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He debuted as the top contestant on a talent show, fought his way through every obstacle, and ultimately reached the top of the entertainment industry, winning multiple Best Actor awards.
A tabloid reporter interviewed him:
“What do you regret most about these past few years?”
Wen Songxue thought for a long time.
He remembered the innocent dream he'd had when he first joined the talent show, the one teammate after another who got exposed after their group debuted, and how his boy-band dream fell apart after everyone in the group except him was disgraced...
So he said, “I guess it's that I never achieved anything as part of a boy band.”
As soon as he said this, the entertainment industry's trending searches updated. They were all scandals and dirt about his former teammates: dating, plagiarism, vote buying, prison sentences. It was an endless parade of ridiculous stories.
But Wen Songxue couldn't laugh.
--
Luckily, an accident brought him back, reborn on the first day the talent show aired.
The first competition had just ended. Wen Songxue's looks left the audience stunned, and people dug up his tragic past. Fans and haters went to war, and he trended as the nation's beautiful, tragic underdog.
Later, eagle-eyed netizens spotted him secretly lowering his gaze in a corner. Their hearts went out to him, and his popularity soared once again.
But this time, he had been reborn.
This time, he lowered his gaze as he crouched beside an obscure but talented dance performer who would only get screen time later. His black hair was tousled, his neck slender, and he looked utterly pitiful.
The dancer's heart softened, and he took a moment to crouch beside him, too.
Just as he was about to say something comforting, Wen Songxue quietly tugged on his sleeve.
The dancer was utterly overwhelmed.
He found him pitiful and adorable.
The netizens were overwhelmed, too.
[So shippable, so shippable]
[Someone give us more beautiful, tragic underdog x little ray of sunshine stories]
[We don't even know the other guy's name yet, but I'm already shipping them like crazy. I'll vote for the other guy, then.]
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Wen Songxue silently counted the votes for the few teammates he had his eye on and smiled, pleased with his own scheme.
All right, all right. Just watch me turn these three good kids into my teammates this time.
If I get each one to act like they're my CP, we'll all get screen time, right?
Notes:
1. Everyone has a one-sided crush on the protagonist. The protagonist is universally adored.
2. The protagonist's love interest has yet to be decided.
3. The protagonist is naturally gifted at attracting attention. No matter what he does, he'll be the top contestant.
Theme: Even the finest wine needs a good shop sign
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