Lu Yiwen thought he was only filling in as an invisible host on a dating show for ordinary people at a friend's request. He planned to wait quietly for all the guests to arrive, but was stunned when the last person to walk through the door turned out to be his ex-boyfriend, Xi Chuyuan, whom he had broken up with four years ago.
Lu Yiwen: ???
Xi Chuyuan: Hello. Nice to meet you.
Lu Yiwen thought Xi Chuyuan planned to pretend he didn't know him, but on the first night, he received a friend request sent behind the show's back.
[X]: It's Xi Chuyuan.
[X]: You there?
[X]: d
Lu Yiwen thought he and his ex would have to play along and pretend they were strangers on the dating show, but by accident, they were assigned to the same group for the first date.
Xi Chuyuan: Play along with me. Our setup is that this is our first date with the person we have a crush on. Focus on acting.
Lu Yiwen: ? Who said you're the person I have a crush on!
A wolfdog-type younger man, a gentle older man, a seasoned playboy, a cool beauty...
Xi Chuyuan declared firmly: I choose Lu Yiwen.
Xi Chuyuan said with confidence: Lu Yiwen will choose me too.
*
Rekindled romance after a breakup. The top is a seemingly aloof, actually socially anxious, hopeless romantic; the bottom is a seemingly flirtatious playboy, actually a straightforward, secretly flirtatious catch. Both are highly skilled at putting on a front, but hopeless at romance.
Set on a dating show for ordinary people, so:
1. Some segments are inspired by real-life variety shows, but the characters are not based on real people.
2. Some supporting characters pursue the protagonists early on, but these scenes are brief. The protagonists only have eyes for each other, from beginning to end.
3. There are many important supporting characters, some of whom have romantic developments of their own, so they get a relatively large amount of page time. Don't read if that's not your thing.
4. The story includes flashbacks. Don't read if that's not your thing.
5. The leads' reconciliation isn't typical. I personally think it's sweeter than it is angsty.
6. There are no confirmed secondary couples besides the main pairing, so the supporting characters' romantic possibilities are wide open. Feel free to ship them.
7. At heart, this is a story about emotional growth. Both the main characters and the supporting characters grow little by little. My writing still has room to improve, but I hope you enjoy reading.
Theme: Sincerity is the ultimate winning move.
