After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 23

Childhood affection is like superglue.

But it can’t mend a broken giant wheel.

The two drifted apart, one on Mars, one on Earth. A thin red thread was no longer enough to bind them together.

“Don’t worry, I’m just venting to you,” Song Yujin said quickly, afraid of touching Yan Mengyi’s sore spot. “You’ve finally got some alone time with your wife, I won’t bother you. Let’s talk when we meet.”

“Okay.”

Before Yan Mengyi put down the phone, she heard the water stop in the bathroom.

Did she finish bathing so quickly? Yan Mengyi glanced at the clock—Li Tang had only been in the bathroom for three minutes.

The bathroom door opened, steam billowing out. Li Tang didn’t step out, but her voice drifted through the mist.

“The water temperature is perfect.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Yan Mengyi entered the bathroom and closed the door, only then realizing Li Tang was fully dressed, waiting.

“Hurry up. If the hot water runs out later, you’ll catch a cold.”

Yan Mengyi nodded and began undressing.

In the hazy steam, she faced away from Li Tang, slowly removing her clothes piece by piece.

The bathroom light was dim and yellow, and her heart was racing.

It wasn’t like they’d never washed together before.

But today, she felt unusually shy.

Naked, she walked in, her hands covering her chest, her back arched. As she passed the mirror, she glanced at Li Tang behind her.

Li Tang was unbuttoning her shirt, her long, beautiful hands moving with practiced ease. Normally, when Yan Mengyi let her mind wander, her expression made her seem unapproachable.

Yan Mengyi turned on the shower, and the water began to fall.

The temperature was perfect for her, a little too hot for most, but just right for her.

The sound of the water blocked out all other sounds.

Li Tang stepped in, standing behind her.

Yan Mengyi closed her eyes, but she could imagine Li Tang’s long, smooth legs, droplets of water clinging to her skin, making it seem as delicate as jade.

Li Tang squeezed out shampoo, lathered it in her palms, and began washing Yan Mengyi’s hair. Her fingertips glided through Yan Mengyi’s long hair, gently massaging her scalp.

It was just like in high school, when the school strictly limited hot water usage.

The two of them had always ended up standing close together.

But back then, the way they looked at each other was pure, without a trace of desire.

When did this desire first take root? Yan Mengyi didn’t know.

Everyone assumed Yan Mengyi had the gentle, obedient face of a “virtuous wife and mother,” and they unconsciously projected those expectations onto her.

But in reality, between the two of them, Li Tang was the one who took care of her more.

Just like she was doing now, with practiced ease.

Because she had done it countless times before.

Standing so close, their skin brushed against each other, cold and smooth.

Yan Mengyi’s body trembled imperceptibly.

Getting closer only intensified her yearning.

She wanted.

Yan Mengyi bit her lip, silently cursing her own weakness for harboring such inappropriate thoughts.

The shampoo suds were rinsed away, streaming down her curves.

It was time for body wash.

Li Tang methodically washed her back.

Yan Mengyi took a step forward, her voice low, trying to hide her agitation. “We’re almost out of time. I can do it myself, and you should…”

But Li Tang didn’t let her finish.

Those assertive hands encircled her flat abdomen, pulling her closer.

Their skin pressed together again.

Electricity crackled in Yan Mengyi’s mind, fireworks exploding. She had been discovered.

And there was nothing to deny.

She leaned back, arching her neck as if that would help her breathe.

But a hand that had climbed up her body gently tightened around her throat, forcing her chin to turn so their lips could meet.

Her trembling legs were skillfully spread apart.

“No…” Yan Mengyi gasped, struggling to catch her breath.

The other hand brushed against her soft lips, stirring up another wave of dizzying desire.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” The voice was calm, but the hand beneath her supported the heavy weight of her body.

Yan Mengyi couldn’t say she didn’t want Li Tang. It would have been a lie.

“It’s okay. There are no cameras in the bathroom.”

*****

Half past ten.

Yan Mengyi sat cross-legged on the bed in her pajamas, staring blankly into space. Her hair was still damp, water dripping from the ends.

She glanced at herself in the vanity mirror. Her skin was pale, but an unmistakable flush lingered.

In the bathroom earlier, she had also seen herself in the mirror. She remembered cupping Li Tang’s cheeks, watching as the other woman buried her face against her.

Such attentive care.

She wondered if Li Tang had even arrived.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Flustered, Yan Mengyi slapped on a face mask before opening the door.

It was Jin Youshu, also wearing a face mask. “I can’t sleep,” she said. “Artist Jiang said we could go to their room and chat. Are you coming?”

“Sure,” Yan Mengyi replied, glancing toward the bathroom.

“You go ahead. I’ll be there soon,” Li Tang’s voice called from the bathroom.

******

Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong chose the largest bedroom and laid out two yoga mats on the floor.

The group sat on the mats, with two platters of washed fruit placed between them.

When Yan Mengyi arrived, she found Pei Nalian sharing a stage mishap with Jiang Banxia, their laughter filling the room.

“Xiao Yi, I thought you’d already gone to bed. Come sit.”

Jiang Banxia greeted Yan Mengyi warmly, pulling a pillow from the bed and gesturing for her to sit against the headboard, propping her back.

“Thanks.”

“Your hair’s still wet. Did you just finish washing?”

“I’m seriously amazed at the production team,” Jiang Banxia said. “An hour? How are two people supposed to wash up in that? I usually take at least an hour and a half for a shower.”

Pei Nalian’s eyes widened. “Really? Nalian and I finish in five minutes!”

“Exactly!” Jin Youshu chimed in. “Back when we were trainees, we’d squeeze every second into dancing, so we got really fast at washing and eating.”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started,” Zhou Qiutong grumbled. “I kept rushing her, and she finally finished in forty minutes. The hot water was almost gone, so I had to speed through myself.”

“Artist Zhou has it tough,” someone remarked.

Zhou Qiutong put on a pitiful expression, exchanging a knowing look with Jin Youshu.

“At home, when Queen Jiang says something, no one dares to disagree.”

“Give me a break! You’re always bossing me around like you’re my queen. Now you’re acting all wronged?” Jiang Banxia teased playfully, grabbing a pillow and pretending to pounce on Zhou Qiutong.

Before the pillow could even touch Zhou Qiutong, she squealed and darted away, covering her head.

“See if you dare badmouth me again!” Jiang Banxia declared triumphantly, turning to Yan Mengyi. “How did you and Tangtang divide the chores? Is she still not done washing?”

“We washed together. She’ll be here soon.”

Hearing this, the others couldn’t help but blink and burst into giggles.

Jiang Banxia, her face flushing, shouted, “A duck bath!”

“No!” Yan Mengyi protested, flustered. “We washed together to save time, just like we used to when we were studying.”

“Wait, you two were…”

“Back then, we only saw each other as classmates. Nothing more,” Yan Mengyi insisted, genuinely convinced.

“I believe you only saw her as a classmate. As for what she thought, that’s a different story.”

“How did the conversation turn to us?”

Li Tang suddenly walked in with a hairdryer, gesturing for Yan Mengyi to sit down.

Tall and slender, with a figure that seemed to carry itself like a living mannequin, Li Tang exuded style even in the plain sleepwear provided by the production team. Her face, paired with the simple outfit, elevated the look to high fashion.

Even Pei Nalian, who eyed Li Tang jealously as her greatest rival, had to admit that Li Tang was a natural-born fashion icon. Her effortless appearance was more stunning than Pei Nalian’s meticulously crafted look.

“I’m just drying my hair. You guys can chat while I do this.”

Yan Mengyi scampered over and sat down, letting Li Tang fuss with her long hair.

The superstar, usually untouchable, was now completely focused on the strands between her fingers, her gaze tender and unguarded.

The loud hum of the hairdryer masked the whispers and gossip.

Pei Nalian was typing a message with her head down, but Jin Youshu felt her phone vibrate.

Curious—her fiancée was right there, she wondered why Nalian couldn’t just speak to her instead of texting. She glanced at her phone.

[Rolling on the floor laughing]

Li Tang looks so effortless and unassuming, but she’s a master at generating buzz. She’s sitting right in front of the camera, dead center.

[Pei Nalian: They’re hogging all the affection. What’s left for us to show?]

[Jin Youshu: It’s our time to shine!]

Pei Nalian glanced at Jin Youshu, wanting to be annoyed but instead found herself amused. She collapsed against her, still a little disgruntled. “Don’t forget to bring your stupid trope to the trial!”

Jin Youshu made an “OK” gesture. Her fiancée, she would protect.

On the surface, Pei Nalian was the epitome of a spirited idol, but in private, she was a vain little drama queen.

Cute. That was all Jin Youshu could think.

Meanwhile, Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong had transformed into gossipy spectators, whispering excitedly.

“You said Li Tang had such a bad temper!”

Jiang Banxia was equally thrilled, her face lighting up with fanatical excitement. “Who knew she’d act like this in front of her wife?” she whispered.

“Is this what they mean in those novels about the top Alpha and her Omega wife?” Zhou Qiutong struggled to pronounce the unfamiliar terms, even to herself.

“Did you sneak a peek at my novel?” Jiang Banxia exclaimed, looking like she’d discovered a new continent. “You’re surprisingly well-informed.”

“I just wanted to understand you better, of course.”

“Right. Keep telling me those sickeningly sweet lines and you’ll make me sick.”

“Then I won’t next time.”

“No, next time I’ll tell an even grosser story,” Jiang Banxia said.

“By the way, do you think when Tangtang fell for Xiao Yi?”

Jiang Banxia pondered for a moment. “Based on what I know about Tangtang, she’s always been very decisive about what she wants. Getting married right after high school wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. She must have liked her for a really long time.”

“Then I can’t even imagine how she got through high school,” Zhou Qiutong lowered her voice. “Her crush was practically naked in front of her, and she had to pretend to be a good classmate. She wanted to take care of her, but she was afraid her gaze would sully her. She must have been so repressed.”

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