The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol’s Fake Boyfriend

Description

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The year he was fifteen, Ling Ke realized he was gay, and that he fell in love with a hot guy the same gender he was! Ling Ke spied on the other’s online friend group, paid attention to that person’s every move, and privately, started his fanatical fan-boying actions. Unfortunately, the hot guy he liked was someone who changed girlfriends like he changed clothes, a pretentious and straight male.

A few years later, Ling Ke and the hot guy he was secretly in love with got into the same university and became good friends. In order to prevent his beloved from hating him, Ling Ke repressed his true feelings and forced himself to pretend to be a 24k, pure gold straight guy.

……

Having high-spec looks, Qi Feng was a networking expert, but in order to preserve his all-around shining and popular heartthrob image, he always hid his true sexuality, that he was gay. He got himself (fake) girlfriends all throughout school, literally playing himself into being branded as a skirt-chaser.

Until one day, he met his true love. The other looked delicate and gentle, cold and out-of-reach, as if the ideal lover he’d dreamed of in his heart.

Except, there was just one thing. That guy also looked completely straight……

In short, this is the love story of two scared, in-the-closet gay guys pretending to be straight while mutually trying to feel the other out.

Associated Names
One entry per line
CIFB
Gei xiaoCao dang JiananYou de Rizi
ชีวิตแฟนปลอม ๆ ของไอดอลมหาลัย
给校草当假男友的日子
Related Series
Assistant Architect (Shared Universe)
Black-bellied vs. Black-bellied: Ultimate Showdown (Shared Universe)
Recommendations
Everyone Thinks that I Like Him (7)
Agreement of Being Gay for 30 Days (4)
Don’t You Like Me (4)
Give Me A Hug (4)
Transmigrated into a School Idol and Forced to Do Business (3)
Love Rival Romance System (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Have Read Pt. 1
  2. Quero ler
  3. school life BL gems that had me tossing and turnin...
  4. Chrysanthemun (Translation Completed)
  5. Want to read

Latest Release

Date Group Release
03/31/18 Yuiko c17
03/31/18 Yuiko c16
03/30/18 Yuiko c17
03/17/18 Yuiko c15
03/17/18 Yuiko c14
03/10/18 Yuiko c13
03/10/18 Yuiko c12
03/02/18 Yuiko c10
03/01/18 Yuiko c11
02/24/18 Yuiko c9
02/19/18 Yuiko c8
02/18/18 Yuiko c7
02/17/18 Yuiko c6
02/15/18 Yuiko c5
02/14/18 Yuiko c4
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Review
77 Reviews


XD
XD
Nov 22, 2017
Status: c46
I've been reading Winter's summaries at https://wintertranslates. Wordpress. Com

It's a beautiful story full of fluffy moments and hilarious misunderstandings (not angsty torturous misunderstandings, so don't worry about that).

Favorite paragraph (other than the fluffy-sweet parts) :
Spoiler

Besides, he really was gay, so to act as lovers, he just needed to be himself. However, the problem was that he needed to fake-act as a gay guy on the foundation of fake-acting as a straight guy. This act-ception was the real challenge.

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Attica
Attica
Oct 03, 2018
Status: Completed
The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol's Fake Boyfriend can be summed up very simply as this: an extremely long and serious game of Gay Chicken.

The first 2/3 of this novel were an immense pleasure to read. Ling Ke is a fascinating MC--the story really explored how his deep-rooted feelings of inferiority were both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. His drive to be better than Qi Feng enabled him to reach incredible new heights, but it also consumed his life to an unhealthy degree. (I also liked... more>> that he openly acknowledged his own homosexuality.) And when Ling Ke and Qi Feng actually began interacting, the wonderful s*xual tension between them was so much fun. Misunderstandings and sweet moments and drama galore!

Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and rainbows here. There were definite flaws that I noticed:

    • Qi Feng is a less compelling character than Ling Ke. He had the potential to be just as interesting as Ling Ke if his flaws and weaknesses were further explored. Instead, the author chose to make him a "perfect boyfriend" character, so he becomes rather boring/predictable.
    • As an extension of the above... after Ling Ke and Qi Feng get together, their dynamic falls into rather stereotypical BL territory. You know, the whole "extremely devoted and confident Gong, the shy and vulnerable Shou". Ling Ke especially suffered a lot from this, since it felt like he was being forced to act out of character.
    • The novel really piled on the whole "omg being homos*xual is shameful, I can't let anyone know!" I know it's realistic and the result of cultural differences, but it got rather repetitive to hear the same thing over and over and over again. It would have been nice if that aspect was toned down at least a little bit.
Overall, The Daily Life of Being the Campus Idol's Fake Boyfriend was a hilarious and fun ride. Its execution had problems, but Ling Ke was such a nicely unique MC that it was still worth reading.

[Of note, the Fake Relationship trope didn't actually last too long--the two of them resolved their miscommunications and got together pretty fast.] <<less
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K3I
K3I
Apr 05, 2020
Status: c21 part1
This is a nice story, pretty fluffy, but the prejudices are just throwing me off.

Like, the tissue paper thing being associated with feminity, which is then associated with homosexuality is just s*upid. Guys can carry around tissue papers also. It isn't really a feminine type of thing but more of a hygiene thing.

I mean, they even bring up sexuality in matters where I feel like it wouldn't even matter?

But, I do enjoy the fact that MC accepts his sexuality pretty easily. Although I think he might be slightly oversensitive in... more>> those matters. His inner monologue is like a shoujo protag. Like, your over thinking a lot of things.

Overall, I would rate it a 3.5 <<less
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Sliph
Sliph
Dec 05, 2019
Status: Completed
The plot is pretty good and the ML is really likable.... however, the MC comes across as pretty prejudiced throughout and that's a bit of a dealbreaker for me personally. Without this flaw, I'd probably give it 4 stars as the story still has its moments.

An example of this type of thing is thrown at you straight away in the beginning chapters when the MC relates carrying tissue papers with being too feminine for a straight guy, and as a 'gay guy' he doesn't even carry them. Immediately associating feminity... more>> with homosexuality. (This is just a small example of this and is the first one that comes to mind but little things like this are constantly popping up throughout the web novel)

I'd still give this novel a shot but if things like the above ^ make you uncomfortable, it might be worth avoiding. <<less
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Damachu
Damachu
Oct 15, 2020
Status: Completed
You can never go wrong with reading Xi and Qing's novel. I might have just read a couple dozen novels but this author's writing has been the best one so far. Unlike Waiting for you online and Assistant Architect, this novel is relatively a quick read but still packed with all emotions and will leave you satisfied and inspired. It's not just fluff but a novel with wisdom and life experience imbued, atleast to me personally.

The reviews from downstairs really bothered me. As a closeted man myself, I experience the... more>> same struggles with the MC. The prejudice is the effect of one's denial and fright of being exposed, especially the MC isn't the flamboyant type like the usual gays you see. Unlikeable, yes, I myself want to bash his head every time, but you can't deny that he has realistic thoughts and emotions. I could say more to rebut the specific points the low reviewers gave but that would stray away from the purpose of this review.

Overall a great read and definitely recommended!

Only two papapa scenes tho tsk tsk tsk <<less
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Otwentyfirst
Otwentyfirst
Jul 04, 2018
Status: Completed
Seriously I so f*cking love this. Definitely 5 stars in the fluffy category.

A very well crafted story with down to earth characters. And therein lies the appeal.
    • appearance descriptions aren't annoying and aren't effusive
    • characters are realistic. Realistic. I will say it again. REALISTIC. That makes this story very enjoyable to read
    • no drama
    • supporting characters are used very well, serving to reveal Ling Ke's and Qi Feng's thoughts helping to move the story along in a believable fashion. They are also wonderfully supportive and charming
I too read this on the site Winter Translation. The "summaries" are a looser form of translation but still keeps the authenticity of the characters dialog and inner thoughts. I honestly liked it quite a bit as it made the flow very smooth and gave me a good time.
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ruiriod
ruiriod
Sep 30, 2017
Status: --
lol there are chapters but you have to look at the site to find the summaries of them (which are pretty good and don't contain only 3 sentences- more like 50) good plot though, relatable protag
Spoiler

until the part where he gets super prince like and op

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Inkscreamedmo
Inkscreamedm
Dec 16, 2021
Status: Dropped
To anyone who is considering reading this novel, i'd say reconsider it. This was a huge waste of time! I loved the author's other work 'Assistant Architect' and so I thought perhaps i'd give this a chance even though the premise sounds a bit dull. However, it was much worse than I expected.

The characters have nothing about them that could engage you. Everyone is just so obsessed with looks & physical beauty that apparently that is all anyone could talk about in every single chapter!!! Forget about their personalities, forget... more>> character development, forget making sense with the plot, if you have a good face, you are perfect! That's all you need and everyone will worship you. <<less
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hy-d-ra
hy-d-ra
Mar 03, 2020
Status: --
The MC to me is unlikable with his weird prejudices, so I don't plan to continue, but judging from other people's opinions it's cute. Maybe I'm weird, but to me MC is weird. So I'm out of here.
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WhoWho
WhoWho
Jan 05, 2018
Status: c62
I read from wintertranslates so basically the chapters were very detailed but not literal translations. But they were really well translated with lots of creative thought into it, and probably would be better than literal translations.

I really like the story and how it leaves you wanting for more. It always makes you stand on the tip of your toes. The synopsis is fine, but the story is amazing, and the synopsis does leave you with a bias, that might confuse you a bit. So if you are unsure after reading... more>> the synopsis, I highly recommend you to start reading the story.

Basically I really like what the translator has done to the original story, by also actually doing the other half of "translating." For example, there might be really bad and unnecessary stuff that the original author wrote to appeal the readers in China. The translator did a really good job at bridging that gap, and make it more suitable for other readers.

I'm okay with the fact that the characters were intentionally written as closeted and hiding their se xuality and willing also to do anything to mask it. But sometimes I feel like that part is overemphasized in the story. It's isn't so bad in this novel compared to "Waiting For You Online", partly because this translator does a really good job and also because the story is more believable, even though it has a lot of fictional stuff.

I really applaud the translator, since I feel like a big part of why the two main characters were so endearing is due to the translator. This is just speculation, but I feel like the Chinese author makes "being gay" a big deal/issue, whereas the translator makes it seem a bit more "normal". <<less
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IvaAres
IvaAres
Mar 07, 2022
Status: Completed
I read about 30 translated chapters and the rest I read the summary. Honestly tho, the summaries felt like translations instead. They were really detailed.

The relationship between the MC and ML was really fluffy with a lot of misunderstandings. The misunderstandings we're pretty cute though, nothing too serious. However, they do get kind of annoying since all those misunderstandings can be resolved by the ML and MC just sitting and talking about their true feelings. But if they did that then I guess their wouldn't be any point of this... more>> being a novel. In the end after all that waiting for the MC and ML to get together, their sweet moments are really satisfying. I liked the way the parents served more of a purpose in this novel then just side characters that come up in 1 or 2 chapters and disappear. <<less
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Eyram
Eyram
Oct 16, 2021
Status: Completed
I read multiple translations of this novel, completing it with the Winter Translations summaries. That alone already suggests I enjoyed the novel immensely. I want to thank all who put effort into translating and summarizing the story for us readers.

Main points:

  • The plot moves forward at a steady pace even without angst, huge dramas or schemes.
  • The characters are realistic. There are no scum gongs and weak shous; the MC and ML are just a pair of confused teenagers who don't want to be disliked and ignored by their crush. Overthinking stuff, drawing wrong conclusions - and panicking - is inevitable, which was for me as a reader sometimes facepalmingly frustrating, but mostly hilarious and pretty believable.
  • Again, I was surprised how much I liked the MC, Ling Ke - cool demeanor on the surface, intelligent, observant, methodical and almost too deep for his age - yet this all still did not protect him from panicking in gay inside.
  • If you are into slice of life BL with protagonists who are decent human beings with believable quirks and flaws, you will most likely enjoy this novel. It certainly gets 5 stars from me.
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crownprince
crownprince
May 12, 2021
Status: Completed
Just a simple cute and fluffy read with a little bit of misunderstanding and humouristic undertones. If that's what you enjoy, go for it!

This is just a simple love story, not much complexity just that it was born out of a slightly interesting premise. To me, because it's so simple I find it pretty bland as well, but I can see why people will enjoy this (like 5/5). Everyone has different tastes after all.
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AltaFujoshi
AltaFujoshi
Mar 29, 2021
Status: Completed
I really liked this one. After this I developed a thing for university danmei, definitly worth the read. Maybe I will re-read this one.
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qpzmal
qpzmal
Feb 22, 2021
Status: Completed
I'm going to barf from all the dog food I'm getting from this couple.

The whole premise of the story is like Agreement of Being Gay for 30 Days, where the MC and ML are the two hottest guys on the campus and get into a fake relationship, except in this case they are doing it to deter girls instead of to anger them.

I haven't really read any novels where the MC falls in love first, unless they are a seme of course, so it was a nice change. I actually... more>> like the MC's personality. He is kind of like a tsundere, he has a stoic and cold face but is always panicking whenever he feels like he's being outed. And in the beginning when he had a major inferiority complex, I just wanted to hug him. Of course with a cold MC always comes a puppy-like, upbeat, and annoying ML. The ML is the typical campus idol, friendly, handsome, and good at literally everything.

There are so many misunderstandings between them just for the sake of the plot like

Spoiler

the KK or WeChat one, the straight guy one of course, the twin who plays the violin one, and literally all of the ML's past relationships and fiance.

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Also, the MC trying to act like a straight guy is the most conspicuous thing ever. Like when one of his roommates was spanking the other roommate for not showering (don't ask literally all the boys in BL novels are gay), he thought "so that's what straight guys do" and proceeded to touch the ML's bu*t when he hugged him. And when he thought that guys were supposed to tease each other, he told the ML that he gets nervous when he's around him. That's basically confessing. This all happens in the beginning so I didn't add the spoiler tag.

I'm probably not the only one who liked the twin brother though. I kinda, just a large okay? A large part a little part of me, wanted a love triangle since the chemistry when the MC and the twin were performing together was overflowing. Overflowing to the point that I wanted to yeet the ML out the window and replace him with the twin. He even fences.

Anyways, the whole novel is actually pretty short and the MLT is relatively easy to understand if there are impatient people like me. But overall it's an extremely fluffy and light read. <<less
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Suranchan
Suranchan
Feb 17, 2020
Status: Completed
gosh... I just can't... It's too fluffy and heart fluttering. Gay guys pretending to be straight pretending to be gay guys... I can't with these two, like seriously!! Lol.

No small wonder I've also enjoyed this book like I did Assistant Architect (AA), because the same author wrote both. Now, off to read 'Waiting for You Online' (also from same author). [BTW, Gu Yao, sister of ML 'Gu Yu' from AA made a cameo here.

https://wintertranslates. wordpress. com/. - to read the whole novel
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Diviana
Diviana
Mar 06, 2018
Status: Completed
Two guys totally into each other pretending to be straight not to scare the other way? It is hilarious as the summary suggests. Ling Ke works so hard it made me want to cheer him on. The writing gets a overdone sometimes
Spoiler

especially how depict being in the closet

[collapse]
but the winter summaries managed to balance the tone.
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Talrice
Talrice
Sep 24, 2023
Status: Completed
Very cute and heartwarming. There is some slight angst from the two leads secretly being interested in each other and trying to hide it, but it wasn't really emphasized too heavily. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading the parts with some of the characters' families. I also found the MC very likeable and even somewhat relatable.
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Lara Night
Lara Night
Jun 05, 2023
Status: Completed
Qi Yu behaving naughtily nad flirt with Ling Ke is just my fav 🤣

Honestly I read Black-Bellied Showdown before this one and maybe that's why, I like the other pairing Qi Yu and Fu Yansheng so much!! 💕 But Qi Feng & Ling Ke is not bad either. This novel plot is simple and fun, just nice for a short ride. His brother Qi Yu's story is bit angsty and full of plot, I cried🥺
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Psychoutre
Psychoutre
Jun 13, 2022
Status: c18
Sure it's fluffy and we love a self-aware MC but I can't stomach reading in a tsundere's POV. He keeps digging a deeper hole each time he tries to act seemingly natural but it ends up a bit more plastic. Then again, I guess the novel probably wouldn't exist if the MC just simply says, "hey actually I met you when we were younger and its ok if u didnt remember me" in the beginning.

Gah I'm so uncomfortable when he insists on hiding the fact that he stalks ML's social... more>> media, starts learning how to play a game because the ML plays it, I just can't continue reading with such a roundabout character. And then there's MC's overthinking that really hits home, I can't have an MC that reminds me of me haha.

Novel's just not for me. <<less
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