Don't Abandon Your Brooding Protagonist Love Interest

Ever since she reunited with her ex, strange things have been happening around Yu Qinglian.

First, she receives inexplicable, aggressively worded harassment messages. She often feels as if someone is following close behind her, and even at home she senses countless pairs of eyes watching her from shadowy corners she can't see.

As time goes by, Yu Qinglian sometimes wonders if she's going crazy.

Otherwise, why would she seem to see her ex in the videos her assistant collected as evidence of sasaeng fans? Her ex is staring at her with a sinister, vicious expression.

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Yu Qinglian discovers that she lives in a melodramatic novel about a tragic romance and a substitute lover. He's the male lead's first love, his moonlight who died young.

To escape his early death, Yu Qinglian makes a deal with a Star-Making System, hoping to defy fate and change his destiny.

The System says the fastest way to become famous is to stir up a CP. It's the best option for him right now.

Yu Qinglian thinks that makes sense.

But he never imagined that his first fake dating partner would be his ex-boyfriend, whom he cruelly dumped: Qi Yan, now a hugely popular band vocalist.

At a public event, the two appear onstage together.

Qi Yan especially loves picking on Yu Qinglian. He not only nitpicks but often sneers at him, while Yu Qinglian responds calmly, as if he doesn't care about Qi Yan at all.

Marketing accounts immediately declare that the two must despise each other and be sworn enemies!

Their fan groups argue endlessly, fighting tooth and nail.

Bystanders, eager for the drama, insist this is a case of exes reuniting, with one feeling guilty and trying too hard to hide it. They must have had a thing in the past.

As the different sides clash in a full-blown online war, a secretly filmed video from an unexpected angle trends, setting off a frenzy of gossip across the internet.

Qi Yan, who has always looked down on everyone, won't let go of Yu Qinglian. Gritting his teeth with the air of a defeated dog, he says,