Shou: Appears mature, gentle, and emotionally steady, but is actually playful, mischievous, and fond of acting cute to get his way. A bit of a heartthrob.
Gong: Appears warm, attentive, and the perfect nice guy, but is actually aloof, calculating, and controlling. Warm on the outside, cold within.
Chu Qisi is a popular bookstore owner and, behind the scenes, a top-tier star fanfiction writer known as Weisirenshi.
He harbors a secret: he's in love with Yuguai, the most mysterious comic artist in the fan community.
Then one day, the fan community exploded:
"Teacher Weisirenshi is leaving the fandom?!"
Chu Qisi: ? He just joined a dating show and took a leave of absence. You can't interpret it like that!
"Teacher Weisirenshi ran off with Teacher Yuguai!"
Chu Qisi: ! What? Yuguai posted a notice saying he's taking a break, too?!
Yuguai also joined the dating show. His real-life identity turned out to be Xun Mu, a popular host at an entertainment company.
Xun Mu smiled warmly. "I'm both a contestant on the dating show and a part-time host here. You can think of me as a mole among the contestants, or as a tool for the production team."
After the show aired, the trending topics exploded:
#Xun Mu abusing his position# #Xun Mu rigging the game#
Chu Qisi clenched the card in his hand and challenged Xun Mu. "You deliberately made me draw the card that decided the winner... Why?"
Xun Mu looked away, the tips of his ears turning red. "...This is a dating show... Can that count as an answer?"
What looked like favoritism was really the secret indulgence of someone in love.
Dating show games:
Episode One: Werewolf
Chu Qisi was a werewolf who killed himself, but he never expected Xun Mu to die alongside him for love.
Chu Qisi: "Who on earth is Cupid? How did they match those two? They have no chemistry at all!"
Episode Two: Who's the Spy?
The spy Chu Qisi spent ages worrying, only to discover that everyone was doing their best to cover for him.
Chu Qisi: "This is bad. Does everyone like me...? No, I have to get voted out. Time to go wild!"
Episode Three: Murder Mystery
As expected, Chu Qisi got the detective role. But as he investigated the cases one by one...
Chu Qisi: "...My idol, please stop killing people!"
Xun Mu: "No."
Chu Qisi: "Let everyone else go, and I'll go with you."
Xun Mu: "All right."
The secret admirer discovers the quiet ways their beloved favors them, and starts acting without restraint.
Reader's Guide:
* Mutual pining. The gong knows both the shou and his secret identity, while the shou only knows the gong's secret identity, not who he is in real life.
* Their secret identities will be revealed. But that isn't why the shou ultimately chooses the gong; he has already accepted him by then. The reveal just brings them closer faster.
* They're each other's only romantic experience, and they're each other's one and only. The gong is slightly older.
* Both have admirers. The gong has only one, and he makes it clear that he isn't interested.
* The shou is a bit of a heartthrob, but the gong is the only one he wants. There are no unattainable first loves, old flames, backups, or lingering attachments. The story will explain why the shou turns down the other suitors on the show. The others may feel regret, but they understand they weren't the best match.
* Explores ideas about love and marriage; not mindless melodrama.
* Includes a secondary couple: a playboy contestant gong, Meng Tianhan, x a cool beauty and dating counselor shou, Yan Fangshi. No switching roles or splitting up any couples.
* Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting. The games on the dating show have been significantly adapted for the plot, so please excuse any issues with game logic or balance.
The blurb was screenshotted on 2024.1.10 and has been edited since.
Theme: Being loved makes you grow flesh and blood
