Chapter 58.1

The incident with the claw machine was a huge blow to Meng Zhengrong; he even contemplated buying up all the claw machines in the city to avoid seeing them again!

His pride was severely hurt, and he felt utterly inept!

The staff held back their laughter, fearing they might anger President Meng.

The two toys in the car were particularly eye-catching, and it almost seemed like SpongeBob was mocking Meng Zhengrong.

If it weren’t for the cameras, he genuinely wanted to throw those toys away.

Xu Yuan seemed to sense what Meng Zhengrong was thinking. “We can put these toys in my office if you don’t like them.”

Even the staff started to admire Xu Yuan for bringing up this topic at such a sensitive moment; Meng Zhengrong might just snap.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Meng Zhengrong nodded. “Okay.”

He looked so obedient.

Off-camera, Xu Yuan was playfully pinching Meng Zhengrong.

She pinched him without restraint, fully into it, but Meng Zhengrong didn’t dare grimace like usual.

They smoothly arrived at the residence of the veteran couple, located in an old district. Some houses were being demolished, while others remained intact, including the independent house where the veteran couple lived, complete with a small garden. It was a very comfortable and cozy place for the elderly couple.

By the time Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong arrived, Song Chaowen and Shen Li were already there. These two had truly proven their acting skills, being well-versed in the entertainment industry.

The veteran couple’s acting was undoubtedly exceptional, easily overshadowing the others.

Song Chaowen was also a powerhouse in his own right, and Shen Li had been a child star, so her skills were impressive as well.

In the presence of these four, Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward.

They hadn’t prepared enough for this moment; they would need to practice more later to avoid losing face to the audience while these four gained fans effortlessly.

The three couples treated each other as strangers, despite having shared meals before and having exchanged red envelopes in their group chat the night before; at this moment, they felt like complete strangers.

They were indeed having hot pot today. The veteran couple’s cooking skills were top-notch. Hot pot is usually easy to prepare—just wash the vegetables clean and get the broth and dipping sauce ready.

Even though it was autumn, the midday weather was quite pleasant, so they decided to enjoy the hot pot in the small yard outside, making it a delightful experience.

They prepared a split hot pot, which was boiling with various meatballs, releasing mouth watering aromas.

Xu Yuan could vaguely hear the staff swallowing their saliva.

It smelled delicious.

Meng Zhengrong discreetly took his medicine in front of the camera, without any eyes outside the camera catching him, hiding his efforts well.

Since they had shared meals before, everyone chatted comfortably at the hot pot, as if they were old friends, making the staff feel at ease watching them.

People had previously remarked that just by sitting there, Song Chaowen could keep viewers captivated for hundreds of episodes without getting bored.

The show aimed to showcase the real lives of different couples, including their genuine interactions with one another.

As everyone ate and chatted normally, viewers could see themselves reflected in these moments; isn’t that the essence of relatable content?

“Chaowen, your recent drama is great; we watch it every day,” the veteran couple casually mentioned. While Song Chaowen’s drama would have been a hit without any promotion, it was touching that they brought it up on the show.

Xu Yuan chimed in, “I was so frustrated after watching an episode yesterday. Mr. Song, can you give us a spoiler? Is Xiao Zheng really a bad guy?”

Today was the first day of filming, and Zhang Mian had also arrived on set.

Hearing Xu Yuan, Zhang Mian felt regretful. Xu Yuan had great potential; her looks were on par with celebrities, and her reactions and emotional intelligence surpassed many so-called stars.

Song Chaowen playfully blinked. “Spoiling it might just jinx it…”

“Will it turn into a tragedy?”

Shen Li noticed Xu Yuan was trying to lighten the mood and quickly joined in, “Exactly! I couldn’t sleep last night after watching; it was infuriating.”

Having grown up in the entertainment industry, Shen Li understood how to behave to win the audience’s favor.

Shen Li had also chatted with Xu Yuan privately on WeChat, and both decided that it would be best to go from strangers to best friends during the show.

It was a bit of a dilemma; Zhang Mian wanted to capture the real essence, but everyone except the veteran couple aimed to appear as likable as possible.

As Song Chaowen spoke, he served everyone beef meatballs with serving chopsticks. “I can’t spoil it; otherwise, the director might dock my pay.”

He was a true gentleman, serving everyone using communal chopsticks.

Meng Zhengrong didn’t have an issue with Song Chaowen, aside from a slight jealousy that his wife admired him; there was hardly any real conflict between them.

“Thank you,” Meng Zhengrong said politely.

“Don’t mention it,” Song Chaowen replied.

Xu Yuan looked at the beef meatballs in her bowl and felt reluctant to eat.

This wasn’t just any beef meatball.

It was a beef meatball served by Song Chaowen.

As a fan, how could she bring herself to eat it?

Not taking a photo would be a disservice to this hard-earned meatball, but doing so in front of the camera felt inappropriate.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Yuan stood up with her small bowl. “I’m going to the kitchen to add some vinegar.”

It was a perfect excuse in her mind. Little did she know that just as she entered the house, Meng Zhengrong followed her in, smiling as he spoke in a pampering tone, “She hardly goes into the kitchen; she probably can’t even tell vinegar from soy sauce. I’ll go check.”

Shen Li rested her chin on her hand, “What a loving couple.”

Song Chaowen picked up some beef and added it to Shen Li’s bowl. “Really?”

Shen Li instantly beamed, “We’re quite loving too!”

If a camera had followed Meng Zhengrong, it would have captured a stark contrast; he could change from gentle to stern in an instant.

He had entered the kitchen with a soft demeanor, but once inside, away from everyone, his expression soured.

Xu Yuan was busy taking a photo of her small bowl when she heard footsteps. Turning around, she saw it was Meng Zhengrong, and she instantly felt uneasy.

Meng Zhengrong approached with a serious face, glancing at her bowl and then her phone. “You don’t need to add vinegar.”

Xu Yuan: “…Huh?”

Meng Zhengrong waved his hand in front of her. “Didn’t you smell the vinegar all over me?”

Xu Yuan couldn’t help but laugh, “What are you talking about? I’m just taking a photo to cherish this meatball from Song Chaowen.”

“Can’t you smell the vinegar permeating the whole room?” Meng Zhengrong’s face darkened.

Taking a photo of the beef meatball served by Song Chaowen?

No man could tolerate that.

Xu Yuan put her phone away and obediently wrapped her arms around Meng Zhengrong’s. “Just this once; I promise I won’t do it again. Really, don’t be so petty. Shen Li can serve you food, and you can take a photo too!”

Meng Zhengrong scoffed. “Do you think I’m as bored as you are?”

“…”

Seeing Xu Yuan about to suppress her laughter, Meng Zhengrong quickly offered a compromise. “Kiss me once, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

Xu Yuan: “What if the camera catches it?”

“Wouldn’t that be great?” Meng Zhengrong reminded her. “We talked about casually showing our affection to gain fans last night.”

Xu Yuan was still a bit resistant to showing such intimacy in front of the cameras. Meng Zhengrong playfully threatened, “If you don’t kiss me, I’ll spill the beans.”

This was just to tease Xu Yuan; he would never let anyone else know about it; that would be too embarrassing. Xu Yuan understood this too. Feeling cornered by Meng Zhengrong, she worried about taking too long and the staff walking in, so she quickly leaned in and kissed his cheek—a light peck before quickly pulling back.

“Honey, we’re adults,” Meng Zhengrong pointed to his lips. “A peck on the cheek is for children; we should kiss on the lips.”

Xu Yuan could barely contain herself.

Meng Zhengrong quickly added, “If you kiss me, I’ll act like I didn’t see anything. I promise not to hold it against you.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan reluctantly kissed his lips. She planned to just touch them and pull away, but the moment their lips met, Meng Zhengrong wrapped his arms around her waist, refusing to let her go and seized the opportunity for a deeper kiss.

When Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong stepped out, Shen Li had a playful grin on her face. “Took so long just to add some vinegar, huh?”

Xu Yuan remained unfazed as she nodded. “You can try adding some too; maybe it’ll take longer than us.”

Meng Zhengrong gave Xu Yuan a thumbs up.

He hadn’t added any vinegar; just now, it was as if the entire street was filled with the scent of vinegar. It was surprising that these people hadn’t noticed.