After the Continents Collided, I Was Forced into a Political Marriage

(Please add my upcoming story, The Demon King Has Done a Number on the Dragon, to your reading list!)

After the continents collide, the Eastern Divine Lords and the Western High Gods negotiate a truce and agree to work together for the future.

To demonstrate their sincerity, the gods of both realms unanimously hope that the immortal lord and High God who negotiated the peace will continue to interact amicably.

Of course, it would be even better if they could seal the deal with a marriage alliance.

Nuo Xi, newly elevated to godhood: ...Wait, what? Why me?!

It's bad enough that I had to handle official business during negotiations. Now you're forcing an immortal lord on me as a marriage partner?

But the gods promise Nuo Xi all sorts of temptations she simply can't refuse.

Shamelessly, Nuo Xi starts to waver.

I-if it's only a marriage alliance, surely we'll just be pretending, right?

And we can get divorced afterward, right?

So Nuo Xi excitedly hauls her scythe over to the Eastern Divine Realm.

*

Nuo Xi asks the Eastern god she's been married off to in a hoarse whisper, "Weren't... weren't we supposed to have a fake marriage?"

This is nothing like what she imagined.

Not even close.

The young man is feeding her celestial nectar by the spoonful. At her question, he glances sideways. "...Hm? When did anyone say that? I don't recall."

Nuo Xi: ???!

A slice-of-life novella

*

Upcoming story on my author page: The Demon King Has Done a Number on the Dragon

Blurb: Chu Cancan is a dragon who's struggled her way through life, and she's finally grown old enough to go out and gain some experience.

In theory, all she has to do is save one person and bring back a little merit to complete her trial.

So Chu Cancan sets her sights on the most prosperous city in the human world, its imperial capital.

*

Chu Cancan thinks she's pretty lucky. On her first day, she finds a young human lying in the street, seemingly dead or alive.

Look at all that blood on his face. He must be seriously injured!

So, while lamenting how fragile human children are, Chu Cancan forcibly drags him home.

*

To cure this human child, Chu Cancan doesn't know how many mountains she's climbed to gather herbs and brew medicine. Bowl after bowl of herbal soup goes down the boy's throat.

But there's no sign of improvement.

Chu Cancan is so worried that even her dragon scales feel flimsy.

Meanwhile, the boy she brought home lounges around, eating and drinking as he pleases, occasionally watching her, but never taking his own health seriously.

Still, Chu Cancan doesn't give up searching for a way to cure the human child. She even trades away her treasured golden ingots, which she's kept for years.

*

A long, long time later.

Chu Cancan finally learns that the boy was never seriously injured and doesn't even have the slightest ailment: ...

So-so why did she sell everything she owned and spend every last one of her gold ingots?!

Chu Cancan breaks down on the spot and tries to rush out and find another seriously injured human to save, but the boy stops her with one hand.

He tilts his head and says softly, "Are you going to abandon me?"

His dark eyes droop, hiding the shadows within. "...You picked me up. Aren't you going to take responsibility?"

*

Much, much later.

When the young man smiles innocently and sinks his sharp fangs into Chu Cancan's skin, letting out a low sigh, she finally realizes this isn't some ordinary, seriously injured human. He's not only perfectly healthy, he's not even human!

Upcoming story: The Emperor's Cat

Ruan Baibai is a little white cat who has gained spiritual awareness. She has short legs and a long, fluffy tail that sways as she walks.

Ruan Baibai has a habit of hunting for food at midnight, and that's how she finds a badly injured human who has passed out.

Her round, bright blue cat eyes blink.

Well, since I've run into him, it doesn't feel right to pretend I didn't see him.

Maybe I'll take in a human and raise him?

*

The noble Emperor brings home a cat.

Everyone bets on how long such a pitifully cute little white cat will survive in the hands of an Emperor with a violent temperament and cruel methods.

Some people have even secretly dug the little cat a grave, ready to wipe away their tears and bury it like its predecessors.

But a day passes, then a month.

Weeds half a person tall sprout from the grave they'd dug, but the little white cat is still full of energy.

The Emperor not only keeps the cat's fur sleek and glossy, making it even more refined and beautiful, but also hangs a jade dragon pendant around its neck.

The little white cat continues to wander through the palace with the pendant swaying at its neck.

To see the cat is to see the Emperor himself.

*

Ruan Baibai is used to bouncing around the palace. Even after transforming into human form one day, she still wanders around outside the Qianqing Palace in the middle of the night.

And that's how she gets knocked out by a palace attendant, wrapped up in a quilt, and carried to the familiar imperial bed.

Ruan Baibai: ...

Ruan Baibai: ???!

She doesn't want to sleep yet. She's wide awake! Doesn't everyone know cat demons sleep during the day?

But when Ruan Baibai belatedly meets the young man's half-lidded, indifferent gaze, she freezes, then swallows and asks softly, "...Y-you don't seem very happy?"

The young man gives her a cold look, grabs her along with the quilt, drags her off the bed, and tosses her neatly out the door.

Ruan Baibai, who had been about to coax him nicely: ...

Did he really think any cat would want this stupid bed?

Theme: A good life is stealing half a day of leisure.