A Mistaken Marriage with Mr. CEO - Chapter 1919 Norman Became the Adopted Son of the Shen Family

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension

Chen Qizhao was reborn and returned to the age of 18 when he was still the wicked little overlord of the Chen family.

At this time, his brother hadn’t experienced a car accident while his parents were in good health and weren’t seriously ill. The Chen family was still the prosperous Chen family and everyone thought he was a good-for-nothing who was useless and easily taken advantage of.

“He only knows how to quarrel with his older brother every day. He is arrogant and willful!”

“He looks good, but unfortunately, he is an idiot.”

“Isn’t he a useless person? Just serve him well.”

“It is a pity about that child of the Chen family.”

There were the group of scoundrel friends who were full of thoughts, the rats eyeing him covetously and the old, cunning people who were secretly scheming.

Chen Qizhao put on a mask of arrogance again. ‘Do you like acting so much? Why don’t we act together?’

It wasn’t until later that everyone discovered that at the end of the play, they would either go bankrupt or be imprisoned.

- Description from Novelupdates

In a world where failure is almost guaranteed, the game I now find myself in has a staggering 99.9% chance of defeat. Every choice brings chaos, and every road leads to disaster. No one has ever beaten it—it's infamous for being impossible to clear. But somehow, against all odds, I've transmigrated into this cursed game.Worse yet, I've taken over the body of Max, a minor character whose role is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. In the original story, Max is destined to die—nothing more than a forgettable extra lost in the background, a mere footnote in the epic tale of others.Frustration hit me hard as I realized I was trapped in this dead-end character. My doom felt inevitable, and every instinct told me to give up. What hope did I have in a world where even the strongest could barely survive?But just as despair was about to swallow me whole, a System suddenly activated, turning everything on its head. Along with the System came a peculiar ability:[Charm]It wasn't some overpowered skill designed for combat or survival. No, it was something entirely different, yet equally powerful in its own right.[Charm: Increase favorability as more women are captivated by your presence.]This was my key to survival.Through this strange, almost ridiculous skill, I realized that I could change my fate. The powerful female characters, once unreachable in the original storyline, could now be influenced. If I could make them favor me, their strength, influence, and protection would be mine.But it wouldn’t be easy. Each of these women had their own complex personalities, histories, and goals. They were dangerous, capable of crushing me in an instant if I misstepped. But with charm on my side, I might just be able to win them over—and in doing so, alter my destiny.What was once a game of certain death had now become a gamble of life and affection. Every conversation, every interaction, would determine whether I live or die. My charm was my weapon, and it would be the only thing standing between me and the grim fate that awaited Max.Now, with my new plan in motion, I’ll have to navigate the intricate web of relationships and alliances while avoiding the countless threats looming over me. The odds are still stacked against me, but for the first time since I arrived, I can see a glimmer of hope.If I can make the right moves, charm the right people, and avoid the pitfalls, I might just survive this nightmare.Or better yet, thrive.This is my one chance at life in a world of inevitable ruin, and I’ll do whatever it takes to change my story.

Qin Ran grew up in the countryside. She disappeared for one year and lost a year of high school.

One year later, she was taken to Yuncheng by her biological mother to attend school.

Her mother said: your stepfather is from a prestigious family, your big brother is a genius, your younger sister is a top student, you must not lose their faces.

*

Everyone of status in the capital has received a warning from Cheng family’s Junye: Junye’s wife is from the countryside; she doesn’t understand the circle, doesn’t understand the current circumstances, doesn’t understand the financial markets. Her character is very… in short, please excuse me.

Until one day, Junye investigated a big shot, his subordinates looked at the sockpuppet that had come off her while she said she knew nothing about it… they sank into a bewildered silence.

It was probably a story of two big shots trying to hide their sockpuppets so that the other didn’t feel inferior.

- Description from Novelupdates