The Secret of Second Marriage

The first episode generated the most buzz and discussion, and during that time, my new drama was doing quite well, which made me a synonym for mature actresses in their 30s.

Both his fame and net worth have skyrocketed.

The production crew's cameras were all pointed at me, filming me. I very discreetly greeted Dr. Xiao, saying, "Hello, Dr. Xiao, long time no see."

Just like the first episode, which was filmed in Yunnan last time, this time we've come to Northeast China to film the show.

Harbin's cultural and tourism industry has recently become incredibly popular. The Ice Sculpture Square, with its ice and snow walls made of countless ice blocks and various kinds of frozen roses, has become a popular spot for internet celebrities to take photos.

The production team booked a five-star hotel for us, taking up an entire floor. It had underfloor heating, so it was very warm. We could take off our down jackets and coats and wear skirts directly.

The female guests on the show were dressed in their finest attire.

Su Mixue looked much thinner than the last time I saw her.

Her gaze was cold, and compared to the last time on the show, it held an added hint of jealousy and hatred.

Now she and Xia Weiwei, those fake besties, are even more united in ostracizing me.

I don't care. There's no need to force myself into circles I can't fit into.

We're all adults; no one can't live without the other.

I don't care about Xia Weiwei and her little clique.

Yang Nan, the programmer, has been relentlessly pursuing Xia Weiwei ever since he added her contact information privately during the last episode.

I heard they went on a trip together after filming the show.

Yang Nan changed his stingy ways and became very caring towards Xia Weiwei, picking her up and dropping her off at get off work every day, and buying her her favorite durian, strawberry cherries, and orange iced Americano.

During the recording of the second episode, Yang Nan followed Xia Weiwei around with large bags and suitcases, fanning her and serving her tea and water.

Xia Weiwei had never thought much of Yang Nan before, but Yang Nan was persistent and kept saying he loved her. He would send her WeChat messages morning and night, asking about her well-being, and calling her every day, pursuing her passionately.

She particularly enjoyed the feeling of being pampered by a man, and before she knew it, she had developed feelings for Yang Nan.

During their trip to record the show, Xia Weiwei and Yang Nan held hands and flirted with each other from time to time, just like a young couple.

She wore a beautiful white Chanel dress, a coat draped over her shoulders, had brown curly hair, and carried a Hermès bag—a look of regal elegance…

When Xia Weiwei saw me, she said sarcastically, "Jiang Man, didn't President Jiang choose you last time? Heh, he's not even coming this time. Did he dump you?"

"You're meddling too much."

I smiled faintly, then carried my suitcases and bags into the conference room where the program was being recorded at the hotel.

Our opening act was a game where we chose a house.

This time, Xia Weiwei was paired with Yang Nan, the shifty-eyed, bespectacled programmer, while Zeng Wanwan was paired with Gu Jian. Su Mixue abandoned the young heartthrob and chose Shen Yi, a middle-aged movie star who had been divorced once but was worth over 100 million.

Sister A chose the young and handsome Haoyang.

One of them is the mature, domineering type, and the other is the young, handsome type; they seem like a good match.

However, Haoyang is overly ambitious and chooses each sister with ulterior motives. Since the last episode, he has been pestering Sister A to invest in his film.

Sister A, having risen to the position of female boss, is certainly not foolish. Therefore, her feelings for Haoyang are merely based on a good on-screen rapport, used to generate buzz and fame for her company's promotion and other purposes. She doesn't take Haoyang seriously...

Dr. Xiao and I became a couple.

We played games, like a song lyrics guessing game. To be honest, I'm really not good at singing, and I couldn't remember that many lyrics.

I was extremely nervous while playing the game. Dr. Xiao displayed his genius-like photographic memory, able to memorize the lyrics of any song he had ever heard, verbatim.

Without a doubt, with his support, our group won first place.

We were assigned the most beautiful presidential suite in the hotel.

The worst team in the game was Xia Weiwei and Yang Nan. Yang Nan is a programmer, a typical science guy, and he is not good at playing the song guessing game at all, and he keeps guessing wrong.

Xia Weiwei was the most ambitious, originally planning to show off by having her boyfriend on the show, but unexpectedly she ended up coming in last place...

Her face was drawn out.

I couldn't be bothered with her.

Now that we had chosen the house, Dr. Xiao and I moved our luggage upstairs to the incredibly luxurious presidential suite.

As we were moving our luggage, Xia Weiwei said mockingly, "Jiang Man, I think you're a good match for this poor doctor."

What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for? I already knew about what happened with President Jiang. Those wealthy families wouldn't even look at you.

The mother of that person kept President Jiang by her side, and I heard she introduced him to a very powerful rich second-generation heiress named Tan Zhixia. Let me tell you the truth.

The reason President Jiang didn't come to record the show is because he went on a blind date with Miss Tan!

Hearing those words stung my heart. This time, I decided never to forgive President Jiang again.

I'm not greedy anymore.

I don't want to marry into a wealthy family anymore.

Whether Jiang's mother likes me or not is up to her.

I suddenly realized that after I let go, there was nothing to feel sad about anymore.

As you reach middle age, you realize that society is just that realistic. In this world, you have to accept that others won't choose you because you're not valuable enough to them.

Sincerity may not be reciprocated!

There were no arguments, no attacks, no heart-wrenching pain or tears between me and President Jiang; we only silently compromised with reality.

At that moment, I don't know why, I suddenly missed Shen Xing a lot.

But what right do I have to contact Shen Xing? I pushed her away time and time again for President Jiang's sake, and now President Jiang is choosing to give me the cold shoulder because of his mother's heart condition.

If I contact Shen Xing again, it will only make me feel like I'm letting her down.

I took a deep breath and said to Xia Weiwei, "You should take care of yourself first. You've gone crazy over a few sweet words from a man."

Do you really think Yang Nan, the man beside you, is your soulmate? Don't wait until you're fooled by him and it's too late to regret it!

"Jiang Man, you're just jealous of how good Nan-ge is to me!"

Xia Weiwei said, "I just like Brother Nan. Let me tell you, I am the only daughter in my family. My family has a business worth hundreds of billions, which will all be inherited by me in the future. Even if I do nothing, Brother Nan's career will take off if he marries me!"

Unlike you, who, after being abandoned by President Jiang, even if you worked hard in the entertainment industry your whole life, you wouldn't even have a fraction of my current net worth!

"Then you'd better watch yourself."

I say.

I have more social experience than Xia Weiwei. In my eyes, the way Yang Nan, a poor boy, tries his best to curry favor with a rich and beautiful woman, makes me feel disgusted and nauseous.

Because he's like my ex-husband, the kind of man who wants to climb up the social ladder by stepping on women.

I never imagined that Xia Weiwei would fall into a love trap and become a foolish woman with zero IQ, willingly protecting this kind of man.

Whatever... I hope I won't regret it later!

Dr. Xiao and I took our luggage and went upstairs to the presidential suite.

Dr. Xiao said, "Man, I told you before that among all the guests on this show, only the two of us are the most suitable."

Now that I'm middle-aged, I've tried to get to know other women, but none of them are as smart and resilient as you, capable of both raising children well and building a successful career.

I'm a doctor, you're a celebrity, we're both remarried and have a child.

Perhaps forming a family through a powerful alliance is the best choice for both of us. Isn't that right?

"But is there love between us?"

I suddenly asked this question out of the blue.

Dr. Xiao was stunned: "It's possible to get married first and then fall in love."

Let me think about it some more.

I say.

The presidential suite was very large. Dr. Xiao and I each had our own bedroom, but the living room, kitchen, and study were shared.

I went in and took a shower, changed into a rose-yellow long dress, and wore a yellow hair clip. I dressed up fashionably and looked more and more like a female celebrity.

At noon, I cooked a fried egg and made a sandwich, and also made one for Dr. Xiao.

Dr. Xiao was very satisfied and said thank you.

He was busy with his doctor's thesis and other work on his computer.

He remained as aloof and serious as ever.

But I just felt that Dr. Xiao wasn't my type. The reason he chose me wasn't because he liked me, but simply because he thought I was a good fit to be his second wife.

I've seen photos of his ex-wife; she's a typical tall and radiant beauty, the kind of enchanting woman who looks remarkably like Cecilia Cheung. Having had such a stunning ex-wife, he must have only a lukewarm feeling for other women.

After I finished my sandwich, I washed the plate. Just then, Dr. Xiao came out, finished eating naturally, put the sandwich plate in my hand, and said to me: Thank you, could you help me wash it?

I helped him wash, but my impression of him immediately dropped by half. It seems that Dr. Xiao is highly educated, but not good at housework or the details of daily life.

Being with a highly educated man like that would be boring, and I'd have to do most of the housework. I don't want to...

In the evening, Dr. Xiao made a reservation for dinner at a Western restaurant.

He invited me, saying, "Ms. Jiang, I actually have a strong liking for you and would like to get to know you better through this program recording. Would you like to have dinner with me today? I'd really like to get to know you properly!"

"Sure, I also have something to tell you."

I say.

At 5:30 pm, with more than half an hour to go before the blind date, I put on some simple makeup and took the program crew's car to the restaurant.

That Western restaurant wasn't expensive, but it had a beautiful ambiance and was very affordable.

Dr. Xiao found a quiet, private room with only two people. Inside, the waiter served steak and classic Western dishes.

We ate and chatted...

Dr. Xiao is gentle and refined, with a handsome and cultured appearance, resembling the young actor Yuan Hong. However, compared to President Jiang, he lacks a certain striking beauty and dashing charm.

In short, he's a very handsome man among ordinary people.

He said politely, "Miss Jiang, since this is a formal blind date, is there anything you want to know about me?"

I said, "You can introduce yourself first."

Dr. Xiao said: "Occupation: doctor; Education: PhD; This year is my birth year in the Chinese zodiac, I am 36 years old! I own a house and am currently paying off a mortgage of 5000 yuan per month. I live with my mother and son."

The monthly salary is 13000, and the job benefits, including social insurance and housing fund, are all paid by the employer. The monthly expenses at the hospital are also not much.

"If Miss Jiang is willing, you can move in with me after the wedding!"