Chapter 76 Innocence

Ren Limeng's fingers curled into fists, her nails dug deep into her palms. The corners of her mouth were pursed into a straight line, revealing an uncontrollable emotion. Her eyes, which were always calm, were like the sharpest daggers, shooting straight into Shen Xingzhi's soul.

Shen Xingzhi didn't expect that Ren Limeng's emotions would fluctuate so much. He didn't know how to explain the whole story. He pretended to be nonchalant and turned around, slowly picking up the teacup in his hand. "Is there anything to ask? Ren Limeng, don't tell me you are naive?"

Chen Xingzhi lowered his head and avoided Ren Limeng's strong and coercive gaze. He didn't want her to see him like this. He hoped that in her eyes, he would always be just the glamorous host of the university party, the "Senior Xingzhi" she was thinking about.

Shen Xingzhi smiled a mocking smile, as if mocking himself for trying to cover his ears and steal the bell. What was he asking? He clearly didn't mean that...

They knew very well which guest on "Mountains and Seas" was innocent, but he could not face himself calmly for having shattered her fantasy with his own hands. Shen Xingzhi suddenly felt that his head became very heavy, so heavy that he could not lift it freely. He was afraid... to see the disappointment and anger in her eyes.

Perhaps, Ren Limeng was right. He was no longer the Chen Xingzhi she liked. Her senior had disappeared from the moment he decided to enter the entertainment industry to the night he asked her to divorce him.

Shen Xingzhi never thought that his college graduation season would be so full of ups and downs.

From the time his mother was diagnosed with cancer to her death, Shen Xingzhi's life gradually went off track, and his life rushed in a completely unpredictable direction. When he finally got through that chaotic and magical period and graduated from Communication University, he was left alone, and he picked up the microphone but not for his original intention.

In order to deal with his father, or for his own unspeakable selfish motives, he hesitated for only a moment backstage at the graduation party that year before agreeing to a flash marriage with Ren Limeng. It was clearly a rash decision, but Shen Xingzhi still can't forget the moment he murmured "Let's get married". That was the moment when he most looked forward to the future during that dark time.

He imagined taking Ren Limeng to see his seriously ill mother. He seemed to have a cold face standing aside, but he was secretly smiling as he watched his mother on the hospital bed and Ren Limeng chatting happily with smiles in their eyes.

He thought that even if he was embarrassed to say it out loud, his mother would be able to feel his joy and helplessness in getting married. She would caress his face lovingly and sigh, "My Xingxing has grown up." She would be very happy that the girl he liked had chosen the path of hosting just like them.

He is already preparing to sign with a local TV station, which is only three subway stops away from Chuan University. He can continue to watch Ren Limeng's last college years, and they will naturally continue to host together. On the road of hosting, in their lives, they still have many years to accompany each other.

He would slowly let her feel his somewhat awkward and unexpressed love, just as she had taught him, to treat someone wholeheartedly, and the love would moisten things silently and take over her everything without her knowing it.

After getting the marriage certificate, Shen Xingzhi walked to the hospital with a lighter step. He thought about the future with great anticipation, intending to tell his terminally ill mother the moment the matter was settled, and formally arrange for the two most important people in his life to meet as soon as possible.

But what he received was another critical illness notice from the hospital, and this time, his mother was not so lucky.

What made him even more unacceptable was that his father, for the sake of so-called investment and superstition, actually stubbornly decided to postpone the public funeral. Shen Xingzhi could not accept his father Shen Yunren's arrangement, but at that time he was just a college student. He tried his best but was unable to speak publicly for his mother.

His mother clearly had so many friends who were on camera every day, but because of his father, none of them dared to come forward. Shen Xingzhi felt as if he was in a dark cage. No matter how he resisted and struggled, he could not defeat his father and could not escape the arrangement of fate.

It was at that time that Hanxing appeared.

In the tea room, Chen Xingzhi looked at the indignant Ren Limeng in front of him, and suddenly he was in a trance for a moment, remembering the college graduation season when he first felt completely powerless. It seemed as if he felt again the deep pain and exhaustion of being coerced by capital, a "desperate situation" that he had vowed countless times never to experience again.

Whether it is his father Shen Yunren, a businessman, or Hanxing, one of the four major brokerage companies, they are all such ruthless manipulators, manipulating the chessboard with great strategy, and he is just a struggling chess piece.

Hanxing is Chen Xingzhi's only choice when he is desperate.

At the graduation party, Chen Xingzhi's performance of "The End of an Autumn Hair" unexpectedly went viral. Hanxing saw Chen Xingzhi's potential and wanted to push him to debut with the help of "Idol Signal" and create an idol singer. However, Chen Xingzhi didn't consider it at all at first and chose to refuse directly.

But in his darkest moment, Han Xing's proposal was too tempting. He had to deal with his mother's affairs and accumulate strength to deal with his father. He had too many things to do, and he was too insignificant. Shen Xingzhi could not convince himself to drag Ren Limeng into the mess. Shen Xingzhi only hoped that Ren Limeng would never have to experience such a messy and uncertain future.

Even though he was reluctant and unwilling, Shen Xingzhi finally chose to let go and stepped onto the thorny single-plank bridge.

However, he naively thought that Ren Limeng would be like she had been countless times in college. Even if he drove her away with a cold face and spoke harshly to her, she would still appear again in the same place, full of energy, continue to catch up with his footsteps, stand in front of him with a smile, with only him in her heart and eyes.

Later, Shen Xingzhi gradually understood that time is the cruelest and gentlest knife. He had long forgotten those youthful pasts, but even after ten years, when he looked at Ren Limeng again, he still couldn't let go of all the past. Those regrets and unwilling pains reminded him all the time that this time, their reunion was hard-won.

This time, he was no longer weak and helpless, nor was he a pawn of anyone or capital. He finally had the ability to protect her, catch up with her, hold her hands tightly, and never let go.

"Yeah, who would be naive?"

Ren Limeng's cold whisper brought Shen Xingzhi back to reality.

"Chen Xingzhi, you..."

Ren Limeng really wanted to curse loudly, but after all, they were all respectable and mature people in society. She opened her mouth gently, and an inexplicable bitterness quietly spread in her throat. Complex emotions filled her eyes, as if they were gently shrouded by a layer of mist.

Ren Limeng finally said coldly, "Chen Xingzhi, we are not the same kind of people."

She wanted a lot, but not this. However, she might have gotten the upper hand, so how could she righteously blame him? They had all experienced it long ago, and the world was never black and white.

Ren Limeng was even a little afraid to ask whether her absence from the elimination list was the work of Shen Xingzhi. For a moment, she doubted that the elimination in the first public ranking was the result of fairness and justice of the program team, but she was indeed naive. How could she take what happened in front of the camera seriously? What was there to be confused about? It was just a game controlled by capital.

As a seemingly insignificant chess piece, all she can do is strive forward and try to get what she wants. Her goal is to become famous and leave the agricultural channel to transform. There is no need to worry about other things, as they are just unnecessary worries.

But maybe it was because she was aloof, maybe it was because she was proud, maybe it was just because she was naive, Ren Limeng was ultimately unable to face such a Chen Xingzhi calmly, even if it was just a collaboration to achieve a goal, even if Chen Xingzhi was no longer the young man he used to be, even if she was just looking for trouble.

Just think of it as letting her younger self go. She can't afford to take the shortcut that Shen Xingzhi took.

Ren Limeng finally couldn't hold back the myriad of feelings in her heart. She didn't dare to have any entanglement with Shen Xingzhi anymore, even if it was a mutually beneficial cooperation. She thought she had already hardened her heart as hard as iron, but there was still a piece of soft land in her heart. That was the way she came from. She couldn't be as indifferent as she imagined at all times.

If they don't cooperate with Shen Xingzhi, what should the two men do?

Until the team recording started on Monday, Ren Limeng was still thinking about this question.

She was still careless.

She was overwhelmed by the attack of Shen Xingzhi. She had some misunderstandings about herself. However, it was not too late. The second public performance had just begun. She was a hero who had recovered with full blood today!

In the waiting hall, Chen He, as the host, looked at the teleprompter in an orderly manner and pushed forward the on-site process.

First of all, we welcome and introduce the four new guests. The four new guests are the leading actors of the TV series "Lost" which will be released on the Orange platform next week. "Lost" is an S-level TV series carefully produced by the Orange platform. The four leading actors are all first-line actors. Participating in "Mountains and Seas" can not only increase their own popularity, but also create momentum for the new drama, killing two birds with one stone.

The four new guests of "Lost" will form their own team in the second public performance, and the remaining sixteen guests will be divided into four teams. The second public performance will consist of five four-person teams.

Only if the drama promotion team gets the top two places in the second public performance can all members stay and unlock the corresponding drama promotion benefits. After Chen He introduced the new guests, he began to read the team formation rules of the second public performance, the first item being the voting election for the captain.

As the first place in the first public performance, Chen Xingzhi automatically became the captain. The other three captains were elected by all the guests through secret ballot. The three captains selected by Ren Limeng were Guan He, Chen He and Hong Qingli.

She admired Guan He's organizational ability very much. He was able to turn the tide in the first public performance and was a well-deserved candidate for captain.

As for voting for Chen He and Hong Qingli, Ren Limeng simply wanted to separate the two. Even though she knew that it would most likely go against her wishes, she still had to give it a try, mainly because she didn't have any favorite captain candidates.

The three captains finally selected were Chen He, Fan Xinran and Yan Baiwei. This result was somewhat unexpected. Ren Limeng unconsciously looked at Chen Xi who was sitting in the middle left of the first row. How could Chen Xi not be selected as captain?

She didn't choose Chen Xi, but Chen Xi's popularity and strength are obvious to all. Even in terms of status, he is far superior to Fan Xinran and Yan Baiwei. How could Chen Xi not be the captain?