Spring in Gedu finally carried warmth.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a warm glow as it reflected off the windows of the Royal Grand Hotel.
Inside the suite, packed suitcases stood neatly against the wall.
Lou Mengling and Lin Shuhan were carefully folding Lu Shi'an's tiny clothes one by one, placing them into a separate baby suitcase.
Their faces brimmed with unrestrained joy and anticipation.
Everything was waiting for that final signal.
The signal arrived quietly at two in the afternoon.
No press conference, no official announcement.
Only a notice, tucked away in the most inconspicuous corner of the J Country Supreme Procuratorate's official website.
The title of the notice was unremarkable:
"Announcement Regarding the Conclusion of the Investigation into the Case Involving Xia Country Citizen Mo Qingli."
The body consisted of just a few lines.
The wording was precise, laden with legal terminology.
The core message was singular:
After a comprehensive review, no evidence was found to suggest that Mo Qingli had engaged in any activities violating J Country's laws.
Effective immediately, all restrictions on her were lifted, restoring her full freedom.
A belated exoneration, nearly three years overdue.
In an almost perfunctory manner, it declared the end of this globally watched standoff.
Lu Jinlin's legal team immediately relayed the news to Lu Chenyuan.
Lu Chenyuan glanced at his phone, his expression calm.
He walked over to Mo Qingli, who was gently tucking a thin blanket over their sleeping son.
"Qingli," he said softly.
"Hmm?"
"It's official."
Mo Qingli paused mid-motion.
She looked up, meeting Lu Chenyuan's gaze.
No excitement, no tears—just the quiet understanding and serenity of two people who had weathered storms together.
As if this were nothing more than an inevitable milestone in their long-planned journey.
"I see," Mo Qingli replied.
She leaned down, pressing a kiss to her son's warm cheek.
"Shi'an, we can go home now."
Lu Chenyuan moved closer, wrapping his arms around his wife as they both gazed at their son. Softly, he echoed,
"Shi'an, we can go home now."
……
The seemingly insignificant announcement was like a depth charge dropped into the global media’s turbulent waters.
At first, it sent out only small ripples.
Within minutes, it had stirred a tidal wave.
Major news agencies worldwide almost simultaneously pushed the story as breaking news of the highest urgency.
"J Country Declares Mo Qingli Innocent!"
"Three-Year Standoff Ends in Victory for Xia Tech Giant!"
"A Country’s Defeat? Major Shift in J Country’s Foreign Policy!"
In an instant, the world’s attention refocused on Gedu.
On that suite atop the Royal Grand Hotel.
The hotel’s phone lines were overwhelmed.
Within half an hour, the lobby below was swarmed by journalists from across the globe.
Cameras and microphones were trained on every entrance, every exit.
Like sharks scenting blood, they clamored for even a glimpse of this historic moment.
The entire hotel entered an unprecedented state of high alert.
Ambassador Li Wenbo’s call came through swiftly.
"Mr. Lu, congratulations," Li Wenbo said, his voice brimming with genuine delight.
"Thank you, Ambassador, and to all your colleagues for your hard work these past three years."
Lu Chenyuan’s gratitude was sincere—for their efforts, for every bit of support during those long years.
"It was our duty," Li Wenbo replied.
After a pause, his tone grew serious.
"You’ve seen the situation outside. What are your plans?"
"A press conference," Lu Chenyuan answered.
"To clarify everything at once."
"Understood," Li Wenbo said without hesitation.
"I’ll arrange it immediately. The venue will be the hotel—rest assured, security won’t be an issue."
After hanging up, Lu Chenyuan turned to Mo Qingli.
"Shall we do it together?" he asked.
He meant bringing Lu Shi'an along.
Letting their son witness his parents’ triumph.
Mo Qingli nodded without hesitation.
"Of course," she said, her gaze tender yet resolute.
"Our family stays together—always."
……
Just as global media braced for the press conference scheduled in an hour, J Country’s national television abruptly cut to a special broadcast.
The President of J Country was about to deliver a nationwide address.
This was highly unusual.
In J Country’s parliamentary system, the presidency was largely ceremonial.
Only during moments of national crisis or celebration did the President step forward to communicate so directly.
On screen, the President stood in a dark suit, a purple tie—symbolizing "uniqueness" and "autonomy"—knotted at his collar.
His expression was solemn, steady.
Behind him, the national flag of J Country.
He began speaking, his voice carried by radio waves to every corner of J Country—and to the world beyond.
"My fellow citizens,"
"Today is a special day."
"It marks the end of an old era, and the dawn of a new one."
……
His speech never once mentioned Xia Country, nor did it utter the name "Mo Qingli."
He spoke of J Country’s history, of its future.
He emphasized that J Country was an independent nation, with the sacred right to choose its own path.
He recounted J Country’s historical contributions as an ally of A Country.
Yet he also pointed out that, in the new global landscape, a one-sided, unequal alliance no longer served J Country’s national interests.
"The world is diverse,"
"And so too should our friendships be."
"We honor history, but we must also embrace the future."
"An open, inclusive, and equitable future."
"A future built hand in hand with all peace-loving nations."
He concluded with a weighted statement:
"J Country will stand among the world’s nations with greater maturity, greater confidence. We will create a more just and prosperous environment—for our people, and for our friends."
This speech was a political manifesto.
It provided the most authoritative endorsement for Mo Qingli’s exoneration.
It seemed to tell A Country outright: The times have changed.
It seemed to whisper to Xia Country: The foundation for cooperation is laid.
And it declared to the world: J Country will be master of its own fate.
With this masterful political address, the President of J Country secured dignity—for himself, and for his nation.
He framed a forced compromise as a deliberate strategic pivot.
Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli watched the entire speech from their suite’s television.
"J Country has no shortage of shrewd politicians," Mo Qingli remarked.
"Indeed," Lu Chenyuan agreed. "A clever opponent who knows how to adapt."
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
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.”
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
