After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 27

You stand on the bridge, watching the scenery, while someone watching the scenery sees you from the building.

The bright moon decorates your window, and you decorate someone else’s dream.

Yu Zhen rented a house near the filming location. It was late at night before she reluctantly put down the telescope in her hand.

The telescope’s field of view was very small.

The figure who had haunted her dreams and thoughts finally disappeared from her sight.

Yan Mengyi’s knee patch was so glaring.

“You hurt her?” Yu Zhen’s hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

That despicable thief, that shameless bandit, stole her treasure but didn’t treat it properly.

“Xiao Yi, I was the one who promised to give you the stars first.”

Yu Zhen’s eyes burned with resentment as she clutched the high school graduation photo. She stared at Li Tang, who stood in the back row, her hand trembling uncontrollably.

“Li Tang, everyone thinks you’re a superstar, everyone worships you like a god, but I don’t. I know all your cowardice, and I’ll make Xiao Yi see the real you!”

The more Yu Zhen thought about it, the more excited she became, her nerves tingling with tension. She snatched up a dinner knife and slashed at the unwanted face in the graduation photo until the blade sank deep into the wood. Only then did she emerge from her frenzied state, slightly calmer.

Her phone beeped.

Yu Zhen steadied herself, picked up her phone, and glanced at the screen. It was a message from Mo Zhenyi’s assistant, Fang, who had added her contact information.

Fang opened Yu Zhen’s profile and studied the photo: jet-black hair, porcelain skin, and a gaze fixed on the distance. Though a smile graced her face, an unmistakable detachment lingered—a coldness reserved for the elite class.

Are you CEO Yu? Fang typed, her hands trembling.

As someone who worked in public relations, Fang had encountered numerous celebrities. Normally, she wouldn’t be so flustered.

But she had a personal connection to the Yu Corporation.

The Yu Corporation had participated in industrial salvation efforts in the early 20th century, making them a classic example of old money. After the establishment of the People’s Republic, the Yu family expanded into various industries while also giving back to society. They established the Yu Scholarship at universities and donated funds to build teaching buildings.

Fang was one of the scholarship recipients.

Yu Zhen might not remember, but during her occasional visits home, she would dress up beautifully and present certificates to the students sponsored by the Yu Foundation. Among them was Assistant Fang.

Instead of texting, Yu Zhen called Assistant Fang directly.

Assistant Fang trembled as she answered.

To Yu Zhen, she would always be filtered through a lens of nostalgia—the elegant, aristocratic sister she had glimpsed in her youth, a dream she would always cherish and hold dear.

“Hello, sorry to call instead of text. I thought it would be more efficient to talk directly.”

“Not at all! Not at all!” Assistant Fang stammered.

“Did Mo Zhenyi tell you about my situation?”

“Not yet. She’s been so busy, she only mentioned it briefly.”

As Assistant Fang spoke, she hurriedly scrolled through her chat history with Mo Zhenyi, but even there, the details were vague.

“Oh, I see,” Yu Zhen said. “She mentioned I could participate in the program’s filming, but I’m not sure what other roles are available. If possible, I’d like to shadow the Medical Team for a day.”

“Of course, but the Medical Team works very hard.”

“I have a medical license and worked for a year in Africa through the Doctors Without Borders program. I think this is nothing compared to that,” Yu Zhen said with a smile. “It’s getting late. You’ve all worked hard today. Get some rest. I’ll talk to Mo Zhenyi about this tomorrow.”

“Okay. You should get some rest too.”

Assistant Fang hung up the phone, her mind foggy. Something about the process felt slightly off, as if it didn’t quite match what Mo Zhenyi had said. But who was Yu Zhen? Could someone of her status and reputation possibly deceive her?

Assistant Fang fell asleep immediately, but Yu Zhen didn’t. She methodically smoothed the corners of her eyes before the mirror.

She seemed to have been born with leadership. Persuading someone like Assistant Fang to trust her completely required no real effort.

The reflection revealed the face of an elite, still beautiful.

Such a face would surely show no trace of hesitation when facing Li Tang’s.

I want to try winning you over again. I was too timid back then. At least, before the wrinkles crept into the corners of my eyes, I want to meet you face-to-face and talk openly.

*****

The sky gradually lightened, the black slowly giving way to blue.

Pei Nalian woke up in Jin Youshu’s embrace, reached for her phone, and glanced at the time: 05:04. She turned off the alarm and quietly sat up.

After washing up, Pei Nalian spent five minutes applying a simple base layer of makeup. Then, tousling her hair, she opened the camera and greeted her viewers in a soft, sleepy voice.

“Good morning, everyone! It’s about 5 a.m. right now. I slept way too much today! I actually slept for a full six hours. I’m such a sleepyhead. I’m going to wash up now. Youshu is still sleeping, so I’ll be careful not to wake her.”

Pei Nalian walked into the bathroom and closed the door, waiting for about ten minutes.

But when she pushed the door open to leave, she found Jin Youshu standing outside, still half-asleep, waving her over and playfully grabbing her head.

“Morning, sweetheart! Why didn’t you wake me when you got up?”

“I wanted you to sleep a little longer.”

Jin Youshu went inside to wash up. She had a habit of quickly scrolling through domestic and international entertainment news on her phone while brushing her teeth.

Just as Pei Nalian was about to change clothes, Jin Youshu suddenly turned to her.

“Quan Enmin revealed that she was bullied by senior members during her trainee days and even attempted suicide multiple times.” Jin Youshu tilted her head. “Sweetheart, wasn’t she from our company? I remember you two were pretty close.”

“From our company? Was she?” Pei Nalian rubbed her temples. “I think there was someone like that, but our relationship was just average. I’m not sure if there was actually any bullying.”

“Oh, okay.”

******

The basement of the villa was a dedicated dance studio.

The moment Pei Nalian and Jin Youshu turned on the lights, they felt like they had returned to their trainee days.

After finishing their training, just past seven o’clock, the two women decided to quickly shower and change clothes to help with dinner.

As they walked up to the first floor, they saw Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong stretching lazily as they descended the stairs.

Jiang Banxia’s eyes widened at the sight of Pei Nalian and Jin Youshu’s sweat-soaked clothes.

“You two got up so early on our vacation?” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe it!”

“It’s just my damn body clock,” Pei Nalian said with a laugh. “But morning exercise really does feel great.”

“By the way, did something happen with your former company?” Jiang Banxia asked, her gossip instincts kicking in.

“Why do you ask? Do you know someone in the Korean entertainment industry, Artist Jiang?” Jin Youshu replied.

Jiang Banxia sighed. “I’m not that well-connected. I usually only find out about scandals after they’ve made the headlines. I saw today’s trending news about Quan Enmin exposing bullying. Was she from your company?”

“She was in the same class, but I didn’t know her well,” Jin Youshu answered.

“Yeah, I didn’t know much about her either,” Pei Nalian agreed.

“Alright, this melon isn’t ripe yet. I’ll let it ripen a bit longer.”

“Since we’re here, let’s go help in the kitchen first.”

“I don’t usually cook,” Jiang Banxia said. “We have a maid at home who handles it.”

“Does Artist Zhou not cook either?” Jin Youshu asked.

Zhou Qiutong smiled awkwardly. “I learned a few dishes when I was chasing her.”

“And after you won her over, you stopped cooking entirely, right?” Jiang Banxia rolled her eyes.

“My cooking’s terrible, you said so yourself.”

“True. When I was chasing you, I only forced myself to swallow it out of pity,” Jiang Banxia said, then turned to Pei Nalian. “Do you two know how to cook?”

“I can’t cook at all and can’t stand the smell of cooking oil,” Pei Nalian said. “Nalian usually cooks.”

“Then wouldn’t helping me just cause trouble for Xiao Yi?”

“I can help wash the vegetables.”

As they chatted and laughed their way to the kitchen, they froze when they saw who was standing at the stove.

They had thought Yan Mengyi had a homemaker’s aura about her, but it was Li Tang who was actually cooking.

Seeming a bit grumpy from waking up early, Li Tang’s expression was cold, and even though she wore a ridiculous apron, no one felt like laughing.

Li Tang stood at the stove, two pans sizzling simultaneously—one for toast, the other for eggs. The gentle crackling of the oil filled the air, and the warm, fluffy aroma of eggs and toast quickly permeated the room.

Sensing someone’s arrival, Li Tang glanced up and greeted them with a curt “Morning.”

“I’ll help…” Pei Nalian began, but before she could finish, there was a crash as something toppled to the floor.

Everyone turned to see Pei Nalian had knocked over the basket of washed tomatoes.

Her face flushed crimson. She loved being the center of attention, but this was not the kind of attention she’d sought.

Li Tang waved them all out of the kitchen.

Clang, clang, clang! The knife danced across the chopping board, its silver blade glinting as it sliced vegetables and fruits into uniformly sized pieces.

Watching Li Tang move with practiced ease at the stove, even with her eyes half-closed, they saw how each thin slice of vegetable was cut to perfect uniformity, nearly translucent in its thinness.

Realizing any further attempts to help would only hinder her, they retreated to set the table.

“Breakfast is almost ready. Could you please go knock on Xiao Yi’s door and wake her up?” Li Tang, still wearing her apron, poked her head out and asked Jiang Banxia for assistance.

Jiang Banxia nodded in agreement, but couldn’t resist teasing, “You can cook? How did you learn to cook? I remember when I first met you, Eldest Miss Li, you kept saying you couldn’t cook and would rather starve than learn.”

“Starving myself is fine, but I can’t let certain people starve.”

Jiang Banxia ran upstairs to wake Yan Mengyi.

Pei Nalian glanced at the clock on the wall, looking genuinely surprised. “Xiao Yi still isn’t up? She must have slept for eight hours! She’s such a heavy sleeper. I’m so jealous of that kind of sleep quality. People who don’t do anything really do sleep well.”

“I turned off her alarm,” Li Tang said curtly, still grumpy from waking up.

Before they could finish their bickering, they heard a clatter of footsteps from upstairs.

Yan Mengyi rushed down the stairs in her pajamas, clearly still half-asleep. Seeing that Li Tang had already made breakfast, she collapsed against Li Tang’s shoulder.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” she whined, her tone both reproachful and petulant. It wasn’t an act; she was simply that soft and adorable by nature.

Even Pei Nalian, usually so critical, couldn’t bring herself to tease her this time.

Li Tang couldn’t spare a hand to pat Yan Mengyi on the back of the head, so she simply leaned sideways, pressing their foreheads together.

“Good girl, it was my fault. I turned off your alarm. You’re too tired and need more rest.”

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