Entertainment from Divorce

The weekend sunlight streamed into the living room through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Tan Yue leaned back on the sofa, his fingertips gently stroking the back of Chen Ziyu's hand, his gaze falling on her slightly protruding belly, his eyes full of tenderness.

"Have you packed everything? Your prenatal checkup report, medical insurance card, and water bottle are all in your bag?" Tan Yue asked, turning her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of meticulous instruction.

It has been a month since my last prenatal checkup.

As instructed by the doctor, we were going to a private hospital today for a comprehensive mid-pregnancy check-up. He specially canceled all his work to accompany me throughout the process.

"Everything's packed." Chen Ziyu smiled and patted his hand.

“You’ve been even more nervous than me these past few days. Last night you even copied down the prenatal checkup instructions in your memo, afraid of missing anything.”

"It's my first time being a dad, so I have to be extra careful." Tan Yue scratched his head, got up to get Chen Ziyu her coat, and carefully helped her put it on.

"It's a bit windy outside, put on a coat so you don't catch a cold."

Chen's mother came out of the kitchen with an insulated bag filled with warm water and cut fruit: "Take this with you. You'll definitely be thirsty after the checkup. The water in the hospital isn't as clean as the water at home. Ziyu, don't be nervous. It's just a routine checkup. The baby will definitely be healthy."

"Mom, I'm not nervous. It's Tan Yue who was tossing and turning all night, even more worried than me." Chen Ziyu took the insulated bag, took Tan Yue's arm, and walked towards the door.

"We're leaving now, we'll be back for lunch."

"Drive carefully on the road," Chen's mother instructed from the doorway. She watched the two figures disappear into the stairwell before turning back inside to clear the dining table.

The private hospital is located in a villa area in the eastern suburbs of Beijing, in a quiet and shady environment, which is completely different from the hustle and bustle of public hospitals.

The car slowly drove into the parking lot. Tan Yue got out first, walked around to the passenger side, and carefully helped Chen Ziyu out, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a fragile treasure.

As we entered the hospital lobby, the nurses, who had already received our appointment notifications, greeted us with smiles: "Mr. Tan, Ms. Chen, this way please. Dr. Li is already waiting in the consultation room."

In the consultation room, Dr. Li was organizing medical records. When he saw the two of them come in, he stood up with a smile and said, "Ms. Chen looks great. It seems you've been taking good care of yourself lately."

"Thanks to my family's care, my morning sickness has mostly disappeared, and my appetite has improved a lot." Chen Ziyu sat on the examination chair, gently stroking her lower abdomen.

Dr. Li first measured Chen Ziyu's blood pressure and weight, and then inquired about her recent diet and sleep. Afterwards, he led the two into the ultrasound room.

The image of the fetus quickly appeared on the screen. The tiny figure was curled up in the uterus, its limbs moving slightly, and its heart beating strongly.

Tan Yue leaned closer to the screen, staring intently at it, her fingertips gently tracing the outline of the fetus on the screen, a warm feeling welling up inside her.

"The baby is healthy. Continue to maintain a regular sleep schedule and diet, and take walks occasionally; this will help with the delivery." Dr. Li printed out the ultrasound report and handed it to Tan Yue.

"Come to the same place next month for your prenatal checkup. Contact me anytime if you feel unwell."

"Thank you, Dr. Li." Tan Yue took the ultrasound report, carefully put it into the file bag, and helped Chen Ziyu out of the ultrasound room, unable to hide the smile on his face.

"Look how amazing our baby is, developing so well."

"Of course, look who the child is," Chen Ziyu teased with a smile, but her heart was full of happiness.

The couple sat in the hospital garden for a while, basking in the gentle sunlight, chatting about their plans after the baby's birth, until it was almost noon before driving home.

When Chen Ziyu got home and opened the door, she was stunned. There was only her mother sitting on the sofa in the living room picking vegetables. Her father, who should have been reading the newspaper in the living room, was nowhere to be seen.

"Mom, where is my dad?"

“Your dad just left. He suddenly received an urgent document from the company that he needs to go back and sign. He originally wanted to wait for you to come back before leaving, but the phone calls were urgent, so he had to go to the airport first.” Chen’s mother put down the vegetables she was holding and took the things from Tan Yue’s hands.

"How were the test results? Is the baby alright?"

"Everything is fine. The doctor said the baby is developing exceptionally well, even a little bigger than expected." Tan Yue handed the ultrasound report to Chen's mother, her voice full of joy.

"Is something urgent for Dad? Should I send someone over to help?"

"No need, it's just some contract signing stuff. Your dad will take Chen Xiang with him to handle it, and it'll be done quickly." Chen's mother smiled broadly as she looked at the blurry image on the ultrasound report.

"After you're done with this busy period, your dad will come to Beijing again. We'll have a good drink together then."

Chen Ziyu sat on the sofa, feeling regretful but understanding her father's difficulties: "The company's affairs are important. I'll have a good talk with Dad next time he comes."

"Oh, right, your dad just told you not to worry about him and to take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. He said Chen Xiang is keeping an eye on things at home, so nothing will go wrong." Chen's mother brought over a glass of warm milk and handed it to Chen Ziyu.

Chen Ziyu took the milk and chatted with her mother about the details of the prenatal checkup. Tan Yue sat to the side, watching the warm scene between the mother and daughter, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

Although it was a pity that Mr. Chen had to leave at the last minute, knowing that his child was healthy and safe was the greatest happiness.

Monday, Brilliant Entertainment.

At nine o'clock sharp, the high-level meeting was held in the conference room on the top floor.

Tan Yue sat in the main seat, with a tablet in front of him displaying the key points of reports from various departments, and a projection screen behind him showing the company's recent project progress.

"First, let me report on the work of the overseas distribution department." Zhang Peng, director of the overseas distribution department, pushed up his glasses and held a data report in his hand.

As the company's business continued to grow, another department was established, namely the Overseas Distribution Department.

Director Zhang Peng was specially recruited by Chen Ziyu.

"Interstellar's second run overseas has ended, with a cumulative box office of $1.2 million, a 30% increase over its first run."

"Currently, 12 overseas television stations have purchased the broadcasting rights, including those from Europe and the United States, which have expressed their intention to broadcast exclusively and are currently negotiating the details."

"In addition, Wind Chime Entertainment from overseas has sent another email, hoping to discuss cooperation with us on a science fiction animated film as soon as possible. They have already submitted a preliminary cooperation proposal."

Tan Yue nodded and jotted down the key points in his notebook: "Prioritize exclusive broadcasting rights and strive to obtain a higher copyright fee."

"The cooperation proposal from Fengling Entertainment will be submitted to the project team for evaluation first. After the storyboard for 'The Three-Body Problem' is completed, I will personally take over. At present, the company's focus is still on 'The Three-Body Problem' and 'Time Tick'."

Next, Qian Tao, the director of the TV drama department, gave a report.

"The scientific review of the script for 'The Three-Body Problem' has been completed, and there are no problems with the scientific concepts and data in the script."

"Storyboard designer Li Ran has assembled a team and will begin producing the storyboard this week. The first draft is expected to be completed next month."

"In addition, we have selected 20 actors who fit the roles of Wang Miao and Shi Qiang. Their resumes have been prepared and you can take a look when you have time."

"The production of storyboards must be of high quality, especially the visual effects, which must be stunning. If there are any problems, please communicate with me at any time."

Tan Yue continued, "Keep the actors' resumes in my office for now. I'll take a look at them when I have some free time tonight. There's no need to arrange auditions for now. We'll decide after the storyboard is finished."

Tan Yue is still considering the casting for this drama, especially whether to use newcomers or veteran actors. Newcomers can help the company develop more excellent and promising actors, while veteran actors can better ensure the quality of the drama.

Xu then gave a report.

"The 'Star Idol Camp' has recorded five episodes. The premiere episode achieved a viewership rating of over 2 and online viewership exceeded 5 million. The hashtag #StarIdolCampAmazingStage# topped the Weibo hot search list and remained there for 12 hours."

"Currently, the trainees' fan base is growing well, with three trainees having already surpassed one million Weibo followers, and subsequent business collaborations are under negotiation."

"I have already arranged for a team to follow up on post-production to ensure that updates are made on time every week."

"Well done. We can add more behind-the-scenes footage of the trainees to increase audience engagement," Tan Yue said with a smile. "You've worked hard these past few days. You can delegate some responsibilities to the team and take a few days off to rest and recharge."

Next, the artist department, new media department, and film department reported on their recent work progress in turn.

Finally, Hong Yuanda, the head of the editing department, gave a report.

"Two-thirds of the editing for 'Time Ticks' has been completed. Director Lin Qingye is very satisfied with the current editing effect, especially the lighting and shadow scenes in the old clock shop and the emotional scenes of the actors, which have achieved the expected results."

"The initial trimming is expected to be completed by mid-next month, and the paper will be submitted for review by the end of the month."

"While speeding up the process, we must ensure the quality of the editing. We cannot neglect details in order to meet deadlines," Tan Yue said. "Show me the finished film before submitting it for review to make sure there are no problems."

After all departments finished reporting, Tan Yue made arrangements for the next steps.

"The overseas distribution department is focusing on negotiating broadcasting rights; the TV drama department is pushing forward with the storyboard production for 'The Three-Body Problem'; and the variety show department is maintaining the popularity of 'Star Idol Camp' while starting preparations for the next variety show."

"All departments should strengthen communication and collaboration, and promptly report any problems that cannot be resolved to ensure that all projects can proceed as planned."

After the meeting, the department directors left one after another, and Tan Yue took his notebook back to his office.

As soon as I sat down, Chen Ye handed me a stack of documents, including details of overseas box office revenue sharing for "Interstellar", a letter of intent for commercial cooperation for "Star Imagination Camp", and actor resumes submitted by the TV drama department.

Tan Yue first opened the overseas box office revenue sharing details, and looking at the numbers, he felt a bit emotional.

The success of "Interstellar" not only enhanced the company's reputation but also provided ample funding for subsequent projects, giving "The Three-Body Problem" a more solid foundation for production.

He signed the document and instructed Chen Ye: "Send this detailed statement to the finance department to complete the profit distribution as soon as possible, and at the same time, have the overseas distribution department continue to follow up on subsequent copyright cooperation."

After finishing processing the documents, Tan Yue picked up the actor resumes submitted by the TV drama department and began to carefully review them.

Among the candidates for Wang Miao, several are well-known and accomplished actors in the industry, whose acting skills and temperament are well-suited to the role.

The candidates for Shi Qiang are mainly actors with a tough guy image, but most of them lack the "rough yet delicate" qualities of the character.

He divided the resumes into two piles, circled the names of the actors who were more suitable, and planned to discuss them in more detail with Qian Tao that evening.

Before I knew it, the sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, and the golden afterglow shone through the window onto the desk, giving the documents a warm glow.

Tan Yue glanced at the time; it was almost six in the afternoon. He tidied up the documents on the table, picked up his coat, and prepared to go home.

I promised Chen Ziyu this morning that I would cook something delicious for dinner.

Upon reaching the parking lot, Tan Yue sent Chen Ziyu a message: "I'm off work, I'll be home in about half an hour."

Soon, Chen Tzu-yu replied with a smiley face and attached a photo.

The photo shows chicken soup that Chen's mother just cooked, with a plate of washed grapes next to it. The caption reads: "Mom cooked chicken soup, waiting for you to come back so we can drink it together."

Tan Yue looked at the message and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

He started the car and merged into the evening rush hour traffic, feeling a sense of peace.

At home, he has family waiting for him with hot meals; at work, he has projects progressing steadily and a reliable team. This kind of life is busy but full of hope.

He knew that many challenges awaited him in the future.

The filming of "The Three-Body Problem" was far more difficult than expected, and the selection of actors and the construction of sets required a lot of effort.

The company's overseas business expansion also faces many uncertainties.

But as long as his family is safe and sound and his team is united, he is confident that he can overcome all difficulties and turn "The Three-Body Problem" into a phenomenal science fiction TV series.

To establish Brilliant Entertainment in the global entertainment market and to let one's own film dreams shine through repeated efforts.

As the car slowly drove into the residential area, warm lights could be seen shining from the windows of the homes in the distance.

Tan Yue strode towards the stairwell, her heart filled with anticipation.

He wanted to get back to his family as soon as possible, share the progress of today's meeting, and also touch Chen Ziyu's belly again to hear the baby's movements.

This simple yet genuine happiness is the meaning behind all his efforts.

"I am back!"

"Xiao Yue, come and eat quickly." Chen's mother's voice came from the living room.

After changing into slippers, Tan Yue unconsciously touched her stomach.

During this period, he ate whatever Chen Ziyu ate.

Tan Yue felt like she had gained weight, and coupled with sitting in the office all day and lacking exercise, she realized that she had gained weight.

He felt he should lose some weight.

"You must be exhausted today," Chen Ziyu asked gently.

She knew that it was the company's routine meeting early this morning, and Tan Yue would be assigning tasks to each department.

These tasks may seem simple, but they are actually very energy-consuming.

Tan Yue replied with a smile, "It's alright!"

Over this period of time, he gradually adapted to the current workload.

"Eat quickly."

The family chatted casually while eating dinner. (End of Chapter)