Chapter 56: “Married”

Chapter 56: "Married"

Ji Fuxi must have gotten the news too. He walked into the guest room. "Should we pull it?"

"Can’t pull it now." This wasn't just a leaked photo that could be scrubbed from the internet, and there was no need to anymore.

Song Tan tucked Song Chuqing into bed, kissing her forehead. "Baby, you sleep first. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy about something."

"Okay~ Goodnight, Mommy and Daddy."

"Goodnight."

She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Song Tan went to the kitchen first, poured a glass of water, and took a couple of sips. Then she asked the man who had followed her, "Will this affect you?"

Ji Fuxi chuckled. "How could it affect me?"

"Not you—your company."

Ji Fuxi took the glass from her hand, finished the remaining water, and smiled again. "A leader's conduct can indeed impact market sentiment, but what does that have to do with me or Yuanhe? What, are you my mistress or my lover?"

Song Tan shot him a look. "I’m serious."

"No impact," Ji Fuxi replied, his tone now serious. "But what about you? How are things on your end?"

"It’s fine." For now, at least. There might be some negative comments framing her as an "actress" with a "sugar daddy," but that was to be expected.

As for *The Great Dream* production team, they were probably thrilled.

Remembering something, Song Tan added, "We need to be extra careful about Xiao Chu’s safety. After we return, we’ll stay at the family home. The times when she’s going to and from school are especially critical. I’ll also talk to the head teacher later."

"Got it. I’ll arrange it."

Song Tan gave him a sidelong glance. "You don’t have any enemies, do you?"

"..." Ji Fuxi was momentarily stunned before chuckling. "What are you thinking? I’m an upstanding citizen."

"What about Grandpa?"

This time, Ji Fuxi fell silent. He wasn’t entirely sure about his grandfather’s situation, but since he had grown up safely, there probably weren’t any enemies. However, given his grandfather’s complex background, it was better to be cautious. He immediately sent a message to Uncle Li, asking him to arrange security.

After sending the message, Ji Fuxi put his phone away, pulled her closer, and took her hand. His thumb gently brushed the ring on her finger as he asked in a low voice, "Does this count as me being officially recognized? Finally getting my status?"

The woman tilted her head up and smiled. "When have I ever denied you that? We got our marriage license soon after meeting, remember?"

Ji Fuxi paused—she had a point. After a moment of silence, he met her eyes and asked, "Do you want to have a wedding?"

Song Tan was surprised. A wedding?

She had never thought about it.

Their relationship had evolved organically to this point, and it seemed fitting to hold a wedding now.

But Xiao Chu was already so big. Wouldn’t it seem awkward to have a wedding now? It might also stir up talk.

She thought for a while but didn’t give a direct answer. "I need to think about it some more."

Ji Fuxi didn’t push her. He leaned in and kissed her.

Song Tan let him kiss her for a while but pushed him away when things started to escalate. "The crew is wrapping up tomorrow or the day after. I still have some work to finish."

Ji Fuxi brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth but didn’t press further. "Go ahead."

...

The next day, public opinion slowly intensified. Initial shock turned into curiosity, and many speculated that Song Tan had used her relationship to advance her career. However, Zhao Geyun and Ji Fuxi’s teams must have taken control, as the rumors didn’t spread widely. Song Tan was too busy tying up loose ends to pay much attention.

They returned to Beijing the day before Xiao Chu’s school started.

That evening, Grandfather called Ji Fuxi into his study for a two-hour talk. Before bed, Song Tan asked what they had discussed. Ji Fuxi put it simply: "Nothing major. He just told me to monitor public opinion and protect Xiao Chu."

"Really?" Song Tan was still a little uneasy. She could handle all kinds of news, but Grandpa wasn’t part of this industry, and given his status, it was hard to imagine he wouldn’t have any thoughts about it.

"Really. Grandpa isn’t unreasonable," Ji Fuxi reassured her. Then he added, "In a few days, Grandpa has a dinner party. You and I will accompany him."

Song Tan understood and agreed.

Objectively speaking, it was because of her that the Ji family had been dragged into the spotlight. Grandfather valued the family’s reputation, yet now people were treating the Ji family as tabloid material.

The Ji family had precedents—Grandfather could have chosen to only accept Xiao Chu. But he hadn’t. The old man wasn’t one for words, but throughout this time, Song Tan hadn’t felt any rejection from him. This upcoming "dinner party" was his way of showing his support.

Song Tan hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest, and murmured, "Thank you."

On Xiao Chu’s first day of school, the couple personally took her there.

The little girl looked at the unfamiliar man sitting in the front seat and asked softly, "Mommy, is this a new uncle friend?"

Song Tan introduced them and then reminded her, "From now on, only Mom, Dad, or Uncle Li will pick you up. You mustn’t trust anyone else or go with anyone else, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy."

After seeing her in, Song Tan also spoke with the kindergarten principal and Teacher Xiao Qing.

Ji Fuxi noticed her tension and worry and reassured her, "Don’t worry. We live in a law-abiding society."

Song Tan shook her head. "You don’t understand. Right now, and for the entire promotional cycle after the movie’s release, I’ll be in the spotlight. Some fans can be overzealous, and there are paparazzi and media outlets that will do anything for clicks. With your status added to the mix, they’ll only become more aggressive."

Ji Fuxi fell silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Understood."

After leaving the kindergarten, they headed to work—both with the same destination: Yuanhe Tower.

Ji Fuxi went to his office, while Song Tan went to Aijia Entertainment to meet with *The Great Dream* team and plan the marketing rollout.

The promotional strategy mixed digital and in-person events. For the first two weeks, there would be weekly livestreams, followed by promotional tours in three major cities in the remaining weeks.

The first livestream was scheduled for that Friday. Unlike the impromptu Q&As from before, the PR team had prepared a detailed plan, including audience interactions.

Taking the executive elevator up, Song Tan got off on the twelfth floor.

Their relationship was no secret at Aijia Entertainment, but as she walked in, she still received many discreet looks—though all were respectful.

When she asked the receptionist which meeting room to go to, the receptionist replied, "Mrs. Ji, I’ll take you there."

Song Tan paused momentarily. The way she said "Mrs. Ji" was so natural...

When she entered the meeting room, she saw the lead actors and Mu Xingzhou were already there.

Teacher Shu led the teasing, "Well look who’s here—Director Song!"

Mr. Wang, who played the female lead's father, laughed, "Now do we call our Xiyue Director Song or Mrs. Ji?"

Teacher Shu added, "Speaking of which, aren’t we on the Ji family’s turf right now? I think ‘Mrs. Ji’ is unavoidable."

"I wondered why Mr. Ji suddenly visited the set before—several times, no less. Turns out it was because our Mrs. Ji was there. Director Song, you really played this close to the vest."

Director Fang, at the head seat, studied Song Tan for a moment. When she was cast as the lead, he hadn’t known about this identity of hers. Now, as everyone said, it all made sense now.

"I think *The Great Dream* has also hit the right timing. With Teacher Song’s clout, the box office won’t be too bad."

"Our Friday livestream will probably surpass a million viewers."

Everyone chimed in one after another. Song Tan wore a smile, but there was no real joy in her heart—just an indescribable unease.

Mu Xingzhou, who had been silent the whole time, glanced at the woman pulling out a chair to sit down. After a few seconds, he looked away and spoke coolly, "Audiences won’t go to the cinema just for gossip. Every cent at the box office is earned by Teacher Song—and by us, scene by scene."

The room went tense.

Song Tan turned to look at him, but Mu Xingzhou had already lowered his gaze to the documents in his hands, his tone still detached. "We have other things to do later. If you have something to say, say it quickly."

Director Fang chuckled and moved on to business, laying out the plan.

The meeting wrapped up before noon.

Song Tan returned to her studio to continue working. Her workload was crushing—editing, sound design, music scoring, subtitles, special effects—all for the freshly shot footage. There were also crew payments to settle and rental contracts from the small town to review. Everything required her attention, leaving zero downtime.

The to-do list was swallowing her whole, and Song Tan poured herself a glass of cold water, standing by the window to clear her mind.

But the more she tried to sort her thoughts, the messier they became. "Mrs. Ji" echoed relentlessly in her head.

She didn’t know whether to call herself blessed or lucky. From now on, she’d always be introduced as "Mrs. Ji," earning automatic deference wherever she went. The flattery would never end, with projects and backers flocking to her door. Quite the charmed life.

But she didn’t want to be "Mrs. Ji."

Tao Tao knocked on the door. "Sister Tan, have you eaten?"

"I’m not hungry," Song Tan turned around. "Is the editor here?"

"They’re at lunch. They’ll be back soon."

"Alright."

Song Tan set down her cup and headed to the edit bay, diving into edits.

...

On Friday evening, everyone gathered to prepare for the livestream.

This time, there was a dedicated livestreaming room with a small stage for audience interaction.

At exactly 7 PM, the livestream began.

Song Tan and Pei Ling sat in front, while Teacher Shu and the others took bar stools in the back.

The host greeted the viewers, "Hey everyone! Welcome to *The Great Dream* livestream! Today, we’ve invited several main cast and crew to spend a fun hour with us. I can see our live audience has already surpassed 100,000! If you’re still outside the stream, hurry in—we’re about to start! There’ll be constant giveaways, including free theater passes!"

The first segment was introductions—the director and actors greeted the audience one by one.

Then came a warm-up game. The host asked the actors trending meme-themed riddles. Those who didn’t know the answers reacted naturally, and Pei Ling, with his dance background, did a quick dance bit as a penalty.

After the opener, the real promotional segment began. A trailer played, followed by the actors sharing behind-the-scenes stories.

Finally, it was time for audience Q&A.

To avoid mishaps, the first two callers were crew plants, asking softball questions.

The third was a real viewer. The host asked, "Hello, friend! Do you have any questions? Or anything you’d like to discuss with our creators?"

A voice crackled through the phone, "Yes, yes! I have a question for Teacher Song Tan."

"Fire away."

"So, Teacher Song, you’ve been all over the tabloids lately. If I remember correctly, the film you won awards for was Aijia-funded, right? And now *The Great Dream* and your current project are also Aijia productions. Word is, Aijia’s major shareholder is Yuanhe Group, isn’t it?"

Dead air gripped the stream. Song Tan’s expression darkened.

The host wildly gestured at the staff behind the camera.

But the "fan" didn’t wait for an answer before continuing, "So, your Triple Crown, and everything today—was it all just bought and paid for?"

Before the staff could cut the connection, the caller added, "Why did you disappear for five years? Is your daughter now on the Ji family registry? Or is she just a love child?"

The "fan" was kicked out of the livestream.

The chat exploded, scrolling too fast to read.

The view counter in the top right corner showed 1.05M—and rising.

Song Tan’s hands trembled.

The host quickly regained control, faking calm. "Today’s focus is on the film, so let’s wrap up the Q&A here. Now, onto the most exciting part! We’ve just dropped a giveaway in the top-left corner—100 lucky winners will receive a full movie swag bag!"

The countdown timer ticked for five minutes, with the host patching the dead air.

Song Tan’s clenched fists never loosened. Her body began to react.

Behind her, Mr. Wang clocked her distress, but with the cameras still rolling, there was nothing he could do.

Once the giveaway ended, the host announced the livestream’s conclusion.

The moment the cameras turned off, Song Tan pressed a hand to her chest and rushed to the restroom.

She hadn’t experienced dry heaving in a long time—not even during the most grueling shoots. But now, every part of her body seemed to stage a mutiny.

The unease she’d suppressed all week finally erupted.

The willfully overlooked digs had been thrust in her face, piercing her heart. All her hard work was erased by a title.

She told herself not to care, but her body couldn’t take it.

And Xiao Chu—now saddled with that scarlet letter. They’d used the ugliest vitriol to hurt a child.

She fumbled for her phone, only to remember it was with Tao Tao.

Biting back nausea, she went back to retrieve it.

On the way, she collided with Mu Xingzhou. The young man instinctively raised a hand as if to steady her but withdrew halfway. "You good?"

"I'm fine."

Mu Xingzhou studied her pale face, wanting to say something but ultimately only managing, "Don’t let those words get to you. It’s probably just rivals trying to smear you."

Song Tan looked at him and sincerely said, "Thank you."

Tao Tao came out looking for her, and Song Tan slipped past him to leave.

Her first move after getting her phone back was to call home to confirm Song Chuqing was safe. After the call, she contacted Zhao Geyun—she needed to set the record straight.

...

Ji Fuxi was at a business dinner that evening.

The club’s VIP room was filled with people, clinking glasses while discussing current affairs and policies, all while feeling each other out for deals.

Ji Fuxi sat at the head of the table, a whiskey glass in his left hand, his wedding ring glimmering faintly.

He didn’t drink, only throwing in a word here and there.

Someone cautiously asked, "President Ji, I heard Yuanhe’s smart electric cars will be launched by the end of the year?"

"Yes."

"Any official word on that?"

The man faintly curved his lips. "What stance could there be? Yuanhe is just doing honest business."

That might not be entirely true. The old man had fingers in every pie, and Yuanhe Group had suddenly dived into car manufacturing this year. Who knew if there were any policy shifts behind it? Not to mention, subsidies had already been issued last month to boost vehicle sales—there might be more cards up their sleeve.

But no one dared to press further. This wasn’t a man you could pump for information.

At eight o’clock, Ji Fuxi’s assistant approached from behind, leaning in to whisper a few words in his ear.

The room’s mood shifted instantly. When they looked over, his brow was deeply furrowed.

"Just happened?"

"Yes." Zhuang Cheng handed over the phone, playing the live-stream clip where viewers called in during *The Great Dream* broadcast.

Ji Fuxi didn’t pay attention to the words—he only saw Song Tan’s increasingly pale face and her slightly trembling body in the video.

The private room was noisy, and the video’s audio wasn’t loud, but everyone noticed the man at the head of the table suddenly stand up with a darkened expression, his lips pressed into a tight line and his glare icy. He was clearly furious.

Without so much as a goodbye, he grabbed his suit jacket and strode out.

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving everyone swapping confused looks, unsure what had happened.

Ji Fuxi, though powerful and aloof, wasn’t the type to fly off the handle. For him to react like this meant he was genuinely angry. Some guessed it might be about the old man.

Outside the private room, Song Tan’s call connected.

Her voice was calm. "Ji Fuxi, I need you on this."

He responded immediately, "Okay." Then asked, "Where are you? I’ll come to you."

"No need. I’m fine. Just check online later."

He opened Weibo—the hashtag "Song Tan" was blowing up.

The clip from the evening’s livestream had already garnered tens of millions of views. Most were just along for the gossip, but the more they dug, the messier it got. Old speculations resurfaced, with bold claims she was "somebody’s mistress" gaining traction.

The more Ji Fuxi read, the sicker he felt.

Ten minutes later, Song Tan posted a statement on Weibo: first, denying that her success five years ago or now was due to capital backing; second, denying that Xiao Chu was an illegitimate child, and stating clearly she was married.

Ji Fuxi didn’t have a personal account, so he drafted a message for Yuanhe Group’s official account to repost:

"My first meeting with Song Tan was over five years ago, at a film wrap party. By then, she had already completed all her work for *One Night*. Her talent doesn’t rely on any capital. I admire her, respect her, and love her. I’m the lucky one to call her my wife and to have our daughter."

The official account also issued a statement, promising lawsuits against any defamatory rumors.

After posting, he didn’t bother reading more. Instead, he called Song Tan.

No answer. He then called Zhao Geyun and learned she had gone home.

Close to nine, Ji Fuxi found her frozen in the driver’s seat of her car in the garage, unsure how long she had been there.

He tapped on the window. The woman inside looked over, her eyes empty.

Song Tan didn’t roll down the window, just stared back through the glass.

The man outside looked anxious and worried, his lips moving as he spoke.

She couldn’t hear him, her thoughts elsewhere.

She had seen Yuanhe Group’s repost—he said he loved her.

Did he love her?

And what about her? Did she love him?

Not long ago, they’d talked about tying the knot properly—did that mean love?

She suddenly remembered the old man’s challenge when they’d first met: if she had to choose between her career and Ji Fuxi, what would she do? Back then, she’d claimed she’d walk away from Ji Fuxi.

Two minutes passed. Three.

Song Tan looked down, reached for her bag on the passenger seat, then pushed the car door open and stepped out. Her voice was flat, and she didn’t look at him again.

"I’m sorry. I just need space. I’m staying with Xiao Chu tonight." With that, she walked off slowly, her slim frame sagging with weariness.