Chapter 16

In the prestigious Mingyang Yipin Villa area in the city center, Tong Zhichen’s home was located in the last house, a standalone villa with a beautiful environment.

However, the mood of the person living inside was far from beautiful. Since returning from the variety show and hearing the earth-shattering secret from Qiao Chuchu, Tong Zhichen had been suffering from insomnia every day.

He secretly hired the best private investigator to look into the situation of his “fake wife” at home. After a few days, the investigator provided two pieces of information.

First: His wife definitely had issues, she had been in contact with many strangers behind his back, both male and female.

Second: The fake wife had been transferring part of the money she received every month into an overseas account. Since the account was registered with false information, it was immediately closed after receiving the money. The account details hadn’t been tracked yet and would take some time.

These two pieces of information were enough to prove the fake wife was problematic. Tong Zhichen’s heart sank, and at the same time, he began to worry about his real wife, Jiang Manwen.

It had been several months since the fake wife returned to the country, and during this time, he had noticed something off. However, every time he brought it up, the fake wife would throw a tantrum and act angry, and no matter how he tried to calm her down, nothing worked. Gradually, he lost his patience.

From initial disappointment to sadness, and then slowly accepting the fake wife’s changes.

So, whenever he noticed something unusual, the fake wife would interrupt him, causing him to become anxious and angry, leaving the house and not wanting to be in the same space with her.

On top of that, his work kept him busy—he had to handle his schedule for work and also deal with family company matters, so his trips home became fewer and fewer.

This gave the fake wife plenty of opportunities to contact people outside, living lavishly with his money, while the real Jiang Manwen’s fate remained unknown.

In the bathroom, Tong Zhichen contacted the private investigator again, “Please do everything you can to gather all the information about her. Investigate everything that happened before my wife disappeared. Let me know as soon as you have any news.”

“Understood, sir,” the investigator replied. “Since the matter is quite complicated, it may take more time.”

“I understand,” Tong Zhichen replied.

He stared at himself in the mirror—his face was haggard, with red veins in his eyes, and he looked weak and unhealthy. The perfect and handsome man on stage seemed like a completely different person from the one in the mirror.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself. His Manwen was still waiting for him, and he had to find her.

After getting ready and managing to look presentable, he stepped out and ran into the fake wife, Jiang Manwen, right in the doorway.

Both of them froze for a moment, and it was Jiang Manwen who reacted first, asking, “Why are you still at home?”

She was in a good mood today and smiled at Tong Zhichen.

Tong Zhichen looked at her face, identical to Jiang Manwen’s. His fingers tensed. Despite the rage in his heart, he wanted to grab her and force her to confess, but considering the real Jiang Manwen’s situation, he had to suppress this urge.

“Where are you going? I’m resting today. Aren’t you going to stay at home with me?”

Jiang Manwen was dressed beautifully today, wearing a beige Chanel-style outfit and high heels with seven-centimeter heels. Her presence was imposing, and she exuded both elegance and confidence.

Tong Zhichen stared at her high heels, unable to comprehend how she could walk in them—wasn’t she supposed to be a man?

Just thinking about it made him feel physically uncomfortable.

Jiang Manwen didn’t answer, but instead asked, “Why are you resting today? Your new drama just premiered, shouldn’t you be busy?”

“Yes, I’m busy, but I intentionally postponed work to come back and spend time with you.” Tong Zhichen looked at her and asked, “Don’t you know what day it is today? I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time, and I even prepared a gift for you.”

Jiang Manwen hesitated for a moment, and Tong Zhichen clearly saw confusion and a hint of panic flash in her eyes.

Tong Zhichen felt a pang of sorrow. “You really forgot? On such an important day?”

His reaction stunned Jiang Manwen for a second, but soon she smiled. “Of course, I didn’t forget. But today, I have something really important to attend to. Let’s just celebrate our special day tomorrow. As long as we’re together, any day can be our celebration.”

She wore a perfect smile on her face. “What about you? Husband.”

Her voice was soft and pleasant, identical to Jiang Manwen’s when speaking, and even her mannerisms were a perfect match. Not even Jiang Manwen’s parents would recognize that the woman in front of them was not their daughter.

One couldn’t help but admit that the fake Jiang Manwen was an exceptional actress. One wondered how much time she had spent to perfect this transformation, so flawless that it was hard to believe she was not the real Jiang Manwen. Had they done anything harmful to the real Jiang Manwen?

Tong Zhichen didn’t let any emotions show on his face, but his heart was heavy as he asked, “Is there anything more important than your husband? I’ve been looking forward to today for so long. Aren’t you going to give me some face?”

He let his face fall, his voice tinged with sadness. “I’m so heartbroken.”

This was the expression he often used when interacting with Jiang Manwen. Every time, she would smile and compromise.

The smile on the fake Jiang Manwen faded, replaced by a look of helplessness. “Of course you’re important, but the meeting I have to attend today is also crucial for my promotion at the company.”

Jiang Manwen was an outstanding fashion designer. After their marriage, she frequently traveled abroad to study and improve her skills. Sometimes she would be away for six months, sometimes for just one month, but they kept in touch almost weekly, especially when she wasn’t in intensive study. During her busy times, their contact was much less frequent.

It was during these periods that the fake Jiang Manwen had taken advantage of the gap to replace her.

The fake Jiang Manwen stepped closer and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Didn’t you say that both of us should prioritize our work? You also said you would support all my work and dreams. Now that I’m getting closer to my dream, you can’t hold me back, can you?”

She continued, “Alright, alright, don’t be sad. I’ll come back early in the afternoon and spend time with you. Are you happy now?”

Tong Zhichen’s heart raced with dread as he listened to her. There was no happiness at all.

Just how much did they know about Manwen? The secrets they had revealed were enough to shock him. How could they know all of this?

Was Manwen in serious danger?

Suppressing his disgust, Tong Zhichen forced a smile. “Alright, since it’s something you want to do, I’ll support you.”

His real wife was only Manwen, not this… thing.

Jiang Manwen had worked her way up from the grassroots level at a clothing company under her father’s name and was now a director. She was vying for the position of general manager at the company.

It seemed they wanted more than just money, they were after Jiang Manwen’s company. Their ambition was too great. He would never allow them to succeed!

Jiang Manwen’s parents still didn’t know that she had been replaced, and he feared that if he told them, they would be worried. Their behavior might expose the truth. But now, he had to tell them—he needed to warn them about the fake Jiang Manwen. They couldn’t let her take on any important positions in the company. Otherwise, the consequences could be devastating.

After sending the fake Jiang Manwen away, Tong Zhichen returned to the guest room where they were currently sleeping in separate rooms, under the pretense of not disturbing each other’s sleep.

He immediately contacted his father-in-law. “Dad, there’s something very important I need to tell you, and I hope you won’t be too worried.”

After receiving a reply, he told father Jiang’s everything—about the fake Jiang Manwen and all the evidence he had gathered.

“Dad, are you alright?”

The silence on the other end of the line lasted too long, and through the phone screen, Tong Zhichen could feel an overwhelming sense of suffocation.

How could father Jiang be alright? After hearing such an absurd story, especially about his own daughter, it was a miracle he hadn’t collapsed.

He spoke in shock. “Xiao Chen, are you telling the truth?”

“Yes,” Tong Zhichen replied in a low voice. “I’m sorry, Dad, I only just discovered this. If I had known earlier…”

“It’s not your fault, none of us recognized it,” Jiang’s father replied after another long silence. “What are you planning to do?”

Tong Zhichen felt somewhat relieved hearing his father-in-law’s calm tone. “I’m investigating Manwen’s whereabouts and everything about the fake Jiang Manwen.“

He added, “I suspect there’s a group behind the fake Jiang Manwen. If we act recklessly, we could ruin everything and never find out where Manwen is. Dad, I have a plan, and I need your help…”

—

The fake Jiang Manwen walked into the company confidently, holding a fashion design draft. She was very sure that she would successfully land the position of general manager.

After all, the design draft she held was created by the real Jiang Manwen.