The Secret of Second Marriage

I haven't replied to Mr. Jiang's message. Perhaps that's how the adult world is. Sometimes, rejection doesn't have to be clearly stated. Instead, not replying quietly draws a line.

Since Mr. Jiang lost his temper that night, he hasn't sent me any more verification messages.

On the third day, I knew we were all slowly regaining our senses. That's how the adult world is—sober and cruel, filled with too many things beyond our control and weighing the pros and cons!

I, Jiang Man, am the kind of woman who will repay you tenfold if you treat me well, but I won't be foolish enough to keep throwing myself at you if you don't treat me well!

On the third day, Dr. Xiao came in for rounds and brought me a cup of milk tea and a small box of mousse cake. After examining my wound, he seemed to be in a good mood and said to me, "This patient, you've been very well-behaved these past few days, not running around, and staying quietly in the ward to recover. This is a gift to reward you!"

"Thanks"

I say.

During my hospital stay, I became friends with Dr. Xiao Shui.

Everyone at the hospital could tell that he seemed interested in me.

He stayed on duty almost every day.

I placed the milk tea and cake on the bedside table, and looking at the glaring friend request on my WeChat screen, I finally hardened my heart and clicked delete. However, I still couldn't bear to put President Jiang on my blacklist.

Forget it, I told myself. The reason I couldn't bring myself to block President Jiang right now was because I felt like I hadn't forgotten him yet.

He is the best-tempered, gentlest, most patient, and most responsible man I have ever met. I don't want to miss him.

But I know in my heart that it's impossible for us to be together.

Maybe one day I'll receive news that he married another woman, and confirm that he's married to someone else after registering the marriage. Then I'll give up completely, and I'll block him then.

Dr. Xiao was very busy with work. She put down the cake and milk tea and chatted with me in the ward for a while before the nurse called her away.

I was lying on my hospital bed scrolling through my phone out of boredom when I suddenly realized that my agent had removed me from the company's work group chat. I was so angry I almost laughed.

I don't know what this agent is so hostile towards me. We're all colleagues, is it necessary to be so ruthless?

It's just that I talked to her about the pay for that period drama I took on outside, and she's holding a grudge against me!

In the workplace, it's easy to dodge open attacks, but hard to guard against hidden arrows, especially these petty people who are the most troublesome.

I messaged Director Zhang and said, "Director Zhang, the agent the company assigned to me seems unwilling to manage me properly. Can I request a different agent?"

Director Zhang was probably busy, and it took him a while to see my message before he replied, "Sorry, I'm busy, I'll contact you later."

Her attitude towards me suddenly turned cold, and I don't know what happened. Before, I earned my salary from filming short dramas and that marriage movie. I gave Director Zhang a red envelope of more than 2 yuan, bought him expensive cigarettes and alcohol, and treated him to dinner.

As a newcomer, I have been very sincere, and I thought we were friends.

If I encounter difficulties, I can call her to complain and seek solutions.

It wasn't until very late at night that she called me and said, "Jiang Man, what did you want to talk to me about?"

I talked to her about my agent and the exclusion, isolation, and suppression I've been experiencing lately.

I thought Director Zhang would stand by my side and speak up for me, since she had always been seen as a warm and caring older sister in my eyes.

The first time President Jiang introduced me to Director Zhang Zhiwei, she smiled so sweetly at me, held my hand, and kept calling me "little sister." She also said that she had high hopes for me and would give me resources, and that she would definitely promote me in the company.

Director Zhang is the best older sister I've met since entering the entertainment industry, and I've always trusted her.

But I never expected that what followed would be the darkest moment in my life in the entertainment industry, when I saw the coldness of human relationships most clearly. It was like a bucket of ice water drenching me, making me feel as if I had fallen into an ice cave and was chilled to the bone!

She changed her previous gentle demeanor, her tone turned cold, and a hint of disdain was revealed: "What does what you and your manager have to do with me? Jiang Man, you're just a newcomer. The company has its own arrangements, and the manager has their own considerations!"

My advice to you is to stop making trouble and calm down.

You're just complaining about your pay cut being too low, you should be content. You're over 30, yet you still think you're a 17 or 18-year-old girl. Don't you know there's a youth advantage in the entertainment industry?

"The sooner you become famous, you understand? I'm too busy every day to deal with your trivial matters. If you don't want to work here anymore, go home and take care of your kids!"

"Director Zhang, what do you mean? Aren't we friends?"

I listened in disbelief to the woman's mockery and indifference on the other end of the phone.

"Who's your friend? The entertainment industry only cares about money and status. I befriended you and introduced you to resources only because of your backer, Boss Jiang. Did you think it was because of you?"

I heard that you and President Jiang have broken up. In the end, President Jiang chose to abandon you, a divorced woman, and chose a young, beautiful, and wealthy heiress who was a good match for him!

To be honest, without President Jiang, you're just a woman from the countryside. Dream on, trying to make it in the entertainment industry? Forget about it!

Zhang Zhiwei said sarcastically.

It turns out that the glamorous female director on screen, a well-known woman active in film and television companies and who has directed many works, is actually so realistic and snobbish behind the scenes.

I was just too naive.

I said, "Director Zhang, thank you for giving me the most realistic lesson in the entertainment industry, but I, Jiang Man, will not admit defeat. I love acting, while you only treat filming as a power game in the entertainment industry. You maggot are disgusting. Goodbye, and never again!"

"Jiang Man, how dare you call me a maggot? I think you don't want to work in the entertainment industry anymore."

Director Zhang, enraged, yelled, "You're signed with our agency now, and I'm one of the partners! You dare to curse me? Believe me, I'll freeze your career!"

"Whatever, I'm going to terminate the contract anyway."

I say.

After I finished speaking, I didn't want to hear that woman's sharp and sarcastic voice continuing to roar into the phone, so I hung up the phone directly. At that moment, the world became quiet.

I hate my agent Xie Xue, but at this moment I hate Zhang Zhiwei, the woman who interviewed me, recommended me, and brought me into the industry, even more.

So all that enthusiasm she showed me before was just because of President Jiang. I thought it was really my acting skills that moved her!

"Jiang Man, it's okay. Don't cry, don't weep. This is just a small setback on the road of life. As long as you get over it, it's not a big deal!"

I tried to comfort myself, but tears still streamed down my face uncontrollably.

At that moment, I finally understood what it meant to kick someone when they're down and what it meant to be cold-hearted.

"Don't cry, I'm here."

Dr. Xiao, wearing a white coat, appeared beside me at some point and handed me a tissue.

I wiped away my tears and said thank you.

Dr. Xiao didn't ask me what sad things I had experienced or why I was crying. Instead, she said, "Man, it's nothing serious. The difficulties you encountered are as insignificant as a speck of dust in the face of birth, aging, sickness, and death."

Do you know what I encounter in the hospital every day? The intensive care unit on the 11th floor houses all sorts of patients, some with cancer, some who were in car accidents, and some who have committed suicide.

I've witnessed countless births, aging, illnesses, and deaths in the hospital. Sometimes life is very fragile; it can be gone in an instant, leaving behind a cold corpse.

Therefore, one should remain optimistic. As long as you are healthy, have enough to eat and drink, and have important family members by your side, you can always get through even the toughest times!

"Thank you, Dr. Xiao. I think you are more mature and wise than I imagined."

This is the first time I've praised Dr. Xiao since I was hospitalized.

He actually felt a little embarrassed.

As he finished his rounds and was about to leave for his next visit, he said, "Ms. Jiang, I have good news for you. Your wound is healing very well, and you'll be able to be discharged in a few days."

"Um"

I say.

The injured skin on my arm is slowly healing. I had stitches, but I apply scar-reducing medicine every day. Sure enough, the scar on my arm is gradually becoming lighter and fainter.

Dr. Xiao Shui said that if I continue to apply the medication and eat a light diet after being discharged from the hospital, these scars will gradually fade away.

I have to say I'm amazed at how advanced medical technology is these days.

During my hospital stay these past few days, I learned some news by chance.

Although Dr. Xiao is single, he has already been divorced. You wouldn't guess that he's already remarried at such a young age. I heard that his ex-wife and he divorced because of personality clashes.

His ex-wife used to be a flight attendant. She met a Singaporean businessman while flying and remarried after their divorce.

They also have a son who now lives with Dr. Xiao in the staff dormitory behind the hospital building, and an old lady who is Dr. Xiao's mother.

Her husband passed away early in her life, and the old lady single-handedly raised Dr. Xiao with great difficulty, even selling everything she owned to support his doctoral studies.

Dr. Xiao is quite handsome, and he has a high level of education, being a doctoral student. His future is limitless.

Many young nurses in the hospital are secretly pursuing Dr. Xiao!

But for some reason, Dr. Xiao Shui was very kind to me. She often came to my ward to see me and would bring me some fruit and snacks. She treated me like a little girl, coaxing and pampering me and bringing me delicious food.

Could he be interested in me? Until the day I was discharged from the hospital, I saw the nurses making a fuss, and Dr. Xiao, blushing, came to my ward to help me pack my luggage.

I didn't bring much luggage to the hospital. One suitcase contained my change of clothes, and some daily necessities I bought at the hospital, such as a basin, toothbrush, hair dryer, and laundry detergent.

Although Dr. Xiao is very knowledgeable, she doesn't seem to have done much housework. When she came to the ward, she hurriedly tried to fold my clothes, but they were still wrinkled and crumpled into a ball. Finally, she smiled awkwardly and said, "Why don't you do it?"

I felt that Dr. Xiao was being too enthusiastic towards me.

I don't know what he saw in me. Maybe he thought that I'm also a divorced woman with a daughter, and that divorced men and women like us have more to talk about.

Unfortunately, I don't want to get involved in relationships right now, so I hurriedly packed my bags and ordered a cake and a large bouquet of flowers made of pens on my phone. I didn't give them to Dr. Xiao, but to all the nurses and doctors in his department.

I heard that their doctors often lose their pens.

The head nurse looked at me and then at Dr. Xiao, and joked, "Ms. Jiang, congratulations on your arm injury being almost healed. You can be discharged now."

Just a quick gossip: how's our Dr. Xiao doing? He's young and accomplished, a PhD, highly educated, smart, and handsome. You two aren't young anymore; you should start thinking about settling down.

No matter what, a woman needs a man to rely on. How about considering our Dr. Xiao?

"I'm sorry, I haven't thought about relationships yet."

I didn't know what to say, so I just said one sentence and then quickly left their doctor's office, dragging my suitcase to the front desk to complete the discharge procedures.

Juan called me and said she was waiting for me at the hospital entrance in her luxury car.

She parked her car in the hospital parking lot, wearing a red trench coat, with wavy hair, sunglasses, and high heels, and smelling of expensive perfume.

She strode confidently to the registration window in the hospital lobby on the first floor with a glamorous and captivating air, found me, took my suitcase, and said, "Man, congratulations on being discharged! You got injured because of me, I'll remember this kindness for life! Come on, I'll treat you to dinner!"

Juan and I walked out of the hospital building and saw that the sky was gloomy, and the dark clouds were like a cloud of fog spreading out, piling up above the city and making people feel suffocated.

Is it going to rain?