The Secret of Second Marriage

When I heard what Aunt Shen Xing said and saw how sincere she was, I suddenly didn't want to deceive her.

I opened my mouth and said, "Auntie, actually, Shen Xing and I...we..."

We are not a couple, we are just ordinary friends.

I hadn't even had a chance to say it.

Shen Xing suddenly tightened his grip on my hand and said firmly, "Auntie, Man is my girlfriend, and I like her very much. You and Uncle can have your tea while I take Man upstairs to see the new house."

"Okay, Xing, your aunt and uncle have retired and are free now. You've been filming out of town and haven't had time to come home. We've already had that house renovated. Why don't you take your fiancée to see it?"

My aunt smiled broadly, like a doting aunt.

She genuinely felt sorry for her nephew and hoped he would stop wandering alone and settle down with someone.

Shen Xing's uncle was said to be a bus driver in the county town.

He was taciturn and serious, like most men, but it was clear that he had been busy ever since he came in; he was the kind of hardworking and capable man.

Shen Xing and I said goodbye to my aunt and uncle, took the elevator up to the 20th floor, and the elevator doors opened. 2001 was the resettlement house that Shen Xing's mother left him after the demolition of her house.

Shen Xing took out his key and opened the door. The interior was bright and clean, with spotless white marble tiles, white walls, a round chandelier overhead, a coffee-colored sofa, and wooden tables, chairs, and cabinets.

Light blue curtains.

Two pairs of slippers were placed in the entryway, one blue and one pink.

Shen Xing's aunt probably heard that he was going to bring me back, so she bought these things in advance, including brand new toothpaste, toothbrush, and towels for girls.

I found it quite heartwarming.

A red wedding quilt embroidered with dragons and phoenixes was also laid on the bed in the bedroom.

Three bedrooms and one living room, warm and bright.

Shen Xing said, "Man, as you can see, my aunt and uncle never read any entertainment gossip news. They don't even know if I'm famous in the entertainment industry."

My aunt is getting old and keeps urging me to get married.

She has been teaching for so many years, has a heart condition, and cannot handle any stress.

I can't let her keep worrying about me... Also, you know my parents' marriage isn't happy.

I probably won't get married again. Actually, being single is pretty carefree.

But I brought you back because I hope you can do me a favor: pretend to be my girlfriend in front of my aunt so she knows I'm doing well in Hengdian.

May I?"

"I'll think about it."

I say.

Shen Xing lowered her head and remained silent for a while before suddenly saying, "I know you like President Jiang. What I did was too selfish; I didn't consider your feelings."

"Man, if you're angry, just hit me. That would make me feel better."

"Yeah!" I replied, "You really deserve a beating. How can you joke about something as important as life?"

"I know you have no obligation to help me with this."

Shen Xing could only plead with me in a low voice: "After my mother passed away, my father remarried his stepmother. He didn't care whether she lived or died, and he would beat and scold her all day long."

That was the most vicious woman I've ever met. She wouldn't feed me, pricked me with needles, locked me in the closet, wouldn't let me cry, and hit me with a clothes hanger...

During the most desperate time of my life, my aunt came to Beijing to see me. She found me covered in bruises and trembling with fear, and forcibly took me back to my hometown in Hunan.

She raised me.

She has a heart condition, so I've always refused to go on blind dates, fearing that this would upset her and cause her heart problems.

Can you help me?

"You're a celebrity, handsome, and famous, you shouldn't lack girlfriends, so why did you choose to bring me home to meet your aunt?"

I asked him.

Shen Xing answered without hesitation: "Do you think this is so easy? Just find a woman to pretend to be my girlfriend and my aunt will believe it?"

No, acting is acting. Real is real, and fake is fake.

"Man, only by taking you home can I present a flawless image in front of my elders, because I truly mean it..."

"Alright, I'll do you this favor, but your sincerity is too precious for me to accept."

I took a deep breath and said to Shen Xing.

I agreed to pretend to be his girlfriend to appease his aunt.

But I felt a little embarrassed. At least one thing was certain: what I did was somewhat unfair to President Jiang.

I haven't officially broken up with Mr. Jiang yet, and I'm still his girlfriend. I shouldn't have any contact with Shen Xing, and I definitely shouldn't have agreed to pretend to be his girlfriend.

For a fleeting moment, I felt genuinely sorry for this boy and wanted to help him.

Shen Xing showed me around this resettlement house, which has three bedrooms, a living room, and a floor-to-ceiling balcony. When you open the window, you can see the Xiangjiang River in the distance and the rolling green hills.

Hunan is a city with beautiful scenery.

For a fleeting moment, I fantasized that if I agreed to be with Shen Xing, this would be our new home after we got married, and I would be the mistress of this house.

But I told myself not to be so emotional and unrealistic.

Shen Xing showed me around the new house, and it was soon past 11 a.m.

My aunt called and invited us to come downstairs for dinner.

Shen Xing held my hand and acted like a proper boyfriend and girlfriend, taking me to his aunt's house. It was a large round wooden dining table in southern Hunan, with a round, transparent glass turntable on it, and a variety of delicious dishes were laid out on the table.

Braised pig's trotters, sweet and sour pork ribs, chicken, duck, fish, sausages, roast duck—a whole table full of dishes. Many of Shen Xing's mother's relatives were also invited, and the table was packed with people who came to see Shen Xing's new girlfriend.

Among this group of relatives from my hometown, someone recognized me and pointed at me, saying, "Jiang Man, aren't you that celebrity? I've seen your trending topics. Your husband cheated on you with his mistress, your mother-in-law almost killed you, and you divorced and started your career in the entertainment industry."

"Are you Jiang Man? I heard you're almost 40 years old, how can you be worthy of our Shen Xing?"

I was stunned for a moment, my face turning pale and then red.

To be honest, it doesn't feel good to have all your secrets exposed in public, without any privacy or scruples.

The reason I haven't agreed to be with Shen Xing is because I'm afraid I won't be able to resist his temptations and end up having sex with him.

The age gap of about 10 years between us is a significant obstacle in reality.

Even if we're head over heels in love now, who can guarantee that 10 years from now, when Shen Xing is only in his 30s and I'm already in my 40s, he'll still like me as much as ever?

But thinking that I hadn't done anything wrong and what was there to be ashamed of, I said frankly, "It was me. The news at the time was huge, you should have seen it. My ex-husband cheated on me with his female secretary, and it almost ruined our family."

I left with nothing, taking my daughter with me, and did everything I could to seize the opportunity to climb the social ladder. I filmed movies in Hengdian and gradually worked my way up to where I am today.

I, Jiang Man, have never wronged anyone, nor have I done anything wrong. There's nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to fear from others' disdain. I am who I am, Jiang Man, and I have never changed…

As for the fact that Shen Xing and I are 10 years apart, I think we're both adults. It's a mutual choice, a mutual commitment; there's no question of being a good match.

Upon hearing my words, Shen Xing felt a strange joy and longing welling up inside her.

Faced with these curious relatives, he looked very serious, took my hand, and said simply and firmly: "Third Uncle, Man is a very wise, intelligent, resilient, and kind woman."

Since I chose to bring Man back to see you, I've already decided on her place in my heart.

I like her as a person, not the age gap.

She's mature, beautiful, and thoughtful; I just like her.

We're only 10 years apart, what's the big deal? I just willingly like her.

Let me tell you, this relationship was one where I was the one who pursued her, and she rejected me time and time again because of our age difference.

If anyone is unworthy, it's me who's unworthy; if anyone's being shameless, it's me who's being shameless. If you want to say anything bad about her, come at me, don't talk about her!

Otherwise I'll be very, very angry!

The third uncle's face immediately fell. He adopted the airs of an elder and said somewhat unhappily, "Shen Xing, what you're saying is, as an elder, I care about you and am afraid you'll be deceived by this older woman. Is it wrong for me to remind you?"

"I don't need you to remind me, I'm willingly being fooled!"

Shen Xing said.

Seeing Shen Xing defend me so much at the dinner table, not letting those relatives say a bad word about me, I was actually quite touched.

The aunt still defended Shen Xin, saying, "It's good for a girl to be a little older. There's a saying that a woman three years older is like holding a gold brick. Besides, Miss Jiang is only in her early thirties, so beautiful, she looks like she's in her early twenties."

It's great that Shen Xing likes her. I think older people are more mature and stable, and they'll cherish each other more when they're together.

Shen Xing's aunt is actually her guardian.

Although custody was awarded to Shen Xing's father after his biological mother died.

But apart from sending him living expenses, his father didn't really take care of him much.

My aunt's words carry a lot of weight among the relatives.

The relatives were busy toasting, seemingly forgetting the unpleasant incident from before, and said with kind and gentle smiles: "No matter what, we've watched Shen Xing grow up. Now he's successful and has even found a celebrity girlfriend. She's really beautiful, a million times more beautiful than she looks on screen."

Shen Xing, since you've chosen to be with her, treat her well.

When you argue, be more considerate of her. When you get home, do more housework and buy her nice clothes and shoes. That's how you'll make a girl willingly stay with you, okay?

"Know"

Shen Xing said.

As he spoke, he served me food. I glanced at the blue and white porcelain bowl in front of me, which was piled high with delicious dishes.

I really like eating stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured pork. The bamboo shoots were wild bamboo shoots that Shen Xing's aunt picked in the mountains in the spring.

After peeling off the skin, the tender, pale yellow bamboo shoots can be boiled in boiling water, then packed into freezer bags and frozen, so they can be eaten all year round.

Shen Xing served me a lot of cured pork and bamboo shoots, as well as local wild river shrimp and my aunt's homemade chopped chili fish head. Every dish was quite delicious.

I'm very full.

After lunch, Shen Xing told his aunt that he wanted to take me to his mother's grave in the afternoon to sweep the tomb.

My aunt said, "This is a good thing. You should bring your girlfriend home to meet your mother. Shen Xing, if your mother were still alive, she would be so happy to see this."

She was the prettiest of the three of us sisters. Your eldest aunt went abroad, and your mother is the second oldest. She was beautiful and smart from a young age, but unfortunately, she met your father… Anyway, Shen Xing, let me give you some advice: never be like your mother, falling head over heels in love. It's okay to be sincere, but don't be too deeply in love and ruin your whole life!

"Auntie, I understand."

Shen Xing took my hand and said goodbye to the relatives, preparing to leave.

My aunt chased after me, stuffed a large red envelope into my hand, and said, "Girl, this is a small gift from our side. Please don't find it offensive."