After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 32

“Last?” Pei Nalian sharply picked up on the word. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, I meant…” Yan Mengyi realized she had accidentally let slip something she shouldn’t have and turned to Li Tang for help.

She wasn’t sure if Li Tang wanted to make public the fact that they were in a divorce cooling-off period.

“I’ve been very busy with work,” Li Tang said, avoiding Yan Mengyi’s gaze. “This year, I specifically set aside time to spend with Xiao Yi, but my schedule for next year is already completely booked. That’s why she said this is our last chance to spend some time together.”

Yan Mengyi remained silent, tacitly agreeing with Li Tang’s explanation.

But when she looked up to study Li Tang’s profile—calm and composed as always, yet carrying an unshakable loneliness—she wondered, Why can’t you just say it? Is it because of the contract? Or is it because… you still have lingering feelings for me?

“This is easy to solve,” Zhou Qiutong interjected.

“Why don’t you just bring Xiao Yi with you when you go out to work?” Jin Youshu suggested. “That way you won’t have to be separated and can see her often.”

“Most of the time would be spent traveling,” Li Tang replied. “I don’t want her to have to go through that.”

No matter what solutions the others proposed, Li Tang rejected them all.

Yan Mengyi didn’t know what expression she was wearing, but she forced a smile to show her agreement with Li Tang’s view.

But her overactive mind wouldn’t let her rest. Was there some other reason Li Tang didn’t want to bring her along? Did she think Yan Mengyi didn’t know anything about music? Or that there wasn’t much to talk about?

“Alright, everyone, let’s grab our tools and head out!” Mo Zhenyi reminded them again, checking the time.

The group boarded the production team’s van.

The two icebreaker games had long dispelled any drowsiness. Everyone pulled out their phones to snap photos of the passing scenery.

Unlike the others’ excitement, Yan Mengyi sat with her eyes closed, while Li Tang stared at her phone.

Li Tang was prone to motion sickness. As long as she wasn’t driving, she would get carsick.

So she usually tried to avoid looking at her phone in the car.

Yan Mengyi even noticed Li Tang frequently drinking water to suppress her nausea.

Even when she’s this sick, she still insists on reading?

“Why don’t you get out of the car to read?” Yan Mengyi suggested, concerned. “No matter who it’s from.”

“You listen too,” Li Tang said, handing her a headphone. “Doesn’t it sound a little better than yesterday’s demo?”

After adjusting to the headphone, Yan Mengyi heard the music playing.

Li Tang explained, “I hummed it once yesterday, and she understood exactly what I meant—how to fix it. Isn’t that amazing?”

Yan Mengyi smiled in response, saying nothing.

Sharing music through headphones is often compared to sharing heartbeats.

But if the music in the headphones is like a hidden asteroid in the relationship, then the heartbeat becomes a tremor.

I can’t tell the difference, sorry, Yan Mengyi thought to herself.

*******

After about twenty minutes, the vehicle came to a stop.

We arrived at a grove of coconut trees, their lush greenery stretching as far as the eye could see.

“Wow, they’re so tall,” Pei Nalian couldn’t help but remove her sunglasses to confirm what she was seeing.

“These trees here look about ten meters tall,” Yan Mengyi remarked.

“How do you know that?” Jiang Banxia asked.

“She’s a bookworm, a walking encyclopedia! Of course she knows everything.”

“Because ten meters is roughly the height of a three-story building.”

Pei Nalian vaguely felt that this method of estimating height was a bit odd, but she didn’t dwell on it.

“Now, Auntie Wang, our local resident, will teach you how to harvest coconuts. Please listen carefully.”

Auntie Wang, a native of the area, was slightly round and had dark skin, but her warm and hospitable nature shone through her radiant smile, revealing a mouthful of snow-white teeth.

Jiang Banxia raised her hand. “So, how many coconuts do we need to pick?”

“Enough to fill this tricycle,” Mo Zhenyi said, pointing to the transportation vehicle already prepared for them.

“Director, this tricycle looks a bit big,” Zhou Qiutong remarked.

Auntie Wang patted the seat on the tricycle’s driver’s side with genuine honesty. “This isn’t big. This is a small tricycle.”

Her warm enthusiasm left the group unable to voice any complaints.

The production team had previously briefed Auntie Wang about teaching the harvesting technique.

Auntie Wang laughed heartily. “Teaching you how to climb a coconut tree? Anyone can figure it out with a single glance! And you’re all big stars and so clever—this will be a breeze for you.”

“Big stars? Auntie, you know us?” Jiang Banxia’s spirits soared. Forgetting the scorching sun, she insisted on chatting with Auntie Wang first. “Auntie, tell us, have you seen or heard of our work?”

Pei Nalian also perked up, and the group eagerly surrounded Auntie Wang.

“I know you,” Auntie Wang said, pointing at Jiang Banxia. “You’re always the villain in those immortal dramas. But you’re so pretty! I don’t understand why no one asks you to be the main character. I’ve watched The Myriad-Feathered Bird and Ten Years of Frost and Snow.”

Jiang Banxia cheered like a child, throwing her arms around Auntie Wang, then spontaneously rapped into the camera.

“What about her? Do you know her?” Jiang Banxia draped her arms over Zhou Qiutong’s shoulders and nudged her toward Auntie Wang.

“I think so. Her public service ads are always on TV—about protecting the environment and green mountains and clear waters. I can’t remember her name, but her face is familiar.”

Zhou Qiutong, who had been nervously clutching her chest, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After ten years in the theater, I never imagined I’d become famous because of a commercial.

“She’s my wife!” Jiang Banxia declared proudly.

“You two look so well-suited. You clearly have that married couple vibe,” Auntie Wang said, genuinely happy for the sweet couple.

“It’s our turn! Our turn!” Pei Nalian pulled Jin Youshu to stand before Auntie Wang.

Auntie Wang first noticed their distinctive hair color before finally looking at their faces.

“Have you heard of IGP?” Pei Nalian asked weakly, sensing things weren’t going well.

“What’s ‘jig’?” Auntie Wang frowned, straining to hear.

“Never mind, she probably doesn’t listen to pop music.”

“Right,” Auntie Wang agreed. “That’s all for the young ones. I don’t listen to that stuff. I just sing songs from my era and watch plays.”

Pei Nalian tried one last desperate measure, singing the chorus from their hottest single.

Auntie Wang shook her head, looking lost. “I’m too old for that.”

“That’s true. Your music is aimed at a younger audience,” Zhou Qiutong interjected, tactfully smoothing things over.

Mo Zhenyi wanted to cue the next segment, where everyone would climb coconut trees.

After interacting with everyone earlier, Auntie Wang had opened up and was now chattering away.

“I know you!” Auntie Wang pointed at Li Tang and even walked over to shake her hand. “You look familiar.”

“Really?”

To convince Li Tang, Auntie Wang hummed a few bars: “You are my life, my love, my destiny…”

Li Tang felt a little embarrassed. The lyrics of this song were a bit cheesy.

It was a song she released before she became famous, often covered by internet celebrities and used as background music in many school dramas, making it widely known.

Li Tang’s version had a clear and infectious voice, with strings used in a very clever way.

Most covers used more standard chords, making the song easier to sing but losing that ethereal quality.

Auntie Wang sang with increasing enthusiasm. Li Tang couldn’t bear to stop her and joined in, pulling Auntie Wang back on pitch.

Jiang Banxia clapped along to the rhythm. “Sing together!”

Li Tang had a natural talent for singing. She didn’t need million-yuan vocal processing, and sometimes the background music even got in the way.

When she finished singing and stopped, everyone was left wanting more, forgetting what they were supposed to be doing.

“It felt like the song poured right into my head.”

Jiang Banxia was an actress with little knowledge of music, but as a member of the general public, she possessed a natural sense for it.

“Next time you have a concert, you have to give us two VIP tickets,” Zhou Qiutong said.

“Absolutely.”

“And who’s this?” Auntie Wang’s attention shifted to Yan Mengyi.

“She’s a non-heritage craft inheritor,” Li Tang said, wrapping an arm around Yan Mengyi. “And my wife.”

“So beautiful and so talented!” Auntie Wang pulled out her phone from her pocket, ignoring Mo Zhenyi’s disapproving look. “Can I take a photo with you all?”

Mo Zhenyi’s expression twisted. She knew Auntie Wang was enthusiastic, but she hadn’t expected her to be so talkative.

“Sure,” Pei Nalian took the phone. “I’ll take the photo. Director Mo, come stand with us too.”

Auntie Wang had initially only wanted to take a photo with Li Tang’s wife, but seeing how enthusiastic everyone was, she stopped protesting.

After the photo was taken, Li Tang and Yan Mengyi didn’t care how it turned out, while Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong were very satisfied.

However, Mo Zhenyi didn’t understand Pei Nalian’s motive for volunteering to take the photo. She even said, “Artist Pei, how can we take a photo without you?”

“No need, no need,” Pei Nalian waved her hands dismissively. “I’ve learned so much about photography from Youshu, and today’s the perfect opportunity to put it into practice.”

It wasn’t until later, during the team debrief, that Mo Zhenyi realized Pei Nalian had been reluctant to appear in Auntie Wang’s photos. The reason? Auntie Wang refused to retouch anyone’s pictures.

That’s a story for another time.

After finishing the photos, the group began discussing how to harvest the coconuts.

Jiang Banxia volunteered enthusiastically. “I’m used to working on wires, so heights don’t bother me. I’ll do it!”

But despite her bold declaration, her attempt was less than successful.

After stepping into the footrests, she struggled to maintain her grip on the tree. After climbing just two steps, she slipped and nearly scraped her skin.

The group rushed to help her up.

Jiang Banxia waved her hands in defeat. “Forget it. I can’t do it.”

Auntie Wang, impatient, quickly donned her equipment and demonstrated again.

“Step in, secure your footing, and just keep climbing!”

Auntie Wang was clearly a doer, but not much of a teacher.

Under everyone’s expectant gazes, Zhou Qiutong began her climb.

She moved slowly, clearly finding the vertical ascent a steep learning curve compared to her usual surfing.

Finally reaching the top, Zhou Qiutong shakily pulled out a long-handled sickle and harvested two coconuts.

Yan Mengyi noticed something was off and whispered to Li Tang, “Is Artist Zhou’s leg trembling?”

Li Tang followed her gaze and saw it was true.

Zhou Qiutong was the most perceptive and skilled at maintaining balance among the six of them. She knew that Jiang Banxia returning empty-handed might invite criticism, so she had to produce the work of two people alone.

“Artist Zhou! You’re stealing all the limelight! Come down, let us give it a try!” Li Tang called out.

“Alright, I’ll leave the opportunity for everyone,” Zhou Qiutong said, using the excuse to gracefully step down.

She instructed Jiang Banxia to carry one coconut each and bring them to the tricycle.

Jiang Banxia grumbled, “Two coconuts? You could have carried them yourself, one in each hand. You had to drag me into it. What’ll you do if I walk ahead of you later?”

“Then I’ll just die first.”

“Shut up.”

Jin Youshu looked up at the height of the coconut tree. She desperately wanted to climb it for her lover, but fear froze her limbs.

Her actions couldn’t overcome her fear.

“I can do it,” Pei Nalian declared confidently. “I’m not afraid of heights.”

She took a small rubber band from Jin Youshu’s wrist to tie her hair, gesturing for Jin Youshu to secure her safety harness first.

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