At 18 years old, Chen Ting had a relationship with a 49-year-old man and became pregnant. She called him to ask what to do, and he gave her two options: one, have an abortion and continue studying; two, give birth to the child, and he would take responsibility. Chen Ting chose to have the baby. He is Zhang Yimou.

In 1999, Beijing Film Academy welcomed a new batch of students, among them a girl from Wuxi named Chen Ting.
She was 18 that year, had trained in dance since childhood, and her demeanor and appearance were quite charming, harboring a dream of becoming an actress.
Unexpectedly, just three months after enrollment, her life took a huge turn—she discovered she was pregnant, and the father was the then 49-year-old famous director Zhang Yimou.
Chen Ting and Zhang Yimou’s acquaintance was quite accidental.
At that time, Zhang Yimou was casting for the movie "Happy Times," visiting Beiying to look at talent.
Chen Ting also auditioned, though she wasn’t selected in the end, she left an impression on Zhang Yimou.
Later, they met a few more times at various occasions, gradually becoming familiar with each other.
Zhang Yimou had just broken up with Gong Li not long before, and was feeling emotionally empty. When he met the young, innocent Chen Ting, he felt a good connection.
Chen Ting, on her part, already admired this great director, and their interactions quickly developed into a relationship.
The news of her pregnancy was like a thunderbolt to Chen Ting.
She was still a student—what should she do in the future?
After much hesitation, she finally dialed Zhang Yimou’s phone.
On the other end, Zhang Yimou listened in silence for a moment, then calmly offered two options: either have an abortion and continue studying, with him providing financial support; or drop out and give birth, with him taking responsibility for the future.
Faced with these two choices at 19, Chen Ting didn’t hesitate long and chose the second—drop out and have the baby.
This decision meant she had to give up her newly started university studies and also marked a complete change in her life trajectory.
Chen Ting quickly completed her withdrawal procedures, left school, moved into the residence arranged by Zhang Yimou, and began her pregnancy life.
Her parents were furious when they found out—her daughter had finally gotten into Beiying, her future was about to be ruined, and Zhang Yimou was 30 years older, with two previous marriages, clearly an unsuitable match.
But Chen Ting was determined, and no matter how much her parents persuaded her, it was useless.
In 2001, Chen Ting gave birth to her eldest son in Beijing.
The father’s column on the birth certificate was blank because she and Zhang Yimou weren’t married yet.
In the following years, she also gave birth to a second son in 2004 and a daughter in 2006.
At the time of their births, neither of them had registered their marriage or obtained a birth permit; according to the policies then, these were considered unplanned pregnancies.
During those years, Chen Ting lived a life almost isolated from the world.
She couldn’t appear publicly, couldn’t take her children to public events, and even couldn’t let her children mention their father at school.
Zhang Yimou was busy filming movies and preparing for the Olympics opening ceremony, traveling around the world, with little time to spend with them.
Chen Ting raised three children alone—her daily life consisted of taking them to school, grocery shopping, cooking, caring for the elderly, living like a shadow.
Neighbors only saw her young and with children but never saw the father, and they often gossiped behind her back.
Until 2011, when her eldest son needed a household registration to start school, Chen Ting and Zhang Yimou registered their marriage at the civil affairs bureau in Wuxi.
No wedding, no banquet—just a simple registration.
By then, they had been together for 12 years, and the oldest of the three children was 10.
The peaceful days were shattered in 2013.
Actor He Jun revealed that Zhang Yimou had “hidden” three children in Wuxi, and the story exploded.
The media swarmed in, and the Wuxi Binhu District Population and Family Planning Bureau also launched an investigation.
Seeing that it couldn’t be concealed anymore, Zhang Yimou’s studio issued a public statement, admitting he had two sons and a daughter with Chen Ting and was willing to cooperate with the investigation.
On January 9, 2014, the Wuxi Binhu District Family Planning Bureau officially issued the “Social Maintenance Fee Collection Decision.”
After investigation, it was determined that Zhang Yimou and Chen Ting’s non-marital children’s births violated family planning policies, and they were legally required to pay unplanned birth fees and social maintenance fees.
Because the circumstances were serious, when calculating the support fees for the second and third children, the amount exceeding the per capita disposable income was doubled.
The total amount came to 7,487,854 yuan.
This sum was paid in full in a lump sum on February 7 of that year.
After paying the fine, this hidden relationship of fourteen years could finally be brought into the light.
Zhang Yimou later said in an interview that having more children than allowed was indeed illegal, and he accepted his mistake and was willing to bear the consequences.
He also mentioned that he and his parents’ generation held traditional views of having many children, and his father, before passing away, hoped for a boy to carry on the family line.
After the story became public, Chen Ting’s life gradually changed.
She no longer had to hide and could openly appear in public as “Zhang Yimou’s wife.”
She began catching up on the courses she missed, studying for a master’s in psychology, learning foreign languages, and even starting her own business.
Her three children also grew up gradually, each more successful than the last.
Now, more than twenty years later, Chen Ting has transformed from that confused girl into a mother of three outstanding children.
Zhang Yimou, from a vigorous director in his prime, has become an elderly man with graying hair.
Occasionally, when people spot them on the street, Zhang Yimou would bend down to take photos of Chen Ting, just like an ordinary old couple.
A 19-year-old girl made a life-changing choice at a critical crossroads.
She gave up her studies, chose family, lived in anonymity for over a decade, and only stepped into the sunlight after a fine was issued.
As a public figure, Zhang Yimou knew the policies but still chose this path, ultimately paying over 7 million yuan in fines.
At its core, this incident was a collision between personal choice and social rules.
Everyone must be responsible for their own decisions—whether a glamorous director or an ordinary person living quietly, the principle is the same!