Hard Enough - Chapter 108: Close call

Ji Qingzhou was anthropophobic and foolish. She had no redeeming qualities, except for her face.

Once she transmigrated, she was bound to a Guide System to save the world. She was tasked with capturing Shen Rongyu, the sinister, beautiful, mighty, gloomy villain and Great Shixiong of Xuanyun Sect, and to prevent him from destroying the immortal cultivation world in the future.

Can Ji Qingzhou, who had been single for 20 years, learn how to capture a villain?

Of course not.

She started off terribly, and muddled through the tasks that the system issued.

- Description from Novelupdates

Deep below the earth's surface, a mystifying subterranean seascape lurks, an archipelago bathed in inky blackness where suspense and horror hold court. Here lie strange islands and even stranger monsters, far beyond the realms of human imagination. In this domain, mankind is far from dominant; instead, madness and death rule supreme.

Pleading for mercy from the unknown creatures of the deep only leads to a slow, tortured existence. The trapped survivors gradually distort, losing what made them human, both physically and mentally, to the gloom as they remain trapped in this eternal obscurity. Their only hope? A perilous expedition into uncharted sea territories.

Fueled by determination, Charles embark on this daunting voyage aboard his steamship, aiming to reclaim humanity's past glory. Together with his crew, they sought a way out of this hidden sea world, a path back to the sunlit world above, where humans once stood tall.

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I read a few comments from Chinese readers that compared this novel with Lord of Mysteries because of similar elements: Lovecraftian, western fantasy, first industrial revolution, and steampunk. However, I have yet to finish reading Lord of Mysteries to do any actual comparison, but I do think those who have enjoyed that novel would enjoy this as well. Also, the author of LotM, Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, also did a shout-out for this novel, so I guess he approves of it too?

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On the day Zhou Tian took up the ID of “Yuzhou” and joined the YGG team, the entire professional gaming society of League of Legends was whipped into a frenzy. Nobody foresaw that the number one Kindred player on the Korean server, “Yuzhou Mei” was really a girl, and was even playing as a professional gamer. And so, a few days later, during an interview with the YGG team after the competition, the interviewer asked their ADC, Xie Yi, to evaluate their new teammate.

Xie Yi, after seriously thinking for a while: “She’s a bit fierce.”

Xie Yi, later: “As the name suggests, the new jungler is the sweetest in the universe.”

Note: Yuzhou = Universe

- Description from Novelupdates

Bei Qingqing was left to fend for herself over eighteen years before the rich Bei Family finally took her back. She found that her identity as a daughter had been replaced by the ‘naive and adorable’ Bei Bei, who was kept in her family.

Affection grows with proximity, and that certainly applied for them — there was just no comparing the affection the Bei Family had towards Bei Bei, to the affection of their biological daughter. They had spoiled Bei Bei for eighteen years.

Using Bei Qingqing’s adopted mother’s illness as leverage, the Bei Family forced Bei Qingqing to substitute Bei Bei’s marriage to a comatose man, Chen Jiazhi.

It seems that Bei Bei was now all that mattered to them.

Even so, Bei Qingqing married Chen Jiazhi, who had been comatose for years and said to have no chance of waking up. By doing so, she earned her two-million-yuan dowry for her adopted mother’s hospital bills.

Though Bei Qingqing believed that she would be widowed for life, she didn’t expect an accidental kiss on their first night to wake Chen Jiazhi!

Everyone in the entire Chen Family — from grandparents to uncles — are now indebted to Bei Qingqing. They all spoiled her, especially her now-awake husband Chen Jiazhi. Naturally, the Chen Family also took care of her adopted mother by providing her with better treatment!

Bei Bei was left red-eyed in fury! She was supposed to be Chen Jiazhi’s fiancee. His enormous wealth and affection were rightfully hers!

Moreover, Bei Qingqing had health problems and couldn’t get pregnant. Bei Bei will do her best and scheme to replace Bei Qingqing!

Unexpectedly, however, Bei Qingqing was having morning sickness just two months after marrying despite rumors of her infertility!

As for the Bei family that abandoned her? They were declining at a visible rate, and soon wouldn’t even deserve to lick Bei Qingqing’s shoes!