Entertainment from Divorce

In the latter half of December, the chill in Beijing intensified, with the biting north wind swirling fine, withered leaves across the road, stinging the face.

The bare branches of the plane trees on the street point towards the leaden sky, but they cannot block the growing festive atmosphere of the New Year at the street corner.

On the eighth floor of the Brilliant Entertainment office building, the lights in the president's office were still blindingly bright.

Tan Yue sat behind a large solid wood desk, a pen between his fingers, his brows furrowed as he looked at the mountain of documents on the desk, his knuckles unconsciously tapping lightly on the surface.

On one corner of his desk was a photo of him and Chen Ziyu. The two of them had gentle smiles in the photo, radiating happiness, which contrasted sharply with the pile of documents on the desk.

As the year draws to a close, the company's work has become increasingly busy rather than slow.

The documents on the corner of the desk are arranged by department, and each one is marked with a sticky note indicating its urgency, making it easy to see at a glance.

The new media department's annual summary and pre-holiday promotional plan were placed at the top. The plan mentioned that, in line with the year-end atmosphere, materials from the company's artists and works would be integrated to launch a series of short videos entitled "Brilliant New Year Flavor".

The film division is currently finalizing the domestic copyright negotiations for "Time Ticks". The contracts for exclusive broadcasting rights on video platforms and rerunning rights on television stations still require his final signature and confirmation.

In addition to preparing for new projects to start filming after the New Year, the TV drama department is also coordinating the filming progress of "The Three-Body Problem". Lu Chuan just sent the latest filming clips this morning, and he needs to review the special effects details of the Red Coast Base scene.

The music department has two new singers whose singles are due to be released before the end of the year. The first draft of the cover design and the promotion schedule are on the table, and he needs to finalize the version to ensure that it matches the artists' image.

Meanwhile, the artist management department is busy arranging year-end activities for its artists. The schedules for gala invitations, commercial appearances, and magazine shoots are packed, and several important cooperation contracts are awaiting review.

In addition, there are collaborations with two foreign film and television companies that need to be followed up, and no carelessness is allowed.

One of them is a well-known European film and television distribution company. They are interested in the subject matter of two realistic TV series produced by Brilliant Entertainment and want to import them for broadcast in the European market. The contract terms have been revised three times, and they are currently at an impasse over copyright fees and broadcasting scope.

Another company is a leading South Korean entertainment company that intends to collaborate with Brilliant Entertainment to cultivate new talent.

"Mr. Tan, this is a summary of the artists' year-end schedules compiled by the artist management department, as well as a supplementary agreement for the cooperation with the Korean company. Please take a look." Chen Ye knocked on the door and entered, gently placing a stack of documents on the table, his tone tinged with fatigue.

During this period, everyone in the company has been working non-stop, and as Tan Yue's assistant, he has been extremely busy.

Tan Yue nodded, picked up the document and quickly flipped through it, his eyes precisely capturing the key information, his brows sometimes relaxing and sometimes furrowing slightly.

"We need to have our legal department communicate with the European company about their copyright fees, clearly stating our bottom line: we shouldn't compromise too much; high-quality content deserves a matching price."

"The cooperation agreement with South Korea should be further refined in terms of the allocation of resources for training new talents. For example, the distribution ratio of film and television resources and music resources, as well as the qualification requirements for training instructors should be clearly stated to ensure that our artists can receive equal resources and not be disadvantaged."

"Okay, I'll arrange for the legal department to coordinate right away, and I'll give you feedback first thing tomorrow morning."

Chen Ye quickly jotted down the key points in his notebook, turned to leave, but stopped and hesitated before speaking: "President Tan, it's almost ten o'clock, and it's completely dark outside. Would you like to go home first? You can deal with the remaining documents tomorrow. Your health is more important."

Tan Yue looked out the window. It was already dark outside. The streetlights outside the office building were on, and the warm yellow light shone through the glass, dispelling some of the chill.

A few lights were scattered across the office buildings in the distance, like stars in the night.

He rubbed his throbbing temples, pressed his fingertips against his brow to relieve the fatigue, picked up his phone and glanced at it. The screen clearly showed a missed call from his mother, Li Yulan, around noon.

He suddenly remembered that he was in an emergency meeting of the film department at noon, and his phone was on silent. After the meeting, he was busy with copyright contracts and new scripts, and he completely forgot to return the call. He immediately felt a little apologetic.

"Okay, we'll talk about the rest tomorrow."

Tan Yue stood up, gathered the important documents on the table, put them in his briefcase, and then instructed, "You should also leave work early and not stay up too late. Everyone has worked hard during this period. Apply for benefits for the team after the New Year."

He has always been considerate of his subordinates, knowing that everyone is under a lot of pressure at the end of the year, and is willing to give everyone enough care.

Stepping out of the office building, the cold night wind hit me, carrying a chill even more intense than during the day.

Driver Lao Liu had already parked the black van in a sheltered spot by the door. The car was spotless, and even the water stains on the windows were wiped clean.

Seeing Tan Yue come out, Lao Liu quickly got out of the car, walked around to the back seat, opened the car door, and said respectfully, "Mr. Tan, you're off work. The car's heating is already on. Please get in and warm up."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Lao Liu." Tan Yue bent down and got into the car, leaned back in the soft back seat, and let out a long sigh of relief.

The car's heater was on full blast, instantly dispelling the chill from his body. A wave of fatigue washed over him, and he couldn't help but close his eyes to catch his breath.

He leaned back in his chair, adjusted to a comfortable position, took out his phone, unlocked it, found his mother's number, and pressed the call button without hesitation, his fingertips carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

The phone was answered after two rings. The mother, Li Yulan, had the cheerful and clear voice of a northerner, with an undisguised concern and a slight accent of the Jishui dialect.

"Xiaoyue, you finally called back! We called you several times at noon, but you didn't answer. Your dad and I were worried something had happened to you. We were thinking of calling Ziyu to ask."

Tan Yue's tone softened instantly, tinged with guilt and apology, and his voice became much gentler: "Mom, I'm sorry for making you and Dad worry. I was in an emergency meeting with the film department at noon, and my phone was on silent. After the meeting, I had a pile of documents to deal with, and I got so busy that I forgot to call back."

"I knew you were busy!" Li Yulan breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Your dad always nags me, saying that you're over thirty years old and shouldn't push yourself too hard. Work is never-ending, but health is the most important thing."

"By the way, your dad and I have discussed it and we're going to Beijing in a couple of days. Ziyu is pregnant and her pregnancy is progressing. With the New Year approaching, it'll just be the two of you and Ziyu's mother at home. We'll go and take care of her for a while, cook some of her favorite dishes, and then return to Jishui after the New Year."

Tan Yue felt a warmth in her heart, and a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on her lips, while the weariness in her eyes also dissipated somewhat.

"Is there anything you want to eat? And your favorite braised beef. I went to the market yesterday to buy fresh beef and stewed it all afternoon. It tasted amazing. I'll bring you some. The braised beef in Beijing always feels a bit like home-cooked beef; it's not authentic."

A warm feeling welled up in Tan Yue's heart, as if a warm current was spreading from the bottom of his heart to his whole body, dispelling all his fatigue. He could almost smell the aroma of his mother's braised beef, a taste of home etched into his very bones.

"Mom, don't bring too much stuff. Beijing has everything, and it's heavy anyway. Just be careful on the road, take it slow, and don't rush. I'll have Lao Liu pick you up from the airport the day after tomorrow. He knows the way, so just wait for him when you get off the train."

"Okay, then we won't bring too much. We'll just bring a little to try, it won't be heavy."

Li Yulan gave him a few more words of advice, telling him to stay up less late, eat on time, take more walks with Chen Ziyu, take care of her emotions, and call home immediately if anything happened, before reluctantly hanging up the phone.

After the call ended, Tan Yue leaned back in his seat, slowly closed his eyes to rest, and gently placed his phone on his lap.

The car was quiet, with only the slight hum of the engine and the flickering streetlights outside the window.

The car slowly drove into Ruishan residential area.

The community is shaded by green trees, and even in the cold winter, the evergreen trees along the roadside exude vitality. The detached villas are scattered among the greenery in a well-organized manner, and each villa has its own small courtyard. The lights shine through the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere.

Old Liu smoothly parked the car in front of a detached villa. Tan Yue thanked him, got out of the car, pushed open the gate of the yard and walked in. There were several wintersweet trees in the yard, and a faint fragrance of flowers wafted in the cold wind.

The living room of the villa was lit with warm yellow light, and the figures inside could be clearly seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a cozy atmosphere.

Tan Yue changed her shoes and walked into the living room. On the shoe cabinet in the entryway were Chen Ziyu's flat shoes and maternity slippers, and next to them was a small storage basket containing her usual scarves and gloves.

In the living room, Chen Ziyu was leaning back on the soft sofa, reading a parenting book with a thin blanket covering her legs, her expression focused.

Chen's mother was busy in the open kitchen. The range hood was very quiet, and the aroma of food wafted out of the kitchen, filling the entire living room and making people feel warm and cozy.

"You're back?" Chen Ziyu looked up at him when she heard his voice, a gentle smile immediately appearing on her face, her eyes full of concern. "You seem to be a little later than usual today. Are you busier with work?"

As she spoke, she slowly sat up straight and reached out to take the water glass from the table for him.

Tan Yue walked over quickly, gently pressed her hand to stop her from moving, sat down beside her, and carefully touched her slightly protruding belly. His movements were gentle, and his tone was tired but still tender.

"Yeah, there's a lot going on at the company. I handled some urgent documents and also handed over some work to Chen Ye. Mom, thank you for all the hard work, making so much delicious food." He turned to the kitchen and smiled at Chen's mother.

Chen's mother came out of the kitchen, her hands were wiping a clean cloth, she was wearing a simple apron, and her face had a kind smile on her face.

"It's not hard work for you, it's your work that's hard, especially Xiaoyue, who's busy until so late every day. Wash your hands and eat, the food is getting cold. I specially made steamed sea bass, which Ziyu likes, and braised pork, which Xiaoyue likes."

Dinner was plentiful, with four dishes and a soup laid out in abundance, and the tableware consisted of exquisite white porcelain bowls and plates, exuding the warmth of home.

"By the way, Ziyu, I have something to tell you." Tan Yue put down his chopsticks, carefully picked up a piece of boneless fish and placed it in Chen Ziyu's bowl, speaking gently, "My parents are coming the day after tomorrow. They said they want to come and take care of you and cook some of your favorite dishes. They will return to Jishui after the New Year."

Chen Ziyu's eyes lit up, and a surprised smile appeared on her face, her eyes full of anticipation. She gently touched her belly and said with a smile, "Really? That's great! With Mom and Dad coming over, the house will be more lively. I really miss their cooking. And with them here, you can worry less about work and won't have to think about me all the time."

Chen's mother smiled and put down her chopsticks, her face full of approval: "Great, great! It's just in time for our in-laws to come over. It'll be more lively with more people during the New Year."

“I think it would be better if we called your dad during the Spring Festival and asked him to come over, as well as Xiao Xiang, and asked him to come to Beijing for the New Year. Our whole family can get together and have a lively New Year’s Eve dinner. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Chen Ziyu nodded, a look of longing on her face.

“That’s what I was thinking too, but I don’t know if Dad and Xiaoxiang will have time. Dad is usually busy with the catering company, and Xiaoxiang is always helping out at the store. The Chinese New Year is the busiest time for the catering industry.”

She knew that her father's catering company was quite large, and business was booming during the Chinese New Year, keeping the father and son extremely busy.

"Don't worry, I'll call them later and tell them I can definitely make time."

Chen's mother smiled, her tone full of relief and pride, and said, "Xiao Xiang can now stand on his own. He manages procurement, operations, and management very well, and has even secured cooperation with two new food suppliers."

Upon hearing this, Tan Yue smiled and nodded in agreement: "Xiao Xiang has indeed grown up and is much more composed than before."

"That's right." Mrs. Chen sighed, her tone full of relief, but her eyes held a hint of emotion. "I used to worry that he was too young, impulsive and unreliable, and I didn't feel comfortable letting him take over the company. I always thought I should protect him for a few more years. Now it seems that I was overthinking it. The child has grown up and naturally becomes sensible."

Chen Ziyu held her mother's hand, her fingertips gently stroking the back of her mother's hand.

"Mom, don't worry about the family all the time. Take better care of yourself. We're all happy that Xiao Xiang can stand on his own. You should enjoy your retirement now and not have to do everything yourself anymore."

Dinner ended slowly amidst such warm and casual conversation, and everyone ate to their heart's content.

Chen's mother took the initiative to clear the dishes and went to the kitchen, where she quickly washed the dishes and wiped the table.

Tan Yue carefully helped Chen Ziyu walk slowly to the sofa in the living room and sat down to chat with her, afraid that she would get tired.

"You must have had a tiring day at work. You don't look well, and you have dark circles under your eyes." Chen Ziyu leaned on Tan Yue's shoulder, her cheek pressed against his arm, her voice soft and full of concern.

She could sense Tan Yue's exhaustion and knew he was under a lot of pressure lately, having to manage company affairs while also worrying about her.

Tan Yue gently put his arm around her waist, his movements tender, as if afraid of touching her stomach. His tone was gentle yet tinged with guilt: "It's alright, just a bit busy. The company's business is almost finished."

The two leaned against each other and chatted for a while about parenting, such as discussing a nickname for their baby and their plans for the Lunar New Year. (End of Chapter)