After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 40

[If I remember correctly, in our first year at school, Yan Mengyi was Li Tang’s roommate.]

[That’s right. Li Tang is usually so aloof, always going her own way, but she always seemed to run into Yan Mengyi in the cafeteria.]

[Now that I think about it, all those “coincidences” must have been deliberate.]

[All of you are just guessing. I saw the real proof. During the school trip, Li Tang, who’s clearly great at outdoor activities, always walked slowly at the back of the group. Why else would she do that if not to wait for Yan Mengyi?]

[Li Tang is a staunch atheist, but that year, she heard that a certain temple’s prayer beads were especially blessed. She took time off and rushed there overnight. But when she returned, she downplayed it, saying she just happened to pass by, did it on impulse, and bought them casually. Yet the bracelet she gave Yan Mengyi really suits her perfectly.]

[Just a passerby, purely out of curiosity. From what I’ve seen, this person seems pretty ordinary.]

[Ordinary?!]

******

This comment blew the lid off, and Yan Mengyi and Li Tang’s many former classmates flooded the thread.

[Yan Mengyi always gets top marks in comprehensive assessments. She’s stunningly beautiful and an academic prodigy. You call that ordinary?]

[Her family went through a major upheaval during high school, yet she still managed to get into a top-tier university. You call that ordinary?]

[Her graduation project is still on display in the school’s exhibition hall. You call that ordinary?]

[Leaving aside everything else, just look at how she looks without makeup. That alone should tell you she’s far from ordinary.]

******

Li Tang finished reading the messages and immediately called Wan Cuirong.

Wan Cuirong had been waiting for her call and answered promptly.

“Finished reading?” Wan Cuirong asked. “What are your thoughts? If you want out, I’ll have our legal team send a cease and desist letter to the production company right away. You’re a top-tier superstar—when have you ever been treated like this? A no-name director like Mo Zhenyi should be thrilled to work with you. I can’t believe she’d have the audacity to use you as a scapegoat. We shouldn’t just cancel the contract. We should sue them for damaging your reputation!”

“Sister Wan, Sister Wan!” Li Tang interrupted, rubbing her temples in exasperation.

“What price do you want the production company to pay? Just say the word, and our legal team will make it happen.” Wan Cuirong declared confidently. After all, they spent a fortune each year maintaining the world’s most formidable legal team—it wasn’t just for show.

“No charges, no withdrawal, the game continues.”

“What?” Wan Cuirong thought she misheard and asked Li Tang to repeat.

“In a way, Mo Zhenyi is truly bold, recklessly testing my limits. But she also understands me well,” Li Tang said, her gaze distant. “She knows I want to save this marriage, and she knows I want to uncover the problems within it—just as she said was the purpose of this program.”

“Those voices cursing you…” Wan Cuirong asked, “are you just going to let them off like that?”

“Let them curse,” Li Tang said. “I also want to see what kind of wife I am in this marriage.”

“You’re really…” Wan Cuirong was speechless, unsure how to describe it. Genius often came with arrogance, but Li Tang was a rare exception. “You’re truly magnanimous.”

“Not that magnanimous.” Li Tang tapped the screen. “Help me suppress everything about Yu Zhen.”

“Okay.” Wan Cuirong agreed, then hesitated. “By the way, in your story, what kind of character is Yu Zhen? Can I know what happened between you?”

“No.”

******

Yan Mengyi woke up early, nestled in Li Tang’s arms.

She felt a little nauseous from the side effects of her prescription medication.

Suddenly remembering if she had forgotten to put her pills back before bed, Yan Mengyi struggled to sit up and check.

Relieved, she saw no pillbox on the bedside table.

Li Tang, whose arm had been disturbed by her movement, tightened her embrace. “Xiao Yi, sleep a little longer.”

They lay entwined, their heads buried in each other’s necks, basking in the intimacy for a long while, until Yan Mengyi’s phone repeatedly chimed with message notifications, dispelling any lingering desire to sleep.

Li Tang didn’t ask who it was.

But Yan Mengyi volunteered the information: “It’s a producer. She wants me to be a styling consultant for her show. She’s been asking repeatedly.”

At breakfast, Li Tang brought up the matter again. “Do you want to go? If you do, I can arrange a meeting time.”

The housekeeper, preparing breakfast nearby, was surprised by Li Tang’s suggestion.

Li Tang hadn’t realized that Yan Mengyi might not be as reclusive as she seemed. Her own possessiveness and overprotectiveness had likely exacerbated Yan Mengyi’s avoidance of social interactions.

“If you don’t mind, that’s great. I’ll schedule a time with them.”

Yan Mengyi was surprised by Li Tang’s sudden change. Two thoughts crossed her mind: either Li Tang had decided to leave but wanted to cultivate her independence first, or she wanted to break out of their current rut and improve their marriage.

But the former was more likely.

Yan Mengyi smiled wryly to herself. Her request for a divorce wasn’t a joke, nor was it a bargaining chip or a ploy for attention.

[Xiao Yi! The hairpins you gave us are stunning!] 

Jiang Banxia sent Yan Mengyi a voice message and photo.

The hairpins Yan Mengyi had gifted them were displayed in the living room’s glass display case, even above Zhou Qiutong’s most cherished figurines.

Seeing the message, Yan Mengyi smiled and sent Jiang Banxia an emoji.

Li Tang noticed Yan Mengyi’s smile and suddenly realized she had underestimated her. This intelligent and resilient woman was far from the fragile person she’d imagined, incapable of handling the outside world.

Yan Mengyi was kind-hearted. If she wanted to, she could easily make friends and share laughter with others. If she chose to, she had the courage to leave any toxic relationship at any time.

Li Tang’s heart tightened as she clearly saw her possessive desire spiraling out of control.

This little bird, trapped for seven years, was finally ready to soar on the wind.

Her hand trembled, but no one noticed.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Of course.”

******

Meanwhile, Jiang Zhou and IGP both independently posted Yan Mengyi’s gift to their Weibo accounts.

They captioned it: “Thank you to the clever and skilled Xiao Yi. Looking forward to the next program!”

The public had long suffered through cheap-looking accessories in period dramas, often comparing them to funeral attire. It was a rare treat to see such meticulously crafted and ingeniously designed hair accessories, and their eyes lit up.

Amidst the wave of praise, however, some doubts began to surface.

[Based on what Goddess Tang’s wife said in the trailer, this is supposed to be her original design. But why does this color scheme feel so familiar?]

[Finally, someone’s thinking what I am.]

[What’s this about? Any juicy gossip? Spill!]

[What’s there to hide? Even if she’s Goddess Tang’s wife, mistakes must be admitted and punishment faced with dignity.]

[This hairpin looks just like the one from Homecoming.]

[Here’s a screenshot. Compare for yourselves.]

[You know, it does look a little similar.]

[It’s more than just a little similar. Look closer.]

******

The discussion heated up, and Yan Mengyi was nearly roasted alive on the “plagiarism” fire.

As a seasoned internet sleuth, Jiang Banxia immediately spotted this trending topic.

She immediately patted Zhou Qiutong beside her. “The internet has all sorts of people who spread rumors without knowing anything. How could someone as nice as Xiao Yi be accused of plagiarism? Should we tell Tangtang to try and control the situation?”

“I’m looking into it. Don’t panic.”

Zhou Qiutong searched for the web series Homecoming mentioned in the comments. After scrolling through the cast and crew list, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Are you even checking?” Jiang Banxia fretted like an ant on a hot plate, tempted to kick Zhou Qiutong.

“I checked. Come here.”

Zhou Qiutong patted her thigh, gesturing for Jiang Banxia to sit closer.

Jiang Banxia perched on her lap, leaning into her embrace. Judging by Zhou Qiutong’s relaxed reaction, the situation seemed manageable.

Zhou Qiutong opened Homecoming and scrolled to the credits.

Jiang Banxia saw the name “Xiao Yi.”

She couldn’t help rolling her eyes.

“It’s normal for works by the same author to share similarities. She can’t have plagiarized herself.”

“Looks like Xiao Yi’s been quite busy these past seven years of marriage. She’s too humble, always saying she just stays home and doesn’t have a proper career, but she’s been involved in quite a few projects.”

To be honest, when I first met Xiao Yi, I thought she was so gentle, so fair, and so fragile. Like a flower in a greenhouse, too delicate to touch and unable to withstand even a hint of the outside world’s harshness. But as I got to know her better, I realized she was nothing like what I’d imagined.

“Exactly! And during our brief conversation, her eloquence and insight were surprisingly impressive.”

“I heard online that she graduated from the top university in the country.”

“The top one? The one I’m thinking of?”

“What other one could there be?”

“Wow!” Zhou Qiutong slowly raised her thumb, her initial friendly respect for Yan Mengyi suddenly turning into genuine admiration. “You said Tangtang graduated from Berkeley, and Xiao Yi from the top university here. They’re perfectly matched! Sitting next to them, I feel a little inadequate.”

“Inadequate? If they’re our friends, what does that say about us? It means we’re pretty amazing too! Right, my little designer Zhou?”

“You’re making me sick with flattery.”

“Is that so? Want something even more nauseating?”

“No.”

“Fine, then.”

“Wait, I want to see just how low I can stoop.”

******

Li Tang drove Yan Mengyi to the coffee shop they’d agreed to meet at.

Before getting out of the car, Yan Mengyi said, “I don’t know how long this will take. I’ll call a taxi when I’m done.”

She assumed Li Tang would leave after dropping her off, since her time was too valuable.

“Today, I’m your driver. I’ll wait for you.” Li Tang pointed to her phone. “Just text me when you’re finished.”

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