4:00 PM.
Royal Grand Hotel, banquet hall.
Hundreds of journalists stood ready, their cameras poised.
The flashes of light converged into a sea of stars.
As the banquet hall doors slowly swung open, every lens focused on the entrance.
Lu Chenyuan stepped in, not clad in a suit but in simple dark casual wear.
In his arms, secured by a baby carrier, was a swaddled bundle—Lu Shi'an, fast asleep.
His towering figure stood like a mountain, shielding the child securely against his chest.
Close behind him was Mo Qingli.
She wore a beige trench coat, her long hair cascading over her shoulders.
A faint, composed smile graced her face.
Her hand rested lightly on Lu Chenyuan’s arm.
And so, the family of three stepped into the world’s spotlight.
There was no trace of exhaustion or distress.
Not a shadow of the hardships they had endured.
They looked like a young couple returning from a blissful vacation.
Calm, serene, happy.
This moment alone was a silent declaration.
A statement that they stood here as victors.
The couple took their positions at the podium.
Lu Chenyuan adjusted his hold slightly, ensuring his son slept undisturbed.
He said nothing, merely scanning the room with quiet composure.
Mo Qingli stepped forward and took the microphone.
The room fell instantly silent.
"Thank you for your concern, members of the press," she began, her voice gentle.
"I know you have many questions."
"You may begin."
The first question came from A Nation’s largest news network.
"Ms. Mo, how do you feel at this moment? And what would you like to say to the J Country government?"
The question was pointed, designed to provoke resentment.
Mo Qingli smiled.
"My feelings can be summed up in one word: homecoming."
"As for the J Country government," she paused,
"I believe the president’s recent speech already reflects their stance. A nation that looks forward deserves respect."
Her answer was flawless—expressing joy at returning while deftly deflecting the question.
The second question came from Xia Country’s official news agency.
"President Lu, President Mo, welcome home. Will this experience affect the overseas investments of companies like Yuanlong and Hanqing?"
This, too, was critical—tied to vast economic stakes.
Mo Qingli glanced at Lu Chenyuan.
With a slight nod, they shared a wordless understanding.
"Technology knows no borders," Mo Qingli replied, her tone still measured.
"We have always believed that openness and cooperation are the only paths to human progress."
"We will not let isolated incidents shake our convictions."
"Yuanlong and its partners will continue to welcome all markets that honor rules and respect partnerships."
This was not just a corporate pledge but a reflection of Xia Country’s official stance.
The atmosphere grew increasingly charged.
Questions came one after another.
Mo Qingli handled each with effortless grace.
What could have been a tense confrontation became an elegant, poised performance.
Finally, a journalist from a J Country outlet got his turn.
He rose, visibly nervous.
"Ms. Mo, Mr. Lu, I apologize for what you endured in our country."
His opening carried remorse.
"My question is this: Setting aside politics and business, as ordinary people who lived here for three years—how do you view this nation and its people?"
The question stripped away grand narratives, returning to raw humanity.
Every camera fixed on Mo Qingli.
Everyone wanted to hear how a woman imprisoned for three years would respond.
Mo Qingli was silent for a moment.
She turned to look at her son in Lu Chenyuan’s arms.
Her gaze softened instantly.
When she faced the cameras again, her smile was warm and genuine.
"J Country is a beautiful land," she said.
"Here, we witnessed the most stunning maple leaves and the coldest snow."
"We met friends like Lu Jinlin and Liu Jiuwen—people who upheld justice and conscience."
"And we received countless anonymous acts of kindness and support from ordinary J Country citizens."
She paused, her eyes sweeping the room.
"Of course, we also experienced the arrogance of power and the bias of justice."
She didn’t shy away from the darkness.
"But," her voice grew firm and bright,
"A nation’s greatness isn’t measured by never making mistakes, but by its courage to correct them and choose its own path."
"As we’ve seen today."
"So, toward J Country, I hold no resentment—only blessings."
"May this nation truly step out from history’s shadow and embrace an independent future."
"May its people live in a land that grows more just, open, and prosperous."
With that, she gave a slight bow.
The room was dead silent.
Then, after a few seconds—
Applause broke out.
At first scattered, then swelling into thunderous acclaim.
Even the most cynical journalists clapped sincerely.
They were utterly moved by this woman’s grace and magnanimity.
No complaints, no tears, no stoking of hatred.
Standing at the pinnacle of victory, she chose to extend dignity and goodwill to her adversaries.
That was true strength.
...
The press conference ended.
Lu Chenyuan’s family, escorted by security, returned to their penthouse suite.
The moment the door closed—
Mo Qingli’s tension visibly melted away.
Lu Chenyuan immediately steadied her.
"Tired?" he asked softly.
"Yes," she exhaled, leaning into him.
Downstairs, she had been an armored warrior.
Now, in their private space, she could finally let her guard down.
Lou Mengling and Lin Shuhan rushed over, their eyes glistening.
"Come, sit down and rest."
"Qingli, you were incredible just now," Lou Mengling murmured, her voice thick.
Lin Shuhan wiped her tears. "I’m so proud of you."
Mo Qingli smiled.
She took Lu Shi'an from Lu Chenyuan’s arms and held him close.
The baby seemed to sense his mother’s emotions.
He nuzzled against her, sighing contentedly in his sleep.
Lu Chenyuan wrapped his arms around them from behind.
He bent close to her ear and whispered,
"Qingli, out there—you were the brightest light in the world."
She turned her head and kissed his cheek.
"Because you were behind me."

reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?

Heart] Chen Yi traversed the cultivation world for eight hundred years, charging his way to the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Just as he was outwitting his 81st Heavenly Tribulation to ascend to immortality, he was suddenly pulled into a chat group called the "Multiverse Transmigrators Support Group." To his surprise, the group was filled with nothing but fresh-faced newbies who had just transmigrated. [Help! I transmigrated into a disgraced concubine in the cold palace, and the tyrant emperor is about to execute me!] [I ended up as a cannon-fodder villain, and the protagonist is still chasing me—WTF!] [I woke up as the protagonist’s father, but I’m about to be sacrificed in a ritual! What do I do? Urgent!!!] Chen Yi stared at the chaotic flood of desperate pleas in the group and fell into deep thought. "Seriously? You drag me into a newbie transmigrator chat group… only after I’m one step away from becoming an immortal?"

. 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!"

Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"