Serenade - Chapter 4: Stepbrother

“An illegitimate child will always be an outsider.”For Yu Lixue, life in the Yu family was one of endless humiliation. As the unwanted daughter with no mother to defend her, she was treated like a pawn, used, ignored, and discarded. Her talents—her paintings, her songs—were stolen by her stepmother and conniving half-sister, who claimed them as their own. Her life was a series of shadows and silence, living under their lies.But when her half-sister fled an arranged marriage with Mo Ran, a powerful but reclusive man, the family forced Lixue to take her place. Once again, her wishes were disregarded. Her marriage to Mo Ran was cold, distant—another prison she had no choice but to endure.Until the night she died in a mysterious accident, her pleas for justice buried along with her.Yet fate gave her a second chance.Reborn into the same world that betrayed her, Lixue returns with a vow: she will take back everything they stole—her art, her voice, her freedom. And when she reenters her marriage with Mo Ran, he surprises her with a proposition: he will help her get revenge against those who wronged her. But Lixue is wary. Why is this man, who barely showed her any warmth before, now offering to stand by her side?As they plot against the Yu family, Lixue realizes that Mo Ran has his own reasons for revenge. Their alliance begins to blur the line between ally and enemy, and she questions whether he’s truly on her side or if he has his own hidden agenda.In a world filled with deceit and betrayal, Yu Lixue must decide: will she risk trusting her husband, or will she forge her own path to reclaim what’s hers, no matter the cost?Excerpt:Lixue stared down at the steaming bowl of soup on the table, blinking in surprise. Mo Ran placed it before her with a steady hand, his usual calm expression softened just slightly by a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. She tried to catch his gaze, but he’d already turned away, busying himself with the teapot.“Why are you…?” she murmured, glancing between the bowl and him, her voice trailing off.He looked up, meeting her eyes with a hint of amusement. “Why am I what?”She fumbled for words, her cheeks warming. “Why are you…being so nice to me?”A small smile played on his lips, barely there but just enough to leave her heart fluttering. “Is it so strange for a husband to be kind to his wife?”She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. The Mo Ran she remembered from her past life had been as cold as winter, never sparing her a second glance. This new version of him, warm and considerate, left her feeling…confused.“Eat,” he said, his voice soft. “You didn’t eat much at breakfast.”She nodded, taking the spoon with a slight tremor in her fingers. The soup was rich, comforting—something she would have loved as a child. The warmth of it melted away a part of her guardedness, leaving her strangely vulnerable.As she set down her spoon, she glanced at him again, still puzzled. “What’s gotten into you, Mo Ran?”“…”“Let’s just say I want to spoil you my darling..”Extra tags: #Rebirth#FaceSlapping #SchemingSister #ColdHusbandTurnedSweet#EnemiesToLovers#IllegitimateDaughter

# GROUP PAMPERING

In her previous life, Su Su offered up her life for science, and in the end, she developed a system that could let her travel through time and space, allowing her to return to a time 30 years ago, to the day before her family was destroyed.

She was only four at that time, and she was the legitimate lady of the Su family, though she ended up wandering the streets. At the same time, the imposter, Su Nan, lived a lavish life in the Su family, and she was also well loved by her brothers.

When Su Su brought with her a dirty doll and stepped into the Su family’s mansion, they were holding a grand birthday party for Su Nan. But this was also a sign that the Su family’s tragic fate was about to change!

However, the imposter, Su Nan, panicked. “She’s just a beggar, and yet she’s pretending to be Su Su! Chase her out!”

The guests snickered and agreed with her. “Where did this girl come out from? The Su family lost their eldest daughter when she’s just one years old. Someone must have told this four-year-old girl to do this, right?”

Su Su ran into her noble and reserved big brother’s arms. “Brother, I’m Su Su! I came back! If you don’t believe me, we can do a paternity test!”

In her previous life, she was only discovered and brought back to the Su family when she was an adult. Unfortunately, by then, the Su family was already persecuted to the point where it was almost ruined. This time, Su Su swore that she would save her brothers!

Much later, when the four-year-old Su Su used the technology to save the Su family, Su Nan’s real identity was exposed. In truth, the Su family’s downfall was linked to this imposter…

Eric Langley, an eighteen-year-old boy whose parents passed away three years ago, had no known relatives and was left to fend for himself. To support himself, he worked in a bakery, using his earnings to cover his daily needs and indulge in his favorite pastime—reading chapters of the novel “Humanity's Strongest Mage,” which had recently gone on hiatus.Eric had a love-hate relationship with the novel. While he was captivated by its world, he despised the Protagonist, Alex Whiteheart. Alex had it all from the start: strength, fame, money, and of course, a harem. He never faced any real challenges, effortlessly overcoming every obstacle, which made the story lack something Eric craved....... Chaos.One evening, while taking a walk with his headphones on, Eric was lost in thought. The music drowned out the world around him, and he failed to notice a car losing control and speeding toward him. The last thing he heard was a screech before everything went dark.When Eric woke up, memories flooded his mind, and he quickly realized something was wrong. He wasn't in his own world anymore; he had somehow ended up in the world of “Humanity's Strongest Mage.” To his shock, he found himself in the body of Arin Vale, an insignificant character never mentioned in the novel—a true extra.Now, armed with the knowledge of future events and driven by a desire for chaos, Arin had one goal: to disrupt the smooth journey of Alex Whiteheart, the Protagonist. He was determined to introduce Chaos into the story, making it far more interesting than it ever was, and in the process, he'll also find out that there's more to his character than just being an Extra.Let the Chaos begin!

In her previous life, Su Nuan was set up by her lover and sister, and died tragically in prison. When she woke up, she had been reborn to a time before all the tragedies had happened. At her birthday party, her sister found some kidnappers kidnaping her, trying to destroy her innocence and get her kicked out of the house. Not only did Su Nuan mess up her sister’s plan, but she also dealt with all the kidnappers.

She also rescued Mo Ting, the most powerful and handsome man in City A. To stay away from her cruel sister and hypocritical scumbag of a lover, she relentlessly clung to Mo Ting. “Uncle, for my poor sake, please help me. I’ll do anything you want.”Mo Ting: “A contract marriage for three years. I’ll give you everything you want during that time!” At first, Mo Ting thought Su Nuan was just a poor little girl who had been driven out of her home, so he helped her.

He was also using her to appease his family’s elders as they had been harping on him to get married. Later, his assistant came to report, “The principal of City A’s university is here. He wants your approval for your wife to participate in the international competition.”Mo Ting: “…Wasn’t Xiao Nuan a hopeless student?”Assistant: “Sir, Madam has blown up! The entire internet is kneeling and begging her to debut in the competition!”Mo Ting: “…When did she become so versatile?” Later, the assistant reported again: “Sir, someone from the National Medical Academy is here. They say they won’t leave if they can’t invite Madam to make an appearance!” Mo Ting: “…I must be dreaming. Go out and come in again. Let’s start over!”