Ye Lan was reborn...again. Don't ask him why it's "again"—even he's lost count of how many times he's died and reincarnated. This time, he's woken up as an abused widower in a backwater village, a bunch of toxic relatives, a so-called ‘black-hearted lotus’ friend (the kind who smiles while stabbing you in the back), and a backstory dripping with melodrama, Ye Lan snaps: “Forget this crap! Can’t I just die properly for once?!”

“...”

Ye Lan stared blankly at the thatched roof leaking sunlight. "Just let me die properly for once, you f*cking—" He exhaled sharply. Fine. He'd play along—lie low, power up slowly... Screw that! Did the heavens think he was made of clay? After being screwed over in every possible way, did they expect him to just take it?

Mutual destruction? Oh, he was an expert at that game.

Later that evening

Nan Mingyuan's voice dripped with implication in the twilight, "Lanlan, it's getting late... Shouldn't we..." His fingers inched forward.

"Yeah, it’s getting late." Ye Lan scooped up his son and smiled sweetly. "Off you go!"

SLAM!

"..."

New Quest: How to Stop Getting Locked Out by Your Wife and Child?