Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 18: Paper Birds (4)

A princess's duty is to be beautiful, quiet, not loud, to be seen and not to be heard, which was how Dahlia lived most of her life. Bound by the expectations of her title, she spent years trying to prove to her father that she was more than just a princess and capable of being more than an ornament in his court but each time she never got the chance. Instead, she was forced into a marriage of convenience with the bravest knight in all the kingdom, Reagan Hawthorne.Dahlia thought she would use this marriage to escape the brutal crutches of her father and glide out of her cage but Reagan’s cold disdain was an unexpected prison of its own. While he waged wars on distant lands, she stayed behind, holding his household together and protecting the people he seemed to ignore. But Dahlia carried a dangerous secret. By day, she was the perfect wife. By night, she became the “Black Knight,” a masked vigilante fighting for justice in the shadows.Reagan returned, ready to focus on his personal mission: avenging his father’s death. To him, Dahlia was just another pawn in his plans—a spoiled princess he needed to tolerate. But as cracks began to form in her perfect façade, Reagan couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his wife than met the eye.Now, with enemies circling closer and their secrets threatening to collide, Dahlia and Reagan must confront the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. But when masks fall and truths are revealed, will their fragile bond withstand the storm—or will it shatter beyond repair?One wound. One secret. One night that changes everything.

Gu Ting Yu is a veterinarian with a fear of animals. Haunted by the same nightmare all these years, he is desperate to find out the reason behind those dreams. He then travels into a fantasy realm by fate, entering the Palace of the Twelve Sacred Beasts.

Chen Xi was a jinx who radiated misfortune the way a torch radiated light, and everyone around him knew it. His entire clan was annihilated when he was young, and not too long after that his parents disappeared. His marriage contract? Poof. Torn to shreds and gone up in smoke before the eyes of everyone in the city, almost humiliating his grandfather to the point of suicide! Cultivation? No time for that, he had a family to take care of!

This is the story of Chen Xi, a youth forced to stop cultivating and instead craft talismans to pay for his younger brother’s tuition… and who, in the process, would rise to become known by all as the Talisman Emperor!

While enjoying the favor of a handsome man, she learned that her country was ruined and her family was destroyed. What should a fallen princess do?Xiang Ying says, of course, she should use space to her advantage, empty the palace, and leave nothing for the enemy army!As the captain of a post-apocalyptic infrastructure team, she was thrown into a book by an explosion.The enemy army entered the palace, famine was impending, and she was encircled as a prisoner of war, taking care of three children.Such a catastrophic beginning made Xiang Ying exclaim, the good days are coming!Compared to the post-apocalypse, what is this?On the road to exile, while others suffered, she enjoyed melons. When everyone else was munching on dry bread, Xiang Ying and her children were savoring sumptuous meals.Everyone grew thinner, except for the three children who remained plump and cheerful, patting their bellies and saying wildly: Mother, we can’t eat any more, really!Xiang Ying, holding hot pot, milk tea, and roast chicken, enjoyed the scenery along the road, hoarding supplies as they fled, making life more flavorful.The villainess mocked her: What use is only having food? You're still a conquered slave!Xiang Ying pulled out the Imperial Jade Seal: Right, from today onwards, I will be the Empress.The enemy army was dumbfounded; she never said the thirty thousand wanderers she brought were elite troops!On the day Xiang Ying restored her country, the man who accompanied her through hardships held her hand.Jie Chen: For the sake of our three children, can we finally become official?Xiang Ying: Men should keep to their places, not seek a title.Jie Chen: ...With the country as my betrothal, my Jade Seal and my nation are all yours.Xiang Ying: Deal! Tonight's our wedding night!