Autumn rain brought a chill, and morning frost blanketed the ground.

Just moments ago, Fourth Miss Ning Fu—who’d been unconscious after falling into water days ago—awoke. It was early morning, and the Duke of Ning’s residence was already abuzz with people.

“I heard the one who pushed Fourth Miss into the water was caught. Lord Ning interrogated him through the night and beat him until his skin split, but the man still didn’t reveal his accomplice.”

“Even if he’d died, so what? If not for Fourth Miss’s fortunate fate, those with a cruel heart deserve punishment!”

Outside, voices murmured in heated discussion. Inside, Ning Fu’s feelings were complicated—but mostly filled with quiet joy. She had returned to six years prior, before she was engaged to Zong Si. No longer would she suffer his indifference. Her previous life had been mostly smooth, yet scattered with regrets she couldn’t let go of. Now, she had the chance to change them.

“You’re still weak. Why get up without a cloak?” Her mother entered with medicine, frowning as she saw Ning Fu sitting at the bedside in underclothes. As she laid down the bowl and reached for a snow-white fur cloak to drape over her daughter, Ning Fu wrapped her in an embrace.

“Mother,” she choked out. In her past life, Ning Fu had few fixations—except that her death had left her mother, already mourning a son, bereft of both children. That grief—she dared not dwell on it.

Madam Ning stroked her hair, eyes red, before hugging her tightly.
“Whoever harmed you, I’ll find them. Don’t be afraid.”

But Ning Fu shuddered all over. In her previous life, the culprit had been her father’s concubine, Madam Yu. Yet the sole witness had been silenced, and her mother—worried for her daughter’s safety—had dealt with Madam Yu despite insufficient evidence. That led to deep resentment from her father, estrangement, and a life stripped of peace and children. Eventually, her only full sibling passed away. Her mother, worn by grief, grew cold and lifeless. Even the brother’s earned glory was seized by another branch of the family.

The captured man had once been Madam Yu’s lover—she’d later married into the household. He had refused to implicate her. Ning Fu only discovered this after marrying Zong Si, but by then, it was too late to repair her parents’ bond.

Now, her mother would be spared that path.

“Mother, I want to see Father.”

Madam Ning smiled: “He’s on his way after hearing you woke. Drink your medicine first.”

Ning Fu drank it down just as steady footsteps echoed—her father had arrived. Tall and dignified in his official robes, Lord Ning entered. But though strict in bearing, his brow softened with concern.

“Ah Fu…”

“Father.” Her smile shimmered through tears.

“You’ve suffered.” He had wept more for her than any battlefield wound. “We must thank Prince Xuan’s heir and Second Young Master of the Lu family. Without their aid…” His voice faltered. He could have lost his daughter forever.

Upon hearing Zong Si’s name, bittersweet memories surged. He never loved her—but she had truly regarded him as her husband. But when Second Young Master Lu was mentioned, she paused. She’d never met him in her past life, only heard he helped save her.

“Second Young Master Lu?”

“He returned to the capital just this month. Once you’re better, your mother will take you to thank both families,” her father said.

Though reluctant to see Zong Si, she nodded—gratitude couldn’t be withheld.

“Father… the man who pushed me—how is the interrogation going?”

“Tight-lipped. But I have my ways.” A cold smile from Lord Ning.

She hesitated.

“Speak your mind, daughter.”

Lowering her gaze, she whispered, “Father… that man was Madam Yu’s old lover. Could she have been behind it?”

She voiced what once tore her family apart. With the truth aired, blame would never touch her mother again. Even without evidence, Madam Yu could not come out unscathed.

Her father’s face darkened. “Do you have proof?”

“I saw them embrace together before the accident.”

In her past life, she hadn’t understood the man’s cry of “Yan’er.” Now she knew—it was Madam Yu’s old name.

Afraid her affair had been exposed, Madam Yu tried to silence Ning Fu.

Lord Ning considered this, fury simmering beneath his composed exterior.

Madam Ning scoffed: “And you thought the people by your side were trustworthy.”

Though Madam Yu had been forced into the household by the matron, Lord Ning could offer no defense. “Rest assured, my dear. I’ll ensure justice is served.”

---

With a clue in hand, the case unraveled quickly.

Lord Ning’s trusted aide traveled south, learning Madam Yu and the man were childhood sweethearts. She’d been sold by her parents, saved and kept by the old madam, and later married off to Lord Ning. But fearing her affair would be exposed, Madam Yu attempted murder to protect her secret.

Before Ning Fu had fully recovered, Madam Yu was dealt with by Madam Ning. Though the old madam had always favored her, she didn’t interfere this time.

Madam Ning said nothing, but her composed silence spoke volumes. She wasn’t one to suffer injustice quietly.

---

Ning Fu, still weak from the cold, recuperated quietly. Her elder brother remained outside the city. Visits were limited—mostly relatives. After half a month, she could finally rise.

“In a few days, we’ll host your celebration. I hope your cheeks fill out by then,” Madam Ning sighed.

“You don’t think I look good anymore?” Ning Fu teased.

“Nonsense. You’re my daughter—how could you not be beautiful?” She was confident. Her daughter, like herself in youth, would surely shine. But she was blooming late, and many desirable suitors were already spoken for.

Prince Xuan’s heirs, Zong Si and Zong Duo, were highly sought after; so was the Duke of Qing’s heir. But Madam Ning disdained competition. The young master of the Wei family had a fine pedigree—but his mother was domineering. The Lu family’s background was modest, and she didn’t want her daughter to suffer hardship, but she remembered Second Young Master Lu’s elegant manners and quiet warmth.

Perhaps, she’d look into him further.

---

At last, the celebration day arrived. A chance to bring joy after Ning Fu’s brush with death. It was her first public appearance since the incident.

Though thinner, her alabaster skin and graceful figure shone. Her emerald green gown made her look like a blooming lotus, fresh and radiant. She captured every gaze upon arrival. She greeted guests alongside her grandmother and mother, then joined the younger women’s table—each girl elegant in her own way.

“You’ve matured so much lately,” teased Wei Ziyi, her close friend and fiancée to Ning Fu’s brother. “Give it half a year and suitors will be swarming.”

“Bored enough to tease me already?” Ning Fu smiled.

“That day, Zong Si rescued you… Did you fall harder for him?” Wei whispered.

Ning Fu paused. Her feelings were conflicted. Only Wei Ziyi knew of her infatuation with Zong Si. In her past life, his rescue had thrilled her. Now, those feelings had dimmed.

Her gaze drifted toward Xie Ruyi, the Second Young Miss of the Duke of Qing—gentle and graceful, beloved by Zong Si—a famed beauty and scholar, proficient in the six arts. A woman Ning Fu admired deeply.

In this kingdom, men and women sat separately. But Ning Fu still searched for a familiar figure. Even though the current Zong Si was just past his coming-of-age, she spotted him easily—his features etched in memory. Wearing dark robes, sharp-nosed and handsome, his cold elegance was striking. His eyes drifted toward the women’s table—but only to one person: Xie Ruyi.

In her past life, Ning Fu sat behind Xie Ruyi. She had thought he was looking at her. Now, the truth stung. She hadn’t yet shed the identity of his wife, but it was clear—he had already strayed. She remembered their wedding night: he didn’t consummate the marriage until three months later. Even then, he’d barely acknowledged her tender address.

“Is Zong Si looking at you?” Wei Ziyi asked suddenly. It was like ice water splashing over her. Memories of rejection surged, but she smiled and whispered back, “Sister Wei, many women dream of entering Prince Xuan’s household. I’ll never be one of them. So let’s not joke about such things again.”

She refused to suffer any longer. This time, she would not beg for love.

There are many men in this world.