Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

Chapter 718 Untitled
"Yes, that's right." Li Zhuangsheng nodded with a smile.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Meng Meng's eyes lit up, her face full of admiration. "Really? I also watch 'The Thousand-Year-Old Huabiao,' play games, and collect cards!"

"Really? That's such a coincidence! Thank you for your support!"

"However, the 'Written at the South Village of the Capital' card is too rare. I've opened so many, but I still haven't gotten a gold-plated card!"

"Haha, that card is indeed the rarest in the Peach Blossom series."

"Brother-in-law, do you have any extra?" Meng Meng asked, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't have any either," Li Zhuangsheng said helplessly, spreading his hands.

"Don't you sell any cards?"

"Hehehe, we definitely can't just print them anywhere."

"Okay!" Meng Meng didn't mind, and with her bright, innocent eyes, she asked, "By the way, brother-in-law, why is our show called 'Eternal Heroes'?"

"Oh, this is from Chen Liang's poem: 'The stench of blood and gore is so strong, where are the heroic spirits of the past? When will this vast expanse be able to flow again?'"

"I see, that's really culturally profound!"

Mengmeng nodded vigorously, desperately trying to reconcile, offering ample emotional support. The two chatted all the way, and before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination.

"Mr. Xiang, would you like to grab something to eat with us?" Li Zhuangsheng said to Zhang Qixiang.

"I finally have some free time today, my girlfriend is calling me." Zhang Qixiang yawned.

"Alright, you look so sleepy. Go back and rest early after you finish eating."

"Hmm, we'll see!"

Zhang Qixiang drove away, and Li Zhuangsheng treated the two girls to dinner. Meng Meng was in high spirits throughout, but Hu Mengke unexpectedly seemed quite downcast.

"Mengke, are you nervous?" Li Zhuangsheng comforted her with a smile. "It's okay, the directors all said you'll be fine. And don't worry, I invested in the whole series, no one will make things difficult for you."

"I'm not nervous at all!" Hu Mengke smiled. "Of course I know you're amazing, brother-in-law! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Brother-in-law, don't worry. Mengke is just like that. She's not unhappy!" Mengmeng said from the side.

Hu Mengke smiled slightly, but Li Zhuangsheng still felt that the other party's expression was rather forced.

After dropping the two off at school, Li Zhuangsheng took out his phone, thought for a moment, and then dialed Hu Mengdie's number:

"Dream Butterfly, didn't you tell Mengke I'm planning to film a drama? Oh, no... It's nothing, our crew is short of actors, and I'm thinking of casting her as the female lead. Hmm, so what if she's a high school student? That's what they study at their arts high school. It's a tokusatsu drama, you could cast any idol from a talent show, it mainly depends on the script and special effects, the female lead is no problem! Okay, I've already told her... Alright, I'll come find you now."

After hanging up the phone, Li Zhuangsheng returned to the hotel, got on his electric scooter, and his eyes held a somewhat uncertain expression. He ultimately didn't mention that Hu Mengke had come to his place for an interview that day.

Hu Mengdie hasn't mentioned "Eternal Heroes" to Hu Mengke yet, but it's clear that Hu Mengke hasn't told Hu Mengdie about his plans either.

Hu Mengdie's reason for not mentioning it is simple: after all, nothing is certain yet. Filming hasn't even started, and they haven't even cast the actors. She might not even discuss this with Hu Mengke. Besides, Hu Mengke is wary of her brother-in-law and sister-in-law's relationship, so it's not a big deal for her to avoid mentioning it. But Hu Mengke had that idea but didn't mention it to Hu Mengdie… Actually, this doesn't prove anything.

Perhaps Hu Mengke was just acting on a whim, or perhaps she was encouraged by her classmates to give it a try.

Li Zhuangsheng recalled Hu Mengke's expression, that reluctant look.

He hadn't been in contact with Hu Mengke for a long time, so it was difficult for him to objectively evaluate her changes. But Hu Mengke wasn't like this when she was a child; when he broke up with his girlfriend after graduating from high school, she would playfully joke with him.

She looks a bit like her future self now... but not nearly as badly.

Li Zhuangsheng only remembered Hu Mengke wearing a sailor uniform, her skirt fluttering, her smile radiant. She wasn't always like that.

Since Hu Mengdie believes that the other party hasn't encountered any setbacks at school, and her conversation with Mengmeng today confirms this, then Hu Mengke's issue is probably not related to school. Besides, there's nothing else in real life that could make Hu Mengke sad or upset.

Could it be that he has really broken up with his girlfriend?

It's not impossible that Hu Mengke is secretly dating someone behind Hu Mengdie's back. However, the last time Li Zhuangsheng saw Hu Mengke, she seemed to be in a bad state.

Half a year had passed. Li Zhuangsheng put himself in others' shoes and thought, who would be depressed for so long after a breakup... but it seemed that it wasn't necessarily true. He had heard gossip about girls getting depression after a breakup when he was in middle school.

If that were the case, Li Zhuangsheng's feelings would be somewhat complicated.

He had always regarded Hu Mengke as a younger sister... well, not entirely purely. But you can't blame him; any man would inevitably have some unhealthy thoughts when facing Hu Mengke, especially since Li Zhuangsheng had been so openly confessed to and seduced by Hu Mengke before.

Even a saint cannot have a completely calm mind; Li Zhuangsheng could only do his best to act in a way that was true to his conscience.

Regardless of the truth, Li Zhuangsheng hopes that Hu Mengke can move on.

However, he didn't discuss this matter with Hu Mengdie, because he had already mentioned it once before, but Hu Mengdie still hadn't noticed. He still had no evidence, and Hu Mengdie might not believe him anyway.

After all, Hu Mengke seemed perfectly normal, so normal that even her older sister, Hu Mengdie, didn't notice anything unusual. Li Zhuangsheng's opinion of Hu Mengke at this moment was entirely based on unfounded intuition.

It's entirely possible that this is just Li Zhuangsheng's imagination. People change; perhaps Hu Mengke has simply matured after going through adolescence.

Even if Hu Mengke truly has a problem, Hu Mengdie might not be able to understand the whole story, or even resolve Hu Mengke's inner conflict. It's clear the other party doesn't want to explain to Hu Mengdie, and besides, some things are harder to say to those closest to you. Even if Hu Mengdie believes Li Zhuangsheng's words, it will only add to her troubles.

Therefore, Li Zhuangsheng did not intend to discuss this matter with Hu Mengdie again. He wanted to figure things out himself first before explaining it to Hu Mengdie.

Back at the company, Hu Mengdie was still there, sitting in Li Zhuangsheng's office with an unhappy expression.

"Why did you suddenly think of Meng Ke and even cast her as the female lead?"

"Meng Ke has always wanted to act, and now that this opportunity has come, why not let it benefit our own people!"

"It's not that we don't want her to act, but she's so young. If you let her play the lead role, she might ruin the show."

“Tokusatsu dramas are supposed to be awkwardly acted, so the main thing is the pacing of the plot and the special effects.” Li Zhuangsheng hugged Hu Mengdie. “The director said there would be no problem. If it really would ruin the show, they would definitely say so.”

(End of this chapter)