That’s the thing - she might have suffered in her previous life because of her involvement with him, but there’s no way to know if her life would’ve been better with anyone else. Given her (lack of) real support from her family and her tarnished reputation, probably not. Being forewarned about the true nature of people around him, An Wang may actually still be the best chance for her to live safely and well. Especially since he is aware of how much he love(d/s) her and she clearly has a nascent attraction to him also.