Entertainment from Divorce

Brilliant Entertainment Company.

Tan Yue sat behind his ebony desk, his fingertips tracing the progress chart of the new director project submitted by the TV drama department, his gaze lingering on the line "Lu Chuan - 'Deep in the Old Alley'" for a long time.

The paper clearly states, "The script has passed review, and filming is scheduled to begin next Wednesday. We need to coordinate with the authorities to obtain a filming permit for the old alleys in Dongcheng District, Beijing."

He recalled that when Lu Chuan submitted his proposal last month, he mentioned that he wanted to recreate the hutong life of the 1990s.

I went to Liulichang to find old bicycles and enamel mugs to use as props. Then I picked up a pen and wrote in the remarks column, "Have the administration department contact the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Section of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism to prioritize the filming time and prepare a contingency plan for the protection of old buildings."

As the pen tip glided across the paper, the word "protect" was emphasized.

The pile of documents on the desk was almost half the height it usually was.

Since Chen Ziyu completed her work handover and went home to rest and prepare for pregnancy last month, the directors of various departments seem to have reached a tacit understanding and have streamlined unnecessary reporting procedures.

Even so, Tan Yue still managed to process nineteen documents by the end of the morning.

"Click," the phone on the table suddenly vibrated, and when the screen lit up, the note "Mom" was particularly eye-catching in the morning light.

Tan Yue immediately put down his pen, his fingertips tracing the answer button, his tone softening unconsciously: "Mom, why are you calling so early today? Are you watering the flowers with Dad in the yard again?"

"I sprayed it on you after I finished watering."

Li Yulan's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone, with the faint sound of a television broadcasting the morning news in the background.

"I video chatted with Tzuyu a few days ago, and she looked much better than last time, but she still seemed a little weak when she spoke. I wanted to ask her how her appetite is now and whether she has gone to her prenatal check-up on time?"

Tan Yue got up and walked to the window, looking past the glass curtain wall of the office building towards the Wangjing residential area in the distance.

His home is in that cluster of buildings. At this moment, Chen's mother should be accompanying Chen Ziyu for a walk in the community garden. As advised by the doctor, walking for half an hour every morning helps to relieve fatigue in early pregnancy.

“I just had my prenatal checkup last Wednesday. The doctor said the baby’s heartbeat was very stable and the baby’s development was even better than expected. My appetite is also much better, and I’m not vomiting as much. Last night, I was talking about the sweet and sour pork ribs from ‘Lao Lu’s’ restaurant in the south of the city. I said I’ve been craving it for days.”

"That's fine, that's fine."

Li Yulan's voice was filled with relief and satisfaction. She paused, then hesitated, as if she had been thinking for a long time before speaking.

“Your dad and I haven’t had much to do at home these past few days. We were thinking that since Ziyu is pregnant, even though her mother is taking care of her, it’s always good to have more people watching. We were thinking of going to Beijing in a few days. Do you think that’s convenient?”

Tan Yue felt a slight warmth in his heart.

He understood his parents' thoughts all too well.

"Mom, don't worry, can we come over in another half month?"

Tan Yue carefully considered his tone, trying his best to make his reasons sound comprehensive.

"Firstly, Aunt Chen is taking very good care of Ziyu now. She follows the doctor's advice on her daily diet and walks, so we don't really need too many people for now."

"Secondly, in another half month, Tan Xin will be on summer vacation. When you and my dad come, you can bring Tan Xin along and let her come to Beijing for a few days. Last time she came, she told me that she didn't get to see enough of the Palace Museum's Treasure Gallery or the Natural History Museum. This time, she can make up for it."

When Tan Xin was mentioned, Li Yulan's voice on the other end of the phone became noticeably lighter, as if she was recalling the little girl's chattering voice.

"That's right. Last time Tan Xin went back, she held my hand and said that the candied hawthorns in Beijing were sweeter than those in her hometown, and the pits were smaller."

Li Yulan smiled and said, her tone full of tenderness, but then suddenly remembered something and her tone became heavy.

"But we need to talk to An Nuan properly, so she doesn't feel like we're bothering her. That child has it tough too, taking care of Xin Xin all by herself, working during the day and washing Xin Xin's clothes and checking her homework at night. If Xin Xin comes to Beijing, she can take a good rest for a couple of days during this time."

"Don't worry, I'll call your sister-in-law and tell her in a bit."

Tan Yue quickly replied, also concerned about An Nuan's condition.

“I told her to let Xin Xin come to Beijing and stay with us. During the day, I’ll have my assistant take her out to play, and at night I’ll help her with her homework. I want my sister-in-law to take this time to rest and not think about going to work all the time. Her health is the most important thing.”

"Oh, you're so thoughtful."

Li Yulan agreed with satisfaction, and then gave a few more instructions in a rambling manner.

"Tell Ziyu not to look at her phone all the time, it's bad for her eyes; and you shouldn't work overtime so often, come home early in the evening to talk to her; if she wants to eat food from our hometown, just tell me and I'll send it to you..."

She only reluctantly hung up the phone after Tan Yue repeatedly agreed.

Tan Yue held the phone, the warmth of the receiver still lingering on her fingertips, and a wave of tenderness washed over her.

He opened his contacts and found the name "sister-in-law".

"Xiao Yue, what brings you here to call me today?"

"Sister-in-law, I have something to tell you."

Tan Yue tried to make his tone sound relaxed to avoid putting any psychological burden on her.

“My parents are planning to come to Beijing in two weeks and would like to bring Tan Xin along so she can have a few days of fun. Is that convenient for you? Last time Tan Xin came, she told me she wanted to go to the Natural History Museum to see the dinosaur fossils again. This time I'll take her there and we can also go to the amusement park to ride the carousel so she can relax.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

"This...this is too much trouble for you. Tan Xin is a naughty child. Last time I went there, she scattered your building blocks all over the floor. Don't cause any more trouble for you and Ziyu."

"Sister-in-law, why are you being so polite with me?"

Tan Yue quickly interrupted her, his tone sincere.

“Tan Xin is close to me. She even said she missed me during our last video call. Besides, you must be exhausted taking care of her all by yourself. My mom said your feet were swollen the other day. Take this time to rest and don’t push yourself too hard.”

An Nuan sniffed, her voice full of gratitude and a little embarrassed: "Then...then thank you so much. I told Tan Xin, and she must be so happy. Last night she told me that she dreamed of eating Peking duck with you in Beijing, and that the skin of the Peking duck dipped in white sugar was especially delicious."

“No problem. When she comes, I’ll take her out to eat delicious food every day. I’ll let her try all kinds of things, like roast duck, noodles with soybean paste, and pea flour cake.”

Tan Yue smiled and chatted with An Nuan for a few more minutes about Tan Xin's studies.

The little girl scored 98 in math this semester and also won an award for excellent composition in Chinese. When An Nuan talked about it, there was finally a hint of a smile in her voice. Before hanging up the phone, Tan Yue specifically told her, "If you don't feel well for the next two weeks, don't go to work. I'll transfer you some money to take care of your health first."

济水
Meanwhile, in the courtyard of Tan Yue's hometown, Li Yulan hung up the phone and turned around to see Tan Zhaohe sitting on a bamboo chair under the grape trellis, holding a copy of "Reference News" in his hand, but his eyes were not on the newspaper. He kept glancing in her direction, obviously waiting for news.

The grapes on the trellis are ripe, hanging down in bunches, a deep purple.

Li Yulan casually picked a bunch of flowers and placed them on the white porcelain plate next to her before sitting down on the bamboo chair opposite Tan Zhaohe. She picked up a palm-leaf fan from the table and gently fanned herself.

"So? When did Tan Yue say we could go over?" Tan Zhaohe put down his newspaper, picked up a grape, peeled it, put it in his mouth, and asked.

"We have to wait another half month. They said we should bring Tan Xin along too, since she's on summer vacation and can come to Beijing for a few days."

Li Yulan's tone was expectant, and then she sighed.

"Xiao Yue also said that An Nuan should take a break during this time. That girl has it tough. A few days ago, her feet were so swollen that she could barely wear shoes, but she still insisted on going to work, just in case her salary was docked."

Tan Zhaohe nodded, his face full of emotion.

“Xin Xin is very close to Tan Yue. Last time Xiao Yue went back, she followed him around every day calling him ‘Uncle, Uncle,’ and even wanted to sleep with him.”

Li Yulan smiled, her eyes full of tenderness, and continued, "This trip to Beijing will be a good opportunity for Xin Xin to get closer to Zi Yu. Once the baby is born, Xin Xin will be the older sister and can help take care of it."

When Li Yulan mentions her unborn grandchildren, her tone is full of anticipation, and her hands unconsciously clasp together, as if she can already see the child.

"Do you think our first grandchild will be a boy or a girl? If it's a boy, he'll be just like Tan Yue when he was little, with a chubby face, round eyes, and a very energetic look."

"If it's a girl, like Tzuyu, with fair skin, a soft voice, quiet and beautiful. I like both boys and girls."

Tan Zhaohe couldn't help but laugh and shook his head: "You, you're already thinking about these things before you've even given birth. Boys and girls are the same, as long as they're healthy, that's more important than anything else. But I think if it's a girl, she'll definitely be as lucky as Ziyu. Look how good Ziyu is to us, she always brings us gifts when she comes back, and she doesn't mind us old folks nagging."

"Stop arguing with me."

Li Yulan gave him a reproachful look, but couldn't help but smile.

"I've already bought several skeins of soft yarn, in light blue, off-white, and pale pink, all for knitting little sweaters and shoes for the kids. I'll start knitting them once we get to Beijing. They'll be suitable for both boys and girls."

Tan Zhaohe shook his head helplessly as he looked at her excited expression, but his heart was filled with warmth.

The elderly couple didn't have any grand ambitions in their lives; their biggest wish after retirement was to see Tan Yue live a happy life.

Now, Tan Yue is successful in his career, married a well-educated and reasonable wife like Chen Ziyu, is about to have a child, and has a sensible grandniece, Tan Xin, by his side. Their lives are fulfilling and happy. For them, this is the best life.

"By the way, I need to call An Nuan in a couple of days and have a good talk with her about Xin Xin's trip to Beijing."

Li Yulan suddenly remembered something and said, "An Nuan is too strong-willed and always afraid of troubling others. I need to make it clear to her that we really want Xin Xin to come and play, and we also want her to take a break and not always carry everything on her own shoulders."

"Yes, you're right." Tan Zhaohe nodded and picked up another grape.

"While we're at it, ask her if there's anything she'd like to eat. We can bring her some when we go to Beijing, like walnuts and red dates from our hometown. They're all good stuff, so she can nourish herself."

The two sat under the grape trellis, chatting about life in Beijing, their unborn grandchildren, and Tan Xin's amusing anecdotes.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the grape leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The wind carries the sweet scent of grapes, and the air is filled with a warm and inviting atmosphere.

At 5 p.m., Tan Yue finished processing the last document at hand.

They signed a post-production contract for "Time Ticks" and appointed a top domestic "light and shadow post-production" team to be responsible for editing and color grading.

He packed his things and left work early to go home.

As soon as I opened the door, the aroma of food wafted out.

Chen's mother was busy in the kitchen, with steamed sea bass stewing in a pot and corn and pork rib soup simmering in a clay pot next to her, both of which were light and suitable for pregnant women.

On the sofa in the living room, Chen Ziyu was wearing a loose, off-white cotton and linen dress, holding a cushion in her arms and reading a book titled "Diet and Nutrition Guide During Pregnancy" attentively. On the coffee table next to her was a glass of warm milk, which her mother had just made for her.

"You're back?" Chen Ziyu looked up at Tan Yue when she heard the door open, her eyes brightening and her voice full of joy.

"Okay, I'll come home a little earlier today so we can go for a walk together."

Tan Yue walked over, placed the sweet and sour pork ribs and osmanthus cake he was holding on the coffee table, sat down next to her, picked up an apple from the table, and carefully peeled it with a fruit knife.

“My mom just called me and said she wants to come to Beijing in two weeks and bring Tan Xin along for a few days, which will coincide with her summer vacation.”

“Great! Tan Xin is such a lovely girl. Last time she came to my house, she even helped me water the flowers and said that my pothos plants were even prettier than the ones at her school.”

Chen Ziyu took the apple Tan Yue handed her, took a small bite, and then, remembering something, asked, "Has your sister-in-law agreed? Don't make her feel uncomfortable. If she's worried about Tan Xin, we can send her video calls often."

"I agree. I told my sister-in-law to take a good rest during this time and not go to work all the time."

Tan Yue held her hand, his fingertips gently stroking the back of her hand, feeling the warmth of her palm.

“When Mom and Dad and Tan Xin arrive, our family can go to Qingyi Farmhouse in the suburbs for a few days. There are mountains and water there, and the air is fresh, which is good for you and the child.”

"Okay, sure." Chen Ziyu nodded with a smile, leaning on Tan Yue's shoulder, her heart filled with happiness.

She could clearly feel that Tan Yue's family not only cared about her, but also treated An Nuan and her daughter as their own. This pure and genuine warmth made her feel especially at ease.

Hearing their conversation from the kitchen, Chen's mother poked her head out and said with a smile, "It's more lively with more people. When your parents come, I can learn how to knit little sweaters from your mother, and we can prepare things for the baby together. I went to the baby store yesterday to look at a small wooden cradle, which is very sturdy and can be used after the baby is born."

Tan Yue and Chen Ziyu smiled at each other, and the living room was filled with a warm atmosphere.

As the sun gradually set outside the window, golden rays streamed through, bathing them in light and illuminating the sweet and sour pork ribs and osmanthus cake on the coffee table, giving them a warm glow.

Tan Yue gently stroked Chen Ziyu's lower abdomen, which was only slightly swollen, yet it carried all of his and Chen Ziyu's expectations.

As night deepened, the lights of the capital city gradually came on. (End of Chapter)