Thunderous applause and the frantic clicking of shutters almost blew the roof off the press conference hall.
Lu Chenyuan tightly embraced Mo Qingli in his arms, using his body to shield her from the world's commotion.
His chin gently rested on the top of her head.
All he could feel was her slight tremor and warm tears.
The security personnel from the Xia Embassy quickly stepped forward, forming a human wall to escort the two away.
The reporters pushed forward like crazy, shouting out countless questions at the top of their lungs.
"Mr. Lu, is this a political stunt?"
"Ms. Mo, when is your wedding date?"
"Will this wedding be held in Country J?"
But no one got an answer.
The figures of Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli soon disappeared at the end of the private passage.
All that was left for the world was an earth - shattering headline and countless speculations.
...
Back in the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel.
The moment the door closed, it seemed to isolate two worlds.
Outside was a storm, while inside was the tranquility after a narrow escape.
Mo Qingli leaned in Lu Chenyuan's arms, and her emotions gradually calmed down.
She looked up at him.
"Did you plan all this?"
"No." Lu Chenyuan shook his head, stroking her cheek to wipe away her tears. "When I saw that shackle, I only had one thought."
"I can't wait any longer."
"Not a single minute, not a single second."
His eyes were more serious than ever.
"So, let's get married."
"Now, right away, immediately."
Mo Qingli's heart was hit hard again.
She knew this wasn't an impulse.
It was his deepest determination.
She nodded and smiled.
Tears welled up and slipped down again.
"Okay."
This time, she didn't say "I allow it" anymore.
Just one word.
The answer of a wife.
Lu Chenyuan immediately started making phone calls.
The first one was to Lin Yuan and Ren Qian.
As soon as the call was connected, the two of them were so excited that they were babbling incoherently.
"Old Lu! You're amazing!"
"Old Lu! We've seen it all! Well done!"
"Listen to me." Lu Chenyuan interrupted their excitement. His voice was calm and decisive.
"I'm going to marry Qingli in Gotham."
"The wedding will be very simple, just held at the embassy."
"What you need to do is to stabilize the company. Tell everyone that the rhythm of Yuanlong Technology won't change at all."
"And this is an order."
Lu Chenyuan emphasized his tone.
"None of you, not a single person in the core team, is allowed to come to Country J."
"Not one."
On the other end of the phone, Lin Yuan and Ren Qian instantly understood.
This was for protection.
They were the cornerstone of Yuanlong Technology and couldn't take any risks.
"...Okay." Lin Yuan's voice was a bit dry. "We'll wait for you and sister - in - law to come home."
The call of "sister - in - law" made Mo Qingli's cheeks flush slightly.
The second call was to Mo Zhenbang.
"Uncle."
"I've seen it." Mo Zhenbang's voice carried a faint sense of emotion.
This young man always made the most unexpected but most effective responses.
"I'm going to marry Qingli." Lu Chenyuan said directly. "Right here in Gotham, in the next few days."
Mo Zhenbang was silent for a moment.
How could he not understand that this wedding was not just the union of two young people.
It was also an announcement.
An announcement to the world that the Lu family and the Mo family would be completely tied together, facing this storm together without distinction.
"Okay." Mo Zhenbang only said one word.
"I trust you."
"And I trust Qingli's choice."
"Don't worry about things at home."
The third call was to his mother, Lou Mengling.
This time, his voice softened a lot.
"Mom."
"Mom has seen it, seen it all..." On the other end of the phone, came Lou Mengling's suppressed sobs. "Good boy, good boy..."
"Mom, I'm going to marry Qingli."
"I know, I know... You've suffered..."
"The wedding will be in Gotham. You, my younger brother and sister, don't come here. It's not safe."
"No!" Lou Mengling immediately interrupted him. Her tone was more determined than ever.
"I have to go!"
"How can I miss my son's wedding!"
"And I'll also contact my in - laws. We'll go together."
"We want to see you get married with our own eyes."
Lu Chenyuan was silent.
He couldn't refuse a mother's such simple and firm wish.
"...Okay."
He looked at Mo Qingli.
Mo Qingli nodded at him, her eyes also red.
...
In a border area in Eastern Europe.
In the dusty refugee camp, the temporarily - built tent served as the office of the "Distant Foundation".
Lu Qianqian had just finished a day's distribution of supplies. There was still dust on her face as she was having a review session with the team.
She was wearing a simple windbreaker and jeans, and her hair was neatly tied into a ponytail.
Now, Lu Qianqian was no longer the little princess who needed to hide under her brother's wings.
Years of experience had turned her into a tree that could shelter others from the wind and rain.
An assistant rushed in, holding a satellite phone.
"Sister Qianqian, look at this!"
On the screen was playing the globally - shocking proposal.
When seeing Lu Chenyuan kneeling on one knee.
When seeing the glaring electronic shackle on Mo Qingli's ankle.
Lu Qianqian's pupils suddenly shrank.
She snatched the phone and stared at the screen intently.
Her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
It wasn't fear, but anger and heartache.
Overwhelming anger and piercing heartache.
"How dare they!"
She punched the table, and the water cup on it fell to the ground and shattered.
The team members around were startled.
They had never seen the always - calm and gentle Lu Qianqian show such a terrifying expression.
"Prepare the plane."
Lu Qianqian looked up, her eyes bloodshot.
"I'm going to Gotham."
"Sister Qianqian, no!" The person in charge immediately dissuaded her. "That place is now the center of the storm. It's too dangerous!"
"And our itinerary has already been reported to the United Nations. Changing it temporarily..."
"My brother is there."
Lu Qianqian interrupted him. Her voice was not loud, but it carried weight.
"My sister - in - law is there."
"They're getting married."
"I have to go."
At this time, Ji Wushuang walked in and said, "It's time to go."
Lu Qianqian looked at her "protector" of so many years, stepped forward and hugged her, choking with sobs, "Sister Wushuang..."
Half a day later, a small United Nations charter plane with the logo of the Distant Foundation took off from the temporary airport in Eastern Europe.
Its route was directly towards Gotham in Country J.
Lu Qianqian's trip was not obstructed at all.
As a world - renowned humanitarian and the so - called "Most Beautiful Princess of Xia", she had the privilege of free passage in most parts of the world.
No one dared, nor would they, to make things difficult for an "angel" walking on earth.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
