The Hong Kong Star of the Nineties

The night she was nominated for Cannes, Jiang Zhuo fell from a building.

She didn't die, but woke up in a melodramatic period novel as a minor female character.

The original owner was a C-list actress who had come from mainland China to Hong Kong in the early 1990s. After being swindled out of her money by a shady manager, she fell for a rich playboy and even drugged herself to get into his bed.

The playboy was the male lead of the original story. When he found out she'd tricked him, he despised her and kept targeting her, eventually dragging her into a gang war and a tragic end.

Jiang Zhuo: ...

She'd been just one step away from Cannes!

When she arrived, the drug the original owner had taken was already taking effect. Jiang Zhuo refused to accept her fate and used every ounce of strength she had to knock on the next room's door for help.

In her daze, all she remembered was a pair of clear, amber eyes.

“Big sis?”

Those beautiful eyes seemed to speak, but Jiang Zhuo couldn't make out what they were saying. With all reason gone, she kissed him.

When she woke up, she saw the young college student beside her. Holding her forehead, Jiang Zhuo silently left him two thousand yuan.

It was all the money she had.

After that, Jiang Zhuo forgot all about it.

She had to eat, audition, make money, and figure out how to get out of her contract with the agency.

She also wanted to win every major award and make up for the regrets of her previous life.

Who knew trouble would come looking for her? :)

-

Hong Kong media have recently been fawning over “rising sweetheart” Jiang Zhuo. They say she has a natural gift for acting and a pure, graceful aura. They praise her for having countless admirers while remaining devoted to her career.

No one knows that on the night she rose to fame, a young man pinned her against the makeup-room wall and kissed her deeply.

Jiang Zhuo bit his lip until it bled, then shoved him away. “Two hundred thousand. Keep what happened that night a secret.”

Zhong Fei's lips were bright with blood. He casually wiped it away and leaned toward her. “Big sis, you haven't even asked my name.”

Zhong Fei had always carried an aura of wickedness. Even his own family kept their distance, calling him strange, gloomy, rebellious, and reckless.

In his twenty-four years, Zhong Fei had compromised only twice.

The first time was after his parents died in a plane crash. He put his doctoral studies in England on hold, took charge of Zhong Pictures as it teetered on the brink of collapse, and led it step by step to the top.

The other time was for a woman named Jiang Zhuo. He put away all his sharp edges and pretended to be the innocent, cheerful type he hated most.

“Big sis, two thousand yuan... won't buy you a night with me.”

He circled around her like the most loyal puppy.

Until that night in Berlin, when Jiang Zhuo walked the red carpet with her arm intimately linked through someone else's. His gaze turned sinister, and his vicious nature showed through.

“Big sis, look at me. Don't look at anyone else.”

“Don't make me lose my mind.”

[Reading Guide]

1. This is not a story about a strong, independent female lead.

2. Expect some old-school melodrama.

3. Includes a harem of male admirers competing and getting jealous, a dramatic love rivalry, and secret identities being revealed.

4. All characters and events are fictional, with no real-life models. Please don't speculate about real-life inspirations. Give it a try if you like it, and feel free to drop it if you don't.

Theme: Everyone is unique