Ch 1: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

On a warm summer afternoon, the sun was shining gently.

The villa halfway up the mountain was silent, with its occupants resting and the servants taking the chance to slack off and relax.

Suddenly, an elderly man’s angry shout erupted from a third-floor bedroom, shattering the peace.

The servants immediately sprang into action, busying themselves with their duties, fearful of being caught slacking. The family members rushed upstairs, eager to find out why the household’s strict patriarch was so upset.

Shen Yunxuan was startled awake by the noise. She opened her eyes, feeling disoriented by her surroundings.

Wasn’t this her room at the Shen family home before she got married?

After realizing how cold and selfish her family was, she had long stopped caring about them. How could she now be dreaming of her old room?

Instinctively, Shen Yunxuan propped herself up on the bed, only for a sharp pain in her arm to send her collapsing back.

“Hiss…” She grimaced, rolling up her sleeve to reveal her left arm wrapped in white bandages, the wound extensive.

The pain jolted her fully awake. Throwing off the blanket, she got out of bed and walked to the vanity, touching her face in the mirror.

It felt too real—everything was too real. This wasn’t a dream. Had she been reborn?

After painstakingly turning her miserable life around, fate had sent her back to square one? How great a grudge did heaven hold against her?

The absurdity of the situation left Shen Yunxuan unsure how to feel, but as she tested her body’s movements, a small smile formed.

Before her rebirth, her health had deteriorated, requiring daily medications. At least now she had a healthy body—her greatest asset.

What’s more, having lived through everything once, she now understood how to navigate her future, avoid pitfalls, and create a more vibrant life.

This thought calmed her. Perhaps heaven, seeing her struggles in her past life, had granted her this second chance to rewrite her story and mend her regrets.

Shen Yunxuan carefully studied her reflection in the mirror, her lips curving into a smile as she began to anticipate her new life.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door.

“Miss, the old master is furious. The master, madam, and Second Miss are already there. You’re the only one missing—hurry up!”

Shen Yunxuan glanced at the door, then at her bandaged arm. She picked up her phone from the bedside table. Before seeing anyone, she needed to confirm exactly when she had returned.

Quickly skimming through her phone, she remembered. This was when she was 22, just graduated from university. Her parents were trying to arrange a marriage for her and had taken her to a banquet.

At that event, before meeting the potential match, she and her younger sister, Shen Yunrui, somehow fell into a swimming pool.

Her arm was badly scratched, while Shen Yunrui came down with a high fever. The family spent the whole night at the hospital and was now resting at home.

On this day, her strict grandfather discovered her parents’ scheme and erupted in anger. She had learned then that her grandfather owed a debt to a benefactor who had arranged for the next generation to marry. Unfortunately, the benefactor’s family had fallen into poverty and lived in the countryside. Her parents, unwilling to go along with the arrangement, had secretly planned to marry her off to someone else.

When her grandfather’s wrath forced their hand, they announced that Shen Yunrui was already engaged to the son of a wealthy family, leaving Shen Yunxuan to fulfill the obligation to the impoverished family. They rationalized that, as the eldest daughter, it was her duty to repay the debt.

Shen Yunxuan had always known her parents were biased but hadn’t expected them to decide her fate so ruthlessly. The unfairness of the situation, compounded by the disparity in dowries—her sister receiving a lavish one to match the wealthy family, while Shen Yunxuan received barely a tenth of that—left her heartbroken.

For years, this favoritism persisted until the wealthy family fell into ruin while Shen Yunxuan and her husband-to-be built a thriving business, earning a spot among the wealthy elite. Only then did her family treat her as an equal—but by then, she no longer cared about them.

The knocking on the door grew louder, and the voice outside became impatient.

“Miss, don’t say I didn’t warn you—if you dawdle any longer and anger the master and madam, you might not get dinner tonight!”

Shen Yunxuan couldn’t help but feel amused. She had almost forgotten how even the servants in her family used to disregard her. Back then, she still harbored hope for her family’s affection, avoiding conflict and striving for perfection in everything she did, all in the futile hope of earning their love. Thinking about it now, it was truly suffocating.

Since she had been reborn, no one would make her endure such humiliation again.

Shen Yunxuan opened the door, seeing a middle-aged woman with a stern demeanor, resembling a school principal. It suddenly dawned on her—this was Aunt Qin, the Shen family’s housekeeper. Having worked for the family since her youth, Aunt Qin emulated the old master’s strict style, often positioning herself as a senior figure in the household and treating Shen Yunxuan condescendingly.

With a harsh expression, Aunt Qin reprimanded her: “Miss, the old master is angry, and you’re still dawdling after all this time. I’ve had to call you repeatedly. As a junior, this is extremely disrespectful. When you see the old master, I hope you’ll sincerely admit your fault and promise not to make such mistakes again.”

Shen Yunxuan glanced at her and said calmly, “You’re just a servant. Know your place and mind your duties. Don’t overstep your bounds. Let this be the last time.”

Aunt Qin’s eyes sharpened, and she was about to retort when Shen Yunxuan walked past her and headed upstairs. The old master was still waiting, and she couldn’t very well block her path. Seeing the other servants sneaking glances, Aunt Qin’s expression turned even colder. Shen Yunxuan had embarrassed her, and she resolved to make Shen Yunxuan pay and to remind everyone of her authority in the household.

On the third floor, the atmosphere in the old master’s bedroom was tense. The old master, his face dark, was half-reclined against the headboard. A few words of argument had made him dizzy, and he was still recovering. The others stood silently by the bed, heads bowed, not daring to provoke him further, though their suppressed irritation was evident.

As soon as Shen Yunxuan appeared at the door, Madam Shen seized the opportunity to vent her anger. “Why are you so slow? You have no concern for your elders! Look at your sister—she rushed up here right away!”

Knowing how easily her family could abandon her, Shen Yunxuan had no intention of maintaining superficial harmony this time. She was just about to retort when, unexpectedly, Shen Yunrui spoke up in her defense.

“Mom, don’t blame Sister. She’s always been a bit clumsy in expressing her feelings. She didn’t mean any harm.” Then, shifting the tone, she added, “But that can easily lead to misunderstandings. Even we, her own family, sometimes feel she’s distant and inconsiderate. If she were to go fulfill this engagement of gratitude, wouldn’t the benefactors think we were sending her as a punishment rather than a gesture of thanks?”

Madam Shen quickly grabbed Shen Yunrui’s hand and, out of the old master’s sight, gave her a meaningful look. “Your sister can be taught. I’ll personally guide her. How could I let you take her place? I know you’re worried about her and the family, but your engagement to the Huo family is already finalized. It’s unchangeable, or how could we explain ourselves?”

Hmm? Shen Yunxuan swallowed the words she had been about to say, quietly observing them. What was going on? This hadn’t happened in her previous life.

Upon careful thought, she realized that in her previous life, Shen Yunrui hadn’t been the first to come upstairs. In fact, she had been the last, feigning dizziness and frailty to avoid being sent to marry into the poor family, claiming she couldn’t endure hardship.

Shen Yunxuan had done nothing significant since her rebirth, only arrived a few minutes later. Such a minor change shouldn’t have caused a butterfly effect. The only explanation was that Shen Yunrui had also been reborn.

Ignoring her parents’ objections, Shen Yunrui smiled warmly at the old master and said, “Grandpa, you’ve always loved me the most. Something as important as repaying a life debt should naturally be my responsibility. They saved you, which is the same as saving me. I truly want to repay them and will get along well with them. If I had known about this earlier, I wouldn’t have agreed to the engagement with the Huo family.”

She continued, “Besides, I’ve never even met the young master of the Huo family. Mom and Dad didn’t specify whether the engagement was for me or Sister. Why not let Sister marry into the Huo family and become their young madam? It’s no different from being the eldest daughter here—she’ll adapt easily. After the marriage, the Huo family could even help our family. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”

“Absurd!” Mr. Shen scolded sharply. Realizing his tone was too harsh, he softened it and tried to reason with her. “Yunrui, do you know how much effort your mother and I put into arranging your engagement to the Huo family? How could you treat it so lightly? Just teach your sister properly—being a good wife and mother isn’t difficult. But the Huo family? Marrying into their family means attending various events, managing relationships, and becoming the mistress of their household. Not just anyone can handle that. Only you can manage such a role. Your sister can’t.”

Madam Shen gently held Shen Yunrui and spoke softly, “Yunrui, be a good girl. Your father and I have planned everything for you. All you need to do is prepare for the wedding. You’re young and don’t understand the weight of these matters, but we won’t harm you. Marrying into the Huo family is the best for you.”

Old Master Shen’s tone softened as well. “Alright, you have such a thoughtful heart, and that makes Grandpa very happy. But truly, your sister is more suitable for the Lin family. Just listen to your parents and marry into the Huo family.”

Shen Yunrui quickly interjected, “If I become the young madam of the richest family while letting Sister marry into a poor family, I’ll feel guilty forever. Do you want me to live with that guilt? What if Sister doesn’t get along with the Lin family? If the benefactor holds a grudge against us, wouldn’t that make Grandpa feel bad too?

Besides, Sister hasn’t made any mistakes at banquets over the years, so she’ll surely handle herself well with the Huo family. Meanwhile, I can ensure the Lin family is satisfied. That way, both marriages will bring joy and benefit to our family.

Grandpa, Mom, Dad, please let me take on this responsibility. Don’t leave me feeling uneasy.”

Her heartfelt plea moved Old Master Shen, who sighed and praised her, “Good child, such a good child!”

Mr. and Madam Shen also looked at Shen Yunrui with tender affection, their eyes filled with sympathy for her thoughtfulness.

Watching Shen Yunrui’s eagerness to switch marriages, Shen Yunxuan found the situation rather amusing. Did Shen Yunrui genuinely believe that marrying into the Lin family would lead to an effortless life of wealth? Was her push for Shen Yunxuan to marry into the Huo family an attempt to see her fall into ruin along with them?

Some things never changed, even after rebirth—selfishness and malice remained her core traits. Yet, it seemed the whole family was utterly moved by Shen Yunrui’s performance.

Shen Yunxuan couldn’t help but feel touched, too. How often did someone willingly snatch away a bad hand while forcing a good one into her grasp? Such luck was rare indeed!

But luck or not, Shen Yunrui’s attempt to saddle her with a moral debt and emotional burden wouldn’t work. If Shen Yunrui wanted to “seize all the benefits” while leaving her in a pitfall, Shen Yunxuan would make sure she paid dearly for it.

Shen Yunxuan stepped forward, gripping Shen Yunrui’s hand tightly, her expression full of gratitude. “I never imagined you’d treat me so well, Yunrui. In the past, you acted one way to my face and another behind my back. I thought you hated me. It seems I was mistaken.

But this is my responsibility as the eldest daughter. I’m willing to marry into the Lin family. There’s no need for you to sacrifice yourself.”

Turning to the old master, she continued earnestly, “Grandpa, it’s settled then. I’ll marry into the Lin family and fulfill our debt of gratitude on your behalf. Please arrange for a few teachers to instruct me before the wedding. I’ll learn to be considerate, to be a virtuous wife and mother, and to ensure the Lin family is entirely satisfied. I won’t let you lose face.”

Shen Yunrui’s expression darkened. How could things, which were practically set in stone, suddenly take this turn? Was Shen Yunxuan genuinely moved by her act? What now? What could she possibly do?

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆