Chapter 1 — Pierced Through the Heart by My Husband, I Am Reborn

I snapped awake, the phantom sensation of an arrow piercing my heart still lingering with agonizing intensity. A moment later, a searing, scorching heat erupted throughout my chest. Clenching my teeth, I drew a silver needle from my hair and plunged it into my thigh. The sharp, jolting pain forced my mind to clear. I opened the window and slipped silently into the night. Skirting the side corridor, I found exactly what I expected: my brother’s personal maid, Thuo Duoc, huddled behind a pillar, furtively watching my room. I crept up behind her, seized a nearby vase, and brought it down hard upon her head. As she collapsed, I dragged her body into my room and stripped her of her outer garments, donning them myself. Before leaving, I tucked my brother’s jade pendant into the maid’s bodice. A cold smile curled my lips as I whispered to the unconscious girl:

"Brother, I have prepared this gift specifically for you. Do try to enjoy every moment of it."

In my past life, it was my own brother, Giang Hac Lam, who drugged me and threw me into the bed of his close friend, Song Chieu Da. That night of depravity became a stain that carved itself into my very soul. Song Chieu Da was forced to marry me, and from that day on, his hatred only deepened. The woman he truly loved, Lam Thu Y, walked through the doors of the Giang household as my brother’s legitimate wife. I had once foolishly believed that time would turn his heart toward me, but in the second year of our marriage, Lam Thu Y fell ill and passed away. Less than six months later, the entire Giang clan was wiped out in a single night of slaughter. As for me, at the very moment he reached the pinnacle of his success, he personally drove an arrow through my heart. My blood soaked into my thin shift as my spirit departed my body. But upon opening my eyes, I found myself returned to that fateful night—the genesis of all my tragedies. I escaped over the courtyard wall, intending to seek refuge at the Nam Phong Pavilion, but in my disoriented state, I stumbled instead into the Yen-Vu Pavilion, the most infamous brothel in Jinling.

"Little lady, this is no place for someone like you."

A languid, masculine voice drifted from above. Looking up, I met a pair of lazy, peach-blossom eyes brimming with a mocking smile. It was the most notorious rake in all of Jinling: Tan Tu Chuoc. In my past life, he was the one I hated above all others, with no rival. Yet, at this moment, why did he look so impossibly handsome?

"I am not in the wrong place."

"I am looking for you. It has to be you."

I grabbed his collar, pulled him toward me, and pressed a fierce, desperate kiss upon his lips. Amidst the golden wind and jade dew, our fleeting meeting surpassed the joys of the mortal world. Before dawn arrived, I hurried to pull on my dress and leave. Little did I know that my begonia earring had slipped from my ear, left behind on those tangled bedsheets.

When I climbed back over the wall, the morning mist had yet to disperse. On the damp, mossy ground of the secluded Western Courtyard, a few watery footprints lingered, though they were quickly withered away by the rising sun. Pushing open the door to my chambers, Xuan Tuyet, her eyes rimmed with red, rushed forward to throw her arms around me.

"Young mistress, where have you been all night? I was terrified to death!"

Looking at her youthful, innocent face, a lump formed in my throat. In my previous life, Song Chieu Da had taken a concubine who looked exactly like Lam Thu Y and doted on her beyond measure. Later, that woman framed me for causing her to miscarry. Song Chieu Da did not investigate nor allow me a word of defense before passing judgment. It was Xuan Tuyet who stepped forward to bear the blame in my stead. As she lay dying, she had wept, "Young mistress... you must live well... you must leave the Song household..."

I gently wiped the tears from her eyelids, my fingertips brushing her warm cheek.

"Xuan Tuyet, in this life, I will ensure you are protected from all harm."

The young maid stood stunned, gazing at me in confusion. I smiled faintly and changed the subject.

"Help me wash away my makeup."

I stretched, letting out a soft yawn. That scoundrel Tan Tu Chuoc had been so insistent throughout the night that I felt drained, my waist aching and my legs trembling.

"In the house... does anyone else know I wasn't in my room last night?"

Xuan Tuyet shook her head. "I didn't dare make a scene, I went looking for you silently on my own."

Her gaze flickered toward the red mark on my neck, and she immediately understood, bowing her head in silence.

"Oh?"

"What is it?" I asked, looking at her with suspicion.

"Your earring, mistress... one is missing."

I replied casually, "It must have fallen somewhere."

As the hot water cascaded over my body, I hissed in pain; the ache from the night before still lingered.

"I never imagined that Tan Tu Chuoc's body... would be so robust. What a pity..."

At mid-morning, when a clamor rose from the Northern Courtyard, I was sitting before my mirror, leisurely penciling in my brows. Xuan Tuyet burst in, flustered.

"Young mistress, something has happened at the Northern Courtyard..."

I set down the eyebrow pencil, moving with practiced grace, my fingers sliding over the mark on my neck hidden beneath my silk collar.

"No rush. Let the fire burn a little brighter."

In my past life, it was at this very hour that I had awakened in terror on Song Chieu Da's bed, my clothes in disarray, facing the mocking stares of a room full of people. But in this life...

"Let's go. We shouldn't miss the play I so carefully prepared for my brother."

In front of the main hall of the Northern Courtyard, the servants were gathered in a dense crowd. I arrived at the perfect moment, just in time to see Giang Hac Lam grabbing Song Chieu Da by the collar, roaring in fury.

"You dared to touch my sister?! How can you face Thu-Y now?!"

My feet froze, my nails digging into my palms until blood pricked the skin. Good, my dear brother… even at a time like this, all he cares about is Lam Thu Y. I pushed open the doors and walked in. The room was a wreck, the bedsheets tangled and chaotic. Song Chieu Da sat on the edge of the bed, his expression dark, his undergarment hanging open to reveal his bare, muscular chest. And on the bed, the person hunched over, sobbing, was none other than Thuo Duoc, wearing my clothes!

"Brother, what are you both arguing about?"

I leaned casually against the doorframe, my voice soft with the languid, sleepy quality of a kitten just waking up. Two sharp gazes snapped toward me. Giang Hac Lam’s expression shifted wildly—from panic to shock, and finally, to utter confusion. As for Song Chieu Da, those eyes—which had always been as cold as snow—stared intently at me before slowly shifting toward the trembling Thuo Duoc. His voice cut through the air like eternal ice:

"Who are you?"

Thuo Duoc raised her head, her tears falling like rain on pear blossoms. "Song… Officer Song drank too much last night and dragged me… I couldn't resist him..."

"Is that so?"

Song Chieu Da's eyes darkened instantly, as cold and predatory as a beast about to tear its prey to pieces.

"Impossible!"

Seeing that the person on the bed was Thuo Duoc, Giang Hac Lam turned ash-white. "Clearly, I..."

He suddenly went silent, glancing at me in a panic. I walked slowly to the table and poured a cup of tea, my wrist flicking so that the jade bracelet jingled crisply.

"Tuyet Ngam."

He forced himself to stay calm, asking in a low voice, "Last night... where were you?"

I looked him straight in the eyes, my lips curving into an innocent, guileless smile.

"I was in my room the entire time. Didn't you say last night you wanted to view the moon with me? Why did you get drunk and disappear?"

Song Chieu Da caught the flash of confusion between my brother and me. His gaze darted back and forth, finally landing on my neck, where the faint red mark left by Tan Tu Chuoc was visible. His pupils constricted violently.

*Crash!*

A piece of jade shattered at Giang Hac Lam's feet; the sharp sound made Thuo Duoc shudder. It was the pendant my brother always carried. Song Chieu Da ground out the words:

"Giang Hac Lam… your scheming is truly impressive."

I lowered my head, hiding the smile blooming at the corner of my mouth. Dogs biting dogs—what a rare and delightful sight.

"No... it's not like that..."

Giang Hac Lam frantically scrambled to pick up the shattered jade, suddenly pointing a finger at Thuo Duoc. "It was her! This slut must have stolen my jade!"

Thuo Duoc's face turned ghastly. "Young Master... it was clearly you who told me to..."

"Shut your mouth!"

Giang Hac Lam slapped her hard, cutting her off before the words could escape. I stood there, observing this absurd farce, my eyes as cold as thin ice. In my past life, to silence her, Giang Hac Lam had personally forced Thuo Duoc to drink poison. But now, seeing her turn around and bite back at him, I felt a rush of indescribable satisfaction. Truly... karma comes, and there is no escaping it.