited opportunities have kept him stuck playing supporting roles.

So his company arranged for him to join a dating show and promote a ship to boost his popularity.

But Luo Cheng is actually socially anxious. He thought pairing up with a senior he'd met before would be all right, since at least he'd feel safer. He never expected the senior to cancel at the last minute, only for CEO Si Chen, who'd bought his way onto the show, to swoop in.

Luo Cheng felt the pressure immediately. He stayed up all night cramming romance guides so he could charm his walking ATM. The takeaway was simple: take the initiative!

So Luo Cheng psychs himself up and vows to play his part in a passionate love story.

CEO Si Chen is trying to throw his rivals off by cultivating the image of a lovesick man pursuing his wife.

He figured Luo Cheng was a talented actor, handsome, and easy to work with. He could just act aloof and let Luo Cheng pretend to be devoted.

He never expected Luo Cheng to ignore the usual script and throw himself into his arms as soon as they met.

Weren't they supposed to avoid physical contact? What was he doing?

The livestream cameras were right there. Si Chen kept dropping hints while staying in character, but Luo Cheng failed to pick up the signals and remained so professional it made Si Chen's heart ache. Si Chen forced a smile, nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

It wasn't just that Luo Cheng was overly enthusiastic. He was always staring at him, and he kept hiding behind him.

Who was the actor here? Why were you dodging the camera?

If this kept up, Luo Cheng would be dangerously adorable.

To make their on-screen romance convincing, Luo Cheng tried his best to stick to the script every day. Fortunately, Si Chen wasn't as hard to get along with as he'd expected. In fact, he seemed... almost completely accommodating?

The romance guide didn't have enough examples. They'd tried each one several times, and the show still wasn't finished filming.

Luo Cheng gritted his teeth and improvised, not very smoothly. "I... I have a stomachache."

Si Chen pulled Luo Cheng onto his lap, not caring that his outrageously expensive custom suit got wrinkled, and said with utmost tenderness, "Let me rub it for you."

Luo Cheng: You really know how to act!

Blurb for My CEO Husband Broke After We Secretly Married:

"A cold, beautiful CEO bottom with skin hunger and a weakness for pretty faces, and a scheming, flirtatious celebrity top who dotes on his spouse and has been plotting for ages."

To escape an arranged marriage, CEO Yu Ling secretly married someone first. By a twist of fate, he chose celebrity Lu Heng.

In his immaculately tailored suit, Yu Ling was the picture of "keep your distance." He gave the handsome, well-built Lu Heng a cold once-over. "Don't imagine I'll ever like you."

That night, Yu Ling drank too much. When he opened the door, he saw Lu Heng sitting on a warm yellow rug. The long-haired cat that usually ignored everyone padded over and flopped into his arms.

Lu Heng stroked the cat's fur with his long fingers, looking utterly adoring.

Yu Ling suddenly felt that this man, whose fans called "the gentle, handsome archangel Michael incarnate," might not be as much of a marketing scam as he'd thought.

Yu Ling's nape suddenly started to itch, too.

So Lu Heng saw the usually aloof CEO with red-rimmed eyes, looking pitiful from the alcohol and even a little aggrieved. "Could you pet me, too?"

Lu Heng's lips curled. As expected, he was even cuter than he'd imagined.

The inevitable "I never thought I'd fall for him" moment came late, but even a CEO couldn't escape it.

Yu Ling thought he could use his money to keep Lu Heng by his side. But it turned out Lu Heng wasn't just a celebrity: he was also a film-school graduate, the founder of his own studio, and a shareholder in an entertainment company. His family had a modest little business empire, and his annual income was higher than Yu Ling's.

When Yu Ling saw that the head of the management department had fan merch for the "Heng Family" stuck to her phone, he finally snapped.

He tapped his fingers on the office desk. "You should be focusing your attention on what matters."

The beautiful department head pushed up her glasses. "CEO, you just don't get it. Looking at Lu Heng makes me work an extra hour. If I get an autographed photo in this lifetime, I'll be able to keep working here until the end of time."

Yu Ling expressionlessly pulled out a signed photo. "Here. Young people should focus on their work, not act like obsessive fans."

The department head: ??? Which one of us is the obsessive fan here?

The door to the CEO's office closed. Lu Heng, wearing a hat, emerged from the lounge and watched Yu Ling with an amused smile, hands tucked in his pockets. "I was wondering why I signed a hundred photos and one was still missing."

Yu Ling: I was wrong. I'll do it again next time.

Theme: You have to keep hoping. Maybe it will come true.