A Billion Lumens

Joke title: After I Ticketed the Top-Tier Star’s Porsche

★ Married first, love later | Secret crush | Top-tier star vs. female traffic cop

★ Ice-cold shell, pure heart, and no filter x pretty-faced, scheming, chaotic peacock / 🦢 x 👻

-

1. On an ordinary workday, Xiao Yu'en spotted a Porsche parked illegally by the roadside and slapped a ticket on its windshield with a flourish.

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 more careful next time."

The man didn't move. His pale eyes fixed on her as he stood there.

While Xiao Yu'en wondered whether they knew each other, several girls came running from behind her, charging toward the man like zombies that had spotted brains.

They shouted, "Aaaah, Xie Ying!!!"

-

2. Not long after, for various reasons, Xiao Yu'en and Xie Ying got married in a whirlwind.

Xie Ying was a high school classmate of her ex-boyfriend's, and a star adored by the masses. He had a beautiful face that could have belonged to either a man or a woman, and impressively developed biceps. His fans called him "Muscle Kitty."

According to his fans, Kitty had very high standards for himself and was extremely disciplined in his habits. To maintain his figure, he ate nothing but light meals all year round.

He was also fussy and antisocial, and rarely gave his fans any benefits. Despite working out so much, he never let anyone see so much as an inch of skin.

But after marrying Xie Ying and living under the same roof, Xiao Yu'en discovered that what the fans said seemed... a little off.

He wasn't disciplined at all. Every day, he sat across from her and happily ate the dinner she'd brought home after work.

And he wasn't antisocial in the least. At home, he always dressed in... deep V-necks, tank tops, and shirts left unbuttoned, with necklines practically down to his navel.

"Xie Ying, winter's almost here. Aren't you cold, dressing like that every day?"

Xie Ying looked at her, then drawled after a few seconds, "No, I'm fine. I have a fire constitution."

Xiao Yu'en: "..."

-

3. After they married, the two kept their distance until Xiao Yu'en was the first to suggest they share a bed.

Xie Ying heard her out. "Are you sure, madam?"

Xiao Yu'en said sincerely, "I'm sure. There's no need to sleep in separate rooms forever just because we're married, right?" She studied his expression. "What, you don't want to?"

Xie Ying propped his chin on his hand, unhurried. "No, I'm very willing."

That night, they amicably slept on opposite sides of the bed. But the next morning...

For some reason, Xiao Yu'en sprang up from the bed. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes!!!"

Xie Ying rested his hands behind his head and said with feigned embarrassment, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, madam. I have a habit when I sleep..."

The corner of his mouth tugged as he enunciated each word. "I... love... sleeping... naked."

-

4. Later, after a long absence, Xie Ying released a new album.

At the livestreamed launch event for the album, Xie Ying was asked what the title of the lead single, "A Billion Lumens," meant.

He replied, "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 secretly married" shot to the top of the trending topics.

Meanwhile, 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 how much I regret it."

Host: ?

Xie Ying: "The moment I fell for her eight years ago, I should have convinced myself to be the other man."

Host: ???

[Mini-scene: Each with their own agenda]

Xie Ying: (secretly delighted) I can't believe I married Xiao Yu'en.

Xiao Yu'en: (thinking) Xie Ying is so rich. I can just coast through life.

[Reader's Guide]

A secret crush come true from the male lead's perspective, and a married-first, love-later romance from the female lead's perspective.

They don't get married right at the beginning. Events will set things up in the early chapters.

Both are each other's first. The heroine had a brief boyfriend during her student years. The hero is devoted in both body and heart. The characters aren't based on real people. An uplifting story.

Theme: A tribute to the people's police and to all the families of police officers.