Bishui Pavilion.
One of the top luxury residential areas in Beijing, right by the second ring road and nestled beside the water. Within a ten-kilometer radius, there are three of the city’s top ten hospitals, and two of the top five kindergartens. In such a prime location where every inch of land is precious, it’s rare that nearly half the entire complex is dedicated to greenery. There are even tall camphor trees, and in the sweltering heat of July, you can hear cicadas singing in their branches. In a capital city rushing headlong into industrialization, this is a rare treasure.
Lu Tingchuan had just coaxed his son off to the toy room. As he walked downstairs from the second floor, he spotted Xia Shi lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone while her willow-leaf brows slightly furrowed. He walked towards Xia Shi and peeked over her shoulder—then saw what was on her screen.
A tabloid headline blared:
#The once-heavenly voice returns to China—already married with a child?#
Below it was a blurry paparazzi photo: a beautiful woman holding the hand of a five-year-old boy. The image quality was poor, likely taken from a distance, but it was still clear enough—those two were Xia Shi and their son, Lu Xuan.
The comment section wasn’t huge, but active.
Comment #18: How old are you if you don’t know who Xia Shi is? Nine years ago she won “The Most Beautiful Voice.” Her voice was called the voice of a mermaid—pure heaven. Everyone thought she was the next big thing in music. It wasn’t just hype—her debut album shattered records. I still have my copy. That voice was absolutely mesmerizing. Tragically, it was also her last.
Comment #19: +1 My goddess! You’re finally back! Seven years, goddess. I waited, and I never gave up…
Lu Tingchuan chuckled—those usernames were familiar. They are some die-hard fans of Xia Shi who have stuck with her all these years. Even after she left the spotlight and moved overseas, they never stopped posting under her silent Weibo account.
Comment #41: Even without that mermaid voice, she’s still gorgeous! Just her looks could keep her fed for a hundred years. But why did she quit the industry? Do you know how lonely we’ve been these seven years?!
Comment #42: Wait—what do you mean “without the mermaid voice”? What happened?
Lu Tingchuan’s expression changed. Xia Shi’s slender fingers swiped down, and sure enough, a flood of replies followed—people digging up the old headlines about the car accident scandal that shocked the industry.
His heart clenched. He reached over and grabbed the phone. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, and you’d rather look at your phone than at me?”
His breath brushed her ear, voice full of playful complaint—almost like a sulking wife. Xia Shi turned around and said, “I got papped at the airport. I was checking the news. Don’t worry, they didn’t catch you.”
Lu Tingchuan relaxed a little, seeing that she was calm and unbothered. However, Xia Shi, knowing him too well, smiled and said, “It’s been seven years. I stopped caring a long time ago. I’ve got a new life, a new career—and I’ve got Xuanxuan.”
Lu Tingchuan’s face fell. He gave her a look with eyes full of mischief. “That’s it? Just those things?”
Xia Shi giggled and kissed his cheek. “And I’ve got you too.”
Lu Tingchuan flashed a confident smile, swung easily over the back of the couch, and settled beside her, pulling her into his arms without missing a beat.
Xia Shi poked him. “It’s hot. Why are you sticking so close?”
Before she could react, she realized half her butt was already on his lap. Somehow, without her noticing, Lu Tingchuan had maneuvered her into this position—not just for a hug, but clearly for something more.
“I missed you. Didn’t you miss me?”
That low magnetic voice, with its seductive lilt, paired with eyes full of love nearly made Xia Shi melt. She frowned, “Xuanxuan’s still here!”
“He’s going nuts in the toy room. He’s not coming down any time soon.”
Before she could reply, he already kissed her.
Their lips met, but before the kiss could deepen, they heard little footsteps thundering down the stairs. Xia Shi shoved him away and sat up straight—just in time to see Lu Xuan racing toward them, holding Buzz Lightyear in one hand and Sheriff Woody in the other, face alight with excitement.
She shot Lu Tingchuan a look. “Not coming down any time soon, huh?”
Lu Tingchuan covered his face while Xia Shi laughed out loud.
Ever since Lu Xuan was born, Lu Tingchuan had been making bold claims—only to be proven wrong every time.
“Mommy! Mommy! There are so many toys—Captain America, Superman, Iron Man, Buzz Lightyear, Woody…” He threw himself into her arms. “And a Bat Bed! A giant Bat Bed!”
The little guy didn’t fully understand the Marvel stories, but that didn’t stop him from worshipping these heroes—especially the Batmobile. Like most boys, he had a love for cool cars and superheroes.
Even at such a young age, he wasn’t satisfied with tiny toy cars anymore—he wanted a real Batmobile. Of course, an actual car was out of the question. So Lu Tingchuan had one custom-built—a full-scale bed modeled after the Batmobile. Convertible-style roof, retractable doors—all remote-controlled.
When closed, it perfectly resembled the car; once lowered, it turned into a bed. Though costly, it was crafted with meticulous attention to detail.
Lu Xuan’s obsidian eyes sparkled like stars—he clearly loved it.
Xia Shi tapped his nose. “Daddy got all of this just for you.”
Lu Xuan understood the subtext immediately. He hugged Lu Tingchuan’s leg, then climbed into his lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. “I love Daddy the most!”
Warm and soft in his arms, the little guy instantly melted away Lu Tingchuan’s earlier frustration. He laughed and teased, “Oh? You love Daddy the most?”
He emphasized the word “Daddy,” and Lu Xuan shot a quick look at Xia Shi. “I love Mommy the most too!”
Xia Shi and Lu Tingchuan exchanged a look and burst out laughing.
Lu Tingchuan checked his watch, then scooped Lu Xuan up. “It’s late. You were on a long flight, and Mommy said you didn’t sleep much on the plane. Time for bed.”
Lu Xuan pouted but quickly perked up. “Bat Bed! I want to sleep in the Bat Bed!”
Children’s energy comes in bursts and fades just as quickly. He’d been full of excitement while playing, but he was already drifting off before he even finished his bath. Xia Shi adjusted the air conditioning, tucked him in, closed the door—then turned around and fell straight into a warm embrace.
“Asleep?”
Xia Shi nodded.
Lu Tingchuan chuckled. “Finally got the little guy to sleep.”
Xia Shi gave him a look—so all that fuss earlier wasn’t because he was worried about their son being tired?
That low, rich laugh of his echoed softly. His voice was truly beautiful—so much so that Xia Shi often felt it was a shame he didn’t sing. Unfortunately, he had no sense of pitch, which always made her sigh with regret.
“Staring into your deliciously handsome husband’s face, and your mind still wanders?” She snorted.
Who even talks like that? “Deliciously handsome”? What grown man calls himself that?
But Lu Tingchuan’s hands had already started to wander.
Xia Shi frowned. “What are you doing?”
“If my wife gets distracted so easily, clearly I need to show her just how charming I am.”
Xia Shi laughed in spite of herself. “Our son’s right there.”
“The soundproofing is excellent. He won’t hear a thing.”
Her blouse had slid down to her elbows, and with a soft click, her bra came undone. Lu Tingchuan spun her around and pressed her down gently.
Xia Shi froze—was he seriously about to do it on the piano in the second-floor living room?
“No! Bedroom. Now.”
He laughed low and gave in, scooping her up. With his long legs, he was in the bedroom in just a few strides, shutting the door behind him—and then he couldn’t hold back any longer.
It had been three months since they last saw each other in the U.S. Lu Tingchuan was starving for her. He was rough, but never inconsiderate—he knew she’d just gotten off a long-haul flight, so he took care of her. Even so, by the time they were done, Xia Shi was aching all over, fast asleep from exhaustion.
2:00 a.m. Her phone lit up, but the ringtone barely sounded before Lu Tingchuan silenced it. He glanced at the screen—it was his manager and longtime friend, Yu Shuo. At this hour, it could only mean one thing.
Frowning, Lu Tingchuan stepped out quietly so as not to wake Xia Shi, then picked up.
“What is it?”
“You, Xia Shi, and Xuanxuan—it’s all out. Every major forum and social media platform is blowing up. I’m already working on cleanup.”
“Got it.”
After hanging up, Lu Tingchuan opened Weibo and a few forums. Sure enough—his name was everywhere, headlines dominating every homepage. The forums were on fire.
He clicked through a few threads. His expression grew darker with every post.
“What’s wrong?”
Startled by the voice, he turned to see Xia Shi. On instinct, he hid the phone behind his back. “Nothing.”
She folded her arms and stared at him in silence.
With a sigh, he gave up. There was no hiding it.
Xia Shi took the phone, and the moment she saw the homepage, she saw the trending tags lighting up one after another:
#Movie King Lu Tingchuan already married with child—guess who his wife is!#
#Washed-up star Xia Shi marries top actor, joins high society as Mrs. Lu#
#Why did Lu Tingchuan hide his marriage?#
