Chapter 4

Waking that morning, he had found himself more than twenty years younger.

After asking, he learned he had returned to the very day his consort would be chosen.

He rushed out.

At first glance, he saw a familiar figure beneath a peach tree.

Song Jinxue.

Remembering how he had told her before his death that they should never be entangled again, he approached and warned her not to swap her sister’s painting as before.

Without Song Jinxue, Jinzhao wouldn’t have died.

He had heard Jinzhao burned herself to death in despair because she didn’t want to marry someone else.

Yes, they had grown up together. Naturally, there was affection between them.

Whatever else, he had to save her.

Of course he had no attention to spare for Jinxue’s hairstyle.

Until his mother said those words.

Song Jinxue was already married.

His first thought was that it was absurd. He didn’t believe it.

At this point in the previous life, she had still liked him so much.

He thought he could explain properly after saving Jinzhao.

Jinxue was easy to soothe, after all.

He hadn’t yet worked out how.

Then Mother told him the most ridiculous joke.

Jinxue had married someone else.

At last, he saw clearly.

All her hair was pinned up now.

He had seen that style before.

After their wedding in his previous life.

He rushed forward to question her. Meeting her cold eyes, his heart jolted.

Suddenly, he understood.

Song Jinxue had been reborn too.

Earlier than he had.

[Don’t cling to me again.]

She had done it.

But why? Why?

New memories began flooding in.

The Flower Festival a year earlier.

He remembered everything he had said.

He hadn’t meant it that way. He had only been jealous—jealous of all the men staring at her.

Why had the words come out so ugly?

He regretted it and sent gifts.

She didn’t forgive him.

In the previous life, she clearly had.

So had she been reborn then?

Regret brought a sudden understanding.

Beside love, how much did the affection of childhood friends count?

Saving Song Jinzhao didn’t mean he had to marry her, did it?

His attendant took a garland from a chest.

“My lord, do you still want to give her this garland of immortal flowers?”

“I’ll give it to her myself.”

8

When the gatekeeper reported Xie Xun was outside, I ordered him sent away without a thought.

I turned—and saw him climbing over the wall.

He smiled with frank ease.

“It isn’t as though we’ve never climbed walls together.”

Then his expression suddenly changed.

“Jinxue, you’ve returned too.”

There was no avoiding it. I admitted it without concealment.

So what if he knew?

We had no relationship in this life.

He approached.

“But why did you marry someone else? Why didn’t you wait?”

Wait? For what?

Hadn’t he told me not to cling to him?

He kept advancing. Cold, hard stone pressed against my back. I had nowhere to retreat.

“Why didn’t you wait? Once I saved your sister, we could go back to how we were. Wouldn’t that be good?”

How we were?

I considered it.

I didn’t want that at all.

I looked coldly at him.

“Why does my sister need you to save her?”

His brows relaxed. He hurried to agree.

“Yes, yes. I’ve thought it through. Saving her doesn’t mean I must make her my consort. For the sake of our childhood friendship, I’ll promise her to a decent family.”

“Here’s what we’ll do. Divorce that man by mutual agreement—”

Before he finished, someone seized his collar and threw him out.

Jiang Huaiyou dusted his hands, his face dark with anger.

A strangely colored garland flew out with Xie Xun.

I had no thoughts to spare for anything else. I was busy soothing my jealous husband.

But someone saw what happened. Word spread.

When Mother heard, she reproached me without asking what had occurred.

“The marriage with the Xie family needs only the final step. The marquess’s wife privately told me she prefers your sister. Now you choose this moment to entangle yourself with Xie Xun! What will become of your sister’s marriage?”