Chapter 57.3

The two of them headed out to the supermarket to buy the ingredients requested by the old actor couple.

Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong sat in the back seat of the car, with a camera pointed at them from the front.

“Let me see what we need to buy,” Meng Zhengrong said as he looked over the list Xu Yuan had written. “Are we making hot pot?”

“Maybe. If so, I should get you some medicine at the supermarket later,” Xu Yuan replied.

Meng Zhengrong nodded, “Alright, I’ll definitely need to take the medicine.”

This was a plan they had discussed in order to create a good impression: hot pot was perfect for this weather, and sharing it would help everyone bond. However, Meng Zhengrong couldn’t handle spicy food, a detail he hadn’t shared with the production team. To maintain his polite demeanor, they still planned to eat hot pot but would buy him medicine beforehand. He would take it without telling anyone, allowing both families to enjoy the meal together.

Xu Yuan and Meng Zhengrong believed this detail would earn them praise.

The staff listening to their conversation looked confused, unsure why they needed to buy medicine.

Soon, they arrived at the supermarket. A few crew members carrying cameras drew attention, but fortunately, the production team had obtained prior consent from the supermarket. Since there weren’t many shoppers around, it didn’t cause much chaos—perhaps people were just used to cameras by now.

“We’ve been to this supermarket a few times before. Once, we thought we’d cook for ourselves, but after several hours, we hadn’t even managed to finish the dishes,” Meng Zhengrong pointed at Xu Yuan. “But I’m pretty sure my cooking was better than hers. She finished what I made.”

Xu Yuan quickly retorted, “I was just trying to avoid hurting your feelings, so I forced myself to eat it.”

“Oh? It’s my fault for not realizing your struggle; I only saw you wolfing down the food.”

At that moment, it seemed like they forgot the plans they had made the night before, completely ignoring the cameras as they playfully bickered.

“Wolfing down food? Are you sure you want to use that term for me?” Xu Yuan said, her tone slightly threatening.

Seeing her reaction, Meng Zhengrong quickly clarified, “I meant I was the one wolfing down food, not you.”

Nearby staff members were stifling their laughter, thinking this couple would be quite entertaining to watch.

After picking out their ingredients in the supermarket, they were surprised to find it was already past noon. Not wanting to keep the old actor couple and Song Chaowen’s family waiting too long, they decided to split up: Xu Yuan would stay to pay, while Meng Zhengrong would head to the pharmacy outside to buy the medicine.

As more shoppers began to fill the supermarket, an older woman in line ahead of Xu Yuan turned to her, smiling when she noticed the camera. “Are you a star, young lady?”

Xu Yuan smiled and shook her head. “No, have you seen me on TV before?”

The woman thought for a moment and replied, “I can’t remember. There are so many pretty young ladies like you these days.”

Hearing this made Xu Yuan’s heart soar. Although the original owner of her appearance may have grown accustomed to such compliments since childhood, Xu Yuan herself wasn’t used to it. After all, who would casually praise a eunuch for being good-looking in her past life?

While Xu Yuan was in line to pay, Meng Zhengrong went to the pharmacy to buy the medicine. On his way back, he noticed a claw machine that caught his attention.

At that moment, only two or three students were at the claw machine. Meng Zhengrong walked over. The students had already put in a few coins but hadn’t managed to grab a toy. Given their limited budgets, they reluctantly walked away, grumbling about how the claw machine was a scam.

Meng Zhengrong watched them for a bit and thought it looked simple. If he were playing, he was confident he could grab a toy without spending too many coins.

This was a perfect opportunity to show off, and he couldn’t let it slip by.

“Little girls love this kind of thing, right?” Meng Zhengrong said to the camera. “My wife is like a little girl who loves these toys. I bought some for her before. Since she’s not here yet, I’ll win a few toys for her to make her happy.”

Who wouldn’t want to be treated like a little girl or a princess by their husband?

After reading the instructions on the claw machine, Meng Zhengrong exchanged some paper money for coins and began his ambitious attempt to win a toy.

The staff following him thought, given his enthusiasm, that he was likely an experienced player and assumed he would easily grab a toy, just like the leading men in dramas who could win toys in seconds, tugging at everyone’s heartstrings.

However…

Meng Zhengrong spent all ten coins he had just exchanged but didn’t manage to win a single toy.

Normally, he would have given up at this point, but he didn’t. Forgetting about the camera, the familiar competitive spirit ignited within him; he couldn’t believe he wouldn’t be able to win a single toy.

Meng Zhengrong had never played a claw machine before. When he was a child, it wasn’t popular yet, and by the time it became trendy, he was already in his teenage years, feeling too mature and thinking it was childish to play with something like that.

Now, at his current age, he found himself unexpectedly interested in it.

The staff members were starting to feel frustrated as Meng Zhengrong had already spent nearly thirty coins without winning a single toy.

As everyone was brainstorming how to intervene and save face, Xu Yuan came out carrying a bag.

She walked up to Meng Zhengrong and quietly asked, “What are you doing?”

Meng Zhengrong turned around and smiled at her. “Trying to win a toy for you.”

“…Alright.” Although there were cameras around, she decided to indulge her husband’s childlike side for a moment.

Xu Yuan patiently waited for Meng Zhengrong to win a toy, but after several more unsuccessful attempts, she couldn’t help but feel as frustrated as the staff.

“How about we stop playing?” she suggested, voicing the sentiments of the crew.

“Let’s not waste money on this. Even though you have plenty of it, this is not a good example for kids!”

However, Meng Zhengrong was surprisingly determined. “No, I want to win one.”

This was his final resolve—a man’s determination.

Xu Yuan stepped closer to the camera, speaking earnestly. “My husband might feel embarrassed in front of me, so I’ll give it a try too. After all, I probably can’t win either.”

This was her way of considering Meng Zhengrong’s pride.

After saying this, Xu Yuan walked up to him, took a few coins from his hand, and approached another claw machine nearby.

She had watched for a while and figured she might as well give it a try.

Unexpectedly, on her third attempt, she successfully grabbed a toy.

Meng Zhengrong: “…”

Xu Yuan: “…”

The staff: “…”

Xu Yuan calmly used the remaining coins to win another toy.

Now, she held two toys: a yellow giraffe and a SpongeBob.

In front of the camera, Xu Yuan handed the two toys to a bewildered Meng Zhengrong, speaking in her usual calm tone, “Here, husband. These are for you.”

Meng Zhengrong: “…”

He wanted to smash the claw machine and was anxiously wondering how much he would have to pay for it. It’s urgent. Waiting online.