After Leaving Showbiz, I Became a Capital Mogul (Reborn)

My next novel, When the Beijing Buddha Meets the Northeast Eldest Son, is a silly, post-marriage romance. The blurb is up, so please add it to your library~

Max-luck rich heir sunshine bottom x seemingly aloof but actually purehearted, devoted actor (Daoist priest) top

Sheng Yan was reborn.

In his previous life, he gave up a fortune worth billions to pursue stardom, only for his career to peak at debut and end in a funeral. His fan meeting turned into a memorial service, and the whole internet's haters sent wreaths.

"If I get another chance, I'm never debuting!"

After being reborn, he was standing on the stage of a talent show's finale.

Sheng Yan: Wait a second. How am I alive?

Wait a second. Why am I debuting again?! Don't let history repeat itself!

Judge: "Please give us your thoughts on advancing to the next round."

Sheng Yan snatched the microphone. "I want to clock out! Pick him!"

(He pointed at the contestant next to him.)

The whole audience erupted.

Netizens: [Are idols getting paid to slack off these days?]

But then things started getting weird...

? A man in white smiled at him on a deserted road at night.

? He actually found a talisman under his pillow.

? The famously aloof, abstinent movie star Qu Lu had only ever posted three original tweets, and all of them were about him.

Qu Lu: Please show Sheng Yan lots of support!

Sheng Yan: Great, a kind soul rallying votes for me. I'm doomed!

Sheng Yan: "Teacher Qu, was your account hacked?"

Qu Lu: "I've been checking in on your fan supertopic for 307 days. I'm one of your biggest fans."

Qu Lu was cold and distant, never interacting with anyone. He didn't even carry a phone.

Yet in private, he was actually a Daoist priest with a compass in his palm?

First Sheng Yan saw a ghost, then he saw the compass in Qu Lu's palm.

He blurted out, "A compass in your palm! Let me touch it!"

And Qu Lu actually held out his hand?!

Oh my god, Qu Lu's changed!

One day, Qu Lu pinned him against a tree.

"The talisman on your chest is about to lose its power."

"Time to renew it."

Sheng Yan: "...Do Daoist priests go out of character these days too?"

**Reader's Guide**

1. Supernatural story, but there are no evil ghosts.

2. The movie star is chaste by day and a pathetic little thing by night.

3. After being reborn, the bottom triggers a paranormal side quest, and the top has had a crush on him in both lifetimes.

4. It's all a load of nonsense, but the couple is definitely sweet.

Preorder: When the Beijing Buddha Meets the Northeast Eldest Son

Cool, picky, highly intelligent, sharp-tongued bottom x big, rough, devoted-to-his-wife top

Pei Yanchi graduated with honors in finance from C University and worked at a banking and insurance regulator. After working himself to death with overtime, he woke up to find he'd become the cool, aloof Buddhist heir in a melodramatic rich-family novel.

The Buddhist heir had a rough life: his inheritance was coveted, he was used as a pawn in an arranged marriage, and he died tragically in the end.

Pei Yanchi: "Hold on, what Buddhist heir? I'm a Communist Party member! And wait, why does the story start with me getting married?!"

When the untouchable beauty of Beijing meets a wild wolfdog from the Northeast

He burns incense and copies sutras; the other grills meat and drinks.

He wages business warfare; the other gets physical.

A match made in heaven! A match made in heaven!

Zeng Xiaoye, aka a real Northeastern man, couldn't stand those Panjiayuan stallholders who clutched prayer beads and put on airs. Now he's supposed to marry one of them?

In a modern socialist society, who would dare arrange a marriage!

What? It was arranged by his late grandpa? Fine, he'll put up with it.

Pei Yanchi looks at Zeng Xiaoye: Northeastern gold digger.

Zeng Xiaoye looks at Pei Yanchi: Panjiayuan stallholder.

Before the wedding:

Zeng Xiaoye: "Could you stop buying so much incense? The whole place is full of smoke! Someone would think we're at the Peach Banquet!"

Pei Yanchi: "Don't like it? Then you can go live somewhere else."

Zeng Xiaoye: "Fine, I will! Give me my pillow and blanket! I'm sleeping in the spare room!"

Pei Yanchi: ...By 'go live somewhere else,' I meant leave this room.

After the wedding:

Zeng Xiaoye: "Wifey! What are you standing around for? Let's go home and grill some meat!"

Pei Yanchi: "Call me your wife in the street again and I'll knock your teeth out."

Zeng Xiaoye grinned. "Hey, you can put them back in for me."

Pei Yanchi: ...

Bonus scene:

Wearing a moon-white robe and holding a string of agarwood prayer beads, his skin pale and his expression cool, Pei Yanchi said, "This is the agreement. Sign it. And don't forget we're married by contract. We need to keep our distance in our daily lives."

Zeng Xiaoye snatched it and skimmed through it. "What kind of nonsense is this? It's all punctuation marks. You hungry? What do you want for dinner?"

Pei Yanchi silently watched as Zeng Xiaoye crumpled the agreement. "...Pork ribs stewed with green beans."

Zeng Xiaoye: "Sure. Want to watch Ma Dashuai again?"

The prayer beads in Pei Yanchi's hand clicked as he squeezed them. "...Sure."

Wow, wow, wow. Life is so weird, weird, weird.

Bonus scene 2:

Zeng Xiaoye expressionlessly unwound the blood-soaked bandages around his palm. He glanced down at the man on the ground, nearly unconscious. "You still want to try me?"

The bruised thug begged repeatedly. "I won't! I won't, Brother Ye!"

"You think you can call me Brother Ye? That's a name only my wife gets to use!"

Thug: @?! Is this guy seriously a lovesick idiot?!

Zeng Xiaoye straightened his clothes and dabbed on some scented balm before going over to Pei Yanchi. "Stop reciting sutras, you little tyrant. Your lips are getting chapped. Take a break! I already beat the guy down!"

Bonus scene 3:

Zeng Xiaoye squatted on the ground and looked up at Pei Yanchi with pleading eyes. "Wifey, why are you always reciting sutras?"

Pei Yanchi lifted his lashes slightly and rested a foot on Zeng Xiaoye's shoulder. "Because I'm sick."

Zeng Xiaoye grabbed Pei Yanchi's ankle. "What?! If you're sick, let's go to the hospital!"

Pei Yanchi: "...I have a very great illness."

Zeng Xiaoye: "Great? How can being sick be great?"

After finally learning the truth, Zeng Xiaoye grinned from ear to ear, savoring the memory with satisfaction. "Great. It's truly amazing!"

Reader's Guide:

1. This is the author's way of decompressing after losing faith in the Dao. It won't be long. It's a ridiculous, goofy story with no regard for logic, so don't think too hard.

2. Two powerful characters pretending in their everyday life (Buddhist heir: I'm too weak to look after myself; Eldest son: I don't know anything). The bottom has the greatest illness.

3. The original plot is so messed up even its own mother wouldn't recognize it. There's no logic.

4. There will be lots of Northeastern dialect. I'll explain the especially unusual bits, like this.

5. This is meant to play with tropes. No offense intended, just having fun.

6. If you happen to pass by, please add it to your library.

Theme: Strive hard and realize your worth in life