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

The empty medicine bowl fell softly onto the table.

A moment later, Yun Shuyao suddenly covered her mouth and coughed violently.

A striking red stain instantly spread across the handkerchief, much like the peach blossoms falling outside the courtyard.

"lady!"

Chun Tao, who was standing by, turned pale with fright and quickly handed her some water.

Yun Shuyao waved her hand, wiped the blood from the corner of her lips, and took a while to catch her breath.

She glanced at the account book on the table, her fingertip pausing on the words "Dongshi Silk Shop," and said to Chuntao:

"...That head of the estate is dishonest; he needs to be replaced after the New Year."

Let Steward Zhou take over; he's loyal, and the accounts are clear…

Yun Shuyao coughed for a long time before she finally stopped, and her voice became even softer.

"The tea plantations to the south need to be replanted next year. Remember to tell the tenants to apply more fertilizer..."

The silver in the treasury was divided into three portions.

One portion is for the old lady; she takes tonics regularly, and money is never enough for her.

One copy is kept for the household's needs, as there are thousands of servants to support; otherwise, Jinghuai will find life difficult.

The rest...

She paused, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes, before her gaze cleared again.

"Save the rest. Jinghuai spends money extravagantly; in the future... he'll need someone to rely on..."

Gu Jinghuai stood in front of her, watching her withered fingers trace the account book.

Looking at the new white hairs growing at her temples.

He watched as she coughed so hard it hurt, yet she was still planning for his future.

Gu Jinghuai wanted to hug her and tell her, "I'm back. I'll protect you from now on."

But his arm passed through her body again and again, without even touching the hem of her clothes.

Gu Jinghuai wanted to tell her, "The medicine is poisoned, don't drink it anymore!"

But her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't even utter a single "Yao Yao".

He could only stand there, like an outsider, watching her wither away little by little.

"Cough cough..."

Yun Shuyao coughed again, this time even more violently, and her body suddenly fell forward.

"lady!"

Chun Tao gasped and caught her, tears streaming down her face.

"Please don't hold back, I'll go and call the Marquis back!"

"Don't go..."

Yun Shuyao shook her head, her breath weak.

"He's resting quietly at the estate... Don't let this little thing trouble him..."

Gu Jinghuai felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, and the pain made him tremble all over.

He remembered that he had indeed been at the manor that day, accompanying Su Yuyan to admire the flowers.

Chuntao sent someone to report that the lady was coughing up blood.

He impatiently cursed, "Too much trouble," and refused to even go back to his residence.

It turns out that she was already this ill at that time.

It turns out that in the end, she was still thinking about herself.

With Chun Tao's help, Yun Shuyao lay back on the couch, her eyes slowly closing, the rise and fall of her chest becoming increasingly faint.

Gu Jinghuai looked at her and suddenly realized that he couldn't even shed tears.

All the regret, pain, and despair were stuck in my throat, turning into a silent roar.

Gu Jinghuai suddenly opened his eyes, his chest heaving violently, cold sweat streaming down his forehead and soaking his pillowcase.

The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten, and the room was so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat, which pounded like a drum, making his eardrums ache.

It was a dream.

But the scent of medicine in my dream, the way she coughed up blood, and her seriousness when she was tidying up the accounts.

And the feeling of powerlessness I felt as I passed through her body time and time again... It felt so real, like it had just happened.

Gu Jinghuai raised his hand to his chest, where the lingering pain, like being gouged out in his dream, still remained.

So that's how Yao Yao died.

It turns out I was not only blind, but also an accomplice.

"Shu Yao..."

Gu Jinghuai muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and unlike his own.

Tears finally broke free, rolling down her cheeks and splashing onto the bedding, leaving a small wet patch.

This time, I'm not crying for my own misfortune, but for the person I've let down twice in my life.

For her suffering, for her pain, for the "I'm sorry" she never heard before her death.

Gu Jinghuai curled up like a lost child, crying his heart out in the empty room.

Gu Jinghuai covered his face, squatted on the ground, and let out a sob like a trapped beast.

He recalled that in his previous life he lived to be eighty years old, living a life of luxury with his children and grandchildren around him.

Su Yuyan became the mistress of the Marquis's mansion and lived a life of glory using the family fortune accumulated by Yun Shuyao.

When Gu Jinghuai occasionally thought of Yun Shuyao, he only felt that she was "unlucky".

She also felt that he occupied the position of the mistress of the house but did not have the fortune to enjoy it.

He even felt that he had done everything he could, after all, he had given her the title of his legal wife and allowed her to have a grand funeral.

How ridiculous!

Gu Jinghuai enjoys his life on her corpse, drinks her blood to prolong his life, and still thinks he has done right by her!

"Shu Yao... Yao Yao..."

He repeated the name over and over, tears welling up between his fingers, mingled with regret, burning his skin.

In this life, he was unable to marry her and bring her into the Marquis's mansion, thus avoiding the mistakes of his previous life.

But I was wrong—not because she should marry into the family, but because I had never seen through people's hearts and never cherished that sincere heart.

Su Yuyan's charm is fake, and her mother's love is fake too.

Only Yun Shuyao's goodness is real.

But I had the audacity to crush that sincere heart...

What now?

She became Xiao Fang's heir apparent's wife, and was so pampered that her eyes were always smiling.

He himself became a stray dog, losing not only the title of marquis but also the position of heir apparent.

The woman he loved in two lifetimes was a venomous snake.

He betrayed women from two lifetimes, and became someone else's treasure.

All the retribution in the world has fallen on him.

"Young master, what's wrong?"

Afu heard the noise outside the door, pushed the door open and came in, and was startled to see him squatting on the ground crying.

"Please don't be like this... Whatever the problem is, we'll figure out a solution slowly..."

Gu Jinghuai didn't look up, he just kept shaking his head, tears blurring his vision.

Method?

What other options are there?

I don't even have the right to say "I'm sorry" to her.

The sunlight streamed in through the window and fell on the floor, making it feel warm and cozy.

Gu Jinghuai felt as if he had fallen into an ancient ice cave, with a bone-chilling cold permeating him from the inside out.

This regret will likely stay with him until he dies.

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked in the direction of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion.

Yun Shuyao is probably having breakfast with Xiao Fang there.

so good.

Yao Yao finally lived a peaceful life and no longer had to worry about making a living.

No more drinking poisonous soup, no more waiting for someone who will never turn back.

And here I am, guarding this boundless regret, slowly enduring it.

Just like her in her past life.

However, he didn't even have the courage to let her know that he regretted it.

His beloved cousin and respected mother were the murderers who conspired to kill his wife!

I'm such an idiot, I not only helped them bully Yun Shuyao.

Even after her death, Su Yuyan stepped over her corpse to become the mistress of the Marquis's mansion!

"ah--!"

He let out a beastly roar and slammed his fist on the wooden table, instantly turning his knuckles into a bloody mess.

No wonder Yun Shuyao avoided him like the plague after her rebirth, no wonder her eyes were filled with coldness when she mentioned her past life.

It's not that she doesn't love, it's that she's been hurt too deeply and hated too fiercely!

Gu Jinghuai felt that his previous regret was nothing compared to the sense of guilt he felt now.

"Yaoyao..."

He collapsed to the ground, tears mingling with blood as they streamed down his face.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

The wind howled outside, like Yun Shuyao's eighteen years of lamentations, each sound striking his heart and shattering it into dust.

Some debts cannot be repaid simply by regret.

Gu Jinghuai knew that he owed her a life and two lifetimes of peace.

As Gu Jinghuai cried, he suddenly remembered someone.

He's not the only one who's done wrong; his good mother deserves the blame too!

Gu Jinghuai kicked open Su's door.

The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang, startling Su so much that her hand trembled and she almost dropped the medicine bowl she was holding.

She turned around and saw her son standing at the door, his face instantly darkening.

"You unruly brat! Who gave you permission to barge in like that?"

Gu Jinghuai didn't speak, but approached step by step, the bloodshot veins in his eyes spreading like a spider web, making people feel scared.

His chest heaved violently, recalling the bowl of medicine in his dream, Yun Shuyao coughing up blood, and his mother's cold instructions.

It was swirling in his mind, burning him to the point of losing all reason.

Gu Jinghuai ignored her accusations and walked step by step to her, his eyes churning with suppressed emotions.

"I'm asking you, if... if I were to marry Yun Shuyao, how would you treat her?"