MTL - The Age of Giant Ships and Cannons - ~ A New Year's letter to book friends

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?

Jiang Zhi was a good person in her past life. She was so good that she was placed on a pedestal and married a scumbag for the sake of her family’s fate. It was a painful life, but in the end, her family still felt that she did not do well enough.

When given a chance to start over, Jiang Zhi expressed that she would reject emotional blackmail and choose her own fate!

Hence…

Father Jiang, “Your husband likes to watch beautiful women dance. Do you want to go get lessons?”

Jiang Zhi smiled and nodded. The next day, she went to apply for a boxing class and beat up the scumbag at the red-light district.

Stepsister, “Hey, stop working out. Only by being as weak as me can men have the desire to protect you.”

Jiang Zhi smiled. “I can beat ten weaklings like you with one hand.”

The divorce and face-slapping happened in one go. Jiang Zhi became an anomaly in the family, causing panic and eventually being expelled from the family.

Everyone was waiting for her to come back crying and beg for mercy.

However, surprisingly, Jiang Zhi, who had left home alone, was doing very well. She started a company, invested in it, and managed celebrities… She even picked up a handsome little celebrity to raise.

The little celebrity was destitute, but he actually had the constitution of a koi fish. Ever since she picked him up, Jiang Zhi was lucky and her business went smoothly. She even had fewer enemies.

But… her waist was hurting too.

Seeing that it was getting better after Jiang Zhi’s divorce, the wealthy ladies were extremely jealous.

Later on, Jiang Zhi became the big boss of the Beijing circle. Her family kept sending her candidates and asking her to choose a marriage partner.

Jiang Zhi waved his hand in frustration. “You want me to marry you? Unless you’re the richest man.”

The next day, a photo of the mysterious richest man in the country was taken and trending.

Jiang Zhi, “???”

Why did this photo look more and more like the little celebrity beside her?

The next second, Jiang Zhi was pinned down on the bed by the man. “I’ve been with you for two lifetimes. When will I be able to become a full-time employee?”

Everyone said that Yi Qing was the number one Sword Cultivator in the world, with a swordsmanship and cultivation that no one could surpass. Whether it was when he was cultivating in the Lower Realm, or when he was in the Ten Heavens of the Upper Realm, he has always been undefeated.

Yi Qing laughed and said: “That is because you do not know of my Master. If we speak of cultivation, I am not as good as she by a long mile. Thinking about it, at the start, out of the ten Heavenly Emperors of the Upper Realm, my Master beat up nine, and the one left was myself.”

“Master? You actually have a Master! Who? How come we never heard of it?”

“My Master is…. Eh? Master? Master! And my Master? Has anyone seen my Master?”

A person next to them quietly raised her paw. “I am here!”

- Description from Novelupdates

The day the city fell, Feng Yun was treated by her father as a spoil of war and presented to the enemy general.Everyone pitied her, soon to be a captive, plunging into a fiery pit.Yet she veiled the little donkey cart that took her out of the city tightly, daring not to let anyone see the secret delight in her heart…As a child, she behaved oddly and spoke startling words, once predicting a war in which the whole army was wiped out, nearly being burned to death by her clan as a demon.When she grew up, her beauty was out of the world, but she was rejected by her husband's family.In the period of chaos and disorder everywhewe, where could a female captive go?“I do not seek a devoted partner to grow old with; I merely wish to rule unrivaled in this life.”In her previous life, Feng Yun was always the one being scorned by others; in this life, she decided to strike first, turning the tables on each and every one of them, those so-called unreachable flowers and beasts in gentleman's clothing, those degenerates… all to be scorned in return.