Midas_goldturner

Lying in a pool of his own blood, Lu Chen watches helplessly as his wife clings to another man. His vision blurs, but the betrayal is crystal clear. Rage burns in his veins, but his body is too weak to move. Powerless, he can only watch as his life slips away. The final words he hears before darkness claims him are cold and mocking:
"You will always be nothing but second place."

A bullet rips through his chest, sealing his fate.

As the light fades, waves of regret wash over Lu Chen. The faces of those he neglected—those who once loved and trusted him—haunt his dying thoughts. If only he had cherished them. If only he had a second chance.

But fate isn't done with him yet.

Inexplicably, Lu Chen awakens to find himself in his 18-year-old body. The same face. The same youth. But with memories of betrayal and death still fresh in his mind. It seems the heavens have granted him the chance he so desperately wished for.

No longer the naive man who lost everything, Lu Chen is determined to rewrite his future. With the wisdom of his past and a heart hardened by pain, he vows to protect those who truly matter—and destroy those who once tore him apart.

But can he defy fate, or will the ghosts of his mistakes catch up with him once again?

3-chapters a day

From Shadows to Silver

"Fei Fei... Why?" Lu Chen hoarsely asked as he fell to his knees, clutching the bloody wound on his stomach. His voice quivered in disbelief at his wife's betrayal.

Her crystal-like black eyes glimmered through the darkness.

Her onyx eyes shone, cold and distant. A peerless porcelain-white face devoid of any impurities. Lu Chen's wife, Liu Fei Fei, was a goddess. Just by standing anywhere, she could make the surroundings seem like world-class artwork.

The two were childhood friends, arranged to be married by their families. When Lu Chen first heard about the arrangement, he was over the moon.

He had loved Liu Fei Fei ever since he was a child.

Lu Chen swore he would never let his wife suffer and vowed to make every day the happiest of her life. And he kept that promise. Every single day, whatever she desired, he fulfilled it.

Some of her demands were nearly impossible. Yet, Lu Chen always found a way to accomplish them.

Each time, he would rush to tell her, longing for her praise. He yearned for the slightest warmth in her eyes, but all she ever gave him was:

Her words were laced with indifference, her gaze devoid of compassion or love.

Even now, she showed no guilt or remorse as she clutched the knife that had pierced Lu Chen's stomach.

With trembling hands, Lu Chen slowly rose from his knees. He placed a bloodied hand on her shoulder.

"Fei Fei, I love you more than anything. I know you didn't want to marry me in the beginning… but after all these years, aren't there any feelings?"

A cold thread of dread burrowed into his heart. Tears welled in his eyes as he continued, his voice cracking, "We've been together since we were kids. How could you do this to me?"

For the first time, Liu Fei Fei's expression changed. The indifference in her eyes shifted to cold, piercing disdain. With a look of disgust, she slapped his hand away as though swatting a fly.

Her sudden hostility stunned Lu Chen.

"Lu Chen, let me ask you—when have you ever loved me?" Her voice was like ice, devoid of any warmth.

"Fei Fei! What do you mean?! I've loved you ever since we were kids!" Lu Chen roared, tears spilling freely. Blood splattered from his lips as he coughed violently.

How could she doubt my love for her?! Lu Chen's heart twisted in disbelief. The woman he had devoted his life to was questioning everything he had ever felt.

Liu Fei Fei let out a bitter chuckle, mocking his anguish.

"Love me?" she spat. "You forced me into this marriage. Don't you remember?"

She glared at him with scorn, recalling how he had once threatened to end his own life if she refused to marry him.

"That isn't love," she declared coldly. "It's obsession. You're a sick, pathetic man."

Her words were daggers, piercing Lu Chen's heart.

"Hic... No... Hic... I don't believe it." His voice broke as he sobbed, choking on his own sorrow.

But Liu Fei Fei didn't stop. Her eyes narrowed, merciless and unyielding.

"Accept reality," she hissed. "I never slept with you in our eight years of marriage. I never even once showed you affection. I never will."

The truth hit him like a sledgehammer. The years they spent together—sleeping in separate rooms, in different beds—flashed through his mind. The nights he longed for even the smallest shred of warmth, only to be met with her cold rejection.

Lu Chen wanted to speak, to plead, but all he saw in her eyes was emptiness—a void that had been there all along.

He didn't want to believe it, but now, he had no choice.

And as Lu Chen's world came crashing down, the sound of footsteps echoed from the front door.

Endless Regret Part 1