After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 53

Jiang Banxia curiously asked Hua Jingyan, “You’re afraid to sleep alone? What did you do when you lived at home?”

“Definitely with your family,” Zhou Qiutong guessed.

Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong weren’t fans of Korean entertainment, so they weren’t aware that Hua Jingyan had previously been embroiled in a media storm due to her family. Hua Jingyan had held a press conference where she publicly severed ties with her family and moved to live alone in Itaewon.

However, having just met the group and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere, Hua Jingyan didn’t feel the need to explain her family situation.

Pei Nalian chimed in, “Do you strum your guitar at night? Or maybe listen to Goddess Tang’s songs to fall asleep?”

Zhou Qiutong felt uneasy at these words and instinctively checked Yan Mengyi’s expression.

Yan Mengyi smiled, showing no reaction, but she subtly shifted her position to stand closer to the others, rather than Li Tang.

Hua Jingyan smiled faintly and replied, “I have two cats. They keep me company at night, so I’m not afraid.”

As she spoke, Hua Jingyan pulled out her phone, opened the home surveillance, and showed them the footage.

“Cats? I love cats!” Jiang Banxia exclaimed, excitedly pulling Zhou Qiutong closer to get a better look. “If I weren’t so afraid of the hassle, I would have gotten one ages ago.”

Yan Mengyi turned to look at the screen.

Hua Jingyan turned on the sound and called the two kittens’ names.

On the screen, the two cats were lazily basking in the sun in the room. Hearing Hua Jingyan’s call, they padded over curiously, meowing at the camera and rubbing against it, as if trying to get their owner’s familiar, warm strokes.

The adorable kittens nearly melted Yan Mengyi’s heart.

Li Tang walked over and, seeing Yan Mengyi’s entranced expression, said, “If you want a pet, we could get one too.”

Yan Mengyi lowered her gaze. Li Tang was taller than her, and she could see Yan Mengyi’s curled eyelashes trembling slightly against her jade-like, delicate face.

Li Tang couldn’t resist the urge to pinch Yan Mengyi’s cheek, but her hand hesitated mid-air. Instead, she pretended to tuck her hair behind her ear and withdrew her hand.

Watching the cats was one thing, but their immediate priority was to find a solution for Hua Jingyan’s overnight accommodations.

“Why don’t you stay with IGP?” Jiang Banxia suggested. “You’ve lived in the same place before, so you have things in common.”

However, when they went to check on IGP, they found the two women sitting awkwardly on the sofa, their stiff postures suggesting they were arguing.

Pei Nalian turned her body and face toward Jin Youshu, but Jin Youshu stubbornly kept her back turned, refusing to look at her.

“You know very well that those internet gossipers are writing all sorts of rumors about Hua Jingyan and Li Tang right now. And earlier, you deliberately brought up their relationship, right in front of Goddess Tang’s wife! I don’t understand why you would do this. Why are you acting so clumsy? Why are you so desperate for attention? Why are you trying to claim credit for things you didn’t do?”

Pei Nalian made a helpless gesture. “The truth exists. Why can’t I speak it? They have nothing to hide, and neither do I.”

“I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. It feels like I’ve never really known you.”

Pei Nalian’s voice quickened, her tone sharpening. “Because I haven’t done anything wrong! I don’t need to feel inferior! Why can’t I speak my mind?”

“Nobody’s stopping you! But could you please think before you speak?”

Seeing the argument escalating, and with a Korean present who felt compelled to defend national dignity, the others hurried over to try and calm them down.

Pei Nalian, who seemed to have been holding back for a long time, ignored the crowd gathering around her and poured out all her pent-up feelings.

“You think I’m stupid, don’t you? You think I’m brainless, right? Yeah, I didn’t have a good mother, a good aunt, or a good father. I climbed my way up to you, I’m a gold-digger, a freeloader!”

Even Jiang Banxia, who was usually slow to react, understood immediately. The two had been as close as honey and oil, but their sudden coldness was likely related to Quan Enmin’s recent scandalous revelations.

“I never thought that.”

“You did! Otherwise, why didn’t you answer my calls? Why didn’t you talk to me?”

Jiang Banxia tried to smooth things over. “All that was fake. You two know your relationship better than anyone else. You know the truth.”

“Did you participate with them back then?” Jin Youshu asked.

Pei Nalian nodded. “Yes. They asked me to bully you, to put glass shards in your shoes. I did it, but after they left, I cleaned every last shard out. I wasn’t brave enough back then. I didn’t have the courage to stand up for you directly, but… that was all I could do…”

Realizing the scandal was true, Jiang Banxia fell silent, afraid to speak.

“What about the debut opportunity? I had a chance to debut, didn’t I?”

Pei Nalian admitted, “Yes, I was afraid you’d leave me if you got a better opportunity, so I asked you to cancel your contract and come back to Korea with me. Now you regret it, don’t you?”

“I’ve never regretted being with you, but I hate that you lied to me.”

“What do you want from me now? It’s already happened,” Pei Nalian said.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“What should I do then? Kneel, beg for forgiveness?” Pei Nalian retorted stiffly.

Jin Youshu remained silent.

Yes, it had already happened. She could never go back and seize that once-in-a-lifetime chance to debut.

Her life would now have endless possibilities.

She loved Pei Nalian and didn’t want to be too harsh. She understood Pei Nalian’s fear of losing her, but she also felt resentment.

Resentment that Pei Nalian had so casually rewritten her life through deception.

Even Jiang Banxia thought Pei Nalian was being overly stubborn, selfish, and unreasonable. She’d clearly made a mistake, so why act like it was perfectly normal? Why put on that arrogant air?

“I’m a little hungry,” Pei Nalian said, lightly tapping the skin beneath her eyes with her fingertips. But because she kept her head tilted upward, no one could tell if she’d been crying.

“Let’s put our luggage down first, then find somewhere to eat,” Zhou Qiutong suggested.

Seeing the standoff, Hua Jingyan spoke up, “I have an idea.”

“Go on.”

“I looked at the hotel’s terms, and they allow an extra bed for free,” Hua Jingyan said. “Could I share a room with Sister Xiao Yi and the others?”

“Absolutely not!” Li Tang immediately rejected the idea.

“Of course,” Yan Mengyi agreed.

The two women answered simultaneously, but their responses were completely opposite.

Li Tang stared at Yan Mengyi, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. Even though they had amicably decided to split up, she couldn’t accept an outsider invading their personal space.

Yan Mengyi, however, found Hua Jingyan completely different from the paparazzo’s portrayal—a sweet and endearing young girl.

“Since Sister Xiao Yi agreed, that settles it!” Hua Jingyan happily linked arms with Yan Mengyi.

Yan Mengyi and Li Tang had reserved a double room.

“You can push the two beds together so all three of you can sleep on them,” Jiang Banxia suggested, mentally visualizing the scene. No matter who slept in the middle, it would be rather awkward.

“What are you thinking about?” Zhou Qiutong noticed Jiang Banxia’s goofy smile and leaned closer, wrapping an arm around her waist and resting her head against Jiang Banxia’s shoulder. She whispered in her ear.

“Nothing,” Jiang Banxia replied with a grin, biting her lip.

“Are you lying to me?” Zhou Qiutong puffed her breath into Jiang Banxia’s ear. “That look on your face tells me you’re thinking something naughty. Spill it—what scene are you imagining this time?”

“I’m not telling,” Jiang Banxia shook her head.

Zhou Qiutong pinched her waist. “You won’t tell? You’re making me all flustered.”

“Fine, I’ll tell you,” Jiang Banxia said, subtly gesturing with her fingers as she whispered in Zhou Qiutong’s ear, “Are they really going to sleep three people on one bed? I started imagining some of my favorite steamy scenes.”

“A firm mattress and her sound asleep?” Zhou Qiutong tickled Jiang Banxia. “Artist Jiang, you let your mind wander again.”

“No matter which scene I imagine, you’re always the lead actor.”

Zhou Qiutong feigned indignation, amused. “What, are there other leads in our two-person movie?”

The two laughed heartily. After years as lovers, even a mildly suggestive joke couldn’t embarrass the other anymore. One joke always demanded an even naughtier retort.

People’s joys and sorrows don’t always resonate with each other.

Jin Youshu and Pei Nalian remained silent.

Li Tang wasn’t faring much better.

“Are you okay with sleeping on the sofa?” she asked Hua Jingyan.

Hua Jingyan nodded. “No problem.”

“Let her have the bed. You can take the sofa,” Yan Mengyi suggested, insisting that Hua Jingyan, as the guest, shouldn’t be made to sleep on the sofa.

Li Tang hadn’t expected to invite trouble into her home and vehemently protested, but her objections proved futile.

Hua Jingyan and Yan Mengyi carried Li Tang’s luggage, cheerfully following behind her with linked arms.

******

Meanwhile, Pei Nalian took both her and Jin Youshu’s bags and headed toward the room with her head down.

In their relationship, Pei Nalian had always been the one being taken care of, never needing to lift a finger herself. Her proactive behavior today was uncharacteristic.

Though she refused to apologize to Jin Youshu and kept her head held high, she had taken both their bags.

Jin Youshu quickly caught up to her and wrested the bags from Pei Nalian’s grip.

Refusing to let go, Pei Nalian clutched the backpack straps tightly. Jin Youshu, wordlessly, insisted on taking them.

By the time Jin Youshu finally secured the bags, sweat beaded on her forehead, and Pei Nalian’s hands were raw and red from the struggle.

The two of them walked like characters in a silent film, neither speaking a word.

Jin Youshu strode ahead, her head down. When she realized Pei Nalian hadn’t followed, she stopped and turned around, noticing Pei Nalian’s reddened palms.

Youshu’s lips moved slightly, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she walked over and gently took Pei Nalian’s hand, checking to see if she was alright.

Pei Nalian jerked her hand away, ignoring Youshu, and walked back to her room alone.

After asking the Director’s team a few questions, Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong grabbed two more packs of snacks from the waiting room and strolled back casually.

Seeing that the other couples had already gone inside, they began chatting.

“The two IGP members are pretty interesting.”

“But I don’t understand Pei Nalian. She did something wrong, so why is she still acting like that? Why can’t she show even a hint of remorse?”

“Sometimes, putting on a tough front is just a way to hide how weak you really are.”

“True.” Jiang Banxia then asked, “Doesn’t Hua Jingyan feel awkward living with Tangtang and her wife?”

“Or maybe this is exactly what she wanted all along?”

“You mean she actually wants to live with Tangtang?”

Zhou Qiutong pondered for a moment. “No matter how I look at it, that doesn’t seem right.”

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