After Amnesia, the Childhood Sweetheart Became the Young General’s Pampered Darling

Shen Zuihuan, a fourteen-year-old girl in her previous life, wakes up after what she believes was a single night of sleep to find herself in the body of a twenty-one-year-old woman. She is lying in an opulent bedchamber, surrounded by unfamiliar luxury, and is immediately approached by a young girl of about four who calls her "Mother." Shen Zuihuan is bewildered, as she has no memory of being married or having a child. She discovers that seven years have passed, and she is now the wife of Gu Changce, a man she hated intensely during her adolescence. The little girl, Gu Tang, is eager for her mother's affection, but Shen Zuihuan remains cold and confused, unable to reconcile her current reality with her memories of being a betrothed teenager.

Shen Zuihuan’s confusion deepens when she learns that her husband is Gu Changce, the boy she despised most at fourteen. In her past life, she was engaged to Wei Xianyù, a gentle and refined man, and viewed Gu Changce as a disruptive nuisance. The revelation that she broke off her engagement with Wei Xianyù to marry Gu Changce is shocking to her. Gu Tang explains that her parents fell in love after Wei Xianyù’s family was demoted and he left the capital, but Shen Zuihuan finds this narrative difficult to accept. She suspects that Gu Changce forced the marriage, a suspicion confirmed when she recalls his aggressive behavior in their youth. Despite her internal turmoil, she tries to maintain composure, especially when Gu Changce enters the room. He appears stern and distant, carrying a scar on his face that marks his transformation from a playful youth to a formidable military general.

Gu Changce is equally perplexed by Shen Zuihuan’s behavior. He notices that she does not display the usual hatred and avoidance she exhibited for years. When she tentatively calls him "Husband," he is stunned, fearing that her amnesia is a temporary reprieve before she remembers the pain he caused her. Liu Heyu, the family physician, diagnoses Shen Zuihuan with amnesia caused by a high fever and drowning incident, predicting that her memory may return as she recovers. Gu Changce is torn between relief that she is not currently rejecting him and dread that she will eventually remember the truth. He decides to keep the full story of their forced marriage secret, allowing Gu Tang to continue lying about their romantic past to preserve the fragile peace.

As Shen Zuihuan spends more time with her new family, she begins to soften toward Gu Tang, finding the child’s affection endearing. She also reconnects with her childhood maid, Qiu Yan, and discovers her old pet cat, Xiao Hua, whom she thought was lost. These small comforts help her adjust to her new life, though she remains wary of Gu Changce. Their interactions are awkward; he is careful not to provoke her, while she is uncertain how to navigate a marriage with a man she once loathed. Gu Changce’s protective nature becomes evident when he rushes to her side after hearing a noise during her bath, revealing his deep concern for her safety despite her coldness.

The narrative flashes back to their youth, revealing the origins of their conflict. Gu Changce, initially jealous of Wei Xianyù’s closeness to Shen Zuihuan, sought her attention through provocation. When Wei Xianyù departed for Jiangdu, Gu Changce confessed his feelings, only to be rejected. Heartbroken and prideful, he left for the border, where he served for two years. Upon returning, he learned of Shen Zuihuan’s engagement to Wei Xianyù and, in a moment of desperation and selfishness, used his military merits to force an imperial decree of marriage. This act shattered their relationship, leading to five years of silence and estrangement. Shen Zuihuan, unaware of these details, begins to suspect that Gu Changce’s actions were driven by obsession rather than malice, especially when he reveals he traveled hundreds of li to rescue her lost cat.

As Shen Zuihuan’s memory begins to flicker back, she experiences vivid dreams that blur the line between past and present. One night, she wakes from a dream involving Gu Changce and accuses him of being a rogue, only to realize she may have remembered only fragments of their intimate life. Gu Changce, sensing her confusion, remains gentle and patient, hoping to rebuild their relationship from scratch. The story concludes with Shen Zuihuan grappling with her dual identity, trying to understand the woman she has become while holding onto the memories of the girl she was. Gu Tang, eager for her mother’s love, continues to weave her fabric of lies, hoping to keep her family together. Gu Changce watches over them both, caught between his guilt for past actions and his hope for a future where Shen Zuihuan might finally accept him.