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

"Xiao Chen! Come downstairs and eat your breakfast!" A voice called from downstairs.

"Ughh…" Lu Chen groaned as he woke up. *Huh?* His eyes widened in realization. *I'm waking up? I didn't die?!* Confusion flooded his mind.

The last thing he remembered was lying in a pool of his own blood, watching Long Shen and Liu Fei Fei. But now, as he looked around, this wasn't his bedroom—at least, not the one he remembered.

Lu Chen stumbled toward the mirror in the corner of the room and froze. His face was half-buried under god-awfully long hair! His mouth fell open so wide someone could've stuffed an apple inside.

The reflection staring back was unmistakably *him*—but a different version. More specifically, his *younger* self.

*Am I really in the past?* Lu Chen's pulse quickened as he scrutinized his reflection. He couldn't deny it. This was how he'd looked at eighteen.

Still reeling from the impossible situation, he barely registered his mother's voice calling again—this time sharper.

"Xiao Chen! Get down here now! Your breakfast is getting cold!" Her tone dripped with irritation.

Lu Chen snapped out of his daze. *It can't be…* He bolted downstairs, heart pounding, praying this wasn't some cruel illusion.

Tears welled in his eyes as he stepped into the dining room. His father sat reading the newspaper, his brothers chatting casually at the table.

"Xiao Chen, you should've come down sooner!" A woman in her mid-thirties emerged from the kitchen, radiating warmth. But when Zhang Wenling—Lu Chen's mother—saw his tear-streaked face, her expression shifted to alarm. "Xiao Chen! What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

*It's really them.* Lu Chen wiped his eyes hastily. "Nothing, Mom. Just… something in my eye." He couldn't tell her the truth—that he was *overjoyed* to see her alive. Not just her, but his entire family.

The memories crashed over him like a wave. His father, killed in a car accident. His mother, consumed by grief, taking her own life. His brothers, vanishing one by one under mysterious circumstances—each life cut short too soon.

Yet here they were, alive and whole, right in front of him.

"Lu Chen, you look like you got scammed out of your soul. Go wash your face." The teasing remark came from Lu Hao, his second brother—a wild-haired, sharp-featured young man in his early twenties who exuded careless charm.

Lu Chen turned to him, a small smile tugging at his lips. Lu Hao's jabs were always playful, even if he'd never admit it. "Okay, Second Brother," he replied warmly.

Lu Hao's eyebrows shot up. *Did the sun rise backward today?* Normally, his little brother would've fired back with a snarky retort. This was… weird.

He strode over and pressed a hand to Lu Chen's forehead. "You feeling alright, little bro? Did you eat something weird last night?"

"…" *Never mind. Still an ass.* Lu Chen opened his mouth to retaliate, but another voice cut in.

"Lu Hao, stop pestering Lu Chen!"

Lu Aotian, the eldest brother, intervened. The polar opposite of Lu Hao—polished, composed, every inch the responsible role model—he fixed them both with a stern look before adding, "And Xiao Chen, go clean yourself up. I can still see drool stains on your face."

"Yes, sir," the two chorused in unison.

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