Worth Fighting For

"Miss! The Wan family has sent representatives to discuss the marriage, congratulations, Miss, joyous events are near!"

The familiar voice jolted Evelyn Gu back to reality.

"Jade..."

She turned to look at the youthful and familiar face before her, disbelief leading her to gently touch the warm, soft skin.

The tactile sensation sent a shiver down Evelyns spine, confirming this was no dream鈥攕he had been reborn!

Jade, puzzled by her mistresss unusual behavior, thought perhaps Evelyn hadnt rested well, as shed been acting strangely since waking.

"Jade, you mentioned the Wan family is discussing the marriage?" Evelyn asked, gripping Jades arm tightly.

If her memory served, the Wan familys visit to discuss her marriage coincided with her fifteenth year, the year she came of age. This meant she had indeed returned to life, eight years back.

Jade nodded with a bright smile, "Indeed, just a few days after your coming-of-age ceremony, the Wan family is eager to discuss the wedding date with Prince Hong. Miss, you mustnt dawdle and should start embroidering your dowry. Prince Hong seems impatient!"

In the past, such words would have made Evelyn blush with embarrassment, but now, she had no heart for it.

"Lets go!"

"Miss, you cant go there. Discussing marriage is a matter between two families. Its not appropriate for a lady to..."

Ignoring convention, Evelyn lifted her long skirt and sprinted, no, she could not marry Howard Wan! She absolutely could not!

She and Howard Wan had been betrothed since childhood, a match made in heaven, as the world saw it. The Wan family, a scholarly household of repute, and Howard, a gentleman of letters and grace, were the ideal choice for many in the imperial city. Once, she too had thought so, but in reality, he was a monster in sheeps clothing.

Howard married her for her substantial dowry and the influence of her maternal family. It was all a plot...

The Chu family, betrayed and framed as traitors, suffered a tragic end, and he rose through their demise. On the day the Chu family was executed, she knelt before him, begging for justice for her family, only to be handed a cup of poison in return.

It was then she realized the downfall of the Chu family was all his doing.

She remembered his cruel words as he pinched her jaw, "Born of a family of warriors, yet pretending to be so delicate and refined, its sickening. In bed, youre like a corpse, not like Yanyan, full of charm and intrigue. With the Chu family gone, whats left for you to hold high?"

Poisoned and in agony, she was filled with regret and hatred.

To match her scholarly fianc茅, she had learned to write poetry and play the lute, forsaking her true love for horse riding. For his career, she had shamelessly taken silver from her family to pave his way...

Evelyns thoughts surged as she ran, her body trembling uncontrollably, when she tripped, about to fall.

"Evelyn, even hearing about the Wan family discussing the wedding date cant make you this eager, can it? A girl grown up has to be married soon..."

A pair of warm, strong hands caught her in time, a voice laced with amusement.

"...Big brother!"

Evelyn slowly lifted her head, tears welling up at the sight of her brothers face.

Victor Gu, seeing her tears, immediately panicked, disregarding their guest, and hurriedly comforted her, "Whats wrong? Who has bullied my sister? Its alright, its my fault for teasing you."

"Big brother!~"

Evelyn hugged Victor tightly, relieved that fate had given her another chance. She vowed that in this life, she would not let the tragedy of the Chu family and herself repeat.

Victor, bewildered, gently patted her back while casting a sharp glance at Jade, who was out of breath from running.

Jade, innocent, shook her head, unaware of what had happened. Her mistress had been fine before sleep.

"Alright, Evelyn, tell big brother whats going on."

"Big brother... Can I ask you for a favor? You must help me!"

Evelyn wiped her tears, realizing she had acted too impulsively. Even if she rushed over now, it would be useless.

Their father was a man of his word, and both families had already agreed to the marriage. If she suddenly said she wanted to break off the engagement, it would not only fail but also give the Wan family a reason to pressure the Chu family over the marriage.

This marriage had been set by her grandmother and the old lady of the Wan family. Her grandmother would never allow any issues with this marriage.

"Evelyn, dont worry, just tell me."

Victor finally sensed something was amiss with his sister, his voice softening as he asked seriously.

"Big brother! I dont want to marry Howard Wan, big brother, I cant explain now, but you must go to the front hall... say theres an urgent military matter in the camp that father needs to deal with, Jade, you go tell my mother that Im not feeling well." Her grandmother was at Uncle Duanyangs house, and both her parents were away, so the marriage discussion would be temporarily shelved.

"Miss?!" Jade thought she had heard wrong.

Victor looked at Evelyn in disbelief, "Evelyn, you cant joke about this. Youve been looking forward to marrying Howard Wan since you were little!"

"Big brother! Ill explain later, you go quickly! Dont worry, Im not talking nonsense or joking, just help me first."

Evelyns tears threatened to fall again.

If she told her brother now that Howard Wan was not a good person, not only would he likely not believe her, but also, given his temperament, he would want to get to the bottom of it immediately.

"It must be for a reason that your sister says this. Marriage is not a matter to be taken lightly, and since both families have already agreed, discussing the wedding date today is not a big deal. Seeing how anxious your sister is, you might as well listen to her and go, then ask for details when you return," the man who had been observing quietly suddenly spoke.

Julian Chu! Evelyn had noticed him from the start but deliberately pretended not to see him.

Julian Chu, the heir to the Glorious Duke Mansion, a true prodigy, born to a royal princess and the Duke of Glorious. Unfortunately, rumors claimed he had a harsh fate, causing the death of his birth mother and making the Duke of Glorious harbor resentment towards him, leading to his upbringing by the Old Duke. The Old Duke and the royal family, pitying him for losing his mother at a young age, spoiled and indulged him, turning him into the number one dandy in the imperial city.

But all of this was an illusion. Beneath the veneer of a dandy, he hid a brilliant mind. If she hadnt witnessed it in her past life, she would see him like everyone else.

During the War of the Five Kings, when the royal family was on the brink of being forced into the palace, he saved the day. In times of chaos, he took command and restored order to the court, earning the fear and respect of all. He risked his life during the Yuzhou flood, managing the disaster and comforting the people, helping them rebuild their homes...

In her past life, she had often advised her brother to spend less time with him. It was, of course, but there was another reason she was displeased with Julian Chu: he was Howard Wans archenemy and a stumbling block in Howards career, one of the few rivals Howard had.

Victor, hearing his friends words, pondered for a moment and looked at Evelyn with a sigh. He had only one sister, and marriage was indeed no laughing matter. She was not usually one to make a fuss, so he decided to comply with her wishes for