The story begins with the two daughters of Lord Cui, the Minister of Justice.
The eldest daughter of the Cui household, Cui Yu, was as gentle as an orchid, while the second daughter, Cui Yue, was as clever and bright as the moon.
Both were born into a distinguished family of scholars and possessed beauty capable of captivating a city. The sons of noble families in the capital flocked to their door, eager to secure a marriage contract.
Yet among the many suitors, Minister Cui unexpectedly betrothed his eldest daughter, Cui Yu, to the heir of Pingkang Marquis.
The heir was notorious in the capital as a spoiled playboy, lost in wine and women and forever chasing pleasure.
Cui Yue was the first to object to the match. She tried desperately to talk her sister out of it, nearly wearing her tongue raw, but all she got in return was her sister's resolute reply: I have already given my heart to him.
[The Heroine's Story]
1. On her sister's wedding day, Cui Yue saw how deeply the couple cared for each other and how respectfully they treated one another, and had no choice but to set aside her prejudices.
After the wedding banquet, she returned home and eagerly awaited the day her sister would come back to visit her family.
But ten days later, on the very day her sister was due to return, Cui Yue did not see her. Instead, she received news of her death.
Grief-stricken, Cui Yue vowed to uncover the truth and avenge her sister. Her first target was her newly acquired brother-in-law, Gu Ci'an.
2. Cui Yue returned to ten days earlier. Sitting by the bed and waiting for Gu Ci'an to lift her bridal veil, she thought that since she had failed to save her elder sister last time, she would take her place and shield her from this calamity.
She proceeded cautiously, planning every step, and spent ten days as Gu Ci'an's wife.
At last, the day of her homecoming arrived. Yet this time, too, she saw her sister's cold, lifeless body.
3. Cui Yue returned to ten days earlier once more.
This time, she stared blankly at Gu Ci'an lying in her arms. Blood kept pouring from his chest, and nothing could staunch it.
Though he had no strength left, he asked her with a smile:
"Have you ever promised someone you would never leave her, only to find you couldn't keep that promise? But then, one day, Heaven suddenly tells you that you can turn back and gives you a chance to make everything right. What would you do?"
Cui Yue stared blankly and shook her head.
Gu Ci'an smiled with the tenderness of moonlight. "I have. At first, I was overjoyed, because everything was under my control. So I repeated it again and again, building things up only to destroy them. In the end, I realized that if I was the only one who could return with those memories, all I gained was loneliness and pain I could never let go of."
Cui Yue did not understand, but tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
Gu Ci'an gently brushed away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Yue'er. I couldn't keep you by my side, and I couldn't let you go."
[The Hero's Story]
Gu Ci'an returned once more to that alley entrance, where he saw the woman he knew best again.
He pushed aside his surging memories, flashed a carefree smile, and teased her: "Miss, what a pretty face you have."
Cui Yue was still standing beneath a flowering crabapple tree. She froze in surprise.
Gu Ci'an smiled bitterly and was about to turn away when Cui Yue smiled sweetly and said, "My husband isn't half bad-looking himself."
[Reading Guide]
1. The main story takes place over just ten days, repeating again and again, building things up only to destroy them.
2. The hero and heroine both transmigrate with their memories intact, but their timelines are different.
3. A little heartache, with a bittersweet flavor.
4. This blurb was created on November 20, 2024, and a screenshot has been saved.
Theme: Never give up in the face of fate.
