MTL - My Stepmother is Soft and Charming - Chapter 283 Half happy or sad

...[Inside an underground basement]“You are going to die for nothing, hahahaha,” the old man's voice thundered through the room, sending chills down my spine.Step.With a swift and ruthless motion, he lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air and slashing my throat, crimson droplets staining the darkness.“We'll see,” I whispered defiantly, my final words escaping as a mere breath against the impending darkness.Slowly, inexorably, my consciousness slipped away, and I descended into a deep, unfathomable slumber.“Huh!?” My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself seated in a bustling tavern, the air thick with laughter and the clinking of glasses.In front of me stood a captivating lady, her beauty juxtaposed with an angry furrow upon her brow, threatening to shatter the harmony of the jovial scene.“Don't follow me around!” Her words pierced the air like shards of ice, the intensity of her emotions palpable as she cast a resentful glare in my direction, before swiftly departing from the tavern....Am I trapped within the confines of a game? The fragments of my shattered common sense scattered before me, leaving me to question the very fabric of my reality.

Tang Nuan, the cannon fodder supporting female in a sweet pampering novel, woke up after an accident and decided to get rid of her fate after she foresaw her tragic future in advance. The first thing she did was to break off the engagement with her wealthy fiancé. She felt that she knew the plot in advance and also knew the secret of her fiancé Ye Shuyan’s mind-reading ability, so she would be able to quit the marriage smoothly. However, she did not expect Ye Shuyan’s mind-reading ability limited to a three-meter distance would be an exception to her.

Ye Shuyan, who has always been with Tang Nuan out of responsibility, found that his fiancée was completely different from what he imagined after he had the mind-reading skills. He developed a feeling of admiration, so he, who firmly did not want to break off the engagement, and Tang Nuan started a series of battles of wits and courage.

The two protagonists redeemed each other in the struggle between breaking off and not breaking off the engagement, facing their feelings sincerely, and reaping sweet love and marriage.

- Description from Novelupdates

Both parents deceased, Yu Tingwan lived under someone else's roof, toiling from dawn until late night without complaint.Her aunt was harsh and intended to sell her to a lecherous local squire who was past seventy.Yu Tingwan had reached her breaking point!She refused to be servile any longer!Instead of having her marriage manipulated, she would rather take charge herself.On her way back from a failed matchmaking session, she stumbled upon the Wei Family's young master, who was being carried, covered in wounds.Yu Tingwan unexpectedly felt dizzy, and suddenly her eyes were filled with red and inappropriate visions. The sound of gongs and drums filled the air as the Wei Family's young master, dressed in wedding garments, had a gloomy expression and was pushed into the bridal chamber by his mother.Who knew which unlucky girl was marrying him!Yu Tingwan saw the face of the bride who was struggling on the bed.Incredibly… it was her!!!General Wei Zhao was proud and noble, having achieved great military honors. After uncovering a colossal deception that had been plotting against him for more than ten years, he felt utterly absurd and bore a wish to die.In a border battle, he used the Cloud-breaking Spear that had slain enemies to stab himself.But he didn’t die, becoming a member of the remote Wei Family village.Throughout his life, Wei Zhao had only known darkness and despair; he thought he would never see the light.Until someone broke in.She fiercely grabbed his collar, stood on tiptoe, and gave him a peck.“Don't be ungrateful; you should secretly rejoice in marrying me.”

He was once the most feared villain in the empire, a master of manipulation who wove chaos from the shadows. Ruthless, untouchable—until the day he was betrayed and executed by the very man he sought to control.But death is not the end.He awakens in the body of Lady Elara Valcrest, a fragile noble girl doomed to be a pawn in political games. Stripped of her former power, she is forced into an arranged marriage with none other than Cairon Everhart—the man who once killed her. He does not recognize her, but she knows him. And she will never forget.To survive, Elara must play a new game. One where deception is her only weapon, and trust is a dangerous illusion. She must outmaneuver her enemies, uncover the truth behind her execution, and reclaim the power she lost. But as she navigates the treacherous world of court intrigue, one question lingers—Was Cairon truly her greatest enemy? Or had she been blind to an even greater threat?Time is running out. The villain has been given one last chance. And this time, she refuses to lose.