After Appearing On A Marriage Reality Show, The Top Star Cried and Says She Doesn't Want a Divorce - Chapter 8

Hua Jingyan, a popular Korean singer, debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, a chart ranking the top 200 albums in the US by weekly sales.

To thank her fans, Hua Jingyan recorded an acoustic version of a song at home and uploaded the video to YouTube.

In the video, Hua Jingyan’s long hair cascaded loosely around her, her every expression was captivating. But what truly drew attention wasn’t her beauty, but the guitar in her hands.

It was a Nik Huber guitar, often called the Rolls-Royce of guitars, with a stunningly beautiful finish.

And there was a signature on it.

Netizens quickly discovered it was Li Tang’s.

*****

[Oh wow!]

[Gift exchange!]

[I’m shipping it!]

[If this isn’t true love, what is?]

[The two biggest crushes of my life. Will I ever see them together in my lifetime?]

[Agreed! They’re equally matched. I can’t even imagine what a visual and auditory feast their collaboration would be!]

[But wait, didn’t I hear Li Tang got married years ago and is planning to appear on a marriage reality show soon?]

[No way! Wasn’t that already debunked?]

[I remember she sued paparazzi for spreading rumors, but she never confirmed she was single.]

[Wait for the official announcement. Pillowside Lovers should release the trailer this Friday.]

[No way! Who could possibly be worthy of Tangtang? If her husband isn’t Hua Jingyan, my heart will break.]

[The person above shouldn’t say that. If the two of them ended up together, there must be a reason. Choosing a marriage partner is Tangtang’s own decision.]

******

A flood of fans, including many from overseas, registered on Weibo to demand that the Pillowside Lovers production team release the trailer, their voices growing louder and louder in multiple languages.

Just past midnight, the Pillowside Lovers production team retrieved their equipment and roughly reviewed the footage. For a moment, everyone fell silent.

“We’ve already edited the footage for the other two couples, and there are plenty of highlights,” the head writer said, taking a swig of coffee. “I thought Li Tang’s natural popularity would make her segment especially buzzworthy, but what is this mess?”

“If she’s going on a marriage reality show, she needs to be prepared for exposure. What’s up with her wife wearing a mask at home all day on Wednesday? Are they joking?”

“Could it be because her wife isn’t good-looking? Worried about public scrutiny? So she’s wearing a mask?”

The new intern timidly asked a question, still curious about why the production team hadn’t let her go to Li Tang’s house to set up cameras.

“Her wife is an ordinary person, not someone from the entertainment industry. There’s no need to judge or comment on her appearance.”

“Besides, to be honest, her wife is quite good-looking. I’ll stake my reputation on it—based on my own taste, Yan Mengyi’s looks are perfectly fine. In fact, without exaggeration, she even outshines Li Tang’s rumored ex-girlfriend, Hua Jingyan.”

“No way!” the intern exclaimed, shocked. “Hua Jingyan is practically a goddess! But I trust your taste, sis. I really regret not going with you yesterday…”

Mo Zhenyi steered the conversation back on track. “I suspect this is Li Tang’s doing. When I spoke briefly with her wife earlier, she seemed quite displeased.”

“Our show requires four episodes, each with at least an hour of usable footage. How can we film the show if her wife keeps her face covered? How can the games continue?”

“This is the heart of our show,” Mo Zhenyi explained, her voice soothing. “We don’t script anything. We respect our guests’ real lives and help them address their marital issues. Li Tang’s couple is my favorite pairing so far.”

“You’re right. Given how strong her need for control is, I guarantee she’ll get slammed as soon as we release the trailer. That means we’ll definitely get good ratings.”

“Pillowside Lovers is set to replace Encountering Jade Slips. Their first-episode rating was only 0.26%. With Li Tang’s pair, I think we’ll blow past that in no time. Let’s show Director Qin what the younger generation can do!”

“Great. It looks like we don’t have any other issues for now. The writing team, please review Li Tang’s pair’s main storyline and put together an editing outline. Once that’s done, we’ll need to work hard with the editors and subtitle artists!”

Mo Zhenyi clapped her hands, urging everyone to stay focused and ensure the trailer was released on Friday at 12:00 PM sharp.

The writing team worked overtime, quickly reviewing the footage of Li Tang’s pair.

“The storyline is pretty basic: wake up, have breakfast together, one does crafts while the other plays music, another meal, more separate activities, and then sleep together at night.”

“The other two pairs celebrated anniversaries or exchanged surprise gifts. Li Tang might be a top celebrity, but she’s acting way too arrogant—like she doesn’t even care about being on the show.”

“But there’s an emotional moment I think we should include. This is it—right after Li Tang receives a phone call in the morning, she goes to the family recording studio. At that moment, her wife Yan Mengyi looks at her with a pleading gaze, hoping she’ll stay and keep her company, but she doesn’t say it out loud.”

“Agreed! And have you noticed the melody Li Tang hums in the recording studio…”

“What’s there to be hesitant about? That melody sounds exactly like Hua Jingyan’s new song!”

“Regardless, I think this scene should definitely be included in the trailer. It’s sure to be a game-changer.”

“If no one objects, I’ll add it. Though, to be honest, my feelings about Li Tang are quite complicated.”

“How come I never knew you were such a big fan of hers?”

“My playlist is full of her songs, okay! It’s just that I stopped paying attention to her personal life. Remember that scandal about her being a diva a while back? The photo where she’s standing while her assistant crouched to put her shoes on? I believe talent and personal conduct are separate things, so I keep them separate in my mind.”

“What you said gives me a new idea. Given Li Tang’s personality, she’s definitely the type to let her spouse handle everything in the marriage. We should add more household chores and trivial tasks to their future activities, and find a way to make Yan Mengyi leave her alone for a while. That’ll completely expose Li Tang’s arrogance to everyone.”

“Agreed.”

*******

At 12:00 on Friday, the Pillowside Lovers program team released their Weibo post on time.

[@Pillowside Lovers Official]

#PillowsideLoversPremiere#

Teaser trailer now live!

From romance to commitment…

From love to marriage…

Is it a fortress or a prison?…

Is the woman beside you still your lover?…

Join us every Friday at 8:00 PM with three couples…

*******

The official account included a video, with a gentle female voice gradually revealing the identities of the three couples.

From romance to marriage

From dresses to wedding gowns

Has the passion of the past gradually faded to routine?

Amidst the trivialities, do their eyes still spark with the same affection?

(Superimposed text: Pillowside Lovers)

Love is energy

Gently lifting and supporting

They’re lovers and confidants

Two puzzle pieces finding each other

Showing us all the possibilities in the world

With you by my side, I can reach further

(Scene: The IGP duo sharing a sweet moment)

Love is understanding

A love at first sight twelve years ago

A bumpy journey together

Choosing to let go to support each other

Choosing to embrace to build each other up

With you by my side, I’m never alone

(Scene: Actors Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong celebrating their anniversary)

Love is commitment

From school uniforms to wedding gowns

From obscurity to soaring success

Seven years—lucky for me, you’ve always been here

(Scene: Li Tang and Yan Mengyi sleeping in each other’s arms)

Sometimes, love is also destruction, magnifying all our vulnerabilities. Love can be a narcissistic projection, the twin of low self-esteem.

May love contain not only “us,” but also “me”!

Subtitle: Three celebrity couples, one pair currently in a cooling-off period.

Subtitle: Vote for your answer!

******

[This lineup of celebrity couples was completely unexpected.]

[Ah! Tangtang is actually married!]

[Goddess Tang not only got married, but it’s a campus romance! They got married right after high school graduation—it’s almost innocent! I ship it!]

[The production team put Goddess Tang and the IGP duo in the same show? Aren’t they just asking for trouble? The recent incident where Tangtang publicly rejected IGP is still fresh in everyone’s minds!]

[The production team is stirring up trouble on purpose! Just as I expected from you, the scheming Director Mo.]

[While the chaos reigns, let me slip in a comment: Am I the only one shipping IGP?]

[Me too!]

[I found them sweet back when they were trainees in Korea. The anti-bullying incident gave me a permanent rosy filter for them!]

[They’re not just pretty—they’re also amazing at taking photos. Who understands? Every Polaroid they post is so atmospheric!]

[And they remember every special day, thoughtfully preparing gifts for each other!]

[I can’t even imagine how happy I’d be if I received such an expensive custom crown and diamond ring on my birthday! Two hundred thousand yuan! That sister practically put a car on her finger!]

[Jiang Banxia and Zhou Qiutong aren’t bad either. The thirty-two-year-old married couple is such a mature and intelligent pair of sisters.]

[+1! I like this pair.]

[Their long-married relationship, steady and enduring, is exactly the kind I aspire to.]

[Hilarious! They’re so domestic. For their wedding anniversary, Jiang Banxia prepared a lavish dinner, but Zhou Qiutong grumbled about wasting money. They’d barely started eating when Zhou Qiutong got a fish bone stuck in her throat. After spending over ten thousand yuan on a meal they barely touched, they rushed to the hospital. After a stressful day, they ended up happily tucking into ten-yuan roadside snacks.]

[Just as I expected from the sisters I’ve admired for so long. When will I find my own summer?]

[In Li Tang’s segment, why is there so little footage of her wife? Most of the time, it’s just about Li Tang making music. Isn’t this supposed to be a marriage reality show?]

[Exactly! What’s up with the production team?!]

[Could it be that her wife was wearing a mask, making it impossible for the production team to edit anything meaningful?]

[Maybe she had a pimple and was using the mask to cover it up?]

[Even if there was a special reason, there was no need to keep her face covered the entire time.]

[Since she’s on a variety show to make money, she should be prepared to work hard, right?]

[I find her a bit boring.]

[She’s a freelancer, which basically means she doesn’t have a regular job, right?]

[Is she trying to ride Tangtang’s fame to launch her own career by grabbing attention?]

[To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed. I’ve been a fan of Tangtang since she debuted seven years ago. I always imagined the person who could stand by her side would be someone strong, independent, and musically talented. But in the video, her wife… I just don’t see anything particularly admirable about her.]

[Before everyone starts arguing, let me ask: isn’t anyone concerned about the most important question?]

[Does this vote mean one of the couples is getting divorced? Am I understanding this right?]

[Whoa! A divorce is coming?]

[Which couple did you vote for?]

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