Everyone Thinks I've Gone Mad

Blurb:

The famous entertainment-industry director Xu Qing announced his retirement and publicly confirmed his breakup with his actor boyfriend, Liang Chiyu, after five years together.

Everyone thought he had gone crazy.

In everyone's eyes, Xu Qing was not only arrogant and bad-tempered, but also anxious and irritable. He threw tantrums no matter where he was, repeatedly putting Liang Chiyu in awkward situations.

Yet Liang Chiyu was always gentle and patiently soothed Xu Qing. Even when Xu Qing lost his temper and smashed things, Liang Chiyu first asked if he'd hurt his hands. He accepted everything about his lover, always with a calming warmth in his eyes.

A boyfriend like that seemed too good to be real.

And yet, that very person had fallen for Xu Qing and stayed with him for five years, nearly making it to the altar.

The night they announced their breakup, the media flooded the trending lists with reports and endless speculation about the reason.

Some said even the kindest person couldn't put up with Xu Qing's antics forever.

Some guessed Liang Chiyu had finally come to his senses and no longer had to spend every day placating a tyrant.

Some thought Liang Chiyu had always given more than he got from the relationship, and that breaking up was for the best.

The next day, Xu Qing sat in a private room and looked at the man he'd worked with for five years. The man handed him a check and an agreement. "Five million a year, twenty-five million for five years. Thank you for helping me restore my reputation. Sign it, take the money, and leave. It's been a pleasure working with you."

Xu Qing nodded hesitantly, then obediently signed his name in neat handwriting. He carefully picked up the check, smiled at Liang Chiyu, showed his little canine teeth, and waved. "Brother Liang, I'm off. Bye-bye!"

The online buzz kept growing. Sympathy and ridicule toward Xu Qing poured in without end.

Xu Qing moved to another city, put on his favorite casual sportswear, bought a cat, and sat in a quiet cafe watching shows and writing with his headphones on.

He had more money than he could ever spend and a reputation that had long since rotted away. No one knew what he was really like; they just thought he was crazy for dumping such a wonderful boyfriend.

Xu Qing really was crazy. He was just crazy about money.

Then, half a month later, he saw Liang Chiyu's high-status parents outside his front door. Their eyes were red as they begged him:

"Xiao Xu, hello. We want to ask you a favor. Could you go see Chiyu...?"

The award-winning actor Liang Chiyu had considerable wealth and a powerful family behind him. But only he knew the truth: he was selfish, arrogant, bad-tempered, anxious and irritable, and threw tantrums no matter where he was...

For the sake of his career, he found Xu Qing, an ex-boyfriend he'd dated for a few months, and offered him five million a year to pretend to have his personality and pave the way for his future. But that would also ruin Xu Qing's own career.

The gentle young man signed without hesitation, and the two kept up the act for five years.

When the agreement ended, Liang Chiyu confidently believed he'd succeeded. But for some reason, his heart grew heavier and heavier.

After returning home, Liang Chiyu changed all his bad habits, and Xu Qing's name became impossible to keep out of his mouth.

At night, he would wake up crying and reach for the empty space beside him.

It turned out the person who had been crazy all along...

was himself...

(Pure pursuit-after-the-breakup redemption)

[Original blurb, revisions pending]

Core message: Don't give up in the face of difficulties; seize opportunities and strive for success.