What? My Hateful Ex-Husband Was Reborn Too!

[The main story is complete. Bonus chapters to come.]

[Bright, domineering heiress x cool, reserved, impoverished actor]

[Both leads are reborn + devoted to each other + showbiz + three-year age gap]

In her previous life, Jiang Linyue died in Lin Xubai's arms.

The last thing she saw before she died was the hatred in his eyes.

She had once used her family background to force him to marry her, trapping him in a marriage that existed in name only.

But when her family went bankrupt, he was the one who paid off her enormous debts.

During a kidnapping, a twist of fate led to him taking the blame and going to prison in her place.

"Jiang Linyue, I accept it."

As he was taken away, he seemed finally to have accepted his fate. His voice was calmer than ever, but his gaze fixed on her was crazed with obsession.

"But you have to wait for me! Wait until I get out... and then we'll divorce."

She finally let go.

Divorce was his obsession.

So she would give him his freedom.

Reborn, she found Lin Xubai, still young, in a run-down apartment complex.

Back then, he was poor and inexperienced, so overwhelmed by life that he could barely breathe.

Feeling guilty, Jiang Linyue did everything she could to help him reach the top and secure a bright future, but she had no intention of getting involved with him again.

Later, he got what he wanted. He won every award and became a sensation.

She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had finally made amends and that they would stay apart in this life.

At the celebration banquet, Jiang Linyue smiled graciously, holding a glass of red wine and offering congratulations. She was genuinely happy for him.

"Congratulations, Lin Xubai. Once our contract expires, there'll be nothing more I can do for you. I wish you all the best."

After hearing this, her ex-husband didn't seem very happy. His expression turned dark as he watched her like prey, his deep, gloomy eyes seemingly brewing a storm.

Then the newly crowned Best Actor pulled her into his arms in front of everyone, lowered his head to bite at her ear, and spoke in a voice cold as shattered ice, using the tone and manner she knew so well:

"Jiang Linyue, you think you've paid back everything you owe me just like that?"

Her pupils contracted, and her heart pounded.

What does that mean? Were you reborn too?!

After that, she avoided her ex-husband even more.

But he changed completely. Suddenly, he was deeply devoted to her and pursued her relentlessly.

Jiang Linyue was beside herself:

What is going on?!

Didn't you beg and plead for a divorce in our previous life?

Why are you so desperate to marry me now?!

...Pre-release story break...

"Spring Fever"

[The boss lady seems strong and bold, but she's gentle and softhearted * The boy is well-behaved and honest in public, but secretly a scheming, gloomy little homewrecker]

That summer, Yi Zhe wrecked her promising future and returned to her hometown, planning to spend an ordinary life looking after the little shop her grandmother had left her.

That same summer, she met You Yi, who was alone in the world too.

He was just a kid starting middle school, at a lively, energetic age, yet his eyes were dull and lifeless, like a coffin buried in the dirt, hidden from the sun.

Everyone in town knew about him. His mother had died not long ago, his father was nowhere to be found, and the boy was left on his own, surviving day by day by scavenging for trash.

Hiring a child was illegal, but Yi Zhe still gave him odd jobs at her shop for 1,500 yuan a month, with no meals or lodging included.

The boy called her "sis," and she felt as if she had gained a family member in this world.

Raising a child wasn't as hard as she'd imagined. Luckily, You Yi was obedient and sensible. Whenever he had free time, he took care of all the odd jobs around the shop, and he was such an excellent student that she never had to worry about his studies.

It was just that kids going through puberty were impossible to understand.

For a while, Yi Zhe, who had never dated anyone, finally found herself wanting to try romance.

Before long, she discovered that You Yi was smoking, drinking, getting into fights, and dating. He was one step away from dyeing his hair blond.

Yi Zhe kept such a close eye on him that she was practically ready to move into the school with him. She didn't have time to think about anything else.

"You Yi, if you keep acting up, I'll fire you!"

"Okay."

"What's with that 'okay'?!" Yi Zhe angrily smacked him. "No pay for you this month."

You Yi frowned unhappily. "Sis, I made plans with my classmates to go to an internet cafe this weekend."

Yi Zhe flew into a rage. "An internet cafe?! You want to play games too? You're not going."

"But studying is exhausting. I want to go out and rel..."

"I never said you couldn't go out and have fun. I'll take you to an amusement park, all right?"

Yi Zhe walked ahead, soothing the boy in a foul mood, wondering why he was so annoying.

She didn't notice that a few steps behind her, the boy's handsome face was like a cold stone polished by moonlight. He stared at her figure, his dark eyes showing a trace of satisfaction at his little scheme.

Throughout You Yi's high school years, Yi Zhe got a taste of what it was like to be the parent of a student preparing for the college entrance exams.

She was terrified that if she let her guard down for even a moment, he'd come back with rainbow-colored hair.

On the night of his exams, she was almost moved to tears with joy. She got drunk at the dinner table while celebrating with him and stayed over at his place.

In a hazy state, she felt something cool and gentle brush against her lips. It seemed unsatisfied with a brief taste, and lingered in a tender, intimate caress.

Soon, after the soft rustling, she heard a low, breathless exhale, as if someone were trying desperately not to make a sound.

That night, she finally learned that the person You Yi had longed for, the one he called out to with such desire, was her.

Two months later, a luxury car stopped in front of the shop, and Yi Zhe learned about You Yi's background.

One million yuan bought out every memory and feeling from all those years.

He didn't belong here, and he didn't belong to her.

Yi Zhe took the money and kept smiling, showing no sadness. She didn't even go to see him one last time.

At dusk, the sunset and evening clouds painted a grand, magnificent sky. From then on, she was alone in town once again.

They met again when You Yi came to town with his girlfriend for a film shoot.

She was still the same, looking after her little shop, living an ordinary but utterly dull life.

She leisurely cracked sunflower seeds and watched melodramatic TV shows.

The shop door opened, and the wind chime rang.

Yi Zhe looked up and froze.

He was taller now, with broader shoulders, dressed in an expensive suit and wearing a watch whose brand she didn't recognize. He carried himself with elegant, aristocratic poise. His gaze fell on her as coolly as if he didn't know her, then quickly moved away.

His eyes slowly shifted to the woman behind him. Yi Zhe smiled, spat out a sunflower seed shell, and said lazily, "Feel free to look around. Take whatever you want to buy."

They understood each other without a word and pretended that the wild, out-of-control summer night from years ago had been a dream, a bubble, an illusion.

The night he heard Yi Zhe was getting married, You Yi pounded on her door like a madman.

Yi Zhe had just opened it when a dark figure loomed over her. The next moment, he pulled her into a crushing embrace, as if vines were tightening around her body, crushing her bones and almost sinking into her flesh.

The night was dark as ink. Beneath the dim light, You Yi's features were sharply shadowed. His eyes were heavy and gloomy, a glimmer of moisture in them like moonlight shining within.

His face showed little expression, and his gaze bore down on her with naked possessiveness, like a venomous snake that had been stalking its prey for a long time. Yet his voice was as aggrieved as ever:

"Sis, how could you marry someone else?"

Tip: The male lead is devoted in both body and heart. He has never been with anyone but the female lead, and he doesn't have a girlfriend when they reunite. The female lead has simply misunderstood.

Theme: Love should blossom brilliantly through equality and respect.