The Archduke's Songbird - Chapter 3: The Slap

Penny has three brothers: one is a billionaire CEO, the second is the youngest military lieutenant, and the last is a successful actor.These three successful men had only one common ground: bullying Penny, their sore-eye of a little sister. The sister they never wished to have, and the one who claimed to be their real sister, while the sister they treasured all this time was a fake.After living a life of maltreatment in her aunt's home, some people of high standing came to Penny with news of her real parentage. She thought she was finally saved from her aunt’s clutches, unaware that what awaited her was worse.At 13, Penny only wished for one thing: for her brothers to love her and treat her like family, just as much as they loved their fake sister. She worked and studied ten times harder than anybody else just to be accepted by them. In her desperation, she foolishly fell into a trap set by a malicious person, not knowing her actions would result in the downfall of her brothers and her ending up in jail with a death sentence.On her execution day, Penny had only one thought in mind:If she ever got to go back in time, her brothers could pamper their fake sister for all she cared! She wanted nothing to do with them! And much to her surprise, Penny found herself back on the day it all began: the day she was born.As promised, this time, she wouldn’t foolishly try to earn her brothers' love and affection. Never mind family! She’d just make a lot of money, live in luxury, and make a family of her own!But wait, why is it now that she didn’t want anything to do with her brothers, they kept poking their noses into her business? Weren’t they supposed to pamper their fake sister? Why won’t they leave her alone?!And how on earth was she married in this lifetime? To make matters worse, this husband she never had in her first life was suddenly volunteering to be the father of her children?!

William was but an ordinary man—until fate saw fit to thrust him fifteen years into the past. Yet, this was no mere journey through time; he awoke not in his own flesh, but in that of the third son of Duke Herne, the most formidable noble in the realm.Now, amidst the glittering halls of power, where smiles conceal daggers and honour is but a well-spoken lie, William must navigate a world where commoners are naught but dust beneath the boots of the aristocracy. In this treacherous game of deception and ambition, he must learn quickly—for in the world of the nobility, ignorance is a death sentence----------------------------Hear ye, my loyal readers… From this day onward, updates shall be limited to three chapters per day—no more!Alas, my quill grows weary, and my stockpile of chapters runs thin. The weight of silence presses upon this tale, and my passion falters…I ask but a simple boon—Golden Tickets and a flood of reviews! Shall this humble plea go unanswered?.

As Mingguang Sect’s esteemed Immortal Master, Yi Ning had never experienced much heartbreak and suffering. He had always expected his life to be smooth-sailing, and was only waiting to ascend before marrying his disciple with whom he shared mutual affection.

However, he had never expected that on a rainy night, his disciple brought back a childhood friend.

They were close and intimate, to the point… of sharing a bed.

Standing before the bed where they were entwined, Yi Ning’s heart was as cold as sunken ice. He had wanted to end it all cleanly and straightforwardly, yet had never expected that his disciple not only wanted his childhood friend, but wanted his Shizun too.

His disciple shattered his spiritual core and laid down a hex, throwing him into the main hall to await nightfall to consummate their relationship.

Just as he had fallen into despair and wanted to end his life, he unexpectedly discovered a strange book. The book detailed his life, and the him it described, from beginning to end, was nothing more than a tool used to satisfy his disciple’s desire to conquer, lowly and wretched as a cultivation furnace.

Yi Ning’s head spun, and his heart gave birth to a strong hatred. He dragged his wrecked body to the back of the mountain and released the Demon Venerable Yan Xuan, who he had personally sealed nine years ago.

In return for undoing the seal, Yan Xuan would aid him in escaping.

After the man heard the reason why, he leaned against the wall and smiled with a hint of mockery. Yi Ning had thought he was going to ridicule him for having deserved it, being betrayed by an ingrate who bit the hand that fed him.

Yet, what he never expected was for Yan Xuan to reach out and tug him into his embrace, and the words that left his mouth were instead:

“You fool, I’ll help you take revenge.”

After this, he killed all those who wronged him, and cradled him close to his heart.

He wants to shatter your cultivation and mangle your limbs, to turn you into a bird in a cage, free for him to humiliate.

Yet, with this lowly and dirty heart of mine, I want to pull you from the swamp and cut down the heavens for you.

- Description from Novelupdates

Lin Yan is a professional car racer who fell from grace after her sister set her up. She becomes an actress for the sake of her boyfriend, who later cheats on her with her sister. Her life, career and relationships reach a slump.

Enter Pei Yucheng, the president of the JM corporation—a multinational conglomerate. He is unfathomable, cold and aloof. At random, he would mysteriously lose control of himself, and Lin Yan is the only one who is able to calm him down. The first time she meets him, she feels an indescribable fear deep within her soul. Unbeknownst to her, they had met each other a long time ago, but she had chosen to forget him…

Soon, something puzzling and strange begins to happen to her. Occasionally, she loses consciousness and ends up in Pei Yucheng’s room the next day, completely unaware of how she ended up there. She suspects that something has possessed her…