After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 17

Pei Nalian’s words inevitably reminded everyone of that infamous “married women voting for divorce” incident.

At the time, it had seemed like just another sensational gimmick for a TV show. But now, considering Pei Nalian’s perspective, it made a certain kind of sense.

“As I said earlier, most of life is painful, but Xiao Yi is my tiny slice of happiness.”

Jiang Banxia, who had known Li Tang for years, had never heard her say such syrupy-sweet words. The couple exchanged a glance, their lips pressed slightly together, but the trembling at the corners of their mouths betrayed their amusement.

Hearing this, Pei Nalian immediately stood up and sat down next to Yan Mengyi, gripping her shoulders. “My goodness, I’ve never heard Artist Li say anything like this to anyone in any situation!”

Being the center of attention, and being passionately praised by her seven-year-married wife, Yan Mengyi felt momentarily dizzy. Yet she still wasn’t used to being touched so intimately by a stranger.

But Pei Nalian quickly added, “Do you realize how lucky you are to be with Artist Li? It’s like winning a billion-dollar lottery—so many people adore her! You, an ordinary person, got to marry her? You’re truly blessed!”

Jiang Banxia, being rather straightforward and oblivious to Pei Nalian’s unspoken meaning, chimed in, “Exactly! Even the heiress of BV once desperately pursued Tangtang for a while, but Tangtang wouldn’t budge, not even a little. I mean, this is BV we’re talking about—a top-tier luxury brand with a 300-year history! If Tangtang had accepted her back then, she’d be rolling in money now. Why would she even need to go on concert tours?”

Zhou Qiutong cleared her throat, gently restraining her enthusiastic but naive wife and popping a piece of candy in her mouth to shut her up. “When it comes to people, especially matters of the heart, even the slightest difference can be a fatal flaw. It all comes down to fate. I think Xiao Yi is perfect for her.”

“Between us, I’m the fortunate one,” Li Tang countered Pei Nalian’s earlier comment. “I’m just grateful she chose me. It’s I who am the one reaching too high. Xiao Yi has her own passions and pursuits. In her field, almost no one matches her level of expertise. If she claims to be the second-best in the country, no one could surpass her. I’ve been quietly observing her since the day we met. Her dedication is awe-inspiring. I thought we’d always just be classmates, never imagining…”

Jiang Banxia clapped for the couple, celebrating their campus romance that had blossomed into a beautiful partnership.

“I’ve known Tangtang since middle school,” Jiang Banxia reminisced. “We were online friends back then, on a famous music forum. I posted something, and Tangtang replied. We started chatting, and before we knew it, we were friends. Who knew that our online friendship would become a real-life one?” She sighed, “Back then, when Tangtang was still in middle school, if you’d seen her photos, she looked spirited but distant and gloomy. Later, she remained aloof, always acting so cool, but you could tell that gloominess was gone. If I had to guess, it started around the time they got married. Xiao Yi really deserves credit for that.”

“It’s truly enviable,” Jin Youshu said.

Pei Nalian wanted to add something, but Jin Youshu wrapped an arm around her waist and asked, “You’ve been working so hard today. Are you hungry?”

Jin Youshu cut off Pei Nalian, but her question reminded everyone of something important.

“Director, where’s our dinner?” Li Tang pulled open the empty fridge, revealing it stuffed with sponsored milk cartons.

But milk wouldn’t cut it when they were starving.

Their last meal had been on the plane, which was already seven hours ago.

Mo Zhenyi smiled and signaled the Props Team to roll out a spinning dartboard.

“See, I knew it,” Jiang Banxia said, spreading her hands and giving Zhou Qiutong a “told you so” look. “Director Mo didn’t bring us here for a show—she brought us here for a survival test. She’s so stingy she’s making us fight over every grain of rice and every drop of water.”

“Strictly speaking, this is an icebreaker game,” Mo Zhenyi explained. “Since we don’t know each other well, this is a quick way to get everyone acquainted.”

“Fine, I’ll go along with it!”

Jiang Banxia, feeling her stomach grumble as she stood up, burst into laughter.

Zhou Qiutong stood up and took the blame. “That was my stomach!”

Jiang Banxia rolled up her sleeves and picked up a dart. “What are the rules?”

“As you can see, the dartboard is divided into different colored sections, each with a dish name. I’ll spin the wheel, and whatever section your dart hits will be on tonight’s menu.”

Jiang Banxia tentatively raised her hand and asked, “Can I go first?”

“Sure!”

The wheel spun. Jiang Banxia patted her chest, took a deep breath, and hurled the dart.

Under everyone’s expectant gaze, the dart whizzed past the spinning wheel and embedded itself in the cushion at Mo Zhenyi’s feet.

The contrast between the eager anticipation and the utterly absurd outcome was too much. Even Pei Nalian and Jin Youshu, who usually maintained perfect composure, couldn’t help but collapse forward in laughter.

Mo Zhenyi clutched her heart and bowed to Jiang Banxia. “Please, valiant heroine, spare me!”

Jiang Banxia smiled awkwardly. “Well… I’ve got some skills. Ten years of martial arts drama didn’t go to waste, you know.”

Li Tang calmly walked over, checked how deep the dart had sunk into the cushion, and then tilted the wheel toward the wall. She gestured for Mo Zhenyi to stand elsewhere.

“None of us are pros, so the darts won’t be accurate. Director, you should stand with us.”

Mo Zhenyi nodded repeatedly, following Li Tang’s instructions.

Jiang Banxia gathered herself again, positioning herself two meters from the wheel as required by the production team, her eyes half-closed.

The others stood nearby, cheering her on.

Mo Zhenyi turned her head, glancing sideways at Li Tang and Yan Mengyi out of the corner of her eye.

Li Tang maintained her usual cool demeanor, but her hand remained clasped around Yan Mengyi’s.

I always thought Artist Li would crumble under the spotlight on this show. I never expected her to be so unexpectedly tender with her wife.

Mo Zhenyi sent this message to Wan Cuirong under the watchful gaze of the cameras.

Thank you, Director Mo. Artist Li truly deserves the high expectations you’ve set for the program.

Wan Cuirong replied swiftly.

She always responded promptly to work-related matters.

What Mo Zhenyi couldn’t bring herself to ask was: Do you treat your lover with the same tenderness as Li Tang treats her wife?

But in the end, she lacked the standing to ask.

How could anyone believe in sincerity when the start was so rushed?

Jiang Banxia released the dart from her hand.

This time, the dart landed steadily on the wheel.

The crowd couldn’t help but cheer for Jiang Banxia, erupting in waves of enthusiastic applause.

When the wheel stopped spinning, Jiang Banxia hurried over to see where her dart had landed: “Hainan-style Fruit Platter.”

“Truly worthy of Artist Jiang—she’s amazing!” Zhou Qiutong clapped enthusiastically, cheering her on.

Jiang Banxia spread her arms wide like a proud dancer, bowing to the crowd in all directions.

“It’s your turn,” Jiang Banxia said, handing the dart to Zhou Qiutong.

Zhou Qiutong said, “I’m not particularly good at this game, but I still hope I can get everyone a meat dish. As a carnivore, I can’t go a day without meat.”

With a casual, effortless toss, Zhou Qiutong hit the target, and the dart seemed to land near the center.

“Baoluo Noodles?” Zhou Qiutong asked. “What’s that?”

A memory flashed through Jin Youshu’s mind. “I had it once when I was little,” she said. “It was delicious! I never thought I’d get to taste it again!”

With Jin Youshu’s endorsement, even though no one else knew what Baoluo Noodles were, their anticipation for the meal had already soared.

“It’s your turn.”

Pei Nalian took the dart.

“Good luck! Let’s get some more meat and veggies!” Jiang Banxia cheered.

Pei Nalian suddenly hesitated, handing the dart to Jin Youshu. “You go first.”

“Okay.” Jin Youshu took the dart, pressed a hand to her chest, and took a few deep breaths. Without hesitation, her steady hand landed the dart on the target.

“Youshu won us all a vegetable dish—four-cornered beans!” Mo Zhenyi announced.

“What’s that?”

“A local specialty vegetable. It’s delicious and crunchy,” Jin Youshu explained, handing the dart back to Pei Nalian.

“Now we have both a main dish and a vegetable. Everyone, let’s go for it! I want meat!”

“I used to love playing darts. I’m confident I can get the coconut chicken,” Pei Nalian declared, brimming with confidence.

Jin Youshu shared some tips on how to throw the dart.

“I’m ready!” Pei Nalian declared, her posture confident and focused, like a seasoned pro.

“I bet Nalian will definitely get us that coconut chicken,” someone remarked.

“I’m sure she’ll do it. She’s so tall and has such long arms—hitting the bullseye can’t be that hard, right?”

The dart flew from her hand.

But it didn’t go as Pei Nalian had imagined.

The dart sailed past the target, hit the wall behind it, and clattered to the floor.

Jiang Banxia let out a long, mournful sigh.

Pei Nalian’s snow-white face flushed crimson, a wave of heat spreading from within. She bowed repeatedly, apologizing profusely.

“I messed up! I didn’t realize it would just fly out like that.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Zhou Qiutong reassured her. “We already have all the dishes we need. The rest is just icing on the cake.”

Jin Youshu hurried over and wrapped an arm around Pei Nalian’s waist. “Don’t worry about it. You’re used to using tournament-grade equipment. It’s understandable to miss with these plastic darts you’re not familiar with.”

After all, it was just a game. Wins and losses were just extras; no one would really blame anyone.

The dart was passed to Li Tang.

Amidst the room’s cheering, Pei Nalian felt dazed. Had she really failed completely just now?

“It’s alright,” Jin Youshu said, patting her waist with keen perception of Pei Nalian’s mood. “You’ve already done so well.”

To Pei Nalian, these words sounded particularly grating.

She couldn’t afford to fail; her life could only be about success. The comforting words felt like mocking emphasis.

Pei Nalian pushed Jin Youshu’s hand away, silently standing to the side to see what Li Tang would hit.

Jin Youshu stood silently behind Pei Nalian, her gaze always following her.

Li Tang kept one hand in her pocket and gathered strength in the other. She stood straight, not leaning to take advantage of her longer arms. With a casual flick of her wrist, she won cheers that could have blown the roof off the building.

“Nice one!”

“Amazing!”

“She took down the coconut chicken with one throw! Impressive!”

“That’s what real skill looks like!” Jiang Banxia praised incessantly. “True masters have absolute skill in any field!”

Pei Nalian frowned slightly at these words, but said nothing.

Jin Youshu turned to Yan Mengyi. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do!”

Yan Mengyi had never played darts before. Afraid of disappointing everyone, she wasn’t very confident. But facing everyone’s expectant gazes, she couldn’t refuse.

“It’s alright,” Pei Nalian reassured Yan Mengyi. “Even if we don’t hit the bullseye, it’s all about having fun and participating.”

Support After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn’t Want a Divorce