After I Died, He Regretted It Too Late

[Thai Rights Sold; Check Dayan for Publication Updates] Shen Zhiyi was born into an exalted family. Spoiled and willful, she was beyond even her commandery princess mother’s ability to handle. Only her childhood friend, Pei Huaijin, could keep her in line. At the Shangyuan Lantern Festival, Shen Zhiyi carried a flower lantern to the Pei residence, intending to confess her feelings, her cheeks flushed with shyness. But in a secluded corner, she saw Pei Huaijin accepting a lantern from her sworn enemy. Fireworks bloomed across the sky, and the crowd roared. The rabbit lantern in Shen Zhiyi’s hands suddenly fell, swallowed mercilessly by the flames. That same night, flames engulfed the Shen residence, and the entire family was arrested and stripped of their property. The man leading the raid was none other than Pei Huaijin’s uncle, the Marquis of Xuanyang. - In the end, Pei Huaijin brought Shen Zhiyi to live at the Pei residence. But after enduring so much hardship, Shen Zhiyi was no longer the bright, bold girl she had once been. She became timid and meek, lowering her eyes before everyone in the Pei household, just hoping to cling to life. Her cautious existence was turned upside down on the day she was diagnosed with an incurable illness. That same day, word spread through the household that Pei Huaijin was about to marry her sworn enemy, Second Miss Qin. In the bleak, snowy weather, Shen Zhiyi stood waiting in the snow with a dim lantern. Pei Huaijin calmly reassured her: “Second Miss Qin is virtuous and proper. She certainly won’t begrudge you a place here. You needn’t be afraid. Just think of it as gaining a new mistress of the household. Everything else can stay as it is.” - Pei Huaijin, heir to the Duke of Zhenguo, was graceful and composed, a rare talent among the young men of the capital, and highly valued by the emperor. The only rebellious thing he ever did was take Shen Zhiyi, his childhood friend and the daughter of a disgraced official, as a concubine. He knew her status made it impossible for her to become his wife. So when his teacher entrusted his daughter to his care, he agreed. Later, after Lady Shen repeatedly tried to harm his future wife out of jealousy, he sent her away to a separate residence. Pei Huaijin thought that once she came to her senses, he would bring her back. But a fire at the separate residence broke out without warning. Everyone watched the usually cool and self-possessed heir crouch helplessly before Shen Zhiyi’s body, holding her tightly in his arms. The man knelt on the ground, his eyes bloodshot and his expression distraught. Again and again, he gently coaxed her: “Shen Zhiyi, stop playing around. Please wake up, all right?” Reader's Note: An old-school style, with plenty of melodrama. -- Upcoming Novel 1: Raised by My Twin Childhood Friends -- Jiang Ningxi had twin childhood friends who were seven years older than her. A fortune-teller had declared that she must not enter the capital before turning eighteen, so shortly after she was born, her parents sent her to live with the twins' family. But she had never been able to tell the two apart by their looks, and could only distinguish them by their personalities. The older brother, Gu Ting'an, was gentle and refined, and patiently taught her everything from a young age. She even learned to write her own name sitting on Gu Ting'an's lap, his hand guiding her little one as he showed her each stroke. He was also the first to learn when she got her first period, and he comforted her tenderly when she was frightened and confused, even preparing menstrual pads for her. The younger brother, Gu Yanjin, had a terrible temper and a rebellious streak. He was always making her angry. He once snapped off a flower branch someone had given her and insisted on giving her a bunch of begonias she didn't like. Whenever the weather turned cold, he would slip into her bed with a chill clinging to him, using her as a human hot-water bottle. As the years went by, Jiang Ningxi naturally grew fonder of Gu Ting'an. - When she was sixteen, her parents arranged a marriage for her with someone in the distant capital. When the news reached the Gu residence, Gu Yanjin tied her onto a horse and galloped all the way to the edge of a cliff. He said nothing, his face cold and grim. Several times, Jiang Ningxi thought they were about to plunge into the abyss. Badly shaken, she went to see Gu Ting'an as soon as he returned to the residence that night, throwing herself into his arms for comfort. Gu Ting'an gently patted her back and coaxed her: “Gu Yanjin is too awful. From now on, Ningning, why don't you forget about him and only have your Ting'an-gege?” Jiang Ningxi nodded against his chest, wanting him to kiss her as he had before. Just then, someone swept aside the brocade curtain to the inner room. The man smiled politely: “See? I told you she couldn't tell us apart at all.” Jiang Ningxi turned in surprise to look at the person holding her, but he seized her chin. Gu Yanjin's voice was dark and threatening: “Jiang Ningxi, how dare you even think of not wanting me?” Gu Ting'an also slowly stepped forward and stroked her hair, his voice still gentle: “It's not that she doesn't want you. She doesn't want either of us. But Ningning, you still can't tell Yanjin and me apart. Doesn't that mean... you deserve to be punished?” -- Upcoming Novel 2: Imperial Sister -- After Yu Wanqiao was murdered, her soul wandered the mortal world. Only then did she learn that the one who eventually ascended the throne was her sixth imperial brother, Yu Chengyuan, whom their imperial father and mother had never thought much of. Her younger brother was a complete madman. He killed his brothers to seize the throne. During his reign, he was bloodthirsty and merciless, with a volatile, inscrutable temperament. He even had her grave dug up and her coffin placed in his bedchamber. Not long afterward, he set fire to everything, burning himself and her coffin together. - Reborn, the first thing Yu Wanqiao did was go to the Cold Palace to deal with the “madman,” who had no power or allies yet. But when she saw him on a snowy night, dressed in rags and being trampled and mocked by palace maids and eunuchs, she suddenly felt pity for him. From then on, she secretly protected him for years. Under her guidance, he shed his viciousness and became as sweet and obedient as any child his age. Until the year Yu Wanqiao turned eighteen, when an imperial decree ordering her marriage to a foreign land arrived at Zhaohua Hall. That night, a violent storm raged. A figure burst into her bedchamber, and a flash of lightning revealed the shadowed pain in Yu Chengyuan's face. Rain streamed from the hem of the young man's black robe, and the heavy stench of blood clung to him. Yu Wanqiao felt as if she were seeing the cold, solitary boy he had once been. She rose to greet him, but before she could speak, he pinned her against the desk and stole her first kiss. He pressed down on her like a madman. Amid the rumble of thunder, he begged in a trembling, anguished voice, “Sister, please don't abandon Chengyuan.” Theme: Cherish the people by your side