Chapter 63.1

The few days spent in C City were fulfilling; it was a city that evoked nostalgia. Even Meng Zhengrong felt a bit reluctant to leave on the eve of their departure.

The night before leaving, the production team organized a barbecue party in the rented villa’s backyard. The weather was gradually getting colder as they grilled chicken wings and chatted, creating a cozy atmosphere.

The conversations were casual, without a script, allowing the guests to speak freely.

The three couples had developed good relationships; Meng Zhengrong and Song Chaowen had moved past their initial dislike and had formed a genuine friendship. As for Xu Yuan and Shen Li, there was no need to mention their bond—they shared similar body types and interests, even reaching a point where they exchanged lipsticks.

Xu Yuan was grateful for being on this show.

In her previous life, she didn’t have many friends, and now as Xu Yuan, she discovered that the original owner had few friends as well. This wasn’t surprising; it was probably a natural course of life. As children, people had many friends, but as they grew up and developed their own lives, social circles shrank. Having two or three confidants was already quite fortunate.

In this day and age, it was easy to feel lonely.

She considered herself lucky; her mental fortitude had been well developed, and she wasn’t afraid of being alone. Moreover, she had Meng Zhengrong by her side, who was both her husband and a friend.

But having a few close friends to confide in didn’t sound bad either.

Although Shen Li had been navigating the entertainment industry since childhood, she remained admirable for her inherent kindness and purity. This must have been one of the qualities that attracted Song Chaowen so devotedly.

The veteran couple didn’t chat much with them; they were naturally quiet but gave off a trustworthy vibe.

Over the decades of their marriage, it was hard to ensure they hadn’t faced challenges and conflicts. Yet, after so many years, their actions spoke of mutual understanding, which was enviable.

Xu Yuan often wondered if, after forty or fifty years, she and Meng Zhengrong would still be together, sharing the same affectionate bond and understanding.

The future was long, offering plenty of time for adventures, and that was one of life’s pleasures.

Shen Li evenly spread honey and sweet sauce on the chicken wings. “Next time, let’s travel together. Don’t you both love pandas?”

Speaking of pandas, after these few days of adjustment, Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong’s excitement for the adorable creatures had cooled down a bit. However, they still hadn’t changed their decision to name their future child “Panda,” since pandas were the cutest animals in the world—who could argue with that?

“Sure!” Xu Yuan openly responded to Shen Li, “My husband and I have already discussed what to name our future baby.”

Shen Li looked surprised. “Are you pregnant?”

Her words caught everyone’s attention, including Meng Zhengrong.

They weren’t using contraception anymore, but calculating the time, it seemed a bit too early, didn’t it?

Xu Yuan quickly shook her head. “Not yet! Do I look pregnant?”

As she spoke, she pulled her clothes tight to show her flat belly.

Shen Li burst into laughter. “You scared me! Well then, what’s your future baby’s nickname?”

The elderly lady chimed in with a laugh, “My partner and I were also discussing baby names when we were dating.”

To outsiders, this might seem like a boring topic, but only they understood how interesting it was.

Xu Yuan loved how the veteran couple referred to each other as “my love.” It was something rarely heard from younger people nowadays.

“Hubby” and “Wifey” were sweet, but they never had the same intimacy as “my love.”

Before Xu Yuan could answer, Meng Zhengrong, the scene-stealer, interjected, “Let’s call him Panda.”

Even the production crew couldn’t help but laugh; the nickname was too casual.

While Meng Zhengrong and Song Chaowen were skewering meat with bamboo sticks nearby, their relationship had improved significantly. Song Chaowen, without hesitation, asked, “Are you serious? Or are you just trying to gain fans with the panda?”

Meng Zhengrong shot him a look. “What are you talking about? Of course, we’re serious.”

Even though they had cooled off from their initial obsession with pandas over the past two days, Meng Zhengrong still thought the nickname Pandu sounded cute.

A nickname would only be used until the child grew up; kids should be a bit more adorable, right?

He believed their baby would like the name as well.

Seeing the production team laughing, Xu Yuan realized this scene would definitely not be cut. She had figured out the production team’s pattern—places that made everyone laugh were never edited out.

She needed to salvage her image and not let netizens tease her that her baby Panda was a name picked randomly for fun.

Xu Yuan earnestly explained to the camera, “You see, pandas are national treasures, right? So naming our baby Panda means he’s our family’s treasure.”

That explanation should be acceptable.

Meng Zhengrong also realized he had spoken too casually and quickly added, “Yes, yes, little kids should have cute nicknames. I hope our future baby will be chubby.”

Song Chaowen patted Meng Zhengrong’s shoulder. “Alright, don’t explain anymore. That name’s fine for a boy, but if it’s a girl, I guarantee she’ll be crying at home as soon as she starts elementary school.”

Wasn’t that the truth?

“Well, we’ve already decided,” Meng Zhengrong stated earnestly.

It showed that the couple was not joking around.

The elderly lady clapped in support. “That name is quite good. Back in our day, our nicknames were all things like Dog Egg and Dog Leftover.”

Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong exchanged glances, speechless. Was she really there to support them?

Shen Li sat down and handed Xu Yuan a skewer of chicken wings. “Speaking of which, if our families have a boy and a girl, the two kids could often play together. Wouldn’t that be childhood sweethearts?”

Among all kinds of relationships, childhood sweethearts undoubtedly tugged at the heartstrings the most.

Both couples were newlyweds, and they all planned to have children within the next year or two. With this topic on the table, there was so much to discuss.

“I prefer daughters,” Song Chaowen said, completely different from his usual impression on the show. “They say daughters resemble their fathers and tend to be closer to them.”

Song Chaowen and Meng Zhengrong were around the same age, yet in the show, neither of them displayed a mature and steady demeanor; instead, they seemed more like big boys.

Meng Zhengrong replied, “I like both sons and daughters. Gender bias is not acceptable—valuing boys over girls is wrong, and valuing girls over boys is wrong too.”

Song Chaowen glanced at him, feeling a bit helpless. After spending these days together, he understood that Meng was always trying to win over the audience.

As a result, the entire country knew that Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan planned to name their future baby “Panda.”

A few days after they returned from C City, it was time for the broadcast of “Newlyweds and Golden Marriage.”

Coincidentally, Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan planned to stay home that night to watch the show. However, right after finishing work, a phone call from Meng’s mother summoned them back.

From Meng’s mother’s tone, it didn’t seem very pleasant, causing Xu Yuan to overthink.

Had she and Meng Zhengrong done something wrong lately?

Could it be that naming their future baby “Pandu” had angered her mother-in-law?

Meng Zhengrong, however, calmly looked down at his phone, scrolling through Weibo. “Some fans are saying I should release an album, and they all want to buy it.”

Xu Yuan was just about to find something to distract herself when she bumped into Meng Zhengrong. She glanced at him and said, “You’d lose money if you released an album.”

Even singers didn’t always profit from albums these days, especially with the current downturn in the music industry.

Meng Zhengrong choked a bit at her words. He wanted to say that she probably wouldn’t even be able to release an album, but he wisely swallowed those words before they left his mouth.

It would indeed be amusing to say it now, but he couldn’t bear the retaliation he would face afterward.

“Is this considered finding a side gig?” Meng Zhengrong began making small talk.

“People find side gigs to earn money. If you’re going to consider singing and releasing an album as a side gig, then isn’t that losing money?”

Meng Zhengrong felt his teeth start to itch from the frustration but continued to hold it in.

Soon they arrived at the Meng family home. As soon as they walked in, they sensed the heavy atmosphere.

Meng Pingting was standing in the living room. Upon seeing them, she didn’t say anything.

Xu Yuan was surprised to see her eyes were red. Could it be that the ones in trouble weren’t her and Meng Zhengrong, but Pingting?

Meng Zhengrong held Xu Yuan’s hand and walked over to the sofa. He took the initiative to ease the tension, “What’s wrong? Did Pingting fail a course or something?”

Mother Meng looked over, her face filled with worry, and shook her head.

Seeing the situation, Xu Yuan thought, Pingting is usually quite well-behaved. What could have made their doting parents so serious? There had to be something significant at play.

The inevitable had finally come.

Xu Yuan could guess Peiting’s intentions; it was nothing but one word—delay.

However, would their parents agree to let their daughter marry someone from an ordinary family? Obviously not.

This was a harsh reality. Peiting could only choose someone within a limited scope, and that scope meant marrying someone from a similar background.

In the past, when Xu Yuan didn’t have such deep feelings for Meng Zhengrong, she would have thought that if she were Pingting, it would be better to cut ties with Wang Lin immediately, since the chances of a future together were virtually nonexistent.

Now, things were different. With love in her heart, Xu Yuan viewed Peiting’s situation from a new perspective.

If Wang Lin was really a good person aside from his family background, then she would support Pingting in her heart.

When Father Meng saw that Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan had returned, his expression softened a bit; he couldn’t be too stern in front of his daughter-in-law.

“We need to prepare at home; Pingting will start preparing for her study abroad next semester.”