The Secret of Second Marriage

……

When I woke up the next morning, my mom was very happy and pulled me to eat breakfast. She took out a bank card and gave it to me, saying, "Man, there are more than 300 million in this card. You can take it and go shopping, eat, and go on dates with Lu Xiao. We are girls, and we can't always let boys spend money."

As for the dowry, your parents will transfer it to your name in the name of stocks and real estate, which serves as a form of protection for your premarital property.

You should have a good marriage. Your father and I will be at peace after we pass away, knowing you've married a good man.

Don't follow your sister's example. I wonder how Weiwei is doing now?

"Mom, I have my own savings. You and Dad can keep this money."

I say.

My mom smiled, gently patted my head, and said, "You child, your money is yours! What your parents give you is their love and care."

Your father and I can't take our money with us; it will all belong to you and your sister in the future. After you get married, once the businesses of both families are merged, manage your husband's and your own families' businesses well and be a good daughter-in-law.

Let's put this matter in the entertainment industry behind us. Man, the entertainment industry is all about youth; once you come back, you'll be the boss, and you'll be in charge of both your husband's and your own family.

"Having another child with Lu Xiaosheng will solidify this marriage."

I was quite touched by what my mother said, but to some extent I don't agree with her values.

My mother was born in the 80s. People of her generation believed that a woman was happy if she married a reliable man, had a child, and started a family.

I said, "Mom, I understand."

After I finished breakfast this morning, since I didn't have any filming to do today, I drove Tangtang to school.

To my surprise, my former neighbor Zhang Yan, accompanied by a lawyer, waited for me at the entrance of my daughter's elementary school.

She said, "Sister, can we talk? Brother Xue Fan asked me to pass on a few words to you."

This matter concerns my ex-husband. I didn't want Tangtang to know about her father's dirty deeds, so I sent Tangtang to school with her teacher.

Zhang Yan, my ex-husband's lawyer, and I met at a coffee shop to talk.

It turns out that the lawyer was hired for him by his former female neighbor, Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan was kicked out of her previous marriage with nothing, and the once-proud flight attendant was reduced to working as a nightclub madam. She wore heavy makeup and a uniform, but the weariness in her eyes and brows was undeniable.

We hadn't seen each other for just over a year, and it seemed like she had suffered quite a bit.

Zhang Yan's eyes were red, and her voice was soft. She suddenly whispered to me, "Sister, Xue Fan came to me. He's in jail now, heavily in debt, and nobody is willing to help him. He had no choice but to come to me."

Sister, we've been husband and wife after all, there's no need to be so ruthless. Give Xue Fan a way out.

After all, you have children. Even a day as husband and wife is a hundred days of kindness; if you do good deeds, Heaven will surely reward you.

"Xue Fan is looking for you. Why is he looking for you? There's something I haven't settled with you yet. Tell me the truth, when exactly did you and my ex-husband get together? It must have been during our marriage, right?"

I drank a cup of coffee and said with a cold laugh.

Zhang Yan hesitated for a moment, but finally told the truth: "Actually, sister, not long after you gave birth to your daughter, your ex-husband and I got back together."

I will always remember that many times late at night, when my husband was abusing me and beating me half to death, it was Xue Fan who was willing to knock on the door and say a few words of justice to intimidate my husband.

Sister, there's something you don't know yet. One rainy day, my husband beat me and kicked me out of the house. I was like a lost soul, trying to find shelter from the rain in the neighborhood.

When Xue Fan saw me, he took me to a hotel, bought me clothes and slippers, and even carefully dried my wet hair.

He was worried I was hungry, so he went to the convenience store downstairs in the hotel and bought me instant noodles, sausages, and a cantaloupe. He peeled and cut it up, put it on a plate, and handed it to me to eat.

I was so envious of you for marrying such a wonderful man. He's so gentle and considerate. I wish I could meet such a good man...

"But you can see it too, he's a scumbag. He plays the role of a good husband in front of me, but he cheated on me with you and Yang Yufei in private. You two are just the people I know he's cheated with."

There's no such thing as a one-time affair, but countless times. I believe he must have other mistresses. Xue Fan, this man may appear angelic and perfect on the surface, but he's filthy and shameless at heart.

Zhang Yan, you're too weak. You always pin your love on men, especially scumbags like my ex-husband. You'll never have a good ending!

I sighed and said, "I can't help him. He's reaping what he sowed. He deserves what he got!"

After I finished speaking, I was about to get up and leave, but Zhang Yan stopped me and pleaded, "I've consulted a lawyer. As long as you issue a letter of understanding, I won't be sentenced!"

Man, please help him, okay? If he goes to jail, his life will be ruined. He'll be disgraced and never have a chance to make a comeback.

I promise you, once Xue Fan gets out, I'll live a good life with him and won't bother you anymore, okay?

"not good"

I said, "Zhang Yan, you and Xue Fan are both liars, one of you is playing the victim and seeking sympathy. If you can cheat on each other, your character isn't much better."

I have nothing to say to you. See you in court.

I refuse mediation.

Zhang Yan suddenly stopped pretending and seemed like a completely different person. She sneered and said, "Isn't it because you became a celebrity that you think Xue Fan is now down on his luck and has no use for you, so you're just standing by and watching him die?"

Jiang Man, how could Xue Fan have been so blind to fall for a woman like you? You're so selfish!

"He's selfish towards me, I just won't forgive him! You're so saintly, so magnanimous, if you want to wait for him to come out of jail, then wait for him to come out of jail, whatever you want!"

I didn't want to talk anymore, so I got up and left.

I didn't touch that cup of coffee from beginning to end.

Zhang Yan tried to chase after me and drag me away, tearing at me in public and asking passersby to stand up for her. But I am now not only the eldest daughter of the Xia family, but also a celebrity, and my bodyguards immediately stopped her.

Zhang Yan gritted her teeth in anger: "Jiang Man, just you wait, your glory won't last long!"

I got in the car and drove away... Zhang Yan said so much, but I didn't say a word because I didn't want to waste my time on these boring people and things.

I was sitting in my car making calls, calling Mr. Jiang again and again, but the message I got was that his phone was still switched off and no one was answering.

I thought about it and asked the driver to go to Mr. Jiang's residence. I hadn't been there for a long time. I didn't expect that when I used facial recognition to swipe the community access card, my information was still recorded on it. I got in so easily, then went upstairs to unlock it with my fingerprint and entered the room.

Mr. Jiang's room was simple and bright, with a black and white sofa and bed, which looked particularly elegant. The three-bedroom apartment had a large balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows. The succulents, cacti, and various flowers and plants that I used to grow on the balcony had all withered away, as if no one had taken care of them for a long time...

When I returned, everything had changed.

I started to feel uneasy again... I looked around the room and found that no one had stayed in President Jiang's room for a long time. The quilt was folded neatly, but his clothes and luggage that he usually carried with him were gone.

I went downstairs to the security guard and asked if General Manager Jiang had returned recently.

The security guard said, "Mr. Jiang hasn't been back for over a month. He seemed to have taken a few things last time he came back and left again. Ms. Jiang, I remember someone in the community was illegally keeping snakes, and you and Mr. Jiang caught them and brought them to the property management office. You and Mr. Jiang are a couple, don't you know his whereabouts?"

We've already broken up.

I say.

The security guard was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Mr. Jiang and I to have reached the point of breaking up. He said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm sorry, back then I felt that your relationship with Mr. Jiang was really good!"

"Yeah, it's nothing."

I say.

I took a taxi out of Mr. Jiang's apartment complex. I never imagined that Xia Weiwei had her husband follow me and take photos of me, discovering that I, who was about to get married, had gone to Mr. Jiang's apartment complex alone and stayed there for more than half an hour.

She couldn't get into that upscale residential area, so she could only take photos and videos at the entrance.

Xia Weiwei contacted me directly from an unknown number, her voice laced with smugness and danger as she said, "Jiang Man, I knew you cunning woman would be exposed sooner or later. You're about to marry Lu Xiao, yet you're still secretly meeting other men in the neighborhood."

I really don't understand, Lu Xiao's family is quite wealthy, how could she possibly be interested in a woman like you?

I immediately guessed that Xia Weiwei had taken videos and pictures of me entering and leaving President Jiang's residential compound.

I asked her, "What do you want?"

"Get out of the Xia family, sign an agreement relinquishing all inheritance rights to the Xia family, and transfer 1000 million to me and Brother Nan!"

Xia Weiwei said.

"Say it again?"

I find it hilarious. Xia Weiwei is truly ignorant of the law, asking for 1000 million without even asking.

Xia Weiwei sneered: "That money was originally mine. If you hadn't gone home to acknowledge your family, how could your parents not recognize me, the child in my womb, or Brother Nan!"

"It's all your fault, you jinx! You're the one who ruined everything! Let me tell you, if you don't transfer 10 million by 1000 a.m. tomorrow, you're going to be completely disgraced!"

"Xia Weiwei, I think you've lost your mind. 1000 million involves extortion. You want to spend a few days in jail, don't you?"

I say.

"Don't try to scare me. What extortion charge? That's my rightful property."

Xia Weiwei said with a malicious look.

After I finished speaking with Xia Weiwei, I decisively chose to call the police.

It's not that I'm heartless, but I have to let Xia Weiwei know that I, Jiang Man, am not the kind of woman who compromises easily and is easily threatened by them.

I want to see what Yang Nan will do if Xia Weiwei gets arrested.

Especially at times like these, it's crucial to make the performance convincing. We need to let that scheming Yang Nan know that the Xia family is truly and utterly disappointed in Xia Weiwei, that they will never acknowledge her again, and that they will never allow Xia Weiwei to receive a single penny from the Xia family.

That way, the Yang family will be exposed for who they really are.

I submitted the audio recording as evidence to Attorney Guo, who then reported the incident to the police and followed up on the matter for me throughout.

I was very restless in the car. Around noon, I called Mr. Jiang again. If his phone had just run out of battery, he would have charged it the next day.

But the phone still showed no answer... After that, I called every half hour until late at night, but still no one answered.

My unease grew stronger. Had something happened to President Jiang?