[Blurb]
1,
After three years together, Wen Shengsheng was dumped by her girlfriend on her twenty-fourth birthday.
She left with dignity, without arguing or making a scene. Three months later, her ex suddenly showed up at her door and pushed a contract in front of her.
"Pretend to be a couple on a dating show. You want to be famous too, don't you? Stop acting so high and mighty."
Wen Shengsheng looked at the figure at the bottom of the contract, enough to cover the shortfall in her mother's medical expenses, and fell silent for three seconds. "Fine."
2,
The dating show Heartbeat Forbidden Zone is famous for pushing boundaries. Its tasks are suggestive, and the interactions push the guests right up to their limits.
Wen Shengsheng diligently played her role in the "rekindled romance" storyline, but on a rainy night during the production's "wilderness sleepover," she wandered into the tent of special guest Pei Man.
Pei Man was a hugely popular award-winning actress, a towering figure in the entertainment industry, and the hidden boss of the agency that represented Wen Shengsheng's ex.
Rain pattered outside. Pei Man's voice was cool, but undercurrents surged in her eyes. "Why pretend to be a couple with her when you could do it with me? I'm way more famous than she is."
Later, during a task for two, Pei Man cornered Wen Shengsheng in a shadow beyond the cameras' reach.
"Tired of pretending to be lovey-dovey in front of the cameras?"
Pei Man chuckled softly, her palm pressed against Wen Shengsheng's racing heartbeat. "Why don't we try making it real?"
3,
When the show aired, Wen Shengsheng shot to fame thanks to the intense push and pull between her and Pei Man, and offers came pouring in.
On the night of the wrap party, she thanked Pei Man, but Pei Man gently caught her wrist and pressed her against an empty makeup mirror.
In the mirror, Pei Man's eyes were no longer hiding their possessive desire.
Her voice was soft and seductive. "Baby, you used me and think you can run off after saying thank you? I'm not so easily satisfied."
4,
The day Wen Shengsheng won Best Actress, her ex spent the whole night standing in the rain outside her home.
"Shengsheng, I was wrong. Can we start over..."
The door opened.
Wen Shengsheng wore a silk robe, ambiguous red marks still visible on her collarbone. Behind her stood Pei Man, wearing a matching robe, their fingers interlaced.
"Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Pei Man."
Wen Shengsheng curved her lips at her stunned ex.
"And remember to call me Boss from now on."
Theme: Learn to put yourself in someone else's shoes.
