Slacking Off, Yet the Most Popular

[Upcoming: After Tricking My Future Husband Into Becoming My Lackey] [My Younger Brother's Fiancé Marked Me] See the author's profile.

Yu Qingshi and Pei Siyi were in love for seven years, but in the end, Pei Siyi's demanding job and their time apart forced them to separate.

Two years after their divorce, Pei Siyi is a top-tier star, while Yu Qingshi is notorious for staying afloat by riding other people's coattails.

They are both invited to appear on a dating reality show.

Before filming:

"A nobody is so desperate to get famous!"

"A pretty face should know its place!"

"If our idol even looks at him, I'll rip off my own head and let Yu Qingshi kick it around like a ball!"

Yu Qingshi: Don't drag me into this. We're divorced, and I'm not interested.

During filming, the other guests compete for the center spot and show off their talents. Yu Qingshi takes a laid-back approach, barely making an effort and giving up outright, yet accidentally becomes a breakout sensation with his lazy-fish persona.

Guest No. 1 introduces himself.

Yu Qingshi flops down on the sofa. "I'm so tired. When's dinner?"

Guest No. 1: ...Is he trying to get my attention?

Guest No. 2 earnestly recounts his childhood trauma.

Yu Qingshi looks around. "Are there really no extra chairs we can put together into a bed?"

Guest No. 2: He's trying to distract me. He's so kind!

Guest No. 3 gives it his all in a talent performance.

Yu Qingshi wakes from a nap and yawns. "It's been so long. Can we go back to our rooms yet?"

Guest No. 3: He feels so bad for me, and doesn't want me to get tired.

Guest No. 4 tries to lighten the mood.

Yu Qingshi agrees halfheartedly. "Exactly. Why are you arguing?" It's keeping him from clocking out on time.

Guest No. 4: He really understands me!

When the show airs, Yu Qingshi single-handedly forms a wildly popular couple pairing with each of the four male guests.

That night, two hashtags shoot to the top of the trending list.

#WhyIsHeTheOnlyOneWhoHasNoChemistryWithPeiSiyi

#WhichOneOfThemIsNotGoodEnoughForTheOther

The moment he sees the trending topics, his top-tier-star ex-husband, two years divorced, can no longer sit still.

*

In his fans' eyes, Pei Siyi is an aloof, inaccessible beauty who doesn't care about anyone.

Only Yu Qingshi knows how clingy Pei Siyi can be.

He even personally drives through the rain to pick him up when he gets home late from shooting an endorsement.

"Isn't the brand being unreasonable? What endorsement has to be filmed in the middle of the night?"

"Is that role really so important? Why didn't you tell me you wanted to take it?"

"Qingshi, haven't you been getting a little too close to them?!"

Fans are left dumbfounded. Then someone digs up proof that the two really did get divorced, and their 'true love' pairing goes viral overnight.

-

When Yu Qingshi hears about it, he is afraid Pei Siyi's fans will think he's riding his coattails, so he posts a statement in the middle of the night claiming that he and Pei Siyi aren't close and are merely coworkers.

That night, Yu Qingshi is on his way to a date with one of the male guests when Pei Siyi intercepts him in the parking lot.

"You're riding with me."

"?"

Pei Siyi sneers. "I want to see for myself who's so fond of flirting with someone else's wife."

Yu Qingshi: ...Who's your wife?!

Reader's guide:

1. Aloof, top-tier-star gong x laid-back beauty shou who takes advantage of his has-been status to do whatever he wants.

2. One-on-one romance, happy ending. No real-person inspirations. There's a hidden reason for the divorce. Original title: After Divorcing, I Went Viral on a Dating Show with My Ex-Husband.

Original blurb: May 20, 2022. Revised version: October 26, 2026.

Theme: Listen to your heart.