Chapter 36: The Guests Have Arrived

Xu Shujian ate quickly and was the first to leave the table. He returned to his bedroom, tapped away on his phone for a while, and was just about to take a nap when someone called out from downstairs.

He went down to check and found everyone already in the backyard. As soon as Xu Shujian stepped out the back door, his figure faltered.

There was a familiar stranger—a woman who looked to be of considerable age. She was smiling, yet she possessed an imposing aura.

No one had sat down yet, and even the usually restless Zhang Qidong appeared much more serious than usual.

Who was this, anyway? Why did she seem familiar?

"Shujian! It’s been a long time. I’m so happy to see you here." The middle-aged woman walked over with a smile.

Certain memories surfaced.

Zhuo Hui, a famous host from CCTV. She had been part of the hosting lineup during the time Xu Shujian performed at the Spring Festival Gala. They had spoken, and during rehearsals, Zhuo Hui had even specifically sought him out to offer some praise.

Xu Shujian had intended to shake her hand, but he hadn't expected Zhuo Hui to open her arms, leading them into a light embrace.

"Sister Hui, what brings you here?"

"The production team invited me. How does it feel?"

"You flatter me."

As they pulled apart, Zhuo Hui looked Xu Shujian up and down a few times before gently patting his shoulder. "Everything is the best arrangement. What, are you feeling pressured in my presence?"

Zhuo Hui’s manner made her words feel entirely natural, as if she had bridged the distance in an instant.

Xu Shujian smiled and nodded.

"Everyone, please sit. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhuo Hui. I worked at CCTV for seventeen years, from reporter to talk show host, then resigned from my position six years ago—in 2020—to become an investor and manage my own company. The reason the production team invited me is simple: they wanted someone who could empathize with one aspect or another of you eight."

Zhuo Hui invited everyone to sit down one by one. She sat diagonally across from them, allowing her to see everyone's expressions, and specifically arranged for the people less familiar with each other to sit by her side, such as the Chen Linye couple and the Yu Hui couple.

Then, she began to ask direct questions.

Xu Shujian was fine; he didn't experience much emotional fluctuation. Of course, he respected these accomplished individuals, but his own perspective was set too high—supported by the experiences of two worlds—and he was busy analyzing the effect and purpose of Zhuo Hui’s visit in his mind.

As for the others, even Song Yue felt a slight sense of tension facing Zhuo Hui.

Zhuo Hui had risen step by step from being a reporter. Her talk shows were famous; everyone from ordinary office workers to entrepreneurs watched them. Not to mention Song Yue or Zhang Qidong, she had interviewed numerous founders of companies worth over ten billion.

These accolades were dazzling.

Slowly, Xu Shujian understood the purpose of Zhuo Hui’s visit: she was there to concretize the conflicts between the four couples, or rather, to intensify and showcase them.

Zhuo Hui: "Qidong, I’m a bit confused about your purpose for coming here?"

The question caught Zhang Qidong completely off guard.

He stammered for a few moments before replying: "It’s like this: my time and energy are all spent on work. She wanted to see if I could set work aside for these eighteen days and truly get along with her properly."

Zhuo Hui: "So, if you fail to do so, are you truly planning to separate?"

Zhang Qidong nodded: "Of course. I... look, we aren't joking. We have already separated once, and during that time, we blocked each other on all forms of contact."

Zhuo Hui smiled: "I understand. You want to try living the life that normal couples should?"

Both Zhang Qidong and Lin Xiaoxian nodded. Zhuo Hui’s smile was meaningful. She then turned her gaze toward Chen Linye and Pan Yun: "What about you two? To be honest, on the way here, the production team showed me the cards and diaries you filled out. Judging solely from the content, you two don't seem to have any major conflicts on the surface."

Pan Yun nodded: "Actually... actually, we don't know if we have any major problems either. It seems to be focused on trivial life matters. He might think I’m too controlling, that I’m managing him in every aspect."

Zhuo Hui: "For example? In what ways do you manage him?"

Pan Yun thought for a moment: "For instance, his work. I feel he is too idealistic. He won't study the market and only wants to make the niche music he enjoys, and then he doesn't understand my concerns."

Zhuo Hui looked at Chen Linye: "And the result? Do these so-called 'controls' of hers really affect you?"

Chen Linye nodded: "They really do. If she doesn't give the final say, nothing passes. My most recent album had five songs swapped out back and forth."

Zhuo Hui looked back at Pan Yun: "Is that so?"

Pan Yun shook her head: "That's not it. I’ve made many concessions. The ones swapped were actually niche pieces he felt were essential to release."

Zhuo Hui frowned: "Who makes the decisions for big things in your household?"

Chen Linye and Pan Yun both pointed at each other.

Zhuo Hui: "Who holds the money?"

Pan Yun: "I hold the money."

Zhuo Hui: "Then you should be the one in charge, right? If the financial power is in your hands, shouldn't the final decision-making power be with you, too?"

Pan Yun shook her head: "Although I hold the money, he still makes the calls on major expenses. For example, when we bought our new home, he was the one who made the final decision..."

Chen Linye interrupted: "That's not how it was. That was an extreme situation. Our old house had already been sold, and we were stuck in various dilemmas regarding the new one. We had picked one out, but then the seller backed out. We had no place to live, and she was still being picky, insisting that every aspect had to be perfect before buying. But whether it was life or career, everything was essentially on hold. We argued many times, and I even smashed my best instrument before she compromised. Afterward, she still blamed me and pinned the whole thing on me."

Yu Hui couldn't help but interject: "Wait, didn't you buy the house? How could she pin that on you?"

Chen Linye explained: "Because we bought it at the peak of the market, and the price started dropping immediately after. Then the renovation was also very difficult. She complained about me constantly and wouldn't let me renovate. We still haven't fully finished the renovation; we just patch things up whenever there's a problem. But these problems keep recurring—leaks, clogged drains—and we still argue about the house purchase to this day."

Yu Hui frowned: "No, based on your timeline, any house you bought would have been at the peak. Why would you blame Brother Ye for that, Sister Yun? You have to renovate after buying a house, and an old house will definitely have various legacy issues. If you don't renovate, that problem will never go away, right? Isn't that just making trouble for yourselves?"

Pan Yun fell silent.

Zhuo Hui took over: "Linye, do you think your life would be better or worse without her?"

Chen Linye thought for a while: "I think it would function, it wouldn't collapse, but it would be worse."

Zhuo Hui looked at Pan Yun: "And you?"

Pan Yun: "Psychologically, I would certainly be upset, but I think my quality of life would see a qualitative leap."

Zhuo Hui’s voice softened slightly: "Are you sure?"

Pan Yun nodded: "One hundred percent sure, because I wouldn't have to manage that whole mess of his anymore. I guarantee my quality of life wouldn't just spiral upward—it would be a straight line up."

Yu Hui chuckled twice and retorted: "Then what about your source of income?"

Pan Yun looked at Yu Hui, somewhat surprised: "I would go out to work, too. I manage his affairs very well; if I applied that same energy to my own work, my career wouldn't be bad."

Perhaps sensing that the atmosphere had turned sour, Zhuo Hui waited a moment before continuing: "I think Linye still values his music quite a bit. He feels music is his private sanctuary. If you were to rate your life satisfaction on a scale of one to one hundred, what percentage do you think music occupies in your life?"

Chen Linye pondered for a moment before saying: "Sixty. Sixty percent, I suppose."

Pan Yun chimed in: "Ha! I think it's ninety-nine percent."

Zhuo Hui ignored Pan Yun: "And the rest?"

Chen Linye: "The rest is definitely my family."

Pan Yun inexplicably began to laugh loudly: "Hahaha, I thought he was going to say the rest was his other hobbies."

The other guests on the scene didn't want the situation to become too embarrassing, so quite a few of them joined in the laughter.