Chapter 53.2

Meng Zhengrong thought Xu Yuan was upset and hurriedly shook his head to clarify. “No, no! I don’t want to go just because of our friendship. I can set aside my reluctance about participating. My opinion doesn’t matter; it’s really up to you. If you want to go, we’ll go; if you don’t, I’ll refuse.” He quickly added, “Wife, my friendship with Zhang Mian is one thing; you don’t have to worry about it. Just say what you think.”

His friendship with Zhang Mian was his own business; he couldn’t burden her with that.

Meng Zhengrong made his position clear. He didn’t want to participate, but because it was Zhang Mian who brought it up, he felt it was necessary to consider it. Now, everything depended on Xu Yuan, and he handed over the decision-making power to her.

Xu Yuan understood Meng Zhengrong’s intention. In reality, she was also weighing the pros and cons of appearing on the show.

Participating would waste her time. She was already busy, juggling English classes with a foreign teacher, attending management courses, and overseeing two departments. Where would she find the time to record a show?

Furthermore, considering Meng Zhengrong’s relationship with Zhang Mian, the appearance fee would probably be less than what other celebrity couples received. Of course, they didn’t need the money, as Meng Zhengrong had said—they weren’t short on cash.

They weren’t part of the entertainment industry and didn’t need any publicity.

If she couldn’t see any potential benefits, she didn’t want to participate.

“Meng Corporation doesn’t need publicity,” Xu Yuan thought quickly. “But promoting charitable work does require some publicity.”

Doing good deeds without anyone knowing was not something she had in her past life, and it wouldn’t happen in this one either.

Meng Zhengrong immediately understood Xu Yuan’s point. “Are you saying…”

Before he could finish, Xu Yuan nodded. “Since I’m now in charge of the charity projects, and Zhang Mian’s show consistently has high ratings, I won’t be promoting it excessively like those ad-filled segments. If I can occasionally mention our charity work or if some of our activities can be included in the show, then I’d be open to it.”

Nowadays, when others advertise, they often sponsor the production team. Just mentioning a product or displaying its logo at the bottom of the screen is the most effective way to promote it.

She isn’t an actress or a philanthropist; both she and her husband have a business mindset. Unless there’s a tangible benefit, who would want to go on a show and face potential criticism?

Meng Zhengrong furrowed his brow upon hearing this. “Just wait; I’ll call Zhang Mian and ask.”

“Okay.”

Meng Zhengrong didn’t avoid Xu Yuan while making the call, and Zhang Mian picked up quickly. “About what you mentioned yesterday, my family and I discussed it, and we’re not concerned about the appearance fee or anything like that.”

Zhang Mian chuckled softly, sensing the potential in this matter and feeling quite pleased. “I know, I know; the appearance fee is probably not what you care about.”

“Don’t flatter me. You still need to pay me what I’m worth; even siblings keep their accounts clear.”

While they weren’t short on money, every penny mattered.

Zhang Mian laughed. “Okay, okay, I assure you that you’ll get the appearance fee. But I know you didn’t call just for this; what else does my sister-in-law want to discuss?”

Caught, Meng Zhengrong felt a bit embarrassed and rubbed his nose. “My wife recently took over the company’s charity projects. You know, the company hasn’t paid much attention to this area in previous years…”

Everyone was smart; once the topic was broached, they understood the implication. Without hesitation, Zhang Mian replied, “Don’t worry; just let us know where you want the promotion. But I must remind you that we can probably only give you a few shots on the show…”

“A few shots will be enough.” Meng Zhengrong responded without hesitation upon hearing this.

Xu Yuan nodded silently at him.

Zhang Mian’s agreement to provide a few shots was very beneficial for their promotion.

With Xu Yuan’s instruction, Meng Zhengrong said, “Then I’ll take charge of this. We’ll discuss the details with your production team when you have time.”

Zhang Mian clicked his tongue. “What are you trying to be the boss for? Do you think we don’t know who really calls the shots? It’s your sister-in-law!”

Meng Zhengrong wasn’t bothered by this and pretended to be surprised. “When did you find that out?”

“Yesterday, when you had a drink, you kept glancing at your sister-in-law. Was it for nothing? Well, I won’t talk anymore. I’ll arrange for the production team to discuss the details with you. Bye for now, the boss of the household.”

Meng Zhengrong hung up, looking sadly at Xu Yuan. “It’s over; now everyone thinks I’m completely controlled by you.”

Xu Yuan glanced at him. “Isn’t that the case?”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Meng Zhengrong didn’t even dare look in the mirror; he knew he must be wearing a flattering expression.

If someone had told him in his early twenties that he would be so thoroughly dominated by a girl eight years younger than him, and that he would actually enjoy it, he would have rolled his eyes.

“Actually, there’s another reason I agreed to go on the show,” Xu Yuan casually said.

Meng Zhengrong asked, “What reason?”

Xu Yuan pointed to a photo frame on the TV cabinet. “Do you remember that album we saw at your house?”

Mentioning that made Meng Zhengrong feel a shadow cast over him.

When he was young, he was so cute and handsome, yet she claimed he was an eyesore, which truly hurt his feelings.

“Yeah, so what?”

“Those things have value, just like how a dad can look at his own parents through an album, even if they are no longer around. Maybe he might regret not having any recordings of them,” Xu Yuan said softly, her eyes warm. “If such technology existed in ancient times, wouldn’t having family photos to look at during lonely or unfair moments bring comfort?”

Everyday lived is one less day to live.

If they could leave more memories for themselves and their children, they should do so.

“Maybe when our children grow up and are around our age, they’ll feel nostalgic and want to see what we looked like when we were young. Just having photos seems a bit monotonous, doesn’t it?” Xu Yuan gently caressed Meng Zhengrong’s hand, whispering, “What if, when I’m forty or fifty and my looks fade, I want to see how I looked when I was young? It’s better to preserve more memories; I feel that doing this will never be regretted.”