Third-Rate Love

[The full novel is complete. The next book will be Fake Dating for Real [Entertainment Industry]; its blurb is at the very bottom]

Blurb:

The first time I saw Xuan Heng was at a barbecue stall in the school night market.

From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew we weren't cut from the same cloth.

He was the golden boy, a distant moon admired by all. I was a weed by the roadside, overlooked by everyone.

He was meticulous and cool, always fastening his collar button all the way to the top. The things I hated most in life were shackles and restraints.

His father was a law firm partner, his mother a prosecutor. He came from a wealthy family and had a bright future ahead of him. I had a guitar, and my biggest daydream was selling the few songs I'd just written for a hefty sum before graduation.

Well... even one would do.

I didn't sell a single song.

But he was exactly my type.

So, using a game of Truth or Dare as an excuse, I tricked him into being my boyfriend for a year and nine months before graduation. A year and nine months later, just like the turning point in every third-rate novel, we naturally split up over reality and lies. He set off toward his bright future, while I left for a faraway place with my guitar.

Two years later, I ran into Xuan Heng in that faraway place.

You can't, and shouldn't, step into the same river twice.

Someone please tell that to my ex, who's consumed with resentment.

Reader Advisory:

1. First-person narration. Lawyer x lead singer of a band.

2. A pure-hearted, aloof beauty on a pedestal in the beginning who becomes an obsessive, gloomy ghost of a man later, paired with a heartless player in the beginning who seems to repent later, but doesn't quite manage it.

3. Neither lead is perfect. The top has an ex-girlfriend, and the bottom has had several exes. Angsty, realistic romance, rekindled love, happy ending.

4. The entire novel is already written. Not recommended for readers who need to avoid potentially upsetting content.

Coming Soon: Fake Dating for Real [Entertainment Industry]

The fans of Gu Xingyi, the entertainment industry's top-tier star idol, felt like the sky had fallen.

Reason one: Their wildly popular, unbelievably gorgeous idol, hailed as everyone's dream man, was taking on an intimate role, and his costar wasn't any of his popular CP partners.

Reason two: His costar was a stuffy, pretentious, seemingly boring older man who wasn't even famous.

Most important of all: They had a grudge against each other.

The fans of Fu Cheng, the entertainment industry's acclaimed actor, felt like the sky had fallen.

Reason one: Their idol had become a star as a teenager, flourishing as both a director and actor. He'd made his debut in an acclaimed arthouse film and had never fallen from grace. Now he was taking on an intimate role, and his costar wasn't any of the female actors fans had been hoping to see him paired with.

Oh... his costar was a man.

Reason two: His male costar was a pretty face and a traffic magnet, surrounded by controversy and suspected of acting like a diva.

Most important of all: They had a grudge against each other.

Gu Xingyi, the entertainment industry's top-tier star idol, had an impossibly beautiful face and a cool, aloof personality.

His most famous moment came at an awards ceremony one year, when he completely ignored senior actor Fu Cheng, who was presenting him with the Best Newcomer award. When Fu tried to hug him and offer congratulations, Gu even turned away.

The incident reached its peak in the interviews after the ceremony.

In a random interview afterward, Fu Cheng smiled and said, "Everything went well tonight. I just missed out on a hug, which was a little disappointing."

From then on, the two fanbases, who had once had nothing to do with each other, became sworn enemies.

When news broke that the two would be taking on intimate roles, both fandoms erupted.

But after days of fierce fighting, when the movie finally premiered, the fans fell silent as they watched the scenes on screen.

Gu Xingyi's fan: ...Oh no. I think my idol just became even more gorgeous.

Fu Cheng's fan: ...Oh no. I think my idol's character is kind of swoon-worthy.

-

The arthouse film Spring Tide was shelved for two years after filming, then became a huge hit as soon as it was released.

With a renowned director at the helm, it had a top-tier atmosphere and story. Countless critics hailed it as a masterpiece. The performances of the two leads were especially seamless, practically a work of art.

CP fans went wild for them. Even the solo fans who'd been unwilling to accept the pairing grudgingly admitted how excellent the film was.

Once all their conflicts had disappeared, only one question remained: what exactly was going on between the two leads?

According to the timeline, Spring Tide had already wrapped filming by the time of that awards ceremony.

People came up with countless theories.

Until one day, a secretly recorded behind-the-scenes clip from the set surfaced.

The lighting in the clip was dim. A beautiful, quiet young man had just woken up. His eyes were lowered, and he looked dazed and slow to react.

The man rumored to be at odds with him had sharp features but a tender gaze. He stood beside him watching for a long while, then asked, "It snowed for the first time today. Want to go see it?"

He held out a hand, apparently offering to lead him by the hand.

But the hand was held too far back, almost as if he meant to pull the other man into his arms.

The boy stared blankly for a long moment, seemingly not having heard him clearly.

Then, as naturally as could be, he followed the man's pose and buried his face against the man's waist.

Fu Cheng x Gu Xingyi

A calculating, powerful older man who's actually a doting husband and approves of everything his spouse does x a star with a stunning face, who only pretends to be aloof, is actually rather obedient, and is a human ice sculpture in real life

An old house catches fire. Older man/younger man, with an eight-year age gap.

They fall in love while filming, with a story within a story in the beginning.

Theme: Be independent and strong, and cherish the present to build a wonderful life.