Classmate Li Zhuangsheng doesn’t want to be reborn

Chapter 721 Cabbage
"Did Director Zhu and the others send you to act as a mediator?" Li Zhuangsheng said with a smile, revealing the truth.

"This..." Hu Mengke hesitated slightly, but seeing that Li Zhuangsheng's face was not angry, she felt relieved and continued, her tone revealing a hint of coquetry, "I was just mentioning it, but you can decide for yourself, brother-in-law."

Li Zhuangsheng sighed: "I know I might be too harsh, but I want to persevere a little longer. As for the lead role, I want to find the most suitable one."

"You're so strict with others, but you're quite casual when it comes to choosing the female lead." Hu Mengdie's tone was slightly flippant.

"Because Meng Ke's image and temperament are very suitable!" Li Zhuangsheng laughed.

"It's all because of my older sister, isn't it?" Hu Mengke grabbed Hu Mengdie's arm and shook it. "Who told me to be your sister!"

Li Zhuangsheng glanced at her, smiled, and said nothing. He thought to himself that it might not necessarily be because of Hu Mengdie, although it was certainly directly related.

After the three finished their meal, Li Zhuangsheng and Hu Mengdie took Hu Mengke to training and then returned to the company.

"Oh, by the way, why don't you take Mengke with you when you're making short videos?" Li Zhuangsheng asked casually as Hu Mengdie was driving.

"How old is she? Why let her get involved in these things to become an internet celebrity?" Hu Mengdie raised her eyebrows slightly. "Besides, she doesn't seem to have much interest in short videos, and she's never told me about them."

Li Zhuangsheng nodded, but thought to himself, "Hu Mengke must be somewhat interested in short videos." He had seen Hu Mengke's account before. Besides, who could truly be completely uninterested in fame and fortune?
The other person didn't have many video works, and Hu Mengke clearly didn't know what to film. Her videos were mostly just imitations of trends, and she only had less than 100,000 followers. Hu Mengdie obviously knew about the account, but she simply followed it without saying anything else.

“Hehe…” Li Zhuangsheng suddenly laughed.

"why are you laughing?"

"I laughed at you for really caring about Hu Mengke, just like a mother. And you're quite traditional, aren't you?"

"She is indeed too young and does not yet have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. There are all kinds of people in the online world, and values ​​can easily be distorted."

"That's true, not everyone looks like a 22-year-old girl but is actually 3... Oh oh oh!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Zhuangsheng crowed like a hen crowing.

Hu Mengdie calmly released her grip on Li Zhuangsheng's waist.

"Just kidding... I really miss the gentler you were." Li Zhuangsheng muttered, clutching his waist. "You were quite gentle in front of others."

"Sorry, I'm not pretending anymore. I'm not that virtuous wife and loving mother anymore." Hu Mengdie glanced at him. "When are you planning to give up on me?"

"The word 'give up' doesn't exist in my dictionary!" Li Zhuangsheng kissed Hu Mengdie on the cheek. "This is your punishment for pinching me earlier!"

So Hu Mengdie pinched him again.

Li Zhuangsheng was furious: "If you're so capable, find a secluded spot to park! See how I punish you!"

"Dream on." Hu Mengdie rolled her eyes at Li Zhuangsheng.

But then she seemed to notice something else and glanced at the roadside. Li Zhuangsheng followed her gaze and saw what appeared to be a young couple arguing, with the man begging the woman to come back.

But the scene flashed by quickly while the two were in the car. Li Zhuangsheng didn't pay much attention to it.

"I still think casting her as the lead is a bit too risky. You've invested a lot, right? Are you sure it's okay?" "No problem, don't worry!"

Hu Mengdie chuckled inexplicably: "Buying songs and laughter with gold and jade, indulging in a drunken stupor for months, disregarding kings and nobles. You really like this feeling, don't you?"

Li Zhuangsheng glanced at her sideways, then kissed Hu Mengdie on the cheek again: "Who compares themselves to a singing girl? I'll punish you again!"

Hu Mengdie smiled and then said no more.

Li Zhuangsheng leaned against the car window, thinking about his meeting with Hu Mengke this time, and still felt that the other party was strange. But the other party had already made it very clear that Hu Mengdie, the older sister, had no problems.

So what exactly is the problem?

To be honest, Hu Mengke is really not acting strangely. Now Hu Mengke is mature and sensible, which is great!
Is it because the other party got the lead role, but didn't seem as happy as Li Zhuangsheng imagined? How happy do you expect her to be, so excited that she hugs him and jumps around?

Li Zhuangsheng shook his head.

Many more days passed, and almost all the roles were filled, but the most crucial male lead was still nowhere to be found.

Directors Zhu and Hou approached Hu Mengke again, hoping she could persuade Li Zhuangsheng to "go easy on him." They said that was enough, it was time to start filming! So many people were waiting; anyone could be chosen as the male lead!
Caught in the middle, Hu Mengke felt quite helpless. She went to Hu Mengdie, hoping that Hu Mengdie could persuade Li Zhuangsheng, but Hu Mengdie refused.

“Do you really think your brother-in-law is easy to talk to? He’s actually quite stubborn, and I don’t want to be the bad guy,” Hu Mengdie said.

"But I'm under so much pressure," Hu Mengke sighed softly. "Isn't there anyone who can... Hey? Sister Xiuyu, is that okay?"

Hu Mengdie's gaze was unreadable, her lips moved slightly, but she only left one sentence: "She won't try to persuade me."

Hu Mengke struggled with the decision all night, but still managed to find Li Xiuyu in her contacts.

In the past, Hu Mengdie and Li Xiuyu had a good relationship, but in the last two years, Hu Mengke has also felt that the two may have fallen out.

However, at this moment, all the pressure from the entire production crew fell on her. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and contact Li Xiuyu. After briefly explaining her purpose, he indeed refused, and his refusal was very concise and direct, consisting of only a single "no".

“But, Sister Xiuyu…” Hu Mengke said cautiously on the phone, “So many people are waiting now, and it’s costing him a lot of money every day. After all, ‘Eternal Heroes’ is… his life’s work, right?”

Upon hearing this, Li Xiuyu hesitated for a moment before reluctantly asking, "Do you know why he's unwilling to easily release the male and female leads?"

"Because he has high standards for acting..."

"If he were only picky about acting skills, he wouldn't have chosen you as the female lead. Because 'Eternal Heroes' is a cabbage he cultivated himself, and in his eyes, anyone who wants to play the lead role is like a pig trying to steal the cabbage. That's why he's so picky."

Li Xiuyu was undoubtedly the one who understood Li Zhuangsheng best. The film he planned to make—the subject matter was his own idea, the outline was his own revision—was practically identical to his own work. He poured the most emotion into the script, so he instinctively harbored a natural hostility and scrutiny towards all the interviewees.
Are you qualified?

Li Zhuangsheng himself may not have realized it, nor had he thought about it deeply.

Therefore, he can be more lenient with some less important roles, but he will still be very particular about important roles, especially the most important male lead in the whole play.

Hu Mengke was chosen by Li Zhuangsheng without hesitation not only because of Hu Mengdie's reputation, but also because when choosing a son-in-law, one should consider not only the other party's ability, but also the closeness of their relationship.

(End of this chapter)