**Rebirth as a Superstar**
**Author:** Lou Xia Hepburn
**Genre:** Urban Novel
**Word Count:** 3,234,300
Upon waking up, Li Qing was shocked to find that the wheel of history had gone off track. Not only had everything around him changed, but he himself had transformed into a super handsome guy!
Moreover, he was waiting backstage alone for his upcoming performance on a talent show called "Star of Music."
Would he amaze the world or blend into the crowd?
Looking at the incredibly handsome face in the mirror, Li Qing made the first significant decision of his new life without hesitation.
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**Chapter 1: A World Turned Upside Down**
"Wake up, Qingzi..."
Li Qing opened his eyes from a deep sleep and saw a pale-skinned girl with silver-framed glasses anxiously shaking him. His head, already dizzy, started to throb. He waved his hand, "Stop, stop, what are you doing? Stop shaking me!"
The girl was startled by his reaction and instinctively flinched. But seeing no further action from Li Qing, she visibly relaxed and said with a hint of worry in her Cantonese-accented Mandarin, "Qingzi, this performance is crucial. Please, don't be stubborn. Pull yourself together and show the audience your best..."
Performance? Crucial? Audience?
What nonsense is this...
Who are you?
Still groggy, Li Qing glanced around. In the next moment, he snapped awake, staring in astonishment at his surroundings.
This was a not-so-spacious quiet room that looked like a resting area. The walls were covered with colorful posters of celebrities, and there was a sofa with a few cartoon pillows scattered on it.
Apart from the girl and himself, the room was empty. He was stiffly lying in front of a dressing table filled with various cosmetics. Through the clear mirror, he could see a very handsome face with a bewildered expression.
What’s going on?
Wasn't I just writing?
I just took a nap, and now... I've transmigrated?
As someone nurtured under the education of the motherland, Li Qing immediately understood his situation because that incredibly handsome face definitely wasn't his!
This realization left him somewhat devastated. Carefully, he looked up at the mirror again, confirming with dismay that this face was indeed much more handsome than his original one!
Li Qing was a writer, though calling himself that was an exaggeration. He was actually an online novelist with modest fame but decent income. He was one of those authors whose works were popular, but he himself was not.
A few hours earlier, overwhelmed by readers' demands for updates, Li Qing had resolved to sit at home and write continuously. In one vigorous session, he had managed to churn out 8,000 words per hour, writing non-stop for sixteen hours. Exhausted after submitting all the chapters, he fell asleep on the keyboard.
Who knew that upon waking up, everything would change... though that wasn't the most important part. The crucial thing was, seeing that face dealt a huge blow to his self-esteem...
How could there be someone so incredibly handsome in this world...
The girl saw Li Qing silent for a while and thought her words had upset him. She hesitated but finally spoke timidly, "Qingzi, this 'Star of Music' show is the last chance I could secure for you. I don't know if you have the courage to go all out, but... really, you don't have much time left. You've wasted a year, and your popularity has almost vanished..."
She paused, looked at him, and bit her lip, "That person is also here, but his status has changed significantly over time. I think... he shouldn't trouble you, right..."
Maybe even she didn’t believe her own words, as her voice grew quieter. Finally, she sighed and checked the time, "It's your turn to perform in over ten minutes. Don’t be nervous; you've improved a lot in the past year..."
Mumbling to herself for a while, she clenched her fist and softly cheered, "Come on! Our Qingzi is the best. Don't underestimate yourself. I’ll leave you to prepare..."
From start to finish, Li Qing watched the girl as if she were a fool. Based on the information in his head, this girl's name seemed to be... Han Han?
Phew, at least not Han Han...
She had a long black ponytail and wore silver-framed glasses. Her big eyes blinked innocently, looking very scholarly. Her skin was particularly fair, her cheeks were pink, and she wore a pink checkered shirt and jeans, resembling a high school girl in her prime.
Such a lovely girl! Much prettier than my father-in-law...
Li Qing sighed, then continued to rest his head on the dressing table, staring at himself in the mirror, hands supporting his chin, eyes half-closed as if lost in thought.
Moments later, his expression became strange.
From the information in his mind, it seemed that in this life, he was also named Li Qing.
And this place was still China. However, since the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the founding of the People's Republic, history had taken a different path—completely different!
The disasters and turmoil hadn't occurred. The country's development was thriving, engaging in extensive reforms domestically and actively communicating with the outside world. Although it was now 1997, China had joined the WTO in 1993 and was well-integrated internationally, with national strength comparable to his previous life's peak, though not quite there.
Regrettably, issues with copyright protection and environmental conservation remained the same.
Despite this, some things had indeed changed beyond recognition.
The music, films, literary works, and variety shows Li Qing was familiar with had all disappeared!
This filled Li Qing with joy, feeling as if a golden road was unfolding before him...
Although in his past life, he despised those who plagiarized, given the current world context...
Heh.
Then, there was his current identity.
Thinking about this made Li Qing a bit frustrated.
In this life, Li Qing was only eighteen years old, extremely handsome, and well-built. Even in an entertainment industry full of beautiful people, he was top-notch.
Thus, he had been discovered by a talent scout at the age of sixteen, signed with a record company, and debuted in an idol duo called "Fire Boy" with another singer named Zhao Wendi. However, things didn't go as planned—
Li Qing couldn’t sing well!
He was a latecomer, having had no formal training in singing, and despite having a good voice, he simply lacked the skill. The company knew this and paired him with Zhao Wendi, a talented singer, to complement each other, with Li Qing primarily serving as the face of the group.
But, to everyone's dismay, Li Qing had a terrible temper. Though he had little talent, he had a big ego and a quick temper. Easily provoked, he often refused to perform, had shockingly low emotional intelligence, and was easily manipulated, offending many people after his debut.
Many saw Li Qing as nothing more than a pretty face with no real talent, acting like a diva. This attitude was a death sentence in the entertainment industry!
As a result, within a year of their debut, despite an initial burst of popularity with their first album, Fire Boy produced no further works. The internal conflicts and frequent rumors of discord severely damaged their public image, driving fans away.
A group with no prospects and internal strife held no appeal to any company.
Soon, Fire Boy disbanded.
The punishment for the group’s downfall, primarily attributed to Li Qing, was severe.
At sixteen, Li Qing debuted and vanished from the entertainment scene within a year.
At seventeen, Li Qing paid for his impulsive behavior by being completely sidelined by the company for a year.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wendi, due to his talent and networking skills, successfully launched a solo career, winning numerous music awards and becoming a leading figure in the new generation of singers, vastly overshadowing Li Qing.
"Isn't it true that enemies are bound to meet?"
Li Qing suddenly smiled bitterly, realizing that one of the judges for this "Star of Music" show was none other than his former group member, Zhao Wendi...
Zhao Wendi was a seemingly humble and friendly person but was actually a hypocrite who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Li Qing's downfall was largely due to Zhao Wendi's machinations.
He finally understood what Han Han's cryptic words meant earlier.
How could she think that Zhao Wendi, now in a much higher position, wouldn’t trouble a fallen star like him?
Sorry, but why should he?
At the same time, Li Qing felt complicated about Han Han.
Now, with higher emotional and intellectual intelligence than before, Li Qing could write better novels.
Given his current status, it was obvious that he didn't deserve an assistant.
No company would waste money on someone like Li Qing. Yet, Han Han was indeed his assistant, something everyone in the company knew and accepted, even the former Li Qing thought it was normal.
So, there had to be a clichéd yet touching story behind this.
It started two years ago when Li Qing debuted.
Han Han, originally a new makeup artist hired by the company, was assigned to Fire Boy. Gradually, spending time together, Han Han fell for Li Qing’s unbelievably handsome face.
She secretly fell in love with Li Qing!
Though three years older, she couldn't help her feelings.
Her love remained hidden until Fire Boy disbanded, and Li Qing was sidelined. Then, Han Han quit her job without consulting anyone and became Li Qing’s assistant on her own, with no one else seeing it but her devotion.
Despite the former Li Qing's obliviousness, Han Han willingly cared for him for an entire year without pay.
"Are you a fool, sister..."
Li Qing sighed, recalling Han Han's timid demeanor and felt
his eyes moistening. Damn, it's been a long time since a clichéd drama moved him...
NEXT