The Secret of Second Marriage

I lowered my head and fell silent when I heard Lu Xiao's words. I knew I had hurt this young man's feelings. I opened my mouth, wanting to say sorry to him, but I knew that at this moment, any words would be pale and could not make up for what I owed him.

Lu Xiao finished half a bottle of baijiu, laughed drunkenly a few times, looked at me with complicated eyes, and after a long time said, "If you are willing to turn back, I can forgive and forget."

"Turning back?... I can't turn back now, Lu Xiao. The mediation agreement has already been signed, so everything is fine."

"If we continue dating, and Mr. Jiang comes to bother me again, will you still hit him?" I asked.

Amidst her tears, Lu Xiao questioned, "Man, what exactly is your relationship with President Jiang? Why is he clinging to you? Do you even love him? If you do, why did you break up with him? And why did you get together with me?"

Jiang Man, actually when we were dating, I felt that you were always indifferent to me, as if no matter what I did, I could never get into your heart.

You are so outstanding, so beautiful, so elegant, so mature and graceful. From the first moment I saw you, I was captivated, filled with anxiety and fear, and carefully cherished you as the treasure in my palm.

But you went to see Mr. Jiang in his apartment complex when you got engaged to me, but couldn't find him. You even left a note in the middle of the night and disappeared... So you said you'd go find him.

Jiang Man, tell me, what man in the world can tolerate his fiancée having another man in her heart? I've been turning a blind eye, hoping that after we get married, we can develop feelings for each other over time, and that one day you will fall in love with me.

But now that wish has been shattered. You've broken off the engagement, and I've become a laughingstock in the eyes of our relatives and friends. How can I possibly continue waiting for you?

"Lu Xiao, I'm sorry. Don't wait for me, and don't love me anymore... The love you gave me was too warm and too sincere. I'm afraid I can't repay it."

My eyes welled up with tears, and my voice choked with emotion.

"Then, Miss Jiang, may everything go smoothly for you from this day forward, may your career be successful, your marriage blissful, and may all your wishes come true!"

Lu Xiao said these words softly, and I saw a sense of despair in his eyes. Then he stood up and staggered over to the waiter to pay the bill.

"I'll do it."

I gave my card to the waiter to swipe, but Lu Xiao snatched it away. He said stubbornly, "Jiang Man, even if you don't love me, you don't have to slap me in the face like this."

In my entire life, I, Lu Xiao, have never let a woman pay for a meal. On behalf of the Lu family, I agree to the annulment of the engagement. Jiang Man, let's break up. If possible, let's pretend we never met.

"it is good"

My voice trembled as I spoke the truth, and my eyes welled up with tears. A single tear fell involuntarily, but I couldn't utter a single word to persuade him to stay. I stood there, head bowed.

Lu Xiao put the platinum ring I had given him before back in the box and returned it to me: "This ring was bought with your money when we went shopping. Now that you don't love me anymore, I have no right to keep it."

"sorry"

I felt a pang of sadness. To be honest, I felt like I had let down a really, really good blind date.

He is upright, honest, straightforward, and simple-minded. He is actually a very good husband.

Unfortunately, the wedding is over, and I can't go back on my word; we can never go back.

"There's no need to apologize. When it comes to feelings, it's always a matter of mutual consent."

I originally thought we would have a good outcome, but things didn't go as planned. I will treat this experience between us as a trial in my life. I just hope that when you truly begin your next relationship, you can face your own heart and not give a man hope only to disappoint him; that kind of result is very painful.

Lu Xiao seemed to feel the pain of heartbreak. He drank a lot of alcohol, his eyes filled with both reluctance and anger. But in the end, he was a very well-mannered man and didn't say a harsh word to me. He paid the bill and left the private room drunk.

I chased after him out of the hotel and saw him staggering toward the parking lot. The drunk driver helped him to the back seat, then went around to the front and stepped on the gas and drove away.

It was already past 9 p.m. outside the restaurant.

I looked up at the winter night sky. It was a clear night, and the stars in the sky were as clean as if they had been wiped with a rag. They dotted the black sky, giving a glimmer of light to those who were lost.

Who is the man I love most in my heart, the man I'm willing to spend my whole life with?

Actually, I don't know myself.

I put the platinum ring that Lu Xiao returned to me in a small red box into my bag, feeling a sense of loss I had never felt before.

Mr. Jiang sent me a message asking where I was, saying he wanted to come and keep me company.

I was really angry, so I replied to him irritably, "No need, I'm not in the mood. Jiang Hui, are you satisfied now? Are you happy now?"

I'm telling you, don't let me see you, or I'll beat you every time I see you!

"Hit me all you want, I promise I won't fight back while standing still."

President Jiang's voice was gentle and slightly apologetic. At the end, he suddenly said, "I know it's immoral to do this, but Man, I can't just watch you get married. Once you're married, I'll have no more chances!"

"I'm sorry, please tell Lu Xiao for me that I apologize."

"Go talk to him yourself."

I hung up the phone.

I stood at the hotel entrance, hung up the phone with President Jiang, and felt a headache coming on from the cold air. I realized it was already deep winter.

I wrapped my coat tighter, hunched my shoulders, breathed on my hands to warm them, and got into the car to go home and rest.

But as soon as I got home and finished showering, I went to bed and found that my phone kept ringing. When I picked it up, I realized that Shen Xing had called me countless times during the half hour I was showering.

What's up with him?

I thought of Shen Xing, that gentle and refined young man, whose family background was even worse than President Jiang's.

I was going to pretend I didn't see his call, but when I went to the bathroom to get a hairdryer to dry my hair and came back to sit on the bed, he called me again.

"Hey Shen Xing? Did you need something?"

I sat on the edge of the bed, drying my hair with a white towel as I spoke.

Shen Xing asked in a low voice, "Man, I'm going back to Beijing after filming. Where are you?"

"I'm at home."

I say.

Shen Xing's voice remained gentle and deep: "I want to come find you. I finished filming in Hengdian and came back to Beijing alone. I'm a homebody, staying at home all day, and I don't have many friends."

"Man, I feel so lonely. I'd like to ask you to have hot pot, watch a movie, visit some tourist attractions around Beijing, and then go to Jay Chou's concert. Is that okay?"

"Is the concert at the Bird's Nest stadium?"

I asked.

I'm a Jay Chou fan, and I especially love his song "Rice Fragrance." Before, when I was going through a difficult time in my marriage, suffering from depression and feeling down about everything, I listened to "Rice Fragrance" with my headphones on.

The melody of this song is cheerful and full of hope. Listening to it makes me feel that life is not so pessimistic and hopeless.

Even though I admire Jay Chou so much, I've never thought about going to his concert because I'm already over 30 and a mother of one child. It's hard for me to do those silly, youthful things anymore.

"Yes, they're having a concert at the Bird's Nest. There were only two tickets available, and I specifically grabbed them. Sis, you absolutely have to come tomorrow!"

Shen Xing said.

I never expected Shen Xing to suddenly contact me, wanting me to take him to a concert.

I thought about it and realized that I have some free time recently, and since the engagement has been called off, and the New Year and Spring Festival are just around the corner, there's nothing else for me to do.

I nodded in agreement and said, "See you tomorrow."

The next morning, Shen Xing drove his sports car to pick me up at my door. He was so handsome, even though he was only wearing a simple white down jacket, he looked like an idol heartthrob straight out of a Korean comic, with the aura of a male celebrity.

He stood at the door waiting for me, hands in his pockets, leaning against the car, his gaze fixed on the doorway.

After I finished breakfast at home, my mom took Tangtang to school, my dad went to the company to handle business, and I took several days off. I didn't film any movies or take on any acting roles.

I went back to my room and changed into the white coat I bought at the mall last time. I paired it with a black turtleneck sweater, and it looked sophisticated and capable.

I carried my bag and walked out of the villa's doorway in the warm winter sun.

Shen Xing said, "Sis, you really are starting to look more and more like a rich heiress. Your villa is beautiful too."

In Beijing's villa district, there are townhouses and detached houses. The villa my parents live in costs tens of millions of yuan. It's a detached villa with its own small yard, where trees are planted. It has three floors plus a basement.

My mother built a glass house in the garden, and it's filled with all kinds of flowers. My mother's favorite flowers to buy are all kinds of orchids, especially the Phalaenopsis orchids, which are particularly beautiful, just like my mother's temperament—refined and elegant.

I said, "Would you like to come in, sit down, and have a cup of tea?"

"No need for that today, sis. Let's go, I'll take you for a drive."

Shen Xing was wearing a mask and sunglasses, a white down jacket, and black suit trousers. Although his sunglasses and mask had covered most of his facial features, and his eyes were also covered by sunglasses.

Even from several hundred meters away, you could still feel his handsomeness.

"Sis, get in the car."

He said.

After I got in the car, Shen Xing drove me around. As soon as I stepped on the gas, I felt like all worldly troubles were left behind, and the scenery on both sides was rushing past.

Shen Xing drove me to a tourist street in Beijing, where there is Wangfujing, various snacks, and even a prince's mansion.

We ate and strolled around. It was almost Chinese New Year, and there were many people out buying New Year's goods. There were also many tourists. In the crowded area, someone accidentally stepped on my foot and almost pushed me over. Shen Xing instinctively pulled me into her arms. The faint smile on her lips revealed a hint of sadness that she couldn't hide.

I don't know why, but when I saw Shen Xing again, he seemed to have changed a lot and become much more mature.

Shen Xing held me close and led me away from the bustling crowd. We went to a teahouse in an alley, sat down, ordered some snacks, drank some tea, and listened to Beijing opera.