Of Arms and Arcane - Chapter 144

On their wedding night, she gnashed her teeth, yelling, “Your Highness, that’s shameless!”

Set off by the flickering light of red candles, he curved the corner of his mouth into a wicked grin, “Actually, I can be more shameless…”

…

When they met for the first time, he was the young prince who lived in his day of brilliance, while she was the pampered princess of the adjacent state.

When they met again, he became the crippled underdog suffering from frustration, while she became the lackluster hostage stranded in an alien land.

In his mid-life, he was defeated in the fight and had his legs broken; his wife passed away and he didn’t have anything left except his father’s detestation… After constant blows took the edge off his spirit, all he wanted was nothing but serenity.

In her teen-age, her state perished and her home lost; she lapsed into an awkward situation after being abandoned and having her marriage annulled… As endless hardships isolated her from happiness, everything she wished for was no more than peace.

…

“Lu Zhishan, when I first met you, I didn’t think I’d marry you…too old,” after years passed by, one day, she lay on his laps mumbling, with a kind of hazy beauty on her boozy face, “and lame.”

“Mu Nanzhi, you have the wrong memory. At our first meeting, I’m neither old nor limp.”

“…When was that?”

“When people were celebrating your first birthday,” that man assumed all gentleness and joy crept on his eyes and brows, “On that day, you were ‘drawing lots’ in the rear hall. I also sneaked there to have a look. But, out of my expectation, you directly grabbed my true-love knot.”

…

How vivid the red love pea is embedded in the exquisitely carved dice,

Just as my feelings for you deep in my bones.

- Description from Novelupdates

Thirty years old—that was the age people often referred to as the time to stand tall and firm.At this age, some were splendid and dazzling, intoxicated in a world of wealth, while others were desolate and dim, confined to rope beds and clay stoves.Lin Mo belonged to the latter. At thirty, he was still a porter, toiling away to earn a living.His daughter was bullied by a male classmate at school—simply because his family was well-off, the school chose to turn a blind eye. His wife, already pregnant, was secretly working at a supermarket to supplement the household income without his knowledge.As he lay awake looking at his wife by his side and his daughter sleeping soundly in the little bed, Lin Mo felt so aggrieved he shed tears. Despite working hard every day until his back could no longer straighten, he still couldn't change the dire state of their lives.However, it was at this time that the Daily Intelligence System suddenly awoke.[Daily Intelligence has been updated][1. Neighbor Wang Youcai secretly used his retirement funds to tip 10,000 yuan to a beauty in a live stream under the nickname Black Chicken.][2. The police will perform a surprise inspection at the Red Romance Foot Bath at 12 o'clock tonight.][3. Victory Bird will launch a ground assault against Hass in three days.][4. The pet dog from 1402, Unit 1, Building 5 of Earth Garden Community is missing, and its owner Li Xiaoru is offering a 10,000 yuan reward for its return.][5. The pet dog belonging to Li Xiaoru that went missing is trapped in a sewage drain on Development Road.][6…]Initially, Lin Mo just wanted to use this system to make a bit of extra cash to alleviate his stifling life.

Zaria of the village of Latian. A former skilled mercenary with a strong, beautiful face and a tall, voluptuous body, she fell in love at first sight with the kind and gentle villager Albert, and since then has quit rough work and lived as a married woman devoted to him. It seemed as though their happy days would continue forever, but one day her husband Albert was injured at work, and he was barely able to stand or walk. To cover her immediate living expenses and her husband's medical expenses, Zaria uses her “previous job” to become a sword instructor for the son of a certain lord, but...

Lin Wan transmigrated into a book and became the stepmother of the male lead. Her husband was an undisputed big shot in commerce and was cold, decisive, and ruthless. Her stepsons were each more eccentric and difficult than the other… until they took part in a variety show as a family. Five families were competing, each of which was perfectly harmonious…

Except for Lin Wan’s family. Naturally, they were the control group once the variety show aired. Every other family would have scenes of the parents cooking and the children helping adorably, a picturesque sight of family harmony. On the other hand, Lin Wan and her three stepsons ignored each other as they had crackers and ham for their dinners amidst an eerie silence. At night, while the other families went out happily stargazing and moon-watching, Lin Wan and her stepsons told each other horror stories, leaving the viewers petrified! Netizens were flaming as they watched, but they soon noticed that the control group was changing…

Even though the eldest son insisted that he disliked his stepmother, he sneaked off to buy her a scarf! The second son declared his favorite person was his father but voted for his stepmother instead! The third son was also caught putting his stepmother’s favorite candy below her pillow! The netizens were shocked, but it’s true: the tsundere stepsons were extraordinarily close with their stepmother!