After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 45

On that dark night, Wan Cuirong’s heart felt like the Russian steppes torn apart by the northern wind, filled with anxiety for Li Tang.

Li Tang wasn’t just her only artist under contract; she was her most perfect creation. Wan Cuirong couldn’t afford to let anything happen to her.

Therefore, she decided to stay overnight in Li Tang’s guest room.

Outside the window, the night was silent, occasionally punctuated by the distant rumble of cars, like the whisper of the night or an omen of unease.

Wan Cuirong, who usually slept well, found herself restless that night, her chest feeling tight. She tossed and turned, waking up several times.

In a hazy state, she remembered distant past events.

Back then, she was barely in her teens, full of passion for music and romantic dreams, when she went abroad to study.

There, she met her first love, received her first kiss, experienced her first night, and suffered the heartbreak of her first failed romance.

Her lover’s musical talent far surpassed hers, and the “slow fade” and “ghosting” that followed that night shattered her heart.

That summer night shattered her spirit and body, only to reassemble them anew.

When she reappeared before everyone, she had transformed into a party girl.

Whether indulging in physical pleasures was her true choice or a self-destructive response to being hurt no longer mattered.

Sometimes, Wan Cuirong wondered if her vehement dismissal of Li Tang’s marriage as childish, like a grade school romance, stemmed from envy or mockery of her own teenage self, who had once harbored boundless dreams of love.

Morning light streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting uneven shadows across Wan Cuirong’s face as she jolted awake from an uneasy dream, her heart pounding.

Her gaze frantically searched the mansion.

The silence was deafening.

“Tangtang?” Wan Cuirong pushed open the master bedroom door, but found only a rumpled, empty bed. Li Tang was nowhere to be seen.

A chill rose from the depths of her heart.

Li Tang was a calm, grown adult, but… the end of a seven-year marriage couldn’t help but leave its mark.

Wan Cuirong asked the housekeeper, but the woman shook her head. Her duties only involved household chores; she had no knowledge of Li Tang’s whereabouts.

Wan Cuirong dialed Li Tang’s number, but only the hollow ringtone echoed through the empty room.

Li Tang’s phone lay forgotten on the coffee table in the living room.

Wan Cuirong walked into the garage. The air was heavy, the smell of oil and rubber lingering in the early morning dew. The space where Li Tang’s dazzling sports car should have been now stood empty, the empty parking space silently telling the story of its owner’s sudden disappearance.

Wan Cuirong’s breathing quickened as her eyes swept across every corner of the garage, hoping to find a clue. But apart from the echo of her footsteps and the pounding of her heart, the place was deathly silent.

Time ticked by, each second feeling like a heavy blow to Wan Cuirong’s heart.

Li Tang had rarely ever made her feel so out of control.

Wan Cuirong valued Li Tang’s talent above all else.

With no other options, she called Yan Mengyi.

Yan Mengyi answered quickly, showing no resentment over the end of her relationship with Li Tang.

“She’s gone?” Yan Mengyi’s voice was filled with disbelief.

“Yes.” The situation sounded almost unbelievable, yet it was undeniably true. “I’m worried about her. Did she come looking for you?”

“No.”

“I see… Sorry for disturbing you so early.”

Yan Mengyi paused, then asked, “Has nobody been able to find her?”

“I haven’t asked anyone else yet,” Wan Cuirong said. “After all, given Li Tang’s status, every move she makes is closely watched.”

“Then… have you asked Hua Jingyan?”

“Not yet. They only interact at work and rarely talk about anything else. I doubt Tangtang would have told Hua Jingyan where she went.”

“Let me come over. We can think together about where she might have gone.”

“I’m at your place… Dongzhou Junting.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in about half an hour.”

After hanging up, Yan Mengyi quickly got dressed and washed up, preparing to leave.

But as she stood by the door, locking it, she caught a glimpse of a shadow behind her out of the corner of her eye.

Startled, she turned around.

It was the young woman from the neighboring apartment—a tall, slender girl with fair skin. She wore a blue tank top and shorts, her face still showing the effects of a hangover. Her heavy smoky makeup, complete with exaggerated eyeliner and false lashes, gave her an air of toughness. Yet beneath the bold cosmetics, her youthful innocence and naivety shone through.

“Neighbor, you’re the one who moved in yesterday, right?”

Yan Mengyi nodded.

“I’m Acen. I’m sorry about last night—I think I drank too much and knocked on your door… Damn, I can’t even remember if it happened.”

“It’s okay.”

Yan Mengyi was about to say more when her phone beeped with a message from her Senior Sister.

Xiao Yi. I went to school this morning and saw Li Tang waiting for me at the gate. She asked if I’d seen you, and when I said I hadn’t, she left, looking… really disappointed. Did something happen?

Yan Mengyi quickly took a screenshot of the message and sent it to Wan Cuirong.

The next moment, Wan Cuirong called. “Xiao Yi, thank you. I just found out where Tangtang went. After leaving the university gate, she ran into Jin Youshu and Pei Nalian and went out drinking with them…”

“I’m just glad Tangtang is okay,” Yan Mengyi said, pressing a hand to her chest in relief.

Tangtang? Acen rubbed her groggy, hangover-addled head and took another careful look at her new roommate’s face.

Li Tang, the nation’s beloved singer, was already a household name, and her debut appearance on a dating show had sent her popularity skyrocketing.

But Acen suddenly realized that this new roommate looked strikingly like Li Tang’s wife.

“Tangtang? Is this the Tangtang I’m thinking of?” Acen, being a child at heart, couldn’t hide her excitement and covered her mouth in surprise.

Before Yan Mengyi could respond, Wan Cuirong’s voice came through the other end, brimming with displeasure.

“Xiao Yi, where are you living? Who are you talking to? You need to know that Tangtang’s reputation is vast, and there are many malicious people who will approach you, probing and prying. They’ll do all sorts of despicable and dirty things…”

Wan Cuirong’s voice was so loud that even without speaker mode, Acen could hear every harsh, mocking word clearly.

Acen snatched the phone, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “So only you are noble? If you’re so noble, why do you put on one face in public and another behind closed doors? If Li Tang is truly so devoted, why did she kick her seven-year wife out, forcing her to rent a place while she plays the role of the devoted wife on screen? It’s utterly disgusting…”

Wan Cuirong refused to argue with someone like this. She hung up immediately and sent a text message to Yan Mengyi instead.

[You’ve been married for seven years. Tangtang’s financial support to you is both voluntary and deserved. Don’t refuse it. Living in a safe place is crucial. Your roommate isn’t a good person. Stay away from her. I have some documents for you. Come to my office to pick them up.]

Acen read all the messages on Yan Mengyi’s phone.

She scoffed and handed the phone back to Yan Mengyi.

“Living in a place like this doesn’t make me trash. I work at a nightclub, but I’m just a bartender.”

Yan Mengyi frowned at the mention of a nightclub. To her, such places were breeding grounds for crime.

“I used to live at Dongzhou Junting too. But one day, the factory closed, my parents committed suicide, and our family fell apart.”

Acen spoke so casually that Yan Mengyi couldn’t tell if she was joking or serious. Her overly familiar warmth made Yan Mengyi wary, but Acen was also the first companion she’d met since arriving in this new land.

“Why did she kick you out?” Acen leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, chewing on a piece of bubble gum. Despite her young appearance, her voice was husky and smoky. “Did she hook up with that Korean woman?”

“No, it’s not like that,” Yan Mengyi said. After all, she had loved Li Tang and they had mutually decided to part ways with dignity. “They’re not involved. The breakup was mutual.”

“Save it. Don’t bother defending her. Someone like you? If she was even a tenth as good as you think, why would you be living in this dump?”

Acen slammed her door shut and turned to face Yan Mengyi. Seeing how broke she looked, Acen said, “You probably don’t even have money for a taxi. I’ll give you a ride.”

Yan Mengyi wanted to refuse, but she really was completely broke.

“Do you think I’m trying to pry celebrity gossip out of you to post online?” Acen rolled her eyes, her expression dismissive.

As Yan Mengyi followed her out, she realized Acen’s transportation was a small electric scooter. Acen casually tossed her a helmet and gestured for her to sit on the back seat.

“At this time of day, the scooter is the fastest way to get around.”

*****

Li Tang was brought back to the agency, right under Wan Cuirong’s nose.

Surprisingly, it was Jin Youshu and Pei Nalian who delivered her.

Jin Youshu and Pei Nalian reeked of alcohol, their eyes bleary from intoxication. They’d developed a drinking habit during their days as trainees, a lifestyle they still hadn’t shaken even after returning home.

Li Tang hadn’t been drinking, but she clearly hadn’t slept a wink, dark circles under her eyes.

After Pei Nalian and Jin Youshu left, Li Tang faced Wan Cuirong alone.

Her gaze gradually hardened, her voice trembling with emotion. “I still want to bring Xiao Yi back.”

She took a deep breath and continued. “Xiao Yi can’t even take care of herself. She’s timid, introverted, and shy—she doesn’t even know how to make friends. I can’t even imagine how she got through yesterday.”

Her words brimmed with worry and reluctance. She couldn’t fathom how Yan Mengyi could face the world alone.

Just then, someone knocked lightly on the office door, and a figure appeared in the doorway.

It was Wan Cuirong’s assistant, holding a phone. She showed Wan Cuirong and Yan Mengyi a video.

“Boss, I was late today, but I filmed something I think you’ll be interested in.”

The video showed traffic flowing endlessly.

A stylishly dressed young woman rode a scooter, carrying Yan Mengyi.

Yan Mengyi clung tightly to the woman’s waist.

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