The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 26 Part 2

The master of ceremonies, startled stiff by that killing glare, no longer dared hesitate. "First bow to Heaven and Earth!"

The red veil lay on the ground, and no one bothered with it anymore. Xu Kaicheng was like a donkey being pushed to the mill—one command, one action. Song Yao cooperated well, performing even better than Xu Kaicheng.

"Second bow to the elders!"

"Bow to each other as husband and wife!"

"Escort to the bridal chamber!"

Xu Kaixuan had returned.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Returning to Guanjia Village

After returning from their seaside vacation, Zhao Shenggu threw himself back into work, while Guan Yuan was busy preparing for their trip back to Guanjia Village. No matter what, now that they were married, they needed to go back and pay their respects to Zhao Shenggu's family and his mother. Chanchan was already this big—it was time to bring him back for them to see.

When Zhao Shenggu got home, Guan Yuan was still packing.

"We don't need to prepare this much, do we? We're only going back for a few days." Zhao Shenggu looked at the several suitcases Guan Yuan had laid out and asked in confusion.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 26 Part 1

Chapter 26 

Xu Kaicheng's business was not yet finished. Having sent Zhou Qi to chase Xu Kaixuan, he then pulled over the capable momo by Wei Cai'e's side and signaled her to return to the marquis residence first to report.

Of Wei Cai'e's two trusted momo, the one who had come out today was the more capable and diligent Qian Momo. The bride-fetching procession still had to make a detour before returning, so Qian Momo could take a shortcut back first.

Thinking that Qian Momo was older, Xu Kaicheng also pulled over a young servant and two maids to run back with her first.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 25

Chapter 25

In the Marquis of Jing'an household, Xu Kaicheng, on the other hand, had slept soundly. The entire marquis household had been bustling all night, and shortly after dawn it grew even livelier. The West Courtyard, however, remained quiet, allowing him to sleep until morning.

The customs of the Rong Dynasty differed somewhat from those of the true ancient past. It was not a genuine "dusk wedding." Rather, it resembled a modern ceremony—fetching the bride early in the morning, entering the doors before noon to bow to heaven and earth, hosting guests in the afternoon, and beginning the bridal chamber festivities in the evening.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Vacation

The newlyweds, Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan, took Chanchan out to the seaside for a few days of fun.

"Daddy, Daddy…" A child's young voice rang out in the seaside villa early in the morning, but the only response was Guan Yuan pulling the blanket over his head and going back to sleep.

Chanchan tilted his head, backed up a little, then suddenly charged forward — bam! — and body-slammed onto Guan Yuan who was lying on the bed.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Yinghong acted as if she hadn't heard and got straight into the carriage. The driver had also been instructed in advance and cracked the whip and set off. The carriage wasn't slow, but it gave Xu Kaixuan enough time to react. 

Xu Kaixuan also hurriedly rushed onto his carriage and shouted at the driver, "Quick, quick, chase that carriage ahead."

The marquis household's driver was quick too. After repeatedly agreeing, once Xu Kaixuan got into the carriage, he tugged the reins, ran a few steps, jumped onto the shaft, and cracked the whip. The two carriages, one behind the other, raced toward the Song residence.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 80

Chapter 80: The Wedding

Zhao Shenggu quietly made some trouble for the newspaper that had leaked the story — really just a warning, to let them know a tiger's whiskers aren't so easy to touch. It happened to suit his purposes perfectly; otherwise, he wouldn't have let them off so easily. His slight move scared the newspaper half to death.

Sure enough, not long after, Huaguo passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage. There was both criticism and praise, but overall—thanks to Zhao Shenggu's groundwork—the public reaction was much milder than expected.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 23 Part 2

"Song Yao, wake up. Don't fall asleep!" Xu Kaicheng's expression was extremely grim. Without thinking, he opened the exchange panel. Unfortunately, this cheat ability could only exchange for knowledge—the only physical items available were silver and seeds. There were no medicines in it.

After his cheeks were pinched several times, Song Yao finally came back to his senses hazily. His head rested weakly on Xu Kaicheng's shoulder, and he could only signal with blinks that he was listening.

He held the person for a while longer. As the sky shifted, the cook who lived outside the residence would soon arrive to cook.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Amusement Park

The Guan family didn't stay long in the capital—after all, they couldn't leave things at home unattended for too long. The family saw them off, and life returned to its usual calm.

Guan Yuan was still living the life of eating and taking care of the baby. Time slipped by quickly, and before anyone knew it, Chanchan could talk—and talk fluently at that.

Chanchan's origins were unusual, so neither Guan Yuan nor Zhao Shenggu was surprised by how precocious he was. Still, they knew they had to be careful about it in front of outsiders.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 23 Part 1

Chapter 23

Zhao Guangming's words made both Xu Gandang and Xu Kaixuan frown simultaneously. With similar expressions and looks, they were presumably worried about the same thing. The elders on the Marquis of Jing'an's side had all passed away. The ancestral home was far away in Longzhong—even by fast horse, a one-way trip took half a month, let alone trying to invite other clan elders within eight days.

By the time the people arrived, their souls might arrive first.

As for Xu Kaixuan's maternal family...

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Visitors

The government kept the Zhao Shenggu kidnapping case under wraps, so it caused little stir among the general public. However, the Wu family's reputation had plummeted in the eyes of the higher-ups, all because of Wu Runduo.

With the emergence of Yuangu and Guyuan, the government was no longer as desperate for foreign investment, so they stopped granting the overseas Chinese everything they asked for.

Now, many upper-class families in Huaguo were watching the Wu family become a laughingstock.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The Marquis of Jing'an household was truly one of a kind—and not in a good way.

Although Xu Kaicheng had never been married himself, even watching TV dramas had taught him that ancient weddings involved a ridiculous number of steps.

Even in the most extreme cases of blind arranged marriages, where the groom wouldn't see the bride before the wedding, the groom's family would still go inspect the bride several times.

From the man's side, this was to verify the woman's character and check her health.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 77

Chapter 77: The Aftermath

"Brother..." Guan Yuan was the first to rush forward. Zhao Shenggu held Guan Yuan tightly as he flung himself into his arms, breathing in the fresh scent of his hair mixed with Chanchan's milky sweetness. His heart instantly settled.

"Were you scared?" Zhao Shenggu kissed Guan Yuan's forehead, and the childhood endearment slipped out. He knew Guan Yuan had been frightened, but in such a situation, to have understood his meaning and rescued him—his baby really was amazing.

He knew the standoff couldn't drag on any longer. Otherwise, a cornered dog would jump over the wall—even if they couldn't take him back, they'd make sure Huaguo couldn't have him either.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Kidnapping

Guan Yuan looked amusedly at Chanchan, who was asleep and blowing snot bubbles. He snorted. "You little thing, trying to fight me? Don't you know whose child you are!"

Before long, Chanchan was about to turn one month old. As the little one grew, Guan Yuan discovered that besides being unusually obsessed with food, he was also a little chatterbox. Whenever his eyes were open, he would "talk" non-stop.

"Ooh... ah..." Chanchan lay in Guan Yuan's arms, pointing at who-knows-what, babbling incessantly.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Xu Kaicheng guessed that the situation at Liexi Pass was special. After all, in the original novel, the Marquis of Jing'an, Xu Gandang, had already firmly controlled Liexi Pass for more than a decade, and even until the story ended, there had been no major battles at Liexi Pass.

Returning to his room, he sat at his desk. Naturally, there would not be any useful materials to look up on the desk. It took Xu Kaicheng a great deal of effort to pull from his memory the map of the Rong Dynasty's vast territory that he had once seen in Juxian Academy.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Chanchan

While waiting for the doctor, Guan Yuan's pain grew worse and sweat beaded on his forehead. Zhao Shenggu watched anxiously, pressing soft, hurried kisses to his face. "Xiao Yuan, it's okay, it's okay..." But his trembling voice gave away his panic.

Guan Yuan knew Zhao Shenggu was panicking, so he forced a smile. "I… I'm fine… mm… ah!!!" The sudden scream made Guan Shitou and Guan Mumu, who were guarding the door outside, flinch at the same time.

Guan Shitou stammered, "Wh-what's going on? Why's it so loud?" 

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 20 Part 2

The next morning, Xu Kaicheng did not get up early and run off as usual. Instead, he took a book and pretended to read in his room. Given Wei Cai'e's and previously Wei Daya's manner, it was impossible for Xu Kaicheng and Xu Kaixuan to put on any appearance of brotherly affection.

It was just that everyone in the capital knew Xu Kaicheng was inferior to Xu Kaixuan — insecure and degenerate, yet stubborn to a fault, with no sense of his own limitations, always wanting to compete with him.

And the way he competed was to study hard for a few days every time Xu Kaixuan returned to the household.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 74

Chapter 74: About to Give Birth?

Time quietly slipped by as Guan Yuan rested and cared for the baby. Soon it was the New Year, and Guan Yuan's due date was approaching. Zhao Shenggu grew more nervous with each passing day—he practically wanted to measure every step Guan Yuan took with a ruler.

Guan Yuan himself was fine. The further along he got, the more energetic he felt, and he could faintly sense a connection with the little one in his belly.

By now, Yuangu had grown bigger and bigger. It had not only become Huaguo's leading enterprise but was also a world leader in its field. With that kind of status, the New Year was bound to be busy.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 20 Part 1

Chapter 20 

The night grew deeper. At an hour when rural households had long since settled into sleep, the Marquis of Jing'an household was as lively as a marketplace.

Yang Wanhe shut the courtyard gate directly. She didn't continue working today either, and early on told everyone in the courtyard to go rest. Xu Kaicheng's side was no different—in his small courtyard there were only him and Dongzhu. The silly Dongzhu, having been ordered by him to sleep, actually went to sleep.

Now, stepping outside, one could even occasionally hear a few snores from the servants' quarters not far away.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Zhao Shenggu and Guan Yuan did not take Wu Runduo and Wu Runqiao to heart. All their attention was now on the baby in Guan Yuan's belly.

As the months went by, Guan Yuan's belly finally began to show, though compared to other pregnant people, it was still much too small.

Zhao Shenggu's favorite thing to do now was hold Guan Yuan and gently stroke his belly. The two said nothing, but a warm sweetness surrounded them.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 19

Chapter 19

At the back gate of the marquis household, Zhao Guangming stood expressionlessly in the shadows.

Most of the sunlight was blocked by the leaves overhead and the eaves of the buildings, and the little that slipped through wasn't even enough for others to see his expression clearly.

"Sir, it has been confirmed that the Eldest Young Master is at Yuelai Inn in the north of the city."

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Ever since Zhao Shenggu found out Guan Yuan was pregnant, he worried about him bumping into things or getting hurt. To avoid any accidents, he kept Guan Yuan at home all the time. Now that Guan Shitou and Guan Guan Mumu had arrived, Guan Yuan was naturally happy.

Guan Shitou was clamoring to explore every corner of the capital, and Guan Yuan wanted to go too. Seeing the eager look in Guan Yuan's eyes, Zhao Shenggu couldn't bear to refuse. He compressed his work schedule again and again so he could personally accompany Guan Yuan out.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 18 Part 2

In the innermost part of the capital, where the princes, nobles, and ministers lived, the main streets were paved with bluestone bricks, but the alleys were only tamped earth. By the time he reached the outskirts, even the main roads had no bluestone bricks.

He knocked on a courtyard wall he passed. The mud wall wasn't even made by first shaping the mud into blocks — it was just layered on directly, layer by layer. Not only was the work inefficient, but with wind, sun, and rain, these walls needed repairs every so often.

This world's heavy industry was truly crippled.

Reborn: Back to the 1980s Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Shitou and Mumu Arrive in the Capital

Zhao Shenggu held the densely written notes, studying them with the focus of a scholar — reading every single word carefully, as if he wanted to break them apart, knead them into himself, and carve them into his heart.

"Brother, don't be so dramatic, okay? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?" Guan Yuan said, touched but also a little speechless.

"Be good. You're a boy, and being pregnant is already unusual. It's always better to be careful." Zhao Shenggu carefully helped Guan Yuan sit down on the sofa.

The Villain's Counterattack Chapter 18 Part 1

Chapter 18

Yang Wanhe's courtyard was truly very quiet. In an ordinary household, it would count as a two-entry sized area. But Wei Cai'e, in order to torment Yang Wanhe, had knocked the entire courtyard through to make it into a single garden.

At this moment, all the maids and old servants were busy outside. Even the foolish Dongzhu stood at the doorway more than ten meters away from the two of them. Their voices automatically lowered, so that even Dongzhu at the door couldn't hear clearly.

"Your father—the first time he saw me, he noticed something was off."