Ten Thousand Heartbeats [Entertainment Industry]

Coming soon to my author page: Secondhand Omega. A groveling romance after the breakup. Please add it to your favorites!

[Cool, aloof star with a heart ready to catch fire VS flustered puppy giving it everything he's got]

◆ Gentle, guiding top × hardworking, stubborn bottom. Does singing in musicals come with a husband? Absolutely, delivery included.

◆ Mutual pining, six-year age gap, one-on-one, happy ending

Question: You set out to pursue your musical theater dreams, but unexpectedly won the heart of a famous aloof star. What now?

Zhou Hengyang feels he has plenty of authority on the subject.

Three years ago, as a high school senior facing a major life choice, Zhou Hengyang quietly wrote three wishes in his diary:

1. Get into a music conservatory.

2. Star alongside Teacher Mu in the same musical.

3. Be Mu Shiqing's leading man forever.

His dreams came true, just as expected.

Years later, the original Chinese musical directed and composed by Mu Shiqing, with Zhou Hengyang in the starring role, became a huge success. It was both a critical and commercial hit, setting a record for the most extensive world tour in history and earning eight nominations at that year's Tony Awards, including Best Actor and Best Musical.

Golden petals rained down all around them.

Zhou Hengyang and the person who embodied his life's ambition stood hand in hand on a stage before thousands, taking their final bow as the audience applauded like thunder.

Beside him, Mu Shiqing gently took his hand and knelt on one knee in full view of everyone. His gray eyes held infinite tenderness. "Will you marry me?"

-

But now...

Zhou Hengyang was an unknown newcomer. After turning down Mu Shiqing's invitation, he succeeded in an audition through his own efforts and stood on the live set of the hit music competition show The Song Goes On.

When another contestant challenged him, he used his heaven-sent voice to sing a song written and composed by his mentor, Mu Shiqing. Everyone agreed the song was so difficult that only Mu Shiqing himself could perform it perfectly, yet Zhou Hengyang delivered it again in a completely different style!

When the song ended, he left the audience stunned.

After a moment of total silence, screams erupted throughout the venue, sending the show's popularity soaring to new heights.

The production team, watching in shock online: Oh no! Someone's smurfing!

Warm yellow spotlights shone down on him.

Mu Shiqing walked onto the stage and held out his hand.

The boy, who had been calm and composed just a moment earlier, suddenly blushed bright red.

-

Zhou Hengyang once asked Mu Shiqing why he'd been so certain about choosing him.

The older man's preference for him was so passionate and impossible to miss.

He said:

[Hengyang is the best.]

[You're the only person who could ever make my heart race.]

#And if you ask me what it takes to win over an aloof star,

#I'll say it takes sincerity and courage, passion and hope, and a bright heart that never backs down and stays true to itself.

The Earth takes 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds to rotate once. The heart beats 60 to 80 times per minute. Ten thousand heartbeats are only a tenth of a day, but it takes me just an instant to fall in love with you.

"A dazzling light, and ten thousand heartbeats, all for you."

Reading tips:

1. The characters are not based on real people. The entertainment industry in this novel is a fantasy born from the author's fevered imagination. Please don't connect it to real life. Anyone who tries to identify the characters with real people will be deleted.

[Important]: I recommend reading Chapter 1 first for content warnings. I've already listed the leads' character profiles and the plot development there.

2. I'm not a musical theater professional, so there may be technical inaccuracies. Feel free to point them out, and I'll definitely make corrections (getting on my knees in advance).

3. There are no secondary couples in this story. The author doesn't split the couple up, reverse their roles, or dream of being with either of them. The couple belongs only to each other, and the career storyline requires Teacher Mu and Hengyang to work together. Neither can be left out.

4. The forum posts and short skits in the author's notes will be collected into free bonus chapters after the story is complete.

First version of the blurb written in March 2024, revised in February 2025, with details added from the story.

Theme: Perseverance brings good results