Chapter 73.1

Unexpectedly, Wen Tang announced her marriage at the Wan Hua Awards. Shortly after, she made another official announcement on Weibo. The abruptness of these announcements created a significant stir among netizens, and the excitement continued for several days before gradually subsiding.

Over the following two years, Wen Tang won numerous awards at film festivals for her genuine and compelling acting. She successfully transitioned from being an idol to becoming a prominent actress known for her exceptional skills.

When Wen Tang announced her marriage, many were skeptical. Given her previous behavior, it didn’t seem like she would be the type to remain devoted and committed.

People began speculating about when Wen Tang would get divorced.

Some guessed within a year, others within two years, and some thought it would be within six months!

However, since that announcement, Wen Tang had not addressed her marriage or revealed who her husband was. The public remained in the dark.

The more mysterious it became, the more it piqued people’s curiosity.

As a former queen of trending topics, even something as trivial as Wen Tang having a meal or drinking from a cup could make headlines. With such high traffic, reporters took every opportunity to follow her, and any glimpse of Wen Tang’s presence could make the news.

Over the past two years, there were frequent rumors about Wen Tang’s marriage, often backed by various pieces of circumstantial evidence.

“—Wen Tang spotted at the airport, looking haggard, suspected of marital problems!”

“—Wen Tang’s wedding ring removed, indicating possible issues with her husband.”

“—Insiders reveal Wen Tang’s husband is a business tycoon, and their vastly different backgrounds have led to disapproval from both families and friends.”

“—Wen Tang avoids mentioning her husband and only talks about her new film, suggesting a strained relationship and a new romance.”

Since her marriage announcement, it seemed that many were eager to see it fail.

Recently, rumors about Wen Tang’s marriage intensified.

The latest scandal began when Wen Tang was spotted in Quan Zhou, having dinner with a man from her film crew. After dinner, they both went to the same hotel, and the next day, a news report emerged:

“Wen Tang caught dining with the third male lead from her film crew. After dinner, they went to the same hotel, suspected of infidelity!”

The report included photos as evidence. In the photos, the male actor could be seen sitting next to Wen Tang at the restaurant, and there were images of them entering the same hotel within a ten-minute interval.

This scandal sparked widespread discussion and quickly topped the trending topics with tens of thousands of comments.

[I said Wen Tang’s marriage wouldn’t last, and look at this! How could a female heartbreaker like her stay committed?]

[Not surprising.]

[Two years later, finally!]

[It’s just the type Wen Tang would like, the typical young fresh meat. How could an old, balding, wealthy man satisfy her aesthetic needs?]

[Indeed, being a stepmother is hard!]

[How do you know what Wen Tang’s husband looks like? It sounds like you’ve seen him.]

[You’re the stepmother, and your whole family is too!]

[Do you believe everything the media says? I believe our Tang Tang wouldn’t do such things. We only discuss after official announcements!]

[We, the fans, only discuss after official announcements!]

[Even if it’s true, it must be that they are divorced if she’s with another guy. Tang Tang has strong morals, so she wouldn’t do this unless divorced. I’m waiting for the divorce announcement!]

[……Am I the only one who thinks that even with photos, it doesn’t prove much? Considering how Wen Tang acted in public and on various shows, whenever asked about her husband, she always looked genuinely happy and in love. I don’t believe this is true; there must be a misunderstanding. I’m waiting for a reversal!]

[There are always reversals in the entertainment industry. Just recently, something was trending only to be debunked the next day. I’m watching this one to see how it turns out.]

[Claiming a spot and waiting!]

[Peeking out from the underground, looking around.]

……

After Wen Tang finished filming in Quan Zhou and returned home, she had the rare opportunity to sleep in with Zhou Jingyu. The next morning, she was woken by a call from Li Yingjie, who told her to check Weibo’s trending topics.

Since it was the weekend and Zhou Jingyu was also home, he hadn’t gotten up early because of a late night. Wen Tang’s phone call was quite loud, which woke him up. After she finished the call, Zhou Jingyu asked her, “What’s going on?”

Wen Tang wasn’t quite sure either, but given Li Yingjie’s tone, it didn’t seem like anything major. It was probably just something that got trending on Weibo, which was common for Wen Tang, a frequent subject of trending topics. She didn’t think much of it and told Zhou Jingyu, “It’s nothing,” while opening Weibo.

At that moment, the trending topic on Weibo jumped into view for both Wen Tang and Zhou Jingyu.

#Wen Tang’s Marriage Finally Falters, Suspected Affair with Third Male Lead from Film#

Wen Tang suddenly regretted her casual response earlier and looked at the trending topic with Zhou Jingyu.

She glanced at Zhou Jingyu, both of them looking at each other with a hint of surprise.

Zhou Jingyu, just waking up with a bit of lingering drowsiness, hadn’t changed much over the years. Even after three years of marriage, Wen Tang still found herself as fond of his face as ever.

They both quietly watched the trending topic. Wen Tang was a bit stunned, not expecting to see this with Zhou Jingyu. As she was about to explain, she heard Zhou Jingyu chuckle softly beside her.

“Why not check what it says?” His tone was casual and relaxed.

Wen Tang feared he might misunderstand or be upset, but seeing his reaction eased her worries. She opened the trending topic and said to herself, “I haven’t had an affair and I never would.”

Zhou Jingyu responded with an “mm,” pulling her closer and adjusting her position so she could comfortably lean against him.

They both continued to read the headlines together.

After a while, Wen Tang said, “That actor is indeed the third male lead in our film crew. We were all dining together, and since he had a bit of a connection with the director, he was seated next to me. It was just us in the photos; everyone else was not captured.”

Wen Tang knew that the person spreading this news had ulterior motives and was morally reprehensible.

But in the entertainment industry, it was common to encounter unscrupulous media outlets that fabricate stories for profit. Who hasn’t had mud slung at them in this circle?

“And about going back to the hotel, everyone from our film crew stayed there. So, it’s normal for us to go back at different times,” she clarified, still concerned about Zhou Jingyu’s potential misunderstanding.

Zhou Jingyu wasn’t likely to get jealous over such matters. Despite the media’s constant rumors over the past two years, his relationship with Wen Tang had actually grown stronger.

He just didn’t like seeing others constantly belittle their relationship.

Moreover, Zhou Jingyu was tired of being just the man behind Wen Tang, unnamed and unknown.

If he didn’t stand up for them, there would always be someone trying to stir up trouble and undermine their relationship. Zhou Jingyu couldn’t tolerate that.

He had seen comments suggesting Wen Tang married a middle-aged, balding man and was now living unhappily as a stepmother… How could anyone come to such ridiculous conclusions?

To be honest, Zhou Jingyu had always disliked the superficiality and vanity of the entertainment industry. No matter how you peeled back the layers, the truth often remained obscured.

But since Wen Tang loved her work, he kept his feelings to himself and endured.

However, being stirred up so early in the morning was too much for him to handle.

Regardless of the truth, seeing Wen Tang with another man was upsetting to Zhou Jingyu. He didn’t want to see such things again in the future.

Zhou Jingyu gently ran his fingers through Wen Tang’s soft hair and, after she finished speaking, said quietly, “I’ve always believed in you.”

Wen Tang was unsure of Zhou Jingyu’s thoughts. Hearing him say he believed in her made her think the issue was resolved, and she felt a bit playful, also hoping to comfort him.

“Why are people always hoping for us to fail? It’s like they can’t stand to see us happy!”

Wen Tang was a bit annoyed, pouting slightly. She turned to hug Zhou Jingyu, playfully cuddling with him. “I could never divorce you. How could I bear to leave someone as wonderful as you?”

This truly made Zhou Jingyu smile.

But once the thought was in his mind, it wasn’t easy to dismiss.

After laughing a few times, Zhou Jingyu asked, “So what about it?”

Wen Tang was confused.

Zhou Jingyu understood her reluctance to reveal his identity to the public. Now, however, she wasn’t considering that aspect.

Zhou Jingyu, with his fingers entwined in her hair, said softly, “Do you really want me to remain just as an unnamed figure behind you?”

……

Wen Tang was momentarily puzzled. They were legally married, so how could he be considered nameless?

Fortunately, she wasn’t slow to catch on. After a brief moment of confusion, she suddenly understood Zhou Jingyu’s meaning.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, and Zhou Jingyu’s gaze was entirely focused on her, his eyes filled with only her.

Her voice suddenly became a bit dry.

“Are you sure?” Wen Tang, having been focused on protecting him, had never considered the other possibility or discussed it with Zhou Jingyu. Despite the countless controversies over the past two years, she had always believed that as long as she and Zhou Jingyu were doing well, that was enough.

She had overlooked Zhou Jingyu’s feelings.

Wen Tang looked at Zhou Jingyu seriously and said, “Once it’s public, there’s no turning back.”

As a celebrity living under the camera’s watch, with the responsibility of entertaining the public and having no privacy, she really didn’t want to drag Zhou Jingyu into this.

There would inevitably be some negative commentary.

She didn’t care how the outside world viewed or criticized her, but the thought of anyone speaking ill of Zhou Jingyu made her uneasy.

Without waiting for Zhou Jingyu to answer, Wen Tang said, “Zhou Jingyu, please wait a bit longer. Let me think it over, okay?” Her tone unconsciously carried a hint of the usual affectionate whining she used when they were together, and she looked at him with a touch of pleading.

Zhou Jingyu only looked at her in silence.

Wen Tang tugged at his sleeve, her voice stretching out as she used her trump card: “Hubby…”

Zhou Jingyu lowered his brows and replied, “…Okay.”