Jingzhou International Airport, Terminal 3.
A flight from Africa touched down smoothly.
Lu Chenyuan stood at the exit of the VIP passage, waiting quietly.
Behind him, Zhang Qi held a spare trench coat, his expression tinged with anticipation.
Over a year had passed.
The Lu family’s little princess was finally coming home.
The passage doors slid open, and passengers began streaming out.
Lu Chenyuan’s gaze quickly locked onto two figures.
The girl walking ahead wore a simple white T-shirt and khaki cargo pants, her feet clad in a pair of worn-out hiking boots.
Her skin, bronzed from long exposure to the sun, was a far cry from the porcelain-white glow of the young lady she had once been.
Her hair was tied back into a neat ponytail, revealing a smooth forehead.
Her face bore no trace of makeup, yet her eyes shone with an unmistakable brightness.
This was Lu Qianqian.
A step behind her was Ji Wushuang.
Ji Wushuang was dressed in her usual black tactical gear, her demeanor steady and alert, as if even returning home hadn’t eased her vigilance.
She moved like Lu Qianqian’s shadow—silent but radiating strength.
Lu Qianqian spotted Lu Chenyuan.
Her steps faltered for a moment, and a glimmer of tears instantly welled up in her calm eyes.
She quickened her pace, nearly breaking into a run as she rushed toward him.
"Big Brother."
Her voice was slightly hoarse, devoid of the spoiled sweetness it once held.
"I’m back."
Lu Chenyuan raised his hand, intending to pat her head as he used to.
But halfway through the motion, he stopped.
The girl before him was no longer the delicate flower that needed his protection.
She seemed taller, standing straighter.
Like a tree that had weathered storms, she now stood strong enough to face the winds on her own.
He withdrew his hand and instead gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, a faint smile of pride tugging at his lips.
"Welcome home."
Those four simple words shattered Lu Qianqian’s composure.
She threw herself into Lu Chenyuan’s arms, burying her face in his chest as her shoulders trembled violently.
This past year, she had endured too much.
She had witnessed the most harrowing poverty and faced the most perilous chaos.
She had seen a child’s angelic smile over a single piece of clean bread.
She had huddled with Ji Wushuang in abandoned shelters, sleepless through nights filled with gunfire and explosions.
She had learned about her parents’ bitter split, her own origins, and the man named Li Xiujian—her biological father and her brother’s sworn enemy.
She had never cried in front of Ji Wushuang.
She had never shown a sliver of weakness to anyone.
But in this moment, reunited with her brother, every wall she had built crumbled to dust.
Lu Chenyuan said nothing, only gently patting her back.
This embrace was a release she had delayed for a year.
It took a long while before Lu Qianqian finally lifted her head.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, but her gaze was clear again.
"Big Brother, sorry for embarrassing you."
"Silly girl," Lu Chenyuan murmured. "Let’s go home."
He turned to Ji Wushuang and gave a nod. "Ms. Ji, thank you for your hard work."
"Just doing my job," came her characteristically terse reply.
She handed a heavy tactical backpack to Zhang Qi while lifting another suitcase herself, following the Lu siblings without another word.
Zhang Qi nearly stumbled under the backpack’s weight.
He stifled a gasp—this was definitely not filled with cosmetics or pretty dresses.
The group made their way to the parking lot and soon arrived at the Lou family estate.
Lou Mengling was already waiting at the entrance.
The moment she saw her daughter—darker, leaner, and visibly changed—tears spilled from her eyes.
"Qianqian!"
"Mom." Lu Qianqian stepped forward and embraced her.
No tears, no childish whining.
She simply patted her mother’s back, soothing her.
The once-spoiled princess had learned to comfort others.
"Mom, I’m fine. Don’t worry."
Lou Mengling studied her daughter’s mature, steady demeanor, torn between heartache and pride.
Her little girl had truly grown up.
Lou Mengling had prepared a welcome feast for Lu Qianqian.
Lu Mingye was absent.
Since the divorce—especially after the Liu Mei incident—he had all but vanished from his children’s lives.
Only Lu Chenyuan, Lou Mengling, Lu Qianqian, and Ji Wushuang sat at the table.
"Wushuang, join us," Lou Mengling urged warmly. "We owe you so much for looking after Qianqian this past year."
"You’re too kind, Auntie," Ji Wushuang began to decline, but at Lu Qianqian’s pleading glance, she quietly took a seat.
Over dinner, Lu Qianqian shared stories of her time abroad.
She skipped the life-threatening dangers, focusing instead on the local cultures, the children’s hopeful eyes, and the simple dreams of the people she had met.
Her narration was calm and objective, yet vivid enough to transport her listeners.
Lou Mengling listened intently, her worry gradually replaced by pride.
Lu Chenyuan remained silent, occasionally serving Lu Qianqian her favorite dishes.
His gaze flickered between Lu Qianqian and Ji Wushuang.
He noticed an unspoken understanding between them.
A single glance from Lu Qianqian, and Ji Wushuang would pass her a napkin or a glass of water.
The slightest shift in Ji Wushuang’s posture, and Lu Qianqian adjusted her own demeanor or topic seamlessly.
This wasn’t just employer and bodyguard—it was the bond of comrades forged in fire.
The meal passed in warm tranquility.
After dinner, Lou Mengling pulled her daughter aside for endless chatter.
Lu Chenyuan retreated to his study.
"Come in," he said to the seemingly empty doorway.
A moment later, Ji Wushuang entered.
"Mr. Lu."
"Sit." He gestured to the sofa across from him. "Two things."
"First, thank you. You’ve done exceptionally well this past year."
He slid a black bank card toward her.
"This is your payment."
Ji Wushuang didn’t glance at the card.
"Protecting my charge is my duty."
"Fair is fair," Lu Chenyuan said mildly. "You’ve earned this."
After a pause, Ji Wushuang took the card.
"Second matter." Lu Chenyuan studied her. "I’d like to extend your contract. Qianqian’s next steps will still require your protection."
"My contract has ended," Ji Wushuang replied. "I need time to recover."
"Understood." He nodded.
"Take three months—paid. If you’re willing afterward, the position is yours. Salary doubled."
A flicker of surprise crossed Ji Wushuang’s eyes.
She met Lu Chenyuan’s gaze.
This man was always direct, always pinpointing exactly what people needed.
Money, respect, trust.
He offered them all generously.
"I’ll consider it," she said, making no promises.
"Good." He didn’t press. "I’ll wait for your answer."
The next morning, without bothering with jet lag, Lu Qianqian arrived at the top floor of Yuanlong Technologies before dawn.
She walked straight into Lu Chenyuan's office.
"Big brother, I need to talk to you about something." Her expression was serious.
Lu Chenyuan set down the documents in his hand and gestured for her to sit.
"I want to establish a foundation," Lu Qianqian said without preamble.
She placed a thick notebook on Lu Chenyuan's desk. Inside were her meticulously compiled research notes and proposals, painstakingly gathered over the course of a year.
"I've seen it in many places—international aid and charity projects are riddled with problems. Funds are used opaquely, project execution is inefficient, bureaucracy is rampant, and much of the money never truly reaches those in need."
"So, I want to create a different kind of foundation."
"One that's more professional, more efficient, and more international in its approach to charity."
Her eyes shone with determination.
"I don’t need it to be massive in scale, but I demand precision in every project we undertake. We won’t just hand out money or supplies—we’ll bring technology, education, and models that empower communities to sustain themselves."
"For example, in drought-stricken regions of the Middle East, we could fund desalination projects. In the mountainous areas of Southeast Asia, we could promote drone-assisted farming. And in refugee camps of war-torn countries, we could establish mobile online schools."
Lu Chenyuan listened quietly, flipping through her notes.
He looked at his sister, now seemingly a stranger to him, with surprise.
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
