Su Lanyi had once been the brightest jewel of the Su family—proud, beautiful, and desired by many. But her life took a cruel turn when her family, desperate to curry favor with the powerful General Jiang, forced her to marry his crippled fifth son, Jiang Wei.
Jiang Wei was the forgotten son, crippled in an ambush that left him unable to walk. Once hailed as a brilliant strategist, his injury turned him into an afterthought within his family. To Su Lanyi, marrying such a man was the ultimate humiliation.
For six months, she had made her displeasure known. She treated him with disdain, mocking his inability to stand, refusing to share meals with him, and punishing him for the smallest slights. Her cruelty knew no bounds, and Jiang Wei, ever calm and composed, bore it all in silence.
One cold evening, however, his silence snapped.
.....
The vase shattered against the stone floor, shards scattering across the room like a thousand unspoken accusations. Su Lanyi stood over Jiang Wei, her chest heaving with rage.
"You're pathetic!" she spat, her voice echoing in the quiet chamber. "Do you think you can order me around just because you're my husband? You're nothing but a cripple! You should be grateful I even acknowledge your existence!"
Jiang Wei, seated in his wheelchair, looked up at her with calm but piercing eyes. He was pale, his body frail from years of neglect, but his gaze held a strength that unnerved her.
"And yet," he said, his voice low and steady, "I am still your husband. No amount of insults will change that."
His composure only fueled her anger. "You're no husband of mine!" she shouted. "You're a burden—a stain on my life! I was forced into this marriage, and I regret every second of it!"
The words hung in the air like a blade, cutting through the thin thread of civility that remained between them. Jiang Wei's hands tightened on the arms of his wheelchair, his knuckles white.
"I understand now," he said quietly, his tone laced with a bitterness she had never heard before. "No matter what I do, I'll never be enough for you."
He turned his chair away, moving toward the window. His back to her was an act of dismissal, a silent declaration that the conversation was over. But Su Lanyi wasn't done.
She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving Jiang Wei alone in the cold silence of the night.
.....
The last moments of Su Lanyi's life played in an endless loop—a broken woman on her knees in the rain, abandoned by everyone, staring at the cold, unyielding face of her husband, Jiang Wei. The man she had tormented now looked at her with nothing but hatred as his new wife stood by his side, radiant and smug.
"If only I could do it all over again…" she had whispered as darkness claimed her.
When Su Lanyi's eyes opened, the first thing she felt was warmth. The silk beddings beneath her fingers, the soft sunlight streaming through the embroidered curtains—everything was painfully familiar.
Her heart pounded as she bolted upright. This was her room in the Jiang household. Her hands flew to her face, smooth and unscarred by time or suffering. She leapt from the bed and stumbled toward the polished bronze mirror.
Staring back at her was the younger version of herself—vibrant, untouched by despair. The faint pink scar she had gained from a fall in her childhood was still there, confirming her suspicions. She wasn't just dreaming. She was alive. She was young again.
Her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor, clutching her chest as memories of her past life overwhelmed her. The cruel words, the venomous actions, the pain she had inflicted on Jiang Wei. And then the bitterness of watching her husband rise above her, discard her, and marry the maid she had once scorned.
A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her spiraling thoughts.
"My lady, are you awake?"
It was a voice she had thought she'd never hear again. Her most trusted maid, Xiaoyu.
"Come in!" Su Lanyi called, her voice trembling.
The door opened, and Xiaoyu stepped inside, followed by Meiling, the other maid who had stood by Su Lanyi through everything. Su Lanyi's breath caught. In her previous life, Xiaoyu and Meiling had paid the ultimate price for their loyalty to her, executed by Jiang Wei for covering up her crimes. Seeing their familiar faces, alive and unmarked by tragedy, shattered her composure.
"Xiaoyu, Meiling…" Su Lanyi whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"My lady, what's wrong?" Xiaoyu asked, alarmed as Su Lanyi suddenly threw her arms around her.
"You're alive," Su Lanyi sobbed, clutching them tightly. "You're both alive."
The maids exchanged bewildered glances. "Of course we're alive," Meiling said gently. "My lady, did you have a nightmare?"
Su Lanyi didn't answer, too consumed by the wave of relief. She vowed then and there that she would protect these two at all costs in this life.
After a moment, Xiaoyu cleared her throat. "My lady, there's something you need to address."
"What is it?" Su Lanyi asked, wiping her tears.
"It's about the fifth master," Xiaoyu said hesitantly.
Su Lanyi froze, her stomach twisting. "What about him?"
Xiaoyu exchanged another glance with Meiling before speaking. "You ordered the servants to stop bringing him food three days ago after he refused to let you punish a maid. What should we do now?"
The blood drained from Su Lanyi's face as the memory resurfaced. The maid—Lan'er—had accidentally spilled tea on her. Furious, Su Lanyi had ordered the girl to be beaten to death, but Jiang Wei had intervened, shielding the girl and forbidding the punishment. Enraged, Su Lanyi had lashed out at Jiang Wei, accusing him of humiliating her, and ordered the servants to starve him as punishment.
Lan'er. The name sent a shiver down her spine. That maid… in her previous life, she had become Jiang Wei's second wife after Su Lanyi's downfall.
Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to stand. "Prepare food," she said firmly. "I'll take it to him myself."
Xiaoyu and Meiling stared at her in shock. "My lady?" Meiling asked cautiously.
"I've wronged him," Su Lanyi said, her voice trembling with conviction. "I won't let him suffer because of me."
Jiang Wei's courtyard was a desolate place, far removed from the main house. Su Lanyi's heart ached as she stepped through the doors, a tray of food in her hands.
Inside, Jiang Wei sat by the window, his thin frame outlined by the fading sunlight. His once-proud shoulders slumped, and his pale complexion was a stark reminder of how much he had endured.
He didn't turn when she entered. "If you've come to taunt me, Su Lanyi, save your breath," he said, his voice quiet but filled with exhaustion.
The bitterness in his tone made her chest tighten. "I brought you food," she said softly, setting the tray down on the small table beside him.
Jiang Wei finally looked at her, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Food? From you?"
"Yes," she said, bowing her head. "You haven't eaten in three days. I… I'm sorry."
His laugh was hollow. "Sorry? You expect me to believe you suddenly care about whether I eat or starve?"
She flinched but didn't retreat. "I've been cruel to you," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I won't deny that. But I want to change. Please, Jiang Wei. Eat."
He stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he picked up the bowl of porridge and began to eat.
As he finished, he set the bowl down and looked at her. "I don't know what game you're playing, Su Lanyi," he said, his tone cold, "but don't think I'll fall for it."
Tears pricked her eyes, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "It's not a game," she said firmly. "I mean it. I want to be better."
Jiang Wei didn't respond, turning his gaze back to the window. The silence was heavy, but Su Lanyi knew this was only the beginning.
She had a long road ahead of her, but this time, she wouldn't stop until she earned his forgiveness—and his love.
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