The Secret of Second Marriage

President Jiang has gone to work.

I take my daughter to school.

Around 10 a.m., Juan called me and said, "Man, they found out. They really thought I was easy to bully."

I went back to my parents' house today to tell my dad and brother what happened. They were furious when they heard I'd been beaten up, and they sent people to teach those thugs a lesson.

Those thugs confessed that they deliberately picked a fight with me because we had recently offended someone, and that person paid them to cause us trouble.

Man, who do you think we offended? Could it be that my husband's mistress hired someone to do it? But I don't think so. Ju Xiaoping is hiding now and doesn't dare to go out. She's crying all day long.

"Would she hire thugs to deal with the two of us?"

I said somewhat angrily, "I also don't think it was done by your husband's mistress; she doesn't have the status or connections. If I had to say who I've offended recently, it's someone I met while traveling."

She's a spoiled and willful rich heiress who gets along quite well with President Jiang. Her name is Zhou Shanshan; she's divorced and has a daughter.

That's quite similar to me.

But she thinks she's quite beautiful, so she doesn't respect anyone. She often caused me trouble during our trip, and I didn't expect her to remain unchanged even after we got back to Beijing, hiring people to teach me a lesson.

"And I helped her so many times on the way here!"

Juan and I cursed Zhou Shanshan together. Zhou Shanshan is willful and capricious, a hypocrite. She failed to seduce President Jiang, so she took her anger out on others. It's really too much.

Juan said, "Don't let me get a chance to meet that bitch at any event in the future, or I'll definitely get my revenge for what happened today."

I said, "Forget it, Juan. All I want now is to live a peaceful life with my daughter. As for Zhou Shanshan, it's best to never have anything to do with that kind of despicable person again."

I was convinced that Zhou Shanshan was the real culprit, but I never imagined that the real mastermind was Xia Weiwei, my biological older sister from both my parents. My parents had accidentally lost me on the road while doing business.

They've been trying to find me all these years.

I only found out about these things much later.

Right now, all I want to do is focus on my career, because for a woman, men can betray her, family can betray her, but her career is the only thing that will never betray her.

I took the initiative to call and invite director Zhang Zhiwei to dinner.

I know that in our short drama industry, in order for actors to find opportunities, in addition to asking for recommendations, it is even more important to have dinner with the director to find out some inside information about the production crew and some information about casting calls.

At noon, I met Director Zhang Zhiwei at a Korean restaurant with a rather elegant ambiance.

We found a private room.

Director Zhang is a great beauty.

She has very big eyes and wavy hair. Although she is almost 40 years old, she still looks beautiful.

I heard that she used to be an actress, but after marrying her husband, she switched careers to become a producer and director.

Her husband has a high status in the industry.

Director Zhang said, "Man, I happen to have a project I want to recommend you to do. I think that although you are a newcomer, your acting skills are very good, and you are particularly good at playing leading female roles."

The short drama production company next door has a project about to start filming. It's called "Favoring the Concubine and Destroying the Wife: I'm Quitting Being a Noblewoman," and I think you're especially suited to play the role of a noblewoman.

She was a sheltered woman who was abandoned by her husband, framed by her in-laws, and whose entire family was brutally murdered. Her tendons in her hands and feet were severed and thrown into a mass grave, where everyone cursed her as a useless piece of trash.

She taught herself superb medical skills, restored her meridians, returned from the border war as the first female general, and went on to take revenge and punish the wicked.

Their production team has been recruiting female leads recently. I showed Director Ji the drama you directed, the one about an ex-wife who is reborn and seeks revenge.

Director Ji thought you acted very well, so he told me to help contact you. You'll have an audition at the acting department next Monday. If you're successful, the filming will take place in a studio near the Beijing Performing Arts City.

"Man, if you have time, go back and read the novel first. It's quite famous. Then work on your acting and dialogue. I think there won't be any major problems."

"Thank you, Director Zhang."

I say.

Director Zhang Zhiwei is a character as radiant as Fan Bingbing, a great beauty.

She said, "There aren't many people I admire in the entire entertainment industry. I feel quite connected with you, Man. To be honest, I really like the characters you play; they're very charming and captivating."

"If I were ten years younger, I would definitely compete with you for this role. Unfortunately, right now, I'm busy with my husband running his film company, participating in project productions, seeking investment, and taking care of our two children. I simply can't find the time to film."

I said, "Director Zhang, thank you for your recommendation and guidance. I will never forget your kindness."

Zhang Zhiwei said, "Man, you're a newcomer our company has invested a lot of resources and connections in nurturing. I have high hopes for you, keep it up!"

I don't know what Director Zhang likes, but to thank her for her support, I prepared some very expensive Moutai and Huazi cigarettes, and also put 10 yuan in red banknotes inside.

It's not because I'm generous, but because I understand the hierarchy and interpersonal relationships in the entertainment industry very well.

There is no such thing as unearned support or help; it's all about exchanging benefits. Sometimes, relationships between adults are just that mundane.

It's often said that talking about money hurts feelings, but in real life, what doesn't require spending money?

After finishing the meal and paying the bill, I took Director Zhang to the parking lot. I placed the gift on his back seat and waved for him to leave.

Director Zhang saw the gift I gave him, but pretended not to, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips, before getting into his car and leaving.

I know that adult friendships are often maintained with money.

Director Zhang gave me a special opportunity during my last interview, so I became one of her actors. As a newcomer, I couldn't help but feel grateful, so I gave a large portion of the profits from my first short drama to Director Zhang as a thank you gift.

In the afternoon, after Director Zhang went back, he quickly sent me the crew's resources, added me to a group chat, sent me a script, and gave me the specific time for the actor audition and the contact information for the agent in charge of recruitment.

I've arranged with my agent to go to their company's performing arts department for an interview at 9:30 tomorrow morning.

When I got home, I started memorizing the script and reciting my lines. Although I only had half a day, I had filmed short dramas before, so my expressions, lines, and tone were all acceptable.

I practiced until four or five in the afternoon before I received a message from General Manager Jiang saying that he would pick me up after get off work to go to a class reunion.

I rushed into the bathroom, combed my hair, put on makeup, and dressed up. Then I put on a beige sweater, a trench coat, let my long black hair down, and applied light makeup. I looked particularly elegant.

I called Juan and asked her to look after Tangtang for me tonight, as Mr. Jiang and I are going to a class reunion.

Juan said, "Man, it's Jiang's class reunion. You two are back together again."

I said, "I don't know, let's see how he performs."

Juan said, "Man, don't worry, I'll take care of Tangtang. Go on your date, and dress up nicely. We're only in our 30s, not 40s, and we're still in our prime."

"Um"

I said with a smile.

Juan can be really humorous sometimes. She said to me, "I've recently come to understand a bit of life philosophy. In this world, anyone can look down on us, but we can't look down on ourselves."

The earth will keep turning even without anyone, but we are the protagonists of our own lives. Juan, this world is just a big makeshift stage; as long as you're brave, you can get what you want, including love.

I said, "Juan, I don't want a passionate love anymore. I just want a stable life with bread and milk."

If I had a choice for the rest of my life, I wouldn't want to pursue any more unforgettable love. I just want to find a man who can share a simple, ordinary life with me, someone with a gentle temperament and kind character.

Juan said, "I'm not as enlightened as you. I haven't had enough fun yet. If I divorce my husband, I'm definitely going to find a younger, more handsome guy to make him jealous."

I asked, "Juan, what if the young man is after your money?"

Juan said, "Then I'll just kick him. Man, actually I'm quite envious of you and President Jiang. President Jiang is a gentleman, elegant, and has good character. He has his own career and is a mature and stable man."

"It's just one thing, it depends on whether you can accept that he has another woman in his heart. I always felt that he wasn't as nonchalant as he pretended to be. Although he said he had given up on Xia Weiwei, he still had that woman in his heart."

"So I also want to see what kind of example Xia Weiwei is. If they are really a good match, I think I will choose to let go."

I say.

I have truly grown up and am no longer willing to waste my energy on emotional turmoil.

After I finished my phone call with Juan, Mr. Jiang drove downstairs to pick me up.

I got into his car and accompanied him to a five-star hotel for a dinner party – Ziyuntai.

These high-end hotels typically cater only to foreign guests, celebrities, and wealthy individuals, and have been featured on television news multiple times.

I didn't expect President Jiang to bring me to this hotel.

Mr. Jiang and I dressed very elegantly and went to the private room they had reserved. The room was decorated in a very luxurious style, with designer sofas, imported red wine, and various crystal chandeliers and fresh flowers.

The waiter stood ramrod straight, serving us.

President Jiang took my hand and led me into the crowd.

For some reason, I suddenly thought of the scene from six months ago when I caught my ex-husband and his mistress cheating for the first time.

It's because my ex-husband brought his mistress to our university reunion without any pretense.

My college classmates are all quite well-known now. Some are doctors, some are teachers, some have passed the civil service exam, some have entered state-owned enterprises, and some have become bosses... but I am the only one who is a housewife.

So no one invited me to the class reunion, and my husband was unwilling to take me along.

Since he brought his mistress along, he's clearly humiliating me in front of everyone!

But now that I'm divorced, Mr. Jiang took me to his class reunion. This feeling of being valued stirred something within me.

Mr. Jiang led me to my seat. By then, my classmates had already arrived, and the large table was almost full.

Lin Yan and her husband Wang Hao were also there.

Wang Hao greeted me warmly, saying, "Hello, Man."

"Hello"

I say.

Just after Mr. Jiang and I took our seats, a beautiful figure appeared in the private room, and a gasp came from the crowd. Wasn't that Xia Weiwei?