Night of the Imperial Guards

[Upcoming novels: Little Bodhi and Spring Night's Lovely Guest. Please add them to your collection and show them some love!] In her previous life, Jiang Wu was sent to her aunt's home in Dongdu to polish her credentials. She schemed and plotted against others, doing everything she could to marry into the Duke's household. But in the end, she was outmaneuvered and became a pawn, forced to take the duke's daughter’s place in a political marriage. Before climbing into the carriage, Jiang Wu spotted the heir who had nearly become her fiancé in the crowd. Her eyes reddened, and two tears trembled in them, moving anyone who saw her. Pei Fuzhou stood to one side, watching everything. Disbelief showed between his brows, along with a trace of disdain. He had never thought much of his friend’s “fiancée.” A woman like Jiang Wu, who chased power and wealth and craved status, could never have genuine feelings for his friend, the young heir. A year later, Pei Fuzhou was once again patrolling the streets by night as a member of the Imperial Guards when he happened to hear the common folk discussing how the fourth Jiang daughter, who had been sent away to marry, had died. He reined in his horse, stunned. That tear from the day she left, which had seemed on the verge of falling, had hung there for so long. Now, at last, it fell into his heart. * When Jiang Wu opened her eyes, she had returned to the day she first arrived in Dongdu. She no longer wanted to cling to the powerful. All she wanted was a quiet, stable life, far away from the people of the Duke's household. She never expected to miss curfew on her very first day. The duke's heir was blocking the gate to the ward. She hurried to turn around, only to run into Pei Fuzhou. In her previous life, he had despised her. Now he sat astride a tall horse, staring at her in a daze, his handsome features sharp and composed. * Pei Fuzhou had been reborn. His previous life felt like a dream. When he woke, the only thing left in his memories was Jiang Wu's face. Confused, he finally found her. After a moment's silence, he asked, “Miss Jiang, I've forgotten some things.” “The heir is close to you, so what exactly is our relationship?” Jiang Wu looked up at Pei Fuzhou's cool, bewildered expression and paused. She remembered how the young man had once dragged her into a corner and warned her from above to stay away from Su Yi. An idea struck Jiang Wu. She looked at Pei Fuzhou with bright eyes and smiled. “So you've forgotten. We were very good friends.” * From then on, Jiang Wu carefully “made up” happy memories of the two of them. Pei Fuzhou felt something was off, but still chose to believe her: They were kindred spirits and close friends, as if they'd known each other forever. That is, until the day of the Lantern Festival. The flower market shone as bright as day, and the Imperial Guards did not enforce the nighttime curfew. Pei Fuzhou looked up and saw her smiling and chatting happily with another man. That gentle, heart-stirring smile pierced him to the core. He stood beneath the shadow of a tree, his face dark, and crushed a porcelain cup in his hand. He was angry, jealous, and hurt. When he turned away, fragments of his previous life suddenly came back to him. [Alternate history / Both leads reborn / 1v1 / Happy ending] Theme: Be content with what you have, and embrace a beautiful new life