Chapter 53.1

On a crisp autumn Saturday afternoon, Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan were lounging on the sofa in the living room, watching television and planning to go shopping after lunch.

Xu Yuan didn’t have many hobbies, but shopping always made her happy. Even if they went shopping every week, she never got tired of it. Naturally, Meng Zhengrong was more than willing to indulge her to see her smile.

However, the owners of the department store were not feeling as fortunate. They were secretly worried that Meng Zhengrong was considering a takeover…

After all, why had he only been seen once a year before, and now he was showing up frequently?

“Hey, isn’t this show planned by that classmate of yours?” Xu Yuan said, glancing at the screen. She preferred variety shows over dramas these days, as many dramas followed the same tired formulas. Even those based on ancient stories felt predictable to her, while variety shows, although similar, were still more entertaining.

Hearing this, Meng Zhengrong remembered the request from Zhang Mian. He felt conflicted; he was reluctant to participate in a variety show, and he had turned down many magazine cover shoots. But since it was an old friend’s request, he felt he had to consider it.

After a moment of hesitation, he nudged Xu Yuan with his elbow and said, “There’s something I want to ask your opinion on.”

Whether he was willing or not was up for debate. As he mentioned at the class reunion, many matters in their home were ultimately decided by her.

Without even looking at him, Xu Yuan replied, “Go ahead.”

Thinking she seemed in a good mood, Meng Zhengrong took a deep breath and slowly explained, “Last night, Zhang Mian took me aside to talk. He’s the director of a new show, and he wants to invite three couples to participate: one is a celebrity couple, one is a couple in their sixties who are seasoned actors, and the last couple hasn’t been decided yet. He wants to know what you think. I’m really asking for your opinion here—what do you think?”

Participate in a show?

At that moment, the television displayed scenes of children shopping at a market. Xu Yuan blinked, confused. “But we’re not celebrities.”

This was her immediate reaction; generally, isn’t participation in such shows reserved for famous people?

Would an ordinary couple like them even attract viewers?

Meng Zhengrong chuckled internally; they really were a perfect match, thinking along the same lines.

“I said the same thing, but Zhang Mian insisted that having one celebrity couple was enough,” he explained, “and I understood his intention. I’m not boasting; I had some popularity back in my younger days on forums.”

“You had popularity?” Xu Yuan was skeptical. After all, no matter how wealthy Meng Zhengrong was, to the audience, he was just an ordinary person.

Meng Zhengrong straightened his posture, confidence brimming. Finally, he had a chance to flaunt his past charm to Xu Yuan. “Why would I lie? Just search my name online or on Weibo; there should be posts about me. Of course, that was all from when I was in my early twenties. After I turned twenty-five, I started to keep a low profile.”

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. “I’ll take your word for it. What’s next?”

“We didn’t make a big fuss about our wedding, and Zhang Mian probably thought you looked beautiful. Couples like us are rarely seen on variety shows, as most wealthy couples are reluctant to participate. Essentially, he wants to showcase our relationship to the audience.”

As soon as Xu Yuan heard this, she wanted to refuse. It wasn’t about maintaining a certain image; she simply didn’t think she was suitable for the screen. After all, she and Meng Zhengrong were just ordinary people.

However, she quickly recalled Zhang Mian’s relationship with Meng Zhengrong. Since Zhang Mian had already approached him and Meng Zhengrong didn’t refuse outright, there must have been some thought behind it. It was best not to decline too quickly, so she asked, “What do you think? It’s not just my opinion that matters.”

Typically, Xu Yuan’s demeanor around Meng Zhengrong was impeccable.

At this moment, agreeing or outright refusing wouldn’t be appropriate. Such decisions should involve both their opinions.

Meng Zhengrong pondered for a moment and replied, “To be honest, I don’t want to participate in this kind of show. We’re not short on money or seeking publicity. If anyone else asked me, I would have declined without a second thought. But since it’s Zhang Mian, I felt I should consider it.”

Xu Yuan nodded. “You’re right; after all, you two are good friends. He probably wouldn’t bring it up unless he really needed to.”

Though she wasn’t particularly familiar with Zhang Mian and his friends, she trusted Meng Zhengrong. For him to maintain good friendships, he must be a person of integrity. Moreover, they were all old classmates, and it was evident from their conversations that they were all well-off. Zhang Mian, as a television director, had created several hit shows, and she could tell from watching various variety shows that he was genuinely dedicated to his work.

If it weren’t absolutely necessary, Zhang Mian wouldn’t have asked.

Touched by Xu Yuan’s response, Meng Zhengrong took advantage of the absence of the staff in the living room to pull her into his embrace and kiss her cheek. “You’re the best, my wife.”

Her understanding meant everything to him.

Others might not comprehend that participating in the show wouldn’t benefit them at all, but that wasn’t important. As long as she understood why he didn’t refuse outright, that was enough.

Xu Yuan pretended to push him away, using the back of her hand to wipe her face. “Get back to the main topic.”

“…” Meng Zhengrong straightened up and continued, “I haven’t told you about my student days. If it were anyone else asking, even if it were Fatty or someone else, I would have declined.”

Xu Yuan wondered if there was more to it.

“During military training, it was scorching hot, and I struggled to cope. One night, I wasn’t feeling well, and it was Zhang Mian who carried me downstairs to the infirmary.”

This incident might not seem significant in hindsight, but the context mattered. For Meng Zhengrong, who had just entered high school, it had been a big deal worth remembering.

Xu Yuan nodded. “And then?”

Meng Zhengrong sheepishly rubbed his nose. “At that time, I was still young and didn’t realize the consequences of my actions. Some upperclassmen didn’t like me and cornered me at school. Zhang Mian and I ended up fighting them together, and Zhang Mian even broke his nose.”

Boys’ youthful years were often marked by such moments.

The bond formed through fighting would evoke feelings of nostalgia even years later.

Zhang Mian was different from Meng Zhengrong’s other friends, which was why he didn’t outright decline.

Xu Yuan calmly replied, “So, you want to agree to participate in this show, right?”