Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 241 Marriage Letter
January 25th, the eve of the Lunar New Year (the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month), is an auspicious day suitable for weddings, visiting relatives and friends, traveling, and marriage proposals/engagements.

The Golden VIP Room of the Beiping Hotel was brightly lit, and a festive atmosphere permeated the carved beams and painted rafters.

Liu Shishi and Song Ci, a perfect couple, were dressed in gorgeous attire and radiant. Standing in front of the hall, their smiles were as beautiful as flowers, welcoming their dearest relatives and guests who had come to offer their congratulations.

Liu Shishi's hair was loosely tied up, her figure graceful. She wore a traditional Chinese Xiuhe dress, which looked like it was made of flowing clouds from the sky. The dress was embroidered with intricate and exquisite patterns, and the phoenix pattern outlined in gold thread was lifelike.

The colors were perfectly harmonious, which further accentuated her flawless skin and breathtaking beauty, showcasing her gentle and virtuous temperament to the fullest.

A faint smile graced her face, her eyes bright as stars, sparkling with happiness.

Song Ci, on the other hand, was dressed in a spotless white suit, handsome and upright, with a refined and scholarly air.

The two stood side by side, like a perfect couple, drawing admiration from relatives and friends.

"Brother and sister, you're both so handsome and beautiful, I'm totally shipping you two!"

My younger cousin, Liu Yuqing, is a graceful young woman. She's dressed up for the engagement party today, looking quite festive. She's holding Liu Shishi's hand with great excitement.

"Where's your former cleverness? You'll have to call me sister-in-law now." Auntie smiled, her eyes full of love, wearing a royal blue cheongsam, elegant and graceful.

"Happy New Year, Shishi!"

Uncle Liu Xiaochen also offered his blessings, patted his nephew on the shoulder with a look of satisfaction, Song Ci's childhood memories were still vivid, as if it were yesterday.

Song Ci beamed, her smile never fading: "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt! Grandpa and Grandma have arrived!"

As relatives and friends arrived one after another, the auspicious time arrived, and the master of ceremonies, dressed in formal attire, solemnly announced the official start of the engagement ceremony.

Amidst melodious music, Liu Shishi, arm in arm with Song Ci, slowly entered the banquet hall to receive blessings from their beloved family and friends.

During the exchange of tokens, the atmosphere became increasingly warm and romantic. Song Ci gazed at Miss Liu with deep affection and handed her an antique Tianhuang jade seal engraved with the words "A gentleman is not a vessel".

This seal is a heirloom of the Song family, carrying the family's glory and expectations. He used it as an engagement token, expressing his feelings through the object, which is a promise to Miss Liu about her life.

With slightly reddened eyes, Liu Shishi tenderly presented him with an exquisite jade pendant. The jade pendant was warm and smooth, engraved with auspicious symbols of fulfillment and good fortune, its lines flowing and its craftsmanship superb.

In a soft voice: "Song Ci, I present this jade pendant to you, wishing our love to be as steadfast as a rock, and to be harmonious and beautiful."

The officiant's speech was delivered by Academician Wu, Song Zhang's mentor, who is known as the "Father of Hepatobiliary Surgery" and is highly respected.

The elderly man, though over seventy years old, was in excellent spirits with bright eyes. His words were full of blessings and wishes for the young couple, sincere and deeply moving.

Under the witness of Academician Wu, Song Ci and Liu Shishi solemnly pressed their fingerprints on the marriage certificate, vowing to grow old together and have their fates intertwined.

Next, Song Ci and Liu Shishi served tea to both sets of parents. The young couple held teacups and respectfully expressed their gratitude and respect to both sets of parents, creating a warm and touching scene.

"Auntie, please have some tea."

"Good son-in-law!" Mother Liu hurriedly took the teacup offered by Song Ci, beaming from ear to ear, her gaze towards Song Ci filled with indescribable satisfaction.

He glanced at Miss Liu again, and thought to himself, "From now on, my precious daughter will belong to the Song family."

At the main table, Aunt Liu heard Liu's mother start calling Song Ci her son-in-law and couldn't help but chuckle: "Xiao Chen, the engagement tea ceremony is not the same as the formal address ceremony. Look how impatient your mother-in-law is."

Grandma smiled upon hearing this: "My grandson is so outstanding, what mother-in-law wouldn't like a son-in-law like him?"

At the end of the engagement ceremony, Song Ci and Liu Shishi took a group photo with their parents, capturing this unforgettable and beautiful moment.

Looking at her cousin's family, all smiles and overflowing with happiness in front of the camera, Liu Yuqing said innocently, "Dad, Mom, look, except for Shishi's dad who's a bit lacking, Aunt, Uncle, and my sister's mom are all so good-looking. This whole family is so beautiful."

"You brat, what nonsense are you spouting!" Seeing her daughter speak recklessly, saying that her father-in-law was ugly, the aunt quickly slapped the girl's arm, signaling her to shut up. If these words were to get out in this kind of situation, it would be very impolite.

Liu Yuqing stuck out her little tongue, looking playful: "I'm just telling the truth, and everyone here is family."

After the photo session ended, the music started again, and the lavish engagement banquet officially began.

Friends and family raised their glasses in celebration, and amidst laughter and joy, the engagement banquet came to a successful close, adding a vibrant chapter to the love story of Liu Shishi and Song Ci.

On New Year's Eve, at Liu Shishi's home, the family of three sat on the sofa, with several plates of fresh fruit and delicate snacks on the coffee table in front of them, watching the Spring Festival Gala.

On the TV, Uncle Benshan's skit "Not Short of Money" was playing. His humorous performance and witty lines made Mr. and Mrs. Liu laugh heartily.

Although Ms. Liu's eyes were also on the television screen, her mind was clearly not on the skit. Every now and then, she would take out the auspicious and festive marriage certificate in her hand, glance at it, and unconsciously smile foolishly.

Mrs. Liu had noticed her daughter's absent-mindedness long ago and shook her head helplessly. After the engagement ceremony ended at noon, her daughter was still immersed in joy, grinning foolishly.

After the family reunion dinner, while watching the Spring Festival Gala, he held onto the marriage certificate tightly, treasuring it like a precious gem.

"Alright, Shishi, put the marriage certificate away. If you're not watching the Spring Festival Gala, go back to your room and get some rest."

Miss Liu raised her head high, looking smug: "I've managed to win over my childhood sweetheart, can't I be happy?"

Mrs. Liu rolled her eyes at her daughter: "Look at how capable you are. Once you become a daughter-in-law of the Song family, don't be willful. Your mother-in-law is not easy to deal with."

Now that they're engaged, Liu Shishi has become more assertive, saying with a smile, "It's alright. Yi Yi and I don't usually live with my in-laws, and we only see each other occasionally. I'll definitely be considerate of her."

Mr. Liu sat quietly to the side, watching his daughter's every move with a look of reluctance on his face. His precious daughter, whom he had cherished for so many years, was now about to marry someone else.

Although he felt that Miss Liu was only 22 years old and wanted to keep his daughter for a few more years, he and his wife knew their daughter's thoughts and couldn't stop her from pursuing her own happiness.

Although Liu's father doted on his daughter, he still earnestly advised her: "Shishi, take good care of your husband and be filial to your parents-in-law. Come back and visit often."

Liu Shishi looked speechless, pouted and said helplessly, "Dad, can you not be so sentimental? I'm just getting engaged, and I'll be moving to the building right across the street. I won't even leave the complex, I can come back anytime. Why are you making such a fuss?"

After chatting with her parents about everyday matters for a while, and after the skit "Not Short of Money," Liu Shishi found the Spring Festival Gala rather dull. She couldn't help but yawn, stretch, and prepare to go back to her bedroom to surf the internet for a while before resting.

Upon entering the house, Miss Liu first opened the cabinet door, her eyes filled with tenderness, and carefully placed the marriage certificate that symbolized their lifelong vows inside.

Then I sat down at my desk, turned on my computer, rested my chin on one hand, and waited for it to boot up.

The computer booted up quickly. I opened my browser, went to the Weibo homepage, and checked the trending topics. Without exception, the top ten posts were all related to the Spring Festival Gala.

1. "Not Short of Money"

"2. Xiao Shenyang" "3. Compendium of Materia Medica"

"4 Jay Chou and Song Zuying duet"

. . . . . .

After casually browsing a few trending topics, Liu Shishi returned to her Weibo homepage, intending to send New Year's greetings and interact with her fans as usual.

She now has over three million followers on Weibo, although compared to established actresses like Fan Bingbing and Zhao Zhetian, her popularity is still slightly less.

However, among the new generation of female stars, she has firmly established herself in the first tier, second only to Liu Yifei, and on par with Yang Mi and Wang Luodan.

She was replying to fans' comments in a casual manner when one fan's comment suddenly caught her attention.

"@LiuShishiv, your idol Song Ci got engaged today, are you heartbroken?"

Ms. Liu was immediately curious. How did her fans know about her engagement to Mr. Song? The engagement banquet at noon was only for her closest family members; outsiders shouldn't know.

Just as I was about to reply and ask what was going on, I discovered that other netizens were also discussing Song Ci's engagement. Suddenly, it dawned on me: could it be that Mr. Song had announced his engagement to the public?

Returning quickly to the trending topics page, sure enough, the topic "3 Song Dynasty Poets Engaged" immediately caught my eye. In a very short time, it surged to third place on the trending topics list, and its popularity continued to rise, showing a trend of overshadowing the Spring Festival Gala-related topics.

Liu Shishi's fingers trembled slightly as she excitedly clicked on the topic page, and sure enough, she was redirected to Song Ci's Weibo homepage.

Song Ci v: Making private romance public. From then on, the murmurs on my lips finally became the years that have passed by.

In case netizens didn't understand the meaning, they thoughtfully added a picture.

Miss Liu looked closely and saw that the picture contained the marriage certificate that she and Mr. Song had agreed to be forever united.

Although she had read the marriage certificate countless times in the living room, every word and every stroke was deeply engraved in her heart.

But now, looking at the picture of the marriage certificate on the screen again, beautiful memories of the past resurfaced, and my heart was filled with a myriad of emotions and immense happiness.

She couldn't help but read the words on the marriage certificate aloud, her voice soft and soothing, as if telling the beautiful love story they had shared.

婚书
It is said that true love transcends mountains and seas; and destiny remains constant through the years.

Today we have the elegant and refined Song Dynasty poetry, with lofty aspirations;

The beautiful Liu Shishi was gentle and refined, and exceptionally talented.

The two met when they were young and became childhood sweethearts.

Through the changing seasons, we've walked hand in hand, our friendship has grown stronger, and our love has deepened.

I remember January 25, 2009, the eve of the Lunar New Year. The lanterns were lit and the house was filled with auspicious colors.

The two families, moved by their sincere feelings, agreed to the marriage, thus forging a bond of kinship.

From this day forward, my heart has found its home, my emotions its anchor, and I will be with you day and night.

All these are beautiful aspirations; though time may pass, this sentiment remains unchanged.

With this marriage certificate as our witness, and with the sun and moon as our witness, and with the blessings of heaven and earth and the gods.

May our love be as evergreen as pine and cypress, and as ceaseless as the river.

The day of our engagement, January 25, 2009, was Lunar New Year's Eve. I will remember it forever.

Authors: Song Ci, Liu Shishi
After reading the marriage certificate, Liu Shishi was immersed in sweet memories, her thoughts wandering back to the beautiful times she had spent with Song Ci.

From our first encounter in our innocent and naive childhood, to the harmonious friendship of dancing and reading during our teenage years, to the shyness and excitement of our occasional touches in our youth, and finally to the heartfelt confession under the starry sky in Peking University.

He stood there, lost in thought, his eyes glazed over, and remained in a daze for a long time before finally snapping out of it.

Ms. Liu shook her head slightly, adjusted her posture, and began browsing the comments from netizens.

"This is too fast! Proposing on New Year's Day and getting engaged on New Year's Eve, Song Ci, do you have to be in such a hurry to get married? You're the richest man in the world, and you have such a handsome face, what woman can't you find? You need to step up your game."

Seeing this, Ms. Liu snorted, a hint of reproach and smugness on her face, and muttered to herself, "Bad review! I've been waiting for this for four years, and you netizens know nothing but spout nonsense."

After saying that, he gently scrolled the mouse to view the next comment.

"No, Mr. Song, if you're going to post a marriage certificate, why cover up the woman's name? You're being too distant with the netizens."

Liu Shishi couldn't help but smile: "Mr. Song understands me best, leaving me the opportunity to make the official announcement."

When Ms. Liu saw the next comment, she blushed instantly. It turned out that a netizen had boldly guessed that she was pregnant.

"I feel like something is off. The proposal and engagement were so rushed. I think it might be because the woman is pregnant and they have to get the wedding done before her belly shows."

"Now that you mention it, the woman is quite cunning. She used pregnancy to climb the social ladder. How scheming!"

"The person upstairs is talking nonsense. Didn't you see what the marriage certificate says? They were childhood sweethearts, and there have always been rumors online that Song Ci's girlfriend was her childhood sweetheart. They've been together for a long time."

"Damn it, covering up her name is making me so curious. There are so many talented people online, can't anyone find out the woman's real identity?"

"Even if they knew, they wouldn't say anything. Song Ci's lack of public disclosure is clearly to protect the woman's identity. If you expose it, wouldn't you offend the richest man? Think about it carefully."

"How romantic! When I get married, my future husband and I will write a beautiful marriage certificate, just like Song Ci."

Upon seeing this hopeful comment, Ms. Liu smiled radiantly, as if her happiness was contagious.

Time passed quietly, with more than a dozen new comments appearing almost every minute. Liu Shishi squinted and read them carefully for half an hour.

Aside from some of Mr. Song's usual annoying female fans making sarcastic remarks, most netizens offered their blessings for Song Ci's engagement.

After all, Song Ci has always paid great attention to his reputation and public image. Whether it is his outstanding achievements in the business field or his image as a gentleman in daily activities, he has left an excellent impression on everyone.

Especially during last year's major disaster, his generous donations greatly increased the public's goodwill towards this young tycoon. Looking at the screen full of blessings, Liu Shishi felt a mix of emotion and joy.

(End of this chapter)