Chapter 124
When Lin Ting was eight months pregnant, the entertainment industry was hit hard by a crackdown on tax evasion and the issue of dual contracts. Rumors spread like wildfire, and everyone felt insecure. One after another, people were brought down, all of them at the height of their fame.
Once it is confirmed that someone has evaded taxes, it means they will be listed as a disgraced celebrity. Even if they pay back the taxes, they will not be able to turn their career around and will be completely blacklisted and reduced to an ordinary person.
So everyone in the industry was busy checking their own tax issues, but Chen Zhiyi was relaxed. He had always abided by the law on this issue, refused all improper means, paid his taxes on time, and was a good citizen.
After several popular celebrities were named, Chen Zhiyi also became a prime suspect. As a result, his haters started to speak ill of him. After all, everyone in the entertainment industry is bound to have some problems.
However, Chen Zhiyi was very assertive and directly tagged the Shanghai Municipal Tax Bureau on Weibo, welcoming the leaders to visit "Little Ear" for guidance and research, which would be an honor for our company.
The accompanying photo shows tax officials in uniform conducting an audit in the Little Ears conference room.
This counterattack caught the haters off guard and silenced the other rivals who were itching to make a move.
One word: "Fierce!"
At the end of this tax verification process, a major scandal broke: Jiali Media was exposed for evading taxes amounting to nine figures, and many of its invested film and television works were involved in dual contracts, causing a negative impact. As a result, relevant senior leaders were arrested, including Qin Fei. Due to the large amount of money involved, the public security and judicial authorities have intervened, and the company's leaders will face criminal liability or be sentenced to prison.
Upon seeing this news, Lin Ting asked Chen Zhiyi, "Did you report it?"
Chen Zhiyi: "Jiali has too many internal problems, it's not my place to report them. When I first joined, I knew they had serious tax issues, and it was only a matter of time before they were exposed. That's why I had to leave. Jiali is a good film and television production company, but it's not a company with social responsibility. A company is a social organization, and it shouldn't only focus on profits, but also pay attention to the social responsibilities it bears."
Have you been putting goji berries in your thermos lately?
"What?"
He speaks with the air of an old cadre.
Chen Zhiyi smiled.
Lin Ting pursed her lips, feigning disappointment, "I was so delusional, thinking you were reporting me to vent my anger. After all, your mentor did a lot of disgusting things to me, and I suffered too many grievances. But I was just overthinking it."
Love is the best medicine to heal life. In the year or so since I reunited with Chen Zhiyi, the depression and pain that had accumulated in my heart have vanished, leaving only joy and happiness.
People who are happy are tolerant of everyone, so Lin Ting's hatred for Qin Fei has disappeared, and she has long since let go of her resentment when talking about her.
I just said that to tease Chen Zhiyi. He likes my slightly coquettish and jealous words. A man in his thirties is just so charming.
Chen Zhiyi leaned over and pinched her nose. "Logically, I should have reported it, after all, I'm a law-abiding citizen. But reporting it is too easy for me, and it won't get me the result I want. What I want is yet to come."
Lin Ting blinked, looking puzzled.
But Chen Zhiyi said nothing. The most ruthless thing to do was to cut off the source of the problem. After he learned how much Qin Fei had instigated Sun Ziyan to cause trouble at the opening of Yunshang, he felt no gratitude towards Qin Fei left. In the past, he had always refrained from taking any action because of her kindness, but this time he could no longer tolerate it.
In the last month of her pregnancy, because she was carrying twins, Lin Ting's belly was much bigger than that of a singleton. It was inconvenient for her to stand, lie down, or sit. Her sleep quality was also very poor. She would wake up several times at night, either because of leg cramps or to urinate. As soon as she moved, Chen Zhiyi would wake up.
First, help her to the toilet, then back to bed, prop up her back with a pillow, and then patiently massage her feet.
Chen Zhiyi's massage skills were excellent, neither too light nor too heavy, very comfortable. When Lin Ting couldn't sleep, he would give her a massage, and she would easily fall asleep.
Although she was heavy, Lin Ting was in great spirits and had a good appetite, eating everything. In late pregnancy, she even developed a craving for desserts, and couldn't resist them whenever she passed a dessert shop. Her family doctor repeatedly emphasized that pregnant women should eat less sweets in late pregnancy, otherwise they are prone to high blood sugar. Moreover, eating sweets can cause the fetus to grow faster, which could be dangerous during childbirth. They had to take responsibility for that.
Every time this happened, Chen Zhiyi would nod vigorously, looking serious and promising to keep a close eye on her. But when Lin Ting looked at him with pitiful eyes, Chen Zhiyi would abandon all his principles and buy it anyway.
However, Lin Ting knew in her heart that she would only eat a few bites to satisfy her cravings after buying them, and the rest would basically end up in Chen Zhiyi's mouth.
With the pregnancy in its final week, labor could start at any time, and with twins, the chances of it starting earlier were even greater. So Chen Zhiyi put his work aside and stayed with Lin Ting all day, keeping her hospital bag in the car so they could go to the hospital immediately if anything happened.
They chose a private hospital for the delivery; Du Yuan's wife gave birth there, which was safe, reliable, and offered good privacy.
Wherever Lin Ting went, Chen Zhiyi followed closely behind, clinging to Lin Ting's waist like a human pendant. Sometimes, when he got annoyed by the constant attention, he would tease him, "Why are you so nervous? It's me who gave birth, not you."
"I'm only nervous because you're giving birth. I wish it were me. Didn't you see the videos saying that childbirth is very risky, like severe bleeding, placental abruption, amniotic fluid embolism, and a high mortality rate?" The closer Chen Zhiyi got to his due date, the more nervous he became. The big data kept pushing videos about childbirth, and they were all about risks, making him very anxious. He was losing more hair than Lin Ting.
Lin Ting got impatient and said, "Pah, pah, pah, you jinx! Stop watching videos all the time!"
"Seriously, if something happens to you during childbirth, I definitely won't survive."
"Can't you hope things will get better for me and the child?"
I'm serious!
"Shut up!"
Chen Zhiyi touched Lin Ting's large and heavy belly, feeling very sorry for her, "Anyway, this is the only time you'll give birth."
"Finally, he said something sensible."
...
As the year draws to a close, the entertainment industry is bustling with activity, with various award ceremonies taking place as scheduled. Among them, the Golden Bull Awards, held every three years, are the most anticipated and are considered the most prestigious film awards in China. This award has a deep connection with Chen Zhiyi, whose first starring role in the film that brought him fame, "Secretly in Love with You," earned him the Best Actor award. He was also the youngest person in the world to win this award, hence the title "Young Film Emperor."
Chen Zhiyi was nominated again this time, but not for Best Actor, but for Best Director.
First Love was not only a hit in China, but also received high praise when it was released in Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries, stirring up a whirlwind of memories of first love.
Viewers were amazed that China could produce such delicate, tender, and unpretentious youth romance films, and that these films could even go global and compete with those from Japan and South Korea, who are known for this genre.
Although this is Chen Zhiyi's first time directing, no one was surprised by his nomination; in fact, he is considered a favorite to win.
Whether it's popular or not, whether he wins an award or not, Chen Zhiyi doesn't care at all. He cares more about Lin Ting's health. Her due date is just a few days away, and he's so preoccupied that he can't leave her side. So he doesn't want to attend.
As a result, Lin Ting criticized him, saying that he was not doing his job properly and that he had no ambition for his career even though he was a father.
Chen Zhiyi scoffed inwardly. Little Ear Pictures was thriving, and he could make money even if he was just lying at home doing nothing. What did he need ambition for?
Lin Ting complained that he was worrying too much. Although her due date was approaching, it wasn't accurate. Moreover, she showed no signs of labor, no bleeding, and no abdominal pain. She acted like nothing was wrong every day. Anyone with experience could tell that she was going past her due date, so there was no need to worry. She advised him to attend the ceremony. She and the children wanted to witness their father receiving the award on TV and to see him reach another peak in his career.
He further reassured her that Xiaoyuan, Qin Wei, and Dr. Jiang would all be there with her on the day of the Golden Bull Award, and that if she really went into labor that day, they would be there to handle everything perfectly, so she could rest assured.
Ultimately, Chen Zhiyi still attended the Golden Bull Awards ceremony.
Next came the presentation of the Best Director award. The other nominees all looked very nervous, their smiles forced, because no one wanted to lose once they were nominated.
However, Chen Zhiyi remained calm, his mind still on home, and he even picked up his phone to make a call.
Before he could even speak, a complaint came from the other end, "You're still in the mood to make a phone call? The results are about to be revealed, isn't it impolite to call now? Aren't you nervous at all? Are you here to have fun?"
Chen Zhiyi rubbed his temples. "Didn't you ask me to come? You're not happy that I'm here?"
"It's not a matter of being happy or not. What if you actually win the award and the spotlight comes and catches you on the phone? You'll be ridiculed online again." Lin Ting's tone was still very anxious.
"You really think I'm guaranteed to win?"
"You lack confidence in yourself?"
"It's not that I lack confidence in myself, it's that I lack confidence in keyboard warriors. Winning the Best Director award on my first directorial debut, doesn't that mean I got in through connections?"
"When you won Best Actor last time, it was your first time playing a leading role. Why didn't you say so then?" Lin Ting found it strange.
Chen Zhiyi smoothed out the wrinkles on his suit jacket, leaned back, and said casually, "The first time everyone thought I got lucky, but they won't think that way after the second time."
"bias!"
Chen Zhiyi didn't mind and changed the subject, "After the awards ceremony, I'll go to the cake shop next door and buy you a cake. It's your favorite brand."
Hearing this, Lin became interested and exclaimed, "Okay!"
"Red beans again this time?"
"Let's try something different. I'd like to try raspberry; it looked quite appetizing when I saw it last time."
"Okay! I'll hang up now."
At this point, the presenter will announce the name of the award recipient.
Lin Ting panicked, "Don't hang up, let me hear who it is?"
Chen Zhiyi laughed and said, "Whether you hang up or not, it's still you. Isn't the TV broadcasting live?"
"Shut up!"
"This year's Best Director award goes to..."
Lin Ting stared at the TV while desperately pressing her phone against her ear, afraid of mishearing or seeing anything wrong; her heart was in her throat.
But the person involved remained calm and even advised Lin Ting not to be nervous.
It's true what they say: the emperor isn't worried, but the eunuchs are.
"The winner is Chen Zhiyi, my first love."
After he finished speaking, the award ceremony was silent for a few seconds, then erupted in applause.
Chen Zhiyi was taken aback for a moment, thinking he had misheard.
On the other end of the microphone, Lin Ting became excited, "Chen Zhiyi, congratulations on winning the award."
"Yes, I heard you."
Host: "Now, please welcome Professor Chen Zhiyi to the stage to receive the award."
Chen Zhiyi didn't hang up the phone; instead, he put it in his pocket. He wanted to share this memorable moment with Lin Ting, even though she couldn't be there.
The award was presented to Chen Zhiyi by Yu Zhengyang, the director who secretly admires you and is considered a very important mentor on Chen Zhiyi's acting journey.
He smiled and hugged Chen Zhiyi, saying, "You are a promising young man. I had high hopes for you when we first worked together, and I knew you had a bright future."
Chen Zhiyi took the trophy from him and said thank you.
Chen Zhiyi held the trophy in his left hand, reached into his pocket with his right hand, and gently tapped the phone screen, reminding the person on the other end of the microphone to listen carefully to what was about to be said.
Chen Zhiyi leaned closer to the microphone, glanced around at everyone present, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"I am honored to receive this award, and of course, I am also quite surprised, so I did not prepare an acceptance speech. In any case, the first person I want to thank is my wife, who is also the person I love most. Without her encouragement and companionship, I don't think I would have entered the entertainment industry, let alone be standing on this grand and magnificent stage. She is my mentor and my muse. The movie 'First Love' was my first time writing and directing, and it was based on her. It was created to commemorate our love. Unfortunately, our relationship was not as smooth as the male and female protagonists in the movie. We encountered many ups and downs, but fortunately, everything is over, and we have found lifelong happiness just like them. Sometimes I feel that I am luckier than the male protagonist in the movie. It is because of these ups and downs and separations that I cherish everything I have more, and I have a deeper understanding of love and ideals. These are the sources of inspiration for my future creations. In the past, I acted because of my love for it, and also to let more people see me. But now that I have a family, I hope that the works I make can be watched with them. I want to capture the memorable things in our lives in movies and make them permanent memories. I think this is more meaningful than the trophy in my hand."
Finally, Chen Zhiyi took his phone out of his pocket and put it to his mouth, his voice full of deep affection, "Wife, can you hear me? You are my eternal pride, I love you."
Lin Ting watched TV with red eyes, wiped away tears from her cheeks, and said, "Me too."
An hour later, the awards ceremony came to an end.
Chen Zhiyi originally planned to leave after the event, but now that he has won an award, he can't escape the interview segment.
Another hour passed before it was his turn to conduct the interview.
Just as the interview began, Chen Zhiyi's phone rang. The media saw him jump up with a serious expression, then run out without saying a word.
Everyone present was stunned. How could someone act like a big shot after just winning an award?
Four hours later, Chen Zhiyi made another official announcement on Weibo.
The accompanying picture shows two large hands holding two adorable little hands.
In short, it all boils down to this: "I'm a dad."
That day, the four members of their family dominated the trending topics on Weibo.
First, there was the "Chen Zhiyi Golden Bull Award".
Chen Zhiyi won the award.
Chen Zhiyi - Best Director
And then there's the news: "Chen Zhiyi ran away during the interview."
"Chen Zhiyi is acting like a diva"
Then came "Lin Ting's Production".
"Lin Ting's Twins"
Finally, "Chen Zhiyi officially announced that he has become a father".
"Chen Zhiyi is blessed with double happiness."
They have a son and a daughter; the son resembles his mother, and the daughter resembles her father.
The boy's name is Chen Mulin
The girl's name is Chen Xinlin
As Jiali Media's stock price fell, Chen Zhiyi bought the shares and became the largest shareholder of Jiali, thus becoming the new person in charge.
Six months later, Qin Qiang was released from prison. He pawned his wedding gold ring with Xie Yuling and bought two pairs of silver bracelets to give to his grandchildren.
Finally, he found a job as a gravedigger, guarding Lin Qin's tombstone to atone for his sins.
(The End)
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