the moment when ML kissed MC for the first time, I had to take a pause and just process because!!! The emotions were so intense!! I really love when a story can convince you that the characters really do like each other.

While reading I feel as if I am living through the perspective of Xue Xiao- but at the same time also as a bystander, cheering on his journey to become a star. The author is a good writer, and I especially got invested in the Orchid Praying Mantis plot. Is it weird if I wished that the author actually wrote a book based of it? Loll

I also like how the author gave the side characters motives and moments to shine in the novel- a prime example is Jin Xiaochen, especially during his performance! Given that I am only 17 out of 89 chapters through, I hope that the author continues this trend, and the side characters have a life of their own beyond the protagonist. I hope I grow to love the other side-characters just as I do with Xue Xiao.

A small problem I nitpicked is the slight protagonist halo. While I do love relaxing while reading (as I know that the protagonist will have an easy path), I prefer more tense plots. Although it is too soon to get a full picture, it seems that Xue Xiao is usually in the right (like a man against the world situation, except the man has many powerful and supportive allies??), and that anyone who opposes him, gets clapbacked.
Especially considering Xue Xiao's personality to wholeheartedly love acting and wish that his opponents live up to their acting roles; I think it would be better if the antagonists were more of a challenge in terms of acting prowess. Portraying the antagonists to be completely cruel yet short-sighted, and also just innately untalented is slightly ruining Xue Xiao's journey as an actor. Like suddenly, his achievements are not as valid because his opponents were set up to always fall short as compared to him. Furthermore, by portraying Xue Xiao to always be in the right and to have little to no flaws- not only does it emotionally distance him from the readers, but it's also disheartening in a way. I want to see him be in the wrong sometimes! Cause consequences he can't take back! I want him to learn and grow not only as an actor but as a person too.
I hope I am just being unreasonably nitpicky, because I am really excited to continue reading once there's more chapters!

To give a bit of context, MC was once again lured away from choosing the ML as another mentor threw a brand new original play into the selection pool for the contestants to act out. I was excited about the idea of an "original" script until the content of it was revealed... then what I felt was disgust and disappointment. Before I explain why, let me say this is purely a personal bias on my part so you might feel or see the situation differently if you give this book a chance.

So why was I disgusted? Because to me the leads' budding puppy love was grossly taken advantage of and this is something I'm weirdly sensitive about. The leads, especially MC, were at the stage where they needed to be nudged a bit, but for this nudge to come in the form of a romantic story written exactly after the leads' real life progress? And from between the hands of a person friendly to them? I really don't have the words... MC needs to act out an android who'll slowly fall into homos*xual love with his male owner as he gets familiar with human emotions... I guess my biggest issue is the sleazy feeling this person gives out when taking special care in pointing out the homos*xual love part to MC when explaining the role and also the pleasure he gets out of one-upping the ML -- the fellow mentor has more of a teasing part, but it just made my skin crawl really.

My true limit to decide I didn't want anything more to do with this story though was the hidden gem fanservice of this original script, because apparently a homos*xual romance can't be happy without one of the parties (MC as an android) crossdressing. Besides this telling me the author's opinion of the topic as I truly dislike when bottoms are delegated the role of a "woman" in a relationship, I found it quite distasteful that a supposedly friendly acquintance would also go out of their way to make the crossdressing outfit for the big screen of their acquintance's love interest while aware, and not required by anything or anyone, as sexy as possible (red miniskirt with lots of skin showing) simply because they could and for the fanservice effect.

Commentor drops due to a claim that the author's "true" view of homosexuality involves "bottoms" as "women" and how they highlighted a moment of cross-dressing. Actual context- this is one of the mini-scenes where the MC plays the role of a bionic robot who was sent to a depressed man obsessed over the loss of his wife. The robot is pure and set to learn from their human owners as to better get along with them.... but this one learns about love from the sad obsession of his owner. He eventually falls in love with his owner and this part was a breakdown moment where he essentially wants to take over the wife role. Considering that the robot wants the STRAIGHT owner to pretend that he's his WIFE, yes, he did end up cross-dressing. I don't see any other sign of feminizing bottoms. Many novels do, but this most this one does is highly praise looks and the MC's legs.... which I find more to be an attraction point and not "delegating him to the role of a woman". There are flaws for sure, but I don't find this to be one of them.