When her elder sister, the legitimate daughter, passed away after a difficult childbirth, Zhe Wan, as her half-sister, was designated by her stepmother to become the second wife to her brother-in-law, the heir of the Duke of Britain. Her stepmother said, “After you marry, you must raise your sister’s son well. I will look after your concubine mother here; she was overjoyed, saying you’ve had a great fortune and should cherish it.” Thus, Zhe Wan married into her new family in a daze. Having been timid and submissive in her natal home, always tolerating whatever came her way, she arrived at her in-laws’ house filled with trepidation, carefully adhering to everyone’s instructions. She treated her mother-in-law with respect, her stepson with kindness, and devoted herself to her husband. At the age of thirty, worn down by years of overwork, she succumbed to illness and breathed her last at home. As she watched from beyond, people mourned for her, all dressed in mourning clothes—a sight she had never witnessed so many do in life for her sake. Zhe Wan felt that her life had been worthwhile, without regrets. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself sitting on the marriage bed, covered with a red veil, surrounded by chaos. Zhe Wan suddenly remembered. On her wedding day, her husband had been summoned by the Emperor and did not return for the entire day. She had lifted her own red veil. This one incident had left her regretful for a long time, feeling wronged for ages, but as the years passed, she had forgotten. In truth, her life had been filled with regrets from the very beginning. [Let the thirty-year-old me take care of the fifteen-year-old me. Let the older me make amends for the regrets of my youth.] [Zhe (绾) color, also known as light crimson.] Related Stories: No related posts.