Monarch of Evernight - Volume 5 - Chapter 5: East Peak

[True to its genre: a creepy, rule-based horror story, highly refined and quality assured, but prospective readers seeking a thrilling experience should think carefully before proceeding.]In order to secure a substantial university life experience grant, Lin Yi and his roommate registered to attend a suburban university.A seemingly ordinary but slightly unsettling set of student regulations;Strange signs in front of the buildings and seemingly normal building rules;Mysterious figures threading through the campus under abnormal weather conditions…As the experience unfolded, more and more bizarre people and events emerged. To survive and leave the campus, Lin Yi had to navigate on the edge of the rules…[Note: The logical chain of this book was deduced by the author before it was written, forming a closed loop. All rules serve as clues, and all the inconsistent, mysterious occurrences will receive scientific (or quasi-scientific) explanations. There are no supernatural events or related phenomena (just kidding), you are welcome to try reading it!]

***Completed***“I'll marry you if you promise to kiss me every day.”On the harrowing day she lost her family, out of all the men she knew, Marcella didn't expect those words from “Sweet Baby” Tony. She thought he was not interested in her.She had to ask him for the marriage as she wanted to fulfil her sister's last wishes.She got married the day she suffered a horrifying loss.Don DeAngelo's youngest daughter became the wife of Antony Crawford.She didn't wait to think why he wanted to marry her when every men she knew wanted her for who her father was. She trusted him that much.But in a day, she learned that Tony was not so different from other men.What choice can she make?She can throw away the marriage and lose custody of her nephew, or...She chose to be married to him. Their marriage can be a deal. She needed him, he needed her. It's all fine.Except...What does Tony feel? Is their marriage all but a business transaction for him? What is the secret he is hiding? Why can't he reveal it to her?-----*Excerpt*“We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell,” she said looking into his eyes. The alluring mystique behind those blue eyes made her heart skip a beat.How can she hate and love someone this much? She must be missing a part of her brain.In the silence of the dining room, the candle flickered. The curve of his lips widened and in the romantic ambiance, the thin lines around his eyes gave her a thrill.“Quoting Oscar Wilde?” he chuckled comfortably, leaning forward.“Isn't that true in our case?” she asked.She observed him, trying to digest every single expression on his face.He went silent. His lips pressed to a line. His pensive eyes never left hers except for the few seconds when he placed down his cutleries. She still couldn't guess what goes on in that smart brain of his.It is this, she thought. I am a decently adventurous person. He's an adventure. Maybe that's his allure!“Then, Birdie,” he stood up and walked to her.Marcella's back got stiff as she tried to figure out what he was going to do.Also, is that a pet name? Birdie? It's nice. But that came out of nowhere...She followed him with his eyes. He kneeled beside her and held her hand. Only when she felt the warmth of his big hand on hers did she realize that she had been holding her breath for a while.This man is going to be the end of her. It sucks when he does not feel even half of what she feels.“Let's be angels,” he kissed her hand. With a smooth smile that reached his eyes, he looked at her. “Let's be each other's angels, and let's make this world our heaven.”“You are...”Unable to find any words to say to him, she buried her face in her hand. Her chest was heaving as if she ran a marathon.This man surely is going to be the end of her.“What?” he chuckled while teasing her to show her face. “What am I?”“You're a brute, Mr. Crawford. That's what you are,” she said trying to hold her stoic expression to relay her “disapproval” of his methods. But in front of his goofy smile, she lost.She lost, and she didn't feel defeated.She felt delighted in his presence.“Mark my words, Birdie. I am taking you to the White House,” he said.Marcella opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. The determination shining in his eyes...He's not talking about a visit to the White House, is he?No way! No f*cking way!Her eyes widened. But he was smiling sweetly as always. He stood up and leaned to her ear.“Let's have today's kiss on the bed,” he said.Before she could form a resistance, he picked her up and walked up the stairs.Again, Marcell pondered the one question she's been asking a lot lately.Whom did I marry?

“Ding! Congratulations! You have received 7 billion red pockets!”

“Ding! Congratulations! You have received 50 million yuan!”

“Ding! Congratulations! You have received a Lamborghini Aventador!”

“Ding! Congratulations! You have received 51% stock of a listed company!”

“Ding! Congratulations! You have received a whole tower worth 5 billion!”

“Ding! Congratulations! You have received the skill, Combat King!”

“Ding! Congratulations! You have received the skill, God’s Singing Voice!”

“7 billion red packets? How long will it even take me to open all of them?” Lin Fan complained.

“Excuse me, how long do you think it will take you to earn a million?” a certain random reporter asked.

Lin Fan was silent.

“Sorry, but, why do you keep blinking?” the reporter asked.

“Didn’t you ask how long it would take?”

She thought heartbreak was the hardest battle she'd ever fight. Ending a five-year relationship in 2024 nearly broke her, but she rose anyway. By 2028, she’s everything she once dreamed of becoming. A bestselling author, an admired high school teacher, and a successful businesswoman. But behind her perfect image lies a dangerous secret. She’s also one of the most feared underground hackers in the cyber realm.Then one night in City X changes everything. A book signing. Too many drinks. A stranger with a voice like sin and eyes full of danger. The next morning, no memories, a blurred signature, a hotel room, and a man’s touch she can’t forget. Back in City C, she tells herself to move on. Until someone knocks on her door. And the man from her forgotten night says the words that turn her world upside down.“I’m your husband.”He’s younger, commanding, and far from ordinary. A soldier from a secret military unit hidden in the shadows, where forbidden experiments and enhanced beings redefine humanity itself. Now bound by a contract marriage, they’re forced into a world of covert missions, coded lies, and a war between love and survival.She’s a hacker who steals secrets.He’s a soldier sworn to protect them.And when their worlds collide, love becomes both a weapon and a weakness, the only thing powerful enough to save them... or destroy everything they stand for.