Chapter 52.2

Meng Zhengrong anticipated this situation, so he occasionally made sure to include Xu Yuan in his conversations with his friends.

The wives of a few friends he brought along had previously interacted with Xu Yuan, so there was still some conversation to be had. They were all quite nice, and even during discussions, they made sure to include Xu Yuan, who listened attentively. By the end of the class reunion, everyone seemed to be in high spirits.

The men chatted, avoiding topics of work or careers, instead reminiscing about the past and even sharing gossip about their old teachers.

“Master Shi? He’s been calling me lately, asking about his son’s choice of major. You wouldn’t believe how different his tone is now compared to the past.”

At a nearby table, one woman overheard and leaned in, saying, “Do you all remember our math teacher?”

“You mean the one who was especially annoying? Always harsh on the boys, but hardly paid attention to the girls.”

“Hey, get serious! Wasn’t he divorced back then? I heard he got together with our English teacher last year. They didn’t even throw a wedding, just registered their marriage and went on a trip to celebrate.”

“The English teacher? She was my goddess…”

“How many goddesses do you actually have?”

“And how many gods do you have? You’re one to talk.”

Xu Yuan didn’t engage in their conversation but couldn’t help smiling as their energy was infectious.

What a wonderful time.

It’s truly a good era. She finds comfort in the thought that her child will grow up like these people, living in a peaceful time and enjoying their childhood and teenage years.

While they were eating, Meng Zhengrong was called away by Zhang Mian, and Xu Yuan chose not to follow. She assumed they needed to discuss something privately.

Instead, she stayed behind to let them have their moment.

Meng Zhengrong and Zhang Mian found a corner of the restaurant, where Zhang Mian habitually offered Meng Zhengrong a cigarette. Meng Zhengrong waved his hand to decline. “Come on, buddy, can you remember anything? I quit smoking years ago.”

He had started smoking in his rebellious youth, thinking it was cool, only to later realize it was harmful. It was embarrassing to have a handsome face and yellow teeth.

“Oh, I forgot,” Zhang Mian said, placing the cigarette behind his ear. He lit one up and took a couple of puffs, trying to find the right way to broach his request to Meng Zhengrong.

Seeing Zhang Mian’s serious demeanor, Meng Zhengrong joked, “You’re not actually asking to borrow money, are you?”

He was just teasing, knowing that if it were about borrowing money, Zhang Mian wouldn’t look so somber. It was probably something more awkward than that.

Zhang Mian scoffed, “Even if I were begging for money, I’d go around your house!”

“Come on, don’t say that.” Meng Zhengrong patted Zhang Mian on the shoulder. “Just say it directly. If I can help, I will.”

This is what friendship from their student days is like—no ulterior motives, no complexities, just pure friendship.

Even though they are now businessmen and adults who have navigated this competitive society for many years, when they meet, that lingering purity in their hearts still remains for each other.

After all, they’ve witnessed each other’s immature and foolish youth.

Zhang Mian hesitated before slowly saying, “I’m currently planning a show, but I won’t mention any names here—just wanted to let you know first.” He glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping before continuing, “We’ll be inviting three couples. Two of them are already confirmed; one is a celebrity couple, Shen Li and Song Chaowen, and their schedules are already set. The other is an older actor, over sixty, and that’s also confirmed. We’re just missing one last couple.”

Meng Zhengrong had a hunch about what Zhang Mian was getting at and held back his curiosity, asking, “And then?”

“Every episode will have tasks for the three couples. The show will have six episodes, with one episode shot approximately each month. I still don’t know the specifics for each episode’s tasks.” Zhang Mian felt awkward directly asking and struggled to find something else to say. “These days, variety shows in the country are doing quite well; they’ve become quite the trend. The funding from the network is substantial, and the fees for celebrities to appear are often higher than filming for movies…”

Zhang Mian genuinely wanted to create a successful variety show, and a key feature of his show would be its limited number of celebrities. With ample funding, reducing celebrity fees would allow for more thoughtful production.

Meng Zhengrong cautiously asked, “You want me and my wife to participate in a variety show?”

Zhang Mian paused for a moment before nodding.

Celebrity couples are no longer a novelty to audiences, but most people are ordinary, and the gossip about wealthy families does capture people’s interest. This means that the interactions of wealthy couples can be intriguing.

In his youth, Meng Zhengrong enjoyed a carefree lifestyle. Although he never truly mingled in the entertainment industry, he had been featured in newspaper articles a few years ago. After that, he became more low-key, and news about him faded.

However, even in forum discussions about real high-flyers, Meng Zhengrong’s name often came up.

He was undoubtedly one of the best-looking and most charming among the second-generation rich.

He was even better-looking than some male celebrities who relied on their appearances.

Of course, it wasn’t just Meng Zhengrong’s presence that made Zhang Mian think of him for the show; it was primarily about Meng Zhengrong’s wife.

When Meng Zhengrong got married, his friends had seen Xu Yuan and privately commented that he had finally found a wife even more beautiful than a movie star.

In fact, Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong were better-looking than the celebrity couple they were considering for the show, and they were also well-matched, resembling a real-life fairy tale.

Their life as a prince and princess would appeal to viewers, fulfilling everyone’s expectations of wealthy lifestyles. Plus, the couple was visually appealing, making it likely that people would want to watch them display their affection.

The charm of showcasing their love on the show would be a selling point, even the most mundane snippets of their lives could spark high ratings.

However, convincing Meng Zhengrong and his wife to join the show would be a challenging task.

Meng Zhengrong found the whole idea quite absurd, yet he didn’t outright reject Zhang Mian. After all, they were good friends. He politely stated, “I need to discuss this with her and my family; you know why.”

He wasn’t an entertainer and didn’t want to share his private life with the public, and Xu Yuan likely felt the same.

The most important factor was that their families might not approve.

Their work was already demanding, and agreeing to participate in a show would pose difficulties, but as friends, it wasn’t right to refuse outright.

Zhang Mian understood. “I’m just testing the waters here; not everyone is willing to participate in a show. You both have your families and social status to consider. If you can join, that’s fantastic; if not, I won’t be disappointed. Just don’t let it harm our friendship.”

Meng Zhengrong gave Zhang Mian a pat on the shoulder. “That’s how it is. I’ll discuss it with her.”

“Alright then.” Zhang Mian and Meng Zhengrong resumed their casual demeanor and returned to the dining area together.