Chapter 1 — When Love Runs Dry

Feng Tan had just blacklisted yet another gorgeous celebrity. True to form, he instructed his assistant with chilling indifference:

"It is fine if she wants fame, but she must not interfere with Jingyan."

Tong Jingyan was Feng Tan’s ex-wife. Back then, upon learning that Feng Tan and I were about to be married, her depression had relapsed. Out of consideration for Jingyan, Feng Tan had proposed a clandestine marriage.

"Shen Ning, keeping our marriage hidden is only temporary."

"Once she finds a new life and a new partner, we will make it public immediately."

Yet, that particular actress had gone on to gossip with her fans, hinting that a powerful tycoon in the industry had finally ended his bachelorhood after a divorce. Her fans followed the breadcrumbs, eventually suspecting Feng Tan. Ever since that day, I no longer orbited around him, no longer made him the center of my universe. I stopped trying to stop him from flying abroad every single week to visit his ex-wife. Even when I stepped out of his car, caught by colleagues who curiously asked about our relationship, I merely smiled.

"Mr. Feng was just visiting his ex-wife at the studio and gave me a ride along the way."

As I turned around, I caught sight of Feng Tan standing right behind me, his expression thoroughly unsightly.

1

Midnight. The light in Feng Tan’s study was still burning. Fearing that he had lost track of time while buried in work, I got up and walked over to the study, intending to remind him to rest. By the floor-to-ceiling window, the man stood tall and straight in a smoky gray silk shirt. The top two buttons were casually undone, a blend of aloof arrogance and languid ease. His phone was on speaker, and Assistant Zhang was reporting on work matters. Feng Tan’s voice was frigid:

"It is fine if she wants fame, but she must not interfere with Jingyan."

"A person like that is not fit to remain in the public eye."

The assistant replied cautiously:

"No business partners will ever work with this artist again."

"She will no longer have the opportunity to speak recklessly."

Connecting the dots with the gossip from my colleagues earlier that day, I instantly understood the whole story. A moderately well-known actress had accidentally let slip during a livestream chat with her fans that a prominent tycoon in the industry was currently secretly married. The fans followed every single clue, eventually narrowing down the suspects. Feng Tan was one of them. While he remained silent, Assistant Zhang continued:

"Rest assured, Mr. Feng, Tong Jingyan will not become anyone’s idle lunchtime gossip."

"Nor will anyone mock her."

"Everything has been properly arranged."

Without another word, Feng Tan directly hung up. This was not the first time I had witnessed him care this deeply for Tong Jingyan. Feng Tan was inherently a cold person. In both life and business, he pursued maximum efficiency and returns. Yet now, for Tong Jingyan’s sake, he was willing to discard all his principles. I unconsciously tightened my grip on the hem of my clothes and turned back toward the bedroom. That single sentence echoed endlessly in my mind:

"It is fine if she wants fame, but she must not interfere with Jingyan."

How laughable that I had once believed he held a shred of genuine affection for me. Thinking back now, he had married me simply because I was obedient, the complete antithesis of his former wife.

2

Upon arriving at the film set, I finally understood what Assistant Zhang’s phrase "everything has been properly arranged" truly meant. Tong Jingyan had abruptly been cast as the female lead for an S-plus-tier project about to begin filming. Meanwhile, I, the original leading lady, was demoted to the second female lead. No matter how much effort I had previously invested or how widely acclaimed my acting skills were, I still had to step aside to make room for the arrangements Feng Tan had made for Tong Jingyan. Seeing me arrive, the director looked rather apologetic:

"Shen Ning, I had no other choice. If he pulls his funding, countless people will lose their jobs."

"Who can deny that half the entertainment industry belongs to the Feng family?"

"The second female lead role isn't bad either; take a look at the script."

The director's implication was clear: even if I had to swallow this grievance, I still had to greet Feng Tan with a smile when I saw him. If I provoked him, my fate would certainly be grim. Upon hearing the news, my colleagues on set began gossiping about Tong Jingyan.

"It seems Mr. Feng still cares deeply for her."

"Otherwise, why would he have remained single all this time after the divorce?"

"I heard Mr. Feng flies abroad every single week to visit his ex-wife and daughter."

Someone chimed in:

"With backing like that, she’ll never have to worry about a thing for the rest of her life."

"How on earth do you suppose Tong Jingyan managed to secure such a powerful backer?"

Back then, the one who had proactively initiated the divorce was Tong Jingyan. My first encounter with her had been far from pleasant. It was the second day after Feng Tan and I had registered our marriage. She had suddenly returned from abroad. In the middle of the night, she called Feng Tan. The line connected, but she remained silent. Their five-year-old daughter, Miaomiao, spoke in a childish voice:

"Daddy, Mommy is crying."

When I prepared to accompany Feng Tan to check on them, he stopped me:

"You've been tired from filming lately."

"Get some rest early."

An hour later, he brought Tong Jingyan and their daughter back to the villa. Upon discovering that we had already registered our marriage, Tong Jingyan’s face turned pale as she shattered a porcelain bowl. She and Feng Tan fell into a fierce argument.

"What did you promise me before? You said you would love me for the rest of my life."

"Then why did you get married?"

The man's voice remained as cold as ever.

"Tong Jingyan, I think you understand very well. The reason we divorced back then was precisely because we didn't want to keep arguing."

Tong Jingyan instantly fell silent. Soon after, the faint sound of soft sobbing drifted over from a distance. The joy of my newly minted marriage instantly vanished into thin air. After a moment of silence, Tong Jingyan asked again:

"But have you ever considered what outsiders will say about me and our daughter?"

"Miaomiao is only five years old. She will have to grow up hearing others say she doesn't have a complete family."

When the two of them divorced, Tong Jingyan had firmly insisted on taking the child with her. Because Miaomiao also wanted to follow her mother, Feng Tan had agreed to her demand. During that period, Feng Tan flew to visit his daughter every single week. Sometimes he brought me along. When he was busy with work, I would play with Miaomiao. Miaomiao had once asked what kind of relationship Feng Tan and I shared. To keep the child from overthinking, I replied:

"We are friends, lifelong good friends."

The five-year-old child was utterly innocent. She blinked her large, round eyes and asked:

"Just like me and Little Yu?"

I nodded. After a long silence, Feng Tan said:

"Let me think about it."

That day, he stood outside on the balcony smoking for a very long time. Eventually, he walked up to me and said that their daughter was still young.

"Shen Ning, keeping our marriage hidden is only temporary."

"Once she finds a new life and a new partner, we will make it public immediately."

At the time, I didn't think much of it, truly believing he was doing it for the sake of his daughter. I even comforted him:

"You are a good father."

"In my dreams, I always wished I had a father like that."

That very evening, Tong Jingyan talked with Feng Tan through the entire night regarding matters concerning their child.