Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey - Chapter 109: Departure

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

Is this a punishment from the heavens!? Why did a newly graduated designer like “Li Jing” end up transmigrated to ancient China?And to make matters worse, she is now in the body of “Zhenzhu,” a poor 8-year-old girl.Her father is ill, her siblings are still young, and only her mother struggles to gather herbs to make a living!Let's see... the only possession this family has is two mu of land!Very well… If the plants in this village are difficult to grow, she will make fruits and vegetables flourish herself.With the “Golden Fish Scales” that can release spirit energy,Whether it's wild animals, fish in the pond, or rare plants in the valley,everything must belong to her family!

Once upon a time, there was a makeup artist who possessed outstanding skills and top-notch aesthetic judgement. When he did makeup for various stars, he could embellish sharpness onto the smooth vases that lacked edges, and he could make models who exceeded the boundaries of aesthetics to appear delicate and soft, more approachable to people.

Male stars loved to request him, for he had a thorough understanding of masculine charm in particular, and the makeup he did was never garishly slathered in oils or powders, instead exuding a natural, dashing air of elegance.

Female stars loved to request him, because not only was he excellent in his skills, he was also everyone’s closest confidant; when they chatted, he could easily hold any conversation, and his mouth would be tightly sealed, never allowing anyone’s privacy to slip out.

Although this person was quite young, after getting by in the makeup industry the past few years, he was virtually considered as a distinguished personality in his profession, and would be referred to as a ‘master’ wherever he went.

But he had a terrifying secret. He needed to carefully tread on thin ice and couldn’t expose even the slightest traces; otherwise, nobody would invite him to work ever again, and nobody would apply to the classes he led anymore.

—He was a straight man.

- Description from Novelupdates

She was the genius daughter of an Ancient Martial Family, shining brightly, and known as one of the fearsome “Dark Twins”. Due to her sister's betrayal, she and her partner both perished.She was Ajiu of Qifeng City, the so-called waste that everyone laughed at. Although she was a daughter of a cultivating family, she had no Phantom Power Source and couldn't cultivate Phantom Power. She was banished to a remote small town and eventually beaten to death by her cousin in a dilapidated courtyard.When the genius daughter, who gained the treasure of cultivation in the Endless Void, transmigrated into the body of the waste daughter, the gears of fate began to turn again. The waste would set foot on the path of cultivation! Contracting Divine Beasts, practicing Alchemy, refining artifacts, carrying on the legacy of ancient Divine Artifacts, seeking her kin, exterminating evil spirits, let's see how she stirs the heavens and earth!He was the most noble man between heaven and earth, of supreme status, with a bewitching appearance. Due to a game started out of boredom, he encountered her, and from then on, through heaven and earth, he would never leave her side!Snippet One:Dugu Qianye sat in the way she used to practice in her previous life, beginning to examine her current body. The blocked meridians, the weak energy channels, this body was truly terrible. As she continued downward, she arrived at the Dantian, “Eh? What is this?”What should have been an empty Dantian was floating with a... uh, an egg?“Why is it an egg? Could my body have turned into a hen? Does it have to be this fantastical!”“I am not an egg, you're the egg! Your whole family are eggs!” Just as Dugu Qianye was conflicted between the egg and the hen, a childish voice arose in her mind.“Eh? The egg can talk?” Dugu Qianye was astonished.“Damn it, I've already told you, I am not an egg!” the egg fumed.Snippet Two:Watching Dan Jingtian eating and exhaling from being burned at the same time, Dugu Qianye suddenly felt like teasing him. After thinking, she said, “I am a child from the mud pill family on Dot Street in Wuyou Town, next to Zixu City.”Dan Jingtian rubbed the back of his head and said, “Zixu City, Wuyou Town, why haven't I heard of any of them? Also, what’s a mud pill?”“Stupid!” Mo Ziqing tapped Dan Jingtian's head, “Remove the city and town and read it again.”“Zixu, Wuyou, Dot, Mud Pill, ugh, it's all nonsense to trick you! No way, brother, are you playing me?”Snippet Three:“Hey, that woman punched a hole in the sky.” Ci Hun appeared in front of Zi Xiao and said wickedly.“Oh?” Zi Xiao looked up at him indifferently and said, “Just a hole in the sky. Go, find someone to fix that hole.”“That woman also ripped a hole in that man’s pants, right on the butt.” Ci Hun continued.“What?” The man, who had been casual just a moment ago, jumped to his feet, his bewitching face filled with rage, “A hole in the butt? Dare to show his butt in front of my woman, come, let's go chop his butt off!”Ci Hun was speechless, saying, “That was done by the woman.”“Still, chop it off! Can't even protect his own butt, might as well chop it off.”Snippet Four:Dugu Qianye looked at the person tied up like a rice dumpling in front of her, stroked her chin, and said, “I've decided, I'm going to rob. Hand over everything valuable you have on you!”“I don't have any money” Mang Qianjun said indignantly, looking at Dugu Qianye.“What? No money? Then what's the point of keeping you around! Xiaohuo, light a fire,” Dugu Qianye said somberly.“Wait, wait, I haven't finished yet,” Mang Qianjun shouted, “I don't have money, but I have the entire Endless Hell. You can rob it!”