[Upcoming: Reforging the Golden Sun, Western fantasy, mildly misandrist female lead, no romance]
Yan Que: A mentor with none of the airs of a top-tier star. He seems easy to approach, but in reality keeps everyone at arm's length. Still, he can't help being direct with the person he likes.
Hualong Ci: Though he's a low-profile trainee, he does whatever he wants. When things go his way, he's an adorably goofy beauty; when they don't, he argues back and stands his ground. A captivating beauty.
Two childhood friends who both dreamed of becoming actors lost contact when they were eight after one of them moved away.
One debuted early as part of a group and became a top-tier star, then transitioned to acting and became an award-winning actor.
The other ranked first in the acting program's entrance exam, but missed the application deadline and could only go abroad to study photography.
Hualong Ci has always followed, admired, and liked Yan Que as an idol. He deliberately returned to China to attend Yan Que's tenth-anniversary concert, only to be discovered by a talent scout and recruited for a talent show.
The two meet on the show, but the top-tier star no longer recognizes the childhood friend he hasn't seen in years.
The other contestants are careful and respectful around their mentor. But one person speaks his mind without caring what others think, often making pointed remarks and catching Yan Que's attention. For some reason, the more Yan Que hears him, the more he finds him sincere and endearing, qualities that are rare in the entertainment industry.
Just when Hualong Ci thinks he hasn't done anything yet, the superstar who criticized his dancing as terrible confesses to him first.
Yan Que: "Be with me."
Hualong Ci: "An idol who relies on fans dating someone is a huge scandal. I can't let down my fans' love and support."
This romance begins with Yan Que stealing a heart-fluttering touch to Hualong Ci's nose in the practice room, and ends with a "yes" at an altitude of a thousand meters.
[Bonus scene]
When someone tells Yan Que that Hualong Ci ranked first in his acting program back then:
Yan Que: "With dance moves like morning exercises, how did you pass your movement classes?"
Hualong Ci replies frankly: "I just did morning exercises."
The talent-show portion will make up about 50%, and the post-debut portion about 50%.
*The cover was drawn by the author, who has never studied art. It only reflects the author's skill, not the male lead's looks.
Theme: Dreams pursued with hard work will eventually come true.
