The Soft and Scheming A-Listed Actress

Unexpected power couple | Marriage first, love later | Pretending to be harmless while hiding one's true nature | Brooding and scheming

Mo Zitong, the heiress of a corporate group, is renowned as a business prodigy. She should have inherited the family fortune as a matter of course, but on the day of the press conference, her identity as a fake heiress is exposed, and the real heiress throws her out.

To secure the final say in the division of shares, she strikes a deal with the real heiress and fulfills a marriage contract, forced to marry a stodgy, boring alpha.

There is no love in this marriage, and she doesn't care much for the alpha either. Only when she happens to see his cold, striking face online does she vaguely remember that she has a spouse.

The alpha works in the entertainment industry and is often away, so they rarely see each other. One day, Mo Zitong passes by a film set and sees him sitting in the shadows, knitting a scarf. A cat beside Li Xize gently bats at a ball of yarn. He slowly reaches out to stroke its fur, then notices Mo Zitong looking and immediately stands, holding the scarf he was knitting in his hands.

Mo Zitong suddenly realizes that Li isn't stodgy at all. On the contrary, he's full of tenderness, openly and wholeheartedly devoted to her.

After their chance meeting, Li Xize gradually grows more familiar with Mo Zitong. She remains noncommittal, but that doesn't stop Li Xize from constantly coming to chat with her about this and that.

Mo Zitong isn't made of stone. Her resistance and reluctance melt away in Li Xize's gentle words. The thorns surrounding her heart are pruned and nurtured until flowers bloom.

Until one day, Mo Zitong sees a photo in an online trending headline: Li Xize with someone other than her, their blurry figures pressed together as they kiss.

Mo Zitong coldly decides to demand an explanation, but every message sinks without a trace, unanswered. As she hears the phone ring out unanswered again and again, Mo Zitong feels her body growing colder. Her lips tremble, and she bites down until she tastes blood before finally letting go.

Her childhood friend worries about her and takes her out to clear her head. She pours herself one drink after another, eyes red as she orders herself not to lose sleep over anyone ever again.

She thought she didn't care. She thought their marriage was only for appearances. She thought... she thought that Li Xize was so warm toward her because he felt even the slightest bit of affection for her.

It all comes so suddenly, as though her soul has been torn apart and buried in the hell of reality, with no scarlet promise of spring ever coming to sweep through her bones.

As she grows more and more drunk, her childhood friend fears something might happen to her and helps her leave so she can rest at home.

She lets her friend lead her. In her daze, she suddenly feels her friend stop.

She looks up through tear-blurred eyes, and a familiar figure enters her field of vision.

Li Xize hurries over, still wearing the formal suit he hadn't had time to change out of after attending an event. He glances around the bar for only a moment before finding the person he's looking for.

Meeting a gaze full of hurt, Li Xize speaks as softly as he can. "...Mo Zitong."

"I came to find you."

---Content warnings---

Story elements:

Romantic push and pull + entertainment industry + wealthy families

(An over-the-top melodrama)

Characters:

The top pretends to be harmless while hiding a secret identity. He willingly joins the bottom's family as her husband.

The bottom starts out as a disillusioned heiress, then catches up and overtakes others. She's stubborn, cries easily, likes to act tough and hide her weaknesses, and finds it hard to get close to people she's just met. She can act on impulse, but afterward she's exceptionally levelheaded. She can also imagine a breakup in extreme detail.

Relationship development:

The top is good at acting vulnerable around the bottom, but knows when to take charge and play along to draw her in.

At first, the bottom doesn't like the top and treats him as someone unimportant. Later, when the top acts close with other people, she can't stand it and bluntly tells him she's angry.

Theme: Love you sincerely