Nian Suian hadn't expected the invitation from Shen Huaizhi and Qiao Peipei to come so quickly.
As it turned out, Qiao Peipei's brother, Qiao Yan, was also acquainted with Gu Junxing. After returning from a business trip and hearing about his sister's incident, he immediately called Gu Junxing to express his gratitude and suggest a dinner together.
The Gu Family and the Qiao Family had collaborated a few times before, so Gu Junxing didn't refuse. The dinner was set for Saturday evening.
Currently, there were three people in the Gu household. After Gu Junxing's surgery and recovery at home, Gu Zhijing had become the busiest, leaving early and returning late every day. So, the dinner time was arranged to accommodate Gu Zhijing's school schedule.
Nian Suian thought to herself that going to this dinner might allow her to witness a real-life idol drama. Remembering how Shen Huaizhi and Qiao Peipei looked at the police station that day, she really wanted to shout: "I'm swooning!"
The dinner venue was a private restaurant with a nice ambiance, perfect for gatherings.
On Saturday, three people from each family arrived: Qiao Yan, Shen Huaizhi, and Gu Junxing immediately began discussing business matters, while Qiao Peipei chatted casually with Nian Suian and Gu Zhijing.
To Nian Suian's surprise, Qiao Peipei had brought gifts for both of them.
She gave Nian Suian a diamond bracelet and Gu Zhijing a diamond-encrusted watch.
"This is too generous, Miss Qiao. We didn't do much," Nian Suian was truly shocked. It was only their second meeting, and this girl was already giving out diamonds. What kind of family could afford such lavish gift-giving?
"It's not expensive! You must accept them. This is just a token of my appreciation. I'm truly grateful to you both," Qiao Peipei insisted, pushing the gifts towards them. She even took out the bracelet and put it on Nian Suian's wrist herself.
Unable to refuse any longer, Nian Suian and Gu Zhijing could only accept with grateful smiles.
Qiao Peipei was delighted to see them accept the gifts. She said with a smile, "When my brother didn't know your identities, he suggested just giving you a check. I told him that the Gu family doesn't need that little money, and that gifts are about the thought behind them. I personally picked these out and spent a long time choosing them."
At that moment, the same thought crossed both Nian Suian and Gu Zhijing's minds: We could actually use that money.
Qiao Peipei's brother, Qiao Yan, was tall and muscular. If Nian Suian hadn't known his real identity, she would have thought he was a fitness trainer. In contrast, Qiao Peipei was fair-skinned and slender, making it hard to believe they were siblings.
Qiao Yan was also quite passionate. During dinner, he insisted on toasting Gu Zhijing, saying he had saved his sister. Gu Zhijing bowed so low his head almost touched the table.
Nian Suian and Qiao Peipei couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
"My brother is always like this. Many people call him a brute. If he were on a TV show, he'd definitely be criticized," Qiao Peipei didn't hold back in teasing her brother.
"But isn't this just how he is in private? Surely he'd be more serious during interviews, right?" Nian Suian assumed Qiao Peipei meant financial channel interviews when she mentioned TV shows. She figured that no matter how casual he was in private, he'd maintain a professional demeanor during interviews.
Qiao Peipei shook her head, "Not interviews, reality shows."
Now Nian Suian was even more confused. She couldn't imagine what kind of reality show a businessman would appear on. "Your brother isn't going on a dating show, is he?" She apologized mentally, unable to think of any other possibility.
"Hahahahaha! Your imagination is running wild, Sister Suian. If my brother went on a dating show, he'd scare off all the female guests. He looks like a big black bear!" Qiao Peipei imagined her brother on a dating show and laughed so hard she could barely stand straight.
After laughing for a while, she finally composed herself and explained to Nian Suian, "Actually, I'm the one who's going to be on a reality show. It's a lifestyle show where guests need to bring a family member, and my brother is accompanying me." She then pulled out her phone to show Nian Suian a promotional poster for the show.
"Five celebrity families and one ordinary family living together in a rural village for a week," Nian Suian read the poster's content and exclaimed, "Peipei, you're a celebrity?"
However, Qiao Peipei seemed embarrassed to accept the title of "celebrity." She waved her hand dismissively, "I'm far from being a celebrity. I've only acted in a few web dramas and have just a tiny bit of fame, just a tiny bit." She made a small gesture with her fingers to emphasize "tiny."
"What dramas have you been in? I'll check them out later," Nian Suian never thought she'd know a celebrity one day.
"What are you talking about?" Gu Zhijing, unable to follow the adults' conversation, came over to join them.
"You don't know yet, Zhijing? Your Sister Peipei is an actress!"
"Wow, Sister Peipei, you're actually a celebrity? We'll definitely support your dramas."
Looking at the "mother and son" pair before her, Qiao Peipei suddenly had a bold idea.
"Are you full? Let's go outside for tea and continue our chat. The view is nice out there."
"Sure." The three of them went outside together.
"Sister Suian, Zhijing, would you like to participate in this reality show?" That's right, these two were both very attractive, with looks that could rival celebrities, and their identity as a wealthy stepmother and stepson would surely be a talking point.
"Us? No, no, no way." Nian Suian waved her hands frantically.
"Why not? I think it's a great idea," Qiao Peipei thought it made more and more sense.
"We can't be on TV. We'd freeze up in front of cameras."
"It's not like filming a TV drama or movie. It's a live reality show. You just need to live normally, like you usually do. It'll be fun, Sister Suian."
"But we're not celebrities. Doesn't this show need popular stars for people to watch?"
Qiao Peipei pointed to the words "ordinary family" on the poster: "They need non-celebrities too. Actually, I hadn't thought of you at first. The show had already found a family to participate – it was supposed to be a pair of twin sisters. But they recently informed the production team that they couldn't participate because they're going abroad. Since then, the director has been struggling to find suitable candidates. I think you two would be perfect, really!"
Qiao Peipei spoke with great enthusiasm, but Nian Suian still hesitated. She had read novels before and knew that these live reality shows were often the source of the most scandalous revelations. Even the best actors couldn't maintain their public persona 24/7, so it wasn't surprising when secrets came out. While Nian Suian wasn't in the entertainment industry and didn't fear scandals, she was sensitive. If people started criticizing her after the show aired, she would definitely be hurt.
Qiao Peipei had initially been only mildly interested in the idea, but now she was becoming more and more convinced it was perfect. Her enthusiasm grew from 30% to 100%.
"Are you sure you won't consider it, Sister Suian, Zhijing? Let me tell you, the guest families this time are really explosive. There will be endless excitement, and don't you want to witness all the drama up close and personal?"