A Summer Night’s Affair

Xu En’tang discovers a trending social media post revealing that her husband, Lu Jin, returned to the country a day earlier than he claimed and met secretly with Zhao Man, a violinist who was once his high school girlfriend. The photo shows Lu Jin wearing a pair of unique cufflinks that Xu En’tang had gifted him for their first anniversary, confirming his infidelity. Shattered by the realization that their marriage was merely an act of defiance against his mother rather than a union of love, Xu En’tang confronts him. When Lu Jin dismisses the meeting as a coincidence and refuses to grant a divorce, she retreats into silence, her long-held unrequited love finally extinguishing.

Upon falling asleep that night, Xu En’tang wakes up to find herself transported back ten years to the day she first arrived in Beicheng to live with the Lu and Tan families. She realizes she has been reborn to the moment when she was sixteen years old, standing at the threshold of a life she now knows leads to heartbreak. In her previous life, she had devoted herself entirely to Lu Jin, neglecting her own ambitions and her best friend, Xia Ning, who later fell into depression and suicide. Determined to alter her fate, Xu En’tang resolves to distance herself from Lu Jin and focus on her studies and genuine relationships.

At school, Xu En’tang encounters Tan Jili, the grandson of her other guardian family, whom she had only known distantly in her past life. He is a math competition genius with a reputation for being aloof and sharp-tongued. Their interaction is awkward but marks a shift in her social circle, as she begins to connect with Tan Jili’s cousin, Yu Xiyue, and her childhood friend Xia Ning, whom she calls to prevent the tragedies that befell her in the previous timeline. Meanwhile, Lu Jin remains oblivious to her internal change, interpreting her distance as a new tactic to gain his attention. He continues to treat her with a mix of indifference and casual dominance, unaware that she no longer seeks his approval.

The core conflict arises from the disparity between Xu En’tang’s desire for independence and Lu Jin’s inability to comprehend her sudden detachment. He becomes increasingly curious and irritated by her refusal to engage in their usual dynamic, where she would eagerly follow him and seek his validation. During a gathering at a friend’s birthday party, Xu En’tang chooses to study in a quiet room rather than participate in the festivities, a decision that draws the attention of those around her. Lu Jin, noticing her absence from the main event, orders the lights to be turned on in her area, a subtle assertion of his presence that she ignores.

As the story progresses, Xu En’tang navigates her second chance with caution, building a support network that includes Tan Jili and Yu Xiyue, while actively repairing her friendship with Xia Ning. Lu Jin’s mother, Wei He, who previously looked down on Xu En’tang, attempts to maintain a facade of politeness, but Xu En’tang remains unmoved by their expectations. The narrative follows her gradual emotional liberation as she stops defining herself through Lu Jin’s gaze. Lu Jin’s confusion deepens into a persistent intrigue, as the girl who once hung on his every word now treats him with polite indifference, forcing him to confront feelings he had never before acknowledged.

The turning point solidifies when Xu En’tang fully embraces her autonomy, rejecting the role of the devoted wife who sacrifices everything for a man who does not value her. Her interactions with Tan Jili reveal a potential new connection based on mutual respect rather than obligation. Lu Jin, deprived of the attention he took for granted, finds himself unable to dismiss her as he once did. The story traces Xu En’tang’s journey from a state of blind devotion to one of self-preservation and growth, while Lu Jin is left to navigate a world where his control is no longer absolute, setting the stage for a complex reevaluation of their past and future.