Chapter 2 — Marriage Is A Trap

"People know him a lot. The youngest CEO of a listed company in the city, thirty-two years old, assets of more than 10 billion yuan. Last year his ex-girlfriend filed a breakup lawsuit, and a colleague of mine took that case, and the lawyer fee alone was 800,000 yuan."

“It has nothing to do with me.”

“What is he looking for you for?”

"I don't know. Probably reading my books."

Tan Loc put down the glass of water, his expression suddenly serious.

“To Niem, I ask you something, answer honestly.”

“You ask.”

“For the past three years, has Luc Canh Tham known that you are ‘Nam Son’?”

My pen name. The best-selling marriage book author in the country, with total sales exceeding 10,000,000 copies, has worked as a private marriage consultant for more than thirty businessmen, consulting fees of 20,000 yuan per hour. No one knows what Nam Son looks like. Including my husband.

"Don't know."

Tan Loc looked at me deeply.

“So when he married you, what kind of person did he think you were?”

"An ordinary editor of a magazine. Monthly salary of 8,000 yuan."

“How much money is in your royalties account?”

“Are you interrogating me?”

“I am your lawyer now.”

I thought for a moment.

“About 17,000,000 yuan.”

Tan Loc almost choked on his water.

"To Niem, are you crazy? You have 17,000,000 yuan in your account, yet you marry a small manager with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan, then stay in a sixty square meter apartment washing dishes for three years?"

“I'm doing a field survey.”

“You call that a reality survey?”

“A person who writes about marriage must at least have experienced one himself.”

Tan Loc opened his mouth and choked for half a day before getting out a sentence.

“You people who are writers are really sick.”

The next morning, I received a text message from Luc Canh Tham.

"To Niem, let's talk seriously about last night. Let's go home for dinner tonight. I'll make sweet and sour stir-fried ribs that you like."

I don't answer. Right after that, the second message came again.

"I've seen the agreement, the conditions are not reasonable. The house is common property after marriage, you can't say you don't need it. What if you change your mind later?"

I laughed. He's not heartbroken because of me. He's just afraid that I'll change my mind later and return to share that house with him. The third message came from an unknown number.

"Sister To Niem, I'm Phuong Dao. I'm sorry about yesterday. Me and Mr. Canh Tham were actually just... Can I meet you and talk for a bit?"

I saved her number. Note three words:

“From my ex-husband.”

Then put the phone down. Lam Kha called again.

"Miss To, editor-in-chief Trieu said that this afternoon there will be a meeting to prepare for the book signing at three o'clock. Can you attend? The location is the meeting room at the publishing house."

“As for Co Dien…”

“No see.”

"Yes. But Miss To, I still have to tell you something. Co Thi Group just invested in a cultural media company. Under that company there is a reality show about marital love, and is currently looking for guest experts. I heard that the price they offered is extremely high, and they also specifically named 'Nam Son'."

“How does he know that Nam Son is me?”

"He's not sure yet. Just looking. I heard that seven candidates have already been eliminated."

After hanging up the phone, I stood in front of Tan Loc's window, looking at the crowded cars during the morning rush hour. Someone is looking for me. That's interesting... I also need to be found see. In the publishing house's meeting room, there were five people sitting. Editor-in-chief Trieu, chief editor Mr. Chu, Tieu Duong of the marketing department, Lam Kha, and a young man I had never met. The suit is extremely delicately tailored. He sat in the corner of the room, from beginning to end without saying a word. Seeing me walk in, editor-in-chief Trieu immediately stood up to welcome me.

“Miss To, you're here, please sit down.”

I sat down on the chair, my eyes glanced at the strange man. Editor-in-Chief Trieu followed my gaze and coughed.

"Miss To, this is the representative of the media Co, Secretary Tran. Mr. Co heard that we were preparing for a book signing, so he specially sent someone to... express his intention to cooperate."

I put my bag down.

"Editor-in-chief Trieu, I told you. No meeting."

The man in the corner of the room stood up and politely handed over a business card.

"Miss To, Mr. Co just wants to invite you to drink a cup of coffee. Fifteen minutes will do."

“I don't drink coffee.”

Secretary Tran is still calm as before.

"Then you can drink tea. The original words of General Co were... 'I have read all of Nam Son's books, and there are a few issues that I would like to ask for advice directly.'"

Editor-in-chief Trieu was next to him, constantly blinking and signaling. I received the business card, bowed my head and looked at it. Co Thi Cultural Communication Company. Tran Huu An, special assistant to the late President.

"On what basis did your great-grandfather believe that Nam Son was me?"

Secretary Tran smiled.

"General Co said, in the preface of Nam Son's first book, there was a sentence: 'Marriage is a field survey between two people.' That sentence was not like the words of an outsider observing, but more like the words of an experienced person. General Co took half a year to investigate all suspicious subjects."

“So he investigated me, based on what?”

"Based on the fact that three years ago you suddenly quit your job at the magazine 《Emotional Urban》, the time coincided with the publication of Nam Son's first book. Furthermore, some of the columns she published while still at the editorial office... had an extremely similar writing style to Nam Son."

I have to admit. This person has prepared very carefully. But that didn't mean he was sure.

“It's just a coincidence.”

Secretary Tran nodded, took out a tablet from his briefcase, made a few operations and then turned the screen towards me. On the screen is a photo. My personal mailbox. Same history of transferring royalties from the publisher. My facial expression still hasn't changed.

“Where did you get this from?”

"General Co's original text was... 'If Ms. To agrees to meet, only I will know this document. If she does not want to meet, then I can only use other ways to verify.'"

I looked at Secretary Tran.

“Did your late boss use threats to invite others to drink coffee?”

“Not a threat.”

“It is sincere.”

Editor-in-Chief Trieu quickly stepped forward to mediate.

"Miss Su, Mr. Co is really sincere. Their reality show pays up to 500,000 yuan per episode, and..."

“Editor-in-Chief Trieu.”

I interrupted him.

“You revealed my email information to outsiders?”

The smile on editor-in-chief Trieu's face stiffened for a moment.

“This… Miss To, I…”

"Clause number seven in the contract, confidentiality section. Did Editor-in-Chief Trieu forget?"