The Lover's Reversal

Love Across Time and Space is currently the hottest dating reality show for ordinary people.

Li Man, an elegant, confident lawyer from A University’s law school, made a splash the moment she appeared. Her cool, snake-like beauty sent the comments flying.

Zhou Qingyu, a handsome, aloof CEO of a gaming company who graduated from Q University’s computer science department, charmed a crowd of young women with his domineering CEO aura.

Their looks and temperaments seemed like a perfect match, so viewers started shipping them from the very first episode, calling them the Eel Couple.

The fans loved the pairing, but the two people involved felt no spark whatsoever.

Li Man: Sorry, I like warm, gentle guys.

Zhou Qingyu: Sorry, I like sweet, cute girls.

Their first date, arranged by a series of coincidences, turned into a daylong argument about their universities. Their words were sharp, and they nearly came to blows.

Li Man: Q University is mediocre.

Zhou Qingyu: A University is just okay.

Eel Couple fans: You two are going to snap the matchmaker’s steel cables in half.

From then on, Li Man and Zhou Qingyu bickered whenever they met. They became known as the least likely couple on the show, and their fans could only dig for scraps of sweetness in all the angst, hoping for a twist in the finale.

But alas, there wasn’t one.

At the end of Love Across Time and Space, everyone found a match except Li Man and Zhou Qingyu. Three couples came out of the show.

The other fans cheered, while the Eel Couple fans wept.

Viewers: If the Eel Couple got together, everyone would have a happy ending.

Eel Couple fans: Stop talking. They’ve already broken up.

But on the night the finale aired, two posts suddenly appeared at the top of everyone’s feeds:

Li Man: Just in time to join everyone else. This is my husband, @Zhou Qingyu

Zhou Qingyu: We haven’t broken up. This is my wife, @Li Man

Both posts included a photo of a little red marriage certificate.

Fans of the other couples: ????

Eel Couple fans: Aaaaaah! Who said my ship was crack?!

#OvertakeOnTheInside

#FromCrackShipToCanon

#FortuneFavorsTheBold

#WhatHappenedBetweenYouTwoInThoseTwoMonthsAfterFilmingEnded!!!

Blurb written on 2022.9.15

Theme: Loving each other