The preceding plot has been filled in, please take a look.
Dear friends, with the story reaching this point, the female rebirth arc has officially concluded. This arc may have had its share of imperfections and areas that weren't quite up to par, failing to meet everyone's expectations.
The final outcome might not be what you had envisioned, but stories, by nature, always carry a touch of regret. Imperfection is the norm, so please approach it with a calm heart, without dwelling too much, and don't let this ending affect your mood.
Their relationship has reached this stage; to truly eliminate all barriers and be together now would be quite improbable. Nan Zhiyun sacrificed a great deal for Yu Jingchen. In the past, her emotions were fiery; for Yu Jingchen, she was willing to give her all, disregarding her father and the Empress Dowager's advice, acting solely on her own will. This led her to rush into a fiery abyss, leaving her with numerous wounds. She paid the most tragic price for this, one that would require a lifetime to heal. Therefore, in the remaining half of her life, she will slowly recover. However, no matter how much she heals, she will never be the person she once was, nor will she return to her former brilliance and purity. This is because she has now weathered many storms.
She became afraid, lacking the courage to attempt it a second time. Yu Jingchen was once her guiding light, but this light led her towards an abyss, making it destined that she and Yu Jingchen would have no future together.
As for Yu Jingchen, he was born into royalty. From a young age, he witnessed the most brutal struggles. The imperial palace was a sea of blood; every step he took might have been upon the remnants of spilled blood, handled with utmost precision.
Yu Jingchen had no heart, because from his birth, no one had ever taught him kindness. Instead, everyone taught him one lesson: ruthlessness and heartlessness. His own brothers could engage in fratricide, and his own children could be used as tools for vying for favor and power.
He was not the Empress Dowager's biological son. Coincidentally, the Empress Dowager was not a good person either. Thus, under her constant influence, with others sowing discord, coupled with the Empress Dowager's control and overbearing nature, he could not be free of all reservations.
At that time, he was barely ten years old, perhaps even younger. No one taught him how to distinguish right from wrong, so he could only shield himself, making himself cold-hearted and indifferent. He knew he could not have any weaknesses; a person who is cold-blooded possesses the best armor.
The heart of an emperor, the arts of an emperor – he was an emperor, destined to never let his guard down under any circumstances, nor allow his emotions to be manipulated by anyone.
Nan Zhiyun's appearance was, in essence, a threat to him, which is why he resisted. Furthermore, having been accustomed to cold-bloodedness and heartlessness for so many years, how could he be so easily conquered? Yu Jingchen was never a good person; for him, there were only objectives and methods.
Even after he perceived and understood his feelings for Nan Zhiyun, he remained restrained, because he had long been accustomed to controlling everything.
However... emotions might be the most complex thing in the world, something even he, the master strategist, could not control. Seeing Nan Zhiyun in so much pain, he felt heartache and reluctance, but that was all. At this moment, he did not possess a passionate love for Nan Zhiyun, nor had he experienced the events and insights from the main story. His feelings had only recently begun, so he was not yet capable of abandoning everything for Nan Zhiyun. Thus, the only thing he could do was... let Nan Zhiyun go.
Therefore, this final outcome is arguably the best for both of them. Nan Zhiyun's tragedy stemmed from her love for Yu Jingchen; it was her own persistent devotion. And Yu Jingchen's deepest sin was tormenting a young girl who loved him dearly. One finally let herself go, and the other finally let the other go... it was liberation.
They both had feelings for each other, but never truly loved each other reciprocally. At first, one pursued and the other fled, and neither could turn back. Later, the one who had fled turned back, only to find the pursuer had gone too far. Because the pursuer was unaware of the sudden turn back, the moment the one who had been pursuing turned around, they precisely brushed past each other, with neither looking back, as if time could not flow backward... Thus, the two ultimately moved in opposite directions.
All outcomes have their traceable origins. Perhaps some are unsatisfactory, perhaps they do not please everyone, but if an ending truly satisfied everyone, there would be no more regrets in this world. The moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival is round, but most of the time, the moon has a gap, doesn't it?
If everything were perfect, the moon would not wax and wane. The reason we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth, appreciate the moon on this day, and celebrate reunion is precisely because we feel that this day, and reunion, are hard-won.
So, if every event were complete, if the moon were round every day, would we not feel the same way on the Mid-Autumn Festival? Would we not have as much anticipation for the day of the full moon, and perhaps there wouldn't even be a Mid-Autumn Festival? Therefore... some things are cherished precisely because they are difficult to attain. Those that can be easily obtained, that can be seen every day, how can they be cherished?
So, in the end, I also hope that everyone cherishes the people around them, the things around them, and every moment of the present. I wish you all no regrets. If there are regrets, I hope this regret will become your most beautiful memory of something in the future. May every word you write as you open the scrolls of the past be as you wish.
——————————The female rebirth arc is over, and the dual rebirth arc will officially begin tomorrow. The male rebirth arc will primarily focus on tormenting the male protagonist. The male protagonist will have all the memories he had from the main story, the side stories, and his previous life. However, he won't recall them all at once; there will be intervals. The female protagonist will also have memories of her past life, but she will specifically lack memories from the main story. Her memories will consist of all the painful experiences from before.
In the dual rebirth arc, the female protagonist will hate the male protagonist, because as everyone knows, you are aware of what happened in the second life of the main story, right? Therefore, in the dual rebirth, the female protagonist will be quite different from the characters in this content. I've written so much, and I know how much you all hate the male protagonist, so if you want to see him suffer, please look forward to it.
As for the ending, that still needs some consideration. I won't spoil it, so please don't ask me whether the ending is good or bad. If I tell you, will you continue to read? Hahaha, just kidding, actually, I haven't decided myself yet.
Lastly... I've said this more than once. Comrades, let's just say, you've come this far, and you've found my book among so many others, doesn't that count as fate? So, please help me promote my book! I'm promoting myself too, but you have no idea how much they mock me. Alas, the author is not worthy anymore.
Also, no one is following me! Are you all going to abandon me after finishing this novel? How can you be so fickle and heartless? To prove that you are not like that, please follow me. Once you follow me, you'll never get lost when you want to find me. And I'm very active and responsive, you can find me anytime, hahaha.
Additionally, as I've mentioned before, I will be writing a male rebirth arc later, but it won't be in this novel. It will be updated on Weibo. So, if you're interested in this arc, be sure to find me. My nickname is "Mu Zi Ying Bao Bei Er Ah." Remember to get every character right, not a single one can be missing. There's an "Er" and an "Ah."
Due to special circumstances, some special chapters are also posted there. However, to avoid certain unexpected situations, those content are set to be visible only to fans. So, you need to follow me first and then look for it. If you absolutely can't find it, you can send me a private message, and I'll reply when I'm online.
Now comes the familiar routine: Thank you all so much!!!! Thank you 800 times a day, I love you all~ My love for you is unquestionable, it's definitely more reliable than Yu Jingchen, hahahaha.