Moonlight Never Bypasses the Thorns

Prologue: Amber in the Flames

At the instant the blast wave tore the world apart, Gu Chengyuan’s final image, shielding her with his body, became an indelible mark in Su Wanyi’s mind.

He should never have fallen in love with her, the fake heiress who had taken another’s place. And he certainly shouldn’t have gone mad over her “transfer.” When Lin Wei said through her tears, “Sister, I envy you for being able to stand by his side,” Su Wanyi had almost signed the marriage-transfer agreement with relief. She had no idea that document would become the fuse that set off his obsession.

As her consciousness sank into the depths, she thought: If everything could return to its proper place, if I had never taken Lin Wei’s life by mistake...

Cicadas buzzed in her ears.

Midsummer, 1988. The glow from a crystal chandelier rippled across the ceiling. Su Wanyi opened her eyes to silk bed curtains embroidered with French scrollwork, and the scent of orris-root incense drifting through the air.

She raised her hand: the hand of a six-year-old child, with neatly trimmed, rounded nails and a tiny diamond butterfly ring on her ring finger.

She had really come back. Back to the age of six, when she was still the Su family’s “only heiress,” back to the starting point before anything had gone awry.