The Secret of Second Marriage

I was held in President Jiang's arms, smelling the pleasant sandalwood scent on him, looking at his incredibly handsome profile, his sexy Adam's apple, and his serious eyes.

He wore a black suit and remained the epitome of an elite, cold, reserved, and captivating.

He was tall and held me tightly in his arms, and I could feel his presence.

I felt a strange mix of emotions. After all the ups and downs, I thought we had broken up, since President Jiang hadn't trusted me at the most crucial moment.

He took back all my privileges and changed my lawyer.

And later he even broke me up with Lu Xiao...

I should hate him in my heart, but at this moment I understand that after loving him so passionately, even if we meet again, my restless heart will still beat faster.

President Jiang kissed me gently, who was lost in thought, and asked tenderly, "What's wrong? What are you thinking about? Man, have you fallen for that cute little puppy? I hugged you, and you didn't even react..."

"General Jiang"

I looked away, paused for a moment, and then said, "Let's eat first."

President Jiang pulled me down to sit. It was a candlelight dinner, with a large bouquet of roses, pink napkins, and exquisitely plated dishes on the wooden table.

The waiters served one signature dish after another.

Each dish was served in small portions, but the presentation was exquisite. A quick glance gave the impression that the restaurant had a high-class atmosphere, though the prices were not cheap.

President Jiang cut a piece of grilled king crab leg, peeled off the shell, put the meat in my bowl, and asked me to try it.

I ate some and nodded, saying, "It tastes very good."

"Man, whatever you like to eat is fine."

President Jiang poured me another glass of red wine.

I drank a glass of red wine, and the moment it touched my lips, I suddenly thought of my best friend Juan.

Our relationship of so many years has actually fallen apart because of a guy.

Or perhaps it's true that in middle age, the sisterhood among adults is too fragile, unable to withstand comparison or temptation, just like paper, which has already developed cracks without anyone noticing.

When did the cracks start appearing between Juan and me?

After my divorce, I finally shed the role of a housewife and threw myself into the entertainment industry, filming many TV series. I never expected that I would become popular again in middle age, and now I am a well-known and talented middle-aged actress in the industry.

Once a woman's career begins to flourish, her luck with men also improves. My romantic prospects seem to have improved again, and I've become more confident and beautiful than before.

Juan still hasn't recovered from her previous illustrious life experiences. She always thought she had better taste in men than I did, but she never expected that we would end up getting divorced.

Mr. Jiang looked at me for a long time before quietly saying, "Man, can we talk about you and Shen Xing? What is his place in your life? In your heart, do you love me more, or him more?"

Does it matter?

I said, "President Jiang, Shen Xing is my friend."

"Then could you ask Shen Xing to stay away from you? I heard he's in trouble now, apparently he was tricked into signing some kind of contract, got into a lawsuit, and has to pay tens of millions in compensation."

Man, you should be more realistic. Shen Xing is not right for you; he can't give you any future.

You should stay away from him. That's why I came to talk to you today.

If you can't control your heart that's attracted to younger men, I'll help you deal with it. I have plenty of ways to make him leave Beijing!

"President Jiang, please don't harm Shen Xing. I've already told you he's just my friend!"

When I heard what President Jiang said, my heart skipped a beat. I knew that for someone as powerful and influential in the business world as President Jiang, if he wanted to deal with Shen Xing, he would have all sorts of methods.

The entertainment industry is very realistic. Although Shen Xing is very famous now, how many fans will remember him if he disappears for a period of time?

"Man, I came to see you today to make up with you, not to argue with you."

President Jiang knew he had to say something, so he composed himself, took a sip of red wine, and said calmly and maturely, "I've always wanted to know, in your heart, who is more important, me or Shen Xing?"

You know, a man like me wouldn't easily beg for a woman's love... If it were any other woman flirting with a younger man while dating me, I would have left without looking back.

Jiang Man, I also have dignity, and I am proud.

But it's always you, that one person has to be you... Do you know I've loved you for 10 years? Ever since that dangerous rescue in Tibet, I swore that you are the most important woman in my life, and I will love you with my life!

So, I only have one question for you: who is more important, me or Shen Xing?

"President Jiang, I'll say it one last time: Shen Xing is my friend. As for the two of you, I can't give you an answer as to who's more important to me."

My mind went blank, because I didn't even know myself...

When President Jiang heard my answer, he suddenly became very angry, smashed the wine glass in his hand on the ground, his face full of disappointment and heart-wrenching pain, and his eyes revealed an unprecedented sadness.

He probably never imagined that a successful and respectable elite like himself would also experience being stood up.

"So, in your heart, Shen Xing holds a very important place and weight, Jiang Man, good... good, very good... I love you so much that I'm obsessed with you, and from beginning to end, you are the only woman in my heart."

For so many years I haven't thought about finding a girlfriend. I've always wanted to marry you and make you my wife.

But what about you? Photos of you and that young guy going to a hotel in the middle of the night have been all over the gossip headlines. Have you ever thought about how I feel? Have you ever thought about how you've trampled on my dignity as a man?

Jiang Man. I'm telling you all this today because I love you! I'm asking you one last time, will you leave Shen Xing and come back to me... as long as you're willing to leave him.

We can be together, and I will love you very, very much.

If you still have feelings for me, let's stay together. You can move in with me and we can continue living our lives happily. I will forgive and forget about the past.

I think it's not too late for you to turn back. My intuition tells me that since you and Shen Xing haven't crossed that line, we can still go back to each other.

President Jiang's eyes were red, and his magnetic voice carried a hint of determination and ruthlessness. He had already given me his final ultimatum.

My face flushed red at that moment, and I suddenly felt like a scumbag woman, loving one man while being entangled with another man much younger than me.

I admit that President Jiang and Shen Xing each have their own good points and bad points. There is no perfect man in this world. If you accept one side of him, you must accept the other side!

But I can't abandon Shen Xing at this time.

I took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Jiang, Shen Xing is my friend."

I won't let anything happen to him. To be honest, do you know what kind of crisis Shen Xing is facing this time?

He was tricked by He Juan into signing a contract that would cost him a lot of money if he didn't fulfill it, and his acting career would also be ruined.

I can't ignore him, I can't turn a blind eye... No matter what, I can't just watch him fall into the abyss without trying to save him...

President Jiang said angrily, "Jiang Man, can you stop thinking of yourself as a savior? Shen Xing was greedy and signed that contract. He broke it and ran away, disappearing without a trace."

He deserved it!

Is it worth breaking up with me for a guy like that? Think it through carefully, who do you choose, me or him?

"President Jiang, are you forcing me to make a choice right now?"

My heart sank almost to the bottom. My feelings were very complicated. It took me a long time to calm down before I said, "Perhaps in your eyes, I, Jiang Man, am the kind of woman who is two-timing and doesn't deserve your love... But I have always been a woman who does things with a clear conscience."

I really want to help Shen Xing; I can't abandon him when he's going through the toughest time.

A popular male celebrity with ambition and desire for the entertainment industry could have had a brighter future, but he came to help me, accompany me, encourage me, and support me time and time again.

When I was in danger, he came to my rescue without hesitation. I couldn't stand idly by... because in this matter, he was willing to sacrifice his own career for me, and would always put me above his interests; there was no one else like him.

"...I've never met anyone as good to me as Shen Xing in my entire life...not even you, President Jiang, you couldn't do that. Faced with me and profit, would you choose profit over me?"

My heartfelt words left President Jiang completely silent.

He abandoned me twice, twice in total.

The first time was when his father was still alive. He arranged for him to meet a rich and beautiful woman who would be more helpful to his career, so he chose to break up with me.

The second time was when he was framed, imprisoned, and charged with a whole host of crimes. While he was in jail, they eventually took back my acting authority as president of the Jiang Group and even replaced the lawyer I had hired for him.

He didn't trust me, which was the root cause of our breakup.

"Fine, so I admit defeat. I, President Jiang, have been in the business world for over a decade. What haven't I seen? I never imagined I'd lose to a little puppy."

Do you think he can bring you happiness? Then go find him. You're both willing to do anything for each other anyway, and you've already fallen in love with that kind of relationship.

"I'm just a third wheel, or maybe you've been together all along but just didn't have time to tell me, right?"

"Jiang Hui, we're not together. We've always remained friends... If you don't believe me, that's fine too."

I nodded and said.

Mr. Jiang seemed truly heartbroken by my words. Without saying a word, he finished the entire bottle of red wine on the table, then picked up his suit jacket and said, "Jiang Man, I wish you happiness. I loved the wrong person. I won't bother you and Shen Xing anymore. I'm leaving, I'm leaving, okay?"

After he finished speaking, he left the restaurant. However, before leaving, he punched the oil painting at the entrance of the private room hard, breaking the entire painting. The hotel waiter was so frightened that he came over to ask what happened.

Mr. Jiang simply tossed a credit card at him and said, "I lost control of my emotions just now. I'll pay for the damaged items. And this meal is on me."

He finished speaking and strode away.

I was quite sad too. After talking back and forth, I never expected that Mr. Jiang and I would break up completely.

A bitter smile played on my lips; my heart was heavy with sorrow.

I sat there alone and thought a lot. When I finally came out, it was already past 9 p.m. The streets were brightly lit in the winter night, but there were very few pedestrians.

The air was chilly, but the trees and lights along the street were adorned with lanterns to celebrate the New Year.

The New Year has really arrived. Is my relationship with President Jiang really coming to an end?