Before Going on a Variety Show, the Actress Lost Her Memory - Chapter 26

Xiao Huili knew her remarks would cause a massive uproar online.

But it seemed she had no other choice now.

Years ago, driven by fame and fortune, she had chosen to marry Su Junwan, and the two women had conducted their relationship according to a prearranged agreement.

However, both Xiao Huili and Su Junwan were adults, and over time, it was inevitable that genuine feelings would develop between them.

Initially, Xiao Huili had believed their arrangement was purely contractual, and any intimacy that arose was simply natural.

She had never considered the possibility of the agreement ending, or perhaps, she had never imagined Su Junwan would ever leave her.

But the moment she lost Su Junwan due to her pursuit of fame and profit, Xiao Huili realized the situation was far more complex than she had imagined.

Now, she couldn’t gauge Su Junwan’s true feelings and dared not make any rash moves. She could only resort to despicably exploiting their contract to keep Su Junwan by her side temporarily.

Yet, instead of easing their strained relationship, her actions had only deepened Su Junwan’s resistance.

Having never loved or pursued anyone before, Xiao Huili now felt like a headless fly, flailing blindly.

She cast a lingering glance at Su Junwan, who showed neither anger nor speechless frustration at her deliberate provocation.

She remained expressionless, barely even acknowledging Xiao Huili’s presence.

What Xiao Huili feared most was that Su Junwan’s heart had truly died. If that were the case, there would be no hope left for her.

Concealing the sorrow in her eyes, Xiao Huili silently spun the bottle.

Fate, as always, played its cruel game. The bottle pointed to Su Junwan.

A sudden wave of helplessness washed over Xiao Huili.

She couldn’t prevent the bottle from choosing Su Junwan, just as she was powerless to stop Su Junwan from leaving her.

What emotion should she show in this moment?

How would other couples react? Should she be surprised? Happy? Worried?

She didn’t know. Her mind was a blank slate.

She could only stare blankly as Su Junwan said “Truth or Dare” and rose to draw a card.

Throughout it all, Su Junwan didn’t spare her a single glance.

Would she rather break the agreement and let the audience see the emotional crisis between them than acknowledge me? Xiao Huili wondered bitterly.

Su Junwan watched Xiao Huili spin the bottle without the slightest reaction.

Her expression remained her usual unchanging deadpan as she returned to her seat. Su Junwan sneered inwardly.

The dare card boldly read: “Publicly share the most recent photo from your phone’s album.”

Su Junwan’s expression froze for a split second, but she quickly regained her composure.

This fleeting change didn’t escape Yu Wenyu’s sharp eyes. After scrutinizing Xiao Huili, she now turned her attention to Su Junwan, determined that no one would escape her hawk-like gaze.

Noticing Su Junwan’s unease, Yu Wenyu formed another hypothesis in her mind, hoping the truth wouldn’t be too disappointing, yet also not too explosive.

Su Junwan opened her phone’s photo album. The camera zoomed in, and the photo was simultaneously displayed on the large screen backstage.

The image showed a beautiful Ragdoll cat lazily sprawled on a bed, fast asleep.

What was intriguing, however, was the photo’s timestamp: it had been taken three months prior.

Fans familiar with Su Junwan would immediately recognize the background as her own home, not the shared residence she now had with Xiao Huili after their marriage.

Before her rise to fame, Su Junwan used to post vlogs on a certain video platform, documenting her daily life—cooking, staying home, and everything in between. Over time, her fans had become intimately familiar with the layout of her house.

Yet the white Ragdoll cat, named Pudding, was a pet Su Junwan had explicitly stated in her post-marriage vlogs that she and Xiao Huili co-owned, referring to it as their “daughter.”

In truth, some CP fans and solo stans didn’t realize the significance, and Yu Wenyu also thought it was just an ordinary photo.

After all, who doesn’t love an adorable cat?

However, the major fans who had been following the live broadcast and the CP fans who had caught up on Su Junwan’s past content were now heartbroken.

The major fans were scrambling to cover up the truth, while the CP fans were desperately trying to convince themselves that this wasn’t a relationship collapse. Maybe there’s a twist? they thought. A “chasing after his wife” drama arc could still be good.

Because those who knew the truth were either unwilling or unable to speak, and the others couldn’t understand the implications, Su Junwan’s photo passed by without much fanfare. Su Junwan spun the bottle, and this time fate chose Xi Xiuyun.

“Help! Does this bottle have a mind of its own? It keeps circling back to the same few people. The other two teams haven’t been involved at all. Won’t this affect the viewership?”

“You idiot! The other two teams are clearly in rock-solid relationships. They’re just here for a free vacation. Besides, the viewership depends on these two teams anyway.”

“To be fair, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Best Actress Xi and Xiuyun’s relationship develops. Director Shang and Emperor Xu are just too stable. No matter what questions we ask or games we play, they never show much reaction. Young people are much more interesting—and it’s definitely not because I want to see some jealousy play out.”

“I bet Best Actress Xi will choose Truth or Dare. That kid definitely wants to get cozy with his wife.”

“……”

Xi Xiuyun picked up the microphone, glanced at Yu Wenyu, and under Yu Wenyu’s intense prompting, chose Truth.

The card Xi Xiuyun drew read: “What’s your favorite part of your partner’s body?”

“Ooooooh! This card is going to cause chaos!”

“Every part of Yu Zai’s body is perfect, especially that figure—that waist-to-hip ratio! I’m drooling!”

“Definitely the waist! Every time Yu Wenyu shows off her waist, it trends on social media. Don’t you guys remember?”

“While I agree Yu Zai’s waist is stunning, I still say it’s her legs! They’re longer than my life! And those slender ankles? They’re my fetish! She really looks like the legendary Omega described in those BL novels.”

“The comments are about to flood again.”

“I’m fainting from the lesbian panic!”

Xi Xiuyun paused to consider before answering, “The eyes.”

Just as everyone was waiting for Xi Xiuyun to explain why she chose the eyes, she refused to elaborate, simply stating that the question was two separate parts. The audience groaned in disappointment.

Yu Wenyu shot Xi Xiuyun an approving look. Exactly! You have to learn to exploit loopholes in these situations.

How could I reveal everything? Yu Wenyu wondered, though she was also curious why Xi Xiuyun had chosen her eyes. Xiuyun usually seemed to prefer other parts of her body.

Xi Xiuyun spun the bottle again, this time breaking the cycle. Instead of landing on the same group, it pointed to Shang Lin.

Shang Lin chose “Truth” and recounted the moment he first fell for Xu Keqing.

Fang Wenxia and Li Yan also answered a few questions, but strangely, these questions weren’t as probing as the earlier ones, instead feeling more relaxed and gentle.

The activity didn’t last long. The group had been filming since morning, taking only a short break before resuming. The workload had been heavy.

With an early flight scheduled for the next day, the production team called it a night after two rounds of the game, allowing the cast to rest.

The livestream concluded, having provided viewers with a full day of content packed with revelations.

Everyone was exhausted. Dragging it out further would have strained both the guests and the audience.

After the event, Yu Wenyu and Xi Xiuyun returned to their hotel. Yu Wenyu curled up on the carpet by the floor-to-ceiling window to rest, but then noticed Xi Xiuyun approaching with two glasses of red wine.

Yu Wenyu: …Huh?

Xi Xiuyun sat down beside Yu Wenyu and handed her a glass. Then, she gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind Yu Wenyu’s ear. Gazing softly at Yu Wenyu’s profile, she said after a moment, “Xiao Huili and Su Junwan divorced three months ago, but they signed a couple’s agreement a year earlier. During that time, they collaborated for mutual benefit. The agreement likely hasn’t expired yet, so they’re continuing to maintain the act for sustained exposure and popularity.”

Yu Wenyu paused, surprised that Xi Xiuyun would bring this up. Xi Xiuyun had never shown much interest in gossip, so Yu Wenyu rarely discussed such matters with her. She usually shared these things with her girlfriends, but they weren’t always available to meet. Gradually, Yu Wenyu stopped needing to share at all; once her initial excitement faded, the urge to talk about it disappeared.

“That’s pretty much what I guessed,” Yu Wenyu replied, “though I didn’t realize they had an agreement. I still feel like they genuinely care for each other.” She recalled the subtle details of their interactions earlier that day. While there was a slight stiffness in the air between them, they still stole glances at each other.

Just an agreement, with no real feelings involved? Yu Wenyu doubted it.

Xi Xiuyun noticed Yu Wenyu was thinking about someone else again and pressed her lips together.

She reached out to cup Yu Wenyu’s chin, turning her face toward her. “Baby,” she murmured, “I’m right here beside you. Why are you still thinking about someone else?”

The warm lamplight cast a soft glow on Xi Xiuyun’s face, softening her usually cold and aloof features.

Or perhaps it was the woman’s unusually tender gaze and gentle tone that struck Yu Wenyu’s heart like a thunderbolt.

Was Xi Xiuyun… being affectionate?

Yu Wenyu remained stunned, unable to process what was happening. If not, how could she explain her suddenly racing heart?

Seeing Yu Wenyu’s dazed, mesmerized expression, Xi Xiuyun thought to herself, So she does like this after all.

Xi Xiuyun took Yu Wenyu’s hand and gently nuzzled her palm against her cheek.

Sensing Yu Wenyu’s sudden, quickened breathing, Xi Xiuyun slowly tilted her head, her gaze both seductive and coy.

With a perfectly measured curve of her lips, she whispered, “You like me like this, don’t you?”

Yu Wenyu swallowed hard, the tips of her ears flushing pink. She stammered, “I… I think I do?”

Xi Xiuyun chuckled softly, her voice both soothing and teasing, making Yu Wenyu’s legs go weak.

Xi Xiuyun made no further moves, simply holding Yu Wenyu’s hand tightly, their fingers interlaced.

Yu Wenyu: ……

Though she found Xi Xiuyun’s behavior irresponsible, she didn’t want to provoke her further, knowing she would only end up exhausted.

Xi Xiuyun was taking small sips of red wine.

The light refracted off the rim of the glass, scattering tiny glimmers into her eyes, adding a hint of warmth to her usually cold, fathomless black eyes.

Yu Wenyu suddenly recalled Xi Xiuyun’s answer during their truth or dare game earlier that evening.

Setting her wine glass on the floor, she turned to face Xi Xiuyun, a question forming in her mind.

Thinking aloud, Yu Wenyu asked, “Tonight, you said you liked my eyes the most, but you’ve never complimented them before. So… why my eyes?”

Xi Xiuyun set down her glass as well, leaned her head against Yu Wenyu’s shoulder, and closed her eyes.

Her mind was filled with images of Yu Wenyu’s radiant, flower-like smile.

Gradually, those smiling scenes faded, and the girl’s features in Xi Xiuyun’s memory grew clearer until the complete image unfolded in her mind.

“Do you remember our first meeting?” Xi Xiuyun continued. “You pointed at me and told your mother, ‘This older sister is so pretty! I want to marry her when I grow up.’

“You probably didn’t notice, but at that moment, a ray of sunlight caught your hair, making it look so fluffy.

“Tiny fragments of light danced on your eyelashes. I thought to myself, ‘This little girl is just too adorable.'”

Xi Xiuyun went on, “Then you looked at me, your eyelashes long and curled, your eyes like a fawn’s—wet and innocent.

“In that moment, I truly wished you were a doll, so I could buy you and take you home.”

As Yu Wenyu listened to Xi Xiuyun’s memories, her heart softened.

She had never known that a ray of sunlight had chosen he

r that day, granting her a fleeting moment of permanence in Xi Xiuyun’s heart.