My Idol Turns Out To Be My Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 19

He Wenyu was speechless. “When I asked you just now, didn’t you say you weren’t hungry?”

The moment Tang Hengzhi’s gaze drifted over, she saw Lin Sanyuan carrying a large basin of crayfish toward the dining table.

The basin was steaming hot, filled with the pungent aroma of chili and Sichuan peppercorns. The spice made Lin Sanyuan’s eyes moist and red, as if she wanted to sneeze but was holding it back out of politeness, sniffing repeatedly to suppress it. Even the tip of her nose was red, making her look quite pitiful.

Tang Hengzhi couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. The sound was so faint, yet He Wenyu looked at her as if she’d seen a ghost, wondering if her friend had hit her head. Why was she acting so strange today?

Lin Sanyuan was also surprised by Tang Hengzhi’s presence. Perhaps because of the awkward encounter in the bathroom, having a stranger at the table actually made her feel less constrained.

Tang Hengzhi and He Wenyu seemed to be very close. He’s mother naturally introduced Tang Hengzhi to Lin Sanyuan. They were childhood friends who had gone to the same schools from elementary through high school.

Tang Hengzhi had returned to the country for an important art exhibition, though He’s mother mentioned it wasn’t held in Huacheng. The exhibition had ended yesterday, but for some reason, the “Great Master Tang” had driven twelve hours through the night to reach Huacheng.

She didn’t specify what urgent business brought her here, but it must have been pressing. Otherwise, who would choose to drive for twelve hours on a highway immediately after finishing high-intensity work? It was a dangerous move, and as expected, an accident had occurred.

Lin Sanyuan listened with a racing heart. For a painter, the hands are everything. Thank goodness it was only a minor dislocation, or that car accident could have directly impacted her career.

The living room in He Wenyu’s home was spacious, so even with this many people, it didn’t feel crowded. Lin Sanyuan usually didn’t like sitting too close to others while eating, but given the circumstances, she had no choice but to sit next to He Ye.

“Hengzhi, you…” He Wenyu pulled out a chair, intending to invite Tang Hengzhi to sit next to her.

Before she could finish, Tang Hengzhi walked straight to Lin Sanyuan’s side, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

He Wenyu: “…”

Feeling a bit awkward, she silently pushed her chair back in.

Lin Sanyuan was too embarrassed to look at Tang Hengzhi. The faint, fresh scent of shower gel coming from beside her made her body stiffen instinctively. Who could understand this? The idol she followed on her phone was sitting right next to her, sharing dinner. Lin Sanyuan wasn’t a celebrity worshiper, but at this moment, she understood why fans got so excited.

“The wine has breathed. Sanyuan, can you drink a little?” He’s father stood up to pour wine for the guests.

As a homebody whose job didn’t require social drinking, Lin Sanyuan’s experience with alcohol was negligible. She wanted to refuse but wasn’t sure of the etiquette. She didn’t know if a “girlfriend” visiting for the first time was expected to drink.

She remembered when her friend Mianmian was about to get married and took her boyfriend home; there seemed to be specific rules about drinking culture. Elders often liked to test a guest’s character by seeing how they handled their liquor. In the end, Mianmian’s husband got trashed and performed a round of “drunken fist” on his father-in-law that very night.

Well, better not mention that.

Lin Sanyuan had never dealt with this before and worried that if she didn’t play her part well, all the evening’s efforts would be wasted. She could only take the glass handed to her by He’s father, bowing slightly and repeatedly saying, “Thank you, Uncle.”

Red wine shouldn’t have a very high alcohol content, she thought. She wanted to ask if she could mix it with Sprite, but feared it would look too “low-class,” so she didn’t dare make the request.

Tang Hengzhi watched her holding the glass carefully with both hands, looking lost and bewildered, and seemed about to speak but stopped.

He’s father raised his glass to toast her. “Come, Sanyuan, let Uncle have a drink with you. My He Ye has a bad personality, a short temper, and a dozen bad habits. It must be hard for you to put up with him.”

What? Before even a single bite of food, she had to drink, and a whole glass at that?

Lin Sanyuan was inexperienced with this kind of pressure. Even before the wine touched her lips, her head was already spinning. Seeing He’s father, who carried the aura of a high-ranking official, standing up to toast her, she couldn’t possibly stay seated. She hurried to her feet and bumped glasses with him.

He’s father smiled and drained his glass in one go. His manner was steady and bold, clearly that of a business veteran. Lin Sanyuan, the novice, struggled to keep her expression from looking pained. Gulp, gulp—she emptied her glass as well.

He’s father froze. He’s mother’s mouth hung open slightly, but she quickly recovered, figuring that few girls around He Ye were unable to drink.

He Ye stopped peeling his shrimp and stared blankly at the empty glass in Lin Sanyuan’s hand. “Are you for real…” he whispered, shocked.

When someone says “have a drink,” they don’t mean finish the whole thing. His dad was used to the drinking scene; why was she following suit? Wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

Lin Sanyuan hated the taste of alcohol. She frowned and whispered that she was fine. He Ye checked her face; it was as pale and clear as usual, with no flush at all. It seemed she… could actually hold her liquor?

Why did that seem a little cool? He Ye sucked on a shrimp head with a look of admiration.

He Wenyu was already starving. Seeing him eat so heartily, she reached out with her chopsticks for a shrimp. Just as she did, someone kicked her shin under the table.

She froze and looked up into Tang Hengzhi’s eyes. Tang’s expression was cold, though her face was pale, and there was a hint of scrutiny in her gaze.

He Wenyu realized with a jolt that she hadn’t told Tang Hengzhi that today was the day her brother was bringing a girlfriend home to meet the parents. Given what she knew of He Ye, she hadn’t expected this to last. At first, she hadn’t taken it seriously.

However, after meeting Lin Sanyuan, her opinion had wavered. He Ye’s attitude toward this girl was indeed very different from his behavior with other flings. Moreover, Tang Hengzhi was never one for gossip or domestic affairs. Why was she so interested today?

Besides, anyone with eyes could see this was He Ye’s girlfriend. Did she even need to ask?

While she was hesitating, she got another kick to the shin. He Wenyu looked up again to see Tang Hengzhi nonchalantly picking up a piece of sugar-preserved plum tomato.

She had to put down her chopsticks and give a forced, dry laugh. “Hengzhi probably doesn’t know yet, this is my brother’s girlfriend, Lin Sanyuan. He brought her over for a casual meal today. Everyone, just relax.”

Outside, the rain seemed to get heavier. The night rain tapped rhythmically against the glass, and the wind tangled with the rain, sounding like a soft sob in the dark woods.

Tang Hengzhi bit into the small tomato. The tart juice burst in her mouth, so sour it made her jaw ache. She gave a quiet “mhm” and glanced at He Ye, who was busy sucking the heads off the crayfish, his chin and hands covered in juice and oil. It was quite an unsightly view.

Tang Hengzhi calmly offered him a word of congratulations.

He Ye hadn’t expected her to speak to him. Startled, the crayfish in his hand fell into his bowl. That “congratulations” made his skin crawl. Since he was a child, he had been intimidated by people who were exceptionally serious and cold, especially Tang Hengzhi. Even though his sister was close with her and he had grown up seeing her often, he always had to mentally prepare himself for a long time before speaking to her. He was quite afraid of people like that.

While they were talking, Lin Sanyuan quickly ate a piece of rib to suppress the rising taste of the wine. She was terrified she might spit it out and ruin the lovely spread of food.

He’s mother, worried Lin Sanyuan hadn’t had enough, filled her glass with red wine again and toasted her. “Come, Sanyuan, let Auntie have a drink with you too.”

He’s mother had a modest tolerance, but she could handle a glass of wine. She hadn’t intended to drink so much, but with He’s father and Lin Sanyuan leading the way, she couldn’t just take a sip. She gulped down a full glass.

The lightheadedness was hitting Lin Sanyuan now, but she didn’t usually flush when drinking. Plus, she was exceptionally good at enduring discomfort; the more awkward the situation, the more she could hold it in. So, with a straight face, she downed her second glass.

She felt like she would never want to touch alcohol again for the rest of her life. Oh, how she craved an ice-cold Coke…

He Ye marveled, “Your tolerance is on par with my sister’s!”

He Wenyu’s eyes flickered, as if her competitive streak had been triggered. She reached for a wine glass, but her shin was kicked yet again. This kick was heavier than the first two, making her calf throb with pain.

She looked at Tang Hengzhi, thinking she was acting very strange today. Tang Hengzhi’s face showed no emotion as she sipped some soup, her tone casual. “Didn’t you say this was just a casual meal? Why drink so much?”

In truth, they hadn’t drunk that much, at least He’s father and mother hadn’t. But her comment made everyone realize that this pace felt like they were ganging up on the guest.

He’s mother slapped away He Wenyu’s hand as she reached for the wine and said with a smile, “No more wine then. Let’s eat. Sanyuan, have some more.”

After two glasses of wine, Lin Sanyuan’s stomach, which had been hungry, now felt quite full. She picked at a few things with her chopsticks for appearance’s sake but didn’t eat much.

He Ye was different. He rarely drank in front of his parents, and since he was dressed so flamboyantly and wearing cologne, he definitely had another date lined up for later tonight. It was Valentine’s Day, after all. So, he didn’t touch a drop of alcohol and focused entirely on devouring the crayfish.

His gluttonous display made He’s mother grit her teeth. “He Ye, peel some shrimp for Sanyuan! Didn’t you say she loves crayfish? Why are you the only one eating?”

He must have eaten nearly half the basin by himself. When this boy went out with his flings, he was all sweetness and light, so why was he acting like a spoiled, brainless son now that he had a girlfriend? He had no idea how to take care of someone.

He Ye gave an “oh,” put a few crayfish in his bowl, and prepared to peel them for Lin Sanyuan.

Lin Sanyuan looked at his oily hands. He had just finished sucking the roe and even licked his fingers clean. Now they were covered in oil again. She was utterly repulsed and didn’t want to eat anything he peeled; it was disgusting.

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