The Secret of Second Marriage

I said, "Speak properly, and don't keep thinking about you, Shen Xing. In my heart, you are my brother."

You came to Wuzhen with your wig still on; people might mistake you for a cosplayer!

"Sis, I don't care what other people think. I slept with sunglasses on the plane the whole time, set an alarm, and rushed over as soon as I got off the plane because I wanted to see you!"

Shen Xing said proudly, "I know that bastard President Jiang hurt you again—look, besides me, who else would comfort you at a time like this?"

"If you do that, I'll help you remove your makeup and take off your wig!"

I pulled Shen Xing to the dressing table in the hotel, took a bottle of makeup remover, wiped his face with a tissue, and then carefully removed his wig and headgear, placing them neatly to the side!

Shen Xing was originally a stunningly handsome young man, and after removing his makeup, he looked even more so, exuding a blend of innocence and good looks.

"I'm not as fragile as you think. What do you mean by being troubled by love? I would never do anything like dying for a man!"

This isn't the first time I, Jiang Man, have been stood up by a man... Compared to the pain of my first divorce with my ex-husband, I didn't feel sad when we broke up, only a faint sense of loss!

I paused for a moment before speaking.

I'm telling the truth!

Shen Xing sighed softly, "Sister, you still have me by your side."

"Go take a shower first!"

I couldn't sleep, so I simply sat on the hotel sofa in my pajamas, turned on the TV, and randomly picked a drama to watch.

Shen Xing came to see me looking travel-worn. It was obvious that he had just finished filming his scenes for this idol drama and hadn't even attended the wrap party before flying over to see me.

He took a shower and changed into a white loungewear pajama set. His long black hair was wet, and his collarbone and abs were faintly visible.

I was shocked. Shen Xing is so busy filming, and she's quite slim for the sake of looking good on camera, but I didn't expect her to have abs, and even a six-pack!

Shen Xing said, "Sis, is it strange to have abs? I work out on set; I actually quite enjoy exercising!"

He sat down next to me while drying his hair with a towel, and gave me a smile that was so clean and beautiful!

"Did President Jiang really tell you that he broke up with me and asked you to come and be with me?"

I asked him.

"Um"

Shen Xing seems to really dislike President Jiang. In his eyes, President Jiang is a scumbag who doesn't keep his word and hurts me again and again!

He handed me his phone and showed me a text message from President Jiang's number. I recognized it immediately as a Beijing number. The message was very simple, just one line: "We've broken up. Take good care of Man from now on!"

My tears welled up uncontrollably. What did he mean? Was it because he had already found someone and was dating a girl more than ten years younger than him, so he wanted to push me towards Shen Xing?

A sneer appeared on my lips, but I couldn't help but use Shen Xing's phone to call President Jiang. It was past 1 a.m., and I made two calls but no one answered!

The third call finally got answered… It was President Jiang. His voice was still so familiar, cold and magnetic with an air of superiority as he said, “Feed?”

"What did you mean by the text message you sent to Shen Xing today?"

I got straight to the point.

After a moment of silence, President Jiang suddenly said to me, "Man, haven't you been reading the news lately? I think there will be other women in my life! This is the last thing I can do for you!"

I only have one question for you: you acted like you loved me so much before…

When my parents were alive, they had already introduced themselves to their marriage partners. Just when I had given up on my feelings and wanted to marry Lu Xiao and live an ordinary life!

But you dragged me away from our wedding, and later forced Lu Xiao to transfer out of Beijing. You said you loved me, you said you couldn't accept me marrying another man, you said that as a middle-aged person, you wanted to give me a home… Were all those words false?

I sneered.

"I've never lied to you!"

Mr. Jiang softly uttered 14 words: "Man, even at this very moment, I still love you!"

What a hypocritical 14 words!

"Then let me ask you! Since you still love me, why did you leave without saying goodbye? Why did you suddenly give up on getting the marriage certificate the moment we entered the Civil Affairs Bureau?"

We had been in a cold war for months. I was actually waiting for Mr. Jiang to give me an explanation, but instead of giving me a single word of explanation, he found a new lover outside!

I want to know why he did that?

I am a straightforward woman, and I don't like to hide problems or overthink them. I think it's better to talk to President Jiang clearly.

After a long silence, President Jiang gave me an explanation: "Before we got married, I consulted a very accurate master in Hong Kong. He said, 'Your fortune is too strong, like the fate of Empress Wu Zetian. If I marry you, my health and career will decline!'"

"Man, that day I received the call, it was the result the master told me. I'm sorry, I love you very much, but at that moment I was also... scared."

Just because of a fortune teller's words, a casual remark from an outsider, he gave up on our marriage. I suddenly find it ridiculous!

Men, do you have to be so materialistic? You say you love me, but all these years of relationship mean nothing to you. I bet only your career and status matter!

"Mr. Jiang, since you believe so much in the feng shui master, I hope you won't regret it later! This is the last time I'll call you; I won't do it again!"

I said to him angrily.

I hung up the phone as soon as I finished speaking.

Shen Xing overheard my conversation with President Jiang.

I asked him, "Do you also believe what the fortune teller said? That I'm a jinx to husbands!"

I'm wondering if President Jiang thinks that my ex-husband Xue Fan's current predicament is because of me?

Xue Fan, a middle-aged man, was laid off from his job as a securities company manager with an annual salary of one million yuan. Now he and his third wife run a roadside stall selling grilled sausages.

His wife was heavily pregnant, but she stayed with him, going out early and returning late, making meat skewers and selling sausages.

They are now heavily in debt, living in a rented room in an urban village for 800 yuan a month. They have to pay off their debts and raise the baby in her belly. Poverty makes life miserable for couples!

But what I want to say is that the reason my ex-husband was so bad was due to his own perception and greed, and it has nothing to do with me!

"I don't believe what any feng shui masters say, Man. I don't think my luck will get worse if I'm with you."

The reason your ex-husband is in such a state now is because he did something wrong; it's karma, and it has nothing to do with you!

Shen Xing looked into my eyes and said very seriously, "I have always believed that if a man truly loves a woman, cherishes her, loves her, and protects her, God will see it. Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished!"

A man who loves his wife will prosper, while a man who mistreats his wife will find no wealth! Heaven will favor a man who cherishes his wife!

As for President Jiang, he's sorry, Man. He'll never meet another woman who truly loves him again!

That was his retribution!

My eyes welled up with tears... Actually, I was quite saddened when I said on the phone that I would bring bad luck to my husband. I thought that if I hadn't acknowledged my parents' relatives after their deaths, maybe they would still be alive and well!

But Shen Xing's words comforted me. I clearly did nothing wrong, so why should I take the blame?

Shen Xing let me rest my head on his shoulder, gently hugged me, and then whispered to me, "The internet says that when a woman is at her most vulnerable and lost, she needs a man to be with her!"

I was thinking that if President Jiang were with you, he would take good care of you!

But I never expected him to be so superstitious, giving up on you just because of a so-called master's words!

Man, a man like that isn't worth your affection at all!

I know we're still friends. I've been filming away from home and rarely get to be by your side like this, but tonight I want to be here with you and comfort you... Cry if you want to cry, yell if you want to yell!

I will always be here watching over you!

"Shen Xing, I know how good you've been to me!"

I was a little touched and said, "I'm more than ten years older than you, I'm your older sister... I should be the one comforting you, I didn't expect you to be the one comforting me today!"

I was actually quite upset just now, but now that President Jiang has made things clear, I have no regrets about him!

It wasn't me who hurt Mr. Jiang in this relationship; he was the one who chose to give up on me first!

I have no regrets!

You must be tired from filming, how about I book a room next door so you can take a shower and go to sleep!

"Sis, I'm not going anywhere tonight. I want to stay here with you."

Shen Xing said.

"But the room I booked only has one bed!"

I said it with a little embarrassment.

I booked this guesthouse because I wanted to relax on my own, so I booked a double room. The room had a lovely antique feel and was very spacious, with a living room sofa and a double bed.

But there's only one bed, and it's really inconvenient for Shen Xing and me to sleep together at night...

Shen Xing said, "It's okay, I'll sleep on the floor."

I know I'm really upset tonight. If I had broken up 10 years ago, I would have been devastated, gone to a bar to get drunk, and then complained to my friends and family online, saying that I had met the wrong person, that I had met a jerk, and so on!

But now I no longer have the desire to complain, because I understand a truth: that was just a time of immaturity, a habit of tearing open my wounds for everyone to see, wanting to gain sympathy and recognition from others... But the truth is, there are very few people in this world who truly care about you and your feelings!

I've grown up now, and I can face all the sad and not sad things in this world on my own!

I'm sleepy.

I went over to make the bed and glanced at it; it was quite big. So I said to Shen Xing, "Don't sleep on the floor tonight, it's quite cold! This bed is big, let's put a blanket in the middle, I'll sleep on the inside, and you sleep on the outside... It's late, goodnight!"

After I got into bed, I lay down on the inside of the bed. There was a blanket in the middle of the bed. Shen Xing also quietly got into bed. I turned over, my thoughts were in turmoil... Thinking back on what I had experienced with President Jiang, I found it hard to believe that he was such a superstitious man!