Leading the young lady I picked up astray, making her the happiest girl in the world! - Chapter 26 - Small Gifts (1)

After blacking out at a class reunion, Li Yuan awakens in a brutal world reminiscent of ancient China. Famines rage, human life is cheap, and the specter of war looms at every corner. Worse still, the eerie rumors of monsters lurking deep in the forests and things that go bump in the night prove all too real.Now scraping by as a humble hunter in a remote village, Li Yuan must also watch over a woman entrusted to his care. Although he’s blessed with a mysterious status window, he’s still just a leaf on the wind—easily blown astray by the sweeping storms of change. Join him as he struggles to navigate political upheavals and unforeseen perils, striving to forge his own destiny as history unfolds around him.Official: Li Yuan crosses over into a martial world where demons and ghosts lie dormant, becoming an ordinary hunter struggling to survive. It’s only after he takes a wife that he discovers a status window. As the stars shift and ages pass, though seas dry and lands change, he remains steadfast and unchanging.

18 and naive, Belle Hart thought marriage would end her misery, only to realize it had just begun!What started as a promising love turned out to be a facade, would Belle choose between a second chance or leave? She met her mate, the Duke, who she proposed to when she came of age.A month in, things took a turn. The Duke leaves for war before she could inform him about her pregnancy, only for him to return with a mysterious woman whom he claimed to be his new wife! The audacity! Trouble ensued and Belle suffered a miscarriage as a result.…“What did you just say?” He asked, his gaze darkening.“You heard me well, I seek a divorce. I wish for us to go our separate ways,” she replied, her voice steady as she met his gaze with confidence, though inwardly she was shaken by his presence.“You are my mate, Belle, and I am yours. Divorce is the most foolish notion you could entertain. Do you believe any man would take a worthless creature like you as his wife?” He scoffed, his words biting, causing her heart to ache.…The Duke's refusal pushed Belle into the arms of the king. All she had to do was bear him an heir and he would help her get her revenge!“I want you to marry me, Your Majesty, and aid me in seeking my revenge against the Duke and those who have wronged me. In exchange, I shall bear you an heir before you help me,” she said, her voice steady and full of purpose.What will the choice be?

I, an ordinary high school student, Kimizuka Kimihiko, who easily gets involved in things, was appointed to take care of mysterious attache cases by mysterious men in black suits. After meeting a beautiful angel-like detective girl, named Siesta in a hijacked plane, I became her assistant.

And from there–

[You deal with the beehive, and I’ll restrain the enemy.] [Don’t make plans that make me the victim.]

We had those kinds of foolish conversations, all while being completely broke every day and fought against . Even when there were hurricanes, the weather-beaten duo sleep past it. Sometimes when we saved money at a casino, we would jump around on the beds at a resort hotel, only to be broke again the next day. We would walk through deserts, traverse through jungles, conquer mountains, cross oceans– The great detective and her assistant would go through these dazzling adventures–

Until she died.

And this story starts from 1 year after that incident.

I’m the only one who’s left, but I carry on her remained wishes.

This story is far from over..

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.