Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

The wedding bed was as soft as a cloud, and when Xiao Fang put her down, his movements were so gentle as if he were afraid of breaking her.

The light from the red candle fell into the man's eyes, transforming his roguishness into tenderness.

Xiao Fang untied the belt around her waist, his fingertips brushing against her side, causing her to tremble slightly.

"Shu Yao".

He lowered his head and kissed her earlobe.

"Don't be afraid, give yourself to me."

Yun Shuyao closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling like butterflies in the rain, and softly hummed in agreement.

The rain had intensified at some point, pattering against the window with a continuous, wet sound.

The man's kisses traveled down her neck, tentatively exploring.

Only when her breathing became erratic did she reach out to unbutton her robe.

Amidst the soft rustling of the silk slipping, Yun Shuyao heard him whisper in her ear.

"I'll be careful, I won't let you get hurt."

Yun Shuyao gripped the brocade quilt tightly with her fingertips, her knuckles turning white.

"ah--"

Xiao Fang, you're lying!

Xiao Fang noticed her tension, stopped kissing her eyebrows and eyes until she gradually relaxed, then moved closer again.

The rain outside suddenly intensified, pattering against the windowpane as if trying to lock all the warmth inside.

The banana leaves were violently shaken, casting shadows on the wall that flickered between light and shadow, like the intertwined breaths of two people.

The man's large hand always protected her delicate nape, the temperature of his palm was surprisingly hot.

When Yun Shuyao groggily opened her eyes, she saw the sweat on his forehead sliding down his jawline and dripping onto her collarbone, so hot it made her tremble slightly.

"Does it still hurt?"

Xiao Fang's voice was terribly hoarse, and he was panting a little.

She shook her head, her voice barely audible, already somewhat delirious.

"It doesn't hurt, it's just...so tired..."

Xiao Fang chuckled softly, kissing her sweaty forehead and brushing away the stray hairs clinging to her cheeks.

"Good, then I'll get serious..."

Yun Shuyao looked at the nearly burnt-out red candle in surprise, speechless, and could only let him hold her.

The rain outside the window came in bursts, as if it were going to drown people.

The candle flame flickered for a moment, bursting into a small spark, before finally going out completely.

The faint moonlight filtering into the bedroom amplified all of one's senses.

Yun Shuyao felt like she had been shaken to pieces, too tired to open her eyes any longer.

The wind and rain outside finally stopped when the third watch drum sounded.

When Xiao Fang wiped her sweat, she could feel his calloused fingertips trembling slightly, as if he were cherishing a treasure.

The man held her in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head, his breathing gradually becoming steady.

As dawn broke, Yun Shuyao stirred in his arms.

Xiao Fang woke up immediately, his voice hoarse from just waking up.

"woke up?"

Yun Shuyao nodded, noticing the faint light filtering through the window paper, carrying the freshness of the rain.

"Does it still hurt?"

Xiao Fang tucked the blanket around her, his voice so gentle it was almost dripping with tenderness.

Yun Shuyao glared at him, annoyed.

"You still care whether I live or die?"

Xiao Fang pulled her into his arms, gently patted her back, and sincerely admitted his mistake.

"I've made you tired, madam. You should get some more sleep; that will help you recover faster."

Yun Shuyao snuggled closer to him, her nose brushing against his chest. She smelled the familiar scent of pine wood mixed with a faint smell of sweat, which inexplicably made her feel at ease.

When I closed my eyes, I heard him whisper in my ear.

"How about we do this every day from now on?"

Yun Shuyao didn't answer, but instead reached out and pinched his waist, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

Let's go back to yesterday, to the Yong'an Marquis's residence.

"What? Doctor Mu refuses to come?"

Gu Jinghuai felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Doctor Mu was my mother's personal physician. In the past, whenever my mother felt dizzy, Yun Shuyao would personally go to invite him before he would come.

He clenched his fists tightly, a flash of regret crossing his eyes.

"Doctor Mu said..."

The servant reported this with trepidation.

"The fact that the Marquis's mansion dared to humiliate Miss Yun with a courtesan on her wedding day shows how corrupt the Gu family's reputation is."

The servant glanced at Gu Jinghuai's expression and continued speaking cautiously.

"Doctor Mu also said that we should not send anyone to invite him again, because he will not come even if we do."

Gu Jinghuai waved his hand, and the servant retreated as if granted a pardon.

He didn't take his anger out on the servants; the fact that Doctor Mu didn't come wasn't the servants' fault.

West Courtyard.

Su Yuyan listened to the commotion outside, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

She thought marrying into the Marquis's mansion was a way out of a desperate situation, but she didn't expect it to be just jumping from one mud pit into another fire pit.

The servants looked at her with disdain, and after Aunt Liu took over the management of the household, she simply stopped sending her food.

From the moment he entered the Marquis's residence, he couldn't even get a sip of water.

She searched through her trunk, but apart from a few old clothes, she didn't even have a decent piece of jewelry.

Gu Jinghuai said he was marrying her as a secondary wife, but in reality he didn't prepare anything for her.

The man who promised to protect her only stayed by his mother's sickbed, ignoring her completely.

As evening fell, Gu Jinghuai, drunk, barged into the west courtyard and knocked over the wedding candles on the table.

Su Yuyan was so frightened that she huddled in the corner.

He suddenly rushed over, grabbed Su Yuyan's wrist, and roared with red eyes.

"Look what you've made of the mansion!"

"When Yun Shuyao was alive, the manor was never in such chaos."

He seemed possessed, muttering to himself incessantly.

"When Yun Shuyao was in charge of the household affairs, her mother's illness was taken care of, the accounts were well-funded, and none of the servants dared to slack off."

She manages everything perfectly, never causing this young master any worry…

Su Yuyan pushed him away abruptly.

"If you still care about her, why did you marry me?"

"I……"

Gu Jinghuai was speechless, as images from his past life flashed through his mind.

Yun Shuyao, dressed in plain clothes, checked the account books under the lamp, the stray hairs at her temples turning white in the candlelight.

He took it for granted then, but now, looking back, it has become a sense of security that he can never return to.

He looked at Su Yuyan, who had exquisite makeup but only knew how to cause trouble.

Thinking of Yun Shuyao's calm eyes again, I suddenly felt as if a piece of my heart had been hollowed out.

It turns out that some things are only truly valued once they are lost.

But he realized it too late.

The mess in the Marquis's mansion kept getting bigger and bigger. The Prince of Yi was dissatisfied, the deficit couldn't be covered, his mother's illness had no doctor to treat her, and even the medicine in the storeroom was almost gone.

All of this was completely opposite to the Marquis's mansion in his memory, which was well-managed and peaceful by Yun Shuyao.

The wind outside the window swirled fallen leaves as Gu Jinghuai slumped to the ground.

I tasted the bitterness of regret deeply, a bitter and astringent feeling, like swallowing a bitter herb.

Just then, a maid rushed in, panting, to report.

"Young master, please go and see the lady..."

"What's wrong with Mother?"

Gu Jinghuai sobered up a bit.

"After the lady woke up, she said that she felt tightness in her chest and had difficulty breathing. She asked you to come and take care of her personally."

Gu Jinghuai was taken aback, but without delay, he grabbed Su Yuyan and left.

He's not good at taking care of people. When his mother was sick before, Yun Shuyao took care of her personally.

Now that Mother has fallen ill, it is only natural that my cousin should take care of her.