MTL - Martial King’s Retired Life - Chapter 1 .Wulin rainy weather, court good welfare

Once a young business prodigy, Violetta’s company crumbled fast thanks to internal corruption and the greed of the more successful elites.Now, she’s a certified 31 year old dirt-poor shut-in, living her best (or worst?) life as a full-fledged otaku.With nothing but her anime merch and a shaky Wi-Fi connection, she scrapes by on streaming money, all while dodging the harsh reality outside her door.However, after an all-nighter to play Merlysian Realm, a newly released VR MMORPG, she died from her unhealthy lifestyle and passed out.[SYSTEM ERROR: 404 - ACCOUNT NOT FOUND][Rebooting...][Loading...[ERROR: SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. PLEASE WAIT.].....[SYSTEM MESSAGE][You Have Received A Legendary Class][User's account balance has been updated.][Balance: UNLIMITED][Class: Merchant][Rank: SSS]“Huh?!”Not only was she transmigrated into Merlysian Realms, she was reborn in a struggling farmer's family that lived in poverty from a poorly developed kingdom in medieval times!The real kicker? It’s crawling with corrupt nobles, dying crops, zero trade routes, and is so tiny it could probably fit on a map as a dot labeled “Who Knows Where.”Can our otaku-turned-financial wizard save this sinking ship of a kingdom, or is she doomed to relive her bankrupt nightmares?Watch as she proves those who doubted her to be wrong and be accepted as a genius by using her knowledge from the modern world!

The year he was fifteen, Ling Ke realized he was gay, and that he fell in love with a hot guy the same gender he was! Ling Ke spied on the other’s online friend group, payed attention to that person’s every move, and privately, started his fanatical fanboying actions. Unfortunately, the hot guy he liked was someone who changed girlfriends like he changed clothes, a pretentious and straight male.

A few years later, Ling Ke and the hot guy he was secretly in love with got into the same university and became good friends. In order to prevent his beloved from hating him, Ling Ke repressed his true feelings and forced himself to pretend to be a 24k, pure gold straight guy.
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Having high-spec looks, Qi Feng was a networking expert, but in order to preserve his all-around shining and popular hearthrob image, he always hid his true sexuality, that he was gay. He got himself (fake) girlfriends all throughout school, literally playing himself into being branded as a skirt-chaser.

Until one day, he met his true love. The other looked delicate and gentle, cold and out-of-reach, as if the ideal lover he’d dreamed of in his heart.

Except, there was just one thing. That guy also looked completely straight……

In short, this is the love story of two scared, in-the-closet gay guys pretending to be straight while mutually trying to feel the other out.

- Description from Novelupdates

“When fate brings together 23year-old Julienne Jenkins, a fierce, beautiful, and ambitious young lady, and a billionaire Roman Thompson 28 year old, a notorious, ruthless, smart and handsome CEO, their lives are forever changed.After A marriage of convenience sparks a whirlwind of emotions, secrets, and lies.Behind Roman's confident façade lies a dark past, one that has earned him the reputation as a woman-hater. His status as the “King of the Business World” has been built on his cunning, smart and ruthless tactics, but Julie's presence threatens to disrupt his carefully constructed empire.As Julie navigates her new reality and new identity, she must confront the darkness of her past and the uncertainty of her future. Will she be able to tame the heart of the king, or will Roman's secrets and lies tear them apart?Dive into the world of “Roman and Julienne's heart desire” to uncover a tale of love, heartbreak, and the true cost of secrets.”

Crimson Vale Academy—where reputation is currency, and failure is a stain you wear on your sleeve.Behind gothic walls and spotless uniforms, students aren't just educated—they're measured, ranked, and pitted against each other in a brutal meritocracy. Privileges are earned, not given. The strong rise. The weak vanish.Enter Kairon Vale, a transfer student marked Rank D—the bottom of the bottom. No badge. Just a stitched black fang, branding him as “Obsidian”—a warning to others.In a system where points dictate your value, Obsidian-ranked students claw for every opportunity to ascend into the prestigious Golden or Platinum ranks—where comfort, power, and influence await. But for most, it’s a losing battle.Yet Kairon isn’t here to fit in, impress, or play by their rules. Cold, calculating, and impossible to read, he watches the system… and waits. Because while the academy judges worth by numbers and names—he understands something deeper:Everyone wears a mask. And every mask can be cracked.Let the games begin.