The Hawthorne Effect (Entertainment Industry)

Sang Youxing had a father who didn't care for him, a mother who didn't love him, and even his teacher abandoned him. So he became a walking powder keg, blowing up at anyone who crossed his path, until he met the top-tier star Jin Ming. It was love at first sight, and he became a diehard fan, ready to bang his head against a wall for him.

Huo Tianlan became famous at a young age and was arrogant by nature. But after being bitten by a snake once, he feared the well rope for ten years. Now down on his luck, he could only work behind the scenes as a ghostwriter, stand-in and music teacher. Fortunately, Jin Ming, the rising top-tier star whose public image he had taken on, offered him some comfort.

Who knew this stand-in would suddenly confess to him and try to kiss him? Huo Tianlan shoved him away at once.

The confession was caught on camera. Huo Tianlan suddenly became the mysterious male star's sister-in-law, and picked up an annoying little shadow.

The little pest never said a word, never fought or made a fuss, and did nothing but follow him around.

Huo Tianlan couldn't take it anymore and grabbed the small figure behind him. But the stubborn, beautiful face of his little stalker left him momentarily dazed. After a long pause, the boy finally stammered, "Y-You... you'd better break up with... Jin Ming... or I won't let you off!"

Huo Tianlan thought, who exactly is going to let whom off?

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People really shouldn't do bad things. Sang Youxing worked up the nerve to stalk the male star's sister-in-law just once, and got hauled to the police station with his parents called in. He fought against heaven and earth until he ran away from home and had nowhere to live. In the end, he was taken in by the person he hated most, Huo Tianlan. But this man also had traces of the Jin Ming he loved most, and Sang Youxing gradually fell for him.

Huo Tianlan's body was alive, but his heart was dead. He planned to drift through the rest of his life in a dull, peaceful stupor. But a fierce little beast burst into his life, dragged him out of the mire of death, and made a list of demands: dote on Sang Youxing, keep him company, and never leave him for the rest of his life.

Looking into those stubborn, persistent eyes, Huo Tianlan wanted to turn those demands into three words: "I love you."

Down-on-his-luck musical genius with a sharp tongue and a chuunibyou streak, gong x violinist in a delayed rebellious phase who can't read the signs, shou

P.S. 1. Both leads are sexually inexperienced. The gong is ten years older than the shou.

2. The shou is going through a delayed rebellious phase. Sometimes he goes around with his head tilted up at a forty-five-degree angle, looking sad; other times he's constantly going "werwer." He can be pretty noisy, and gets emotional easily. When he does, he cries.

3. There are no real-life character inspirations in this story.

4. The leads start off at odds. The shou thinks he's dealing with a fake male star's sister-in-law, but he's actually the gong's true white moonlight. The gong is an old house catching fire: once it starts, he can't control himself.

5. Both leads are adored by everyone, each having people who like them, but they are firmly committed to each other.

6. The entertainment industry plot starts around Chapter 30, with little before then. There may be a lot of musical instruments, but I'm clueless about them, so please forgive any inaccurate descriptions. The two leads pursue their careers while dating.

7. Also known as The Diehard Fan Falls for the Fake Sister-in-Law (the fake sister-in-law is the gong) and The Beagle Makeover Guide (Comedy Edition). But I don't think Sang Youxing is a beagle, so I changed the title back to The Hawthorne Effect. Both titles seemed a little one-sided. The Hawthorne effect takes its name from an experiment whose conclusion was that people consciously change their behavior when they know they're being observed.

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Completed story: Noble Boys' School, but I'm a Butler

Theme: Stay determined to find your purpose in life