After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 18

“Well, thank you all in advance for forgiving me,” Yan Mengyi said, lacking confidence in her ability to throw the dart.

“Don’t worry, it’s about participating,” Li Tang reassured her, pressing gently on her shoulders.

Yan Mengyi was gathering her strength to throw when the dart suddenly slipped from her hand.

Everyone watched intently, witnessing both the dart’s release and Yan Mengyi’s astonished expression.

A collective sigh of disappointment escaped the group.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the dart flew past the wheel, struck the wall, and rebounded, embedding itself in the back of the wheel.

A wave of enthusiastic cheers nearly shook the roof off the room.

The rules only stated that the dish corresponding to the area the dart hit would be awarded, without specifying whether the dart had to hit the front or back of the wheel.

Yan Mengyi cheered, jumping up in excitement, only to be pulled back into Li Tang’s embrace and playfully tousled.

Their bright eyes met without hesitation, both instinctively wanting to share their joy with each other.

“Does that count? Does it count?” Jiang Banxia asked Mo Zhenyi, pointing at the mark.

Even Mo Zhenyi was surprised; the production team had never encountered such a situation during their tests, but it certainly didn’t violate the rules.

“Of course it counts! Miss Yan has won the group a refreshing Hainan specialty drink—coconut milk with chilled herbal tonic!”

“Yes!” Jiang Banxia cheered. “Xiao Yi, you’re the God of Variety Shows!”

Only Pei Nalian looked visibly displeased.

******

The group sat around the table, the production team having already arranged their food on the table.

“It smells so good!” Jiang Banxia clapped her hands together, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. “I’m going to dig in! I could eat a whole cow right now!”

“Didn’t you say you were cutting out dinner to lose weight?” Zhou Qiutong reminded her softly.

“Today’s an exception. Don’t rain on my parade.”

Yan Mengyi felt nervous eating with so many strangers, but Li Tang was sitting beside her. The familiar scent of Li Tang’s perfume helped her relax.

“Youshu, why are you only eating vegetables?” Jiang Banxia called out. “Try the Baoluo noodles. They’re delicious!”

Jin Youshu nodded with a smile. “When I was little, my family moved from China to Korea. Our last meal in China was in Sanya, and this dish reminded me of that. The taste has lingered in my mind for years.”

“It is pretty good.”

“Besides, I don’t really like Korean food,” Jin Youshu added. “It’s all about kimchi—kimchi this, kimchi that. There’s hardly any vegetables or meat, so I never feel like eating.”

“No wonder you’re so thin. You must have starved during your training days,” Jiang Banxia said, sipping her coconut juice. “I thought Nalian was already quite slim, but you’re even thinner! You’re so delicate that I thought a gust of wind might blow you away when I first saw you. You really need to eat more. How do you keep up with that intense work schedule?”

Jiang Banxia meant well, but Zhou Qiutong tried to stuff a piece of meat into her mouth. Jiang Banxia dodged, her almond-shaped eyes widening. “I’m talking to someone! You can feed me later.”

Seeing she couldn’t shut her up, Zhou Qiutong gave up.

Pei Nalian smiled, lifting her arm next to Jin Youshu’s. “Am I fat? I’m not fat at all.”

“Of course you’re not, sweetheart,” Jin Youshu said.

But Jin Youshu could sense that Pei Nalian’s mood hadn’t improved. She remained quiet throughout dinner, clearly upset.

Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Yan Mengyi quickly chimed in to ease the tension. “None of you are even remotely fat—you’re all too thin!”

Pei Nalian’s mood remained gloomy, even Jiang Banxia, usually so carefree, noticed. The group exchanged glances, lowering their heads to figure out how to comfort her.

Only Li Tang continued eating unhurriedly, even offering Yan Mengyi a piece of coconut chicken, completely unfazed by the heavy atmosphere Pei Nalian had created.

“It’s alright,” Li Tang said. “Everyone has different standards. If they want to maintain a certain figure to always present their best selves to their fans, we should respect that.”

Hearing this, Jiang Banxia agreed and stopped urging the two IGP members to eat.

“If you can’t have oily food, then can I pour this bowl of Baoluo noodle soup into my rice? No objections, right?”

“Please don’t…” Zhou Qiutong groaned, putting her hand to her forehead.

Jiang Banxia pointed at Zhou Qiutong for the camera. “Let the record state: she doesn’t starve me at home. I just love to eat and embarrass actors!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Zhou Qiutong said with a laugh, picking up her bowl. “I’m not saying you’re embarrassing. I just want to know if you’ll share half your soup with me? I want to mix it with my rice too.”

Jiang Banxia laughed heartily. “You should have said so earlier!”

Yan Mengyi watched their interaction, feeling a pang of envy.

Unfortunately, Yan Mengyi always felt something was keeping her and Li Tang apart. They both wanted to get closer, but they always seemed to be wearing masks, unable to touch each other’s beating hearts.

******

Meanwhile, Pei Nalian had slowly lowered the chopsticks she had raised toward the coconut chicken. She and Jin Youshu were only drinking plain water and hadn’t touched the dishes on the table, saying they weren’t hungry even if they were, they had to maintain their best appearance for their fans.

On the other side of the table, Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong were doubled over in their chairs, clutching their stomachs, while Yan Mengyi and Li Tang wiped their mouths clean—they were full.

Pei Nalian and Jin Youshu watched the table strewn with dishes and glasses, sipping their drinks through straws.

Mo Zhenyi reappeared. “Good evening, everyone.”

“Director Mo, don’t tell me there’s another task coming!” Jiang Banxia was the first to exclaim.

“When will filming end today?” Li Tang asked. “Xiao Yi usually goes to bed early.”

“It’s fine, I’m not sleepy.” Yan Mengyi forced her eyes open. She was a little drowsy, but not yet ready to fall asleep.

Besides, she didn’t want to inconvenience the others or disappoint them.

“Tonight’s schedule is actually quite relaxed—it’s not a task.”

“Really? I don’t believe it!”

Mo Zhenyi smiled. “It’s 6:30 PM now. Everyone has half an hour to rest and unpack. We’ll meet here at 7 PM sharp!”

“Alright,” Jiang Banxia waved at the others. “Go ahead and pick your rooms first. Qiutong and I will wash the dishes.”

“Got it!” Zhou Qiutong raised her hand.

“Senior, isn’t that too much work for you? Let us help,” Pei Nalian offered.

“They love washing dishes. They say it’s stress-relieving,” Li Tang said, then stood up, picked up two suitcases, and headed upstairs to choose a room.

“This one’s a bit small, but the morning sunlight streams right in. You’ll like that.”

Meanwhile, Pei Nalian and Jin Youshu entered their room. Before Jin Youshu could even put down her suitcase, Pei Nalian grabbed her and pressed her firmly against the door.

Startled, Jin Youshu gently wrapped her arms around Pei Nalian’s waist and leaned against her shoulder.

“Can the camera see my face?” Pei Nalian whispered in her ear.

Jin Youshu glanced at the camera. “No, it only sees my face.”

With that, Jin Youshu swiftly moved, wrapping her arms around Pei Nalian’s waist and switching their positions, now pinning Pei Nalian against the door.

“Now I can get the shot! And this angle will make your face look stunning!”

“No, don’t take my picture.” Pei Nalian grabbed her and switched their positions again.

Jin Youshu smiled sweetly, leaning in to kiss her lover’s lips. But she noticed Pei Nalian pursed her lips, showing no intention of kissing back.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“Steal me a chicken leg. I’m starving.”

*****

In the afternoon, Wu Shiwen bid farewell to Wan Cuirong and drove to visit her niece.

Yu Zhen had gone to study in the United States after graduation, but for reasons unknown, she dropped out after two years and returned home, spending her time at nightclubs. It wasn’t until her mother arranged for her to manage one of the family’s hotels that her visits to nightclubs decreased, and it seemed her heart had finally settled.

However, after seeing Yu Zhen, Wu Shiwen was certain that Yu Zhen’s heart was still wandering.

When Wu Shiwen arrived, Yu Zhen was packing luggage as if preparing for a long journey, but the expression on her face held none of the joy one would expect from an upcoming trip.

“Zhenzhen.”

Hearing her name, Yu Zhen looked up. “Aunt.”

Wu Shiwen took a closer look at Yu Zhen’s face. It was youthful and beautiful, yet etched with exhaustion. Heavy makeup couldn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes.

The room was in disarray, scattered with posters from a television show.

Wu Shiwen picked one up and read, “Pillowside Lovers?”

It seemed the person Yu Zhen cared about was connected to this show.

“Aunt, why did you suddenly return to China?”

“Because I couldn’t stop worrying about you. How are you taking care of yourself at this age?” Wu Shiwen asked, her heart aching as she lifted Yu Zhen’s chin.

Yu Zhen turned away, avoiding her aunt’s concerned gaze.

“If Mom sent you to talk me out of this, you don’t need to say anything.”

Wu Shiwen sighed. “Everyone chooses their own path. I won’t try to dissuade you. Go all out. Success would be wonderful, and failure would at least free you from years of lingering doubts.”

Yu Zhen paused her packing, turned around, and hugged her aunt’s slender neck.

She felt so fragile, so vulnerable, that she wanted to become a child again, to return to the safety of her aunt’s embrace. But she knew, no matter what, she couldn’t be weak this time. She had to fight for her own happiness.

“Aunt, bless me.”

“May you and the person you love both find happiness.”

“No, you should wish me success.”

“The show’s director is a friend of mine. If it’s convenient, please send my regards.”

“Will do.”

After finishing her packing and saying goodbye to Wu Shiwen, Yu Zhen headed straight for the airport.

It was dusk, the fading sunlight both lazy and hopeful.

Amidst the cabin announcements, the plane took off.

Outside the window, golden clouds softly shifted shapes, lulling passengers into boundless dreams.

In her dream, she looked down and saw herself still wearing the Jingyi Foreign Language School uniform, still studying, not yet graduated. Is it too late?

Yu Zhen ran desperately, light and tireless as the wind, to Yan Mengyi’s dormitory. But when she pushed open the door, Yan Mengyi was already gone. Turning around, she saw the tall building melt into the shape of a hotel. She clearly saw Li Tang leading Yan Mengyi by the hand, walking out of the hotel lobby.

Yan Mengyi’s eyes were slightly red, her expression blank, like a pale, delicate doll being led by Li Tang.

Li Tang turned her head, her face pale, her eyes dark and shrewd yet filled with a provocative glint. She raised Yan Mengyi’s hand, as if claiming her territory.

Yu Zhen was stunned. The vague affection she had nurtured in the damp, rainy nights of Beijing had grown wildly, the weightless sensation of being swept away by desire leaving her disoriented. She had once fled at any cost from the suffocating eye of the storm, but now she saw her heart laid bare before her.

Li Tang, the world’s greatest thief, had been lurking silently around her, listening to her confess her confusion and helplessness in matters of the heart. She had even teased Yu Zhen with that absurd bet.

But at the gambling table, both players had worn masks of deception.

Now, with the masks stripped away, the hidden blade emerged.

“Deceiver! What right do you have to steal her away?” Yu Zhen couldn’t contain her fury. She lunged forward and punched…

*****

She woke up from her seat, gasping for air like she was drowning, and punched the back of the seat in front of her.

It was just a dream.

Yu Zhen lay back in her seat, gazing at the endless night outside the window, then closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing.

It was just a dream. Why does my heart still ache so much?

The flight attendant noticed the young, elegantly dressed woman suddenly struggling to sit up. She hurried over, crouched down, and asked, “Ma’am, is there anything I can help you with?”

“How much longer until we land in Sanya?” Yu Zhen asked softly.

The flight attendant suddenly recognized the passenger as the hotel industry’s rising star who had been frequently featured in the media. She was even more striking in person than on TV, her eyes like deep pools with razor-sharp gazes that made others afraid to meet her gaze, lest they be drawn into the whirlpool.

Yu Zhen tilted her head, smiling faintly at the flight attendant’s momentary daze. Her thick, cascading curls shone with a dazzling luster, accentuating her striking features.

“We’ll land in half an hour,” the flight attendant replied.

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