By the time she finally realized it, Shi Nanbei had turned into a full-blown lemon spirit—jealous, utterly and completely sour.
Because she was so sour, she didn’t feel like talking to Zhao Xunyin at all once she got to school. Rationally speaking, she knew whatever had happened between Zhao Xunyin and Shu Yu was long over. They were adults—who didn’t have a past?
But then it hit her.
She, this supposedly mature and worldly “adult” of three years, didn’t have a past!
Humph!
Shi Nanbei puffed up all the way back to her dorm like an angry little pufferfish, head down, Pikachu backpack bouncing behind her. She was all ready to pour out her tragic sorrows to her roommates the second she got in—only to find
Wu Lili sitting motionless on her bed, face filled with the despair of someone who had lost all faith in humanity.
Shi Nanbei’s words stuck in her throat. “…”
Why did Lili look so scary right now?
Shi Nanbei mouthed to another roommate: What happened to her?
The roommate replied lazily, “Her wife ran away with someone else. She’s reflecting on her life and her misfortune.”
Shi Nanbei couldn’t help but feel sympathy.
Tragic. Utterly tragic. They were both miserable sisters in suffering.
Her own wife was currently trending all over the internet—people shipping her with her ex, begging her to divorce and get back together for the sake of their old CP. And Wu Lili? Well, her wife had literally run off with someone else.
Tragic. So tragic. Too tragic.
Wu Lili’s wife had eloped! That was enough to make anyone cry for her. But wait, something clicked in Shi Nanbei’s little head.
Wu Lili’s wife, wasn’t that Zhao Xunyin?
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Why did she suddenly feel a little green on top?
Before she could figure it out, Wu Lili looked up and saw her. In that instant, seeing the “child” she had metaphorically raised, even the usually strong Wu Lili broke down in tears. Gripping the bed rail, she wailed, “Nanbei! I’m such a miserable woman!”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Are you, though?
I’m the real tragic one here—my wife’s entire fanbase is begging her to get back with her ex. Who’s more pitiful than me?
Wu Lili was sprawled over the bed, tears streaming. “I gave her my whole heart, and what did I get in return? Zhao Xunyin went and cheated on me! Oh heavens, where’s your justice?”
And the “other woman” she was accusing Zhao Xunyin of seeing just happened to be Shi Nanbei herself.
Shi Nanbei: “…” Kill me now.
She tried to speak up gently. “Actually, maybe don’t be too sad. I mean, Zhao Xunyin’s already in her thirties, so it’s only natural that she’d” want to date again.
But before she could finish, Wu Lili suddenly bolted upright like a spring, roaring, “Shut up! I don’t want to hear it!”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Lili, can’t you just try to see things rationally?
Wu Lili clutched her chest, grief-stricken. “Don’t tell me to let it go! So she’s dating again—so what? They might break up tomorrow! I still have a chance!”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Problem is, we already have a marriage certificate, Lili. The only chance you have left is if we get divorced.
The news that Zhao Xunyin had a girlfriend—and was meeting said girlfriend’s family—had clearly pushed Wu Lili over the edge. She wasn’t just a fan; she was one of Zhao Xunyin’s diehard devotees, loyal since the very day Zhao debuted. For years she had dreamed about her, night after night.
And now, this love had been betrayed!
Unforgivable!
“I know Shu Yu broke her heart back then,” Wu Lili choked out, “and I thought that’s why she stayed single all these years! I thought she was waiting for me! But now—now she’s with someone else!”
Tears streamed down her face.
Shi the-other-woman Nanbei: “…”
Oh no, if Zhao Xunyin announces our marriage on Weibo later, will Lili jump off the dorm roof?
Her fear wasn’t misplaced.
At 8:30 p.m., five hours after the “girlfriend” rumor broke, Zhao Xunyin’s studio officially announced the marriage.
@ZhaoXunyinStudio V:
Thank you all for your love and support ❤️
Our Xunyin is happily married to a non-celebrity girlfriend! Today she’s accompanying her wife to visit her grandmother. Please respect their privacy and be rational fans.😊
The top comment read:
“I thought you were just lonely and casually dating. You’re telling me you’re married?”
Others followed:
“Weren’t we all supposed to stay single forever? What happened to your ‘anti-marriage’ stance?”
“You said love wasn’t for you! You said you’d never settle down! And now this?”
“You got married—and not to me? Zhao Xunyin, you heartbreaker!”
Chaos erupted online.
Zhao Xunyin, five-time winner of “Most Charming Chinese Actress,” had always been the nation’s unattainable dream girl. People could handle her being single; she was everyone’s collective sweetheart. But now that she was married?
The entire fandom imploded.
Soon after, Zhao herself reposted the announcement:
@ZhaoXunyin V:
Thank you for your concern 😊 Yes, I’m married.
She’s wonderful—and I love her very much.
Repost @ZhaoXunyinStudio V: Thank you for your support ❤️ Our Xunyin is happily married to a non-celebrity wife. She’s visiting her grandma today, please respect her family. 😊
Shi Nanbei didn’t even know about the post at first—they were in night study period, and as med students, everyone in the self-study hall was deep in their books.
Suddenly, a guy shouted, “Holy crap?”
Everyone looked up, ready to shush him, when he blurted, “Zhao Xunyin got married? No way!”
Before Shi Nanbei could even react, Wu Lili echoed with a curse loud enough to shake the room.
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Within seconds, the once-quiet study hall was filled with shouts and disbelief. Wu Lili’s reaction was the loudest—she clutched her phone like her soul had left her body. Shi Nanbei tried to comfort her with tissues for a good ten minutes before Wu Lili gasped, hand on her chest, “If I find out who she married, I’ll fight her to the death!”
Shi Nanbei: “…” Please don’t.
The suddenness of the announcement had caught everyone off guard. That afternoon, Zhao had merely been rumored to have a girlfriend; by nightfall, she’d declared herself married. Fans were left reeling—and furious at the gossip outlet that broke the original news.
“You call that a scoop? You couldn’t have waited five more hours and dropped the real bomb?”
“Because of you, I had hope! I was ready to live my delusion in peace—and now?”
“Change your name! You don’t deserve the title ‘#1 Entertainment News’ anymore!”
“You’ve betrayed us! She self-announced the marriage! Useless!”
“Give me back my Ren Feng! My Shishu! My Xunyin! 😭”
When Shi Nanbei returned to the dorm, Wu Lili was still in shock—barely walking straight, her soul seemingly hovering three feet above her body. Shi Nanbei used every comforting phrase she knew, but nothing worked.
Wu Lili kept muttering through tears, calling Zhao Xunyin a scumbag. “Didn’t she say she’d make every girl happy? Didn’t she swear she’d stay single forever? What did that circle-outside girlfriend feed her—love potion?”
Shi Love-Potion Nanbei: “…”
I swear I didn’t. Don’t slander me like that.
Yang Shan, their other roommate, finally stepped in. “Enough, Nanbei. Don’t bother trying to comfort her. Let her cry it out—it’ll pass.”
But Wu Lili’s cries grew even more dramatic. “Zhao Xunyin! Ren Feng! Shishu! Why couldn’t you just wait for me to grow up? I’m great, aren’t I? Big boobs, nice butt! I’m way better than that flat-chested plank you married!”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
I don’t even do planks!
Yang Shan leaned over and whispered, “She’s calling Zhao’s wife flat-chested.”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Too much! I may be small, but I still have something, okay?
Wu Lili wailed again, “What did I ever do to deserve this? Zhao Xunyin, can’t you just not get married—for me?”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Too late, Lili. We’re legally married. No takebacks.
Yang Shan pulled Shi Nanbei aside. “Ignore her. She’s delirious right now.”
That might have been true, but Shi Nanbei still felt guilty. After all, she was the reason for all this. How could she just leave Lili to cry alone?
Looking at Wu Lili’s devastated face, she hesitated. “But”
Yang Shan sighed. “Look at you, so soft-hearted. Anyone would think you were Zhao Xunyin’s wife or something. Trust me—just let her cry it out.”
Shi Nanbei: “…”
Problem is, I really am Zhao Xunyin’s wife.
Feeling aggrieved +1.