After a Top-Tier Star Came to My Shop for a Manicure

[The main story is complete; the full text is being polished. No piracy, please do not read pirated copies.] [Read the author’s notes for bonus scenes. Free bonus stories may drop!] ★ Instinctive attraction | A battle of equals | Mutual obsession ★ Lazy, aloof, charming bad boy x sweet on the outside, wild at heart, good little snake - The band “Cover Line” hit its peak as soon as they debuted, and their most popular member was their leader, Mu Yao. He had both good looks and talent, and his style was impeccable, not just in music but in fashion, too. Fans were reassured by their quality idol’s professional skills, but they couldn’t help feeling a little wistful. He was so cold and mysterious, and didn’t spoil his fans at all! Apart from performing onstage, he never appeared on any other shows, and whenever he went out, he covered himself from head to toe! Other than his constantly changing hair color, which might as well have been a walking watermark, spotting him in public was always a guessing game! But lately, the fans were celebrating, because he’d appeared on a variety show. Only… after watching it, they felt like maybe they could have done without this celebration… On the show, the host asked, “Let me be bold and ask about something everyone’s curious about! Do you have an ideal type, Captain?” Mu Yao replied expressionlessly, “I do.” The host assumed he’d name a broad category, but then Mu Yao said with a faint, knowing smile, “Lin Zhaoyue.” – Lin Zhaoyue had no formal training. Recently, through a web of connections, she’d landed a supporting role. Her debut flopped, and she was tragically sacrificed. Netizens: “Who is this person? What is this awful acting?” She wasn’t the only thing that flopped. The movie was also a disaster, and with its melodrama, pretentiousness, and sheer inexplicability, it was in the running for the year’s worst film. Just as she thought she and the movie would flop side by side, all the way to the bottom She suddenly got famous. For all the wrong reasons! What the hell was Mu Yao thinking, running his mouth like that on a show for no reason? That was what she was thinking in her nail salon. Not long after, the door opened, and a man walked in. He was a new customer who’d come in for a manicure just a few days earlier. “Here for a manicure?” Lin Zhaoyue smiled at him. “We’re closed for the day. Could you come back tomorrow?” The man sat down across from her, then took off his cap and mask. His vivid red hair came into view, along with an exceptionally handsome face. “Lin Zhaoyue.” “…” Lin Zhaoyue was utterly stunned. Not because he was Mu Yao. But because someone needed to tell her: Why… when she saw him… did she suddenly want to kiss him so badly? - The day Lin Zhaoyue and Mu Yao were caught red-handed as a couple, the entire internet exploded. “I’d suggest Lin Zhaoyue dump Mu Yao. You can’t expect a musician’s romance to go smoothly.” “I knew something was up the day he named his ideal type!” “They’ll probably date for a few days at most. How could a top-tier star possibly date someone from the eighteenth tier?” “Poor Lin Zhaoyue. Mu Yao looks like the type to give someone the silent treatment.” Just as everyone was waiting for Mu Yao to freeze her out so Lin Zhaoyue could break up with him, a video appeared online. In it, a woman sat on a man’s lap. Beneath his baseball cap, a streak of newly dyed silver hair was visible. The woman was shown only in profile, so her expression was hard to make out, while the man facing the camera kept moving his mouth, apparently chattering away. What he was saying was certainly intriguing, but at that moment, it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Mu Yao was freaking crying! Netizens: “What happened to the silent treatment?” Meanwhile… At home, Lin Zhaoyue watched the video. “Everyone’s asking what you said back then. So, what was it?” Mu Yao’s lips curled faintly. Then he buried his face in her neck, which was covered in red marks. “I said, ‘Could I be on top tonight?’” [Bonus Scene: Parrot Edition] Mu Yao had a parrot named “Last Week.” Last Week was a quiet introverted bird. It didn’t like squawking or talking. One day, a lot of people came over to Mu Yao’s place. As everyone chatted, an electronic voice suddenly came from the bird stand in the living room “Bastard, bastard, get out!” “No, no, I just got here~~” Lin Zhaoyue and Mu Yao: “…” [Reading Guide] 1. The male lead changes his hair color a few times in the story and also gets manicures when he plays guitar. He’s pretty fashionable. 2. Both leads are sexually inexperienced, and it has a happy ending. There isn’t much entertainment-industry content. After finishing the movie, the female lead goes back to being a designer. The male lead isn’t an idol and isn’t based on a real person. This is a standalone fictional world, so please don’t read it as a story about real people. It has both laughs and tears. 3. The female lead’s career involves nail art and filigree enamel. There will be some brief descriptions of those crafts. The male lead has a heart condition called ALCAPA, short for anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. The medical details are based on the author’s research. Please don’t scrutinize them too closely, and kindly point out any errors. ▶▶PS: The top and bottom stuff is just flirting. Boy-girl, boy-girl. The male lead is a real dog. ▶▶PPS: You can insult the author, but don’t insult the female lead!!! Next up, a crossover companion story: After I Ticketed a Top-Tier Star’s Porsche Cayenne ★ Married first, love later | Secret crush | Top-tier star vs. female traffic cop ★ Unfiltered, icy shell with a saintly heart x peacock-faced scheming rascal - 1. On a perfectly ordinary workday, Xiao Yu’en spotted a Porsche Cayenne illegally parked by the roadside. With a flourish, she slapped a ticket on the window. Just as she was about to leave, a tall man in a mask walked up beside her. Xiao Yu’en studied him for a few seconds. “Are you the owner? You can’t park on this road. Be careful next time.” The man didn’t move. He gazed at her with pale eyes, standing right where he was. As Xiao Yu’en wondered whether they knew each other, a few girls came running from behind her, charging at the man like zombies spotting a brain Screaming, “Aaaaaah, Xie Ying!!!” - 2. Not long afterward, various circumstances conspired to make Xiao Yu’en and Xie Ying marry in a whirlwind wedding. Xie Ying was her ex-boyfriend’s high school classmate, as well as a celebrity adored by millions. He had a beautiful, androgynous face and incredibly developed biceps. His fans called him “Muscle Kitty.” According to his fans, Kitty held himself to high standards and was extremely disciplined, eating only light meals year-round to maintain his figure. He was also fussy and antisocial, and rarely gave his fans any perks. He’d worked so hard on his physique, yet never let them see even an inch of skin. But after marrying Xie Ying and living under the same roof, Xiao Yu’en realized that what the fans said seemed… a little off. He wasn’t disciplined at all. Every day, he sat across from her at dinner when she came home late from work, and ate with great enthusiasm. And he wasn’t antisocial in the slightest. At home, he always dressed in… deep V-necks, tank tops, and shirts left unbuttoned, with the collars practically down to his navel. “Xie Ying, winter’s coming. Aren’t you cold, dressing like that every day?” Xie Ying looked at her. After a few seconds, he drawled, “Not cold. I run hot.” Xiao Yu’en: “…” - 3. After their wedding, they’d kept out of each other’s way until Xiao Yu’en was the one who suggested they share a bed. Xie Ying asked, “Are you sure, darling?” Xiao Yu’en replied earnestly, “Yes. There’s no need to keep sleeping in separate rooms now that we’re married, right?” She studied his expression. “Unless you don’t want to?” Xie Ying propped his chin on his hand, unhurried. “No, I’d love to.” … Before bed, they politely slept on opposite sides. But the next morning For some reason, Xiao Yu’en suddenly leapt straight up out of bed. “Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!” Xie Ying rested his palm behind his head and said with a sheepish look, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, darling. I’ve always had this habit when I sleep, ” His lips twitched as he enunciated each word. “I like sleeping naked.” - 4. Later, after a long absence, Xie Ying released a new album. At the livestreamed launch for the album, he was asked what the title of the lead single, “A Billion Lumens,” meant. He answered, “A lumen is a unit used to measure the brightness of a light source. A billion lumens describes how brightly my wife shines in my eyes.” The room erupted. The words “Xie Ying’s Secret Marriage” shot to the top of the trending topics. The livestream continued. The host asked, “Is there anything you’d like to say to your wife right now?” Xie Ying stared into the camera. “Yes. I want to tell her I regret it.” Host: ? Xie Ying: “The moment I fell for her eight years ago, I should’ve talked myself into being the other man.” Host: ??? [Bonus Scene: Each with Their Own Agenda] Xie Ying: (secretly thrilled) I can’t believe I married Xiao Yu’en. Xiao Yu’en: (thinking) Xie Ying is so rich. I’ll just take a job as his assistant. [Reading Guide] The male lead’s perspective is a secret crush coming true; from the female lead’s perspective, it’s a marriage first, love later. They don’t marry at the very start. Events set things up early on. Both leads are sexually inexperienced. The female lead had a brief ex-boyfriend during her student days. The male lead is devoted to her in both body and heart. The characters aren’t based on real people. Positive and uplifting. Theme: Carrying boundless passion in your heart, rising above your wounds