They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Thursday evening at 8 PM, Penguin Video Studio.

"Super Interview" is an in-depth interview program jointly produced by Tencent Video and local TV stations.

The first two episodes, which focused on the stories of filmmakers behind the scenes, received lukewarm ratings.

Producer Lao Zhou originally planned to change direction after this episode was completed.

As a result, Xingyue Media called and said that Phoenix Chuanqi was coming.

Old Zhou hung up the phone and threw the revised plan he had already written into the wastepaper basket.

During the recording of the program, Linghua talked to the camera about her experience singing in a bar three years ago.

There was no complaining, no sentimentality, just a straightforward narration.

After the presentation, the production team cut to a comparison video.

An old scene from three years ago, where the face was blurred and barely visible in a dimly lit bar, is placed side by side with the same person in a red dress under the spotlight on the final stage of "The Rising Star".

After the program aired, the number of online viewers broke records.

The comments section exploded when Linghua said, "Without those years, there would be no Linghua today," and the sentiment in the comments section shifted overnight.

The interview ended with a 30-second trailer for "Lotus Pond Moonlight," which boosted the show's first-day viewership by nearly 20% compared to "Above the Moon" during the same period.

Jiang Han watched the live broadcast in his office and put his tablet aside.

Fang Chongwen sent a message: Linghua's personal Weibo account gained nearly 100,000 followers during the broadcast, occupying three of the top ten trending topics on various platforms.

Just as he was about to reply, the internal phone on the table rang.

"Mr. Jiang, there's a lady looking for you on the first floor." The receptionist's voice was a little low.

"Her surname is Zhao, and she's said to be Liu Meng's mother."

Jiang Han paused for half a second.

He and Zhao Xiulan had only spoken on the phone once, when he stood up Liu Meng for a blind date at a private restaurant.

During the phone call, the old lady's tone changed from questioning to warm, and she insisted that he come to her house for a visit when he had time.

He readily agreed, but he didn't expect her to come to his door in such a short time.

Visiting in person is not a good sign.

Jiang Han paused for a moment, then said, "Please invite her up here and have the tea room brew a pot of black tea."

Five minutes later, Zhao Xiulan sat on the sofa in Jiang Han's office.

He wore a dark purple silk shirt, black trousers, and polished leather shoes, and carried a canvas bag.

After she sat down, she placed her hands together in front of her knees, maintaining a very upright posture.

Jiang Han pushed the black tea in front of her.

"Auntie, I didn't have a chance to formally greet you on the phone last time. Is there something you need to see me about today?"

Zhao Xiulan picked up her cup: "Xiao Jiang, I had a very good impression of you from the last phone call. I came all this way today because I wanted to talk to you in person."

"Please speak."

"Liu Meng has mentioned you to me a few times at home recently," Zhao Xiulan said slowly.

"You know Mengmeng, no one can get her to talk about things she doesn't want to."

"I asked her if you two were dating, and she said you weren't a good match. I asked her why, but she couldn't give me a reason."

"I was so anxious!"

Jiang Han didn't respond, waiting for her to continue.

"So I'm here today to ask you a question in person: what exactly is going on between you and Liu Meng?"

Zhao Xiulan looked up into Jiang Han's eyes, her gaze filled with the earnestness of a mother.

"If it's just Liu Meng overthinking things, explain it to me clearly, and I'll go back and persuade her to give up on that idea."

"But if..." she didn't finish her sentence.

Jiang Han picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Auntie, I've known Liu Meng for several years."

"She mediates when her sisters quarrel, takes responsibility when the company has problems, and stands up to her family's pressure to get married. She's used to keeping everything to herself, never asking anyone for help, and never letting anyone worry about her."

"Last time she went on a blind date, that guy surnamed Gu was obviously bullying her. He asked her when she planned to have children and asked her to return to her family. Liu Menghan didn't leave immediately after she recovered. I couldn't stand it."

Zhao Xiulan's expression changed: "He asked Liu Meng to hand over the company?"

"right!"

Zhao Xiulan remained silent for a long time; the only sound in the office was the faint hum of the air conditioner vents.

She recalled praising her blind date to her daughter on the phone last time, saying he was very reliable, but her daughter only gave a vague response.

Her daughter didn't complain to her at all, and didn't say anything more.

"I don't know any of this," Zhao Xiulan said, her voice much softer than before.

She looked up at Jiang Han: "Thank you for standing up for her!"

After calming herself down, Zhao Xiulan spoke again with a more serious tone than before.

"Xiao Jiang, I originally wanted to ask Liu Meng for clarification, but now I feel that there are some things I don't need to ask for her."

Zhao Xiulan stood up, took a package out of her canvas bag, and placed it on the coffee table.

It was a bag of dried bamboo shoots, sealed tightly in a plastic bag.

Jiang Han took the bag; it was heavy, with the dried bamboo shoots packed tightly inside.

"Does she know you're coming today?"

"I don't know." Zhao Xiulan picked up her canvas bag and prepared to leave.

"There's something I didn't finish saying earlier," she said, looking at Jiang Han.

"Mengmeng's ability to guess things is much worse than you think."

The elevator doors closed.

……

In the evening, Jiang Han returned to Yunqi Mountain Villa.

The TV was on, and Lin Yaoyao was nestled on the sofa, holding the dubbing script in her hand. She looked up at him.

"Honey, you're home later than usual today."

"Something came up at the company."

Jiang Han tossed his car keys into the tray in the entryway, still carrying a canvas bag in his hand.

Qiu Siyao poked her head out of the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist, while Shen Qingning assisted her.

Lin Yaoyao took the bag: "What's inside?"

"Spring bamboo shoots".

"Oh, I'll buy some pork ribs to make soup tomorrow."

"Did any guests come to the company today?" Lin Yaoyao asked, her big eyes sparkling.

"Liu Meng's mother."

After Jiang Han's figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs, Lin Yaoyao glanced towards the kitchen.

Qiu Siyao happened to be looking at her too, and the two exchanged a brief glance.

"Yaoyao, have you ever seen someone give you bamboo shoots as a gift on the first date?"

"Maybe her mother is just passionate?"

Shen Qingning interjected, "You have to buy bamboo shoots in advance, peel them, slice them, and dry them for several days."

"Sister Liu Meng should often mention Jiang Han at home." Her voice was very calm.

"Her mother felt that her daughter was hesitating, so she came first."

Lin Yaoyao's mouth dropped open: "No way? Sister Meng, she?"

The three women stood in the kitchen for a few seconds, while the hot soup on the stove was still bubbling and steaming.

"Do you think Liu Meng knows her mother came?" Qiu Siyao asked.

"I guess she doesn't know, otherwise, given her personality, she'd probably already be on her way."

Let's leave this topic aside for now.

But the sight of a bag of bamboo shoots in the kitchen cabinet gave the three women a new reason to calculate.