This chapter explores how Chinese literature, positioned on the periphery, developed literary innovations distinct from those in Europe, thereby redefining the concept of human rights. Lu Xun’s “Regret for the Past” shows strong thematic and narrative similarities with Mori Ōgai’s “The Dancing Girl,” illustrating cross-cultural literary exchanges between China and Japan, with both works resonating with Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” Lu Xun’s engagement with German and Japanese literature, facilitated by his studies in Japan, allowed him to innovate within Chinese literary traditions, demonstrating how peripheral positions can foster unique literary contributions. Instead of simply copying European models, “Regret for the Past” shifts from satire to lyricism, incorporating the complexities of an uneven global structure into its storytelling. The story critiques Western literary influences while questioning the universalist idea that individual freedom can overcome all social constraints. With its open-ended ending, which lacks a clear teleological or ideological resolution, “Regret for the Past” highlights the ongoing struggle for individual rights in a rapidly modernizing China and foreshadows an upcoming social revolution.