Back at Eighteen, I Chose to Go Into the Sea

Blurb 1:

When Jiang Xieyi opened his eyes again, he found himself back ten years in the past.

At eighteen, newly come of age and buried in debt, he had two choices: sign up as a trainee on a hugely popular survival show, or act in a low-budget danmei film directed by a complete unknown.

In his previous life, he chose the survival show. As expected, thanks to his stunning looks, rare even in the entertainment industry, the fans voted him into the debut group despite his being unable to sing or dance well.

It was a promising start, but it all ended in disaster.

After enduring exploitation by his agency and bullying by his fellow group members, he decided to terminate his contract. But the blame was turned on him, and he ended up abandoned by everyone, with the whole world against him.

In this life, he would never choose the idol path again.

That left only one choice: go into danmei films!

He had to admit, the director might be a complete unknown, but the pay was extremely generous.

Still, hadn't he heard that this film never came out in his previous life?

Blurb 2:

When the director of Green Jujube, Lin Yang, stopped Luo Guichen outside the gates of Jingying, he had just finished filming a big-budget period drama about political intrigue. He played the third male lead, and once it aired, his future would be bright.

So he turned down Lin Yang's offer outright. Acting in a danmei film meant going into that line of work. It could boost his popularity quickly, but he didn't need that kind of shortcut.

But Lin Yang wouldn't give up on him, insisting that he was the only one for the role.

Unable to stand the director's persistence, Luo Guichen decided to read the script first, then find a reason to turn it down.

But he hadn't expected that although it was a danmei story, it wasn't limited to romance.

Its reflections on youth and insights into life moved him deeply.

He realized this film had the potential to win awards.

He accepted the role.

When Lin Yang introduced him to his future costar, he said indifferently, "As long as their acting is good, I don't care who it is. Once filming's over, we'll be strangers anyway."

Blurb 3:

Many years later, Jiang Xieyi was lying across Luo Guichen's lap, flipping through director Lin Xiang's memoirs.

When he reached the section about filming Green Jujube, Jiang Xieyi nudged Luo Guichen's abs and looked up at him with the beautiful eyes countless fans had praised. In a completely emotionless voice, he said:

"I heard someone once said that once filming's over, we'd be strangers?"

The man paused with his script in hand, instantly remembering the bold words he'd spoken back then.

He wished he could go back and sew his own mouth shut!

Theme: Striving toward a better future